“Ohohohoho!” Imae exclaimed giddily, her antennae swiveling so fast the fabric wrapped around them started to slip.

  “I see a dedicated, lifelong love headed your way!” She snapped open a hand fan and vigorously fanned herself.

  Kai sat in front of her, gazing intently into the crystal ball that swirled with heart-shaped glitter.

  “Hmmm, and at least one kit in the future,” she declared, slamming the fan onto the table. “Possibly up to three!”

  Kai nodded, seemingly satisfied, and stood with a hum. He gestured for Nico to take the seat.

  Nico shot him daggers as he lowered himself into the chair across from Imae. The candles cast a warm orange across the bead curtains, a little too cozy for what he was about to discuss.

  This motherfucker.

  Kai had insisted they return to the fortune teller who had told him about the rift, which Nico once again thought sounded pretty bad when he phrased it like that. They were supposed to discuss the Serif rift and Aster’s involvement, but this guy acquiesced into a romantic fortune, leaving Nico to talk about genocide.

  “And what are we trying to look into here~?” Imae asked the fox, already back to fanning herself.

  “Uh, Tulen and—”

  “Ohohohoho, I only deal in personal matters~~!”

  “It’s personal,” Kai interjected. “He’s the one who got the turbulent love-life fortune.”

  “….”

  Nico rattled his brain, trying to recall if he ever received a fortune from Imae.

  “Oh? Hohoh?” The crystal ball darkened into a deep blue swirl.

  “His other has personal matters with Tulen,” Kai added onto Nico’s fortune.

  Nico slung an arm over the back of his chair to glare at him. “Did you want this fortune telling or—”

  “His other, you say???” Imae lit up immediately. “Ah, the silver haired one! I remember now~~.” Mist began to roll from beneath the table— unclear if alchemy, possibly dried ice.

  Nico straightened and glared forward.

  I will call you Effie right now.

  But the glare only fed her power. Imae fanned harder, circulating the mist around the room. “Did you two find what you were looking for?” she asked with her antennae leaned in, as if they could hear too.

  “Yeah, the rift had a piece of Serif history in it.” Nico rolled the thought around in his head. “Though the Serifs aren’t exactly a matter of the future.”

  “Hmm?” Imae raised a hand and framed her chin between thumb and pointer finger with exaggerated contemplation, her antennae swaying as if offended. “Since when did I claim to tell the future? I tell fortunes! Fortune is not constrained to linear time!” She nodded, extremely pleased with herself.

  If this hadn’t been Effie, Nico would’ve had several opinions about that statement. He settled for, “Ah. I was mistaken then.”

  Nico’s ears suddenly perked up in recognition.

  Wait. This was his first fortune from Effie and the first time he’d ever come here with Kai.

  He squinted at Imae. “Did you tell Kai my fortune?”

  “What is this, a medical practice?!” Imae slammed the fan on the table, arms flying up, antennae bobbling around in a frenzy. “There is no client-fortune privacy here! Oohohoho—” She cut herself off abruptly.

  Her expression sharpened to seriousness. “But it seems we are all in pursuit of knowledge about this land and the people who came before it, young alchemists. May I interest you in a proposition?”

  “…We’re listening,” Nico answered because they had been interested the entire time, it was why they came here.

  “There is another potent rift in the west valley, distorting land longer than even I have been alive…” The dry ice mist thickened, still pouring out in waves from under the table. “I wonder what secrets lie under there, hmmm?”

  “You tell me,” Nico said flatly.

  “Ohoh! Do not take my generosity with fortunes as an offer of free information. Consider unraveling it as your payment.” Imae shielded half her face with the hand fan.

  “That’s quite a bit of labor on our part.”

  “Dear government contractor!” A large burst of glittering haze erupted behind her, rattling the dried flowers strung overhead. “You are already being paid by the government! I am simply assisting you in your job!” She leaned in closer as if she were going to whisper something, but spoke in full volume anyway. “And underestimating our swamps is how many visiting alchemists have met their demise.” More bursts of color punctuated her cadence. “But fear not!” All effects halted at once as she slammed both hands onto the table. “I can provide alchemists who know their way around,” she spoke with a raised eyebrow and a softer ‘ohoho’.

  “You seem to know a lot of highly ranked alchemists,” Nico couldn’t help but push.

  “Ohoh! That is simply a perk of running Alchemy at the Park! I will send them your way tomorrow! Now—”

  With a clap, every overhead light snapped on at once, as they did in theaters to signal the end of a show.

  * * *

  Morning light sparkled across inlaid gems of the governor’s rings as he neatly folded his hands in front of him. He offered a brimming smile above the gold plaque on his desk engraved ‘Governor’.

  “Tellur has greatly appreciated the Eclipse Guild’s thorough survey of our humble nation,” he began, voice moving in a smooth cadence as he broadly addressed the room. “And once the irregular rift activity reached my office, I expedited a request to the Sage Council.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Seated in the meeting area positioned before him, Effie’s antennae bristled at the implication that the rifts had not been reported earlier— though the governor paid her no mind. His attention settled instead on Kai, who did not return the look and continued texting with open apathy. The gleam in the governor’s eyes faltered for a moment, but the smile remained as he continued, this time with sharper intention.

  “Sage oversight provides the appropriate support for a matter of this scale.”

  A shift of his hand invited attention to the Arcanite positioned near the door. Caleb stepped forward and offered a generous bow, revealing his iridescent crown of opal horns protruding through light brown hair.

  “Sage Aster received the Council’s request and responded at once,” he said. “Given the Forged’s long-standing involvement in Tellur’s surveys and infrastructure, it was essential for a Sage’s familiar to be dispatched.”

  He gave an acknowledging nod toward the Governor, whose posture straightened as his smile brightened with the gleam of his single gem horn.

  Aster’s familiar seated himself across from Kai and continued, “We understand the urgency of rifts appearing so suddenly in a region with such a stable history.”

  The governor nodded with an appropriately grave expression.

  “Our faction is prepared to resolve the matter,” Caleb stated. “We extend our gratitude to Eclipse Guild for containing the situation until our arrival. Your work was paramount in mitigating the harm sudden rift development could have caused to the citizens.” Caleb rested a hand over his heart and gave a sincere bow to the Lycans.

  Kai kept swiping on his phone.

  Caleb continued, “Having conducted annual surveys in Tellur for many years, we have developed a comprehensive understanding of its terrain and mana patterns. To ensure both alchemist safety and regional stability, we are more than willing to take responsibility for the survey.”

  Kai locked his phone screen and set it face down on the table, finally meeting Caleb’s gaze. The Arcanite acknowledged the shift with a polite nod and resumed steadily.

  “Eclipse now holds the clearest picture of the situation’s initial conditions. Transitioning your efforts toward analysis in Nireya’s fully equipped alchemic research facilities will be highly impactful." Caleb gave an assured nod to both Lycans. "It'll enable us to identify how this escalation occured without having to wait for the broader survey’s completion. With Central and the Forged already aligned, the work ahead can proceed under a unified directive.”

  Kai offered him his full attention, hands resting neatly on his crossed legs, and didn’t respond. The silence that followed was weird for everyone—Caleb included.

  Effie rescued the group from the lull, sliding a document across the table. “Eclipse was sent under Central authority to complete a full mana survey.” She tapped the page. “That assignment remains active. Securing the rifts with both teams would stabilize Tellur faster.”

  Caleb nodded, visibly relieved to have engagement. “I understand your reasoning. That would be the logical short-term response. However, with irregular rift activity, we have to consider Tellur’s long-term stabilization.” He folded his hands. “Even with our experience, we cannot ignore the depth of knowledge held by Sages who have dedicated their lives to the study of irregular rifts. Sage Aster is already in communication with Council members in Nireya, the Forged, and beyond, should coordination at that level be required.”

  “There aren’t many in the ‘beyond’ where Sage Aster’s reach extends beyond ours,” Kai inserted.

  Caleb gave the statement some thought in a brief pause, then shook his head. “I will have to respectfully disagree,” he asserted. “Sage Aster maintains productive relationships with the Sages most experienced in irregular rifts for precisely this reason.” His gaze drifted, opal irises dulling for a moment. “It’s taken considerable effort,” he added, as if recalling it in real time. “His personality is… difficult.”

  Nico—who was also in the room—gave a startled cough. Kai’s ear flicked.

  Caleb cleared his throat and straightened. “Yes. Despite that, he is willing to cooperate, and—” He hesitated, then sighed. “Unfortunately, that cooperation would be withdrawn if a Vuong were present.”

  He gave the Lycans a wry shake of his head. “In any other circumstance, we would have welcomed your involvement. It’s regrettable.”

  Effie shot back. “This is the circumstance. The Southern border is unstable, and there is an immediate, time-sensitive need for alchemists. We can address long-term strategy after the survey.” Her cattails stood firm. “Tellur rarely receives a team of this caliber—”

  “I understand your concern,” Caleb placated. “But with extended lifespans comes the clarity and responsibility to avoid rash short-term fixes.”

  “But the Southern—”

  “Director,” Caleb interrupted again. He placed a hand over his chest. “I feel the urgency as well. That is why I will address it personally." He locked onto Effie’s eyes as he continued. "I will unravel the Southern Border rift within 72 hours. That should resolve the immediate instability without compromising Tellur’s future.”

  “T-that is commendable, Alchemist Caleb! As expected of a Familiar,” the Governor said eagerly, nodding. “We are honored by Sage Aster’s foresight, while still benefiting from Eclipse’s research capabilities through Nireya.”

  “I agree. This is in Tellur’s best interests,” Kai said.

  The room stirred, caught off guard by Kai's cooperation. When the second stretch of silence settled in, he continued, “The Southern Border rift is a natural transition point. We’ll remain through its unraveling and coordinate post-closure verification and mana documentation with your team. That should ensure a clean transfer of the survey before we return to Nireya.”

  Effie’s antennae bobbed. “Right. My department’s environmental mana reports are already attuned to Eclipse’s surveying methods, so data from both sections can be integrated cleanly.” The cattails picked up speed. “In the meantime, my team can guide Eclipse through Tellur and provide context on how our environment affects mana stability.” Her eyes lit with genuine excitement.

  “Such cooperation will ensure Tellur’s stabilization,” the Governor agreed without hesitation. “Eclipse’s continued presence is welcome in the interest of a clean handoff.”

  “We’ll ensure Alchemist Caleb and his team transition smoothly into the remainder of Tellur’s survey,” Kai said.

  Across from him, Caleb offered a respectful bow of his head. "Eclipse’s role in uncovering Tellur’s anomalies will not be forgotten.’”

  The Governor, caught off guard by the gesture, hurried to match the bow. Caleb gathered the meeting documents in a neat stack and—

  Effie added more printouts right on top of it.

  “The Southern Border has been neglected for years! Many survey teams excluded it due to its history of ‘stability,’ to conserve resources!” Effie declared, already distributing packets around the room. “Thank you to Eclipse and Alchemist Caleb for making this top priority!” Her cattails gave a solid nod as the lights flicked off.

  Suddenly a screen ascended down from the ceiling, covering the large portrait of the governor behind the man himself. A projector blinked to life, throwing a chart dense with numbers and gradients onto the wall. “We will need a full decay analysis of the southern corridor. Here are the ozone patterns, marsh-pressure shifts, ground resonance, core-density drift—”

  She presented a second chart, then a third, each one sliding neatly into place as she moved through atmospheric sampling, mana gradients, and mineral accumulation routes. More diagrams followed in steady sequence, filling the wall with columns and color-coded paths.

  Caleb flipped through the accompanying handout in cadence with Effie's presentation. The Governor nodded at intervals that didn’t quite match her explanations. Kai flagrantly skimmed ahead in the packet. Nico, there, drifted.

  Seventy-two hours felt slow. He and Zhou usually unraveled rifts within a day, not that he ever reported that as the turnaround time, or planned to. Padding timelines was essential for government employees. Two days to prepare, three to unravel, two to recover. In practice, he handled the rift in a day or two, then spent the remainder recovering or, more honestly, dicking around. Setting a 24 hour precedent had never been an option, especially when he wasn’t reporting the involvement of a whole Sage.

  So it was kind of funny watching Aster’s familiar budget his own dicking around time, too. A familiar was still an employee, and no repercussion outweighed downtime.

  Nico wondered what would push an employee to expedite a rift on paper. Eclipse held the advantage of the tagger; the chase could be paced however they wanted. But if Nico were in Caleb's place—

  Yeah. Burying war crimes would probably motivate a much tighter estimate.

  His ears tilted as he considered it a moment longer. Actually, the only reason he’d been clearing rifts back-to-back lately was the whims of a century-old hot guy. So maybe even then he’d still pad the estimate to 48 hours per rift, all things considered.

  He drifted back to the conversation just as Effie laid another packet on top of the growing stack. By the time sequences for cross-referencing manastream shifts with mana particulate patterns was presented, the group had settled into an attentive silence, offering quiet confirmations whenever she paused long enough for them to agree.