Ravenswood house.

Luther took the leftover beef stew out of the refrigerator, poured it all into a large bowl, and microwaved it for a few minutes. After that, he stepped into the backyard garden, picked some fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and made a big, full plate of salad to go along with the meal.

"Hmm, it does smell pretty good," Acher said, drool dripping from his beak.

As soon as Luther placed the food on the dining table, the raven dove headfirst into the steaming hot bowl of beef stew and began devouring it.

He ate with such ferocity that bits of food went flying everywhere.

If one had to describe the way he ate, it would be a mixture of a duck and a pig, and to make it worse, it was as if that pig had leapt straight into the feeding trough itself. On top of that, he kept kicking his legs and flapping his wings every now and then, making the stew splatter across the table.

Seeing the dining table, which he had cleaned well after dinner, now turned into a complete disaster zone, Luther had to use every bit of self-control not to grab the raven and throw him straight out the window.

"Hmm, the meat isn’t fresh. If you replaced it with high-quality Anthen beef, it would taste much better. Minos beef would also work. However, I’ll give you credit; the cooking method is quite elaborate, and the spices are complex. I also do enjoy this sweet and sour dressing in the salad," Acher commented in between bites.

It took him just about five minutes to finish every last piece, and when he flapped his wings, ready to fly back to Luther’s shoulder, the boy grabbed him by the neck.

"Shower," Luther said.

His face was as deadpan as ever, but his tone left no room for discussion.

He carried Acher into the bathroom and gave them both a shower. On his right hand, he wore a plastic glove to keep water from soaking the wound.

He turned the shower handle to the highest temperature possible.

Water streamed down from his head to his neck, then ran over the mark on his chest, soaking the new moon-shaped symbol. Steam rose from the hot water, filling the entire bathroom.

Cold. Why does it feel so cold?

For some reason, ever since he had woken up after the ritual, a deep chill had clung to him, gnawing from within. It was not a simple coldness of the skin; it came from deep inside his bones. Even with the scalding water running all over him, he could not dispel that icy sensation that seeped into his body.

After showering, Luther began drying Acher with a towel.

First, he rubbed the towel over the raven’s body with a tender touch, from head to tail, then went back to pay special attention to every small detail. Next, he worked on the wings, letting the towel glide over each individual feather. Finally, he wiped each claw clean, even taking care of the narrow gaps between the raven’s toes.

"Yes, right there," Acher said, the enjoyment of this special treatment plain in his manner.

He lifted his wings and raised his legs to cooperate with every single one of Luther’s movements.

"From now on, I can add this to my list of titles: ‘the master of an Ascended One.’ Even though he was also one, he had never served me like this," Acher said in a satisfied tone while Luther used the blow dryer to dry his feathers.

Noticing the boy trembling with a faint shiver, the raven tilted his head and asked:

"What’s wrong? Are you cold?"

Luther gave a small nod.

"Maybe a flu. Need to. Take medicine," he said.

"No medicine will help you. The truth is, you died in the Moon Ascension Ritual. Dead in every sense of the word. That was the unavoidable price to awaken the power of a reaper and unveil the Cloak of Ambiguity. No living being can take on the role of death itself," Acher explained. "After the ritual was complete, you became an Ascended One, and that allowed your soul to return to your body one more time.”

So that was the reason. Luther thought.

"However, right now you still exist in a state that is half-living and half-dead, so it is natural for you to feel cold. It will take some time before the ascended power gradually cures your body. On top of that, the dark magic itself is cold in nature," Acher continued. "You’ll need to learn how to control it. The good news is that now you are ageless. Time has already lost its meaning for you."

Ageless? Was there something wrong with this raven?

"How long … until full recovery?" Luther asked.

"I can’t give you an exact answer. It depends on how long you take to reach grand rank. With the current conditions in the Origin, if you’re lucky, it might only be five or ten years, but if things drag on, it could take several decades. Just a bit of time anyway."

Five or ten years? Several decades?? Just “a bit of time”???

Luther’s face at that moment:

-_-

Acher, reading the boy’s ever-blank expression, said:

"There are other ways to help you recover faster. Certain items can speed up the process of advancing to higher levels."

"What items?" Luther asked.

He was freezing and couldn’t imagine enduring this for even one more day, let alone years or even decades.

"There are many. Purewhite etherstones, dragon blood, a cyclops’ eye, golden apples, the intestines of storm worms, nymph hair …" Acher listed. "However, I can sense that the density of magic in the Origin right now, or what you call the Earth, is much thinner than it was nine thousand years ago. I’m not sure what has happened to this realm, but those items are easier to find in worlds where magical energy is abundant."

Golden apples? Intestines? What kind of ridiculous things were those? Luther was certain that finding them would not be easy.

"Do you have any other questions?" Acher asked.

"Who is. My ancestor?" Luther asked.

"Right now, you shouldn’t know. You are too weak, and learning that would just trouble your mind. All you need to know is that he no longer exists in this world. Before that foolish boy stepped onto the path of his own destruction, he got a vision about your arrival, so he prepared everything for you in advance," Acher said. "That is enough for today. Go to sleep. This night has already been far too long for you."

Luther lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

It was in part because the events of the night kept replaying again and again in his head, and another reason was the cold crawling through his bones, making it impossible to rest. But the biggest reason of all was the raven perched right next to his head, snoring like thunder.

He wrapped himself in layer after layer of thick blankets and struggled until the edge of dawn before drifting off at last.

The next morning.

Luther reached a hand out from his blanket cocoon and turned off the alarm clock that was ringing for the third time. He pushed himself upright. Dark circles stood out beneath his eyes.

Summoning every ounce of willpower, he dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

As he brushed his teeth, Acher landed on his shoulder and said:

"You should just quit school. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. Stay home and rest until nightfall. When the last light of the day disappears, I will teach you the way of a reaper."

"Grandpa. Want. Columbia. University," Luther mumbled with his mouth full of toothpaste foam.

Acher shrugged:

"Whatever. It’s your choice. It doesn’t really matter whether you still want to keep going to school or not. With your now endless lifespan, a few years are nothing more than a weekend vacation to you."

Luther:

"…"

"Brush teeth."

"I don’t even have teeth to brush!" Acher squawked in open annoyance.

"Rinse," Luther said, pushing a bottle of mouthwash toward him.

Acher:

"…"

After finishing their morning hygiene routine, Luther prepared a simple breakfast with bacon, eggs, and sausages for the two of them. His own portion also included a large glass of milk.

Even though he already stood at five feet nine, he, of course, still wanted to grow taller.

“This is good. Back when I was with that boy, I ate things no creature should have touched,” Acher said with a nod of approval.

Once Luther had put on four layers of clothing, topped with a thick white hoodie, he stepped outside with Acher perched on his shoulder.

Early September is always among the most pleasant times in New York. The temperature that day just around seventy.

The sky was clear and blue without a single cloud, and the brilliant golden sunlight spilled over the streets, making Luther’s expressionless face soften just a little.

On both sides of the road, the trees still held on to their deep summer green, with just a few rare leaves touched by the faintest hint of yellow. It was a perfect day for a walk.

"This place has changed so much," Acher murmured.

"You don’t know?" Luther asked.

"No. While I was sealed, I could sense what was happening around me, but it was very limited," Acher replied.

The two of them walked down the street, passing through the bustling morning life of the neighborhood. Adults, well-dressed for work, were getting into their cars. A few children with schoolbags ran across the street on their way to school. An old couple held hands as they enjoyed their morning stroll.

"Human life nowadays … looks good indeed," Acher observed. "I bet he would have loved living in the Origin as it is now."

His voice carried a trace of sadness.

"He?" Luther asked.

"You can probably guess. Your ancestor, and also my greatest student. Even though he was born in the Underworld, he always loved the life of mortals," Acher answered. "He once said, ‘I think the lives of humans are just as fascinating as that of gods. Maybe even more so. Because their time is so short, many of them try their best to make the most of each and every moment they have.’”