The two of them sat quietly for a moment before Liam’s expression became serious again.

"And one more thing."

Dickson glanced sideways.

"Hmm?"

Liam leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his hands as he stared at the brightening sky.

"Don’t show them what you can do."

Dickson frowned.

"What?"

"Never show people everything you have."

Liam’s voice remained calm.

"If you have ten abilities, let them think you only have five. If you have five, let them think you have two."

Dickson’s expression slowly shifted.

"Never use your strongest move unless your life is actually on the line," Liam continued. "Let friends underestimate you. Let enemies underestimate you. The moment people think they’ve figured you out, they start planning around what they know."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Never let them know everything."

The mountain breeze swept through them.

Dickson stared at him before rolling his eyes.

"I’ve been doing that just fine."

Liam immediately kicked him in the thigh.

"Asshole!"

"Ouch!"

"At least pretend to listen, asshole."

Dickson rubbed his leg.

"I was listening!"

"You literally responded by praising yourself."

"Because I’m naturally gifted."

Liam kicked him again.

"Stop that!"

Dickson burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Liam shook his head helplessly before continuing.

"If you guys ever encounter someone ridiculously strong..."

His voice lowered.

"...I want you to run."

Dickson stopped laughing.

"Take everyone with you."

Liam looked toward him.

"Everyone."

Dickson listened quietly.

"Even Lilith."

The seriousness in Liam’s tone was impossible to miss.

"I don’t care what the situation is. I don’t care what pride says. I don’t care about honor."

His eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

"If you can’t win..."

"Run."

Dickson stared at him for a few seconds.

Then nodded.

"Of course."

His answer came easily.

"I’m not letting my cousin die over something stupid."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"I’ll drag her out of there before she even notices."

Liam exhaled slowly.

The relief that washed over him was difficult to describe.

He trusted Dickson.

More than anyone else.

He trusted him with his life.

And now...

He could leave knowing the people waiting behind would have someone watching over them.

The burden resting in his chest eased significantly.

Then Dickson suddenly grinned.

"You know..."

"Hmm?"

"I’ll miss your stupid ass."

Liam looked at him before laughing softly.

"Could say the same about you."

Dickson snorted.

"You better."

The two friends sat side by side atop the mountain.

Neither said anything for several minutes.

Eventually...

They both started laughing.

It wasn’t because of a joke.

It wasn’t because anything funny had happened.

It was simply because after everything they’d gone through together, it felt strange imagining a future where they wouldn’t annoy each other daily.

Then...

Dickson suddenly sat upright.

His eyes widened.

"Liam."

"Hmm?"

"Think about it."

"What?"

"This world you’re going to."

Liam turned toward him.

"Yeah?"

Dickson slowly grinned.

His grin widened.

Then widened even more.

"There’ll probably be aliens there, right?"

Liam blinked.

"...Probably?"

Dickson slapped his own thigh excitedly.

"ALIEN BADDIES!"

"..."

Liam stared at him.

Dickson leaned forward enthusiastically.

"Think about it, dawg."

He started counting with his fingers.

"Tiny hips."

"..."

"Wide hips."

"..."

"Sexy."

"..."

"Petite."

"..."

"Thick."

"..."

"Muscle mommy aliens."

"..."

"Cute alien girls."

"..."

"Dommy alien queens."

"..."

"Short ones."

"..."

"Tall ones."

"..."

"There are literally infinite possibilities!"

Dickson looked ready to cry.

"Dawg..."

His voice trembled emotionally.

"You have any idea how blessed you are right now?"

Liam continued staring.

Dickson grabbed his shoulders dramatically.

"You gotta take pictures!"

"..."

"And bring me alien baddies too!"

"..."

"I’m sure they’re gonna be dying to come to Earth once they see my majestic face."

Silence.

Liam slowly sat up.

He looked at Dickson with a genuinely stunned expression.

Dickson frowned immediately.

"What?"

Liam didn’t answer.

He simply continued staring.

"What?"

Liam blinked.

"You just convinced me that you acting like an idiot all these years..."

He paused.

"...might not actually be an act."

Dickson’s eye twitched.

"Now I genuinely don’t know if you’re pretending..."

Liam looked him dead in the eye.

"...or if you’re just straight-up retarded."

"..."

Dickson immediately shot to his feet.

"FUCK OFF!"

Liam burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"You should’ve seen your face!"

"I’M BEING SERIOUS!"

"You listed alien body types like a shopping catalogue!"

"BECAUSE I’M A VISIONARY!"

"You need help."

"You need to stop gatekeeping alien women!"

Liam laughed so hard his stomach hurt.

Dickson pointed accusingly at him.

"Promise me!"

"No."

"Promise me!"

"No."

"Dawg!"

"No!"

"You selfish bastard!"

Their voices echoed across the mountain peak, mixing with the cold breeze and morning sunlight as two best friends argued passionately over hypothetical alien girlfriends while standing at the edge of the world.

And somehow...

Neither of them wanted that moment to end.

*******

A month later, the day had finally arrived.

Liam stood in front of an old abandoned house together with Irina and Leonid, the three of them waiting beneath the pale morning sky as a cool breeze drifted through the quiet street.

The house looked completely ordinary.

No.

Ordinary was giving it too much credit.

It looked terrible.

The paint had peeled off years ago, exposing cracked concrete beneath. Several of the windows were boarded up with uneven planks of wood, while the ones that remained intact were coated in enough dust to make it seem like nobody had lived there for decades. Wild grass grew around the fence, reaching up toward rusted metal that had long surrendered to time.

It looked less like the headquarters of a powerful coven of witches and more like the kind of place children dared each other to enter.

Liam shifted the duffel bag hanging over his shoulder and glanced around for what felt like the hundredth time.

"So this is where witches live?" he asked, looking unconvinced.

Irina folded her arms.

"Apparently."

Liam’s eyes drifted toward the surrounding area.

Forest stretched behind the abandoned neighborhood, thick trees swaying gently beneath the morning breeze. Occasionally, a car would pass along the cracked road several meters away before disappearing around the bend, its occupants completely unaware that a vampire, an alpha werewolf, and whatever Liam had become were standing casually beside an abandoned building.

It felt surreal.

Even Leonid remained unusually quiet.

His pale eyes moved around carefully, taking in everything without saying a word.

Liam sighed.

"You know..." he began. "When I imagined witches, I pictured giant castles hidden in mountains."

Irina glanced sideways at him.

"You’ve watched too many movies."

"I thought there’d at least be floating candles."

"There are no floating candles."

"What about talking cats?"

Irina pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Liam."

"Hmm?"

"Be serious for five minutes."

Liam grinned.

"I am serious."

Leonid looked between them before speaking flatly.

"I was hoping for floating candles."

Irina stared at him.

"...You too?"

Leonid looked away.

"I never said anything."

Liam immediately burst into laughter.

Before Irina could respond, the sound of tires approaching echoed from nearby.

A taxi slowly pulled up along the side of the road.

The four doors remained closed for several seconds before the rear passenger door finally opened.

Then Tatiana stepped out.

Liam’s smile appeared instantly.

For a brief moment, everything else faded into the background.

She looked different from the last time he’d seen her.

Not because she had changed.

But because an entire month apart had somehow made him notice details he’d overlooked before.

Tatiana adjusted the strap of the travel bag resting against her shoulder before thanking the driver quietly. The morning sunlight caught in her long red hair, making the loose waves shimmer with warm copper undertones as they spilled over her shoulders and down her back.

She had dressed comfortably for the journey.

Dark fitted jeans hugged her long legs before disappearing into sturdy brown boots built for travel rather than fashion. Above that, she wore a cream-colored sweater beneath a light jacket, practical clothing chosen for whatever dangers awaited them beyond Earth.

Even dressed simply, she stood out.

Her figure possessed that effortless balance few people naturally had.

She wasn’t exaggerated.

She didn’t need to be.

A narrow waist flowed into fuller lower curves that gave her silhouette an undeniably feminine elegance. Combined with her runway-model features, high cheekbones, full lips, and striking eyes that softened whenever she lowered her guard, she drew attention without trying.

At first, her gaze remained fixed on the ground.

Then she looked up.

Her eyes immediately found Liam.

And stopped.

For an entire month, she had only remembered him.

Now, seeing him again...

He looked exactly the same.

Dark hair slightly longer than before.

Blue eyes carrying their usual warmth.

A relaxed smile that somehow managed to look both playful and devastatingly attractive at the same time.

Tatiana’s heartbeat betrayed her instantly.

Liam lifted a hand.

"Hey."

"...Hi."

Irina narrowed her eyes.

"What took you so long?"

Tatiana blinked before turning toward her.

"S-Sorry."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I got stuck in traffic."

Irina stared at her for several seconds before shaking her head.

"Of course you did."

Without waiting for further explanation, she turned.

"Let’s go."

Leonid followed immediately.