After crossing the rift, Shaw quickly entered his dreamworld, the glass globe still clenched tightly in his fist.
Rose appeared before him, her eyes burning with a mix of admiration and alarm.
"You're insane," she said. "They'll hunt you now."
Shaw looked down at the globe. Inside, the tiny portal still spun, but now it showed fleeting scenes of distant places—the Mnemosyne Market, the World of Gears, even glimpses of the Battlefield.
Shaw turned his gaze back to Rose and replied:
"Says the person who asked me to take this glass globe because it 'might be useful.'" After a moment's thought, he added: "Technically, I did them a favor by destroying that core. If they had managed to use that portal to connect to the Battlefield, the Battlefield would've likely started assimilating their world."
Rose gave Shaw a strange look. "You don't usually talk this much or act so shameless."
Shaw decided to change the subject. Raising the glass globe, he asked, "What exactly does this do?"
"It's a dimensional stabilization model—helps you create a portal to anywhere you've been or have coordinates for, like the dimension where the Mnemosyne Market is, or the worlds you've entered. Now you won't have to wander the Battlefield until you find a rift to slip into a dimension. As long as you have the coordinates, this will keep you from unnecessary encounters with predators," Rose explained.
"Also, what is Aether? They found me because they detected that kind of energy," Shaw questioned.
"Aether and Origin are essentially the same thing, since Aether is also a creation of Origin Energy. But Aether is a variation—as the name suggests, Origin Energy is the foundation of all creation, while Aether leans more toward destruction. There's even a race that consumes everything to grow stronger, using Aether as the basis of their path. Depending on the world, the energy system might differ, or Origin Energy itself might go by another name. Not everyone follows the Inventors' path of knowledge—some pursue other routes to power."
"But why do I have this energy? And how do I hide it? Since I had Molecular Manipulation active, they didn't see my face or my race—plus, I left no blood, biological material, or name behind, avoiding any form of tracking, whether technological or mystical, like divination. The only way they can recognize me now is through the scent signature of this energy."
"Most likely, when you were absorbing concepts, you ended up acquiring this type of energy. The way to get rid of it is to convert it back into Origin Energy. You can also turn Origin Energy into Aether."
Shaw closed his eyes, feeling the strange flow of energy in his veins. Aether was different from Origin—denser, more aggressive, like a starving beast trapped beneath his skin. He could feel it craving destruction, yet realized he had complete control over it.
"How do I convert it?" he asked.
Rose stepped closer.
"You've done it before without realizing. When you absorb fragments in the Battlefield, when you learn new techniques… your core naturally converts other energies into Origin. But Aether is more stubborn."
She raised her hand and touched his chest, right where his core pulsed.
"You have to digest it."
Shaw arched an eyebrow.
"Literally?"
Rose smiled, revealing sharp teeth.
"Metaphorically. Aether is energy of consumption. To master it, you have to be hungrier than it is."
Shaw didn't hesitate. He focused on the flow of Aether inside him, imagining it as a serpent of black smoke coiled around his core. Instead of expelling it, he pulled.
He forced the Aether to bend, to break, to become part of him.
When he opened his eyes again, his vision was sharper. The world around him seemed more vivid, the colors more intense.
"Good," Rose murmured, satisfied. "But this doesn't solve everything. We don't have enough information about them, and they might still track residual Aether if you end up using it in the future."
Shaw looked at the globe, then at the edges of his dreamworld, where white mist met the void.
"Then let's give them a false trail—but we need to be efficient." Shaw looked at his hands, feeling the renewed power of Origin flowing through them. "Now, we need more information in general: about them, about the Collectors, and specifically, about the Watchers."
Rose grew serious.
"Why the Watchers?"
"Because they're not just guardians." Shaw stared into the void beyond his dreamworld. "They also covet what I've created—and what I can create. And if they're watching me, it's because they already see me as a potential future threat."
Shaw continued: "I may have told them I'm not their enemy, and they hesitated in that moment, letting me go. They might not be able to touch me in my world, but there's no guarantee they won't use some artifact or trap to capture me once I'm outside. Even if I don't break under torture, nothing stops them from experimenting to uncover the secrets of my creation. To prevent that, I need more information and to advance on my path. I can progress by entering other worlds and learning, but the only place I know where I can get intel on the Watchers right now is the Mnemosyne Market—and now I have a way back there."
Rose sighed.
"I know. But remember: nothing in the Market is free."