Edico compromised and said that he’d ride for Lemora if she ate breakfast. She agreed. As he called room service for a meal, Sara cleaned the bathroom before taking a bath. Ubis didn’t deserve such consideration, but his underpaid workers did.

Breakfast consisted of solsmeat and ramona, a dish similar to corned beef and hash but with meat from a bearish creature, and a fried vegetable that tasted like lemon-soaked potatoes. It was a local dish, an acquired taste that proved you “lived there,” much like menudo in Hispanic neighborhoods. Sara suspected Edico recommended it in hope she’d lose her appetite and stay another day, but he had no such luck. Her smile as she ate expressed the feeling that she was eating—truly eating—for the first time in years. It had been eight months since she set out for Dantal to make her stand against Agronus, so it was good to get a taste of home.

Edico sighed. “It seems you have an appetite, after all.”

“Always.” Sara took another bite.

“Are you sure you still want to ride?”

“Yep.”

He sighed and buckled his armor onto his body, staring at the ceiling as if praying to the gods that nothing [else] happened.

“By the way,” Sara said, pointing her fork at his breastplate. “Don’t forget to put your pin back on.”

Edico’s body turned stiff, and he looked down with choppy movements. When he saw that his insignia was missing, he released a divination spell in a panic, sending mana pulsing through the room. “Where is it…?” he asked.

She furrowed her brow. “You didn’t take it off to hide your title?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did you drop it?”

“You can’t drop it,” he replied, walking to the door with a bold stride. “The only way to remove it without the sycount spell is if someone—“

“Hey, hold up, psycho boy,” Sara said as he threw the door open. “We’re not supposed to be here. If you lose your shit again, this will have been for nothing.”

Edico stopped, and his face contorted, gashing deep lines into his skin as his lip curled and his nose scrunched in.

“Let’s go around the back,” Sara suggested. “If it’s not there, you can walk in front as a prospective customer.”

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Before they left, Edico studied Sara’s expressions carefully. He had been watching her since they left Lemora for Moonlit Grove, and while the item blended into his mana-reinforced armor when he was wearing it, if it left him, it would light up. Between his obsessive divination pulses and the fact that only sycounts had the spell necessary to remove it, it was impossible for her to have taken it. But that’s not why he was watching her. It was the coincidence. Everything kept conveniently happening out of his sphere of perception, and this was no exception.

Regardless, Edico still had to move, so he released a divination spell, found a back door, and led her around the back of the tavern into the main street. Then he held her back, closing his eyes. “Hold on. Let me do a check.”

He released another divination spell, this one stronger. The second it released, Edico’s eyes shot open, and he grabbed Lady Reece’s hand by reflex, pulling her into the crowd of bystanders.

“Hold up! Where are we going?” Lady Reece asked.

“I found it!” Edico replied. He pulled her two blocks north before hanging a right and entering a bustling market. There on the ground was a beggar sitting on a blanket with a cup. He was old and weathered, missing half his teeth, and had little hair. When he saw Edico reaching for his hilt, he scrambled back. “W-Wait, Sir! I ain’ts got no problem with you!”

“Where is it?” Edico asked, slowly unsheathing his dagger.

“T-The….” Suddenly, the beggar’s attention shifted from the primal danger before him and turned his attention exclusively to Sara, as if his life suddenly didn’t matter. Then his lips started quivering, and he pointed at her. “I-It’s you!“

Edico grabbed him from his tunic’s collar, whiffing the man’s wretched scent of urine and rotted vegetables. “What are you talking about? Speak clearly.”

“I-It’s her. An adventurer with hair as blonde as the sun. That’s what she's said. She's said I needed to come here today. To sits right here to meet her. Now here she is!”

“Who?” Edico asked, putting his blade against the man’s throat.

“T-The Goddess!”

“What Goddess?”

“Edico. Let him answer your questions,” Sara said, walking forward. “Which Goddess?”

“D-Delina,” the beggar replied. “She's said I’ve been unfaithful. That I’ve done her disjustice. B-But she’ll forgive me. She's said so.”

“Get to the point,” Edico said, slamming the beggar against a stone wall.

“S-She said I just had to give her a message! The adventurer with hair as blonde as the sun.”

Sara furrowed her brow. “What’s the message?”

“She’s says that trouble’s comin’. Says she must prepare for it.”

“What trouble?” Edico asked. “Speak.”

“A-A Beast is coming from the north. She’s has to follow it. The Goddess says it will leads to what she needs.”

“What I’ll need for what?” Sara asked.

“I-I’s don’t know, I swears it,” the beggar said, trembling. “N-Now please leave me be. I’s ain’t your enemy. I’s done nothin’ to harm you.”

“Oh, yeah?” Edico asked, reaching into the man’s tunic and pulling out his insignia. “Then how do you explain this?”

“I-I forgot! I swears it. T-The Goddess gave it to me. Swear to Emanasa!”

“Your Goddess sure makes things convenient for you.”

“Stop, Edico,” Sara said. “We’ve received what we came here for.”

Edico turned to her. “This?”

“A fate encounter.”

The hairs on the back of his neck hardened, and he took a deep breath, thinking back to the instructions he got from King Escar.

Once you deliver the flower, pay attention to everything you see and hear and report it, no matter how insignificant it seems, King Escar had said.

Are you expecting something? Edico asked.

I am. As to what, I’m unsure. That’s why you must report everything.

Edico had found those instructions strange, as if the man was looking for fate itself. Now, after hearing this warning randomly, it felt uncanny. “Then how do you explain the insignia?” he asked.

“It brought us together, didn’t it?” Sara asked. “Unless you think he could steal it from you.”The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Edico looked back at the man and dropped him onto his ass with a loud thud. Fate was the only possible explanation for everything that had happened in the last week, even if it were to say that Lady Reece was fate itself. Still, the man had his insignia, and he wouldn’t pardon that on a flimsy argument of destiny.

“Edico, we have what we need,” Sara said. “So unless you plan to haul him back to the capital on your monta, we need to leave. The Trial’s coming up and we need to establish a core. So whatever you do, do it fast.”

Edico pursed his lips. Taking the beggar back to Lemora was the logical thing to do. He had information, and they should interrogate him. However, Lady Reece was right. This was exactly what King Escar wanted, and he didn’t want to tempt it. “No. We’ll send people for future questioning if necessary.”

The beggar clasped his hands. “T-Thank you, Sir. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Thank her.” Edico looked at Lady Reece.

“Thank you, M-My Lady.”

“This… is getting seriously uncomfortable,” Sara said, turning toward the stables. “I’m leaving. Come if you want to.”

Edico gave the beggar one last piercing glance and then followed her to the stables.

The ride back from Helscope was far smoother than the ride through Tyrina because they took a merchant road. They galloped at a fast speed, passing by merchant caravans with adventurers and mercenaries riding at the front and rear. Normal farmers trotted past in leather-covered wagons, hauling fruits from specialized farms where serfs toiled in the hot sun, picking berries grown on five-foot posts like California grape fields. Through the small townships along the way, they listened to musicians playing for copper change and smelled the fresh scent of bread. And when Sara saw construction workers taking a break, sipping beer underneath orange Lillia trees, she felt a desire to join them and swap stories from times of old.

Sara felt freest on the road, and that made her feel anxious. Could she leave that behind to settle down and bear a child? Spend the next eighteen years caring for people other than herself? That wasn’t conceivable. Yet… things like that changed people. Could she change? Or would she always be drawn to that wandering lifestyle, flitting from place to place, traveling in a never-ending quest to feel free and unrestrained by the world and its problems? Sara didn’t know. It was slowly dawning on her that she had a second life with knowledge of a past future, and she knew as little then as she did now.

Sara kept those thoughts to herself, watching the countryside pass, experiencing the shade as they passed through trees, and feeling the rough hobble as her montas hooves hit the rocky ground over mountain passes. They finally stopped after crossing the Greconmore Bridge over the Westbank, a colossal river that rivaled the Mississippi. It cost ten silver gliders to pass, but the guards kneeled before Edico when they saw his armor and insignia, and they crossed for free. Then they continued, trotting through the forest until the sun crested the horizon, bathing the forest floor in ambient twilight.

Sara stripped off her armor as Edico prepared the camp, pulling on white short-shorts from Earth and a light blue tank top, feeling the lukewarm breeze caress her body.

“A lady shouldn’t dress like that around men,” Edico said. That was true. The shorts might as well have been underwear for a noblewoman.

“Ladies shouldn’t kill demons either,” Sara sassed, sitting on the ground as Edico fell silent. “Besides, I’m no lady.”

“Being a lady is a choice,” he said.

“And I’ve chosen,” she replied, closing her eyes and relaxing her shoulders.

Edico fell silent for a while, then he stood, his footsteps slow and deliberate as they approached her. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “If you lose concentration or your body can’t handle the strain, you’ll cripple your mana core permanently, assuming it doesn’t kill you.”

Sara opened her eyes and watched the wind comb through the grass in waves. She took a deep breath as Edico patiently waited for a response, genuinely thinking about it.

Sara knew the value of core establishment better than anyone. She had watched her classmate Kristen slowly die from mana corruption from a bad core, and she knew the profound difference that correctly-established mana cores made.

In her last life, Jason spread doubt about the intentions of other heroes and argued that King Escar shouldn’t give the Golden Core (the kingdom’s top mana core establishment spell) to the other heroes until they proved themselves like he did. It wouldn’t make a large difference, he claimed. Just a few weeks. Let the heroes taste power and see how they change. It seemed reasonable enough, and the king agreed. But it did make a difference—a massive one—and by the time Sara had found out about it, Jason had risen to unimaginable heights and established himself as Reemada’s sole Hero. By the time Sara got the core, her mana channels were firmly established, and her gains were stifled, ensuring she could never attain Jason’s raw power. She never did.

This time was different. Sara had a “vision” that Jason would argue for King Escar to hold back the Golden Core and that accepting it would lead to tragedy. It wasn’t fair to call that a trap, as being wrong about it would damage her reputation, but she was certain that Jason doubtlessly walked into it, earning him the king’s suspicion and neutralizing that threat. Unfortunately, Jason wasn’t the problem this cycle. Even weakened, her core would far outstrip Jason’s. However, someone had created a brilliant array that sent her back into the past, and that person could also have a stronger core and the skill to establish it properly. Depending on their resources, they could get a permanent advantage over her if she failed.

Yet… the more she thought about it, the more she developed a nagging feeling that she had to establish her core now. That it was urgent that she do so. It was a strange feeling that became thick and pervasive, filling her lungs like pneumonia until she took a deep breath and answered:

“Yes. I’m ready.”

Edico swallowed and sat next to her, exhaling. “Core establishment is as much a spell as a fireball. It requires you to recite a chant and to do so over and over with absolute concentration until you enter enlightenment.”

“What do I do then?” Sara asked, genuinely curious about what his interpretation would be.

Edico gazed at the moon peeking through the trees on its trip to the top of the sky. “You must tame the mana in your chest.”

She chuffed. “That explanation is less than useless.”

“It’s… you’ll know. Enlightenment is a state of being. When you’re in that trance, you’ll be perfectly in tune with your body, and for a time, you will be able to control mana with absolute precision. What you must do is different for every type of core. Some cores require a person to compress the mana over and over again. Others require it to expand or churn. So I can’t tell you what you must do. All I can say is that you’ll know. It’ll be evident as night and day. That’s why they call it ‘enlightenment.’”

“I’ll score your improvement at a six,” Sara said.

Edico frowned. “I’m not the best teacher.”

“I’ll remember to tell everyone that when I fuck it up,” she replied nonchalantly, giving him a wink.

His frown deepened.

“How long is this thing supposed to last?”

“An hour. A few at most, but it might be different for you heroes."

Sara nodded and got comfortable. “I’m ready.”

Edico took a deep breath. “Then close your eyes and repeat after me.”

She followed his instructions.

“Antícho procháro…” he whispered.

“Antícho procháro….”

“Télos tis hélion….”

“Télos tis hélion….”

The chant continued another minute, and they repeated it three times in a row, with Sara repeating it on her own twice with perfect accuracy.

“Good. Now, say these words, and then start thinking the chant. You should feel it start after that.”

Sara nodded.

“Efade ston mythikó ouranó….” Edico said.

By virtue of the spirit’s blessing, Sara mentally translated before speaking it aloud. “Efade ston mythikó ouranó….” Suddenly, her chest heated up with a familiar warmth that made her feel whole again. Mana started churning in the atmosphere.

Edico’s voice cracked. “Begin.”

Sara nodded, but she wasn’t planning on establishing the Golden Core. Instead, she was going to establish Sayon Twilight, the mana core spell belonging to the legendary mage Telia Sayon, the same mage who sealed Agronus. The Hero’s party found the spell and other mythical items in a crypt within the western part of Elcalore. It was heavily guarded by spells, requiring a series of trials. From it, Emma got Telia’s Staff, Sara got the Bow of Rymac, Mary got the Sayon Twilight mana establishment spell, and Jason got the Cloak of Vitality. At one point in history, Mary owned everything but the bow. One point later, Sara owned it all. This cycle, Sara had the core, and to her, the rest were relatively meaningless in comparison.

Sara had no idea just how right she was.

Diamántia ouraníou toxévontai, graphóntas tin próklisi tis sympan, Sara silently chanted, ignoring Edico’s chant. Tasla, plynthízomenos apo tis prooptikés, nychtolégei tis énaigma. Ochimáti pétoun, parousiázontas tin elpída.

The moonlight faded from her eyelids, plunging her into absolute darkness. Mana shot through her mana channels in a vortex. It churned within her chest like a caged bird desperately trying to escape. It was unbearable, making Sara gasp for breath as mana continued to circulate through her veins like a torrent, ripping her apart. If she didn’t tame it soon, it would corrupt her mana channels and eat her alive! She needed to complete the chant to get the taming element.

Metha, adiáfthoros sti syllogí, próblepei ti néa émnisi. Skóni ton astrón strobilízetai, charássontas ti sympan.

A golden torrent of light developed in the pit of her chest, compressing as if it were a neutron star getting sucked through a black hole. As soon as it developed to the size of a pebble, it started sucking all the mana within her veins into it, causing her body to spasm. It was unlike anything Sara had ever experienced, and as the Hero, the strongest person in the world in her past life, that said something profound. It was clear that the core was developed by someone who already had a strong core and wanted another—not a teenager who had been in Reemada for a few months.

A sudden cold sweat poured over her like a bucket of ice water, and her body shivered. But half of that shiver was excitement. The ghost of Telia Sayon could rip her apart, but if she could overcome, if she could forge her core on the blood of Mary Jansen’s past tyranny, she would have what she needed to fight Agronus on equal footing and condemn Jason and Mary to lives of mediocrity. Just the thought made Sara grin as she fought on, taming the hurricane of mana and hoping it wouldn’t eat her whole.