Flauge's eyes fluttered open, the blurred shapes of his surroundings slowly sharpening into focus. His head throbbed with a dull, rhythmic ache.
"You back with us?" Arnold's voice was low, laced with a relief he wasn't quite trying to hide.
Both Ayelen and Arnold were hovering over him, their faces etched with weary concern. Flauge groaned, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He felt heavy, his limbs vibrating with the aftershocks of the power that had recently surged through him.
"Yeah," Flauge muttered, rubbing his temples. "I'm okay. Sorry about that. I... I lost control."
"Don't worry about it," Ayelen said quickly, waving a hand as if to dismiss the near-disaster. "Seriously, it's fine. Actually, while you were out cold, we managed to pull off a little power-up of our own."
Arnold grinned, leaning over to give Ayelen a playful, heavy-handed punch to the chest. "This dude is actually pretty cool when he wants to be," he joked, his voice echoing with a bit of newfound respect.
Flauge managed a weak smile, though his mind was already shifting back to the mission. "Glad to hear it. Did you guys find the key?"
Ayelen and Arnold both shook their heads. The atmosphere dipped for a moment, the weight of their failure settling in the air.
A few yards away, Vermiliya was staring off into the distance, completely lost in her own world. Her gaze was fixed on nothing in particular, a soft, distracted look on her face as she thought about Ayelen. She was so deep in her daydream that she didn't notice Flauge approaching until he was right behind her.
"Boo!"
Vermiliya jumped nearly a foot into the air, a sharp gasp escaping her throat. She spun around, her face flushing a deep crimson as she saw the three men laughing at her expense.
"I know exactly what she was thinking about," Arnold teased, wagging his eyebrows.
Vermiliya didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead, she rushed over to Ayelen, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the jagged wound on his side. Without a word, she reached down and tore a long strip of cloth from her own garment. She knelt beside him, her movements quick and focused as she began wrapping the makeshift bandage around his waist to staunch the bleeding.
Flauge watched them, a mischievous glint entering his eyes. He flicked his fingers, and the reality around them shivered and warped. In a heartbeat, the desolate landscape vanished. They were suddenly standing in a lavish, brightly lit engagement hall. Spotlights swirled across the floor, eventually landing on a confused Ayelen and a blushing Vermiliya, framing them like a couple center-stage.
"Alright, that's enough!" Ayelen snapped, though he couldn't hide the small smirk playing on his lips. With a wave of his hand, he broke the illusion, dropping them back into the cold reality of the wasteland.
The group settled down around a small, crackling campfire. The orange light danced across their tired faces, casting long shadows against the rocks.
"If anyone has something they want to get off their chest," Flauge said, leaning back against a stone, "now's the time."
Almost instantly, all three of them pointed straight at him. "You first," they said in unison.
Flauge held up his hands in surrender, laughing softly. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'll go." He stared into the flames for a long moment, his expression turning distant. "So, the story starts about thirty million years ago. Back then, I was just a normal human, believe it or not. I was a soldier."
He paused, a self-deprecating smile touching his lips. "And for some reason, I ended up developing a massive crush on the caretaker of the God of the Generator."
Arnold and Ayelen burst out laughing. Flauge's face fell, his eyes welling up with mock hurt as he tried to wave them down. "Hey! Shut up! Let me finish the story!"
They quieted down, though Arnold was still muffled by a lingering chuckle.
"Anyway," Flauge continued, his voice dropping an octave. "After I was finally acknowledged by the God of Generation, he threw a massive party to celebrate our victory in the war. When I finally left the hall, I saw a girl standing alone. She was staring up at the sky, watching a star—Helx-01."
"The largest star ever known," Ayelen whispered, the scholar in him recognizing the name.
"Exactly," Flauge said. "I walked up and asked her why she was staring at it. When she turned to look at me, her face was covered. She wasn't allowed to show it to anyone. But her eyes... and the way her hair caught the light... I fell for her right then and there."
He stared at his hands. "She told me, 'You did your best in the war, Flauge. I'm impressed.' I panicked. I jumped forward and clamped my hand over her mouth. If anyone had seen a caretaker speaking to a lowly soldier like me, we both would have been executed on the spot."
He went quiet, the crackle of the fire filling the silence. "We spent the rest of the night sitting on the edge of a waterfall, just watching that star. She told me it was her favorite."
Arnold, Ayelen, and Vermiliya were leaning in, their eyes wide and shining in the firelight, completely captivated by the glimpse into the god's mortal past.
"And...?" Arnold prodded.
"That's it," Flauge said abruptly, leaning back.
Arnold frowned. "Wait, if that was a different god back then, how did you end up becoming the god?"
"That," Flauge said with a wink, "is a story for another day. Now, it's Arnold's turn."
Arnold shifted uncomfortably, poking at the fire with a stick. "Fine. Honestly, there isn't much. I never knew my real parents. Don't even know if I have siblings. I grew up with a different family." He looked up, his gaze steady. "But that family was more than enough. I had an older sister, a brother, a mother, and a father. I loved them."
His voice wavered for a fraction of a second. "I lost them all in an accident."
"I'm so sorry, Arnold," Vermiliya said softly, her voice heavy with genuine empathy. Flauge reached over and placed a comforting hand on the big man's shoulder.
Ayelen and Vermiliya looked at each other, preparing to share their own pieces, but Flauge turned back to Arnold, his expression suddenly serious.
"First, tell me," Flauge asked. "What happened with the Nylomites?"
"Galsen was killed," Arnold reported, his jaw tightening. "But those Nylomorphs... they're on a completely different level. They're way stronger than anything we expected. Why didn't you warn us about them, Flauge?"
Flauge sighed, looking older than he had moments ago. "I wanted to. I just... I forgot. You have to understand, as a god, there are too many things screaming for my attention at once. But listen to me now."
He looked each of them in the eye.
"Nylomorphs are dangerous. They don't hold back, they don't feel pity, and they do not make mistakes. Do not underestimate them. Be on your guard."
He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the sudden tension. "But, we can't stop now. Let's continue."