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.

used to have all sorts of fun making fun of her. After the Metamorphosis, she had thought that maybe all their previous interactions had all been an act, but by now, she knew that it wasn't that the Aina she had known was fake, it

eyes and coughed slightly,

you come here for something important? Look

sure," Savahn laughed, "about as innocent as

too flustered to respond, Savahn graciously took her victory and

Hutch has died already by... the

important to Leonel although she had never interacted much with the man personally. Even so, it was impossible for her not to feel anything simply for the fact that Leonel

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

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

the same passion he had in his youth, and maybe that was

this was his choice or not, Aina knew that Leonel

we do?"

exhaled. "Nothing. Now isn't the time

gaze flickered. "Even with

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

bit... is what he had said. That man was really too much. This was an existential crisis, but he could only see his

the real Leonel. More likely than not, it was 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

down the four Great Families. It

Emperor Fawkes could wave a hand and deal with everything, he would have. As such, there was a certain delicate approach

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