Solid ground materialized beneath Noah’s feet. He stepped out onto an expanse of brown sheeted rock, flowing out in every direction around him like the frozen waves of a stone ocean. All of his senses came rushing back to him in a torrent. All the sensations and information that Aqua Terra had stolen away from Noah’s domain poured back into his mind.
Feet hit the ground behind him. The others appeared all around him, one after the other in rapid succession. From Sticky and the demons to Moxie and the other teachers. The only one missing was—
A puddle of darkness spread across the ground. Tim’s form rose up from within it, his hands crossed behind his back in a pose that didn’t suit him even slightly. The shadows pooling around him faded away as soon as he had emerged.
Grim’s presence prickled against Noah’s thoughts.
That’s all you’re getting out of me for a long time.
The pages of the book on Noah’s back fluttered. Then it went still, and there was no sign of Grim anymore. The ancient monster had pulled back into its home. But he’d accomplished what they all needed. They’d gotten out of Aqua Terra.
Thanks, Grim.
They were all here. And now all they had to do now was figure out where exactly Noah had dropped them all off, then make their way back to the rainbow-colored rocks next to Far-sed’s town at the edges of the Coral Empire and return to the Lost Citadel.
“It’s so good to see all of you,” Noah said, a smile splitting across his lips. It froze before it could finish crossing his face.
Nobody else was smiling. Nobody looked happy to see each other or to be out of Aqua Terra. There was no excitement or surprise or fear at all. It didn’t even seem like they knew he was there. What met his gaze were blank, vacant stares. A dozen of them. They stared right past Noah, looking into something he couldn’t see, locked in place.
Something was wrong.
“Moxie?” Noah asked, racing over to her, and grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a small shake. “Are you okay?”
A shimmer of gold danced behind her eyes.
Dread drove into Noah’s stomach in a spike.
The Line.
No.
He’d never tried to bring someone else with him on the Line. It had always been a solo trip.
“No,” Noah whispered in a growing panic. “No, no, no. Did you see the Line? Moxie! Talk to me!”
Moxie’s back stiffened. She drew in a sharp breath. The golden energy behind her gaze flickered, then vanished. Her hand shot up to her chest as she clutched at her heart, eyes wide.
Horror pounded in Noah’s skull. This couldn’t be happening. He’d completely missed the possibility. Exposing everyone to the Line meant there was a chance they’d been subjected to it. Only the Gods knew how that would work. If they’d all just experienced the countless years upon the Line that he had when he was waiting for reincarnation—
“Noah,” Moxie said. Her voice was raspy. Her hand shot up, grabbing onto his shoulder. She was silent for a moment longer. She swallowed, as if trying to ingest a hot coal. Then her jaw set. “It’s fine, Noah. I’m fine.”
Noah stared at her, his heart pounding violently in his chest. His mouth felt dry. “You didn’t see—”
“Just a glimpse,” Moxie said. She pressed her other hand to his chest. “Nothing more. It’s okay.”
Noah swallowed. His gaze flicked away, to the others. They were coming to all around them. Todd and Isabel dropped down to the ground, leaning against each other and fighting for air as if they’d just run a great marathon. The demons all did the same. Lee leaned over, supporting herself on the haft of her large axe as discomfort worked itself through her features.
“Moxie is correct,” Sievan said, spitting onto the ground and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I saw nothing more than a glimpse. That…”
“Hell,” Yoru muttered. Her moonlit arms had vanished, and she’d fallen in a puddle of her own silver hair on the ground. “This is what you endured? For millennia?”
“Did you see the Line?” Noah asked in horror. “How long? How long were you there?”
“Yeah,” Isabel said from where she and Todd had slumped down. “We saw it. But it wasn’t for that long.”
“Maybe a few days,” Todd said through a grimace. “But it was awful.”
“More than a few days,” Emily said. “It was definitely more like a week.”
“It could have been worse,” James said. Out of everyone, he somehow seemed the least affected, but the unease in his features was still clear. “Though a week does sound about right.”
Emily looked up to Noah. Her face was even paler than normal, and there was an odd mixture of sympathy and disbelief within her features. “That was the afterlife, wasn’t it? The Line. And you survived that? For hundreds of thousands of years? How are you still sane?”
“I’m so sorry,” Noah said. “I didn’t—”
“We’re fine,” Moxie said firmly, grabbing Noah by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. “We didn’t feel it the way you did, Noah. It was only for a little while. I can’t say it was an enjoyable experience. But something like that isn’t anywhere near long enough to break us.”
“If anything, I’d say it’s made me considerably more determined to ascend to godhood,” Sievan muttered, rubbing his brow. “Because that afterlife is not one that I look forward to. The others are correct, though. Displeasurable as it may have been, none of us would have been broken by something like that. It was nothing more than a glimpse.”
“Was it?” Noah asked, the fear bubbling in him unwilling to give up so easily. He looked around at everyone, panicked. “You’re all okay? Nobody saw more? Nobody—”
Brayden strode up to stand beside Moxie. He grabbed onto Noah’s shoulder, locking eyes with him.
“It was just a week,” Brayden said. His hand tightened slightly. “It’s fine, Noah. You didn’t hurt anyone.”
Noah glanced around at the others. The ones who had fallen pushed themselves up and shook the memories off. One by one, everyone nodded.
“We’re fine,” Moxie repeated.
“But I agree with Emily,” Aylin said. He swallowed. “I do not understand how you exist after bearing witness to...”
Aylin trailed off, unable to find the word he was searching for.
“Infinity,” Yoru finished.
Noah could still feel his heart pounding violently in his chest.
Fuck! How could I have been so stupid and careless? I was just worrying about what the Beyond might do to any of them, and then I go and use the Line to teleport everyone! Am I an idiot?
“I’ve… been there,” Sticky muttered. The small demon looked down at her hands. She looked more lost than she did hurt or shocked. “I’ve been there before.”
“It’s fine,” Violet said, putting her hand on Sticky’s shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. “You’re okay. You’re here now.”
“Yeah,” Sticky said. She looked up, her small features tightening in determination as she pushed herself up to her feet. “I know.”
They were all okay. Noah knew that, but it didn’t change the fact that this could have gone far worse. If any of them had been trapped within the Line for a year, gods forbid longer… it would have been a disaster. The ice that had driven into Noah’s heart wasn’t going to melt away anytime soon.
Noah clenched his teeth tightly. “All of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t even consider—”
“It’s fine,” Moxie said again, more firmly this time. “You were doing what you could to get all of us out safely. It worked. Let’s just try to avoid that particular route again in the future. But I think we would all appreciate a change of conversation right about now, Noah. A distraction will go farther than an apology.”
Noah swallowed. Then he nodded, shoving the rest of his regret away. It helped nobody but him. Moxie was right. “Right. I… well, as I believe must be quite apparent, the rumors of my demise were slightly exaggerated. It’s good to see all of you. I’m relieved beyond words. But, at the same time, I knew we’d all meet again. I hope you all knew the same.”
Everyone glanced around. Slowly, reality dawned over all of them. They’d made it out of Aqua Terra. Not a single one of them knew where they were, but it didn’t even matter. Each and every single one of them had reunited.
“You still know how to use that thing?” Isabel asked, glancing to Alexandra’s sword as a grin split across her lips.
Alexandra grinned. “Better than ever. And you? I hope you’ve gotten stronger, Isabel. Because I haven’t been slacking off. I’m not the same woman I was the last time we met.”
“Neither am I,” Isabel said.
Alexandra extended a hand. “It’s good to see you again, Isabel.”
Isabel batted it away and stepped forward, pulling the other girl into a tight hug. Alexandra’s eyes widened for a moment in surprise. Then she returned it.
All around them, conversation burst up. The students mingled together for the first time in months, catching up on everything that they had seen. The heaviness of the Line lifted, a blanket of clouds peeling away to let the sun finally trickle back in.
Moxie didn’t say anything. She just held onto Noah’s hand, her grip tight, shoulder pressed against his.
The two of them stood quietly as the clearing grew louder around them. It was all they could do just to take it in. The relief was almost overwhelming. Against all odds, they were all back together.
Warmth bubbled in Noah’s stomach. All the adrenaline that had been pumping through his body started to drain away as reality set in.
I can barely believe it. Everything almost went so damn wrong, but we actually did it. We’re all back together. We—
“What the fuck?”
That voice didn’t belong to one of his students.
Noah spun.
And, sitting on the ground, staring at him in awe and shock that would have been comical had it been any other situation, was Fist.
“Who’s that?” Sticky asked, squinting at the older woman with a frown.
Noah blinked.
Then his shoulders slumped.
“What are you?” Fist breathed.
“Ah, crap,” Noah said through a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think we might have accidentally kidnapped the wierdo’s friend.”