It was quiet for once. A rarity.

  Halcyon stretched his awareness within the confines of Joe’s mind, relishing the moments when the boy wasn't pestering him with questions. These were the times he felt almost free—free to think, to reflect, to remember… though those memories often only brought him bitterness. The tower faintly hummed around them, its power a constant reminder of where they were—trapped.

  But as always, the silence didn't last.

  "What did you mean when you said you helped me retain my memories?" Joe’s voice echoed through the depths of their shared spiritual space, not timid but persistent.

  Always with the questions.

  Halcyon sighed to himself, though Joe would feel only a vague sense of annoyance. He considered ignoring the question, letting it fade into the back of Joe’s mind. But he couldn’t. Joe needed to know his place, needed to understand the depth of his debt.

  “If I hadn’t merged with you, you would have left your memories in the underworld, like the countless souls before you,” Halcyon said, his voice carrying a calm authority, a touch of smugness. He let Joe feel a small flicker of superiority—just enough for him to get the message. “You owe me everything, chump.”

  Joe’s thoughts whirred with a stubborn spark of defiance. Of course, Halcyon thought, waiting for the inevitable argument.

  "I thought… I thought it was because of my sister," Joe muttered, clearly wrestling with the idea that his connection to his past life had nothing to do with his own will. Halcyon snorted at the thought, masking it as a cold chuckle that reverberated through their shared bond.

  "No," Halcyon said, sharper now, letting his words sink in. "Your sister was not enough. Nothing from your world was strong enough to tether you here, to help you retain the memories of a life you should have forgotten the moment you crossed over. It was me who held your memories together. Without me, they would have faded away."

  The reaction was immediate—Joe’s heart rate picked up, his thoughts scattered, trying to process what Halcyon had just told him. Halcyon felt the gratitude bubbling beneath Joe’s confusion, the slow realization that without Halcyon, Joe would have lost everything.

  Good. He let the boy stew in it for a moment longer.

  "Then why do my friends still have their memories?" Joe asked after a pause, defiance creeping back into his voice. "If you're saying it’s all because of you, how come they remember their past lives too?"

  Halcyon’s temper flared at the persistent questioning, though he kept his tone measured. The boy had a knack for pushing when he shouldn’t. Still, it was time to educate him—properly.

  "They must have an artifact from their homeworld." Halcyon’s voice tightened with annoyance. "Some trinket, something that brings them comfort, keeping them connected. But," he continued, letting his irritation bleed through into Joe’s thoughts, "those memories will fade. You’ll see. The longer they’re here, the more those fragments will slip away unless they cling to that artifact. Even then, it won’t last forever."

  Halcyon sensed Joe’s unease deepening. He relished it. Let the boy fear. Fear would keep him focused on what Halcyon could offer him. "As long as we are connected, you’ll keep your memories sharp, vivid, alive. Magic can’t fix everything, chump. Retrieving memories that are truly gone? It’s like trying to pull a soul back from the dead. Dangerous."

  The quiet horror bloomed in Joe’s chest. It lingered there, thick and heavy. Halcyon leaned into it, letting Joe feel his own helplessness, the fragility of memory and time.

  "Let’s say I believe you. Tell me how you helped me retain my memories?" Joe asked, pushing, this time with more urgency.

  Halcyon sighed. He could feel Joe’s determination digging in deep like talons. Why won’t the boy simply listen?

  "I’m not sure your tiny mind can understand. Instead, I’ll tell you my story, so be quiet," Halcyon snapped.

  Silence followed, thick and uncomfortable. Joe would feel the pulse of frustration from Halcyon, but also something else—hope? Halcyon quickly swallowed it back, unsure why that particular emotion had crept into the bond. His own feelings were getting harder to mask, now that they shared so much.

  "It’s really quite a long story," Halcyon continued, forcing his tone into something more controlled. "And I will only say it once, so pay attention."

  "This world," Halcyon began, "is not like the one you knew. Power defines everything." Joe’s doubt flickered at the edge of his awareness, but Halcyon ignored him.

  "This world was created by four elemental titans, although some argue it was the titan Pan-Gu, born from a cosmic egg." Halcyon allowed the weight of the information to hang between them. Joe’s mind raced, but there was no point in pausing any longer. Joe would catch up. He always did. "Still, here is what I was told when I was young."

  Joe remained silent, intently listening, but Halcyon could feel his mind buzzing with questions. Always so many questions.

  "The Water Titan of the North, the Earth Titan of the East, the Fire Titan of the South, and the Wind Titan of the West. These titans shaped this world, laid down their bodies to become its very foundation."

  Joe’s thoughts stilled, and Halcyon could feel the boy's disbelief. It wasn’t exactly surprising. Joe was always comparing this world to the stories and myths he’d read. Divine beasts, titans, worlds shaped by gods. Before Joe died, it was all fantasy. But to Halcyon, it was ancient history, as real as the ground they stood on.

  “They settled here after creating other worlds, but this one was special. This one was meant to last.”

  Halcyon’s voice stayed calm, distant, even as the weight of the past pressed heavily on his mind.

  “Their descendants were not elemental titans. They were normal beasts,” Halcyon’s words flowed almost mechanically as he retold the tale. But as the ghosts of memories buried long ago resurfaced, Halcyon felt the strange surge of emotion that slipped from his mind into Joe’s.

  Damn it. The connection between them was always more porous than he liked. A wave of nostalgia washed over Joe, though Halcyon knew it was his own memories, not the boy’s.

  "Time went by," Halcyon continued, his voice a touch quieter now. "The four titans grew weary of this world." Joe leaned forward, captured by his words, but it wasn’t Joe’s interest that caught his attention—it was the sadness pressing against his own being.

  Keep it together, Halcyon. He pushed down the emotions, speaking with the same cold neutrality as before.

  "They buried their original bodies far beneath the surface of this world, in dungeons guarded by the minions they had created. Their blood parasites acted as scouts, keeping watch. Most adventurers were too busy looting those dungeons, trying to destroy the cores, never realizing the titans slept close by"

  Halcyon snorted to himself. Adventurers. Greedy fools. He almost enjoyed telling Joe that part. He could sense Joe’s awe, the boy trying to comprehend a world where beings like the titans existed, hidden in the depths, untouched by the selfish desires of mortals.

  And then it happened again—another wave of emotion, flooding from Halcyon’s mind into Joe’s. The nostalgia, the sorrow of a past Halcyon hadn’t wanted to think about for millennia.

  "The titans spent the last of their energy splitting the continent into four parts," Halcyon continued, pushing through the storm of feelings, his voice slightly hardening. "And in the center of the continent, they created a tower—made from their own flesh."

  Joe’s thoughts flared, his curiosity and awe bubbling to the surface. Halcyon didn’t need to look to know that Joe’s eyes had widened at the thought. Of course, he thought with a hint of pride, you should be impressed.

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  "It was called the Four Titans Palace," Halcyon said, his tone turning reverent. "That was where they summoned their eldest sons. That’s where they passed down their legacies, their powers, the right to rule their four kingdoms."

  "Thousands of years passed in peace. Civilization flourished. Beasts cultivated their mana cores, growing stronger, more attuned to the world’s mana. Even humans—creatures not unlike those of your world—grew in number and spread across the continents. For a while, there was harmony."

  Joe’s thoughts buzzed with fascination, but Halcyon barely noticed. He was too caught up in his own memories now, the ones he tried to avoid thinking about. He could feel the familiar bitterness creeping in, the sting of betrayal that had never quite faded.

  "But humans…" Halcyon's voice tightened, his tone sharpening like a blade. "Humans grew greedy. They realized they could conquer the beasts. From their knowledge came the fear of death. It made them desperate and selfish."

  Joe’s thoughts slowed, his curiosity giving way to something more serious now. Halcyon could feel Joe bracing for what came next. Good. He should be prepared.

  "Some would do anything to avoid their fate," Halcyon said, the anger in his voice barely controlled. The memories of that time were like a constant wound, still raw even after millennia. "One such human..." His voice tightened, the words almost difficult to speak. "One such human stole precious knowledge from the Water Titan of the North’s first descendant. The wretched thief used that knowledge to locate the four sleeping titans and killed them."

  The bitterness, the rage that still simmered beneath the surface—it all threatened to bubble over as the memories of that betrayal rose once again. He stole from me. He betrayed everything.

  And Joe, through their bond, felt it too. Halcyon could sense the mix of emotions welling up in the boy—hatred, regret, pity. Joe understood, at least a little. He could feel the echoes of Halcyon’s pain.

  "You’re the eldest son of the Water Titan of the North, aren’t you?" Joe’s voice was quiet but firm, his need for confirmation clear.

  Halcyon straightened at the question, the pride he had long carried welling up inside him once more. He was the eldest son. He had borne that title for so long, and even now, trapped as he was, it still mattered. The title still held meaning.

  I am not forgotten. I am still the son of a titan.

  "That’s right," Halcyon said, letting the pride show in his voice, the bitterness momentarily pushed aside.

  But the joy was short-lived. The memories that followed brought only bitterness. "The titans gave us their legacies. Their powers. We ruled their lands in their stead, but it was all for nothing." Halcyon's voice grew cold. "Because one of your kind, a human, stole from us."

  Joe stiffened, and Halcyon could feel the sharp stab of regret in him. Halcyon allowed his hatred to pulse through the bond, only enough to remind Joe of the betrayal that had brought him here.

  Joe, bowed his head. "I’m sorry about what happened to you. What happened to both of us.” He raised his head, resilient against despair. “Knowledge is power. Why can’t we use what you know and find a way to escape the tower?"

  Halcyon bit back his rising frustration. If only it was that simple. "Because, boy, I was sealed in that book for thousands of years. My power is limited, tied to your pathetic body now.”

  Joe’s laughter surprised him. It was small, but genuine. "You’re the one who chose my body."

  Halcyon snorted. "You think I had many options? You should be grateful I merged with you at all."

  Joe didn’t seem convinced. "Then why don’t you just reincarnate again? Help me keep my memories when I die."

  Halcyon’s patience was wearing thin. "It doesn’t work like that. When you die, your soul goes to the Underworld. It wanders until it forgets everything, like everyone else’s. I used the last of my power to guide you and help you retain your memories, but I can’t do it again. Not anytime soon."

  Joe fell quiet. Halcyon sensed his worry, but he also sensed something else—hope. Joe still hoped to return to his sister, to his past. Halcyon scoffed to himself.

  Foolish. But useful.

  Halcyon’s thoughts flicked between annoyance and indifference. The boy had a way of making him feel both amused and infuriated.

  "Do you want me to continue the story or not?" Halcyon snapped, his voice coiling like a dragon’s snarl in the space they shared. It was a harsh reminder that while Joe might feel like they were partners, Halcyon knew better. This was an arrangement of necessity, nothing more.

  Joe crossed his arms, lips curling into a wry smile, as if deciding he wasn’t going to push any further.

  "It has been four thousand years since I was last here," Halcyon said, his voice softening, though he held onto that sharp edge of superiority. "I don’t know what the outside world looks like now under the Lich Master’s control. I don’t even know who rules what continents anymore, but I doubt his power extends very far beyond this tower. Still, there’s one thing I do know—mana and ley lines. They never change."

  Halcyon’s keen senses picked up on the flicker of curiosity in Joe the moment he mentioned ley lines. Joe’s interest spiked as if he were a dog being thrown a bone, and Halcyon, ever the manipulator, grinned in satisfaction. He could use that.

  "The entire world runs on the essence of what my kind called the heavens and the earth. Every living being here has something called a mana core," Halcyon continued, letting the words slowly drip into Joe’s mind. "In this tower, though, it’s called your soul bank. And instead of life essence, you have time currency. Quite a clever play by the lich. He knows you mortals have always been obsessed with time. And money. It’s the same thing, after all. And as you know, money is the root of all evil."

  Joe winced at the complexity of it all, and Halcyon felt the headache forming in the boy’s mind. He sighed, though there was no pity in his tone. "It’s not my fault you find it confusing." Still, he paused, allowing Joe a moment to catch up.

  "The mana core—or in your case, the soul bank—stores mana. The more you refine, the more you can use to interact with the tower, gain skills, experience, level up, whatever you want to call it. The lich calls it the Quantum Resonance Level system."

  Joe’s brows furrowed in thought.

  "What rank were you before you were sealed in the metal emblem on the cover of A Titan’s Core?" Joe suddenly asked, curiosity sparking in his voice. Halcyon hadn’t expected that, not now, and for a moment, he hesitated. He didn’t owe Joe any answers. But then again… why not let him know just how much of a god I once was?

  "I was at the Red Diamond Rank, a QRL beyond one hundred," Halcyon said, letting a tinge of pride slip through. The truth was, Halcyon hadn’t talked about his rank or past glory in a long time, but for reasons he couldn’t fully grasp, he found himself telling Joe. Maybe the boy is growing on me. Ugh.

  "If you were a Red Diamond Rank, you must have been really strong," Joe said, his voice betraying genuine curiosity now. The hostility had faded between them, and Joe was growing more interested in Halcyon’s past.

  Halcyon almost felt a twinge of sympathy. He had ridiculed Joe from the beginning, teased him with vague answers, giving him just enough information to stay useful. The boy had surprised Halcyon more than once, though—he was not as foolish as Halcyon had once assumed. Not entirely, anyway.

  "I was strong," Halcyon said, his voice quiet but heavy with meaning. There was no need to brag anymore, not when the truth was painfully obvious. "But right now, I’m trapped in this body with you. If I were stupid enough to try and use my full strength, you’d die. Horribly."

  Joe's brows raised.

  Halcyon could feel the question before Joe even spoke. That telltale spike of anxiety in the boy’s thoughts. It was always the same—curiosity and fear tangled together like two opposing currents.

  “Is there a way that you can gain strength?”

  "I need pure fire mana to grow stronger." Halcyon watched Joe tense at the mention of it. The boy always feared what Halcyon becoming stronger meant.

  Joe hesitated, clearly considering the implications. Halcyon could feel the boy’s thoughts weaving between fear of losing control and the hope that they really were working together. A part of Joe genuinely wanted to believe that their goals were aligned.

  "But how does it work?" Joe asked. "If you’re absorbing the fire mana, what happens to me?"

  "I’m using your body—your soul bank, to be precise," Halcyon’s tone kept casual, as if the whole thing were as natural as breathing. "Your soul bank filters out all the impurities, all the mana tainted with elements you and I have no affinity for. I absorb the excess fire essence, and you get to keep the water and earth essence." Halcyon’s voice turned smug, and he let a grin creep into their shared bond. "That leaves you with only wind affinity to deal with.”

  Halcyon paused, smirking to himself before finishing, "makes you a bit gassy, doesn’t it?"

  Joe’s frown deepened, not at the joke, but at something deeper.

  "Does the legend say there’s a way to summon them?" Joe quietly asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Halcyon didn’t need to ask what Joe meant. They had talked about the titans, about the ones that had laid down their bodies to build this world for their eldest sons. Joe’s eyes were locked onto a spot on the ground.

  "I believe there is a way," Halcyon lied, his voice softening despite himself. "But no one has ever found the others." His voice carried a note of longing that he hadn’t intended to share.

  For a moment, Halcyon allowed himself to feel the pain he had buried deep, the loss of someone far more important to him than his father. The memories of her death rose unbidden, cutting through the cold walls he had built in his mind. Joe must have felt the wave of grief as a pang hit his chest, but he said nothing. He likely thought it was about the Water Titan. Let him think that, Halcyon mused. I’m not ready to explain the rest.

  Joe had his own losses, his own burdens. Halcyon knew that. And in a way, their shared suffering made the silence almost bearable.

  After what felt like an eternity, Joe broke the quiet, his voice filled with a respect Halcyon hadn’t heard before. "So, what do we do now?"

  Halcyon didn’t answer right away. The boy was starting to trust him, starting to see him not as a threat but as a partner.

  Good.

  Halcyon had the boy exactly where he needed him. "We help each other climb the tower, claim the power at its peak, and become untouchable to all forces, even those belonging to a god." Halcyon said it with such certainty, as if Joe had no say in the matter and the future had already been decided.

  Joe nodded, but Halcyon could sense the unease still lingering beneath the surface. He’s still afraid, Halcyon thought, but it didn’t matter. Joe had no say in what came next. Everything had already been decided, even if the boy didn’t know it yet.