Genis sat against the boulder, burying his face in his hands with an exasperated sigh. "I know that must've hit him where it hurts. He adores Serina, and being forced to see her in that light must be unimaginable."
Ruby furrowed her brows, sitting beside Genis to rub his shoulder tenderly. "Finding out the man that you've spent years demonising was actually the good guy, especially when that person is your brother, must be tough too. Give him time. It seems as though he was manipulated into this."
Odeen cleared his throat nervously. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with Nexus gone now, and the psycho power-crazed goddess lady after us, aren't we sitting ducks now? We have no one to protect us anymore. No offence, Genis."
Genis stared at Odeen momentarily, blinking away the shock to replace it with insult. "A little taken, I won't lie. A little offence taken, Odeen. I might not be able to protect you all, but with Ruby and Safire together, I doubt that Serina will come looking for a fight."
Ruby's eyes darkened as she leaned back against her wrists, running her tongue across her teeth in thought. "No, in fact, if she were going to come looking for us, she'd pick us off one by one. If I were a power-hungry goddess, I wouldn't begin with the most powerful. The first person I'd take out is those closest to my targets."
Jasher and Odeen shared a knowing glance before Jasher stepped forward. "You're not saying that she'd go after one of us, right? The – you know... POWERLESS MORTALS WHO HAVE NO CHANCE AGAINST A DEITY?!"
Ruby chuckled in mild amusement, but it was hollow and full of doubt. "Yeah, that's how far I'd go to ensure that the group falls into fractures while they scramble to protect the remaining members of the team. And I'd do it when the team least suspects. Everyone expects an attack during the night. It's when everyone is at their most vulnerable. I'd attack at meal times or bathroom breaks. Nobody expects that shit."
Jasher paled, grabbing hold of Ruby's arms in a panicked-induced, tight grip. "When else would you attack? We need to cover every blank spot we might have in our escape plan if we're going to come out of this alive."
Ruby winced, taking hold of Jasher's hand when the searing pain of his digging fingertips kicked in. Odeen didn't wait for anyone, approaching behind Jasher to pick him from the ground, tossing the Otherworlder over his shoulder. "I agree, Ruby. Jasher may have gone a little crazy in trying to get the information, but learning attack strategies is a wise plan of counterattack."
Ruby sighed weakly, shifting her gaze over to Genis, who halted entirely, his body tensing at her sudden quizzical gaze. "While I'd love to enlighten you with the horror stories of what Earthlings are capable of, and have accomplished in the past 7 years, Genis would be the most appropriate person to ask. He knows Serina far better than any of us could ever guess."
Genis swallowed the lump in his throat, bobbing his head in apprehensive agreement. "It's been a few centuries since I last saw Serina, but from what I know about her, she's not above lying, manipulating, and scheming to get what she wants. If she's after blood, the first person she'll go for is Nexus and me."
The terrified silence that followed left a deafening ringing in everyone's ears. Genis sucked in a sharpened breath before continuing. "She'd either offer me my place back in the Inbetween, lifting my banishment, or swear to Nexus he can have his body back and offer another deity to hold the portals forevermore. Knowing Nexus can shift where he wants when he wants, I fear that he has somehow mastered the melodies of the universe. He'd be the first deity she'd go to. She would twist the tale so far that somehow it would look like she's the victim. And Nexus is so blinded by the woman, he'd believe her. But we don't have to worry about that since he's found his mortal union, so I doubt he'll betray us anytime soon."
Odeen scrunched his face up in mild confusion while Jasher was left to helplessly dangle off his shoulder. "Wait – we have something over Nexus?" Jasher suddenly perked up, listening intently.
Genis let out a single, humorous laugh, looking between the group's individuals. "You're kidding, right? Mortal's union?" Genis turned toward Ruby, lifting his finger up toward her accusatorily. "He's bonded with a mortal. He now owes Ruby his utter best. It's why the mortals' union was outlawed eons ago. Unfortunately, it's unconscious. Ruby and Nexus are now bound together. For her lifetime."
Jasher squirmed in Odeen's grip, only to be dropped onto the boulder when Odeen's shoulder slouched and his arm fell limp, staring at Ruby in shock. He had no idea that he'd just wounded Jasher in the process of his betrayed emotions.
"You're bound to Nexus now? When did that happen? I thought we were finally getting past things." Safire instinctively took a step away from Odeen while Jasher slowly collected himself.
Safire cleared her throat weakly, cutting Ruby's helpless sputtering and stumbling over confusion to draw the attention toward her. "We share the same soul. There's no way that Ruby would bond with the same man who put us in this situation. That's crazy."
Genis stood suddenly, startling the group back. "Nobody knows what this is?! Ruby's being blamed for Nexus's actions! Why?! She had no choice in who Nexus bonds with! I don't get why he chose her either, but it's been done. Don't take it out on Ruby, she had no choice!"
Genis's anger quelled the moment Ruby took a fistful of his shirt, yanking him closer. They stood with mere inches between their faces while Ruby spoke low and slow. What is a mortal union, and how do I get rid of it?"
Genis raised his hands in defence, his hands quaked mildly as though he was genuinely afraid of her. "Calm down. Let me explain in full detail what you're facing. First and foremost, you can't get rid of a mortal union. That's crazy nonsense."
Ruby's scowl hardened. The moment Odeen approached behind her, wearing the same scary expression, Genis laughed in true terror. "Made for one another, you are... alright, let me go, and I will explain it."
Ruby turned back to Odeen, biting back her rage to slowly let Genis's shirt go, stepping back to be closer to Odeen. "You're right. You didn't do this whole mortal union shit, so I shouldn't be upset with you. Explain it."
Genis stepped back a few paces, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... I definitely didn't synchronise with your soul. Safire, on the other hand," Genis shut his mouth fast when Safire and Jasher matched Ruby's displeased expression.
"Alright, calm down. Mortal union is like... finding your best friend. You can't deny that you feel connected to that person." The angered expressions began to fade. Safire's melted into a happy gleam. "You want to be near this person. You want to share your entire life with this one soul for as long as you can. It's something that's frowned upon because human souls are so fickle, and deities exist for an extensive time."
Genis's mild smile fell serious fast, glancing at Safire with sadness in his eyes. "One day, this mortal you adore platonically is around, the next they're gone. Deities have abandoned their duties to stand at their mortals' side while they're still alive. And once they pass, the deity that's left behind falls into a deep depression. They mourn their lost beloved for centuries."
Ruby ran her hand up her arm, clearing her throat. "So, this isn't a romantic kind of love, but a kinship that's more of best friends forever in a literal sense. That hardly makes any sense, since I can't stand Nexus. When would he have... synchronised with my soul?"
Genis merely shrugged. "It could have been the moment you two met, it could have been when you agreed to bring him here. There is no telling when he bound himself to you. But the reality of the matter is, it's undeniable. That's why he wanted to be a part of this journey. It's most likely the reason that he doesn't want to kill you. Any deity with sight can see that he's bound to you."
Odeen clicked his tongue, turning his head away as Jasher entered the conversation once again, slightly bruised from his fall. "You're telling us that Nexus has a weakness in Ruby. So if he acts up, we can use Ruby against him?"
Genis shook his head, sighing deeply. "The bond is still too fresh for him to be complacent. We know for a fact that he won't kill Ruby or do anything to make her push him away. He's craving being by her like an addiction since the bond is fresh. That's how I know he'll be back sooner rather than later. If we go on the move now, Nexus will hunt us down without fear. It's safe to leave."
Ruby sighed, rubbing her temples. "Great. So I have a deity who has a friendship crush on me. And he's going to stalk me to the ends of this world and mine? Fantastic. Let's pack up and head out while we have the peace to do so."
Genis reached out, taking Ruby's arm. "Hey, this is a good thing. If we have Nexus by our side, we don't have to worry about sneak attacks from him. We certainly don't have to fear Serina sneaking in suddenly. No matter what, you hold the key to Nexus's obedience. Use it wisely."
Ruby pulled her arm free, staring at Safire with a small, almost pained smile. "At least we have one union with a deity that we trust. Protect her with everything you have, Genis. I'll handle Nexus as best I can."
"I will. That goes without saying. Safire is safe with me, so don't panic about her well-being. Just promise me that you won't hurt Nexus." Ruby halted with Genis's words. He hung his head weakly, taking in a shaky breath. "He is my brother after all."
Ruby groaned, rolling her tense shoulders. "Alright. I'll do my best to be an acceptable mortal union to him. But is there anything I should know about this bond? Is it going to affect me in any way?"
Genis hummed in thought. "Not that I can recall. It's been many years since the last mortal union. As far as I'm aware, the only thing that you're going to notice is how Nexus will almost always be within arm's reach. That's why I'm saying he won't be gone for long."
"No kidding." Ruby gestured to the tree line with her jaw, pointing out the familiar figure cloaked in the darkness of the trees' shade. "Not exactly within arm's reach, but close enough to make my skin crawl. How creepy."
Genis grinned, leaning his chin against Ruby's shoulder. "I knew he wouldn't have gone far. It's not creepy while your life is in danger. He's being your little lookout. Aw, I really missed him. My pouty, gloomy little Nexy~"
Ruby began to laugh, hunching forward without warning. The confusion ripped through all who were present. When Ruby regained her composure, she turned to Jasher with a strangled laugh. "We literally have the golden retriever and black cat trope going on here."
Jasher snorted, having to cover his mouth while he stared at Genis with wide eyes full of amusement. He then shifted to stare at Nexus. That was all that was needed to have him crumble to his knees in laughter. Ruby joined in the laughter at the absurdity. Jasher winced with his barking laugh. "It's not even that funny! I just miss Earth so much!"
Ruby began to wheeze with Jasher's words, feeling tears stain her cheeks. "I think we're going a little stir crazy being on this planet! Fuck, I miss my home so bad! Who would have thought deities would have golden retrievers and black cats!"
Both Ruby and Jasher choked on their pained laughter while Safire and Odeen leaned closer to Vatic, desperate for answers. Vatic shook his head in disappointment, sighing deeply at the display. "Inside jokes and shared hysteria. They're not actually happy. They're realising that they are the only ones who truly understand one another."
Odeen frowned, walking over to wrap Ruby in a warm embrace. That was all it took for the laughter to fade into heavy sobs of grief. Safire fought back tears, scooching in between Jasher and Ruby, pulling the two Otherworlders closer so they could mourn together, wrapped in the security of their newfound family. Vatic averted his gaze before Genis grabbed his arms, a sobbing mess. Vatic yelped when Genis threw himself into the group hug, weeping with the Earthlings, while Vatic stroked his head uncomfortably.
Jasher took Ruby by the back of her head, pulling her closer to press their foreheads together, fighting the pain back for the moment. "I'm so glad that you're here. While I love what I found... I really do miss what I once had." Ruby nodded in agreement, holding Jasher tight while the group mourned what they had lost individually.
-End of chapter 25-