*thud*

The moment they crossed the threshold of the final glowing archway, the Dead Clock Spire released them.

Both Rheanne and Brandon collapsed to the ground as the cool, fresh air of the outside world washed over them like a blessing.

They were lying on soft grass under an open, perfectly normal blue sky.

Birds sang in the distance, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees.

Brandon blinked his eyes slowly, trying to reorient himself.

He stared up at the clear blue sky, watching a few white clouds drift lazily overhead.

For the first time in what felt like days, he could breathe fresh air.

At that moment, a warm energy flowed through his body.

It started in his chest and spread outward to his body.

The pain in his wounds began to fade rapidly, and then his left arm began to regrow.

Flesh, muscle, bone, and skin knitted themselves back together in a smooth, painless process.

Fingers formed, then a palm, then a full arm.

He flexed the new hand and clenched his fist gently.

"...Thank you," he whispered, knowing whose healing energy this was.

Rheanne lay beside him on the grass, and her wounds were already closing under the same warm, golden energy.

The bloodstains on her white dress remained, but the injuries themselves were healing rapidly, leaving only faint pink scars.

She turned her head slightly to look at him and her sky-blue eyes were soft with relief and quiet exhaustion.

"You’re welcome," she murmured.

They lay there for a long moment, side by side on the cool grass, letting the outside world wash over them.

Brandon finally pushed himself up into a sitting position, rolling his newly regenerated left shoulder to test it.

He glanced at the enormous tower behind them.

The Dead Clock Spire stood up like a dark pillar against the sky with a towering structure of black stone and glowing runes that seemed to pierce the clouds.

A deep sigh escaped his lips "I am exhausted..."

He let himself fall backward again, landing gently on top of Rheanne.

She blinked in surprise and her eyes widened for a split second as his weight settled against her.

Then a soft, amused smile touched her lips.

She didn’t push him away. Instead, she wrapped one arm loosely around his back, holding him there.

"You’re heavy..."

"Sorry," Brandon mumbled against her shoulder, too tired to move. "Just... need a minute."

Rheanne’s fingers gently threaded through his hair, brushing away some lingering sand.

"Take all the time you need," she whispered. "We made it out. That’s what matters."

They stayed like that for a long while, lying on the grass under the open sky.

Brandon’s thoughts drifted to the people waiting for him.

Florence, Ravene, Elize, Eira, Charlotte, Dhayun, Jiyeon, and Yverine.

And he would find his way back to them.

He rested his head back on her shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment.

The sun was warm on his back, and the grass was soft. The nightmare of the tower felt farther away with every passing second.

---

Brandon blinked his eyes open slowly, still half-lost in the haze of exhausted sleep.

He realized he was still resting against Rheanne’s shoulder, his head pillowed comfortably against her.

"It’s already evening?"

He gently sat up, careful not to jostle her too much, and glanced down at Rheanne.

She was still sleeping peacefully.

Some places on her white dress were torn from the fights inside the tower, exposing smooth, pale skin like the curve of her shoulder and a larger tear across her abdomen that revealed the soft plane of her stomach and the faint pink lines of newly healed scars.

He reached up and gently caressed the stray strands of white hair away from her cheek, tucking them behind her ear.

Rheanne’s eyes suddenly opened and looked up at him "So I wasn’t wrong about you."

"You are a pervert and trying to attack me while I am asleep."

"Ehh?" Brandon pulled his hand back quickly, a dry, embarrassed smile spreading across his face.

"I was just... moving your hair. It was in your face." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Rheanne sat up slowly, stretching her arms above her head with a graceful arch of her back.

The motion made the torn sections of her dress shift, but she didn’t seem to care.

With a small, amused laugh, she replied "Relax. I am jesting with you."

She lowered her arms and turned to face him fully "You looked so serious just now. I couldn’t resist."

Brandon let out a relieved chuckle, "You have a cruel sense of humor."

Rheanne’s smile softened a little "After fighting alone for so long, a little teasing feels nice."

She glanced down at her torn dress and the faint pink scars on her abdomen, then back at him.

"You did well in there, Kael. Especially with only one arm for most of the fight."

Brandon shrugged, "I had a good partner. You carried most of the heavy lifting."

Rheanne laughed lightly "You sell yourself short. Your physical strength and instincts are impressive. Even without full access to your ether, you adapted quickly."

She brushed some sand from her dress and stood up, offering him her hand.

Brandon took her hand and stood up.

Looking at him, she spoke "I know a lake nearby, we can go there to wash ourselves."

’Lake huh...’

Brandon glanced around at the place, and he could see that he was in the middle of a forest ’Guess I am really back in 1502.’

Because in 2051, every known tower on Earth was heavily guarded.

Massive barriers, military checkpoints, research teams, and warning signs surrounded them.

No one was allowed near without authorization. Here, there was none of that.

Rheanne noticed the distant look in his eyes "Is something wrong?" she asked gently.

Brandon shook his head, offering her a small, tired smile.

"No. Come on, let’s go,"

She released his hand but stayed close as they began walking together through the forest.

"The lake isn’t far. Follow me."

They moved side by side through the trees.