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"...Heh... you're too trusting," the voice said. "I didn't give you anything. I gave you no solid info. Just words that you're choosing to believe or maybe tell the rest of your team. ...Whatever. I think this was worth it. Do what you want with the info, but be careful who you tell it to. Tell...

"All you need to do," the voice said, "is keep doing what you're doing, and keep a close eye on Maple. No way you're going to stop her from attacking the Tree, and y'know, that's alright. That thing's sort of gonna be a big trouble for Cibus anyway, so we'll want to get Eien outta there. Kill...

"...I don't think you're that familiar with how things work across realities... but let me tell you this. That Blissey right next door... the one who can see into the spirit world. If Telum was dead, and Maple wanted to make peace with that... why would she not seek them out in the astral plane...

The voice laughed at that one. It was a rumbling laugh, perhaps intentionally disguised. "Maple has always had Blacklight... ever since her world was destroyed. That's my guess on what's going on with her. For the rest of God Squad? Who knows? ...But you definitely should be worried about Maple...

"Yeah. It can." The voice had a darker undertone to it. "After all, Maple already has exactly that. I just need a little more..."

"...Control it, huh..." He laughed again. "I'll let you in on a little secret, I probably know about as much as you guys do. I just happened to get a head start. Maybe I know a thing or two extra since I've got a few more powers than just Blacklight... but really, that's not really important...

"The more people are on my side, the easier it is for me to get my endgame, that's all," he said. "Mutual benefit. You make it easier for me to wrap things up, and I give you a priority once I'm finished doing what I needed, y'know? Hell, maybe I'll give you some of that power myself, if you like."

"Heh." The voice seemed to laugh, but still his location was impossible to discern. "You've got quite the heart. Yeah. This is gonna hurt them, especially if they're fighting against me. I'll have to defeat them. That's just how it goes. But when I get all that power, it's not like they'll be...

"...I fight for all the people who've been wronged and had no recourse. For people where gods have cast them aside and the Overseers don't bother with the fallout. And here's the thing... you don't have any assurances that I won't go back against my word. But I'm just going by basic logic that...

Silence again. Maybe he was considering it. Or maybe he was just toying with Koa. "I want to change who's in charge of someplace far away," the voice replied. "But I can't do that without power that can trump him. That's really it. And maybe when I'm done, I can also restore a lot of other...

"If you're too scared to take that step, then I dunno if I should be trusting you with that kind of info anyway. You look like you're just here for curiosity's sake. And curious people don't always like the answers they get. But y'know, how about I ask you a better question... "Ever saw...

"Really, you want to know more?" the voice asked back. "Alright. I guess the first thing I'll say is that I don't plan on having anyone hurting for longer than they need to. Once I get what I want, I'll get that all taken care of, then put everything back where it's supposed to be. Easy, simple...

"...Didn't think you'd show up," someone said, and it seemed like the voice was coming from nowhere in particular. It was in the room, somewhere, perhaps. But no sight nor smell nor sound seemed to give away any specifics... "So, what's got you coming here?"

Owen gave a small, but genuine smile. "Yeah," he said. "Anyway, take it easy, alright? I think I heard some talk over in the main quarters, so I'm gonna check that out. Rest up, alright? Just contact me on your badge if you need to talk to Diyem. I don't think he'll bother you unless it's...

Owen was glad he didn't have a flame anymore, because he suspected it would have dimmed noticeably there. "Yeah," he said with a less enthusiastic nod than usual. He hadn't changed much to others, which was a good thing in some ways. It was ironic, in a way. He had spent a lot of his time...

"Ever since I got Radiance," Owen replied with a little laugh. "Not much of a big deal for me anymore. Was a little bit of a scare back then, since it also triggered... a big chunk of my memories coming back. But I'm better now."

When Cynthian looked back at Owen, it was a completely different look. Green feathers like leaves; an olive-colored front; even his claws seemed to be a deep, moss-like color rather than their sharper orange tips. His flame had gone away in favor of a white daffodil. "I guess in some ways...

"...If you ever want to talk to him," Owen said gently, "how about you call me to come along or something? Maybe having me around might help. I'll even go Grass if the fire's a little scary."

Owen gently brought an arm over Cynthian's shoulders. "It's alright," he said. "I think everyone understands that. Just focus on us for now, okay? We can get through this together. Right now we have the same goal, right? Save Cibus and fight those abnormalities that we've been dealing with."

Owen nodded. "He's our leader here, and he's the one guiding us. Along with Maple and God Squad, right?" He tried to assure him. "If... you really aren't that sure, and you don't want to trust him... how about you trust us instead, then? We're all in this together."