Chap 192: You Did What?
“You did what?” Kie said sharply.
Tee felt a surge of guilt but couldn’t lie. “It was an MG trooper I met today. I didn’t expect it. I couldn’t—” Her voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
Kie was silent.
Tee made out with somebody who wasn’t him? The thought hit him like a blow to the chest, a rush of confusion, jealousy, and hurt colliding all at once, his mind spiraling with questions he wasn’t ready to face.
Then, quietly, “I don’t care. It doesn’t mean anything to me. We’re not together.”
He unconsciously squeezed his free hand into a tight fist.
“Something came up,” he said. “I have to go.”
Then he kicked something so hard it flew away like a rocket.
Tee sat on folded legs alone in her study sanctum.
She forced herself to stop obsessing over Kie and focus on what really mattered. She needed to find a cure for the Xenogene. It wasn’t just for her. It was for all the oppressed Xeno-victims. It was for a better future. It was far better than obsessing over some boy.
She gritted her teeth at the thought, jaw tightening as if the feeling itself offended her.
While inside her Verge, a person wearing a white hooded cloak emerged.
“Don’t do it!” the stranger yelled out to her in a female voice.
Tee stiffened instantly, heart jumping. “Who are you and how did you get in here?” she demanded, already suspecting someone was trying to hijack her Verge.
“I’m you from the future,” the person said, before removing her hood.
The woman bore a striking resemblance to Tee but older. Sharper. Worn. Her eyes held exhaustion and something heavier… regret.
Tee let out a short laugh and raised both arms into a battle stance, ready to strike. “Okay. Tell me something only I would know.”
“Kie once told you about a prophecy where Varrak created an Armagettin virus. The Vergant lady from that prophecy was actually me—or you, in the future of that timeline. Time travel through the Verge can only be done backward.”
“What?” Tee blurted, never having heard such madness.
The woman scratched her head and tried again, voice strained. “Okay, try this one. Kie was abused—”
“Alright, alright, I believe you,” Tee cut in quickly, the words hitting too close to home.
She lowered her guard and relaxed, allowing her future self to come closer.
“You’re trying to verge through the planet far enough,” the older Tee continued, “to travel back in time to the very beginning—to find out what the Xenogene was…”
Tee spoke suddenly, like a lightbulb snapping on. “The Xenogene originated from Apocalypse-Prime, the First Apocalypse.”
Her future self stepped closer, towering over her slightly. “But it didn’t work. I… you will get trapped in there for weeks. Aven tried to get you out…” She shook her head, tears forming. “I failed and he…”
Tee’s heart dropped. She stepped back, her breath hitching.
“Aven?”
“It went horribly wrong.”
Overwhelmed, Tee exited her Verge.
She woke to find her head resting in Aven’s lap. She wondered how long she had been there—long enough for him to come looking for her.
The cloak he had taken off to cover her was warm, heavy with his scent. She shifted slightly and realized he was far away in his own Verge. She decided not to disturb him.
Before leaving, she recorded another dot—another failure. One in about twenty. She frowned, imagining a thousand. Then millions.
Would she ever find a cure?
“Hey, you there?” came Kie’s voice.
Tee lay on her bed in the dark at night, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. It had been about the third night after Sirsy that she had been ignoring Kie’s attempts to chat through telecom. But tonight, she decided to talk—just not right away. She wanted him to beg.
“Tee, I can hear you breathing.”
She sighed and rolled onto her side, facing the telecom. “Yes, Kie. I’m here.”
Kie leaned away from his telecom and rested on his back, a smile spreading across his face. A load of anxiety rolled off his shoulders, and he felt lighter.
“Finally. I really hate talking to myself,” he said.
Silence stretched between them. Both were thinking about the Sirsy fiasco and what it meant for them. Finally, Tee broke the ice.
“How did you and Sirsy meet?”
Sirsy… of all things to ask. He paused, choosing his words carefully.
“I saved her from a Xenosapian. She had sprained her ankle. I carried her in my arms to safety,” he said.
“Wow, that’s… so sweet,” Tee said bitterly.
Kie chuckled. “Yes, if that’s actually how we met—it would be.”
He laughed.
Tee’s jaw dropped when she realized he had tricked her. That boy seriously liked messing with her, didn’t he?
“Is this going to be like you not telling me where you got your eyes from? Because I can drop this question and move on with my life.”
With dimples she couldn’t see, he replied, “Fine. It was after street patrol. I was in my dorm chilling—”
Tee didn’t like the sound of it already. She hoped it wasn’t like Karen. Did she really want to hear it?
“When I got a message from one of my pals saying he knew someone with a crush on me and was inviting me to the HotOrNot app. I was bored, so I thought, why not? I saw five pictures of cute girls and chose the one I liked. Surprise—it was my pal’s friend, the one who had the crush on me. Sirsy. I got her contact, and one thing led to the next.”
His voice lowered.
“I thought it was destiny. She was funny and all. But I soon found out she had lupoids in her family. Her dad died from it. Her uncle too. There was a possibility she would too—and I lost interest. I think she may have still had feelings for me, but now we’re over.”
Tee couldn’t say she was sorry. She was glad. The silence that followed came too late for her to respond anyway.
Another week passed and Kie was on another Leak mission. It went by in a blur, but he managed to secure another telecom to chat with Tee at night. The Lieutenant continued her looks of disapproval, but Kie reassured her it had to be done. He was really keeping an eye on Tee, making sure she didn’t do anything stupid.
Another fragment of the Alpha Sea was detected, but like the last time, there were no Harbingers. A dampening feeling fell over the Sentinels as they defended the site. With no Harbingers present, the elders interfered. They arranged for Vergants to accompany them on the next quest to secure a fragment of the Alpha Seal.
A month later, that fragment quest felt completely different. Vergants accompanied them, and as expected, there were no Harbingers. The Vergants deactivated the Sealed Bond, and Tee took notice. She was fascinated. She wondered if the fragments could give her information, like Saeda’s aura-sensing. Maybe she could use sorcery to tap into their past.
Tee spent the next month researching the Alpha Seal, searching for connections between it and the Xenogene. All the while, her thoughts kept circling back to the Harbingers and their so-called creators. The Xenogene was dark mana corruption leaked from the Alpha Seal. But who created the Alpha Seal? What great minds knew Ether energy and sorcery before them?
The Commander announced the possibility of returning the Sentinels to their normal lives with the continued disappearance of the Harbingers. Saeda mentioned receiving compensation for their service, but both the Commander and Lieutenant laughed.
The four Sentinels had never seen their superiors laugh together like that. Kie told Tee about it during their nightly chat. He also mentioned his birthday was coming up and he wanted to go on a day retreat. The Lieutenant had already approved it.
“For my birthday in the MG, my MG off pals would buy me a small pound cake and stick a candle hologram in it, set to my age. It wasn’t fancy, but it was nice. In my later years, I’d get note chips pushed under my dorm door from girls wishing me happy birthday.”
Tee yawned.
“Turning twenty deserves something special, don’t you think?”
“Sure,” Tee said. “I hope you have fun.”
His voice brightened. “I want you to come with me.”
Tee’s eyes widened. She sat up in bed, staring down at her telecom. Did he remember her birthday was five days before his? How could he skip over her birthday? Where was he going with that?
Her thoughts drifted back to before Primus—to the earlier days with Jack and the friends she had a complicated love-hate relationship with. She secretly despised them sometimes, yet those were the only birthdays she had known.
Her celebrations were always suspenseful. At any moment, she could be ambushed—cake smashed into her face or one of those ridiculous explosive birthday cakes that came in cans, bursting the second you opened them and showering you in frosting.
It was chaotic. Annoying. Loud.
And somehow… she missed it.
Tetra always did sweet things for her. She gave her cash so she could go buy several boots. She usually donated some boots before her birthday to make room for more.
Kie continued—basically told her she’s invited to come with him, and it’s a birthday surprise—just that it’s five days after her birthday.
Tee was not amused. Then he added, “It’s going to be awkward… certain people don’t like me.”
“It will only be the two of us,” he said.
Not wanting to act excited, she said, “... So I’m celebrating my birthday by being your chaperone?
Kie denied that idea, said, “Forget it.”
Tee blurted out, “I’ll come.”
A waterfall paradise—but in the modern world. People were already there, even though it was still dark early in the morning.
Tee wore a white bathing suit that matched the white insignia tattoo on her skin. It stood out against the mist and rushing water, glowing softly. She didn’t care. She could die at any time, and because of that, she took risks others wouldn’t dare. Life was too fragile to be careful.
There was an epic waterslide—one of those legendary rides everyone talked about. At the end, it guaranteed your clothes or bikini would be gone. People who did it swore it changed them. Some even said it made them better people afterward.
“That’s some lame marketing,” Kie said, crossing his arms. “I’m not doing that.”
But Tee was already climbing the steps.
“I only live once!” she shouted back, laughing.
At the end of the pool, she didn’t come out.
Worse—people were there.
Kie’s heart dropped.
Then he realized the rumors were true.
She was nude.
Without hesitating, he grabbed a towel, jumped in, and swam toward her. She wrapped herself around him instantly, soaking wet and clinging to him like he was the only solid thing left in the world.
“How was it?” he asked, breathless.
“Amazing,” she said, eyes bright.
“Do you feel different? Like… a new, better person?”
“No.”
He burst out laughing. She always made him laugh.
They bought a waterproof camera, and Tee took tons of pictures—especially of Kie.
They lay side by side on lounge chairs with their shades on, using their powers to mess with people nearby and laughing about it. MG offs were there too. When something wild happened, they spat juice out laughing. They fell off the chairs, laughing on the ground, out of breath, unable to speak properly.
Later, they went to a massage place.
Afterward, both lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling.
“That was… not great,” Tee said.
“Honestly, that was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here,” Kie admitted. “I’m disappointed.”
Tee climbed off her rest. Kie felt her hand hovering near his back and leaned up, looking at her.
“You should lie back down,” she said. “I’ll give you the massage of a lifetime.”
She cracked her fingers.
He froze.
She was serious.
Deciding he had nothing to lose, he lay back down.
She was incredible.
Kie thought there was no better soulmate than someone who could give a perfect massage.
He fell asleep.
When he woke up, she was gone.
The only thing she’d left behind was a colorful pink towel.
Kie stared at it in horror.
He walked out wearing what he swore was a pink mini skirt.
He found Tee instantly because she was laughing so hard she could barely stand.
She had taken pictures and kept laughing every time she looked at them.
Kie pulled on his boxers over the pink towel and scolded her, calling her immature. Then he fiercely yanked the towel out once his pants were fully on.
As he walked away, Tee picked up the pink towel and whipped it at his butt—but he moved just in time.
Kie realized she wanted to play.
So he played.
What followed looked like a serious dodge-and-escape mission for Tee, with Kie hunting her down across the area. People stared. Some swore they were juveniles.
He finally caught her by the waist, effortlessly lifting her feet off the ground before tossing her over his shoulder.
“Okay, fine! You got me!” she laughed, kicking.
He didn’t let her go.
“What now?” she asked.
He lifted her in his arms. For a moment, she thought it was romantic.
Then he dropped her into a pool.
He leaned forward with his hands on his knees and laughed at her.
She splashed water at him, and they both laughed even harder.
When it was time to eat, they sat alone at a table.
The food was incredible—like Miko’s. Fish. Meat. Pastas. Cakes. Puddings. Burgers. A little of everything, and most of it in small portions.
Tee kept tasting small bites and putting some on her utensil for Kie to try.
“I’m trying to eat,” he protested.
“You have to try this now,” she insisted.
He gave in, and of course, it turned into that romantic feeding-your-partner moment.
She took pictures—one of her wiping food from his mouth with her finger.
Kie thought he let her get her way way too much.
It was a quiet moment, just the two of them, when Kie finally told her, “Happy belated birthday.” He handed her coffee cookies. Though it wasn’t iced coffee, she still leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, Kie.”
Then came Global Curfew.
They were supposed to leave.
They didn’t.
Instead, they found themselves trapped behind metal doors in a two-bedroom unit. The doors wouldn’t open until the next day, after MG offs declared the area safe.
Tee snatched one of his shirts to sleep in.
The lights were off, but the glow of the camera screen lit her face as she scrolled through pictures of Kie, giggling softly.
Kie decided he was deleting those images.
He reached for the camera.
Instead, he ended up on top of her on the bed.
She stopped laughing.
He noticed how serious she became—how close their faces were.
She was shocked when he kissed her.
The camera smashed to the floor.
But her hand was free.
She pulled him closer.
They kissed in the dark, on the softness of the bed, passionately.
Finally, the moment that made the trip worthwhile.
Trapped behind metal doors.
Kie could feel her intense longing in the way she wrapped her arms around him, holding him with such force that even if he wanted to escape, he wouldn’t.
He wrapped his arms around her waist.
She couldn’t believe it was Kie. She whispered his name between the spaces of their twisting lips.
The soft pinch on her neck was his answer.
She held her breath, shivering with excitement. Her heart was pounding so loudly she swore it drowned out everything else.
They were both shaking. Both so close.
Tee realized he wasn’t taking things further—and she wasn’t either.
But as the minutes passed, she began to reconsider.
They made out. Her fingers tangled in his hair. She felt his firm muscles under her hands. Her chest brushed against his through thin fabric. She was completely soaked with desire. She could feel how hard he was against her.
Still—nothing.
Was he waiting for her to make the move?
But Kie wouldn’t.
When Karen’s whispers began in his head, fear crept in.
He hated having that woman in his mind.
Hated her for what she did to him.
When Karen became too vivid—when it felt like her hands were on him in the dark—his spine went cold.
No. No…
Guilt and shame crushed his chest.
He wanted to escape.
Tee felt him pull back.
When he pulled his lips from hers, she felt him turn away.
She loosened her grip, thinking he was leaving.
Then suddenly she felt his hand around her neck.
Her blood ran cold.
“Kie!” she cried.
Stillness.
He recognized her voice.
Her lips trembled. Tears filled her eyes.
Did he hate her?
With him on top of her and too weak to push him away, she felt trapped.
She opened her mouth and cried out, “Say it, I’m not the one…”
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face.
She buried her face in his shoulder.
“It’s because I’m scum, isn’t it?” she sobbed. “Just leave me here to die. Just leave me.”
Her cry shattered him.
He remembered who he was with.
His sweet-Tee.
His heart twisted violently.
He blinked, realizing her arms were slipping from his shoulders, weak with exhaustion and grief.
What had he done?
Tee felt him move away and thought he was leaving.
She cried harder.
Kie froze, terrified that any movement would hurt her more.
He didn’t know how to respond.
He couldn’t tell her.
No—he had to.
Another sob tore from her chest.
“Tee, I—I’m sorry,” he stuttered.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
She couldn’t kiss back—her lips were trembling—but he didn’t care.
Tears slid from his eyes as he pressed his face to hers.
He held her tighter.
His steady embrace slowly calmed her shaking.
She still didn’t understand.
Did he not like her?
Her tears finally stopped.
She thought he was afraid to tell her the truth.
It didn’t make sense.
But she wouldn’t judge him.
She was a Xeno-victim.
No one could love a Xeno-victim.
Kie knew she needed an explanation or that would keep happening.
He had never told anyone about Karen—except her.
But there was more.
He swallowed.
“What she did to me…” he said quietly. “I can’t do it with anyone else without having her in my head. Especially in the dark.”
Her?
Tee froze.
Then she remembered.
“Karen?” she whispered, eyes wide.
“Yes,” he said, leaning his head back on the bed. “She keeps popping into my mind. I relive memories I’ve tried to erase. I can’t get rid of it. I hate her.”
His grip tightened.
She remembered when he once said he enjoyed it.
Afraid to know the truth, she shut the topic down.
She lay there, feeling him tremble as if fighting an internal war.
She brushed her fingers through his hair.
“Promise me you’ll get help,” she whispered. “And if you ever want to talk… I’m here. I care about you.”
She didn’t mind holding him all night.
Kie sighed. He told her he knew.
It made no sense to teleport back that late anyway.
As much as he wanted to stay wrapped in her arms, he went to the other bed and turned his back to her.
He was getting too attached.
No—he already was.
Soon she would die.
And he would be alone.
In the darkness, Tee couldn’t see his back turned but she didn’t need to.
She lay on a big, empty bed.
Worse, his gasps sounded like he was suffering and she could do nothing to help him.
Her mind filled with terrible images of what Karen might have done to him.
But she pushed them away.
He said he enjoyed it.
Surely he didn’t lie.
They both didn’t sleep.
In the morning, Tee reminded him to please get help.
She also asked for a hug to make up for breaking her camera.
They hugged as they teleported—frozen in that stage between places.
Kie swore that if she weren’t a Xeno-victim, he would go down on one knee.
Life was cruel.
Tee was sad.
She didn’t know how long it would be before she saw him again.
Worse, she still hadn’t made any progress toward a cure.
But she did snatch a few of his shirts to wear at night.