"Bro, she is never going to let me forget this. Alex is already a Transcendent." Rey looked up and spoke. "She broke through before me. Fuck. Fuck my life." Liam stared at Rey, blinking once. "That's it?" he asked, half-expecting Rey to say someone had died or a portal had opened into hell. "You scared the hell out of me, and you're having a breakdown over Alex transcending first?" Rey ran a hand through his hair, clearly distraught. "You don't get it, man. I've been one step ahead of her the whole damn time. The whole time! Now I'm the sidekick again. The comic relief. The handsome comic relief, but still—this is tragic." Liam couldn't help but chuckle. "Rey, she broke through, which means she probably saved your ass somewhere in there. Again. Be grateful. You can have your ego crisis after we confirm everyone's alive." Rey grimaced. "Ugh, I hate how reasonable that sounds." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "But yeah… she's fine. Shen Yue's fine. Mei Mei is fine. Everyone's fine… We won the damn event. Bro, I am going to secluded training for a bit. I will see you in a bit. Don't mind me." The guy sounded as if he was joking, but he genuinely looked depressed. Liam did not bother with him anymore as more and more people started appearing behind Rey. A bright redhead caught his eye, and the next moment, he was toppled over by a blur of energy and flying hair. "Liaaam!" Alex crashed into him, tackling him in a full-body hug that would have broken bones if he were anyone else. "You won't believe what I did!" "I think I have a guess," Liam groaned, patting her back. "Maybe something that starts with a T and ends with ranscendent?" Alex pulled back just enough to smirk at him, her eyes glowing with power that hadn't been there before. "Damn right. You should've seen the look on everyone's faces when it happened. It was chef's kiss—especially Rey's. I thought he was going to melt." "He almost did," Liam laughed. Alex burst out laughing and then looked Liam over. Her smirk faded into something softer. "You okay? You look… tired. And worried. Everything went well. There was a moment of touch and go, but Eldrin stepped up." "Eldrin?" "Yup, what are the odds? He became a transcendent too. With both of us around, we completely smashed the event and bagged the win. The system event-" She started then she suddenly stopped as her gaze met Tilia's. "How about we go somewhere private and discuss the rest?" Liam only briefly managed to glance at Shen Yue and Mei Mei before Alex decidedly dragged him back to the guild base, to his private quarters and then to the huge master bedroom inside. "I missed you so much." She gave him a big hug and then pulled him to the bed. Liam smiled as he felt her hands wrap around him. Her body was warm and her presence was the same—fierce, grounding, chaotic in the best possible way. He let her hold him, his fingers brushing lightly against her back as he closed his eyes for a second. "I missed you too," he murmured. He knew he had some difficult news for her, so he indulged her for the next few hours before Alex finally gave in and collapsed, her slender naked body curled up at his side. Liam gently patted her. "Are you okay?" Alex bit her lips in embarrassment. "No way. I can't go again, you monster." Liam chuckled, brushing a strand of red hair away from her face as she buried it against his shoulder. "That's okay," he murmured. "I have a lot to discuss with you anyway." Alex's eyes fluttered open at the shift in his tone—light-hearted, but lined with something heavier. She pushed herself up on one elbow, her expression sobering. "What happened?" Liam didn't answer immediately. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his fingers idly tracing patterns against her arm. "I ran into Mia," he finally said. "And not just her. There was a paladin with her… the same guy from the tutorial world." Alex's breath caught. "Wait. You're serious? Mia? As in, our Mia?" Liam nodded slowly. "It wasn't a dream or a trick. She's real. Alive. But… not the same. Something's wrong. She didn't recognize me—not really. It was like talking to a puppet with a familiar face." He sat up now, resting his elbows on his knees. "I think there might be a soul possessing her or something like that." Alex's eyes reddened. All the happiness from her face instantly drained and she sat up tears spilling from her eyes. "Why? Why did they do this to her? Oh, god. Oh god. What am I doing… I am here celebrating for such a small thing while she is… oh god… Mia is suffering, isn't she… Liam… please… do you think she is suffering… oh god, I am really useless. I have let her down. I can't… I can't…" Liam turned to her quickly, catching her trembling hand in his. "Hey. Hey, Alex. I don't know everything yet. But I'll find out. I promise." His voice was steady, the same unshakeable resolve that had carried him through countless battles and monsters, but in this moment, it was for her. Alex clutched Liam's hand like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her entire frame trembled, tears dripping silently down her cheeks. "She was always stronger than me, you know?" she whispered hoarsely. "Always the calm one. The one who held my hand when I was scared of the dark, who stood up for me when I got into fights at school. I promised her I'd protect her too one day. And now… now I don't even know where she really is." Liam gently pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her as she curled into him, her body shaking with quiet sobs. "You're not useless," he murmured. "Don't ever say that. Mia's still in there. I know it. Otherwise, the paladin would not have accompanied her." Liam nodded. "I am sure of it. Whoever is inside her hasn't completely erased her yet. There's still time. We can get her back." Alex didn't say anything at first, just held onto him like the world might fall apart. But after a few minutes, her sobs lessened, and her breathing steadied. When she pulled back, her eyes were bloodshot. "Then we're going to burn down every world, every realm, every divine palace if we have to. I want my sister back." She stood up and a robe materialized from her space ring, covering her body. "Where is that paladin now?" Liam looked up at her and shook his head. "You cannot see him right now. He is somewhere inside me." He stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. He's still alive. Barely. I left a soul avatar to keep digging into him. And we're getting results. Slowly, but surely." "Give me just a little more time and we will go and search for her. I promise you. If they couldn't destroy or didn't destroy her soul until now, then the chances are we still have some time. Trust me. If we become impatient, then we might just lose her permanently." Alex's fists clenched. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 She bit down on her lip, every muscle in her body tight with restrained fury. For a long moment, she said nothing—just breathed, her chest rising and falling with uneven force, until finally, she exhaled in one long, trembling breath. "Okay," she said. The word was a whisper, but it was laced with enough steel to carve through stone. "Okay. I'll wait. But I'm not going to sit still. I'm going to get stronger, Liam. So strong that when the time comes, I won't just stand behind you—I'll be beside you. I want to be the one to bring her back." Liam gave her a small nod, his eyes full of quiet pride. "That's all I ask." Alex stepped closer, pressing her forehead against his. "Just… don't shut me out. Not with this. Not with her." "I won't," Liam promised. "And there is a way you can help me out right now." He took out the drop of golden liquid from his spatial artifact. "This is something I took from him. Can you figure out how to break down the divine barrier around it?"