-Angelita Lim

"Alright, I think that's a good place to call it for the day," John called out as the latest barrier fell away from them. "I really appreciate the help, everyone. I mean, I really appreciate it. Once we get this item grinding taken care of, I'll start working on projects for around this realm too."

"Training with you is always a pleasure, Father. Victory is reward enough. Besides, you are a kindhearted warrior. To do so much for the sake of another who you do not even call family… it is an honorable and worthy effort. You trusted her with my egg for a time. I will trust her with our home."

"That's… thank you, Sophia," John said, caught off-guard. That was a completely open evaluation, sounded downright human minus the egg bit, and it didn't even throw in any-

"Tell me, though, Father, at what point did you decide to make her one of your mates? Was that before or after you entrusted me to her? I will not be offended if it was after. She was an excellent nester, I can understand the appeal of such a trait. Especially if you were to breed her; I think your children would be beautiful."

"Right, there it is.”

"Not like we don' 'ave plenty of fun trainin' on our own now. We do it just as much when you're gone as when you're 'ere," Seras bragged, semi-sarcastically flexing her arm for him. "Thanks to me an' my expertise!"

"Good call. Next time you can make the Barrier, save me some mana," John chortled.

"Nah. Still can't control what shows up that well… definitely ain't gettin' your rocks out of 'em," Seras sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, no worries. We always show up for trainin'; whateva you make us out of the crud they drop is just a bonus. Besides, it'd be nice to give Trish a break for once in 'er life. Give her somewhere safe from the craziness out there. Might even let 'er cool 'er head and learn to deal with all that repression."

"That seems like a lot longer term issue than I can fix with a magical item… but it's a start. Speaking of Tricia and the Order…"

John pulled his phone out of his pocket but was surprised to see that there were no new messages from anyone at the Brighton Manor. John was grateful for that, but unnerved all the same.

"Without Moira's feedback, I really don't know what's going on out there…" John thought, frowning a bit at the notion. "Honestly, I should be a bit more active in the community, I just don't know who to trust outside the Order. I don't even know how to contact someone without exposing myself or my abilities in some manner, unless I just walk up to strangers and…"

John paused his train of thought for a minute, thinking on how he could reach out. He had Kim's contact information, but she was pretty reserved in general, and given the uncertain way they had parted, he didn't want to message her for info out of the blue. That left him with pretty limited options. Honestly, scrolling through his contacts, he didn't have anyone he would trust listed. Besides Moira, the only others in his contacts were his own mother, Etriyya, and…

"No, I can't message her," John thought, shaking his head at the idea. Layla was nice, but he had only met her twice, and both times in very unusual circumstances. Still, she'd been friendly to him… and he had said that he was going to message her so she'd have his number…

Hello Layla, it's John. Been a bit busy since we last spoke, I was wondering if you'd mind meeting me somewhere so we could have a proper conversation? Our last couple meetings got cut a little short.

"Alright, who's up for a trip to the Abyssal Market?" John asked, glancing around when he finished the message. "Hopefully no fighting this time."

"Did we make enough for-"

John put his hands up in defeat as Seras' eyes lit at the mention of the market, trying to shut her enthusiasm down gently. "Nope. Sorry, those cups are expensive, and the cash rewards go down every time we finish a dungeon. I could get you a cup or two of the cheap stuff, nothing like last time.

"Well, I'll prolly stay 'ere this time then, I'm a bit tuckered out. 'Ad quite the start to the day," Seras said, wriggling her eyebrows at John. He fought between a smile and a soft blush as he turned to the others.

"Anyone else?"

"Given the events of our last visit, it is most likely wise that I accompany you, Father," Sophia said, offering a curt bow. "I will be able to rest during our journey there, assuming you would prefer to drive than to fly."

"Yeah, that'll be fine…" John said quickly, waving away the thought of Sophia carrying him across Springfield by wing. The view would be amazing. The consequences…?

Well, putting aside the more serious ramifications, John imagined Moira's furious phone call when she learned what he'd done. He was still chuckling as his phone went off.

"That was fast. Cool, I wonder if that means she's not busy?"

I would love that, John. Where were you thinking of meeting up?

How about the Teajuvenation shop again? Since we keep running into each other there. I've got the rest of the afternoon free, but if you're busy we can always do it some other time, I need to stop by a few shops anyway.

It was a lie, and John wished he could say it was for as mundane a reason as to appear less ****, but really John was just trying to give as few details as possible about his schedule. He was honestly still a little hesitant about bringing Sophia, but at least she could conceal her wings - as long as nobody else had an ability like his Observe, or as long as he gave them no reason to use it, things were fine. Besides, Sophia had already used her wings in combat against the Cabal, and according to the intel they had from the war, they were already sharing data about John Newman's abilities with the Albidians, possibly others. Though it was a grim thought, he was eventually going to be found out, it was just a matter of getting stronger before then.

Before John could further contemplate his secrecy, her answer arrived.

I'm already in the market, that sounds lovely. I'll head there after I finish my shopping, I don't mind waiting, so don't rush for my sake.

"That's… convenient," John thought, not that he had any room to talk, after his own little fib. Sending a quick confirmation, John looked back up at Sophia.

"Actually, I guess we can go now, if you don't mind?"

"I am at your side, Father. Always. On your brightest day or in your darkest hour."

"I know, Sophia. Thank you," John said with an honest smile.

"Ey, if you two want a room, you're goin' to the wrong place!"

Ignoring Seras' laughter, John whisked the two of them away, resisting the urge to call out that they were returning to the same home Seras had lost her own virginity in. Not because he thought she'd take it badly, but because the last thing he needed right then was to bring up those memories. He really didn't want to walk into Teajuvenation with a raging erection…

---

A short drive and an entry into the public barrier space later, John was in the familiar streets of the Abyssal Market. As usual, the streets were tremendously busy. John never recognized many faces, though - aside from the shopkeepers themselves, the only people he ever recognized were the few Order Knights he could place at a glance and some of the Forgotten Legion who chose to keep their armor on despite stowing their weapons. He wondered how many people from the Abyss passed through Springfield - John wasn't really good with faces, but on his third trip he would've expected to see something since he was always so alert when he left his home.

Or were there just that many people in Springfield in the Abyss? Nah. What were the odds of that?

Whatever the case was, John kept his eyes peeled all the same. He'd apparently been getting followed by Willow for who knew how long without knowing, and seeing unfamiliar faces at every turn only heightened his paranoia. If he didn't think it would make him stand out even more and look like a lunatic, John would have had his head on a constant swivel. Thankfully Sophia had spotted his shadow quickly last time, so he had something to be confident in besides himself.

Paranoia aside, John's trip to the tea shop was as uneventful as could be expected. John opened the door for Sophia to pass ahead of him, and before he 'd even cleared the doorway behind her, he spotted Layla. She was seated at a small table near the back of the room, turned sideways from John but looking up as soon as the shop's door jingled.

She smiled gently as she saw John, then went back to sipping at her tea and glancing over a book. John strode across the shop at a leisurely pace, glancing at the other patrons. John saw nobody he recognized, and none of them seemed particularly interested in Layla or himself, so he didn't immediately believe he was walking into anything unplanned.

"You made it fairly quickly," Layla said when John sat down across from her with Sophia. "Were you already on your way?"

"We were already getting ready to leave, I just figured I'd stop here before we do our shopping. What about you? I hope we didn't interrupt your trip."

"No, nothing like that - I finished a little while ago, but I thought it would take longer for you," Layla said, tapping against the table with her foot. John glanced down to see a double-wrapped bag at her feet, filled nearly to bursting. He couldn't help a soft smile that crossed his face as began to think he really had caught Layla in the middle of a shopping trip.

"Well, now that we're here, I just wanted to say again… thank you for your help last time. I have to admit, the way we met the first time threw me off, so I might have been a bit cold when you approached us in the market, but you really came through for me."

Feeling uncomfortable in such close proximity to others, John refrained from speaking about the exact incident they'd left behind them, wondering if the mess had been discovered. What happened to a corpse when a Barrier was destroyed…? Was it treated like other inanimate objects created within a Barrier, or was it treated like foreign objects brought into the space? John was sure he should know the answer, but he'd been too relieved and too shocked at the end of most of his previous battles to pay attention to whether the corpses were shunted out or whether they had been retrieved by the Order…

"I realize my approach to you was very out of place and impolite, that's why I wanted to approach you again. It's… well, that's the first time this has happened to me."

"What happened to you?"

"I, well…" Layla stammered but caught herself immediately. She lowered her voice before continuing. "As I said when we first met, your aura is very unique. It caught me off-guard; every kind of aura is a different feeling, and I've gotten used to being familiar with most of them. I spend a lot of time in this shop, and I meet a lot of people… I've never felt something like this before."

There was a certain reverence in her tone that threw John off. Something deeper than he expected, something more intense than he had imagined, but before he could fully analyze it, it was gone. John paused for a moment before injecting himself into the silence.

"Different in what way? We could go somewhere else, if you'd prefer to be alone." Layla's breath caught in her throat for a second, but she quickly smoothed herself out, clearing her throat briefly before addressing John again.

"That would be lovely," Layla breathed, leaning into the table. Sophia tensed for a moment as the woman's head grew even closer to John’s face, and Layla seemed to notice the discomfort. She glanced at Sophia for only an instant, an inscrutable look passing over her face, but she immediately withdrew.

"Of course, there's no need for such precaution. Public spaces are often the least observed. People are too concerned with their own matters to eavesdrop on others. This is as true in the Abyss as other places… and unlike the last time we met, I have not sensed any auras following you. So long as we do not discuss the degrees of our abilities, there is little to worry about."

John choked back the question of how far away Layla could track others, or how long, noting to ask her the next time they met. John wasn't even sure how Tricia's upgrades to his phone could protect him from Abyssal eavesdroppers, so he didn't really want to ask her by text.

"As to your question…" Layla continued after a moment, sighing a bit, "it's hard to describe, really. Imagine telling someone who has never had a tongue how something tastes, someone who is blind how things look, or someone who is deaf what sound is like. It's something you feel and experience, not something you can accurately communicate effectively. Much like those examples, the best I can do is compare it to another sense and how it felt. Something about your aura the first time we met, the feeling was… different. There was something layered over your aura. It was as if something secondary was inside of you that felt different than normal auras."

"Really? What did it feel like to you?" John asked, sipping on his tea. Trying to remain detached, John's interest was suddenly piqued. He was reminded of Kim's words when they had met in the midst of their battle against the Cabal. She insisted his aura had changed, and that he was different… but had been very vague as to how. John leaned forward, trying to hide his growing focus on Layla.

"Normally I can read the interference in someone's aura, if anyone else is magically influencing them. If they're scrying them, controlling their actions, reading their mind, if they've got a long-term curse placed on the person... lots of things leave a trace that's obvious enough. But they all have their own feel, and they're very distinct - I've been reading them for long enough to tell the difference. The new energy was partly yours, partly something else. The energy you released, the power... it was..."

Layla cut herself off for a moment, glancing toward the windows. John followed her gaze but saw nothing. When Layla turned back, for just a moment John thought she was biting her lower lip. But she spoke as if she'd never paused at all.

"The power was definitely yours, I could tell. But it was enhanced by something else, like something was feeding it. You were the fire... the burning, passionate fire, but someone - something, this shard - was pouring an accelerant on it. To compare it to another sense as I mentioned earlier, it was like smelling the gasoline poured on a blaze. I was overwhelmed by the pyre before me, but I couldn't ignore the chemicals in the air."

“So, what changed about it now?”

“There’s less interference. More… you. Lots more. That strange feeling that drew my… attention the first time we met is even stronger, and it feels less obscured. It’s as if the interference is melting away, leaving just… you.”

Layla twitched in her seat, growing more restless as she continued. Her hands were pressed into the table, and she started to shiver as if afraid. More out of instinct than intent, John reached forward and put his hand over her wrist gently to comfort her. Layla's eyes shot open abruptly, locking her eyes on his hand with a frightful reverie that John was certainly not expecting. She moved to pull away from him in what seemed like a reflex, but froze after a moment.

Layla quivered in place, eyes slamming shut in an expression John couldn't quite read. John thought about pulling his hand away but assumed such a sudden gesture would draw even more attention than Layla's reactions were from the other patrons. Besides, aside from her initial reflex, Layla wasn't pulling away. Rather she seemed caught, her eyes closed, hand pressed harshly into the table as if anchoring herself while her breath caught in her throat. When John moved to pull himself back, her other hand clasped on top of it, holding him in place. Sophia's tension grew, and she started to half-stand from the table as Layla twitched in place.

"Sorry," Layla breathed, opening her eyes to lock them with John's. Her face was flush as she slowly pulled her hand back. "I've… like I said, I've been on my own for so long that even being touched… my first instinct was to run, like you were attacking me. It's not fair to you to react that way, so I'm… I'm trying to keep myself under control. Away from the Abyss I can feel sort of normal. If I'm around anyone with a magical aura, it just… sets me off. I try to relax here, but it’s hard to unlearn years of survival instincts in an afternoon.”

John wasn't sure how to react to that. Her instant reflex, her heartfelt response… John **** himself to remain silent for a moment, wondering what she'd been through. John had doubted Layla before, but the blush across her face and the way she had recoiled at his touch made him wonder if Moira's paranoia was contagious. She certainly seemed passionate about what she was saying, though there was still something… off about it.

"Don't be. I should be the sorry one, I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you looked like you were afraid."

"Shouldn't you be used to that by now? The Abyss is full of fear and anger," Layla said. Despite the harsh words she actually seemed more comfortable speaking about those emotions, shaking her head almost casually as she did.

"…I want to change that."

John paused for a moment, hearing the void that followed his words. In the back of his mind, he heard the briefest ping noise, and out of the corner of his eyes he could even see a window popping up, but he willed it away immediately. His gaze was locked on Layla's, trying in vain to hide the shock at what he'd just said.

"Shit, I said too much," John thought, not an instant after the words left his mouth. The phrase had flowed so naturally he didn't even think about what he was saying until he had already set it free, until it was too late to take back his vows. What did his vows even mean to a stranger with no context? John wasn't sure… but the words felt as binding as ever.

"…You want to take away fear and anger from the Abyss?" Layla said, a disbelieving smile touching her lips. "How would you do that?"

"I don't… I don't know, I just wish it was true, I guess," John said, turning his gaze away. "Sorry. That was kind of out of nowhere."

"Don’t apologize. It's a great idea, I would love to see that."

John paused, unsure of what to say without revealing more of his desires and wishes for the world. Time passed slowly over the next few minutes as the silence quietly grew. Layla tried to find topics of discussion but John had been so caught off guard by his own openness that he was hesitant to speak about even the most innocent of topics.

Slowly the conversation deteriorated until it was nothing more than the two of them sitting in silence broken by the occasional pleasantry. Layla seemed engrossed all the same, and while John could definitely say he enjoyed the company of the beautiful woman, he was too caught up in other thoughts to properly appreciate his situation. He was just grateful it hadn’t become too awkward. He hadn’t even really gotten to learn about the Abyss, all he knew now was that proficient aura readers could definitely tell he had the Shard in him...

"Well, I appreciate you stopping by," John said, trying to sound nonchalant as he dismissed himself. "I know this was kind of out of the blue, but you gave me your phone number and I didn't want to make you think I'd forgotten you, or was ignoring you. Thank you for your help, again, and… I hope we can meet again. This was a very enlightening experience."

"I agree," Layla said slowly, nodding her head to settle the matter. "Thank you for helping me to understand, John. If you need me, please feel free to contact me. I'll be waiting."

That was what she'd said the last time they separated. John briefly wondered if it was a tic or if that was just the woman's natural response to a farewell. Whatever the case, he'd given away a bit too much of himself. Something about this woman, something about her nature, was different than anything John had encountered… so why did it always bring out such passion in him now? Why was it that around her, John was at his most guarded yet still let something like that slip out?

The Abyss was a strange place that grew stranger by the day. John bid Layla a fond farewell and stepped away from the table, but even as he cleared the front doors of Teajuvenation, his mind was elsewhere. As he said his final goodbyes and dismissed himself, not even really hearing Layla’s last words entirely, John poured over the encounter in his head on repeat. Everything he’d said and felt ran through his head on repeat, until Sophia eventually interrupted him.

"Father, are you sure that you're okay? You seem lost."

"Sorry, my mind is wandering a bit," John admitted after a few seconds, still thinking about everything that had happened at the Abyssal vendor. "I'm not sure what came over me there."

"No, Father… I mean that you seem lost. We have travelled in a circle nearly three times now, I was simply wondering if you were checking for anyone following us."

John stopped in the middle of the street, ignoring the annoyed grumbling of those close behind him who stepped around as he abruptly halted. John stared at Sophia for a second, then glanced around and realized that they were indeed far from the café. He'd been so caught up in replaying that last scene in his head that he'd scarcely paid attention to the shops around him. Rather embarrassed, John covered for his engrossment by heading for the nearest shop window, leaning against it to hide his blush.

"Yeah, sorry. I got a bit lost in thought. The Abyss is a strange place, and I'm not used to the odd faces and… mannerisms… everyone in it… so strange…"

John trailed off as he recovered enough to focus his actual vision on what was in front of him, taking in the sight before him. John's mindless stumbling had taken them to one of the market's jewelers, and amidst a display of enchanted gems far beyond John's price range, his eyes did actually lock on one thing. It was a necklace with a massive diamond, nearly the size of one of John's knuckles. It was seated in a golden necklace, labeled as "Enchanted - Cosmetic". The note below it specified that the diamond was enhanced so that pouring mana through it would allow it to change its color for up to twenty-four hours. John couldn't think of a practical use for such a thing… but all the same, he couldn't keep his eyes from travelling further down to the price.

Refined Diamond: $9,500,000 raw. $10,000,000 Socketed in alternate jewelry. Unenhanced, unencumbered, beautiful as a part of any outfit! Free evaluations once per customer.

"Sophia, we're coming back here later," John swore. "I just had a fantastic idea for a gift. Gonna take a lot of grinding, though. Lines up pretty neatly with my quests, though."

"You have my wings, Father. As always."

"Thank you, Sophia," John said honestly, nodding in gratitude. "Now let's head home; we should rest up. Grinding starts again tomorrow."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Father," Sophia swore, grinning as the two of them set off for where they'd left the car. John wanted to remain stoic, but couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. For the first time ever, he had a plan for his own life, and nothing had interfered with it for a solid two days.

As sad as it was… that was a hell of a record for him, lately. John would remember to throw himself a pity party later, but for now, he was just ecstatic. John’s mind wandered as he drove them back to the Order barracks, lost in his own thoughts and happiness.

That joy paused briefly when John heard his phone going off. Waiting to check it until he was stuck at a red light, long after the call had ended, John’s happiness faded a little further as he pulled his cell phone out and realized the missed call was an unknown number.

But it wasn’t until he pushed play on the voicemail that his caution evolved into anxiety.