Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 237: Schrodinger's Ishtarian



Several days had passed since the battle against World Star. The sun was rising, coloring the hotel garden with shades of orange and gold. The air was cool and quiet, carrying the fresh smell of morning dew.

Eratz leaned back on the bench, resting his arms on its wooden frame. He looked at the neat hedges and the small pond reflecting the sunlight. After all the action and stress, it felt good to have a peaceful moment.

He started thinking about everything that had happened. He came to this town to relax, but it turned into so much more.

Kenny had lost his beast-taming ability, the academy's director resigned, and Golden Cosmos became famous everywhere. They'd defeated the top agency with their top fighter. On top of that, he now had a lead on the legendary beasts.

So much had changed so quickly.

Eratz smiled a little. He felt calm and happy about how it all turned out. But a part of him wished he could enjoy this moment with his team more.

"Eratz!" A familiar voice called out, pulling him from his thoughts.

He turned to see Mercury standing a few steps away, dressed in a sleek tracker outfit that emphasized her athletic build. Her short blue hair glinted in the sunlight, and her expression carried a mix of ease and playful determination. She waved before walking toward him.

"Hey, slowpoke," she greeted with a smirk.

"Morning, slacker," Eratz replied, a grin tugging at his lips. "Didn't think you'd be out already."

Mercury rolled her eyes.

"It was just a scratch on my bones. Don't make it sound like I'm made of cotton."

"A scratch? That's not what I saw these days when you kept running to the bathroom to show your guts."

She crossed her arms and shot him a playful glare.

"Break a leg, I'm fine now. Stop worrying."

Eratz chuckled.

"If you say so, boss."

Mercury sat down beside him, stretching her legs out. After a moment of silence, her tone softened.

"What's on your mind? You've got that look again."

Eratz's smile faded slightly as he glanced back at the garden.

"Just thinking about how fast everything's changed. I came here expecting nothing more than

a chance to rest, but... everything happened so quickly. Genova, Golden Cosmos... and now that black orb. It's a lot to process."

Mercury leaned back, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, it's been a whirlwind. But you know what? You handled it better than anyone else could. It's even annoying, now no one can oppose you in a debate, you're always right."

"... Could you say that again while I record it? Just in case," he chuckled, his voice quiet. "But joke aside, yeah, it just feels surreal sometimes. I feel like it's going too fast. I really enjoy the time we spend all together, and I wouldn't want it to stop."

She nudged him lightly with her elbow.

"Well, lucky for you, we're all still here. There's plenty of time to enjoy it."

He smiled at her words.

"How's the situation with Milo?"

Mercury's expression brightened.

"It's going pretty well," Mercury said, her tone light, but with an edge of relief. "The court process is exhausting, but it's looking good for us. His claims about me keeping Milo out of school to ruin him are falling apart with his records of him abandoning us for years. And with Victoria's influence and the stability with Cassie and Roger, Milo's life can't be better than with us. And now they're close to issuing a restraining order against him."

"Good," Eratz said firmly. "You did a good job with that."

Mercury nodded, a determined look crossing her face.

"Thanks. The court's starting to see that he's only coming back to control Milo, not to help him. With everything we've shown, there's no way he's getting anything from us."

Eratz smiled, leaning back slightly.

"You handled all of that without punching him? Impressive."

She smirked, a playful glint in her eyes.

"It's still on the table, I really want to give him the proper goodbye he deserves."

After a moment of comfortable silence, she stood up and stretched.

"Alright, enough sitting around. I feel like training today," Mercury said, a spark of excitement in her voice. "Let's have a good competition, like old times. I want to see if the almighty Pharaoh can force me on my knees."

Eratz raised an eyebrow, a sly smile spreading across his face. Mercury flinched, her cheeks tinting red as she waved her hands quickly.

"I-I meant a stamina contest! A contest of who lasts longer!"

Eratz couldn't hold his laugh anymore and burst.

"This is worse."

Mercury groaned, covering her face with one hand.

"Just shut up and let's go already."

He stood, still chuckling, and gestured for her to lead the way.

"Alright, let's see what you've got."

They set off jogging through the quiet streets and into a nearby park. The morning air was crisp, and their steady rhythm made the chill less noticeable.

For the first hour, the training felt almost like old times, with Mercury teasing Eratz about keeping up and him throwing back playful challenges. But soon, Mercury started to slow, her

breathing heavier, and her steps faltering.

"Hey," Eratz said, stopping as she leaned against a park bench, looking pale. "We're stopping

here. This isn't normal. We're going to see a doctor."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mercury waved him off, though her face betrayed unease.

"It's fine. Just a little nausea. I'll be okay in a minute."

Eratz frowned.

"You've been saying that a lot lately. It might be more serious than you think."

Mercury sighed but didn't argue further. Instead, she reached into her small sports bag,

pulling out a container of sliced fruit. She handed one piece to him and popped another into

her mouth.

"Here, this helps."

Eratz accepted the slice hesitantly, biting into it before immediately grimacing.

"What is this? It's like chewing on pure acid."

Mercury chuckled softly, eating another piece with ease.

"What? It's good. I take it when I feel weird."

He raised an eyebrow, his tone playful.

"So you admit it's happening very often. Should I be worried? You're not planning on making

me a lone soldier, are you?"

She shrugged, her grin teasing.

"Come on, it's nothing. Just enjoy it."

Eratz shook his head, tossing the rest of the slice back in his mouth.

"Nah, we're going to the doctor. No question."

Mercury rolled her eyes but sighed, finally relenting. "Fine, if it'll make you stop worrying so

much. But I'm counting this as your forfeit."

"My forfeit?" Eratz asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah. It's dangerous for you," she said with mock seriousness, then glanced at him, trying

not to laugh. "You might... bite off more than you can chew."

Eratz winced, laughing softly.

"Don't make me laugh, my ribs hurt."

They both laughed lightly and after a moment, they stood and started walking back. Despite

the unease, the light banter kept the mood warm as they left the park together. Later that day, the two made their way to a local medical clinic. Mercury was inside a consultation room with a specialist, while Eratz waited in the lounge area.

The place was empty, allowing Eratz to take off his hoodie without being recognized.

He leaned back in his chair, scrolling through his phone. Headlines filled the screen.

"Golden Cosmos: From Rising Stars to Global Icons"

"Genova Academy's Collapse: What's Next for Its Students?"

His lips pressed into a thin line as he read about Genova's tarnished reputation.

The academy was now synonymous with scandal and failure.

Eratz's thoughts drifted to his younger siblings. How are Kian and Lila handling this? he

wondered.

They wanted so much to be part of Genova. This must have been hard for them. A wave of worry crept in, but he pushed it aside. He would deal with that later.

The door to the consultation room opened, pulling him from his thoughts.

Mercury stepped out slowly, her movements stiff. Her usually confident demeanor was gone,

replaced by an expression of wide-eyed shock. She looked lost.

Eratz immediately stood, his heart skipping a beat.

"Mercury? Are you okay? What did the doctor say?"

She didn't respond right away, her gaze unfocused. Then, as if moving through molasses, she

turned her head to look at him.

Her eyes seemed to search his face for something, and he felt a pang of unease.

"Hey, talk to me," he urged, stepping closer. "What's wrong?"

Mercury's lips parted slightly, but no words came at first. She blinked, then spoke softly,

almost as if she were in a daze.

"Do you remember those times we really, really loved each other?"

Eratz frowned, confused by the question.

"... Uh? Of course I do. We still do, right?" he said gently, his tone steady but worried.

She nodded slowly, her gaze dropping for a moment before meeting his again. "And do you remember all those times we... expressed it... passionately almost every night?"

Eratz cought slightly, then cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah... Um... this doctor... is this some kind of psychologist or what?" Mercury's voice dropped to a whisper as she continued, her eyes wide open on him.

"And do you remember that time I bought these pills and completely forgot to take them the

next day... Every single time?"

There was a moment of silence, then slowly, Eratz's eyes widened.

"Wait... what pill?"