Damien sat back as the movie played around him. He and the others were somewhere in Texas, at the world's largest cinema. There, people could pay extra for a more immersive experience, connecting their reactive seats and a special helmet to make it feel like they were part of the film.
Damien opted out so that he could keep a better eye on Wren and Trevor. It'd been two weeks since their run-in with that pneumarian, Thessa, and they'd given him no reason to doubt them, but in this instance, Damien tried to be more vigilant, like Tymon.
Over the past two weeks, they'd gone on various activities that allowed them to connect better as a way to pass the time.
Arne had first insisted they go to China, where the world's largest SVVL tournament was held, an event that spanned over three days.
Wren led them to the Pacific Ocean, where a massive typhoon was circulating. She wanted to share the beauty of storms with them, so they entered the raging winds and experienced its different intensities firsthand. Since she was there already, she used her power to diminish the storm's winds before it hit land, likely saving a lot of lives.
Trevor had taken them to a shop he'd built long ago. He stored many unheard-of inventions there over the centuries. They spent a couple of days there as he worked on new constructs he'd jotted down. While he did so, Damien and the others were able to see the sort of things he had invented in the past. Damien found a device that could strip the moisture from the air, filter it, and then provide clean, drinkable water after a designated period of time.
The sticky note next to it read: Not ready. New Plans. Was just in an area where the tap water was disgusting. Everyone prefers in-store altered waters. Could tweak it some for a proper filter system for tap water...
The following item Damien crossed was something called a trauma injection. It was supposed to be an affordable device that'd boost a human's regenerative speed by 1000%, helping them survive fatal wounds long enough to receive proper care.
The note next to it read: Pops says the world isn't ready for something like this. It would threaten certain industries, who'd try to silence me for my creation. We'd have to kill several influential humans for their insolence afterwards. Not supposed to let our inhuman nature be known, so I guess that's that...
Then there were various technologies, such as powerful weapons capable of scaring even the military, indestructible cars, compact homes, and more.
Despite what Trevor's nature was when they met, he at least occasionally thought about how to use his gifts to help others, too. For one reason or another, those inventions never saw the light of day.
Going back to the present, they were now at the movies at Naomi's request. Damien saw Trevor sitting next to Naomi and smirked. He noticed how Trevor had slowly begun to show interest in her.
After the movie was over and they left the ground far below, they came across a mountain range where Damien wanted to watch the sunset.
"Being inside that hurricane last week reminded me of our fight, Wren," Naomi said, leaning back as she watched the orange-red sun slowly lower.
"Oh yeah?" Wren laughed softly as she pushed her hair out of her face, placing it behind her ear. "I'll admit that you beat me since I technically cheated."
"Naomi shook her head.
"Even still, it wasn't the device that I nearly died to. You showed a power that was your own when you used multiple elements at once."
"It's funny you mentioned that," Wren replied. "I don't know how I did that. I've been trying to do it again, but I can't seem to get it. I don't remember how. I was so mad after Junichiro died, I just...I don't know."
Damien saw the mournful look in her eyes as she recalled the experience and felt a tug at his heart.
"I'm sorry for killing him," he said solemnly, removing his hat, and causing the others to turn their heads toward him. "I truly hadn't wanted our fight to end that way. I told you that I didn't use my power to control his blood during our battle, and that is the truth, but in hindsight, I could've spared him had I done so."
Damien looked to the stars in the darkening sky as his hair softly blew in the wind.
"Perhaps I was too overconfident and selfish even to consider it an option...a mistake I'll have to live with."
Trevor clenched his fists and tightened his jaw with reluctance before finally speaking.
"I forgive you," he said, then looked at his sister. "We both do. We've all taken lives accidentally or not, and will carry that with us. All we can do is look past it and work to redeem ourselves."
After that, there was silence. But not the uncomfortable kind. They all sat and watched as the day's sun fell beneath the horizon and the night's stars and moon took over the skies. Arne created a tent atop the mountain they sat on, and Wren generated a small flame to give them light as they decided to spend the night there. There was plenty of space, and everyone had equipment inside their spatial bags so they could pull out whatever they needed to make themselves comfortable.
Damien looked at Wren and Trevor as the others began to chatter amongst themselves and thought of how odd it was that they felt familiar now.
"Maybe we should talk to Alissia and the others about forgiving them, too," Naomi said hopefully, seeing him watch them. "If we share our memories with them and prove they've changed, then maybe..."
"Pretty sure it'd be Tymon who'd object," Wren pointed out, overhearing them.
She was right. If Tymon deemed them threats, there was no chance he'd agree to them being freed.
"What would you two do with your freedom even if it were granted to you?" Arne asked the siblings.
"I'm not sure," Wren considered, only just then giving it some thought.
"I know what I'll do," Trevor spoke. "While I was trapped in that coma for all those centuries, I kept telling myself that if I ever somehow found myself free, I'd learn the ways of swordsmanship. I want to do it for J so that he can live on somehow."
"Hopefully, they agree," Damien said genuinely, "but it may be a while before we get the chance to discuss that with them. Za'Fia has occasionally reached out to me. She explained some of what they've experienced and learned. Apparently, Alissia was summoned there due to her connection to Viraa, who was an important figure there, as it turns out. She said that now that Alissia has assumed responsibility as a prominent political figure, she intends to learn a bit more about Cindar before returning. There also seems to be some tension stirring too between klevonians and pneumarians, something she says she'll explain more on later."
"No matter the species, different ideologies will spawn war," Arne remarked.
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