Severance began to explain what happened. Even though it was earlier this morning, it still felt like it was days ago.

"There was an accident and I ended up spilling hot coffee all over myself. Got burned pretty bad, apparently." He shook his head. It hadn't seemed very severe, not when he'd been injured so much worse, but Tripp and Jake had looked pretty shaken up. "I'm not sure how it happened, at least not the first time, but somehow... I healed myself."

He glanced at Agadhi. The man gazed out at the sky, almost as if lost in thought. But Severance got the sense that he was listening nonetheless.

"I did it twice more after that. The burns disappeared, just like they do here. It shouldn't have been possible, not in my world. There's no such thing as magic or skills. There's no Towers there. Nothing but our own knowledge and time to heal. And a lot of cases, we don't heal all the way. There's scars. Aches that never go away. Weaknesses that we have to learn to live with. That's how it is. Yet, just as if I was here, in Eliona, I Mended my wounds."

Agadhi turned his head finally and regarded Severance calmly. "You Mended, without the Tower and its System to support you? How did you feel afterwards?"

Feel? Severance's stomach tightened. Agadhi knew. The man was far too calm for such a revelation, and his question afterwards proved it.

"Like crap," Severance dropped his eyes to his boots. "The second time knocked me right out. After I ate and rested, I tried again, just to prove that it actually had happened. I'd never felt so... hollow. Like every bit of life had been sucked right out of me."

"Indeed." Agadhi turned so that he faced Severance fully. "That's essentially what happened. When we of Eliona first gained the Gifts of the Towers, there was much joy. People used them freely, unaware that by so doing, they were drawing on the Towers' themselves. And when we continuously used the Towers to build and to change, to advance far beyond our own means, we didn't realize we were taking far more than they could provide."

This was what Olen had told him before. Unsure of where Agadhi was going with this, Severance nodded. "Yeah, the Towers began to take away from the land, right?"

"Yes. But more than that. When we used our Gifts, the Towers no longer provided us the energy required. Our Gifts drew the cost from us. People began to die, growing weak and ill, aging far more quickly than they should have. There is a reason why you see us pass on our Gifts rather than use them ourselves."

Severance stared at Agadhi. There was a growing pressure, an ache, in his chest, and he realized it was because he'd been holding his breath. He let it go, a heavy whoosh, though it did little to lessen the pressure.

Now he knew what had happened to the Free Trader, Ervante. The creep had aged seemingly overnight, but that was because he'd been using his freaky mind control Gift on Outsiders.

"So what you're saying is, if I heal again in my world, I'll probably kill myself."

"Not immediately," came the mild reply. "But if you persist, then yes. You'll start to see the negative effects very quickly."

"Great," Severance muttered. He'd already figured out it was probably not very healthy to heal on Earth, but he'd thought that if he made sure to eat and rest properly, it might have been okay. From what Agadhi had just said, it most definitely was Not Okay. That still didn't answer the other question, though.

"Then, do you want to explain how I even healed in the first place? That shouldn't have been possible, right?"

"I wouldn't have thought it, no." Agadhi's slender brows drew together. "However, considering the facts, I suppose it's not as improbable as one would believe."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

In answer, Agadhi gestured. "We've bound you to us. We've passed on our strongest Gifts, those that are ingrained knowledge rather than skills. That creates a tie that goes far beyond physical, for you can use it without consequence in either world."

"You're talking about Flow," Severance said.

"Yes. And you must consider that Flow is the originator, the first and oldest of Gifts. While there are many that follow, there will be none quite like it." Agadhi paused, letting that sink in before he continued. "And finally, Olen has removed the limiters so you can safely remain here for longer periods of time. The Tower sees you as one of us, so it doesn't reject you."

Wait, what? Severance tilted his head, a little confused. "Yeah, he said something about the first part. But what do you mean about the Tower rejecting me?"

The Clan Head didn't quite smile. "You are an Outsider, are you not? Your presence isn't meant to exist on this world."

That was... Severance snapped his mouth shut, unaware of when it had dropped open. He didn't know what to say to that.

"The Towers have existed before we did," Agadhi went on. "And though we have learned how to make use of them, we are little more than babes fumbling in the dark. We don't know their purpose, exactly. Or what they are truly meant for. What we do know now, is that they do not take well to outside interferences. I don't believe Olen has told you this, but the System is slowly unraveling. He must continuously repair it lest it collapse."

Severance's mouth was open again. He stared at Agadhi. What the heck? Not only was the little pocket of safety slowly shrinking on Eliona, but now the entire System was trying to collapse?

The look on his face must have been something else, for Agadhi's lips curved, just a little. "It's under control, Severance. It won't fall anytime soon, thanks to Olen's efforts. I'm telling you this for your benefit."

"Oh yeah, I feel benefited all right," Severance muttered. He felt a little dizzy, so he went to one of the chairs and dropped heavily onto it. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Every time I talk to one of you guys, it gets worse. Next time, I'll talk to Vast instead. Safer that way."

Agadhi chuckled softly. "I'm sorry. This is a lot to take in, I realize, and we've tried not to overwhelm you. Olen, also, is a little too cautious. There are things he would rather you not know."

"Yeah, I'm getting that."

"He means well, truly, but responsibility can cloud one's vision." Agadhi paced alongside the platform's edge. "Our intention always was, if you proved yourself worthy of our trust, to Gift you as we have. We need an agent with the abilities of an Outsider and the freedom to move within the System. That was the plan. Yet we failed to realize just how deeply it would affect you."

Severance frowned. "If you had, would you still have given me the Gifts?"

Agadhi's voice was as soft as the wind. "Yes."

Severance shivered. "I see."

There was no warning sound, but Agadhi's boots appeared in Severance's view, right before where he sat on the chair.

"Let me ask the same of you," came Agadhi's calm voice. "If you knew all of this before, would you have agreed to join our Clan?"

Severance closed his eyes. If he'd known everything beforehand, would he still have leaped straight into the fire? A humorless smile flitted across his face. "Heh."

He raised his head, and met Agadhi's glittering eyes. "How many times are you going to ask me this? I've told you before. No matter what, I'm with you guys until the end."

Agadhi regarded him intently. Then like the spring thaw, the man's expression softened. Emotion shone in those dark eyes, and for just a moment, Severance thought he caught a glimpse of who Agadhi truly was:

Not just a terrifying Veiled clan Head, or a powerful warrior, but simply a man whose responsibilities forced him to be strong enough to bear them.

Isn't that the same as me? Severance didn't think of himself strong or powerful. Yet he could feel the weight upon him, the trust of his clan, the task they'd asked of him. When he thought about it, the whole thing seemed far too much for him to do. Yet here he was. Still pressing on, one foot before the other, even though the path grew more treacherous with every step.

But wasn't this the path that every Veiled followed? Not because they chose to, but because they must.

Olen, singlehandedly keeping not only this entire world together, but also holding open the door for the Outsiders. Agadhi, standing beneath a sky that continuously tried to crush him, yet still remaining unmoved for the clan that sheltered beneath him. There was Dhin, smiling despite the loss of his father. Mouna, who never smiled, but continuously labored to provide for her clan. Hassiba, a woman brutally scarred, yet choosing to wear it with pride. All of them carried some kind of burden, and yet they refused to crumple to their knees.

And now, Severance was one of them. That quiet thought settled in his mind, like a stone finding its home at the bottom of the river. Water would run over it continuously, wearing it smooth, but still it would remain, defiant until the end.

Agadhi went to the chair beside Severance and sat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Severance returned. "I think."

"You think?" A soft chuckle, then Agadhi nodded to the edge of the platform. "Look. There's the lesser moon."

True to his words, a sliver of silver had begun to peek over the trees. The forest took on a silver hue, rippling like the ethereal waves of an ocean. Severance listened to the gentle sssssssshhh arising from the surrounding trees.

And for just this moment, he let himself be at peace.

***

Time Elapsed: 06:31:54

By the time Severance returned to the courtyard, night had fully set in. The moon hung in the sky, full and heavy. Unlike Earth's moon, which was scarred with many craters, this one looked smooth as an egg. It was also larger and reflected twice the light. When he looked up at it, he couldn't help but think it looked artificial.

For all he knew, maybe it was.

The sound of nails clacking against stone made him look down. Silver-blue eyes stared up at him accusingly. Severance smiled, and rubbed between Vast's ears.

"Sorry boy. I've been busy. I wasn't able come find you."

Vast flicked his tail and harrumphed. He lowered his head, and turned his nose away, as if he couldn't be bothered to look at Severance anymore. Despite his discontent, he still took up his usual position by Severance's side.

Two lanterns hung on either side of the House's doors, casting flickering yellow light. Severance grasped one of the door handles with both hands and heaved himself back. These doors were solid wood reinforced with metal overlays, so they were plenty heavy. It took a lot of force to move them.

Slowly, the door slid open without so much as a creak. Someone must have oiled the hinges recently. Warm air flowed out into the night, along with the sound of merry chatter.

Severance stepped inside, though he couldn't help but give the air a sniff. Something smelled delicious, like freshly roasted meat. He carefully pushed the door shut, then wandered into the great hall. The noise —and smells—came from one of the side rooms. It was, he recalled, the one with several long tables.

He slowed to a stop, hesitating. If they were having dinner, then it would be best if he came back later. He didn't want to intrude. Besides, it was high time he logged off, anyway.

But before he could follow through on that thought, Maun appeared in the doorway of the side room. He saw Severance immediately, and with a little half-smile, he leaned up against the door jamb.

"Hey, Sev. Thought I heard the door."

"Maun," Severance said, though internally, he was shaking his head.

Maun had heard the door? It hadn't even made a single sound when it'd been pulled open. It was more likely that the man was secretly keeping an eye out. Vast rumbled quietly, as if he didn't believe the story either. Or maybe he was just merely unhappy that he had to breathe the same air as Maun again.

"Heard you got into some trouble." The clansman folded his arms, one eyebrow cocked.

Somehow, Severance wasn't surprised that the news had spread this far. He wasn't eager to be the source of Maun's entertainment for the evening, so he waved it off.

"Yeah, it's nothing."

"Nothing, hm? Our dear Head having to personally retrieve you from detainment is nothing?"

"It wasn't like I started a fight on purpose," Severance retorted.

Maun just waved a hand. "Relax, Sev. No one's blaming you. In fact, you did us proud today."

The unexpected praise caught Severance off guard. He just frowned at the man and wondered how creating a disturbance in one of the cities was a good thing.

Maun chuckled. "Look, Sev—why don't you join us? We're just sitting down to eat."

With a jerk of the chin, the Veiled clansman indicated the room behind him. Through the open doorway, a couple dozen black figures sat around a long table. Platters of food had been placed in a long row down the center.

The savoury aroma of meat and spices almost made Severance's mouth water. It easily rivaled Jake's cooking, at least by the smell alone. Severance unconsciously ventured closer just so he could a better view.

All of the Leaders were there, minus Olen. A few others were also missing, but for the most part, the entire clan had shown up for dinner. It wasn't often that he saw them all in one place like this.

"I want more," Tayci shouted. She pouted at the wooden dish set before her. It had the small portions one would usually expect to see on a child's plate.

The young woman sitting next to her smiled patiently. "Eat what's on your plate first."

"But Mirren got more!"

Across the table from them, Mirren nibbled on a piece of meat. He watched Tayci without any change in expression, but there was an air of satisfaction about him that was undeniable.

"If you want more, then eat what you have." The young woman by Tayci's side reached for the bowl of what looked like brown coleslaw.

Tayci wrinkled her nose. "I don't like those."

"Just have a little. It's good for you." The woman gave her a few spoons of it anyway.

"It tastes like poop!"

"Tayci!" The appalled exclamation was followed by light laughter rose from around them.

Severance watched, amused by the little girl's antics. She'd always been unafraid to share her opinions, and no doubt she'd grow up to be a real force of nature. Though the brown stuff did look rather unappetizing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was.

"You look hungry."

The sound of Maun's voice drew Severance out of his thoughts. He turned to see Maun watching him with a faint smile.

Hungry? That was an odd notion. This body didn't get hungry. Still, as Severance watched the clan sit together, he was filled with a sense of longing. Not once had his own family meals been like this. In fact, he'd grown up trying to avoid eating with his family as much as possible.

He smiled wistfully, even as his heart ached. "It does smell pretty good. But I don't know if it's a good idea."

"It's an excellent idea," Maun announced. He stepped backwards into the room, gesturing for Severance to follow. And before Severance could even try to say otherwise, Maun raised his voice loud enough to be heard over the chatter.

"Hey everyone, look who decided to join us."