090

 

90.  Irruption Imminent

 

Mom...

 

Images of a long black dress cascading against an endless white landscape flooded Vance’s mind. Reeling, he drifted endlessly among a milky sea.

 

Then, he could see her face: pale and soft, with inky hair and pinhead pupils in the center of her eyes. She stared at him.

 

Victoria's eyebrows slanted down over her eyes. "What do you think you're doing, Vance? I didn't raise you to be a quitter."

 

He tried to talk back, but he felt as if he didn't exist. Instead, his consciousness was a formless amalgamation of senses floating aimlessly in the infinite sea.

 

"What's wrong?" Victoria's face suddenly transformed into Cliff's, taut and concerned. "You've been through worse than this. Come on. If I can get back up, you sure as hell can."

 

"Or are you scared?" Cliff raised Winslow's sickles, and a psychotic grin spread as his face transformed yet again. "You're scared, aren't you? I knew it!"

 

"Surely thou art prepared to rise again?" A gleaming set of armor now graced the figure. "A travesty 'twould be if thou were to quit the battle here."

 

Vance wanted to say something. He wanted to say it, but his mouth wasn't working right.

 

"Wake up." Averyl's demonic grin spread wide on Saffron’s face. "You know they're all right...Vance."

 

Vance opened his mouth.

 

"Yeah, I know..." he muttered, and pulled soft linen sheets over his dark hair. "Now tell me where Eden is."

 

"There you are..." As Vance awoke, Averyl watched him from the comfortable seat of a fancy oak chair that faced Vance's king-size bed. "You know...for a moment, I really was worried we’d lost you forever..."

 

The covers over Vance's head blocked out thin slivers of sunlight shining through the glass windows of the spacious marble-walled bedroom. "I said, where is she?"

 

"Grayson’s most likely taken her to Pandemonium," Averyl answered. "The Dark Zodiacs’ hideout."

 

Vance pulled the covers down. "What happened back there, Averyl? How did you let Grayson get into the portal before you?!"

 

Averyl let out a sigh. "Grayson set off a bomb at the tournament complex...I almost got caught up in the nuclear flames myself. Neither of us would have made it through if you hadn’t hastily tried to find me, you know..."

 

As quickly as he’d accused his uncle, Vance began to cry. Contorted with despair, he winced, forcing his eyes shut as he tried to hold back his tears. "It’s all my fault...I promised Eden I’d never leave her...I told Mr. Caskett he could trust me...and in the end, I couldn’t do anything! Grayson kicked my ass..."

Averyl stood up from his chair and slowly walked over to his nephew. Then, he swung his hand out and gave Vance a sharp slap on his cheek.

 

"Yes, you failed, and you were about to die," Averyl said coldly. "Now, how about a little gratitude before you begin your pity party?"

 

As he listened to his uncle speak, Vance slowly calmed down and began to take in his surroundings. His chest was spotless, as if Grayson's assault had never happened. He looked around, noting the black-and-white marble walls and ornate furniture around the room. Through the window, he caught a glimpse of other mansions with pointed spires and arches outside.

 

"Thanks. Now where the hell are we?"

 

"My house..." Averyl said with a grin. "This was the home your grandfather, grandmother, mother, and myself all grew up in...handed down through the generations by our ancestors..."

 

Vance stared at Averyl. "My mom grew up here?"

 

Averyl nodded. "No one asks questions here, so we were able to lead a secluded life of peace...as of now, I'm the only one who lives here, besides a few maids and a butler who are now under my employ."

 

Vance raised an eyebrow. "A butler? What are you, rich?"

 

"Well, I am the heir to the Vance family fortune..." Averyl stood up and made a mock bow.

 

Vance frowned as he took note of the expensive-looking purple robe wrapped around Averyl's svelte body. "So what do you do with all that money, then?"

 

"What do you think?" Averyl winked. "Feast on all the delectable sweets I can afford..."

 

Vance let out a groan.

 

"Would you like to try some?" Averyl glided over to the doorway. "Madeleine! Bring some food...he's awakened."

 

"M-Madeleine?" Vance echoed. "What’s she doing here?"

 

"A great many things..." Averyl said. "And you’d do well to thank her as well. She was instrumental in our escape, and helped nurse you back to health..."

 

Madeleine raised an eyebrow at Vance as she wheeled in a silver dinner tray lined with food and cakes. The small girl was dressed in a pink T-shirt and jeans, as usual. "Hurry up and eat so we can go already."

 

Averyl chuckled. "She's right...your body needs raw nutrients that Regeneration Tanks can't supply...you haven't tasted food for quite some time now, have you? And who knows how long it's been since you've tasted quality cuisine..."

 

Vance sat up in the bed as Madeleine brought his breakfast over to him. Steaming mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, buttered toast, and roast chicken breast lay in front of Vance, among many other dishes. It was then that he realized he was starving, and dug in without a further thought. Every bite he swallowed seemed to shoot another burst of energy into his body, until he was fully nourished and wide awake.

 

"You failed once, Vance, as all people do..." Averyl’s eyes flashed as he spoke. "The question is...will you fail again?"

 

"No," Vance said firmly. "Can you trust me again?"

 

"Don’t let guilt take hold of you, Vance... It was Grayson. He’s the only one to blame for what happened."

 

Vance’s fists curled up as he remembered what had transpired in the cabin. "I couldn't lay a finger on him. Not even Eden could stop him..."

 

"Eden is essential to Grayson's plans, so I'm sure she's still alive..." Averyl explained. "The only question is how much he intends to make her suffer..."

 

Vance swerved out of bed. "I can't sit here any longer. I'm going after her!"

 

"Hold on. Now that you’re re-energized..." Averyl began. "You need to take note of where your body stands on your journey of growth, Vance. You’ve just barely begun to unlock your true potential...and your body still has yet to catch up. Until you gain proper control, it will remain capricious and unpredictable."

 

"So it only does what it wants to," Vance muttered. "What a pain in the ass."

 

"Yeah," Madeleine snorted. "Just like you."

 

"Whatever!" Vance shouted. "I know it'll come out when I really need it. Let's go already!"

 

"If you say so..." Averyl wiggled his eyebrows, then began fashioning another portal. "Put on a new cloak, and prepare for Pandemonium, Vance..."

 

"You know that Eden's there?" Vance asked. "How?"

 

Averyl smirked. "Saffron owes me a favor."

 

*

 

A wide canoe-shaped vehicle sped over a sparkling blue sea, fueled by pure psynergy. Tao sat in the front seat, piloting the machine carefully as he scanned the blue horizon for hints of their destination.

 

Nathan had been listening to Tao catch Edward up to speed as they rode across the sea. The teenager still had yet to completely process the violent ordeal he’d been involved in, but was proud that he’d been able to protect everyone, and now felt confident for the first time in his life.

 

"I always wondered what happened to Sasuke," Edward said. "I'm glad to hear he's alright, but from what you say, it sounds like he’s really distanced himself from the world."

 

"Sasuke and I disagree on a lot of things," Tao said softly. "I suppose he still thinks I sold myself out to the Church."

 

Edward shook his head in disbelief. "Sasuke was a good man. Quiet, but down to earth. We used to have dinner together – he, Victoria, and I..."

 

"I know," Tao agreed. "He’s a smart and passionate man, just like our father. He sacrificed everything in the name of our father's research, and then, after what happened with the Church and I, and Victoria... It's strange, now that I think about it. Sasuke, Roufas, and Mixam, the three men I once confided in, all eventually decided to leave my side – whether it was due to fear or pessimism. And I suppose I gave up in a way too when I decided to join up with the Church. I feared them, and somehow managed to convince myself that it was the best way to protect myself from them. In the end, I prioritized safety over all else. Was it because I knew I’d already failed?"

 

"That's hard to believe," Edward said. "Trust me, if it's failure you want to know about, I'm the guy to talk to."

 

"I hate that word," Tao sighed. "Failure only happens when someone loses all hope."

 

"I don't know," Edward said. "Some things just aren't possible."

 

"You're wrong!" Tao insisted. "Victoria would hate to hear you say that, Edward."

 

Edward winced. "Victoria never told me about any of this...knowing her, she probably just wanted to keep me safe."

 

"Yes," Tao answered. "Without Victoria, we would surely all be dead by now. We owe everything to her, and to the two children she placed all her hope in."

 

Edward nodded slowly. "You've told me a lot about the Zexaron Corporation, Sasuke, the Church, and now Victoria, but...what were you all trying to do in the first place?"

 

"We were searching for the secrets to the universe," Tao said. "Namely, the Space-Time Continuum – the dimension that keeps everything together."

 

Edward's eyes widened. "I've heard about that before."

 

"What?" Tao asked. "From who?"

 

"When Frank and I first found ourselves in Enmetropolis, we were picked up by Phileas – the man who attacked us in that hallway. He knew Grayson somehow."

 

"He was a Dark Zodiac," Tao explained. "They were also searching for Eden and the clocks, you know. And they were led by Roufas, a man who used to collaborate on the research Sasuke and I were doing. But as time went on, and we experienced the true horror of the Church firsthand, he lost hope. And so he drifted away and teamed up with Grayson to destroy what he saw as a flawed world."

 

Edward looked to Frank's limp body. "You think Sasuke can really undo whatever Grayson did to Frank?"

 

"Yes," Tao said. "That's the entire reason we're heading out to his ridiculous hideout in the first place. Sasuke's psynergy ability can save Frank."

 

"What?" Edward asked. "How?"

 

"Sasuke can remove psynergy that other people have attached to things. Psynergy placed in objects, or the effects of psynergy abilities that have been placed on people, like in Frank's case."

 

"Huh," Edward said. "So Frank’s only this way because of Grayson’s psynergy?"

 

"I don't know exactly what happened, but Grayson's psynergy seems to act like an independent force – a parasite, if you will – that takes root in a person's mind and continues to burrow ever deeper. Once Sasuke removes it all, Grayson would have to find Frank all over again to restore it, and there's no way he could find us from another dimension."

 

"Okay. So what's your ability, then?" Edward asked casually.

 

"My ability?" Tao's eyes squinted as he tried to focus on something far in the distance. "I can use my psynergy to summon up the latent potential hidden deep within people. I’ve used my ability on every Knight to join the Guild thus far...including Vance and Eden. But that’s all I can do. I’ve never been much of a fighter, honestly."

 

Edward nodded, but said no more. After that, the conversation continued in small spurts while the three passengers enjoyed the serenity of the sea. Time passed, until they spotted a tall spire in the distance.

 

"Seneschal..." Nathan whispered. "I feel a really dense psynergy aura ahead."

 

"Yes," Tao replied. "Sasuke constructed a heavy psynergy barrier around that outrageous construction in order to keep people out."

 

"Isn't there a way to get around it?" Nathan started to worry as their slim vehicle shot toward the huge structure. "At this rate, it'll repel us!"

 

"Don't worry," Tao spoke calmly. "This vehicle has a built-in psynergy barrier as well. By spreading it around us and amplifying it, we'll be able to slide through with no problem at all."

 

"Are you sure?" Edward shouted, as the canoe picked up speed and wind began to slap him in the face. "We're going awfully fast!"

 

"It may be a bit bumpy," Tao called back, "so I suggest you hold on."

 

Nathan grit his teeth as the turbulence continued. The air became thick, and he could feel a crushing pressure around his body as they approached the shore. The island was small, and only a sliver of beach could be seen around a gold, silver, and black pagoda that rose up into the sky.

 

Tao slowed the vehicle down, and it slid onto the sand. "Here we are. I suspect he had this lump of land transported here from somewhere else, then built this ugly monument on top of it."

 

"Ugly?" Edward pulled Frank from the canoe as he stepped out. "This is amazing! It's a work of art!"

 

"It's a needless waste of resources," Tao said. "He's only built it to hole himself up inside."

 

"Geez," Edward sighed. "Don't tell me we have to climb this entire thing?"

 

"Hopefully not." Tao walked up to the gate. "It depends on how angry Sasuke still is with me."

 

"Just what happened between you two?" Edward asked. "He's your brother!"

 

"Yes. That's exactly why this will be so difficult."

Next: Paradise Destroyed