Warmth spread from his hands, thawing the otherworldly fruit in slow waves. Having sat near the top of his backpack, it had frozen solid in this harsh climate. He had collected mostly seeds since he had expected the actual fruits to go bad within a short time frame once he made it out, but he supposed that preservation was no longer an issue with the weather being what it was. Silver linings.

  Finn wasn't planning to eat it himself. Instead, the intended recipient stared as if he was about to give her a diamond. Eyes filled with wonder, Paloma watched intently while he prepared the first part of her lunch.

  Controlling heat emission like this was an exercise in precision, testing his limits with the energy conversion feature of the nanites inside him. For input, he had taken to absorbing predominantly light as an energy source, and then turning that into a different type of energy. At first, it had been difficult. Over time, it grew steadily easier.

  First, he had to take into account things like heat convection and the temperature he produced, in addition to how the heating affected the moisture this fruit contained. Second, he had to gradually ramp up the output so it didn't take forever while also not cooking it. It was a balancing act not to denature any of the nutrients, no doubt.

  Paloma looked fascinated by the whole process, though it didn't take too long. When it was done, Finn transferred the fruit from his cupped hands to her own. She received it with a bright smile, laughing as she stroked the fuzzy ball.

  They were inside one of the cabins now, no longer out in the cold, so the girl had taken her gloves off.

  Sufficiently amused with the texture of the peel, Paloma took a careful bite of the fruit. The moment her teeth sank into the soft flesh, her eyes widened in shock. Then, just as quickly, her face lit up with pure delight.

  “?Está rico!” she exclaimed, giggling as she chewed.

  Finn leaned back against the wall, watching as she took another eager bite. The juice dribbled slightly down her chin, and she wiped it away hastily with her sleeve before diving back in. It was clear that whatever this fruit was, it tasted far better than she had expected.

  “It’s good, huh?” Finn asked, amused.

  Paloma nodded enthusiastically, kicking her legs as she sat on the wooden bench beside him. “Muy, muy bueno,” she affirmed between bites. “Like... um... dulce, pero no mucho.” She frowned in thought, trying to find the right word.

  “Sweet, but not too much?” Finn translated. While learning to speak Spanish fluently was going to take some time, he was able to expedite it by taking the words the people around the camp spoke during the day using his perception recall ability and inferring what they meant from context.

  “Sí, sí!” She grinned. “Y... um...” She hesitated, then placed a small hand on her stomach. “Warm.”

  He raised an eyebrow. Warm? He was sure he'd gotten the temperature correct. Or did she mean- wait, yeah. That was right. The fruit was incredibly nutrient-dense, and she must have been feeling it right now. He just hadn't expected the effects to be so immediate.

  It wasn’t just filling her stomach—it was revitalizing her. Her skin had a bit more color, her shoulders less weighed down with exhaustion. The faint dark circles under her eyes were still there, but there was a noticeable energy to her now.

  Another bite. Another giggle. She looked at the fruit like it was the best thing she had ever eaten.

  “Do you want more?” Finn asked, already reaching for his bag.

  Paloma hesitated again, then shook her head. “No, this good.” She held the half-eaten fruit close, as if cherishing it. “Thank you, Mister Shade.”

  Finn blinked. That was the first time she had thanked him outright. Although it was good that she was content with this, because he couldn’t stay with her forever.

  “You'll be fine on your own, won't you?” he said, getting up from the makeshift cot. His room here was a simple thing, but it had the necessities for sleep.

  Hearing that, Paloma made a sound of protest, but couldn't seem to find the words to express why. The spike of fear in her aura was a noticeable tell too.

  “I'll be back,” he said, leaving the girl with his bag to enter the small hallway. He walked past the other rooms, past the people in the common area. None of them paid him any mind. Not surprising; keeping an eye on an invisible man was rather hard. The light bent around him naturally now. Granted, without Calliope around to mute sound waves, he still made a few heads turn when the door seemingly opened and closed itself.

  Outside once more, he made his way across the camp toward the perimeter surrounding these perfect wood-like buildings, heading straight for their creator as soon as the man was in sight.

  “I need information,” he said when he was two steps away.

  Ernesto jumped in fright before whirling to face him. He undid his invisibility. “Ah, Shade, it's you. I see. Information, you say? I would be happy to provide it, if I actually have knowledge on the topics you are interested in.”

  Oh? He recovered surprisingly well. Then again, Finn guessed someone in Ernesto's position would have to be socially adept at least to some degree.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “What do you know about the top five villains and their movements over the past year?” he asked, seeing no need for preamble.

  “The top… My understanding was that you were displaced by a teleportation incident. How long have you been here on this continent?”

  Ernesto only got a deadpan stare in reply.

  The leader of the refugee camp held up his hands. “Okay, forget I asked anything. The top five, you said? Global?” Finn nodded. “Let me see… Dollhouse got her hands on another hero team shortly after Novastra was replaced. A shame, all those senseless deaths.”

  “And the others?” Finn prompted.

  “Next, Omega has not made a single appearance.”

  He almost froze. But he couldn't outwardly react to that. Thankfully, keeping a perfect poker face was easy with his level of proprioception.

  Omega hadn't made a single move known to the public? He couldn't imagine better news. Finn was almost certain this meant that the bastard was still recovering. Either that or he was biding his time somewhere. Or maybe he had died to his injuries after escaping Amalgam…?

  Yeah, no.

  Regardless, it was good for Finn that Omega hadn't made a move yet. However, he was under no delusion that it would stay that way.

  “Mansa, I have not heard much about. He could be doing plenty of things in Africa and we would be none the wiser. Information wars are their forte for a reason,” Ernesto continued. “Skaldvaldr is the most active as always, just not in ways that impact humanity directly.”

  Then, he rolled his shoulders and huffed out a steaming breath, gazing up at the overcast sky with a complicated expression on his face.

  “And Seraphim. That malnacida does what she has been doing,” Ernesto spat through clenched teeth. “For a generation, going on two, she has ruined our people, and for what? Money? Conquest? Ego? I…” He brought his gaze back down. “Sorry, I let myself get carried away. You asked what she is doing, well, it's safe to say her situation has not changed much. That's also the reason why my contacts agreed to pick up this group.”

  Finn’s mind reeled for a moment, trying to process everything Ernesto had said. The names bounced around in his head, each one representing something dangerous, something important to his mission—or perhaps just his survival. The past year had been tumultuous, and yet the silence surrounding Omega was a strange kind of peace. The silence of a predator lying in wait.

  His gaze flickered back toward the camp, a small, quiet cluster of refugees huddling against the cold, trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. It was apparent now how much of an impact Seraphim had on these people. Not just Ernesto, but the others as well. Finn could see the occasional flashes of dread, frustration and anger all throughout this place, pervading their daily lives. There was longing as well, a want for what they no longer had, Finn suspected. He'd never experienced anything like this personally. Being on the ground with them made it all so real.

  Finn couldn't help but wonder how many of them had lost something to Seraphim’s machinations, or how many were simply trying to outrun the chaos the world had become. There was something tragic about their misplaced hope. They were just like Paloma, caught in the crossfire of things far beyond their control.

  It wasn’t survival that had kept Finn here so far—it was the feeling of being in the presence of those who hadn’t given up entirely, who still fought against the bleakness in small, personal ways. He thought of Paloma, how quickly she had warmed to him, how her laughter filled the cold air, even if just for a moment. It was the same thing that kept so many of them alive—small joys, fleeting moments of comfort.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  He knew that.

  None of this would ever be enough if the likes of Seraphim or Omega were allowed to continue unchecked. If it weren’t for the fire in people like Ernesto, things would have already crumbled. People would be fighting among themselves for scraps, and the bitter truth was, it wasn’t far from that reality. But what could he offer them? Hope? More than likely, it would just end up like every other illusion they had chased. One more false dawn before the night consumed them.

  Ernesto shifted his weight, bringing Finn out of his spiraling thoughts. “It’s not just about what they have done to us,” the leader said quietly, as if realizing he was speaking more to himself than to Finn. “It’s about what is coming. Every day that goes by, it’s like the world is preparing for a storm that no one is ready for.”

  A storm, huh?

  Somehow, that seemed exactly right.

  It didn't amount to more than a gut feeling at the moment, though. Nothing concrete. Finn had other tasks to focus on.

  “It was good information,” he said.

  “Ah, truly? I see, thank you. I am happy to help.” The man rubbed the back of his head a bit. “So, have you come to a decision? I don't mean to rush you, but some clarity would be appreciated.”

  In the end, there was no need to ask the man to elaborate any further. Finn knew what he was asking. Would he escort the refugees out of the country?

  He had all the information he was realistically going to get. He was as informed as he could be for the upcoming decision. The sole person of interest he hadn't learned about was Lyra, but he didn't have any idea what he would do about her situation even if she were standing in front of him this very second.

  Omega hadn’t moved, things sounded like they were as fine as could be expected. He didn't have the luxury of saying he had time, yet he knew he wasn't going to get any closer than this. That left him with a choice. Except, that choice wasn't a real choice.

  “I’m coming with you.” He looked Ernesto in the eyes.

  The guy’s relief was palpable. “Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are.”

  “On one condition,” Finn added.

  A pulse of yellow in the aura.

  “And what would that be?” his host asked cautiously.

  “We’re leaving tomorrow,” Finn announced matter-of-factly. “If I’m coming with, I absolutely can't afford to waste more time than necessary.”

  Taken aback, Ernesto gave a nervous laugh. “It looks like my worries about rushing you were misplaced. If anything, it's the opposite! Very well, sir. We were going to wait until the coast was a bit more clear, but if you can take point, the other side will be within reach. I must warn you, of course, that a lot of the responsibility will fall on your shoulders. Can you handle it?”

  Finn’s response was to nod in acknowledgement.

  From there, everyone was moving. Packing bags, readying vehicles, scouting for exit routes. Preparation was picking up all around.

  And that was how he'd gotten himself tied up in the journey of a lifetime.

  Patreon currently has 20 advance chapters. Click here if you want to read ahead.