The Nexus gate remained steady as Luthar completed the final adjustments. The system responded to each input without delay, while the servo-skulls moved around him, finishing the last placements before gradually coming to rest.
He didn't rush. There was no need to.
Only those directly involved remained in the chamber.
Luthar stood at the control station, focused on the system, his attention fixed on the interface as he finalized the sequence.
Loki remained a short distance away, her attention shifting between the platform and Wiene. She observed the girl quietly without interrupting.
Lily was already prepared, standing nearby with her usual readiness. Riveria stood beside Loki, quiet and composed, her presence as steady as ever.
Loki's gaze lingered on Wiene for a moment before she spoke, her tone casual.
"You're sending her with me?"
"Yes," Luthar replied without looking away from the controls.
Loki studied Wiene for another moment, as if weighing the decision.
"Why?"
"She can't stay inside all the time. It's not good for her."
Loki considered that, her expression unchanged.
"Then take her out here. Go for a walk somewhere public. Why send her with me?"
"I could," Luthar said, "but people here wouldn't react well to her."
He didn't leave the point vague or attempt to soften it.
Loki's attention briefly returned to Wiene.
"Are people there more accepting?"
"No."
She looked back at him.
"Then it's the same thing."
"Not quite."
Luthar didn't hesitate.
"Here, I avoid conflict. I like this world as it is, and I'm not interested in accidentally damaging it."
His tone remained even.
"There, I don't have to."
There was no emphasis in his voice, nor did he offer any further explanation.
Loki held his gaze for a moment before exhaling quietly, acknowledging his point without pressing further.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind. It was rather amusing to hear him speak so casually about avoiding conflict when, not long ago, he had wiped out an entire Familia without a second thought.
The contrast wasn't lost on her.
She chose not to mention it.
By then, the Nexus platform had settled into its final state.
Everyone who needed to go had already taken their positions.
Luthar remained at the control station, his attention fixed on the system. A short distance behind him, Finn stood watching, with Aiz beside him. Both remained silent.
Neither of them moved forward. They were simply there to see the others off.
Near the platform, Loki stepped forward first, relaxed but deliberate. Riveria followed at her side, maintaining her usual composure.
Lily moved next, already prepared for the journey. Wiene stayed close to her, her gaze shifting between Loki and the platform. She appeared alert and uncertain, but made no attempt to resist.
"Get ready," Luthar said.
There was no need to raise his voice.
The system responded immediately.
The space above the platform shifted slightly, tightening just enough to signal activation.
And then they were gone.
The teleportation took no time at all. One moment, they were standing on the platform.
The next, they were somewhere else entirely.
---
They now stood inside the forge lab.
The room was still. Metal plates covered the floor in a clean, seamless pattern, while the workstations along the walls remained as they had been left. Most were dark and inactive, with only a few systems showing faint signs of standby operation.
No one spoke at first.
Lily moved first. She stepped forward, gave the room a quick but practiced scan, and headed straight for the main control console. Her fingers moved across the interface without hesitation, bringing the systems back online as if she had never left.
Wiene stayed close behind her, quietly observing her unfamiliar surroundings. Her gaze moved from the equipment to the others and back again, taking in everything without saying a word.
"I hope my assistants haven't committed suicide while I was gone," Lily muttered.
The logs loaded quickly, displaying the current time and date.
She paused, then checked them again to make sure it wasn't a simple display error.
"Sixty-three days," Lily said, glancing over her shoulder. "I thought time wasn't supposed to move at all."
She didn't sound particularly worried, just mildly annoyed, as if the situation were more inconvenient than serious.
"Looks like Luthar's technology isn't as good as he thinks."
Loki let out a quiet breath, her gaze drifting lazily across the room as she took in the layout without any particular concern.
"Or maybe time just got tired of him," she remarked lightly.
Behind her, Riveria took a step forward before abruptly stopping.
Her movement faltered as she realized she couldn't move her foot properly.
She looked down.
The tip of her heel had sunk slightly into the metal floor. Not deeply, but enough to catch. It wasn't serious damage, merely a minor misalignment during the transfer. Her position hadn't settled perfectly when they arrived.
She tested it once.
For a brief moment, it remained stuck.
Loki immediately noticed.
"That's inconvenient," she remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Riveria didn't respond. Instead, she shifted her weight slightly, adjusting her balance with control rather than force. Her heel came free without any difficulty.
There was no real damage, just a faint mark where it had pressed against the surface.
Loki glanced at the mark before looking back at Riveria.
"Well," she said casually, "looks like we'll have to go shopping."
Lily, still standing at the console, turned slightly at the comment.
"Shopping?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Her gaze briefly dropped to the faint mark on the floor before returning to Riveria.
"Sure. Why not? We could all use some new shoes, and perhaps a few new dresses after that little misalignment."
Without making much of it, she opened a drawer beside the console and pulled out a black card, slipping it into her pocket as though it already belonged there.
"Let's grab a car," she said. "Then we'll drive to the nearest city."
Loki let out a quiet laugh, her attention already shifting toward the exit.
"I'll leave that to you. Just pick somewhere nice."
Riveria gave a small nod and started toward the door, her posture unchanged.
Lily stepped away from the console, and Wiene followed immediately, staying close to her without hesitation.
The four of them left the lab together, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance. The faint mark on the floor remained behind, forgotten almost as soon as they had left.
---
Author note: While I can finally look at the screen for hours, Mom's situation is better; but my own mind is that too much is distracted, and I can't focus for long. Of course, there is also Mom, who calls me from time to time for other things, so now I need to think out to restart writing. If you have any suggestions, you can put them out, while I would also try to improve my concentration.