“No,” Ryusei decides. “I won’t let them forget!”

“We cannot turn back,” Venat insists. She doesn’t even spare a glance his way. “This has all already come to pass for you. All that remains is to ensure that you make it safely back to your own time.”

Ryusei isn’t listening. He clutches the golden crystal to his chest and bows his head, deep in prayer.

A brilliant golden circle surrounds Argos. Two pillars of light erupt from thin air, and there beside the fleeing pair emerge Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus.

“Goodness!” Hythlodaeus exclaims. He takes Emet-Selch by the hand and reaches out to cling to Argos’ fur. “And who might you be?”

Ryusei’s jaw drops. “You don’t— Was I too late?!”

“No,” Emet-Selch replies, as grumpy as ever. Whatever he means to follow that up with, he’s drowned out by Hythlodaeus’ insufferable chuckling.

Venat brings Argos to ground some yalms away from the entrance to Ktisis Hyperboreia.

“Now what will you do, adventurer?” Emet-Selch demands. “What if this little stunt of yours has erased the future whence you came?”

The blood drains from Ryusei’s face. “I... hadn’t thought that far ahead,” he confesses. “I simply couldn’t allow you to...”

“Don’t mind him.” Hythlodaeus smiles. “This is his way of saying ‘thank you’.”

“We shall take things as they come, one step at a time.” Venat squeezes Ryusei’s shoulder reassuringly. “Now. Why don’t you and I return to Propylaion? I believe these two have another errand to see to.”

She nods toward Ktisis Hyperboreia, and shortly Hermes stumbles his way out of the habitat, hand held to his head, confusion and grief writ plain on his face.