"Six Meta Runes?"
Jaune stared at his father as though he had just casually announced that gravity was optional.
"What kind of bullshit is that?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "So what, he has two Master Runes which are equivalent to Supreme Runes already built into his soul or something? Doesn't that already make him a Rank Four?"
Nicholas shook his head.
"Ordinarily, I would have thought the same thing," he admitted. "But your Null rune has given me a bit more context on meta runes. He isn't a Rank Four. At least... not truly. He likely exists in a sort of half-step realm between Rank Three and Rank Four, even without absorbing any of the Supreme Runes."
Jaune frowned.
"A half-step Rank Four?"
"Something along those lines."
The uncertainty in his father's voice immediately caught his attention.
"You aren't entirely certain? I thought nothing escaped your sight."
Nicholas simply sighed.
"There is only so much Foresight and Insight can actually see. No matter how close it might seem to omniscience, it really isn't. Even now there are limitations. Rank Three's have domains. And one of the functions of a domain is obscuration. Other powerful runes can interfere as well. There are blind spots, contradictions and uncertainties."
His expression darkened slightly.
"The only reason I ever saw as far as I did was because of Knowledge. Without it, I can't peer into the great distant future anymore. I can still remember the vision of the end of the world, but remembering a future fully seeing a far future are two very different things."
Jaune remained silent as his father continued.
"In any case, Tyrian's Master Runes fall short of a true Supreme Rune. I can't prove it, but my theory is that the Meta Runes he used were conceptually weak. They were still Meta Runes, yes, but not all Meta Runes are equal."
Nicholas glanced toward him.
"And yes, before you ask, you heard me correctly. Tyrian has Master Runes. Three runes create one master rune which means six creates two. But you shouldn't worry about that for now."
Jaune rubbed his forehead. Somehow that information only created more questions than answers.
"That sounds like something I should be worried about."
Nicholas hummed quietly before standing from the black sands. Dust slid from his clothes as he stretched.
"Fortunately, Tyrian isn't the problem you'll ultimately be facing."
His father pointed toward him.
"Tyrian's purpose is to act as Salem's Vessel. Once the ritual begins, anything unnecessary will be discarded to make room for her power and consciousness. If I had to guess, he'll likely retain only the Master/Supreme Rune containing Vessel."
"Only?"
Nicholas shrugged.
"Relatively speaking."
Jaune groaned.
The fact that his father could use words like only and Master Rune in the same sentence was deeply concerning.
"We should get moving," Nicholas said. "We've spent enough time sitting here."
Jaune frowned.
"Where are we going?"
"Well, for one, the ritual is going to begin in two days."
Jaune immediately stood.
"Two days?"
Nicholas nodded.
"Approximately."
Jaune stared at him.
"There are still a thousand things I need answers to know. After all, you've spent the last hour explaining why the apocalypse is somehow even worse than I thought."
"I know."
"You've told me there's an eldritch god sleeping inside the moon."
"I know."
"You've informed me that the leader of Sleepless has two Master Runes and is possessed by Salem."
"I know."
"And now you're telling me the ritual starts in two days?"
Nicholas smiled sheepishly.
"When you put it that way, it does sound rather problematic."
Jaune resisted the urge to throw a rock at him. Unfortunately, his father continued speaking before he could act on the impulse.
"You need to understand something, Jaune. A significant portion of my second plan revolved around you creating a rune capable of escaping my sight."
His tone became more serious.
"The moment your Null rune was born, everything changed."
Jaune listened quietly.
"For years, I relied on Foresight. Every decision, manipulation and contingency. Every sacrifice. I knew where events would lead because I could see the future."
Nicholas paused and his eyes met Jaune's.
"Null has changed all that. I can't see you anymore."
The statement carried a strange weight behind it.
Not fear or regret but something closer to relief.
"I engineered the circumstances that allowed you to create Weakness and even nudged events toward Plunder. I manipulated thousands of variables over decades."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"But Null?"
He shook his head.
"Null was the finish line. The moment it came into existence, you became something I could no longer predict."
The wind drifted through the Dream Realm as silence settled between them.
"You've become a wildcard, Jaune"
Nicholas folded his arms.
"Perhaps the first genuine wildcard this world has seen in a very long time."
Jaune considered that for a moment. The strange thing was that he believed him. For all of his father's schemes and manipulations, he genuinely sounded uncertain now. As though the future that had guided him for decades had finally disappeared.
"There are still parts of Salem's plan I haven't explained," Nicholas continued. "And there are things even I don't fully understand. Well... mostly because some piece only become visible after Null was created."
He sighed.
"And unfortunately, explaining all of them is going to take time."
Jaune shook his head.
"Fine."
At this point there wasn't much else he could say.
"So where are we going?"
Nicholas turned and pointed toward the distant horizon. Far away, beyond the ruined dunes and shattered desert left behind by their battle, a familiar structure rose from the sands.
The floating pyramid.
A strange feeling settled in Jaune's chest as he stared at it.
His father smiled.
"Choice is there."
Jaune slowly looked toward him.
"...Choice? As in the Supreme Rune?"
Nicholas nodded casually as though discussing the weather.
"It's going to be an important component of the ritual."
Jaune stared at him.
Then he stared at the pyramid.
A long silence followed.
Jaune felt something twitch behind his eye.
"A damned Supreme Rune has been sitting over there this entire time?"
"Yeah?"
"And you never thought to mention that?"
"Well... it wasn't really important at the time."
Finally Jaune pointed accusingly at the pyramid.
"That thing contains one of the four most important objects on the planet. Why is it there of all places?"
"The location is important for the ritual. I'll explain better as we make our way there. Besides... you didn't really wonder why the Pyramid wasn't breaking down even as we fought on it?"
"..."
His father attempted to beckon him along but Jaune was having none of it. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Whatever. This was getting a little annoying anyhow. Lets start walking before I decide to test whether Null can erase parental authority."
Nicholas huffed loudly, a small smile growing across his features.
"There he is."
The two of them began moving across the endless black sands of the Dream Realm, heading toward the distant floating pyramid where the Supreme Rune Choice waited.
Above them, the broken blood-red moon hung motionless in the sky, silently watching their approach.
.
.
The walk home felt strangely ordinary despite the fact that the world was falling apart.
Military patrols moved through the streets of Vale in groups of four and six, their boots striking the pavement in steady rhythm as armored vehicles rolled down nearby roads.
Police officers stood at intersections beside soldiers while surveillance drones drifted lazily overhead, their cameras sweeping across crowds.
Giant screens mounted on buildings continuously broadcast emergency updates regarding awakened activity, public safety warnings, and endless speculation regarding the theft of the Supreme Runes. Every channel seemed obsessed with the same subjects. Runes. The Dream Realm. The Sleeper. The coming apocalypse.
Yet somehow, school, homework and Teachers assigned essays still existed.
Ruby wasn't entirely sure whether that was comforting or ridiculous.
She walked beside Yang with her backpack hanging from one shoulder while her older sister carried her own bag over the other. Around them, civilians continued their daily routines beneath the watchful eyes of armed patrols. Store owners opened their shops. Children played in parks. Couples walked hand in hand down sidewalks.
Humanity, Ruby reflected, possessed a remarkable ability to pretend everything was normal right up until the point reality exploded.
Though, Ruby would be blind if she said that she couldn't see the tension in each an everyone's postures.
There was worry an unrest in everyone.
Whether it was from the military's influence or just the general gist of things. Everyone was clearly at least a little bit restless.
Eventually, the familiar sight of their house appeared at the end of the street and some of the tension immediately left her shoulders. Whatever was happening to the world, home was still home.
The moment she opened the front door, a black-and-white blur launched itself directly at her.
Ruby barely had enough time to react before a corgi collided with her chest.
"Zwei!"
The dog barked happily as his tail became a spinning blur and he immediately began attacking her face with enthusiastic affection.
Ruby laughed despite herself, cradling him in her arms as he continued licking her cheeks.
"Aw, Zwei, you're so cute!"
The corgi barked proudly and then he licked her again. Ruby's smile faltered at another lick.
"...Um."
Another.
"...Ew."
Ruby recoiled slightly.
"Why does your breath smell so bad?"
The corgi attempted another lick.
"Ugh! No! Bad dog!"
Zwei responded by wagging his tail harder. Yang walked past them into the house and casually scratched him behind the ears. The traitor immediately abandoned Ruby and began seeking affection from Yang instead.
Ruby narrowed her eyes.
"Unbelievable."
Inside, the atmosphere was calm enough that it felt disconnected from the chaos outside.
Taiyang sat comfortably on the couch with one leg crossed over the other while lazily swirling a glass of what appeared to be cola.
The television in front of him displayed yet another news interview featuring an awakened individual being questioned by a nervous news anchor.
Ruby had lost count of how many she'd seen lately. Ever since awakened identities had become public knowledge, the media had developed a borderline unhealthy obsession with anything related to runes.
Taiyang glanced away from the television as his daughters entered.
"Hey girls. How was your day?"
Yang immediately collapsed onto a nearby chair.
"It was shit."
Taiyang pointed at her without even looking away from the screen.
"Language."
Yang rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Why do we still have to go to school, Dad? The world's ending."
"It's important that you finish your education."
"There are literal eldritch fucking gods that are awakening and you still think school is important?"
"Education remains important! And isn't it just one god? Where'd the multiple gods come from?"
"Weren't you the one who said something about the Sun Eye in the Shadow Realm?"
"Right... I did, didn't I. Regardless, math is still useful."
Yang stared at him and Taiyang stared back. Finally he added, "And watch your damn mouth or I'll wash it with soap, kid."
Yang stuck her tongue out and Taiyang pointed harder.
Yang stuck it out further.
The silent battle lasted several seconds before Yang finally sighed and slumped back into her chair.
"This whole thing has been such a mess lately."
Her gaze drifted toward the television.
"Ever since the Supreme Runes got taken and awakened identities became public, people have started treating us like celebrities."
Ruby couldn't exactly disagree.
Students, teachers and even parents stared.
Random strangers had even approached them, wanting autographs. One elderly woman had asked Ruby to bless her garden because apparently being awakened made her spiritually qualified to do that.
It was exhausting.
Yang suddenly grinned. The expression immediately made Ruby suspicious.
"Oh, and Ruby got heart-shaped chocolates from a boy today."
The room went silent and Taiyang slowly turned away from the television.
"What?!"
Ruby froze, then she pointed furiously at her sister.
"Yang! You weren't supposed to tell Dad!"
Taiyang was already standing.
Ruby immediately grabbed Zwei and lifted him like a shield between herself and the approaching threat.
The corgi blinked in confusion.
"Woof?"
Taiyang halted and Zwei stared back with his tongue hung out and tail wagging.
"Woof!"
The overwhelming power of cuteness activated and Taiyang's advance was neutralized instantly. Yang watched the entire exchange unfold while trying very hard not to laugh.
Ruby glared at her and Yang grinned. Taiyang eventually recovered enough to focus on the actual issue. He crossed his arms and regarded Ruby with the seriousness of a father confronting a national emergency.
"You better not be dating, young lady or you're going to be grounded for life!"
Silence filled the room as both sisters slowly turned to look at their father as though he'd suffered a head injury. Taiyang maintained his expression for approximately three seconds before reality caught up with him.
His daughters were Rank Two awakened who regularly fought nightmare creatures. They patrolled dangerous sections of the Dream Realm.
Grounding them was, realistically speaking, impossible.
The awkward realization visibly settled onto his face.
He coughed.
"Ahem."
Nobody helped him but finally Ruby sighed.
"No one's dating anyone, dad."
Taiyang visibly relaxed.
"I rejected him anyway."
The relief that appeared on his face was almost immediate.
"Good."
Ruby rolled her eyes.
"Mostly because I already have someone in mind."
The words escaped before she realized she'd spoken them aloud. For a moment she didn't even register what she'd said, then she did and the image had arrived instinctively.
Blond hair, blue eyes.
Two swords resting over one shoulder as he attacked, with a sheen of runic energy emanating from him. Sweat cascading down the lines of his muscles, and an infuriatingly earnest smile.
The image lingered in her thoughts for only a second, but unfortunately, one second was more than enough.
Yang heard it and Taiyang had heard it too.
Both were awakened and possessed enhanced senses. The room became so quiet that Ruby could practically hear her own heartbeat.
Slowly, she looked up and Taiyang sat completely motionless with his expression was blank. The sort of expression people developed moments before their soul abandoned their body.
Yang, meanwhile, was glaring directly at Ruby who also glared back at her sister.
An entire conversation occurred through eye contact alone.
'It's him, isn't it?'
'Yang!'
'It is!'
'Yang.'
'Oh my god, it actually is.'
'Yang.'
'Ruby!'
Across the room, Taiyang finally made a noise which sounded vaguely like a man suffering a spiritual crisis.
Ruby buried her face into Zwei's fur and the corgi barked happily and attempted to lick her nose. This time she didn't even bother stopping him.
Somewhere behind her, Taiyang appeared to be quietly reevaluating every life decision that had led him to this moment.
Outside, the world might have been marching steadily toward apocalypse beneath military occupation and the shadow of eldritch gods, but none of that seemed particularly important anymore.
Because as far as Taiyang Xiao Long was concerned, a far more immediate catastrophe had just revealed itself.
His youngest daughter had a crush and unlike the end of the world, he had absolutely no idea how to deal with that.