We both walked back in silence, for she knew what I kept from her. The days that passed since being here have been hectic, to say at least. I chose not to come to the gravesite. I didn't know how to handle it, to be honest. All my life, I've had four family members die, with two being distant. Being here in this new environment, I have a constant wave of instability coursing through me. With my three core parts being disconnected or just damn right corrupted, I'm positive that doesn't help. To have a day where my mind isn't racing would be nice, no rest for the wicked, ain't that right. I chuckled slightly to myself as I thought those words. Looking towards Emilia, I realized we were walking closer towards the center of town. The houses looked more like apartment complexes than anything. They were massive in size. I couldn't believe I missed them while walking around.

"Jack, come here. I'm gonna give you a guest key to our house. My brother in law Jeremiah should be back shortly. You know how to enter dimensional buildings, right?"

"Um yeah, just insert your mana, and the door will take to your designated area, right?"

"Yep, this key only goes to our room. Keep it in your spatial ring and lock in your mana with it. So only you can use it."

Walking into the room, it was simple and clean. Looking like an average earth home. She showed me the restroom and even gave me a spare set of clothes. Respectfully they were Jeremiahs, but with the same auto-adjust feature as my new set of gear, they should fit no matter what.

Being able to wash away all the sweat, tears, and snot off my body helped so much. To relax and get a breather of the situation at hand. Gave me a state of pure bliss that's truly hard to understand. I thought my problems were challenging back on earth, but coming here, I realize how good we have it in America, at least. I always had food, water, and a home to call my own. Family and friends to rely on and even a pretty decent job to have leisure money to goof around with. Even with all of that, I was miserable. Deep down, I felt as if something was missing and needed to be changed. That I had a reason for being here that was bigger than all of this around me.

I believe I was crazy or at least running off the edge multiple times in my life because of these thoughts. Now, look at me, {Humanities Torch}, the one pioneer for all mankind. Crazy isn't even the start of it, for how huge this truth was. In my perspective, shit humanity's stand on the vastness of infinity is so small. I transferred entire universes and had my body, soul, and mind recreated and pushed into this abyss. Being told to sink or swim, I could say I was scared, and I genuinely am, but again, deep down, something in me told me to fight, to overcome, that this is where I was supposed to be at.

Turning the water to ice cold, I let my racing thoughts wash away as I braved the freezing water. Back home, I did this to help with anxiety, and even now, it's still something that calms my mind. Forcing me to remove myself from my head and back into the here and now. Controlling my breathing and embracing the uncomfortableness of the situation. I changed clothes and headed back out into the living room where Emilia was waiting for me.

"That was quick, Jack. You sure you cleaned everything."

Slightly embarrassed, I stumbled my words but got them out either way. "Yeah, I did. Thanks for asking. I've always cleaned up pretty fast, just who I am".

"Emily is with Jeremiah right now. Once they get back, we'll have dinner. Just relax for right now, okay."

I couldn't process in my head how this woman could be so nice to me. Her husband died because of my creation, and even now, she can smile with no worry. "Emilia, I'm sorry for everything."

"Jack, I already said, I forgive you."

"No, let me finish. I'm sorry for not coming here sooner. I'm sorry for waiting so long to go there and pay my respects, and I'm sorry for the loss of your husband. I know these words may seem shallow to you, but I mean every bit".

"Jack, where you come from, do your people know where you go after death?"

That statement was a curveball, to say the least, but I answered honestly. "Where I come from, there's a lot of different beliefs of what happens, but when it comes to religion, the majority believe you go to heaven to live a life of peace and joy."

"That is true in a way, Jack, on Athenian when you die, there is no heaven or hell. Neither is their limbo. This plane of existence is directly connected to the source. The origin of everything to be will be and is being. The soul will return to the source, the body to the soil below, and the mind into the abstract of reality. But the spirit is eternal, for as long as one's spirit is strong, one can be reborn as many times as the sun rises. That's why I'm not angry, Jack because one day I will find my husband again. For he is my love, and through fate, we will connect. I know when he died, he died fighting to protect our daughter and me. If that doesn't show the strength of his spirit, then I do not know what else will.

I was visibly stunned by her words. The elegance and maturity I first recognized in her shown through in a way not many on earth could match. Undeniable faith, for she knew that would not be the last time they met, and their family one day may it be centuries, eons, or millenniums from now, would reunite. "Emilia, you taught me something today I needed deeply. Maybe someday shortly in the future, I could see my family again."

"We both can wish. You are your race torch. So it shouldn't be long".

"Mentioning that what race are you, at first glance, you seem human, but something tells me that's not right."

"Guess you would be confused. I'm a manatherian, in simple terms, sentient mana. My element is fire.

Activating {Mana Sight}, I looked at her. She wasn't lying. She was a pure red in coloring, with her abdomen having some baseball crystal inside it. "Emilia, how is that possible."

"Jack, I wouldn't mind explaining this to you, but we should get everything ready for when they come back, we can talk more over dinner."

Looking outside the window, it was getting late. Jeremiah and Emily should be back soon. "okay, I can wait, but you can't forget, promise me. You don't know how cool this is".

"Yeah, okay, Jacky-boy" as she said those words, a smirk popped up on her face.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't call me that remember."

"Did I? I don't recall."

"HaHa real funny, Emilia."

Setting the table and other necessities, times passed. It was fun and relaxing, to be honest. Before I knew it, Emily and Jeremiah were both back. Seeing Emilia's brother in law the stark contrast between her and this was noticeable at first glance. He had a rugged appearance, with dark olive skin. On the middle of his forehead was some type of brown gem. When he spotted me at first, he said nothing, even stopped Emily from running towards me. He looked at Emilia and locked his gaze with hers for a brief period of five seconds. Some form of telepathy or just inner family workings. But after he looked back, did he speak.

"I'm Jeremiah. May I have the pleasure of knowing who you are."

"I'm Jack. I helped Emily and Emilia from a bark viper. She invited me back here for dinner. Thank you for allowing me back into your home".

"His eyes didn't change, neither did his body posture, but I could tell something was off. Looking at Emilia, she had a grim expression on her face. It wasn't until I turned my head back towards the man that he spoke.

"Emilia, take Emily and come back in 10 minutes".

"Jeremiah, it's okay. Jacks a good person".

"Uncle, what's going on? We just got back. We have all the ingredients, right? Did we forget something?"

"It's okay, sweety, we forgot some ingredients. You and your mom are going to go fetch them while I talk to Jack".

Everyone in the room felt the immense tension between us two. I knew damn well I couldn't escape. His anger was like ice, but one so freezing that simple touch would give you frostbite. I could only call it a cold flame.

"Emilia, can you hurry long? I'm famished", he said those words with a fake smile. That hid none of his anger.

As the two left the room, I finally turned my head back towards the man. He rushed me, and with overwhelming strength, I was pinned to the floor. He raised his fist and pummeled my face over and over again. Limiting his power not to kill me only to cause the most amount of pain to my body. I poured Qi into my body but even compared to the dwarf, I could do nothing. Only face the beating coming my way. With my left eye still working, I could see the stocky man shed tears as they dropped from his chin onto my cheeks. I could feel my soul ache with his pain and sadness. The cold flame from his heart wasn't one of rage and fiery but of grief and sorrow.

With each punch, I could feel my focus slip. I knew he would kill me if I didn't do anything. So I did the only thing I could and forced my throat to move and spoke.

"I'M SORRY!" In my mind, I screamed, but the reality was different; a measly croak emerged from my throat.

He pummeling paused as he looked at me. He was genuinely stunned by my response. This would be my only chance to escape death.

"Jeremiah, I'm truly sorry. I didn't know coming to this world would cause this much grief. I understand your anger, but please understand. I'm sorry".

"Is that all you have to say, your SORRY!. My one and only brother died because of YOU!. As he roared those words into existence, my eardrums popped and filmed sprayed from his mouth all over my face. My niece almost died from those dreaded hounds. Emilia isn't even a fighter. She almost died from a damn bark viper and leaving her only child slim to no chance in the great plain. And your SORRY!"

"Yes, I'm sorry," speaking these words caused what I thought to be my emptied tear ducts to pour out again. The cuts on my face burned, but I cared not. "Yes, Jeremiah, I'm sorry, I didn't know any of this would happen. So many lives are gone because of me, and I'm sorry." I couldn't control the tears as they ran down my face. I could feel his pain, Emilia's pain, and even that of Emily. This whole damn city was still mourning, Hanguk, and Chole. They all are, and I ignored it to keep my own sanity. I bawled with no thought of death from this man. I could only repeat "I'm Sorry" as my aching throat bled internally and blood leaked from my mouth. This pain wasn't mine but felt so right to me.

His fist stopped minutes ago, but that cold dead gaze didn't. He peered into my very being and watched me. Deceit, trickery, anything to justify his actions, but he couldn't find anything that enraged him even more. He raised his fist and, with all force, slammed into the floor next to my head. A dent the size of a bowling ball was formed. With that, he finally got up and turned around. I was up on my two feet, and my wounds were healing faster than I would imagine.

He spoke, "Jack, what psy type are you?

With my horsed throat, I spoke, "I don't know, didn't even know there were different types for psy."

"Let me rephrase my questions, were those feelings of yours. Yours or others".

"Again, I don't know, since I've been to atherion, so much has happened to me since being here. I know those feelings of mine were true enough for me to feel their pain to my core".

"Figures, guess this world really is a fucked one indeed" He laughed a Maniacal laugh, that of an insane man. I could see the drops of tears drip from his chin hit the floor below. His hands soaked in my blood rubbed his eyes to wipe them away, but none less they would not stop. As the moment passed, he finally turned my way and spoke once again.

"Jack, tell me, what are you here for? Why are you on atherion? Why did you, of all people, to be sent to this desolate world? Of death and carnage where every day is a fight for survival. When anytime you let your guard down outside those accursed gates. Death waits to make you his bitch”

"To repeat the same words to you seems foolish, but I don't know, I'm {Humanity's Torch}. My best guess is I was sent here to discover land for us to settle down and build from. My god or gods got bored of us, and now it's our time to be sent here".

"Sounds about right. I know you don't have control over your psy ability yet. But once you do research the empath type. There a rare breed; I think you would have a knack for it".

"Um, Thanks, I will" from there, it was silence, for my words barely reached him, and my body and soul were tired from this altercation, or should I say beating.

"Let's clean up and eat. I'll let the girls back in. Keep this between us. They probably already know, but at least let's try to calm their mind. Okay Jack"

"Okay, Jeremiah"