Epilogue

From the outside the outskirts of Eastol felt like such a peaceful place, at least according to Francis.

He casually strolled along the riverbank, every one of his footsteps not leaving a single mark in the soft mud. He wore a simple brown cloak over an orange t-shirt, the kind of outfit never seen in a world like this.

The grass of Sarai was famous for retreating back into the ground at the slightest movement, yet as Francis walked along, it didn't move an inch; instead, it swayed around as though bowing to the man.

He paused for a second and looked across the river. "What a beautiful sky today, feels like such a waste to enjoy it without Mia."

No one spoke back, but Francis simply stared out towards the horizon. "I always found it shocking how few places have views like this, much better than some ugly skyscrapers or smokestacks, don't you think so?"

Again, no one responded. "I know you're listening. You overestimate my chains. Don't get me wrong, I could snap these glorified threads in a second, it would just invoke some... annoying pests I'd rather not deal with. Oh, but don't tell anyone, the rest of them haven't quite figured out how to slip through the cracks."

He paused, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve never been the best at hiding, Seth,” Francis said, still walking next to the Sligh.

From the outside, it seemed like there wasn't a single person around. The vegetation swayed in the wind with its knee-high grass and subtle rustling of animals scurrying about. That didn’t fool Francis.

“Wasn’t trying to,” next to Francis, the air shimmered, revealing a life-sized ice carving of Seth. “Do you think they’ll stay?”

“It took them the whole of five minutes after I left to decide, not that I would have sent them back in the first place.”

“You really haven’t changed, Francis.” Seth sighed. "How have they been these past few weeks?"

"Adapting better than I expected. According to Mia, the three of them made it back to Unit E without a problem and immediately jumped into the recovery efforts. The two girls also seem to be hanging out a lot more than I assume any of them expected, ah, another swing and a miss for me."

"Don't let Mia hear you say that."

"Please, she's more of a degenerate than me, just hides it better." Francis laughed. "But for now, they'll be busy enough cleaning up."

"I'll be joining them there," Seth sighed. His ice replica snapped its fingers, and a crystalized chair appeared next to him, and he sat down. "Riverlight's been completely trashed from Thien's last move. Luckily, our crosswater refiners are intact; otherwise, it would be years before we returned back to normal, though the boss may help with that if she returns."

"Have fun, I'll continue to chase cute girls around Gallai. We both have our struggles. Francis said.

Seth sighed as he looked up toward the sky. In between the two suns, his ice shimmered, yet even the rather warm summer's day couldn't melt him. "Do you think they'll ever find out the truth?" Seth asked. "You did bait them in hook, line, and sinker.

Francis glanced up toward the sky, spinning a thin orange dagger around his fingers. “Absolutely, but by then they’ll see enough of the big picture to not complain. If they truly had wanted out, they should have taken Thien’s offer.”

“Like there wouldn’t have been some massive catch with that.”

“For once, I don’t think there was,” Francis turned, a flawless move. “At the end of the day, Thien is still a sailor, a model example if you ask me.”

“You’ve never liked the sailors!” Seth chuckled. “They don’t particularly enjoy your recruitment pitches. Somewhat of a red flag if you ask me, not that those would ever turn me away.”

“Well, this planet is full of them. Now that Thien’s out of the way, we have a chance to finally look at them, especially once she gets back. Glad those two stayed of their own volition.”

Francis knelt down toward the river, running his finger through the crystal clear water as small fish swam away from the arc he traced. “As a fellow lover of red flags, I wish they could see the vision. But let them enjoy the peace for now. East has a lot of questions to answer, and I worry the answers we get won't be what we hope.”

“Bold claim!” Seth burst into a booming laugh. “I never took you for one to get scared in the face of adversity.”

“Even gods can feel fear,” Francis said, snapping his fingers. A bright orange flame burst around him as he began to disappear. “Let’s hope this time around it's unfounded.”