“He’s okay, he’s just not waking up,” Minhyun said. He had lost the connection to Junior but been able to reestablish quickly, finding the leader’s mind knocked out – incurably exhausted, at least for the moment.

There wasn’t much with which to console Ren who’d have to wait until Junior’s sleeping body was moved back to the ruins of their base.

“We should come up with something,” Minhyun said. “A place to go, I mean. We can’t stay here. Somebody’s bound to come up and have a look around after all those explosions and I don’t want to fight the police.”

Ren shook his head. “Only Junior knew what resources the organization still had. I don’t even have anyone’s phone numbers. If Lin made it out the other side of the mountain we’ll never see him again.”

“Its fine, he’ll wake up,” Minhyun said about the leader’s condition. “Maybe we can stay at a hotel or something? It would be difficult with him sleeping. Although…perhaps we have to visit the hospital. We could say he had a or…”

The dream-walker realized that the other boy wasn’t paying attention. They were all exhausted, no doubt. But it was over. They had won. Once Aron and Jason came back they’d take on the next challenges one step at a time.

***

“Do listen, my child!” Lady Luck’s voice reverberated through his brain.

***

Minhyun found himself in the throne room, facing the glowing figure on her crystal seat.

“Fear not,” she said, “I have commanded you here, for you must hear of your ultimate purpose.”

“Woah,” Minhyun said. How had he even gotten to this place?

“The rift exposing your home world to the Void is too great to close from our side. You can receive a gift akin to what Junior obtained – and do what we cannot.”

“Slow down, Lady!” Minhyun couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening to him in the span of ten seconds. “It’s not over?”

“The Shadow,” she continued, “has fallen. And yet the gravest danger remains. The Void, which seeks only to enslave and plunder has used the Shadow’s doing to widen the rift. They can enter at great cost to themselves, but the riches of your universe will more than compensate for their efforts. If humankind is to remain free, I must bestow upon you as much energy as I can transfer. We will do what we can from our side, but know that your contribution is the obstacle which can truly be their downfall.”

Minhyun rubbed his temples. “Let me get this straight. You want to overcharge me like Junior – who is now unconscious by the way, thanks a lot – and you want me to battle the biggest baddies in the multiverse.”

“Correct.”

If it was true he had to do it, of course. Junior had believed her and taken the deal. He had to follow his leader’s example no matter the cost. He had to safe earth if he could. He had to safe Aron. Wait…Aron!

“Why am I here alone?” Minhyun asked. “Where are the others?”

For the first time there was more than just a small hint of emotion in her voice. Her regret was unmissable. “The only way we can help is by using the rift to transport energy to you. But the rift is guarded and defended by the Void. We cannot afford to fight them for access and so must use cunning. A narrow focus can pass undetected. It is enough only to imbue but one of you.”

“Why me?”

It had been a rash, instinctive question. He was almost…mad. How could they just put the weight of the world on his shoulders after all the hardship they had survived as a group?

Lady Luck descended from her throne.

She moved without touching the ground, carried by unseen forces.

The shining being illuminated the air ahead – dust specks or other imperfections refracting her emanation. She hovered with boundless grace into arm’s reach.

“When I first gained access to your world,” she said, “I was intrigued. I watched from afar, hoping to understand the greater whole. I am truly sorry I did not see earlier how your lives are meaningful all on their own. I was missing an understanding of what your kind calls ‘the human condition’.”

She raised her hand and held it as if about to Minhyun’s cheek. Without touching him, she lowered it again.

“I have made so many mistakes,” she continued. “But you…you were not one of them. You were the first I imbued, years before the others. Your generosity, your kindness, your forbearance – of all the humans I have examined you alone I judged able to resist the corrupting temptation of power. Was it not for you, I would never have bothered seeking those you now call friends.”

Minhyun took deep breaths to fight down the lump in his throat.

“Alright,” he said weakly. “I’ll do it.”

Lady Luck nodded. “I will attempt to pour just enough energy into your psyche to give you what you need. There may come a point where you might have to choose if you will continue or surrender. Either’s choice’s consequences I wish you would not have to bare.”

“I want to protect. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Blinding light enveloped him. The woman’s voice became distorted as if reaching him from far away. “As you will it, my son.”

“Why do you call me your s-“

***

“A hospital is probably a good idea,” Ren said, “but I think all our papers burned to a crisp.”

He was back. Minhyun was in the bunker again and it seemed no time had passed.

It had not been a dream, he was sure of it. Was he already overcharged or had gained new powers? How could he test it?

Holding up his hand to signal Ren to wait, Minhyun attempted to link. His mind linked. And linked and linked and linked and linked-

The superlink extended into Baekho, the two present men, the far away rest of Nuest and – after a split second – also all of Jade-Lion-City in one fell swoop. Souls innumerable poured themselves into Minhyun’s brain like avalanches crashing down a funnel. His thoughts were momentarily suspended – drowned out by a million others. He couldn’t think anymore. But he experienced. All that his link-partners were, he experienced.

Although no conscious thought was possible, he understood. Like in Plato’s universal space back in the dreamscape he knew the experiences of uncountable humans as if he had lived every one of them. Had this been Lady Luck’s approach to understand humankind? Was this how her species thought?

The superlink spread further, encompassing many millions more, integrating their experiences, their knowledge. Before long the first non-Chinese groups were added as Minhyun’s range jumped across borders. Vaguely he felt the unensouled lives of cattle, of wild animals, of sea creatures added to his network. His reach extended beyond the ocean, to other continents.

Then the filter kicked in and Minhyun regained the ability to tell other’s thoughts from his.

He realized he was screaming on top of his lungs and Ren stared at him with wide eyes. Of course the empath wasn’t able to tell exactly what had happened but he couldn’t have missed the stark change.

“It’s okay,” Minhyun said with a hoarse voice. “I just got an upgrade like Junior.”

“Is that why you’re glowing?” Ren asked and took a step back.

The superlinker looked down on himself and saw all his cells linked to his essence, their ever shifting nature and microscopic processes apparent to him effortlessly. He was shining like Lady Luck herself.

Then matter began to speak. The stone beneath his feet sang to him of the eons it had seen, the mountain around hummed with the might of epochs that lasted forever and had come to an end still. The air around his body swirled across his skin in patterns too complex to predict in the lifetime of the universe and yet so beautifully perfect as if immutably destined.

Minhyun wished to rise and the elements agreed. Gravity deferred to his decision.

Hovering high, watching the ceiling give way to clear his path obediently, he looked down at Ren.

“I’m sorry,” the reborn Prince said. “I have to go.”

Breaking every speed record, Minhyun accelerated out of the atmosphere and left earth behind. Space-time whispered of the terrible tear in its midst, just beyond the moon’s orbit, disgracing the glorious face of the solar systems changeless order.

The rift awaited.