I had time to breathe.

The phantom heart was slowly forming within me, its empty yet ever-present weight could be felt in my chest. It wasn’t there physically, but as it took shape, it felt like it was manifesting in a corporeal form. Paired with the faint feeling of the miasmic essence resting in blood stream, my body felt strange.

It seemed as if the process of the heart's formation would take a few days, so I began to wonder about what to do next.

-The Art of Sanguina was– well, my horizons were expanded and there was a lot to be done regarding it. I needed to test every possible thing I could think of in a way. Even the smallest detail could offer greater usage.

-My next meeting with Penelope was coming up soon.

-I needed to recover the guardian's artifacts.

-In a short two months, I would dive into a ruin and recover a hellstone with Alexandra.

I racked my brain as my mind wandered, but my phone vibrated.

[I made it, Casper. I don’t think I can enjoy myself knowing you’re caught up in some mess, but I don’t want to make things any harder for you.]

My dad texted, in the heat of the moment, I'd sent him to Bali. He loved reading up on the history of different places so he’d enjoy it a bit more than the average tourist.

Knowing that he was out of harm’s way took a weight off of my shoulders. I could focus on other issues without his safety worrying me.

As the Phantom Heart etched out its existence within my body, I looked at my small pile of artifacts. I kept the penumbra restrained for now in hopes that it wouldn’t develop any negative traits. The rune I placed on myself to restrain it had begun to wear down, but there was no activity from it.

‘I need to store these somewhere safe.’

I couldn’t feed them to the penumbra yet, so I placed them in a backpack I carried with me. I decorated the inside with blood runes to keep it secure. At the very least, no ordinary person with a gift could open it.

After that was settled, I headed out to meet up with Alexandra.

…

“Casper you…– you’re extremely unstable,” Alexandra spoke abruptly.

We were in the back of a cafe about to order something when she suddenly became disturbed by something, going so far as to remove her glasses so she could take a closer look at me.

It didn’t seem as if she was commenting on my mental state so I could only wait for her to explain.

“I can’t even understand how you’re sitting in front of me right now without any problems.”

“Is it that serious?” I asked, failing to see what made her react so strongly.

“You’re asking if it’s serious?” She scoffed out of pure disbelief. “The fact that you can sit here and go on as if everything is normal is honestly a miracle. If you leave it for a few weeks, I really think you’re gonna die. Hell, it might be even sooner if something doesn't change.”

“Hold on...” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“So you really can’t tell? You’re growing faster than your body can keep up with, just like that profile of you said.”

“Profile?”

“You haven’t seen it yet–? We’ll get to that later, but for now I need to ask… Have you ever made a tower out of building blocks?”

“When I was a kid maybe, yeah.”

“Right, then that makes it easier to explain. Let's say you keep adding more and more blocks, but eventually the tower sways. That means it's unstable, wouldn't you say? Add a few more and at some point, it'll outright collapse. That happens because everyone focuses on just stacking them in hopes of making a giant tower without ever thinking to strengthen the foundation. Your body is that tower, Casper and you’re teetering on the edge of death. The worst part is, you don’t even seem to notice.”

‘That’s can’t be right.’ I didn't feel any different with the exception of the miasma and the phantom heart being present in my body.

“Then, what do you think I should do?” I asked, giving serious consideration to what she said.

Even if I felt fine for the most part, I had absorbed the miasmic essence, expanded my limits on the Art of Sanguina, and purchased the Phantom Heart in an incredibly short span of time. The factors surrounding the added powers wasn’t one of life and death since, with the exception of realizing the strength of the sanguina, everything came after the battles were done. So it was fair to say my body wasn't used to the new abilities.

Right now, I had to admit there was a lot of stagnant power in me and I had hardly mastered a single one.

In fact, I felt a vague horror creep up on me when I realized that the only thing I was accomplished in was Penelope’s Dance. Back when I chose to be a Death Bringer, that was the only real source of power I had so I focused on it solely, but now I had spread myself too thin.

As much as I hated to admit it, I needed another situation like the proving grounds where I could allow my body to grow under the pressures of an extreme environment.

“I didn’t come here to talk about your growth, but it’s just too important to ignore now… If you have the time, which I hope you do for your own sake, I’ll bring you to the Iron Wyvern facility. If there are no other options, I have something in my possession which could help you, but...”

“What?” I saw her visibly hesitate and couldn’t help but grow curious.

“You’ll understand when we get there.” She sighed, shaking her head as if dispelling whatever thought she had and then continued, “I came here to tell you that, one, your information checks out and the government has chosen Sleeping Lion to assist them this time, so you have time before any of those New Era guys come looking for you. Two, and more importantly, I called in a favor for this hell gate thing and I have an old friend visiting who'll help us out.”

“Who?”

“Andreas Sauer,” Alexandra said with a smile.

“Is that someone I’m supposed to know?”

“You don’t know the Panzer Knight? He’s basically the poster boy of Germany?”

I couldn’t reply since I had no idea who ‘Andreas Sauer,’ was.

“Hold on…” She retrieved her phone and typed something in before showing me a video.

The short clip depicted a tall man with a body covered in muscle, wearing a harness. His greying hair stuck to his sweaty forehead as he heaved loudly and pulled a tank. His skin turned red and veins surfaced on every part of his body as he exerted tremendous effort. To the side, there were people cheering him on in what I assumed to be german as he single-handedly pulled the tank forward. After ten steps, he stopped and the harness was detached under the sound of loud clapping and cheering. He raised his hand with clear signs of fatigue as a crowd swarmed him.

“That’s him?” I inquired.

“Yep, Andreas Sauer, the man who pulled a tank that weighed sixty-two metric tons. We ran into each other at an international guild event and I pulled some strings with Morgan Pharmaceuticals to get him a pretty expensive item and he’s owed me a favor ever since.”

She stood up and gestured for me to follow.

…

A metal statue sat in the front of Iron Wyvern’s guild. It, of course, depicted two wyverns attempting to tear the other apart. Hardly a symbol of solidarity if I was being honest.

“Mr.Andreas arrived a few minutes before you, Miss.” A man standing in front of the mahogany gate spoke as we approached.

“Got it,” Alexandra said.

As we entered, I found that the interior of the facility was more “rustic” than I could imagine. There were several individuals practicing with different weapons, but most of them used their fists.

‘I wonder if Matthew is here?’ I looked around, recalling my experience with him as a guide. The last time I saw him Alexandra was punching him into a fetal position for his attempt to screw me over.

“Alexandra!” said a large man, his aged face sported a few deep wrinkles, but his body seemed as energetic as ever.

‘That’s him.’ I recognized his appearance from the video she showed me, but at the moment he wore a buzz cut with a scrappy white beard.

“Andreas!” Alexandra greeted with equal enthusiasm.

"How are the kids?"

"As spry as you are, old man."

I observed him a bit closer and was surprised to see just how muscular he was. He looked like a marble statue of a Greek deity, but on steroids. His fatherly face was overshadowed by his massively imposing physique. In spite of that, he wore a shirt with a cartoon kitten on it, cargo shorts, a fanny pack around his waist, and sandals which was an odd wardrobe given the cold weather.

“And who is your friend? Wait...” He said as he turned to address me while speaking surprisingly good English. I didn't even pick up the slightest trace of an accent.

Maybe it was the work of an artifact or maybe he was just a talented person all around.

Alexandra began speaking as Andreas’ eyes narrowed with scrutiny.

“Casper Clay!”

“Casper Clay.”

They spoke in unison, but Andreas was clearly more excited than Alexandra.

Andreas laughed heartily which felt more like someone beating a drum without mercy as it entered my ears.

“Ah, I know you…–” He fumbled for the right words it seemed, but I was more in awe of him.

“Where are the bone boys?!” He asked, letting out a genuine chuckle.

“...The what?” My admiration for the man came to a screaming halt.

I… had no words at all. I could only stare blankly at him as I tried to process whatever he meant.

“From the analytic profile done on you…” He said, his smile slowly waning. “H-Have you not seen it?” He asked, probably feeling just as awkward as I did.

“Let's put that aside for now, there are more important issues.” Alexandra cut in, her face becoming solemn as she changed the subject.

“Right,” Andreas agreed, nodding his head.

I, on the other hand, was still baffled by my brief interaction with him.

…

Following the introductions, Alexandra brought us deeper into the guild building where a private room awaited.

I sat in silence as she gave a short explanation to Andreas who only nodded without saying much.

He let out an occasional ‘Hmm,’ or an ‘Ah,’ and sometimes ‘I see,’ but kept quiet otherwise.

After she finished, he spent a few moments contemplating something before opening his fanny pack and retrieving several items. A folded paper, a small hourglass, and a travel-size packet of veggie chips.

“Coincidentally, I carry this little tool around wherever I go… Would you mind holding this?” He asked me, pushing the hourglass toward me.

I felt the penumbra stir, prodding the rune binding it, but it couldn’t break free. It was an artifact, that was obvious, I just had no idea what it did.

I grabbed the hourglass and the sand within it began shifting before a glowing number was displayed on the glass surface.

“Hmm, no good,” Andreas said, his face turning grim.

“Shit.” Alexandra rubbed her temples as she read the number.

‘Four?’ I looked at it but saw no significance, I alternated my gaze between them and hoped they’d enlighten me.

“This is an Hourglass of Life, you understand?” Andreas started. “It measures your projected lifespan based on the state of your body as well as your overall health. While it isn’t the most exact tool, it can generally produce a correct estimate. You have to look at the number displayed and the amount of sand remaining to understand it.”

“So what does that mean?” I asked as I looked at the measly pinch of sand trickling down ever so slightly. “I have four years to live?”

Alexandra shook her dejectedly and I couldn't hide my astonishment.

“...Four months?” I eased out the question, but her expression turned worse.

With a dry laugh, I continued, “So four weeks?”

When her face darkened even more, I felt my heart skip a beat.

“You’re fucking kidding, right?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it, but neither Andreas nor Alexandra shared in my sentiment.

“I knew it was bad, but that is really fucking bad, Casper.” She ruffled her hair before reclining into her chair with a look of surprise.

“All hope is not lost yet, Little Alexandra,” As Andreas retrieved the hour glass, I couldn’t help but notice the sand filled all the way up and the value changed to what looked like a triple digit number for the briefest of moments.

I almost wondered if my eyes were faulty.

‘I doubt he’s a precursor, so his gift must be strong or he’s consumed a very strong elixir at some point.’

“Do you not recall those days where your gift ran rampant?” He asked Alexandra who was pensive toward my situation. “You resolved your issue by obtaining and using the Drachen Arch, didn’t you?”

“There are other ways to help him consolidate his power.”

“Yes, but none pose an immediate solution, correct? It would take more than four days to get results and he'd be dead by that time if the hourglass is correct.”

“Using that is no better than gambling, Andreas. You’ve seen more than enough people get killed by artifacts because they were willing to risk their lives.”

“And it was their decision, Alexandra. A decision they made while being well aware of the risks posed to them. When my life was at risk, I made that choice and this young man here should have the same opportunity.”

“I only told you about his condition because I thought you’d have an alternative.”

"Nothing that I can produce in just four days."

“Okay... What are you guys talking about?” I interjected, no longer able to sit idly by as the conversation grew vaguer.

They shared a meaningful look before Alexandra finally began to speak.

“I own an artifact that can settle the instability inside of you, but it isn’t as clear cut as it sounds. The Drachen Arch is something that can trap you forever if you aren’t careful. It’s no better than being stuck in a fucking ruin, Casper.”

My experience in the proving grounds came to the forefront of my mind. The brutal ordeal left its mark, that's for sure.

“I really don’t want to die just yet,” I said with a wry smile.

Alexandra sighed deeply as a look of regret appeared on her face. It seemed she had a personal investment in the ‘Drachen Arch.’

She slowly stood up while wearing an expression I had never seen before.

“Come on,” she said while fighting back tears.

Andreas and I hesitantly followed behind her, going even deeper into the building. After navigating several corridors, we came to a room with an archaic stone door with images of different types of dragons chiseled into it.

“Last chance, Casper,” Alexandra spoke gravely.

“I’m ready,” I said in reply, maintaining a calm face even under the ominous implications.

She pressed her hand against the door and it flashed before creaking open, revealing a dim interior.

There were dozens of candles lit within the room, maintaining small flames while producing a sweet scent. In the center of the room, there was a bronze archway that nearly reached the ceiling.

At the peak of the arch, there was an embedded amber jewel with a pupil-like substance sitting in the interior.

Just beyond the arch, there was a man sitting cross-legged. Despite the haggard gauntness surrounding him, he wore a fresh set of clothes and his long hair had clearly been brushed recently.

“Who–”

“My husband, Oliver Hallworth,” Alexandra said as a sad smile formed on her face.