Jin opened her eyes up in the morning and reached over to grab a bell by her side. She shook it and the sound tolled.
Throwing back onto the decks beside her she let out a long sigh, "To think it's already been five years..." She laid in bed a while longer waiting, until the door knocked.
"Come in!" She shouted, it was the maid. She wasn't originally a maid but over these years, she's become quite good at it.
"Lady Jin, let's get you ready...to think it's already time." She shook her head and placed down a bowl of water she carried in onto the bedside table.
The maid took a towel that had been rolled over her arm and dipped it into the water. She started to wipe Jin as she left her bed slowly.
In a world without powers, she lived like a mortal. It was unusual at first, but soon enough she got used to it.
Once washed she put on her clothes herself and dismissed the maid to call for William. He, too, had gotten used to his role over these five years.
He worked alongside Arm as the leader of Hou's new World. Occasionally Hou would bring in new people which would need to be taught appropriately.
Jin almost walked out the door when she stopped and quickly ran over to the bedside table and reached underneath for notebook, her magic studies had to be recorded somehow she thought.
She flexed his fist, nothing. Without moving into the False World, of which she could only do through Sir Xavier's help, she couldn't even sense the mana for the magic she was being taught.
***
William had gotten ready himself, he had servants under him but with how early he got up they did not see much use during the morning routine.
He had aura deep inside, but in this new world it had been leaking. Perhaps it was natural, or perhaps something Hou was doing...either way, he thought, he could sense it leaving.
But with one power lost, another is gained. He felt his physical body grow, he had grown to an abnormal height. Taller than any normal man he had seen, the size of two men and the strength of four.
While squeezing his wooden training sword he thought, 'What am I doing, what does strength matter when real power comes from the mind...'
His eyes flickered across the yard, the rising sun reflecting on the shiny sword stabbed in the ground there. Hamar's relic, everytime he picked it up William felt Hamar's love for swordsmanship.
He averted his eyes, "What is it?" He turned to see Jin's maid walking up behind him; he had heard her coming for a few minutes.
"Sir, it is the day. Jin has just awoken recently, I'm sure you would like to say goodbye."
William dropped the wooden sword and walked over to Hamar's relic, "I'll be there."
***
Hou increasingly felt strange in his body, as much as possible he kept it dissolved. He had no need for a body, as much as he owned his World he was also his World.
With the absence of falsifiable laws, of mana, of aura, they all became true laws given time and true laws were merely the expression of Causality.
At a moments notice, his flesh could turn to pure Causality or just as easily become a tree, a house, a chair, he was everything.
He 'closed his eyes' in this state and reformed his body in an instant. Today, after all, was the last day of his teaching for Jin. For a while, at least.
She wasn't perfect, she never would be...noone was, not even a God, but it was enough. She had been away long enough, she was not for this world anyway.
"Come in," Hou flicked the latch of the door lock open with a thought. Though this world acted on Emotional Mindscapes, that was for the mortals, "are you ready?"
Jin walked in, "As ready as I can be. I have my notes, I have all your teachings. I'm as good as I'll ever be."
Hou chuckled, "Well that's not true...so, what will you do when you go back? Surely you won't stay under your master's wings forever."
The door swung open further, William strode in with Hamar's relic on his waist, "I'm sure you'll be as good a leader as I, that's for sure. You've probably learnt more than me just from listening in."
'His Aura has almost fully transformed into true laws, still another few inches of height though perhaps' Hou noted he had to duck through the doorway to fit.
"I don't know yet, but that's true...I shouldn't stay under Master's wings any longer. Nor the Sect's, I'm going to establish my own Magic Tower."
"So that's why you were talking with Araxis after last time's meeting...so be it, I wish you luck. Be sure to bring some more stability to your World, chaos is dangerous." Hou smiled, he was curious of that but had intentionally not listened in.
She nodded, "I will, and I hope you the best with your World too. I'm going to want to visit though, I really did enjoy these few years."
The floor beside the three of them rippled, they all stepped back in anticipation. They all knew there was only one explanation.
Out from the ripple came Xavier wearing a dusty long robe and goggles over his eyes, he landed on the floor (now solid) and shook off loose sand.
He took off his visors, "I'm close to this World's one, Hou. Just a while longer in the desert."
Hou shook his head, "Couldn't I just have used my Causality to help?" It was a rhetorical question though, he knew the answer.
Using Causality from one World in another can backfire and not to mention if there are any living Gods make them suspicious.
Still, Xavier sighed, "I wish, this desert seems endless. I've tried hopping a few times but it isn't effective without any proper landmarks, but I'm close. I can feel it."
Hou nodded, "Let's put that aside though, it's time for Jin. She should go back now."
"Okay, once I finish this desert exploration I'll call a roundtable meeting. I've seen the Aberrants about so they should be able to join this time around." Xavier held out his hand to Jin.
Jin took it, "Goodbye everyone, see you....however long it'll be!" Then she squeezed Xavier's hand and he activated his hopping; the both of them falling into the Sea of Worlds.