Sometimes, when great minds collide and the furious chase for revenge is hot enough to burn the world, those with nothing left to lose choose differently. Fight or flight? That question only matters to those still playing the game.

And for Halo, the blazing world meant so little.

"What's the deal? I've never seen you talk to your own subordinates. You sure like acting like a big shot."

Jihriel's expression remained deadpan, perplexed.

Halo had been invited to Jihriel's chambers. The man lived like a true king. He had his own living room, a kitchen for his meals, and even a furnished simulation training room powered by crystals from Ember Prune.

He had invited Halo to come taste his meal, speaking with absolute certainty that he could cure his lack of taste.

He wasn't looking very pleased with Halo's words.

But he smiled.

"It wasn't always like this. I stayed with them, shared meals, and even lived alongside them. But something they said made things turn out this way."

Halo furrowed his brow, watching Jihriel prepare a meal while he rested in a chair.

"What did they say? Insult you?"

Jihriel shook his head.

"No. They insisted I live like a leader. They renovated these quarters for me and made sure my simulation room was ready for training. They said I should only appear before them when there are pressing matters."

Halo didn't expect Jihriel to answer him thoroughly. Actually, he thought his figure of speech would sting his pride, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to know if Jihriel intended to kill the gods.

"They're good allies to have. But remind them you're also their friend… drop by sometimes for casual conversation."

Jihriel turned to Halo with a smile.

"You know what? I like this little friendship. The others treat me with so much respect that it gets irritating."

Halo chuckled.

"It's because of Liam. He was like a brother to me… and you look almost exactly like him."

Jihriel began searing a steak, the aroma so strong it made Halo cough. He didn't dare have any fantasies, though. He might not enjoy it after all.

"Can you tell me more about Liam?"

Halo considered for a moment. He needed to know if this was something he wanted to do.

"He's just like you, with a strong sense of justice. But he worries a lot, and that makes him careful. Even so, he's someone you'd want by your side."

Jihriel began laughing.

"At least he's not an asshole. I don't need someone using my face to stir up trouble."

Jihriel's humor did reach Halo. His expression was dark.

"Hey, Jihriel. What's your real goal in this world? I'm not talking about the cohort. What do you live for?"

Jihriel was quiet for a while, his head tilted toward the white ceiling as he absorbed the silence.

"Do you know how the three regions of this world came to be?"

Halo responded negatively.

"According to legend, the first person to cross the Seven Seas into the Ashen Ages was a man with a striking figure, blonde hair, and lazy, dark eyes. No one thought highly of him. In fact, with those eyes alone, no one believed he could ever reach the shores of this region."

Jihriel gave his words a beat.

"Yet he did more than just reach that land, he secured the first safe zone in the Ashen Ages. That was a hundred ages ago."

Halo frowned.

In this world, no one had time to count dates and times, so scholars measured in centuries. One age equaled a century, two ages two centuries, and ten ages a millennium.

This meant the Ashen Ages had been discovered about a hundred centuries ago.

"However, some say something different. They claim the first to arrive was the Angel of Despair… a lady caught between divination and damnation. Her being was divided in two: one half damned with the wing of a demon, the other blessed with the wing of a divine angel."

Jihriel exhaled.

"According to scholars, she opened everyone's eyes and gave them the courage to sail the Seven Seas to the Ashen Ages. This happened when the first beings were brought into the world, during its very creation."

Halo was confused. He understood what Jihriel had said a moment ago, but now he was talking about something completely different.

Jihriel turned to Halo.

"You get where I'm going? This world forgets everyone. Your noble acts will mean nothing tomorrow. People will either confuse you with another legend or invent stories to make your deeds seem greater than they were."

He smirked.

"I'm just doing my best… I don't have a particular dream, but there's something I'd like to achieve before it's too late."

This was like a sweet song to Halo's ears. The Wish the gods granted him had been intimidating. His best friend's words in the game had scared him. But the world wasn't going to end after all. Still, his curiosity got the best of him.

"You won't rebel against the gods? Not even a desperate attempt to save everyone brought into this world?"

Jihriel looked confused. More confused than he'd been all day.

"You know, whoever challenges the gods either dies… or becomes a Calamity, right?"

Before Halo could speak, Jihrial shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I have no interest in that… but knowing me, I can't rule it out either. Maybe my curiosity and that will intertwine someday."

Halo's mouth parted widely. That was the last thing he wanted.

"No, no… it wouldn't be worth your time. I mean, who could actually defeat the gods?"

"I can. I can even do it in my sleep, but well, I'm not interested."

Halo began massaging his head. His brain was practically exploding.

Soon enough, the meal was finished. Jihriel plated it beautifully and brought it to Halo. Everything about it was perfect; even the smell alone was enough to satisfy him.

However, before grabbing the plate, Jihriel's red earring somehow fell off.

Halo's heart skipped a beat. He moved at overwhelming speed and grabbed the earring before it could hit the ground. He knocked the meal over in the process.

"Huuu, that would have been bad."

He said and handed the earring to Jihriel.

Halo's eyes were widened, his mouth slightly parted and his face paled.

"Wait… what did you just do?"

The words left him calmly, confused. Still, Halo panicked. Was he not supposed to touch it?

"Uhm, sorry?"

Jihriel smiled and took the earring and wore it.

"I'm not asking for an apology. Why did you catch it? I mean, it's just an earring."

Halo's eyes widened in realization.

'Oh, that's what he meant.'

He shrugged.

"It's obvious the earring means a lot to you. I wasn't going to let your precious treasure meet the ground."

He smiled awkwardly. He couldn't admit he knew the entire story behind the red earring from the game's prologue.

Jihriel laughed.

"I knew I could trust you. You sacrificed your meal to save something you weren't even sure if it was truly important to me."

He extended his hand for a handshake.

Halo placed his in it without a second thought.

"Our true friendship is sealed from now onward."

Halo smiled. But the food was destroyed now. He couldn't tell if he would have enjoyed it anyway.

"Tsk. I'm out of supplies as well. Looks like we'll have to try again later."

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