“Sorry for pulling you away from Markus,” Lemres says, opening a glowing portal. The faint roar of the Morgi Tiger echoes from the other side.

  “But we might need a third for this one.”

  “I get it,” Alexia replies, tightening her grip on her staff. “But I don’t know how much mana I have left. I used a lot healing him.”

  Lemres hands her a small pouch with a casual shrug.

  “These should help.”

  Alexia opens it, blinks.

  “…Marshmallows?”

  “They help with resisting mana sickness,” Lemres says matter-of-factly. “Plus, they’re delicious.”

  Alexia raises an eyebrow. “Is that why Markus started eating them?”

  Lemres gives a small shrug. “I mean, they’re pretty good. I recommend a cracker and some chocolate — really brings out the magic.”

  “Look at you, talking about sweets again,” Demono says as she steps through the portal, cracking her knuckles. “Unless this fight’s gonna be a piece of cake, maybe we should focus on the tiger.”

  The three of them crouch behind a crumbling building, breath low, eyes locked on the Morgi Tiger as it tears into its latest victim. Flesh and mana spark in its jaws — a brutal reminder of what they’re up against.

  “Demono,” Lemres whispers, “you remember the plan?”

  She gives a sharp nod, fists already crackling with fire.

  Lemres doesn’t wait.

  He sprints from cover, Mahoishi igniting in his hand. In one fluid motion, he twists the spell, altering its arc — his Arcane Shot curves mid-air and slams into the tiger’s exposed back with a burst of blue light.

  “Oh, look who came back — ready to lose again?”

  The Morgi Tiger sneers as it lunges, slamming a heavy kick into Lemres’s chest.

  Lemres grunts, stumbling back — but his magic shield flares to life just in time, absorbing the worst of the blow. He drops to one knee, bracing himself, then rises slowly, his coat whipping in the wind.

  “Not planning on losing twice,” he mutters, eyes narrowing.

  The tiger charges again — and Lemres launches a fresh volley of glowing missiles, the magic streaking through the air like burning comets.

  “Setting traps now, are we?” the tiger growls mid-dash. “Now this fight gets interesting.”

  It weaves between the missiles with terrifying speed, every footstep a blur. Just as it closes in, it throws a punch — but Lemres’s barrier shimmers again, blocking the strike with a loud crack.

  The beast whips around and drives a heavy kick into Lemres’s back.

  “Any last words?” the tiger snarls, raising its fist again.

  “Yeah,” Lemres says calmly, flicking his hand.

  “Demono. Now.”

  In an instant, a thick cloud of smoke bursts from the ground, swallowing the battlefield.

  Out of the haze, a fist slams into the Morgi Tiger’s jaw with explosive force.

  “Surprise,” Demono grins, driving him backward.

  “My meal comes with dessert,” the tiger growls, shaking off the blow.

  Demono doesn’t flinch. She steps in fast and hammers another punch — her fist connecting with a boom that scorches the ground beneath them in flames.

  “Sorry,” she mutters, eyes narrowed.

  “Unlike my friend… I’m not a talker.”

  Punch after punch rains down, each impact sending shockwaves through the street. Fires bloom in her wake.

  “Demono, we need a city standing to save!” Lemres calls.

  Alexia sprints in as the Morgi Tiger staggers to its feet. Before it can rise fully, she slams her staff down across its back — pinning it in place with a surge of shimmering magic.

  The beast roars, twisting beneath the weight—then its claws lash out, raking across Alexia’s leg and sending her crashing to the ground.

  Demono doesn’t hesitate.

  She charges forward, fire flaring from her fists, and with a single devastating blow—

  punches straight through the tiger’s chest.

  The creature collapses with a final snarl, its body already dissolving into smoke and embers.

  Lemres opens a portal back to his base.

  “Come on—we need to go before the fire department shows up.”

  They step through, landing in the dim, familiar quiet of Lemres’s underground HQ.

  Alexia limps to the couch and sits down heavily. She presses her Mahoishi against her leg, the healing light flaring as it mends the wounds—

  but the mana sickness hits fast.

  Her stomach twists. Nausea creeps in.

  She tucks the Mahoishi away and takes a slow breath.

  “Hey… can I talk to you about Markus?”

  She pauses, then continues.

  “Are you really sure he’s the one who should have the sword?”

  Lemres doesn’t answer right away. He reaches into the nearby fridge, pulls out a slice of cake topped with glowing blue berries, and hands it to her.

  “Mana berries,” he says. “You’ll feel better.”

  She accepts it wordlessly.

  “I’m not the one who picked him,” Lemres adds as he sits across from her. “The sword let him be a wielder. That’s not something I get to overrule.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “But that boy is going to kill himself. Don’t you care?”

  Alexia pushes the cake aside, her voice sharp with frustration.

  Lemres’s gaze doesn’t waver.

  “Of course I care,” Lemres says quietly. “But the Morgi beasts we’ve faced so far? They’re ants compared to the dragon.”

  He leans forward.

  “There are eight billion people on this planet… and I believe Markus is the one who can save them.”

  Alexia looks away, her jaw tight.

  “But will we get to come home after? When it’s done… can we go back?”

  Lemres takes a long sip of chocolate milk, then sets the empty glass down with a sharp thud.

  “I don’t know.”

  He opens a portal, the swirling light humming softly.

  “I’ll do what I can to keep him safe,” he says. “But I’m not risking the world again because of a friend.”

  His voice drops lower, almost to a whisper.

  “Not another one.”

  Alexia steps through.

  The portal snaps shut behind her with a soft crack.

  She stands in front of her apartment door, hand hovering over the knob.

  Then, slowly, she lowers it.

  “Not yet,” she whispers.

  She turns and walks back into the sunset.

  Her car pulls into Sid’s driveway, engine rumbling to silence. She sits for a moment, then steps out with a quiet sigh.

  When she walks inside, Sid is already waiting by the door.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, his voice gentle.

  Alexia doesn’t answer right away. Sid takes her hand and leads her to the couch.

  She sits down slowly.

  “You always know how I’m feeling,” she murmurs.

  He says nothing—just keeps holding her hand.

  “Sid… am I a good person?”

  He studies her carefully as she continues.

  “I try to do good — working with the Alien Department, fighting demons — but I almost got Liddle killed. And now… I think I’m about to get Markus killed too.”

  Silence hangs between them

  “That’s rough,” Sid says finally.

  “Are you a good person? I don’t know if I can answer that. All I can say is… do the best you can with what you know. That’s all any of us can do.”

  “You’re right. I’ve been avoiding Markus… seeing how he hurt himself to get that sword was too much. But he needs me.

  “Remember — dojo tomorrow, alright? Go be with Markus,” Sid says, giving her a gentle kiss.

  Alexia leans in, turning it into a longer one. For a moment, the world quiets around them.

  She pulls back, a small smile playing at her lips.

  “Thank you.”

  She stands, grabbing her coat.

  “Let’s go out for dinner after practice, okay?”

  Sid nods.

  Before heading home, Alexia makes a quick stop at her favorite Chinese restaurant.

  The bell over the door jingles as she walks in.

  “Oh, Alexia! It’s been a while,” the elderly woman behind the counter says, smiling warmly.

  “How’s that Markus kid?”

  Alexia returns the smile.

  “He got himself hurt… so I’m picking up some soup.”

  “Hot and Sour, right? He ordered that all the time.”

  “Yeah. I’ll take one of those — and three orders of crab rangoon,” Alexia says, pulling a twenty from her purse.

  “Keep the change.”

  The woman pauses. “Three?”

  “Markus’s girlfriend is staying with us.”

  There’s a beat. Then the woman sighs, shaking her head.

  “Markus has a girlfriend? I’m so sorry.”

  Alexia laughs, shaking her head.

  “Right? It’s crazy he finally got over me.”

  She smirks. “Guess I need to find something else to tease him about.”

  She leans against the counter, watching the cook package up the food.

  A lot has changed.

  Markus doesn’t seem so drained anymore. The loss of his parents really did get to him, but now… he fights monsters and carries people out of danger. He’s become a lot like them.

  And Liddle—just a girl Alexia used to talk to at school—turned out to be a demon. Now she’s living with them.

  “Tell Markus to finally come by with her sometime,” the old woman says with a grin.

  “I might even give him a discount.”

  Alexia chuckles. “Thank you. It was nice seeing you again.”

  With the warm bag of food in hand and a little smile on her face, she steps back into the twilight—and heads home.

  “Hiya, Markus. Liddle,” Alexia says as she steps into Markus’s room—then stops when she sees Liddle asleep in his arms.

  Markus looks up and gives her a small wave, not making a sound.

  “I thought you were the one who was supposed to be resting,” Alexia whispers, smiling as she hands him a warm container of soup.

  “Oh, thank you,” Markus says softly, carefully sitting up so he doesn’t wake Liddle. He takes a spoonful. “It’s been forever since I had anything from Chinese Express. Is the same lady still there?”

  “Yeah,” Alexia chuckles. “She said you’d better bring Liddle next time.”

  Liddle stirs at the scent, stretching slightly as her eyes blink open.

  Alexia hands over two small boxes, one for each of them.

  Liddle sits up straighter, the sleepy haze vanishing from her face. “Oh! An old lady gave me a box like this when I was homeless,” she says softly, carefully opening it—then lights up at the sight of the crispy treats inside.

  “Yes, they’re really good,” Markus says, taking another spoonful of soup. He offers the next to Liddle with a soft smile.

  Then he glances at Alexia.

  “Hey… I never got a chance to thank you. For healing me.”

  “Oh, don’t mention it,” she says, waving it off.

  “No, really. Thank you. I’d still be in that coma—or dead—if you hadn’t pushed yourself. I hope the mana sickness didn’t hit you too hard.”

  Alexia looks at him for a moment. “So… you figured it out.”

  “You’re the only healer I know. I would’ve connected the dots sooner or later.”

  Markus takes another sip of soup, then adds, more quietly, “But I mean it. Thank you for everything. I think I took your help for granted.”

  “Thank you… I needed to hear that.”

  She smiles faintly. “And besides… I would’ve died if you hadn’t run into that fire.”

  Liddle finishes another crab rangoon, licking her fingers before speaking.

  “Well, since we’re all sitting in a room thanking each other,” she says with a smile, “I’d probably still be homeless if it weren’t for you two… and thanks for giving me a boyfriend.”

  She leans over and kisses Markus gently on the cheek.

  Alexia grins. “Y’know, I think I should skip healing tonight—maybe that way Markus’ll go out and get himself killed again.”

  “Oh ha, very thoughtful of you,” Markus chuckles, rolling his eyes.

  “Joking aside,” Alexia says, rubbing the back of her neck, “I’m still feeling it. The mana hit me hard during the tiger fight.”

  Markus tries to sit up, only to hiss through clenched teeth. Liddle immediately presses a hand to his chest, gently forcing him back down.

  “Tiger fight?”

  “Oh yeah,” Alexia nods. “While you were off getting the sword, we fought a tiger that knew martial arts.”

  She pauses, deadpan.

  “Don’t worry—it’s dead now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about—”

  “Oh, really,” Alexia cuts in quickly. “I figured if I told you, you’d want to fight it like this.” She gestures to his bruised, blanket-wrapped form.

  Markus sighs, leaning his head back. “That… may be true. But…”

  “But nothing,” Liddle cuts in, poking his chest gently.

  “You can’t do your husband cuddle time if you’re dead. So it’s not allowed.

  “Husband cuddle time?” Alexia raises an eyebrow.

  “He touched my horn,” Liddle squeals, practically bouncing. “That means he married me!”

  Alexia raises an eyebrow higher, catching the smile Markus is desperately trying to suppress.

  “I’m a little low on money,” he says, “but I’ll get you a ring.”

  Alexia gives a slow nod. “Markus.”

  He shrugs. “What? You planning to take her to a church? I’m sure that would go over great.”

  Alexia laughs. “Can’t wait for the honeymoon. I promise to heal you tomorrow.”

  She takes a deep breath. “I’m pretty tired—I can’t imagine how you feel right now, Markus.”

  She turns and walks toward her room, the light mood fading as silence settles behind her.

  Was she a good person?

  She doesn’t know. Not anymore.

  At the door, she pauses—just long enough to speak without looking back.

  “Hey, Markus… when you save the world—let me be the one to save you.”

  Then she steps inside and closes the door behind her.

  Alone, she lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping he’ll still be there in the morning.