Oh, The Joy (End of Volume Two)

— The Chaotic Space Basin

Deep within the eighth layer of the sky, a zone was the source of all spatial law. If the laws of space were likened to a series of chains, this zone would be where every chain met up, before entangling themselves and leaving through the other side. This chaotic space was full of unstable forces powerful enough to slice a moon into fragmented particles and beautiful seven-colored light that cascaded and radiated in a mysterious natural formation. It was as beautiful as it was deadly.

Hidden in this lifeless and soundless spatial zone was a boy-sized emerald flame-covered meteor slowly floating along. If one looked closely, it was one flame but two. Within those intense green flames was a cocoon of black fire. No one who saw this would be able to recognize this as anything other than a meteor. However, inside the envelope of flames, wrapped securely, was a brown-skinned young man whose body was continually being cooked and slowly recovering in an endless cycle. His shoulder-length dreadlocks were slowly being consumed in green fire.

"How long can we do this, Sly?" Xavier Tricko was wholly panicked in the Host Space. He had been here for at least two months while Sylvester sat on Jody's head on the host seat. However, Jody's eyes were shut entirely, and he was like a statue. The two of them were shrouded in emerald flames that nearly blocked them from view. "He can't withstand the nirvana flame forever, and we can't afford to turn down the heat."

"Skyfall is the only thing keeping us alive," Sylvester was utterly exhausted. "This should be considered his first nirvanic awakening. He'll either rise from the flames as a phoenix, or I will be forced to do so for him."

If the nirvana flame weren't one with his soul, Sylvester would have no way to maintain this output. Luckily, since his soul was bound to the [Cosmos Revolving Grimoire], he could pull in the chaotic spatial forces surrounding them bit by bit to maintain this usage.

However, his source spirit was nearing its limit.

"The only way for us to escape this is for the boy to awaken!" said Sylvester through gritted teeth. "As long as he is unconscious, I cannot guide the teleportation."

During the incident at the Trillwolf Villa, Basalt invaded with his dark forces and started a massacre. The vicious army of fiends murdered people in droves. In fact, the Princes Tricko knew that these people were not only killed by the fiends, but were surely defiled repeatedly. After all, it was part of a lower-level fiend's nature to pursue vital essence. In what Sylvester could only describe as well-scripted heroism, the kid's father seems to have taken a fatal blow.

In theory, there was no way Osiris could win the subsequent battle.

His dying words to his son, this main soul Josiah of House Goldwolf, were to take care of his mother, who had been kidnapped right under the man's nose.

How drab.

If Osiris couldn't protect his women, how could Jody? There was no way for the boy to take care of himself, yet this buffoon tells his mighty heir to protect the woman already in captivity? Isn't this telling them to throw their lives away? Did he think Jody would be better off sliced to pieces rather than ending up in that voodoo priest's hands?

"This can be considered mercy," Sylvester was convinced his latest conjecture was accurate.

He didn't buy this Osiris Trillwolf's heroic act for a second. Something was suspicious. However, what could one achieve by throwing themselves on a sword?

Unless...

"Well, less of that..." Sylvester chose to think about this later.

Due to Jody's stupidity, Sylvester was forced to seize control of Jody's body in the final moments, or Basalt would have gutted them like so many fish. He over-drafted their soul force by using his lifeblood powers to initiate a teleport spell. However, the backlash was swifter and harsher than Sylvester imagined. He was unable to finish the spell. Of course, the alternative was uncertain death and inevitable torture, so this didn't seem so bad by comparison.

Sylvester clenched his teeth, his energy draining rapidly as he attempted to hold on to the chaotic forces in the Host Space.

"How long will you last?" asked Xavier once more.

"This is our only chance, and we must not fail," Sylvester whispered urgently. "I must not fail."

Jody's body twitched involuntarily, and eyes suddenly snapped open beneath the thick green flames. The boy's expression was one of terror and determination as he reached out to grasp Sylvester's astral hand in his own.

"You're awake again. Protect your mind, and close up your consciousness. This will get pretty complicated," Sylvester said calmly. "There is no time law in chaotic space basin, so there is no real gauge on how long we'll be here."

"I won't fail you, Sly," Jody promised as his eyelids started to fall..

At his side, Xavier couldn't help but glance over to his brother, concern etched into his features. He knew this was their last hope, and they would be lost if it failed.

"We must not lose faith, X. Be strong, be strong..." Jody murmured under his breath.

As one, all three focused on the task at hand. The world around them seemed to shimmer and dance, becoming unstable and chaotic. Suddenly, with a jolt, everything seemed to lurch forward, and in an instant, everything fell away. Then it suddenly popped back into existence. Jody was so overwhelmed that he passed out again.

As the meteor continued to float through the chaotic space basin, Xavier and Sylvester's conversations revealed the stakes of their current predicament. The nirvana flame was slowly cooking Jody's body, and the only way to escape was for Jody to awaken and guide their path. Unfortunately, the kid couldn't stay conscious long enough to grasp the problems.

Sylvester tried to deduce the logic behind Osiris' death, suspecting foul play. However, he could not finish the exit spell, leading to further devastation. Basalt's forces had already wreaked havoc, and they needed to act fast before the evil forces engulfed them. Meanwhile, Kamila struggled against the bubble that held her captive, desperately trying to break free. The energy she had unknowingly harnessed made her determination fierce, but she struggled to understand her newfound abilities and situation.

Josiah felt hot and sticky as he floated forward, his eyelids shaking with fear. Sylvester had told him about the nirvana flame and how it could consume him whole. But there was no other choice. He had to awaken and fast. The alternative was unthinkable.

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy and willpower on one singular point within his body. He could feel the flame licking at his skin, burning him from the inside out. But he refused to give in to the pain.

"Jody, awaken!" Sylvester pleaded with him, his voice ragged and strained. "We need you to help us escape!"

Two years passed.

Although he was deep roasting Josiah's body severely due to his nirvanic flame protection, he also couldn't help but do so. If he relented, they would be torn to shreds. The boy's body wasn't strong enough to handle this. However, the flames would not melt him totally as if he were an immortal phoenix. He was nearly a skeleton at one point, and even Sylvester had to second-guess his decision. However, with time Jody's heart started to pump insanely vigorous life essence, and his flesh rapidly regenerated.

This startled the two princes, and neither could understand why.

It was an absolute wonder.

"Is it...nirvana? Or is he...self-healing?" Xavier asked in total puzzlement.

"The nirvana flame is in both offensive and defensive mode running at my full capacity. I can not spare any focus on regeneration as it consumes far too much energy. It consumes more energy than either of these combined." Sylvester was ruminating, "No... I believe it is Jody's soul that is activating the healing properties of the flames already in his flesh on its own and converting it into life essence as it passes through his heart."

"Trippy," said Xavier in awe.

"I'm sorry?" Sylvester had never heard his younger brother speak in this manner.

"It's what Jody says whenever he learns something unexpected," Xavier shrugged.

"Ah." Sylvester seemed to realize that this was true, "It is trippy, indeed."

"How long can you keep this up?"

"Five more hours, and I'll be forced into hibernation," responded Sylvester indifferently.

"What?!" Xavier felt like he was going to go crazy.

How was this bastard older brother of his so calm right now? This was a crisis for them all! "What are we going to do?"

"Sigh..." Sylvester looked down at the statue-like young man in the throne below him, "Perhaps, it is up to fate."

"Ugh, what kind of fate are we talking about here?" Xavier exclaimed in frustration. "Is this the fate you've been talking about before? You know, that fabled concept that seems to get us into more trouble than it helps us out of?"

Sylvester sighed, clearly exasperated by Xavier's reaction. "Look, Xavier, I wish we had a choice, but in this case, we simply don't. We must trust that fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, will guide us through this."

"Fine," Xavier begrudgingly agreed. "But if this so-called 'fate' leads us to get ourselves killed again, I'm going to have words with whoever is responsible."

Sylvester couldn't help but chuckle at his younger brother's stubbornness. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to remind them of your threats."

Time seemed to crawl as the hours ticked by, each one bringing them closer to Sylvester's hibernation. Xavier paced back and forth, his frustration growing with each step. Finally, the clock struck the last few minutes before Sylvester could not continue.

"Are you ready?" Sylvester asked, his voice low and steady.

Xavier took a deep breath and looked at his older brother, trying to gather his courage. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Together, they focused their energies and began the spell to escape.

A sudden and violent explosion echoed throughout the Host Space, shaking its foundations and causing Jody to stir again. His eyes flickered open, revealing a determined glint as he forced himself to his feet.

"I won't let Basalt win," Jody declared, his voice firm and determined.

Sylvester and Xavier exchanged a look of relief and hope. Perhaps this was the break they needed.

"We have to start moving towards the exit," Sylvester instructed, "but it's not going to be easy. It seems the energy we're emitting has attracted unwanted attention."

As they descended through the Chaotic Space, they were pursued by dark, malevolent forces. Xavier and Sylvester fought back with everything they had, drawing upon their inner reserves of strength and willpower. Jody, too, was awakened to soul powers he didn't know he possessed, feeling an almost primal urge to unleash his newfound abilities.

Together, the three of them held their ground against the relentless tide of darkness. Every breath they took, every ounce of energy they expended, felt like the most vital thing they could do. The universe's fate seemed to hang in the balance, and they were its only hope.

And then, without warning, the darkness receded. The pursuing forces vanished, and the Host Space came to a sudden, jerky halt.

"What just happened?" Xavier asked, panting.

Unfortunately, when he looked at Jody, he saw the host soul's eyes closed again. With the boy unconscious again, they had no way of knowing his exact situation. However, the cold and desolate feeling of the host space suddenly became warm and lively. The black surrounding them suddenly gave way to beautiful scenery. But this wasn't the scenery of Pangaea.

"Are these...memories?" Xavier exclaimed as he watched a young titan entering the world from a first-person point of view. "Is this how the kid always sees these? Hey Sly..."

With a sense of shock and disbelief, Xavier finally noticed that the adorable puppy perched on Jody's head had disappeared, along with the mesmerizing emerald flames that surrounded it. In a sudden moment of clarity, he realized that he was standing alone in what seemed to be a Titan's personal art exhibit inside his own mind. A personal cinema that only had one movie playing in a loop.

Oh, the joy.

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Author's note: Hello, my loyal readers! Thank you so much for reading volume two. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first and second volumes. Be sure to leave me a review if you enjoy the story! The new volume won't be released until after my birthday on the fifth of January. In the meantime, be sure to check out my other book Eternal Luck. The stories are linked in a way that won't be revealed for a long time to come. Thanks for reading!