Chương 17: 017

After a long beat of silence, Karma smiled, humor and disbelief warring across her features.

"You're an odd one, Nikolas," she said at last.

"Can't say I don't like that about you." Her eyes gleamed.

"Time is going to get a kick out of this. He's always been the pragmatic sort." She shook her head, refocusing.

"Alright. Beastfolk it is. Any preference for animal ancestry? Something fierce like a wolf, or sturdy like a boar?" I almost agreed. Then Anna's scream echoed through my mind, sharp and panicked. They're hurting Bambi! Right. Maybe not something that looked like it could eat a child whole.

"No," I said slowly.

"Probably not. Maybe an herbivore. Something… fluffy." Karma's smile softened.

"You really are something, aren't you?" Heat crept up my neck, but I shrugged it off.

"I want to help people. Some of those people are going to be kids, and I can't do that if they're crying in a corner every time they look at me." She hummed, then nodded.

"Fair enough. Any preference beyond 'herbivore' or 'fluffy'?" I shrugged.

"As long as kids wouldn't be scared of it, I'm good with whatever. Want to pick?" She knew the animals better than I did, after all. Karma clapped her hands, eyes alight.

"Perfect! Then you're all set." Her tone shifted, warm and deliberate.

"Now that that's settled, onto the most important part." Her hand came to rest on my shoulder, firm and grounding. Her smile turned radiant.

"I know I'm a few years overdue," she said, "but congratulations. You're adopted." …Wait.

"You're serious?" I choked.

"I'm an adult!" She laughed and waved me off.

"You are. That doesn't change anything. I told you from the beginning I planned to adopt you, and I meant it." Yes, but before it had been words. Jokes. Promises made in the safety of my own head. Now it was real. Unease curled low in my gut.

"What about Time?" I asked carefully.

"Have you even talked to him about this?" She raised a brow.

"Kid, you've been in my head for over two decades. I've been threatening to adopt you for nearly that entire time. Do you really think I didn't run it by him?" I chewed at my lip.

"And how does he feel about it?" The last thing I needed was Time himself resenting me for existing in his life. Her smile dimmed, just a fraction.

"Well… honestly? He wasn't thrilled at the idea of taking you in when you were younger." Cold slid down my spine. Before I could respond, she hurried on, something old and sharp flickering behind her eyes.

"It had nothing to do with you. He has his reasons." She looked away, gaze distant.

"When I first told him, he was… uneasy. We eventually agreed that you would be my kid, not ours. He has no intention of playing the role of 'father,' so you don't need to worry about that." I wasn't sure that reassured me.

"And your husband," I said slowly, "the one you brag about every chance you get, who's probably used to having all your attention, was fine with you devoting a large chunk of your time to a kid he didn't want to raise?" Some men would resent that. Even more so without any bond to soften it… She shrugged, casual but certain.

"Time is smart. There's a difference between how I care for him and how I would've cared for you. Besides, he didn't want you to suffer either. I never told him details about your life, but he knows enough to understand that some bad shit went down." Her mouth curved faintly.

"He likes to pretend he doesn't care. It's a shield. But if he were the sort to knowingly let a child rot in a bad situation without wanting to step in…" She shook her head.

"I wouldn't love him." I rubbed the back of my neck, tension creeping in despite myself.

"I guess it doesn't really matter. I'm not a kid. You won't have to babysit me, so he'll still have you. For the most part." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She frowned, the expression sharp with concern.

"Nik, I get why you're wary. I've seen what you went through. But even if Time had an issue with this–and I don't think he does–he wouldn't take it out on you. He'd bring it to me, like an adult, and we'd deal with it. You don't need to worry about him taking swings at you." That was easy for her to say. I hoped she was right, but hope was a fickle, unreliable thing. This could spiral fast, worse than Mr. Bugle, if I misstepped. The scars stretching from my chest to my back twinged, a dull, familiar ache.

A reminder of just how badly things could go. She sighed.

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best." Her gaze softened.

"You remind me of him, you know." A pause. Then she bit her lip.

"If you don't want me to adopt you, that's fine. I won't force it." For the first time, her confidence wavered. Beneath the certainty she tried to project, a thin shard of hurt slipped through. She wouldn't make me do this, but saying no would leave a mark on the woman who'd been my anchor through years of storms. And honestly… did I even have a reason to refuse? Was it nerve-wracking? Absolutely.

Even if this had happened when I was a teenager–back when I still carried fragile scraps of hope about being adopted–I would've hesitated. This wasn't just any woman. This was Karma. And her husband controlled Time. She'd told me the truth back then, but I'd assumed she was a hallucination. A coping mechanism. A dream stitched together by desperation. Now, she was real. All of it was real. And she'd been there, through hundreds of bad nights, when no one else was.

Somewhere deep inside, the beaten, unwanted kid who'd spent his life aching for a home stirred. As for Time… she was adamant that he had no interest in me personally. I could work with that. Keep things professional. Treat him like a colleague until the whole end-of-the-world situation was resolved. Could things go wrong? Absolutely. Knowing my luck, they probably would, and I'd pay for it. Like always. That wasn't going to stop me. Not this time. I offered what I hoped passed for a smile.

"You're not forcing anything on me. I'm okay with this. It's just… going to be an adjustment. Does it change my new duties at all?" She shook her head, relief washing away the last of that hurt as her smile returned, bright and genuine.

"Nope! Just means I'll be checking in more often. More visits, a stray thought or two now and then." I nodded.

"Anything else I should know or are we ready?"

"You're all set." She beamed.

"I won't be able to contact you at first, bringing someone over from Earth takes a lot of power, but I'll send Time. You'll be working with both of us on the apocalypse anyway." So much for avoiding him. She patted my back, grounding me before my thoughts could spiral further.

"Take a breath. I know it's a lot, but you'll pick it up quickly." That was… not even on my list of worries right now. I shook it off and smiled.

"I'll do my best not to disappoint you." She snorted.

"As if you could. Between the three of us, that apocalypse won't know what hit it. You and Time will get along great too, I know it." I really hoped she was right. Her form flickered, edges blurring as she began to fade. She sighed.

"Looks like we're done for today. Remember, you'll be teleported near where we believe the catalyst is. Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. Time should reach you shortly." Concern clouded her features as she dissolved, her final words barely audible as the world around me began to unravel.

"Please be careful. I'd hate to lose my new son before I even get the chance to really know him." Something twisted painfully in my chest. I answered anyway, unsure if she could still hear me.

"I'll do my best." Then everything vanished. The floor dropped out from under me. My heart lurched as I plunged into free fall, swearing loudly.

"You could've warned me, Karma!" It might've been my imagination, but I swear I heard her laughter before darkness swallowed me whole, and in the blink of an eye, I was gone.