Athanasia stayed resting on her knees but a knowing smile finally replaced her despair because she knew her tragic death would have to wait now that the most unpredictable lunatic she had ever met had decided to crash the party.

Aside from the woman with the sword who was drawing the most attention from the frozen army, there were other girls walking behind Jax.

Jax ignored all the stares and the absurd reality of being completely surrounded. He walked straight to Athanasia with one hand wrapped tightly around Tempris who was clutching his chest and hidden under his cloak while he extended the other hand downward to his battered student.

"Aside from that incredibly embarrassing attempt at surrender, you fought well holding them off for this long. But it is still not the time to slack off so get up. We have a lot on our plate right now."

Athanasia looked at his outstretched hand and held on tightly as she forced her exhausted body to stand.

That’s when Evangeline spoke up with the concern of someone who had actually been counting the enemy soldiers. "Professor, what exactly is the plan from here? Because looking at those numbers, fighting our way out is simply not a viable option."

Jax replied without any worry in his voice. "There would be no change in the plans. Our main objective is still safely delivering Tempris to the cultists as I have told you all before."

Before infiltrating the palace, Jax had explained this plan to the four girls and at first every single one of them was confused about what it would accomplish other than exchanging one hellish place for another for the poor child. But Jax’s confidence told them everything his words didn’t, as if he knew something they couldn’t see, and there was simply no way he would risk this child’s life after going against the strongest empire in history to save her.

Evangeline said. "I understand that, Professor. But there is absolutely no way that army is going to just let us casually walk out of here."

Jax looked at the numbers surrounding them and then at the sun that was about to rise above the horizon and clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Fine then. Let me act as the bait and the shield for you all. I will carve a path directly through them and draw every single eye to myself. Just follow the summon and leave your backs to me."

Bruise Lee materialized beside him, ready to guide the group to their destination.

Jax added. "Make sure your only job is to leave Tempris around the cultists’ line of sight and get out of the site before any suspicion grows or any interruption in the library occurs."

Hearing that, Tempris forced herself out of Jax’s hold and landed on her feet with a thud that was too loud for her tiny body. "What does that mean, Mister? Are you... are you leaving me behind?"

Jax got down on his knees in front of her and spoke. "Our parting was inevitable because we don’t share the same world. But as I said before I will protect you and I have found a way to do that. So just trust me. I promise you will have a new home, a new family, and a new life where you can grow without anyone chasing you."

Her eyes filled with tears instantly. "But I don’t want that. I want you." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Jax cleaned her teary cheeks with his thumbs and said. "I can’t do that. Remember when I told you I have people waiting for me? A family that would be worried sick? I have to return to the place where I belong."

Tempris grabbed both his hands with her tiny fingers and held on with everything she had. "Then take me with you! Take me to your world, Mister, please! You are the only one I have left!"

Jax held her hands and spoke with a voice that was fighting to stay steady. "You have to understand, little one. We are from entirely different realities. I only crossed into this world on a mission to execute you. Well things took a lot of turns and because I chose to save you, the only way you survive now is if I leave you in the hands of those who can raise you to become undeniably powerful. So please be a brave girl and try to understand because we are completely out of time."

Tempris didn’t know what to do as her world was shattering around her all over again, but she managed to say through the tears. "Mister, will we ever meet again?"

Jax said. "From what I am being told, definitely. But that depends on you and whether you want to."

She rubbed her face roughly with both hands and then turned away from him without looking back. "Then I won’t make you wait. Sister Lavinia, let’s go."

She grabbed Lavinia’s pinky finger with her tiny hand and started walking without once turning around while Jax gave Lavinia and the others a nod for their parting.

But Delphine interrupted before anyone could take another step. "Are you entirely out of your mind, Professor? If you are really thinking of going through with this plan then your ego has officially reached catastrophic levels. I know you enjoy showing off but there is a very fine line between being a genius mastermind and being a delusional martyr."

Before Jax could respond, Echidna spoke inside his mind. "The girl is right. This is just suicide. And if you are thinking of borrowing my power again then it is not possible at the moment."

Jax said to her internally. "I didn’t think about that. But now that you are back, what really happened to me back then? It was like I wasn’t in control of my own body."

Echidna replied. "I warned you about the consequences but you didn’t listen. Well I didn’t think you would be this weak to not withstand my tiny bit of power but yeah, you lost your senses and that is the price of my authority. You were lucky that your emotions won the battle because of Tempris but be sure it won’t happen every time."

Her voice turned heavier. "My power can obliterate your soul or scrub your memories completely clean. Or worse, it can shatter the cage of the demons that sleep inside every mortal heart. And once they wake up and take control, the door locks behind them forever."