62: Adaptation
'Where am I?' she wondered, feeling her head swim, her mind clouded slowly beginning to regain clarity.
"His molecules are now completely unstable, his body is entering a state of phase and dephase, somehow releasing incredible amounts of energy that completely engulf him."
The voice reached her ears like something distant—it was familiar, but not too much.
"Can we fix it?! Can we make him go back to normal?" A second voice joined the first—one that Susan could recognize, as it was her father's.
Slowly opening her eyes, Susan winced. Her entire body felt heavy, lethargic, but at the same time, she also felt… different, better. Faster than she expected, she began to recover. The initial heaviness started to fade as she felt her energy returning to her.
Shaking her head, Susan finally cleared her vision, and almost immediately, her attention was drawn to a source of yellow light.
Turning to the side, she saw her father and a strangely familiar man standing not far from her, in front of what appeared to be a huge, incandescent human-shaped bonfire.
At her father's question, the man shook his head.
"The strange energy expelled by the dimensional rift completely changed his molecular structure—there's no way we can get rid of this, not without technology capable of modifying every atom in his body."
"That is…" Dr. Storm fell silent, clearly understanding how impossible that was.
"What's going on?" Susan finally spoke, making her presence known, her voice coming out slightly hoarse due to her dry throat.
Both men turned toward her upon hearing her. Her father looked at her, surprised and relieved yet worried at the same time, while the other man seemed calm, with only a slight frown between his eyebrows.
'Who is he?' Susan didn't recognize him, or rather, she felt like she should recognize him but didn't know why she couldn't—an uncomfortable feeling that added to her growing confusion.
"Susan, sweetheart… you need to stay calm, okay?" her father said, softening his voice in a way very similar to how he did when bad news needed to be delivered.
"What's happening? Is something wrong?" Puzzled, Susan tried to stand up, sitting on the edge of the stretcher where she had been lying. But when her gaze dropped to her legs, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief.
"AHHH!?!"
Where were her legs?! Panic surged in her chest as she stretched a hand toward her thighs, but the only thing she saw was something completely invisible moving in front of her.
"W-Where's my hand!?" she nearly screamed, panic beginning to consume her.
"Calm down." Before Susan could spiral into full hysteria, a hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. Without her realizing it, the mysterious stranger had appeared at her side in an instant.
"Take a deep breath, feel your body carefully—everything is still there."
His serene voice somehow helped her relax, and as if to prove his point, he let go of her shoulder and took her 'hands'—hands she couldn't see but now realized she could still feel.
Trying to control her breathing, she closed her eyes and focused on herself, on her body.
Everything was still there. Her feet. Her hands. She couldn't see them, but they still existed.
Slowly, she opened her eyes again, and with amazement, she watched as her body began to 'return' to reality—waves of light in different spectrums rippling over her for a second before fading away.
"Whoa..."
Seeing such an incredible phenomenon up close left Susan speechless for a moment.
It almost felt like a dream, but she knew it wasn't. No, no dream could feel like this.
Releasing her hands, Daniel stepped back, giving her a moment to process everything. Dr. Storm approached, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"Do you remember what happened?"
At her father's question, Susan furrowed her brows in confusion. Then, her body trembled, and she winced, bringing a hand to her head.
"W-We were at the science fair?"
Brief images flashed through her mind, her memories slowly beginning to return.
Dr. Storm nodded and, with a sigh, began recounting what had happened—or at least, what Daniel had told him had happened.
"There was an accident at Reed's stand, your brother and... Dr. Harvey..." Dr. Storm spat out the man's name with clear disgust before shaking his head and sighing again, the wrinkles on his face seeming more pronounced.
"Harvey struck Johnny, making him fall onto Reed's machine. That caused a malfunction, somehow opening a rift in space-time… to another dimension. The strange energy from that place affected you… it affected all of us."
With her father's explanation, Susan finally began to recall her last memories before blacking out, and in doing so, she nearly jumped to her feet, looking at the man in flames with alarm
No! That wasn't just a man on fire—it was her brother!
"Oh God, Johnny!"
She almost ran to him, but Daniel quickly stopped her, trying to calm her down.
"Don't worry, the flames aren't hurting him." She frowned at him as he suddenly stepped into her path, but her irritation soon shifted, and an expression of bewilderment filled her face.
"Daniel?" She almost hesitated in saying the name, as there were many things different about the face of the man in front of her. Even his tone of voice was slightly different. But Susan wasn't blind or deaf—she had always prided herself on having a keen eye for details, and that had never failed her before.
Despite all the changes, she could still recognize what remained the same. And that was enough for her to know it was him.
"I suppose you have a lot of questions. I promise I'll explain everything, but not now."
Truthfully, Susan would have liked to have those explanations right away, but she wasn't impulsive enough to insist on it, even though it was what she wanted. She understood that, at this moment, there were more urgent things to worry about.
So she nodded at him, giving him a look that clearly said she wasn't going to forget about this matter, before turning toward the unconscious Johnny.
"What's happening to him?" she asked, staring at the fire that engulfed him from head to toe.
"Well, according to the tests I've been able to run so far, every molecule in his body is releasing enormous amounts of thermal energy that takes on the properties of fire. Where it comes from or what fuels it remains a mystery. It doesn't seem to have a limit, and when we try to extinguish the flames, they reignite almost immediately. The good news is that, at least, it doesn't seem to be harming him," Daniel explained as best as he could.
There were still many studies and tests to be done—after all, only an hour had passed since the entire incident occurred. When Dr. Storm woke up, Daniel quickly explained what had happened while also pointing out that he needed a safe place to take them all.
Despite being confused and disoriented, the man was still able to understand what Daniel meant, and with his guidance, Daniel led the group of six to the Baxter Foundation's headquarters in New York—more specifically, to Dr. Storm's private laboratory, where they were now.
Of course, before that, he had to make sure someone would deal with the consequences of everything that had happened. Daniel had already done everything he could to help, but there were still too many unresolved matters. The incident had been no small event—many lives had been lost, and numerous injured people still hadn't received medical attention. A considerable effort was needed to handle the aftermath.
Fortunately, Daniel had the perfect people on speed dial for the job.
Natasha didn't seem too pleased when he refused to give too many explanations about what had happened and why he needed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help. He imagined Fury wouldn't be happy about it either. Even so, the woman agreed to help, with the promise that he would explain everything in detail later.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. taking charge of the situation, Daniel could focus on controlling and monitoring the six potential superhumans now in his hands—and making sure no accidents happened… again.
"So there's no way to stop it? If he stays like this forever…"
Upon hearing Daniel's words, Susan felt sorrow for her brother. Even though both of them seemed to have undergone extraordinary changes, it was clear that hers were far less extreme at first glance.
'This could ruin his life,' she thought as she looked at Johnny's unconscious face.
The perspective wasn't pleasant for Susan, and seeing the concern beginning to form in her eyes, Daniel guessed what she was thinking and quickly intervened.
"Although I can't say for sure what will happen, the fact that you were able to control the changes in your body is a sign that maybe Johnny can do the same once he wakes up." Daniel would have liked to tell her with greater certainty that everything would be all right, but after what happened with Reed, he was no longer sure of anything.
"He's right, Susan. For now, it's best not to jump to conclusions until your brother regains consciousness," Dr. Storm added. But it was obvious to anyone listening that his words weren't just for Susan—they were also for himself.
Susan bit her lip. She didn't seem very satisfied with all this uncertainty, but there wasn't much she or her father could do right now besides wait.
"Putting Johnny's situation aside for now, I'd like to know how you're feeling. Any discomfort or unusual sensations in your body?" As he spoke, Daniel began performing a quick medical check-up on her.
Aside from her father, Susan was the second person to wake up, so it was important to find out if there were any unknown side effects in her—beyond, of course, having developed superpowers.
Daniel had already conducted a check-up on Dr. Storm when they arrived. So far, the man showed no physical abnormalities apart from confusion, disorientation, and brief lapses in concentration and memory, which had been gradually diminishing.
All of this could be attributed to the fact that he had hit his head when he fainted. But to be sure, Daniel still needed to compare his condition with that of the other affected individuals.
Susan cooperated easily with Daniel's examination. As an expert in biomedical science, she understood quite well what things needed to be noted and which ones didn't, making her a remarkably easy patient to handle.
"At first, I felt exhausted, but right now… I've never felt better in my life," she finally admitted, looking at herself with amazement and curiosity.
It was something incredibly difficult to describe. It wasn't that Susan had been out of shape before—despite dedicating most of her time to her studies, she always ensured she maintained a healthy diet and followed an exercise routine that kept her in good physical condition.
She had believed she had reached an optimal state of health, the best possible for someone of her build and age. But now… she felt at least a hundred times better than that.
Daniel jotted down all these findings before speaking again.
"What about your powers? Do you feel anything strange or out of place with them?"
Hearing him call them powers out loud made the situation feel even more surreal for Susan. She almost laughed, as if he had told a joke, but seeing the seriousness in his eyes, her smile faded slightly.
Well, if she thought about it, there probably wasn't a better way to refer to whatever it was she could now do.
Licking her lips, Susan raised her hand in front of her and, focusing, she could almost instinctively feel a warm energy beginning to emerge from within her.
The light around her body flickered, and from the tips of her fingers, every part of her began to vanish.
Daniel observed the changes in her body with a calm demeanor, but Dr. Storm, standing beside him, couldn't help but hold his breath and widen his eyes, despite having already witnessed it before.
Susan played with this new energy inside her with increasing ease. At first, it was slow and clumsy, like trying to hold mud in her hands, but soon she found a way to guide it correctly.
Daniel and Dr. Storm watched as she experimented with her powers. Sometimes her entire body turned invisible, other times, only certain parts did it. Daniel noticed that even her clothes were affected, disappearing from the visible light spectrum along with her body.
He wondered if she could affect other objects or people as well.
Susan seemed momentarily lost in her own little world, so Daniel chose not to interrupt her. Instead, he turned to check on the other patients he needed to monitor.
The first to draw his attention was Ben, and the reason was his new and unusual size. The transformation had begun only minutes ago—slowly, his body started to change. His once-normal skin hardened and expanded, forming thick, rocky plates that interlocked like a living suit of armor. Each layer added mass to his frame, making him more imposing with every passing second.
Soon, the stretcher would no longer be able to support his weight.
Walking toward the boy, Daniel lifted him into his arms, ready to move him elsewhere. But as he held Ben's weight, his muscles groaned in protest, and he couldn't help but wince in pain.
Not because Ben was unusually heavy—the boy wouldn't even rank in the top hundred heaviest things Daniel had carried since arriving in this world.
Instead, the reason lay in the chaotic and unstable energy still wreaking havoc inside him, attacking and tearing at each of his cells second by second. Even with his core working at full capacity, Daniel could still feel his atoms struggling to stay together, his body threatening to fall apart at any moment.
It had been a long time since he had felt weakness of this magnitude; it was nostalgically irritating.
After placing Ben in a more suitable area for his new size and weight, Daniel measured his vital signs, took a few samples of his rocky skin, and finally stepped away.
The reality was that there wasn't much that could be done to stop the changes in Ben's body.
As he had told Dr. Storm before, the energy that had affected them did so at such a deep level that only technology capable of remodeling every molecule in his body could have a chance of returning them to normal—and that kind of technology simply wasn't something that could be obtained easily.
'Maybe I can do something to help him return to his human form temporarily.' The problem with Ben, at least according to his memories, was that the guy lacked that 'control' factor that the other Fantastic Four possessed, making it so he couldn't 'turn off' his powers at will, so to speak.
If Daniel could figure out how to grant him that control artificially, then he could, in theory, help him return to his human form whenever he wanted. Of course, saying it was much easier than doing it.
"It will be difficult, but at least I have to try." Since Reed had disappeared—and that was partly his fault—Daniel felt a certain responsibility toward Ben, so he decided to help him in any way he could.
Of course, there was also the whole matter of having to explain to him why his friend was no longer on Earth, which was not going to be an easy conversation.
Deciding not to dwell on it too much for now, Daniel turned toward the two remaining people, who were set apart from the rest of the group.
Victor and The Dr. Harvey.
Of all of them, these two had suffered the most severe injuries.
Unlike Johnny, who had practically come out unscathed despite being engulfed in flames, Dr. Harvey wasn't so lucky. The explosion had left him with severe third-degree—and nearly fourth-degree—burns across the entire upper left side of his body.
The fact that he was still alive and stable was quite surprising in itself.
On the other hand, although Victor wasn't as gravely injured, his face still bore multiple wounds caused by the metallic fragments that Reed's machine had expelled like shrapnel when Johnny fell onto it.
Daniel had already tried to remove the pieces of metal embedded in his skin, but somehow, the material had begun to fuse with Victor's body, making extraction impossible.
Looking at the two of them, a cold light flashed in Daniel's eyes for an instant, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
Letting out a long sigh, Daniel shook his head while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
'What the hell am I thinking?' he frowned. Although he didn't show it outwardly, he was currently in a state of constant pain. His temper wasn't at its best, and that caused some dark thoughts to surface without him being able to fully avoid them.
Fortunately, a timely distraction soon arrived.
"What the hell?!" Johnny's exclamation filled the lab, followed by a wave of heat and flames that nearly brushed against the ceiling. If Dr. Storm hadn't deactivated any fire alarms in the place, the firefighters would surely already be on their way.
"Johnny, try to calm down!" Dr. Storm shouted, wanting to approach his son to help him but unable to do so because of the fire. Susan stopped playing with her new ability and jumped to her feet upon hearing Johnny's scream. Hurriedly, she ran to her father's side, where both of them could do nothing but watch his altered state with concern.
"I'm burning!!" Johnny didn't seem able to hear the words being spoken to him. Panic flooded him, his breathing grew rapid, and with each exhale, the flames covering him intensified. Abruptly, he tried to stand up, shaking his body in a vain attempt to put out the fire on himself.
His frantic movements sent a wave of flames spiraling out of control toward his father and sister.
Seeing this, Daniel quickly closed the distance, positioning himself in front of Susan and her father, ready to take the impact.
But the fire never reached them. Seeing the flames approached, Susan instinctively raised her hands in front of her, and a wave of semi-transparent blue energy shot out from her palms, colliding with the fire as if it were an invisible barrier.
"Fascinating," Dr. Storm murmured as he watched the clash between the two forces, momentarily forgetting the gravity of the situation.
Of course, the most astonished person was Susan herself, who looked at her outstretched hands in bewilderment, the blue glow covering them reflecting in her eyes. She had thought she had already understood how the strange energy inside her worked, but it was clear now that she had barely scratched the surface.
But Susan didn't have much time to process this revelation because her attention was immediately drawn as she saw Daniel leap over two meters into the air, soaring above the barrier she had just created and landing directly in the sea of fire Johnny was unleashing.
She was about to yell at him to be careful, but the words died in her throat when she saw him walk calmly through the flames until he reached Johnny's side.
Although she had already guessed his true identity—something hard not to do since his face constantly appeared in every newspaper and news broadcast—realizing that Daniel was actually 'Defiant' was still quite shocking for her.
The fame of a superhero should not be underestimated. Daniel had done an excellent job saving lives, and his reputation had become imposing. Admiring him was common among people these days, and meeting him in person usually had an even greater impact than meeting major celebrities. After all, he wasn't just famous… he was a living legend.
Ignoring the flames burning against his skin and trying to scorch his already battered and ruined clothes, Daniel placed his hands on Johnny's shoulders, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"Focus, Johnny. Try to control it. You have to contain the fire."
Seeing him approach so suddenly, Johnny tried to push him away, not wanting to hurt him, but Daniel's grip on him was as hard as steel, preventing the boy from backing off.
'I'm not burning him.' Realizing this, Johnny finally snapped out of his shock and began to regain his composure.
Breathing more steadily, he processed the words Daniel had just said and looked at the flames surrounding them.
'Can I really control this?' The idea seemed absurd, an impossible fantasy… and yet, he felt it. Deep within him, there was a connection, a primal instinct that hadn't existed before, whispering to him that, somehow, he could do it.
Closing his eyes, Johnny focused deeply within himself, and suddenly, an image appeared before him—like standing in the presence of a massive, brilliant star flooding everything with furious tides of fire.
It almost seemed impossible to master, but Johnny wasn't one to give up without a fight.
He took the wheel, just as he did when driving his car at top speed, and with precision, he began to guide the energy inside him. It was like being in the middle of a dangerous curve, where if he failed and lost control, he would crash and hell would break loose.
So, he didn't fail.
Slowly, the intensity of the fire and heat began to subside. The flames retreated until their light faded, and Johnny returned to normal.
Opening his eyes again, Johnny smiled, looking at his now flame-free body—but his smile quickly faded when he felt a breeze and realized he was completely naked.
"Uh, does anyone have an extra pair of pants?"
Seeing his son safe and sound, Dr. Storm ran toward him and hugged him tightly—to Johnny's discomfort. Susan would have joined them, but upon noticing that all of Johnny's clothes had disappeared, she decided to simply smile in relief before running off to find something for her brother to wear.
With all the tension of the situation fading away, Daniel relaxed and offered a faint smile. Then he looked down at himself, thinking that maybe he also needed a wardrobe change. So far, he had been wearing the tattered remains of his original clothes, with the only addition being a new lab coat Dr. Storm had given him upon arriving at the lab. That garment had served to cover him… until Johnny reduced it to ashes.
"Maybe I should put on my super suit." Of course, he would never go out without it. He didn't wear it under his clothes, but he always kept it nearby in case of emergencies.
Fetching it would only take a few seconds—but it seemed that might not be necessary.
"Here," Susan said, extending a fresh lab coat toward him. Daniel thanked her, taking it and putting it on. Then, he watched as she approached her brother and handed him a set of plain white clothes.
"Oh, thanks!" Johnny took the clothes and hurriedly got dressed.
"How do you feel?" Daniel asked as he approached. Johnny turned to him—but his friendly expression quickly shifted, going from surprise to a deeply furrowed brow.
"You!? How are you here?!" the boy asked in alarm, almost bristling like a cat at having his sworn "enemy" suddenly in front of him.
He hadn't recognized him before due to all the commotion, but now that everything was calm, it would be pretty hard for him not to recognize the face of the guy who had made him "famous" with that photo he took of him when he "arrested" him.
Seeing her brother point an accusatory finger toward Daniel, Susan felt a little amused. It was obvious to her that Johnny still hadn't made the connection or realized who he really was. It would be quite interesting to see his expression when he figured it out.
Maybe she should get a camera to take a photo of him.
"You can interrogate me later, but for now, I need to know how you're feeling."
Hearing this, Johnny narrowed his eyes at him before responding with a smile.
"Like I'm boiling on the inside."
That would usually be a bad thing—but considering he could now unleash a sea of fire from thin air, Daniel figured it meant he was fine.
"Actually, I feel great, better than ever." Johnny added before looking at his hand and snapping his fingers.
"Check this out! Hahaha," he laughed childishly as a flame flickered to life on his thumb.
"Is this some kind of crazy dream or hallucination?" Johnny asked, turning to look at them.
"Because if it is, it's undoubtedly the best dream I've ever had."
Rolling her eyes, Susan raised her hand, and with a mischievous smile forming on her lips, she sent a small wave of energy that collided with Johnny's flame, causing it to go out and making the boy stepped back slightly startled.
"that felt like being in a dream?" she asked mockingly.
"Hey!" Johnny growled in response, but then he blinked and pointed at her with wide eyes. "How did you do that?"
"Sit down, son—there's a lot to explain," Dr. Storm advised, and though somewhat doubtful, Johnny obeyed. Soon, the three of them explained the essence of the situation. Johnny didn't interrupt them. Although the boy wasn't as versed in science as his sister or father, that didn't mean he was stupid. He could grasp the concepts of things quite easily.
"So, in short, we have superpowers now?!" Of course, his attention zeroed in on the only part he considered important, ignoring everything else.
"More or less. We still don't know for sure if there are any drawbacks or potential dangers to all of this, so further observation is needed, but… essentially, yes—you now have superpowers."
"Incredible," Johnny whispered in excitement, choosing to ignore the part about potential dangers or drawbacks.
Daniel was glad that at least someone was enjoying all of this. As for him, the pain inside his body still hadn't stopped—in fact, it seemed to be getting worse.
Stepping away from the Storm family, who had started chatting animatedly among themselves, Daniel decided it was time to try and figure out exactly what was happening to him.
Taking a deep breath, he sat down on one of the lab stools and closed his eyes, focusing inward—sinking his consciousness deep inside himself and activating one of his core's abilities with all his strength.
In addition to allowing him to regenerate from any injury, his core granted him a deep understanding of himself, enabling him to accurately perceive his state of health. Thanks to this, he knew when and where he had an injury, no matter how small, and he could decide whether to let the core heal it or not.
And right now, every molecule in his body was screaming in agony.
Not even when Graviton had reduced him to a damn bloody pulp had he been able to "see" and "feel" every part of himself as he did now.
It was as if he had suddenly unlocked an extra sense, one that created a mapping beyond the three-dimensional within his mind, allowing him to witness his own body, like a 360-degree projection with spatial depth, detailed down to the smallest point.
It was completely disorienting.
Still, Daniel persisted, slowly adjusting to this new "sight" until he was finally able to pinpoint the source of his growing pain.
Or rather, the sources.
As he had already suspected, the strange energy released by the spatial rift coursed through every millimeter of his body like a chaotic, uncontrollable torrent. There was no order in its flow, only an unleashed fury rushing through him without respite.
On the other hand, there were his atoms—or more precisely, his Smart Atoms—waging a fierce battle against the furious tides of invasive energy that clashed with the molecules they were part of.
The extradimensional energy was attempting to infiltrate his molecules, alter them, and make them unstable—just as it had likely done with Susan and Johnny. However, thanks to their unique properties, unparalleled in the entire universe, his Smart Atoms rejected the change, forcefully expelling the energy and attempting to restore his molecules to their original state.
Which actually became a problem, because every time the energy was expelled, it did not give up. Instead, it returned, attempting once again to alter his molecules as if that were its sole reason for existence—thus creating a cycle that repeated over and over until the constant pressure finally pushed his atoms to their limit and his molecules began to fracture.
And every time one of the bonds holding them together broke, monstrous amounts of energy were released—energy that ended up merging with the invading energy in his body, feeding it and increasing its quantity and strength second by second.
If Daniel were an ordinary Viltrumite, by this point his body would have already collapsed at least a hundred times, giving him a horrible and painful death.
But Daniel wasn't just a Viltrumite—he also had his core. Before his molecules could be completely destroyed along with his atoms, the core sent waves of its own healing energy that helped them recover and keep fighting.
Little by little, his Smart Atoms grew stronger.
Rebuilding themselves. Changing and adapting.
In an environment where both opposing forces seemed to strengthen each other without any apparent limit, one might think the struggle would go on indefinitely.
However, if there was one thing the strange energy wreaking havoc on his body did not possess, it was the ability of his Smart Atoms to adjust to adversity.
If fighting wasn't the way, then they would find another. As long as they could keep recovering, there would come a point when they would be strong enough to overcome the invading energy, assimilate it, and make it a part of themselves.
At the pace things were going, Daniel calculated it would take approximately three days for his atoms to adapt to the invading energy and fully subsume it.
Three days of constant pain and suffering that would only grow more intense as the invading energy continued to increase in both quantity and strength...
"This isn't going to be fun," he thought, with a smile-that-wasn't-a-smile forming on his face.
For now, he could still control it. Moving and exerting himself was painful, but still tolerable to a certain degree. However, by the third day, he would probably end up writhing on the ground, unable to stand.
Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine. Deciding he didn't want to dwell any longer on the painful future awaiting him, Daniel opened his eyes, turning his attention back to his surroundings.
Although from his perspective it felt like he had spent hours observing the situation inside him, in the real world only a couple of minutes had passed.
Not far from him, the Storms were still chatting animatedly among themselves. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Susan turned toward him, giving him a look that seemed to ask if everything was alright.
He smiled at her, giving a nod to indicate that nothing was wrong—even if that wasn't true.
There was no need to unnecessarily trouble others with a problem that would resolve itself over time.
At this moment, he was the "pillar" of this place. He had to help them adapt to their new circumstances and provide them with security and stability—not unsettle or worry them.
Being the hero wasn't easy, but someone had to do the job.
And speaking of helping, Daniel turned, watching as the 'mountain' of orange rocks in the shape of a person began to stir—it seemed that Ben Grimm was starting to wake up.
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Note:
I don't have much to say. I know things have been a bit calm so far, but don't worry—there will be some action in the next chapter, I promise.
With that said, I'd love to hear your comments, criticisms, and suggestions.
And if you notice any errors, please point them out so I can fix them.
Remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on Patreon ( patreon.com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D