Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 205 - Two Years later

The space cracked open like shattered glass floating in midair, warping with a bright pulse as something emerged from the tear. A foot touched down first, followed by the silhouette of a man cloaked in tendrils of black lightning. His breathing was slow, deep, almost reverent. Nate had returned.

He stepped fully into the world, exhaling a breath he hadn't taken in years—the scent of Earth's air, raw and familiar, filled his lungs. Two years. Two long, endless years since he vanished from the battlefield with Zoro. Now he was back.

When he opened his eyes, his irises glowed faintly, flickering with the last trace of the energy he had just traveled through. Everything around him was a frozen wasteland, white and pristine, with towering glaciers spread across the land. He immediately recognized it—he was in the Ice Fields, the ancient frozen stretch far north of where civilization dared to reach.

Before he could move, a presence flickered in front of him. A figure phased into existence slowly, like a projection sharpening into reality. It was Jack.

Jack's feet hovered just a few inches above the ground, his body glowing faintly with a strange hue of silvery blue light. He had grown taller—his face more angular, more defined. No longer the twelve-year-old kid. He now stood like someone who had seen too much too soon.

His legs finally touched the ground.

"You're back," Jack said with a grin.

Nate returned the smile, arms folding casually across his chest. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Jack gave a knowing tilt of the head. "Is there anything I don't know these days?"

Nate's smile faded slightly as his eyes narrowed in acknowledgment. He understood the weight behind those words. Jack had changed. Whatever that stone was—whatever that strange power was—it had done something unimaginable to him. It wasn't just a power-up. It was a transformation.

Jack's eyes glowed with quiet depth as he looked Nate over. "Where did you go? That was the only thing I couldn't figure out. Everything else, I saw. I knew. But not that."

Nate said nothing. His arms remained folded, and he just smiled faintly.

But Jack stared harder now, eyes searching deeper, not physically but spiritually. Then, after a pause, his lips parted.

"You went home," Jack said softly.

Nate's body stiffened.

"You went to see your father."

The words hit harder than any punch Zoro ever threw.

Nate didn't speak. He couldn't. His lips were parted, but the words refused to come. A storm of memories rushed through him—the Koryathan chamber, the colossal throne, the beings with three glowing eyes... and him. His father. That towering, terrifying figure who shared his face but bore a presence so heavy, the sky itself trembled.

Jack laughed, almost too casually. He floated again, hovering just a bit above the ice. "All eyes talk, Nate. You forget that."

Then, he nodded once. "You know what to do now."

Before Nate could even say a word, Jack vanished. Not in a burst of energy, not with any flash. He simply wasn't there anymore.

Nate exhaled deeply.

Then he looked up at the sky, narrowed his eyes, and closed his fists. Black lightning erupted around him like an explosion of shadows and thunder. The ice cracked under his feet but didn't melt. The energy moved like it was alive, humming with suppressed rage and purpose.

Then he was gone.

Not teleported.

Just too fast.

To anyone watching, it would have seemed like Nate vanished into thin air—but he hadn't. He had moved, and the world simply wasn't fast enough to track him.

The Ice Fields echoed with the faint crackling of residual energy. The space behind him stitched shut as if nothing had ever happened.

----

The sun peeked through the thin layer of clouds, casting soft golden hues over the quiet neighborhood. Sera and Cleo jogged side by side on the empty sidewalk, their footsteps syncing with the soft rhythm of the morning breeze. Sera wore a dark hoodie pulled over her head and a face mask that covered most of her features. She'd gotten used to hiding her identity over the past two years. Ever since their battle had been broadcasted and turned into stories, comics, even anime adaptations, she couldn't go anywhere without someone pointing a camera in her face or whispering behind her back.

Cleo, on the other hand, didn't seem to care as much. She had grown taller, her ponytail swinging side to side as she jogged, sweat glistening on her forehead. But now she looked like she was dying.

"I can't... breathe..." Cleo wheezed, clutching her side. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Sera didn't slow down. "You're too weak."

Cleo threw her a glare. "You're a cheat. You've got powers and stamina. How the hell am I supposed to keep up with that?!"

Sera smirked but didn't say anything. They finally made it to the neighborhood park, where a quiet bench beneath a tree offered some shade. They dropped onto it like stones. Cleo immediately fished out a lollipop from her hoodie pocket and stuffed it into her mouth before Sera could see it.

"I saw that," Sera muttered, eyes closed as she tilted her head back, catching her breath.

"No, you didn't," Cleo mumbled, voice muffled by the candy.

They sat in silence for a while, just the sound of birds and Cleo's heavy breathing filling the air. Five minutes passed before Sera straightened her back and stood up, stretching her arms.

"Come on. One more lap."

"What?!" Cleo whined. "We've done five already! Can't we just go home?!"

"One more, Cleo. That's how you get stronger."

Cleo groaned.

Then her voice softened. "Hey... do you still think about Nate?"

Sera froze for a split second before answering with a gentle smile. "Every day."

Cleo looked up at her. "When do you think he's coming back?"

Sera took a deep breath, her smile turning bittersweet. "I don't know. Soon."

Cleo stopped walking. "You've been saying 'soon' for two years. He never showed up. Maybe he's..."

"Don't say it," Sera cut in firmly.

They stood in silence. Then a voice spoke from beside them, calm and quiet. "He'll be here soon. Just have a little faith."

Neither of them looked at first. The voice was so soft it blended with the breeze. But then Cleo slowly turned to the man sitting casually at the edge of the bench beside them.

And her heart nearly stopped.

The lollipop slipped from her mouth and hit the pavement with a soft clack.

Sera turned too, her eyes widening behind her mask.

There he was.

Nate.

No longer the same Nate who had disappeared two years ago. He looked taller, sharp, eyes calm and unreadable. His hair was slightly longer, and his aura felt heavier, more refined—like standing in front of a force of nature wrapped in human skin.

His eyes locked onto Sera's, and that calm smirk slowly appeared on his lips.

"Miss me?"

----

Madison stood before her full-length mirror, her room quiet except for the rustling of clothes and the occasional frustrated sigh. Sunlight poured through the tall window, casting soft golden streaks across the floor and brushing against her long black hair. She held up two different outfits, trying to decide between them for her birthday party later that evening.

It was a special day—her day—and yet she couldn't settle on what to wear. One dress was a sparkly navy-blue gown, fitted perfectly to her curves, with a subtle slit along one leg and an open back. It shimmered when it caught the light, elegant and confident. The other was a simpler lavender sundress, sleeveless, flowing, with delicate lace lining the edges. It gave off a relaxed, gentle vibe.

She slipped on the navy-blue gown, tugging the zipper up as she turned side to side in the mirror. Her transformation over the past two years was undeniable. She had grown into herself. Her features had sharpened—not harshly, but beautifully. Her jawline was more defined, her cheekbones higher, and her skin now carried a radiant glow, smooth and polished like porcelain kissed by moonlight. Her body had matured too, strong and graceful, no longer the girl she was two years ago.

She turned slightly, looking at the way the gown hugged her frame. It was stunning. Her hair fell down her back in natural waves, and her eyes seemed to glow with a quiet intensity. Still, she hesitated.

Madison removed the gown and tossed it gently onto her bed. She reached for the lavender dress and slipped it on, smoothing the fabric as she turned back to the mirror. It looked good too, but now she was truly torn between them. She stood in the middle of her room with a dress on and the other in her hands, debating endlessly.

Then a voice broke the silence.

"Wear the one on your right."

Madison didn't even flinch. She smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, I knew it had to be this one." It came out naturally, as if the voice had been there all along—as if it were someone she talked to daily. She turned to the gown she had just removed, holding it up once more, admiring the way it shimmered even off her body.

But then something in her shifted. Her fingers suddenly lost grip, the dress slipped from her hands and fell to the floor in a heap. Her breath caught in her throat.

Wait.

Her mind froze.

That voice.

It wasn't in her head.

She turned around, eyes wide, body tense, heart beating fast.

(Pls don't download the next chapter, I made a mistake posting the same thing twice)