BAB3 -Chapter 26

# Chapter 26: Journey End

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The next few days went by entirely too quickly.

Xay spent them exploring the mountains with his friends—when he wasn’t being spontaneously kidnapped by Grandmaster Wu for odd hobbies.

Each time, he learned something new in a way he never would’ve expected.

The old man also answered all his random questions, no matter how bizarre, with the patience of someone who had nothing better to do.

Honestly, he probably didn’t have anything better to do.

Grandma Xiu made it her mission to push Amy and Ezra even deeper into vital energy breathing, offering gentle corrections between cups of tea and life advice.

Master Hui helped draw even more ferocity out of Kimi, while Master Mei worked on smoothing Lexi’s sharp edges.

Master Li trained with Rox, Shifu Wu, and the twins. She didn’t speak much, but her steady hands and grounded presence said more than words ever could.

Mao, for his part, acted like Tyra’s wacky uncle most of the time. He could even pick her out when she used *Full Glamor* to hide among a sea of golden monkeys.

Their last morning on the mountain came faster than any of them wanted.

Xay stood outside Grandma Xiu’s house, watching the mist drift lazily between the trees.

The air was crisp and clean, and the mountains somehow looked even more beautiful now that it was time to say goodbye.

He was back in his hoodie and high tops for the first time in weeks. At least that part felt good.

Everyone was packed, and everything was ready, but no one moved with any urgency.

Grandma Xiu had prepared one final breakfast spread—soft-boiled eggs, sticky buns, five types of fruit, and a strong, sweet tea.

Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, Ezra, and Amy stood near her, each of them thanking her again and again, only to be pulled into very long, very tight hugs.

“All of you are welcome here always,” she said to each in turn. “My house will never be too full.”

Xay’s goodbye was just as sweet.

“You take care of those girls,” Grandma Xiu said, hugging him hard enough to crack his spine. “And you take care of yourself. For both you and them.”

After Grandmaster Wu finished falling all over himself doting on Shifu Wu, he gave Xay a curt nod with his hands folded behind his back.

“I expect to see you stronger next time, brat.”

Xay grinned. “You can bet on it, old man.”

He got a proud farewell from Master Hui. Even her Tudi, Yue, showed up.

“I apologize for my actions toward you those few weeks ago,” Yue said, bowing deeply. “I acknowledge your prowess and position as the Grandmaster’s Tudi.”

Grandmaster Wu choked out a harsh noise at her declaration, and Grandma Xiu burst into a happy laugh.

“You know it’s true!” Grandma Xiu said, poking his side. “You took a liking to him that very first day.”

Grandmaster Wu huffed.

Master Mei gave Xay a sly smirk and a lazy wave, while Master Li offered him a smile and a slow nod.

Mao patted Tyra on the head and tried to sneak a roasted yam into her pocket like no one would notice.

She caught him, hugged him tight, and he pretended not to tear up, hiding it behind a swig from his gourd.

Then he tossed Xay a small monkey figurine carved from bamboo. It was hanging upside down from a branch by its tail, while flipping the world off in two different directions.

“It’s great, huh?” Mao burped, grinning like a loon. “It’ll bring good luck, or something—maybe.”

Amy hugged Sasha and Sophia for a long time. They’d grown close in the city, and if Amy didn’t have to work, she probably would’ve stayed with them.

“I’ll message you guys every day,” she said, tearing up.

“You stay safe, friend,” they replied, hugging her just as tightly.

Xay made sure to reiterate to each of the twins that he’d be back to visit soon.

“Don’t forget about us, Savior,” they said in unison, kissing each of Xay’s cheeks.

Everyone said goodbye to everyone, hugging each other for a long moment.

Xay and his Jetnir Orbs bowed to all the masters, thanking them each for their instruction.

It took another half hour just to actually leave.

When the time finally came, it wasn’t any easier.

Shifu Wu took the lead, guiding Xay, Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, Ezra, Rox, Amy, and Valiant back down the front face of the mountain. Dragon and Willow flew above them, gliding down easily.

They hadn’t traveled that particular path since they first arrived. The descent was much easier than the climb, and they were all moving at superhuman speeds.

Amy, in particular, had grown explosively since starting vital energy breathing. Her speed and dexterity had been massively improved.

Adding in her physical bunny traits, she was easily the equivalent of a high-ranked Level 12 or so Awakened now.

But as the pace quickened, she hopped onto Valiant’s back. He was more than big enough to carry her now, and twice as fast.

Once they reached the halfway point, Xay extended his perception and activated *Psychic Blink*.

He teleported them all the last few miles down near the cave where Lexi’s Little Blue was parked.

After Shifu Wu let them out of the mystic barrier, Rox summoned her A1-X with unrestrained glee.

“I’ve missed you, Ronda,” she said, running her hand down its glossy red side before jumping in with Shifu Wu.

Lexi fired up her Auralis and climbed in with Kimi, Willow, Ezra, Amy, and Valiant.

“Same as last time?” Xay asked Tyra, reaching out for her hand.

She nodded, smiling as she took it with a wide smile.

Dragon elongated, stretching out thirty feet in the air, and Xay teleported to her back with Tyra.

Lexi took off first, taking her spot in the middle of the formation while Dragon and Rox flanked her.

With one final glance back at the mountains and the warm people who’d invited them in so readily, Xay turned forward with a soft smile and headed home.

***

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The group flew over a few roaming packs of wild monsters. None of them were strong enough to actually pose a threat, through.

Xay let Dragon have her fun and unleash her devastating purple laser flame alongside Rox and her mana busters.

The laser brought back memories of the Aero Cup Opening Ceremony—the whole reason they’d come to the mountains in the first place.

Xay had nearly forgotten about it altogether.

But whatever had been missing when he left, he was certain he’d found it.

Xay felt better than ever, both physically and mentally. He was more in tune with himself and his abilities.

Even the power of his bonds had grown stronger.

Beyond just sensing locations and well-being, he could now feel even more of their emotional states—and even send stronger impressions of his own in return.

Their connections were brighter, clearer, and more solid than ever before.

So solid, in fact, that Xay couldn’t help but wonder if he pushed a little—maybe added a bit of psychic force for logic..

~Hey, can anyone hear me?~

~AHHH! WHY ARE YOU IN MY HEAD?!~ Lexi screamed.

Xay choked out a loud laugh. ~Telepathy! I can talk to you through our bond.~

~How interesting,~ Kimi added thoughtfully. ~I can hear you both as if you were in my mind itself.~

~Ha, this is so cool!~ Tyra laughed. ~Quick, what number am I thinking of?~

~What has the imbecile done now?~

Xay looked around in surprise. ~That can’t be who I think it is.~

~Willow?~ he asked tentatively.

Xay got a distinct impression of shock before it was wholly muted.

~You intrude on conversations beyond you,~ Willow said.

Xay’s bond with Tyra was also somehow touching her connection to Willow.

Xay hadn’t expected that, but he found it hilarious. How was she going to pretend she couldn’t talk now?

~Who you call name Dumb Bird?~

Another voice echoed in all their heads, soft and trilling.

Xay’s mouth fell open in astonishment. ~Dragon?!~

Dragon’s head turned back to him slowly, her big silver eyes blinking one after another. ~You hear?~

~YES! I HEAR. I CAN HEAR YOU, DRAGON!~ Xay teleported forward, crashing into Dragon’s head with a huge hug.

~YOU HEAR!~

~I HEAR!~

They screamed in each other’s heads and nearly tumbled out of the sky in all their excitement.

Rox and Shifu Wu thought they were under attack, immediately banking hard and arming the mana busters.

Lexi had to wave them off, explaining everything with a bright, breathless smile.

Xay eventually summoned his A1-X and climbed in with Tyra and Dragon.

He was too excited to focus, so he set it to autopilot. He wanted to keep talking with Dragon.

She spoke with the grammar and cadence of a child, but her understanding ran deep.

~So when my last had burrito mysteriously disappeared that one time?~ Xay asked.

Dragon looked away sheepishly. ~Tasty.~

Xay also discovered that he could talk directly to any of his bonds without the others hearing, but they couldn’t do the same.

He was the nexus. This form of telepathy traveled through him like a wheel and spoke.

Xay could ignore anything he didn’t care to hear, though—like their current conversation about class in the morning.

He’d rather live the dream of vacation for just a little while longer.

Xay was also going to have to tune out all the arguing between Dragon and Willow.

~Oh, the flying butterfly rat can hear me properly now. How far you’ve come.~

~Me eat Dumb Bird!~

Or, better yet, Xay could work on keeping their conversations separate from one another.

He did just that for the remainder of the flight to the city.

Xay refused to think about how he had tried to get Willow to talk for so long.

This was obviously not his fault.

With autopilot cruising at nearly the speed of sound, they cleared the rest of the distance and reached the city’s mana barrier in under an hour.

Xay barely paid it any mind, only looking up at the checkpoint, and to wave goodbye to Rox and Shifu Wu.

The two of them headed straight back to Cosmos Academy, while everyone else flew off toward the Quantium Penthouse.

They had decided to spend the night there and return to campus in the morning.

Even Ezra was staying with them. There were plenty of rooms, after all.

On the flight over and in between chatting with Dragon, Xay had tried to use telepathy with Ezra.

But without a bond as the medium, it didn’t work.

He figured that was probably why the Awakened System hadn’t categorized it as an official technique or talent—it was more a feature of his bonds than full-blown telepathy.

It also explained how each of his bonds could initiate a conversation on their own, even without any command over psychic force.

Xay could likely figure out how to use telepathy through pure psionics eventually, but it wasn’t very high on his list of priorities.

Besides, there was nothing saying Ezra couldn’t become one of his bonds in the future, if they grew closer.

He’d already decided he wanted Rox to be his fifth bond. He just needed to figure out how to ask her properly.

That would probably require graduating first, though.

And technically, he’d still have one slot left after that.

He didn’t want to be presumptuous or get too far ahead of himself, but the thought was definitely there.

The flight through the city was quiet and familiar. New Meridian looked just as it had before they left—bright, shiny, and busy.

Xay had gotten used to the slower pace of the mountains, and now he wasn’t sure which he preferred.

The group touched down on the parking deck beside the boutique and stepped out of their hovercraft.

The lack of both vital energy and mana in the air was pretty jarring to each of them.

“I had fun,” Lexi said, stretching with a groan. “But it feels good to be home.”

“I’m already ready to go back,” Tyra laughed.

“I missed the store and Madam Guinevere,” Amy said, rubbing Valiant’s gold fur. “It’s going to be a little strange without Sasha and Sophia, though.”

~Meat!~ Dragon sent over their bond, making Xay laugh.

“I don’t want to be paranoid or anything,” Xay said, turning to Amy. “But we should try not to mention them or where they are. We don’t know what all their family may do to find them.”

Amy nodded, miming locking her lips and throwing away the key.

Kimi and Ezra were busy checking in with their families as they all made their way through the back entrance to the penthouse.

Xay opened his GRID interface to catch up on messages as well.

The “Global” in Global Real-Time Information Display wasn’t just for show—GRID worked just about everywhere.

But he had silenced his notifications while they were away.

Aside from the usual flood of unnecessary social media junk, one message stood out—a weird one from Peanut.

It had been sent a few days ago and said something about Dante looking for him, but it was written strangely.

The wording was off and a little jumbled, like Peanut had sent it in a rush or while distracted.

Before Xay could respond, they walked into the penthouse—and froze at the sight of a face they hadn’t seen in a very long time.

Bethany was curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. The moment she saw them, her eyes went wide, and her hands trembled.

Xay could even sense her beginning to hyperventilate.

Lexi stepped forward, frowning. “What are—”

“Alexis,” Aunt Gwen cut in sharply, her voice more stern than Xay had ever heard it. “We need to talk. There are things you all need to know.”

***

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Once Aunt Gwen finished explaining everything Bethany had been through, a heavy silence settled over the penthouse.

She had sat beside Bethany on the couch, rubbing her back gently to help keep her calm.

Lexi approached quietly. Aunt Gwen gave Bethany a soft gesture, encouraging her to stand.

She did, but visibly shrank into herself, recoiling under the weight of Lexi’s gaze alone.

Lexi moved, and Bethany flinched.

“I’m sorry,” Lexi said, slowing down.

Instead of hugging her like she’d originally intended, she simply held her arms out, leaving the choice to Bethany.

“I’m so sorry for everything,” Lexi continued, her voice cracking. “I never meant for anything like this to happen to you. You didn’t deserve it. No one does.”

The dam holding back Bethany’s tears finally broke. She let out a ragged sob and leaned into Lexi’s arms, clinging to her and weeping openly.

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “It was my fault. I started it. And then I tried to get back at you..”

Ezra stepped in, gently wrapping an arm around them both. “Everyone makes mistakes. That doesn’t mean this is all your fault. This is that Alan’s fault.. and Reeves’.”

Kimi, Tyra, Amy, and Aunt Gwen joined the hug. Some of them cried, but most offered Bethany encouraging words.

Dragon, Willow, and Valiant lingered near Xay, sensing the moment wasn’t theirs to enter.

Xay shook his head. “Have we told the authorities about all this yet? Reached out to Joan Thaxton?”

“I have,” Remington said, walking in from the hallway. “But just the name ‘Alan’ wasn’t enough to go on. They’re no closer now than when you all left.”

Xay clicked his tongue in frustration. “Joan harassed me for a whole day. Meanwhile, a literal manipulative sociopath’s been roaming free in the city.”

“His actions are deeply disturbing,” Kimi added, stepping back. “But not knowing his motive is even worse. At least with Humanity First, we knew what they wanted.”

“All of this is so scary,” Amy whispered, hugging Bethany one more time.

Kimi sent the name to her family so that the Vermilion Group would be on the lookout for him.

Ezra did the same. It turned out that her family was affiliated with the Lapis Group, one of the Big 5.

They weren’t the head of the group like Kimi’s family was for the Vermilion Group, but their connections apparently ran deep.

Neither of them thought anything would come of it right away, though.

Lexi sat next to Bethany for the rest of the night. The guilt on her face was plain to see—but through their bond, it sparked like a live wire.

~Sad,~ Dragon said, summing up everyone’s mood.

Xay hated what Bethany had gone through, and he hated how Lexi was blaming herself for it.

They found out Bethany had shown up at the back entrance of the boutique, nearly broken, just hours after his group had left for the mountains.

Aunt Gwen took her in immediately, but it took days before Bethany could share her whole story.

Even now, she was still afraid that Alan might come for her, or that the police would arrest her for terrorism.

It was all so complicated, and Xay didn’t really know how to help. Hunting down an Alan—which was probably a fake name—in a city of five million wasn’t very feasible.

But at the very least, Bethany would be safe here at the penthouse.

After unpacking, getting cleaned up, and having a quiet dinner, they put on a few dumb movies that nobody really watched.

When it was finally time for bed, Xay pulled Lexi into his room and held her all night.

She didn’t talk much, but Xay had to wipe away her tears a time or two before she finally fell asleep.