It was an undeniable fact that having two of them was an advantage. Yet, despite this, the two stood facing each other, already at odds over their next course of action.
“It’s a good thing there are two of us now. We can each deal with the situation! You go save Shinta, and I’ll go to the frontlines… This is the best choice of action!”
The dark Emery’s voice was urgent, impatient. His body practically vibrated with the need for action.
Emery, the original, however, was not so quick to jump into reckless decisions. He took a deep breath, steadying himself as he gazed at his other self. Unlike his dark counterpart, he had no intention of acting without careful thought. Even with their newfound strength, a Grand Magus with a single cosmos would still struggle in the ruthless Tartarus realm. One mistake could be fatal.
“There’s no time to think! It’s been five months! Shinta might be in danger!”
Before Emery could argue further, his dark twin disappeared in a flicker of black energy, teleporting straight into the Khaos Hub. Emery knew exactly what he was planning and had no choice but to follow. He stepped through the gate, arriving just as the dark twin stormed toward the ancient gateway, placing his hands on its runic surface.
Closing his eyes, the dark Emery channeled his connection to Khaos, reaching out to find any sign of Shinta. The moments stretched unbearably as he pushed his will into the void, calling to his daughter, demanding an answer.
Minutes passed. The silence thickened.
Then, with a sharp growl of frustration, he yanked his hands away from the gate. “Damn it! Not a damn thing!” His voice was edged with both anger and worry. “I can’t sense her! Not even the two boys!” The dark Emery’s agitation grew. “Something must’ve happened! Where are they?!”
Emery frowned, troubled by the revelation. When he had reached the Grand Magus realm, he had hoped it would allow him to connect with the Khaos seeds back home, making communication effortless. Yet, here he was, unable to reach even the ones in this very realm.
Could this be due to his separation from his dark twin?
Seeing his counterpart’s rising frustration, Emery spoke, trying to keep his voice level.
“They are most likely already on the Fey planet. Some planets have natural defenses that interfere with Khaos connections. We know this. It doesn’t mean something happened to them.”
The dark Emery clenched his fists, his frustration unrelenting. “Then we need to leave immediately.”
“Wait… There’s something else we need to confirm first.”
Raising his hand, Emery reached out to the Khaos Gate once more, this time testing his own access. He released a slow breath of relief as he felt the familiar connection. However, there was something off.
Unlike his dark twin, Emery’s situation was similar to Morgana’s. He was recognized by Khaos as its champion but as he could not properly utilize the Law of Space, he could only access the gate, and couldn’t teleport freely. His physical body remained bound, requiring the dark twin’s presence for full use of Khaos’ power.
With this condition, it became clear: the dark Emery could always reach out to the light Emery, but not the other way around. At most, he could send messages.
“You’re pretty useless to me, then,” the dark Emery scoffed, crossing his arms. “This is annoying.”
Emery let out a short laugh, but his next words wiped the smirk off his twin’s face.
“You do realize that your physical body won’t last long, right? I’d say one week before it starts disintegrating. At most two weeks… and sooner if you push yourself too hard.”
The dark Emery tensed, his expression darkening. “Damn it! Then let me take over the main body!”
Emery merely smirked. “No… If you take the main body… you can’t make a true clone… not without my nature spells…”
“…Bastard.”
Despite their bickering, the two finally found common ground. Shinta’s safety was paramount, and they needed a plan that ensured their best chance of success.
After weighing their options, they settled on a course of action.
The dark Emery would go to the Fey planet. His mastery of space magic granted him a much better chance of infiltrating the Fey Clan. With his clone body, they could minimize risk—if danger arose, he could abandon the body and escape.
Meanwhile, the light Emery would remain behind, holding the Pestilence Gate. This way, if anything went wrong, the dark twin could instantly return.
Beyond that, Emery had crucial business in the Skyroot Clan. With his enhanced nature laws, he needed to refine the Body Enhancer Pill before the upcoming expedition. If he could impress the Warmaster, he might gain favor and open valuable doors.
But more than that, there was another matter—one that unsettled him greatly.
His twin-circle cosmic core.
What did it mean?
They were two separate entities, yet their domain was connected.
Was this separation permanent? Could they merge again?
These were questions that needed answers, and the Skyroot Patriarch might be one who could provide them.
With the plan set, the dark Emery wasted no time.
“Remember, don’t do anything reckless,” Emery warned.
“Tch. Don’t tell me what to do,” the dark twin muttered, but his voice lacked its usual bite.
A swirl of dark energy enveloped him as he vanished from the Skyroot Clan, heading toward Azure Cloud Mansion. His mission was clear: Infiltrate the Fey Clan, locate Shinta and the two boys while seeking an answer for his fey origin.
Meanwhile, the original Emery remained behind, shifting his focus to his apothecary recipes. He wasted no time and found himself staring at the ingredients laid before him to start his body enhancer pill while waiting for a chance to meet with the patriarch.
As he worked, his thoughts kept returning to his twin, the danger ahead.
“I regret this already… he gonna mess this up!”
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