Beyond The System
Chapter 122: Loopy

Another pause of silence passed before Thea finally broke it. “You mean the training hall?”

She definitely knew that wasn’t what I meant. I shot her a side glance, then laid back, resting my head on her lap as I stared up. “No.”

“Peter, it doesn’t really matter if we like it or not,” Elric said, sitting up straight. Lyra nodded beside him. “We have to train.”

“And after that? What then, war? Are we even going to be kept together? Can we keep doing this?” I shifted, tension building in my chest. Thea placed a hand on my shoulder, but I couldn’t shake the feeling. It was like talking to Marcus again. “What if... what if one of us dies out there?”

Bristle padded over and lay across my chest, a small comfort against the spiraling thoughts.

No one answered.

So I turned to Lyra. “What if Sia died? Just some random strike; the wrong place, wrong time. What if Elric did? Or you? Or me? Or Thea?”

I took a breath, trying to rein myself in. “What if it happened when we weren’t even there to try to stop it?”

They knew how that felt. They thought I was dead. They’d been helpless, just like I’d be if anything happened to them now. Hearing nothing. Left with silence and.

Marcus situation was a good example of how bad it could get. Over a decade, and Helen’s only news was no news. Letters that stopped coming.

“Why are we still here?” I turned to Elric, the one with an actual serious tie to this country. “Do you really value this place? The family that abandoned you, even with everything you are?”

Elric’s voice came low, not angry, but heavy with resignation. “And what’s the alternative, Peter? There’s nothing out there. We can’t exactly move to Voxter. Even the wilds are patrolled with explorers, trainees, and knights.”

Thea’s hand tightened on my shoulder. “I couldn’t go anywhere without my sister.”

Lyra added next. “I’d be fine. Elric too, but if we left and didn’t return, her family would be punished. Deserters aren’t treated kindly.”

It was a classic tactic, punish the ones who stay. Keeps everyone in line. Worked wonders in the history I knew.

“Then we take them all,” I said. “Marcus told me the Star family is pretty high up. Would they be in danger?”

Sia shook her head. “I don’t think so. My mom’s not close with them anymore anyway, not since… well, I only just found out why.”

Maybe that marriage was harder than Marcus suggested.

“We take your sister, Thea. Your parents, too. We train harder, grow stronger and then we leave. Somewhere they can’t follow. Somewhere no one goes.”

“Where?” Lyra asked.

I turned to Elric. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

“Peter,” he said slowly, “if you’re worried about us dying… that might be the best way to make it happen.”

I shook my head. “At least we’d be together. Watching out for each other. Can you honestly tell me that three years from now, we’ll still be a team? Lyra and Sia are already set to leave before us.”

Elric didn’t respond.

Thea gave my shoulder a firm shake. “Where. Explain.”

So I did. Everything Marcus had told me about the Shattered Expanse, what little there was. I left nothing out.

“Anything else?” Thea asked gently.

I shook my head.

Elric spoke next. “Not that I’m some expert on State secrets… but I don’t think there’s much more to know.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, then mirrored my posture, leaning against Sia.

“Well… screw it,” he said. “It’s not like I’m loyal to this place. I’m in.”

I smiled.

“I’ll go too,” Sia said. “As long as Mom and Dad can come.”

“I’ll follow her,” Lyra added simply.

I looked up at Thea while absentmindedly rubbing Bristle’s belly. He stretched out like a spoiled prince. “How about it? Wanna come with me to a near-certain death zone?”

Flick.

“Ow.” I rubbed my forehead where she got me. At least it wasn’t a lightning zap this time.

“I need my sister,” she said, no hesitation, voice firm.

“What about your parents?”

“If they’d like to come, I’d be happy of course, but as long as Vellea comes…” Her voice trailed off.

I didn’t know much about her family situation, but I figured she'd share when she was ready, in her own time. "Then we'll get her."

She smiled.

Flick.

I'm gonna get her for that.

“Alright,” she said, clapping her hands once. “Let’s get some real training done.”

I rolled off her lap as she moved to the center of the room. “I’ll volunteer.”

Everyone blinked at her.

'Brave girl,' Wyrem muttered. 'I like her more and more.'

Luna stayed silent, but I could tell she was focusing. She'd been quiet for a while, probably pouring herself into finishing the Harmonic Foundation.

“Volunteer for what?” I asked cautiously.

“Stabbing me,” she said, deadpan.

…Yeah. That’s going to live in my brain forever. Not that I want it out.

“Let’s slow down,” Lyra offered diplomatically. “We can test it in small steps.”

Thea sighed but relented. “Fine. But we’ve been at this same stage forever. I’m tired of leveling up just to get stronger.”

There it was again. “Leveling up?”

Thia gave me a short glare, then softened it immediately. “Training first. Please.”

“Alright,” I said. “Elric, back me up if something goes wrong. Lyra, administer your super drug and—”

“Super drug?” she echoed, unimpressed.

I ignored her and pivoted. “Sia, uh…” I stopped rubbing Bristle and nudged him toward her, “…handle this.”

“You’re serious?” Her flat expression said no, but her hands went straight to scratching Bristle’s ears. Guess she liked dogs.

“How about I help Lyra instead?” she suggested.

Yeah… that would've made way more sense. “Right. Let’s go with that.”

I turned to Thea. “Try to stay focused. If you feel anything, any pain at all, speak up, okay?”

She nodded firmly. “Got it.”

Lyra stepped forward, placing a softly glowing hand on Thea’s back. The effect was instant.

A grin stretched across Thea’s face, wide as the sun, like she’d just heard the universe’s funniest joke. She burst into quiet giggles, staring directly at me with a dazed joy.

Then she scooted forward until her knees touched mine, cross-legged. “I’m so happy to see you again.”

Her arms wrapped around my neck before I could blink, clinging tight even as I gently tugged. Trying to stay on task was going to be impossible.

“I’m never letting you go again,” she whispered.

“Awww,” Lyra said, either genuinely moved or gleefully stirring the pot.

Then Thea leaned in and whispered, not with Phantom Whisper, judging by everyone’s faces turning red—

“No more private baths. I was scared you’d disappear again last night.”

Lyra looked down at her hands, either impressed or deeply disturbed. “If I used this on Sia…”

“Okay, Thea,” I said carefully, patting her arms. “Don’t you want to cultivate?”

She hugged tighter. “I can like this.” Another laugh. “You have a weird-shaped head. Maybe it’s ‘cause you’re not human.”

Yeah, alright. Forget it. “I’m starting.”

I pulled my focus inward, channeling energy toward Thea, shaping it into a needle. As I activated my Precursor Sense, I felt another presence nearby; Elric, probably ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

I prodded the edge of the Grand Channel gently and cracked an eye open.

“Hi!” Thea chirped, eyes bright. She’d loosened her grip just enough to look me in the face, barely an inch away.

“…Hi,” I murmured, closing my eyes again.

I pressed harder, feeling the growing resistance in her channel, but I was sure now, we could pierce it. Or at least, I could.

With another push, the needle sank through, carving a clean opening. One to match the dozens already riddling my own body.

I opened my eyes.

Thea had pulled one arm free and was slowly reaching toward my cheek with a finger. Completely absorbed, she didn’t even realize I was watching her.

I glanced to the others; Lyra, Sia, shoulders shaking as they tried, and failed, to stifle laughter.

Then Thea’s finger found its mark, pressing into my cheek with theatrical slowness.

“Revenge,” she whispered, eyes gleaming with smug delight.

“Are you oka—”

“Ahh!” she squealed, jerking back. She peeked at me, then looked down. “Go back to sleep.”

Elric had fully joined the laugh-suppression struggle at this point, barely keeping it together.

I cleared my throat and tried to sound serious. “Do you feel okay?” I asked, firm but gentle, doing everything I could not to crack up.

She nodded.

I let out a deep breath.

'She’s pretty funny,' Luna observed.

Is that just because she’s messing with—

Two fingers jabbed into my cheeks, one from each side.

“Pooooke,” Thea announced.

Laughter exploded around the room, and she flopped backward, joining the chaos like she’d just nailed the punchline of the century.

'If you were going to say me,' Luna added, 'then yes. That’s exactly why.'

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