Finally, Bray and I could return to the world of the living.
Words that should have filled Alexander with pride—words any sane person would have cherished—but he did not.
He froze, utterly still, constructing thousands of plans in his mind. Each one spiraled toward the sa inevitable conclusion. The proposal the Goddess had presented was simply too good to refuse.
Even if it ant trading Jamie’s life for their salvation.
He would be saving our lives. That’s what he would want.
He clung to that justification as he leaned forward to deliver his answer.
"I accept."
The Goddess’s face brightened instantly, joy radiating across her divine features. His uncle—the captain of the Grid Lions—looked just as pleased.
"But on one condition," Alexander added calmly. "I et Bray before he goes back."
"Done. I will have dusa contact you with all the other details about your training and script!"
She rose from her seat; the captain followed.
"We are going to have fun together."
The two exited the eting room, leaving Alexander alone.
His uncle’s expression was deliberately numb. He refused to display the pride swelling in his chest for his niece.
If only he truly knew what had happened to his brother.
Suddenly—
[Teleportation complete]
A violent surge of energy erupted midair. Particles sward and collided, weaving together into shape. Within seconds, a familiar figure materialized.
"No, wait—where the fuck are you taking ?!"
Bray shouted the way people do in action movies when they’re being kidnapped—except this ti it wasn’t a van. It was teleportation.
He spun around, eyes wide, absorbing the spacious, immaculate room. Curiosity flickered across his face—until he saw Alexander standing before him.
Alexander’s gaze was somber. Heavy. The kind of look soone gives when they are about to announce a terminal illness.
And Bray felt it.
At first, all he could think about was charging at him—demanding answers, throwing accusations. Why had he acted like he’d never seen Jamie before? Why had he joined the Grid Lions? Why had he stood there doing nothing while Jamie and Greg tore into each other?
But in that instant, the anger evaporated. As if it had never existed.
"Why are you looking at like I’m about to die or sothing?"
"You haven’t dropped the attitude, I assu," Alexander replied dryly, deflecting the direct confrontation Bray had launched into.
"We haven’t seen each other for, what, two days? Nothing’s changed. I wouldn’t say the sa about you, though."
Bray shot back.
"I know. It’s a long story."
"Greg filled us in on the details. Speaking of Greg—did you know he was with the Scorpions?"
Bray’s tone sharpened, suspicion threading through his voice. Alexander noticed, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Yeah. But I only found out when I was coming here with him."
"And you didn’t think to tell us?"
"I know. I made a mistake. I take full responsibility for that."
His hands moved instinctively as he spoke, a subtle surrender. Alexander understood that any answer other than that would have shattered whatever fragile trust remained between them.
Even so, that trust was already cracked—held together by a thread.
Who could bla Bray? They had just watched one of their closest friends transform into a demon and get extracted on the spot. Expecting psychological stability would have been absurd.
"Just tell why I’m here."
Alexander hesitated, the weight of the words pressing against his lungs.
"You’re going back to the world of the living."
Bray’s confusion was imdiate.
"What do you an?"
"I spoke to the Goddess and... and she said you can go back, Bray."
Bray stood frozen. His head shook slowly as he processed it. Seconds ticked by. Then the realization clicked into place.
"She chose you to kill Jamie, didn’t she?"
Alexander said nothing. His gaze dropped to the polished floor. The silence confessed everything.
"You motherf—"
"What was I supposed to do, huh?!"
"Say no!"
"And then what? The Goddess would’ve found soone else. And we have no guarantee that person would go easy on him—or make it less painful." His voice tightened. "This is the best-case scenario for all of us!"
"So you calculated it all, huh? Like you always do, Mister Smart Pants." Bray jabbed a finger toward Alexander’s head. "How are you even smart if you can’t understand sothing this small?"
"There’s no point arguing about it. I’ve already made my decision."
Alexander shut the conversation down.
A suffocating silence settled between them. Neither wanted to speak, because neither would bend. The tension stretched thin, ready to snap.
The only person who could have bridged that gap was Jamie.
And Jamie was gone.
"If you don’t have anything useful to say, you can leave."
Alexander’s eyes had been lowered monts before, burdened by guilt. But now the guilt seed to drain away. He lifted his gaze and t Bray’s eyes directly as he spoke.
Bray saw it.
Alexander was gone. Drowned in the power the Goddess had handed him.
[Comncing protocol. Materializing the Door back to the world of the living.]
Particles shimred once more, swirling in chromatic streams until a large, vintage door ford before Bray.
Kwah!
It opened automatically.
Blinding white light poured through the doorway, endless and overwhelming.
Bray stepped forward slowly—like a mourner approaching a coffin for one final look at a friend.
Just before crossing the threshold, he turned his head.
"Out of everything I’ve seen in this hell of a place..."
His voice was thick, restrained, on the edge of breaking.
"You’re the thing I’m most glad I’ll forget."
Then he stepped into the blinding light.
The door shut behind him.
Alexander remained in the eting room.
Alone.
...
BACK TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING
The rhythmic beeping of machines echoed through Bray’s consciousness as he slowly stirred.
His vision blurred. His body throbbed. A wave of nausea twisted through him.
The sensation was crushing—too heavy, too overwhelming, too real.
Gradually, the blur faded, revealing a spotless white ceiling.
Am I in a hospital? he wondered, glancing at the white blanket draped over him.
"How did I get here?
The last thing i rembered is saving a child from drowning ."
"Oh.So I drowned.
That explains the pain."
"Nurse! Nurse! He woke up!"
A female attendant shouted in excitent, clutching Bray’s hand tightly against her chest. Tears streaming down her face.
"You’ve finally woken up, thank God!"
She muttered in gratitude, not knowing how ironically accurate those words were.
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