Neo’s POV
Neo sat in the pilot’s chair of the ship Kevin had given him.
The stars stretched endlessly beyond the viewing panel, yet none of it held his attention.
His mind was too scattered.
Thoughts ca and went without pattern, and the silence of the ship only made the weight of them heavier.
At his waist, the sword shivered faintly.
A mont later, light spilled out of it, shaping itself into the form of a woman.
She was tall, striking, with long black hair and red eyes that softened when they landed on him.
She stood behind him.
"Neo," Obitus said.
She stepped closer and pulled him into her arms, holding on tightly as if she could absorb the pain from him.
"It will be alright."
She didn’t need him to explain anything.
She could feel his emotions, and turmoil.
That was the bond between them.
And what she felt now scared her.
Neo was withering.
Piece by piece.
His will to continue forward was eroding.
If she didn’t find a way to support him, she feared that he would soon crumble and never rise again.
"Neo," she whispered, almost pleading. "You should et the others. Tyrant Firmant, Death Sword Firmant... everyone wants to see you. You should talk to them."
Her voice trembled, but she pushed through.
She hoped—no, she needed—sothing to make him happy again.
"Neo—"
"Not now."
His voice was sharp.
He didn’t raise it, but the words were final.
"I don’t want to et anyone. Give .... so ti."
Obitus froze, her arms still wrapped around him.
She stayed like that for several seconds before slowly letting go.
Her hands lingered for a mont, then she stepped back, wiping the corners of her eyes. When she spoke again, her tone had changed.
"Fine. If you need ti, I’ll give it to you. But in exchange, you’re going to tell everything that happened while you were gone. Do you know how much I missed you?"
She planted herself in front of him.
Her hands were on her hips, and she glared at him with an expression that was half anger and half stubbornness.
Neo’s lips curved into a smile.
He tried to smile normally.
For Obitus, that hollow smile hurt more than tears.
"Nothing much happened," he said.
"Neo..."
He reached out and patted the sword at his waist, as if to reassure her.
"I know what you’re thinking," he said. "That I went through sothing bad. But honestly, nothing of the sort happened."
His smile stayed fixed as he continued.
"After I erased my mories, the Alliance sent to a place called Voraka Site.
"Their plan was to turn into a berserker.
"But I was lucky.
"I t one of my br.... brother’s reincarnations there.
"He helped . Then we t the Supre of Void, who trained . Thanks to them, I completed my Path, reached Stage 5, and regained my mories."
"I–Is that so?"
The tears ca before she could stop them, sliding silently down her cheeks.
She forced herself to smile.
Because she knew he was lying.
Because he was doing it for her.
Asking for the truth would an going against that.
Her chest burned with anger at the Alliance, with grief for the suffering she knew he wouldn’t admit to.
But instead of voicing any of it, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him again, burying her face against his chest.
Silent tears slipped through her closed eyes.
She held on and refused to let go, even when the seconds stretched into minutes.
Neo chuckled lightly and lifted a hand to stroke her hair.
"You’ve gotten a lot clingier, haven’t you?"
"I’m just taking back everything I missed while you were gone," she muttered, refusing to let go.
Neo smiled again, but this ti he didn’t fight her grip.
He stayed still, letting her hold onto him as long as she needed.
His eyes flicked back to the ship’s panel in front of him.
After a mont, he spoke.
"How long until we reach Earth?"
"Estimated ti: one week, three days," the ship’s AI answered.
"That’s quite fast," Neo murmured. "Anyway, can you answer so questions for ?"
"As long as I know the answers," the AI replied in its neutral tone.
"Kevin said Earth is under the Forgotten Suns. When did that happen, and why?"
"It happened roughly twelve thousand years ago. Ilyana Veycoris-Drasthel, one of the nine leaders of the Forgotten Suns, decided to welco Earth under her wing.
"She knew the Alliance was searching for Neo Hargraves and concealed the planet from them," the AI explained in detail.
"Kevin knew about this?" Neo asked.
"Yes. Master Kevin was aware but chose not to report it to the Alliance."
"Why did Ilyana take Earth under her wing? Was it conquest?"
"No. It was through negotiation. She spoke with Jack Hanma, a Stage 4 God of Earth, and offered her protection in exchange."
Neo raised his brows at that.
’Jack’s a Stage 4 already? That’s impressive.’
A thought sparked imdiately after, tightening his jaw.
He rembered Jack was going to marry his little sister Layla.
’I’m going to beat that bastard until he’s half an inch from death,’ Neo thought, gritting his teeth.
The loathing he had against his bloodline stirred inside him.
He forced it down.
Layla had done nothing, is what he repeated in his mind, suppressing any other thought.
If he let any useless thought spread, he would lose his focus.
He would lash out.
And he would lose his reason—his excuse—to go back to Earth.
’I need to et her,’ he thought.
His chest felt heavy.
Even though he no longer deserved it.
Even though what the eting might brake him.
He still wanted to et her.
He would use his hated bloodline as an excuse if he had to, but he wasn’t going to give up on seeing her again.
"Ah." Obitus gasped.
Neo blinked and turned as Obitus suddenly shifted, pulling back slightly so she could look him in the eyes.
Her face was close, only inches away from his.
"Give it to ," she said.
"What?"
"Your Path."
"You should already have access to it."
"I do," she admitted.
"Then what are you asking?"
"I want more. Your Path grants skills based on class, traits, and bloodline, right? I’m asking for more of them. There are a lot I want to try."
Neo gave her a long look.
"You want skills outside of your class?"
"Yes."
She smiled with a small spark of mischief in her expression despite the tears still clinging to her lashes.
Neo let out a breath that was half a laugh.
He understood she was trying to lighten the mood.
"I can give it to you..." he said slowly, dragging out the words. "But..."
Her face imdiately twisted.
"But? Why is there a but? Why!?"
She looked betrayed
Neo burst into laughter and reached out to pat her head again.
"Alright, alright. I was only joking. No need to get so anxious."
"Hmph. I wasn’t anxious," she said, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
Neo leaned back in his chair, still chuckling softly.
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