Dimensional Descent

Aina sat in silent meditation, her aura in perfect balance. She took deep breaths, controlling her inhale and exhale in cycles that lasted sometimes up to several minutes.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes just as there was a light knock to her and Leonel's room.

"Yes, you can enter."

Savahn came in with a worried expression on her face, one that actually caused Aina to laugh slightly.

"What is it?"

Savahn was speechless. "Why are you laughing, this is serious."

"I don't know, this is just the first time in a while I've seen anything but a smile on your face, I found it interesting."

Savahn blushed, seemingly understanding what Aina was getting at. But then she remembered that she wasn't entirely without ammo in this conversation.

"You're one to talk, I can still smell it in the air."

Aina suddenly panicked. "Smell? What smell?!"

Aina's head snapped around before she froze. This time, it was her turn to blush. There was no smell, clearly Savahn was just making fun of her and had won this round.

had all been an act, but

and coughed slightly, trying to clear her

you come here for something important? Look at you making

"about as

flustered to respond, Savahn graciously took her victory

the news... Hutch has died already by... the hands of

Hutch was quite important to Leonel although she had never interacted much with the man personally. Even so, it was impossible

grandparent who wanted their grandchild's life. However, Hutch had been unlucky in two ways, he had not only outlived his children, but he was faced with trouble of standing in opposition

was simply impossible for him to survive both, so even without being there, Leonel knew that Hutch would choose to die rather than make such a voice. It didn't matter to him that Leonel had warned him, it didn't matter to him that there was a path

that this era had passed him by. Despite his talent, he never really felt the

whether this was his choice or not,

should we

exhaled. "Nothing.

gaze flickered. "Even with the capital being

head and smiled bitterly. She couldn't repeat what Leonel had said before he left. Her thoughts

That man was really too much. This was an existential crisis, but he could only see his beef with his own

something that he was too lazy to explain. If he could stop the unnecessary deaths, he would, but he wasn't some sort of God. There was a limit to what he could

thing tying down the four Great Families. It

and deal with everything, he would have. As such, there was a certain delicate approach

in that case, we'll be on standby," Savahn nodded. She turned to leave but hesitated for a moment. "If you need anything, I'm here to