Xavier stared at Calypso, his face frozen in an expression caught between horror and disbelief. His purple eyes fixed on her like someone who'd just watched their getaway car explode with the robbery money inside. The muscles in his jaw worked silently, but no words came out.
"Xavi?" Calypso waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Xavier?"
He remained motionless, his brain seemingly unable to process the cosmic joke that had just been played on him. This wasn't part of the deal. A new life? Yes. Powers? Sure. An eternal babysitting job for a naked goddess with broken powers? Absolutely fucking not.
"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Calypso said, her silver eyebrows drawing together in concern. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him vigorously, her perfect breasts bounced with each movement.
"Snap out of it!" She shook him harder. "Come on, buddy, it'll be okay! We can get through this! The flaw isn't even that bad!"
A droplet of water hit Xavier's cheek, finally breaking his trance. He blinked twice, then took a step back from her grasp, his eyes pointedly rising to meet hers instead of lingering on her divine anatomy.
"You're stuck here." His voice came out flat. "With me. Forever."
"Not forever! Just until we fix it."
"And how exactly do we fix this?" Xavier's hand swept through his white hair, leaving it standing up at odd angles. "Is there some cosmic customer service line I can call? 'Hello, yes, I'd like to return this goddess. She's defective.'"
Calypso rolled her eyes. "Easy! We just have to complete the trial for this world and once that's done..." She snapped her fingers with a bright smile. "I can go back to Olympus!"
"But what even is the trial?"
"Don't worry about it, little Xavi." She reached out and pinched his cheek like he was a child. "Let your big sister Calypso take care of it!"
He swatted her hand away. "Big sister? If, anything I'd be the older one."
"How!? You're like a baby compared to me!"
"I'm eighteen."
"And I'm eight hundred and forty-seven." She patted his head. "You're practically an infant."
Damn, she old as hell.
Xavier closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he'd learned anything in his previous life, it was how to adapt to shit situations. This was just another complication, another variable to factor into his plans.
"Okay," he said finally. "You're still a goddess. You should have some power left at least, right? What can you still do?"
Calypso brightened. "Well, I'm still immortal! Technically, I'll live forever. And I'm pretty sure I still have some kind of ability." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know exactly what it is yet... but I'm sure it's powerful!"
Xavier's eye twitched. "You don't know."
"I'll figure it out! Divine power is tricky. It's not like your cute little system with all the meters and numbers. It's more... intuitive." She wiggled her fingers mysteriously. "I just need to reconnect with my inner divinity."
Xavier sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping before he caught himself. He straightened his posture, a reflex from years of training his body to project confidence even when everything was going to hell. He was Xavier Valentine. He'd killed men twice his size with nothing but a butter knife and a smile. He'd seduced billionaires and stolen their secrets.
He could handle one powerless goddess.
"Fine," he said, reaching past her for a bathrobe hanging on the back of the door. He tossed it at her. "Put this on. We need to figure out our next steps, and I can't think straight with you..." He gestured vaguely at her entire body.
Calypso caught the robe but made no move to put it on. "What's wrong with how I look? I designed this form myself, you know. Spent decades perfecting it."
"It's distracting."
"That's the point! Mortals are supposed to be distracted by divine beauty. It's like, the whole reason gods look like this."
Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose. "Robe. Now. Or I'm leaving this apartment and seeing how that two hundred-meter radius pain works."
"You wouldn't." Her eyes narrowed. "You'd be hurting yourself too."
"Try me." His purple eyes met hers with the steady gaze of someone who had endured pain as a constant companion.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Calypso finally rolled her eyes and slipped into the robe. "Fine. Happy now?"
"Ecstatic." He turned and walked out of the bathroom, heading for the kitchen.
"I need a fucking drink."
The apartment's refrigerator was fully stocked—another detail from his implanted memories. Academy housing came with basic provisions for new students. Xavier grabbed a beer, popped the cap off against the edge of the counter, and took a long pull.
Fuck, I can't even get drunk anymore. This is bullshit.
Calypso followed him, the too-large bathrobe trailing behind her like a royal train. "So, about the trial..."
"The only thing that would make sense is clearing the Primordial Gates." Xavier said, leaning against the counter. "They are Tier-5. Do you have any idea what that means?"
"That it's challenging?" She hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter, legs swinging childishly.
"It means even S-rank hunters don't go near them without preparation. The best in the world—people with decades of experience and powers that dwarf anything I have—treat them as suicide missions." He took another swig of beer. "And you want me, a first-year student with zero experience, to close them."
Calypso waved her hand dismissively. "Details, details. We have time! You're just starting at the academy, right? So you'll get stronger. Plus, you have me!"
"A powerless goddess."
"Semi-powerless," she corrected, pointing a finger at him. "And I have knowledge. Centuries of it! I've processed millions of souls, including hunters who died trying to close those gates. I know what works and what doesn't."
Xavier considered this. Knowledge was power, especially in a world he was still learning the rules of. And despite her childish personality, Calypso had managed a divine bureaucracy for centuries. That had to count for something.
"Okay," he said finally. "Let's assume we're actually going to attempt this insanity. What's our first move?"
Calypso's face lit up. "First, you need to get stronger. Way stronger. That Input Buffer system has potential, but you need to master it." She hopped off the counter and approached him, eyes suddenly serious. "Your previous life gave you combat skills, but Essentia is different. You need to learn how it works, how to build meter efficiently."
"And the academy will teach me that?"
"Some of it." She shrugged. "But I can help too. I designed your system, remember? I know all its secrets."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like there's a catch?"
"No catch!" She held up her hands innocently. "Okay, maybe a tiny one. I need somewhere to stay while we figure this out."
"You're staying here." It wasn't a question.
"Well, duh. Two hundred-meter radius, remember? But I need a cover story." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I can't exactly tell people I'm a goddess. They'll think I'm crazy."
"Or worse, believe you," Xavier muttered. He finished his beer and set the bottle down harder than necessary. "Fine. You're my... cousin. Visiting from out of town."
Calypso made a face. "Boring! How about I'm your mysterious benefactor? A wealthy socialite who saw potential in a young hunter and decided to sponsor him?"
"And why would you be living with me instead of in a luxury penthouse?"
"Eccentricity! Rich people are weird. No one questions it."
Xavier had to admit she had a point. He'd exploited that exact assumption many times in his previous life. The wealthy could get away with almost anything by simply being "eccentric."
"We can workshop it," he conceded. "But we need to establish boundaries. This is my life, my second chance. I'm not letting you turn it into your personal reality show."
"Too late!" Calypso grinned. "But don't worry, I'm an excellent roommate. I don't need to eat or sleep, so I won't steal your food or hog the bed."
"You don't need to eat, yet you were trying to conjure chocolate."
"Wanting and needing are different things, Xavier." She sniffed. "Dessert is a pleasure, not a necessity."
Xavier pushed away from the counter and walked to the living room window, pulling back the blinds to look out at Metro City. Somewhere out there were the answers they needed—knowledge about the Gates, about how to close them, about how to break the connection between them.
"Tomorrow I start at the academy," he said, more to himself than to Calypso. "I'll learn everything I can about Essentia, about the Gates, about how this world works."
Calypso appeared beside him, her reflection visible in the window glass.
"We'll figure it out," she said, her voice softer than before. "I've seen millions of souls overcome impossible odds. Most of them were even less capable than you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"You're welcome!" She either missed or ignored his sarcasm. "Besides, this might be fun! When was the last time you had an adventure?"
Xavier thought back to his previous life—the constant danger, the betrayals, the nights spent wondering if he'd see morning. "Adventures are just disasters with good PR."
"Exactly!" Calypso clapped her hands together. "And I'm excellent at PR. By the time we're done, they'll be telling stories about us for generations."
Despite himself, Xavier felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Her enthusiasm was irritating but oddly infectious. Maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster. Maybe, just maybe, having a semi-powerless goddess on his side would turn out to be an advantage.
"First thing tomorrow," he said, turning from the window, "we get you some clothes. Real ones, not..." He gestured at the bathrobe.
"Oh! Shopping!" Calypso bounced on her toes. "I've always wanted to try mortal shopping. In the divine realm, we just think about what we want to wear and it appears."
"Well, here you actually have to pay for things. With money."
"Details, details." She waved her hand again. "Don't worry about money. I may not have all my powers, but I know how mortal financial systems work. We'll be fine."
Xavier decided not to ask what that meant.
"Get some rest," Calypso said. "Tomorrow is a big day. First day of school! New friends! Learning how to harness your Essentia!"
"Where are you going to sleep?" Xavier asked, suddenly realizing the apartment had only one bedroom.
Calypso shrugged. "I told you, I don't need to sleep. I'll find ways to entertain myself." She picked up a remote from the coffee table, examining it curiously. "What's this do?"
"It's a TV remote."
Her eyes widened with delight. "TV! I've seen these in souls' memories! You can watch shows about people cooking and fighting and falling in love!"
"Just... try not to break anything." Xavier headed toward the bedroom, suddenly exhausted. The day had been long enough before finding a naked goddess in his bathtub. Now, with the weight of their cosmic predicament settling on his shoulders, all he wanted was sleep.
"Sweet dreams, Xavi!" Calypso called after him. "Tomorrow, we start saving the world!"