George didn't utter a single word during Khan's story. He limited himself to staring at him, occasionally sipping from his glass. Unlike Lieutenant Dyester, George had shared battlefields with Khan, and very little of that absurd tale came as a surprise. When George thought about it, it actually explained many things.

"And that's basically it,

" Khan announced once his tale ended.

"I didn't want to keep you in the dark. I thought about telling you many times, but, well.

"

Khan was being honest. George had been with Khan during some of his most awful periods, but he had never felt that the timing was right. They both also always had other problems to handle, and adding unfixable issues on top of them didn't feel right. However, Khan knew the full story now.

George could see how close to Khan's heart that topic was. Jokes aside, he deeply respected and admired him. Khan had accomplished miracles, and George knew those achievements resulted from hard work, tears, and blood. George had even been there to witness some of them.

Therefore, noticing Khan's hesitation told George how difficult sharing that story was for him. George had only seen him like that when it came to women, or specifically love, vouching for the courage and resolve required to disclose that deeply personal matter.

"Who else knows?

" George calmly asked, avoiding showing any emotion.

"Liiza knew,

" Khan replied.

"Obviously,

" George commented.

"I told my father the whole story, hoping for answers,

" Khan continued.

"I didn't get much.

"

"I guess he knew since the Second Impact,

" George uttered.

"Yes,

" Khan confirmed.

"I told Cora about the nightmares before breaking up with her. She deserved an explanation.

"

George internally agreed but kept his thoughts to himself. That didn't work with Khan, but he avoided pointing it out.

"Zalpa was with Liiza back then, so she knows,

" Khan added.

"Jenna slept with me long enough to notice something. I told Monica everything, and Raymond Cobsend didn't really need explanations.

"

"Right, Raymond,

" George snorted.

"That's it?

"

"I told Master Carl and Abraham two nights ago,

" Khan revealed.

"I was drunk, and it just slipped. It didn't feel right for them to know while you remained in the dark, so here we are.

"

George remained silent, emptying his drink and turning toward the table. He poured more booze, calmly facing Khan again. He looked unaffected by the revelations, but that outcome was unrealistic. No one could be fine after learning about a looming universal threat.

"So,

" George broke his silence.

"You told anyone you got laid with. The others were mistakes.

"

"That's not exactly true,

" Khan said.

"No, no,

" George nodded, lifting a hand.

"It all makes sense now. That whole cursed-boy aura must have been irresistible. Pair it with the innocent looks and battle prowess. No wonder women fell at your feet.

"

"What cursed-boy aura?

" Khan questioned.

"I can even hear them,

" George cursed, shaking his head and changing his tone, pretending to be one of Khan's women.

"I can save him. My love can fix him. I'll get on my knees to make him forget all his problems.

"

"You can't possibly know about that last part,

" Khan stated.

"I know enough,

" George scoffed, using his real voice.

"No wonder you never had a problem hooking up.

"

"Didn't you spend the time after Nitis becoming the bane of female descendants?

" Khan questioned.

"The entire Harbor knew about you after one day!

"

"It's not the quantity of booties!

" George claimed.

"It's their quality!

"

"Yes, my girlfriends are hot,

" Khan responded.

"Tough **. And I barely kissed with Jenna. She doesn't count.

"

"Tell that to the network,

" George challenged.

"I bet there are armies ready to kill just to get a piece of what you had.

"

"Ah!

" Khan cried, instinctively imitating the Thilku's manners.

"Those armies should ask why I'm the one getting the hot ones.

"

"So, you do admit they are hot!

" George shouted.

"I'm not blind,

" Khan declared, pointing at his eyes.

"These things shine for a reason.

"

"Playing all innocent,

" George snorted,

"While I appear as the rogue. We both know who's the worst here.

"

"Next time you spend eighteen years with Nak nightmares in your head,

" Khan snorted.

"Maybe you'll get more high-quality booty, too.

"

"Maybe I will,

" George declared.

"At least I'd get more alien action before getting married.

"

"Are you getting married?

" Khan questioned.

"Maybe,

" George muttered, diverting his gaze.

"Am I the best man?

" Khan asked.

"Since when do you want to be anyone's best man?

" George wondered.

"Since you are getting married,

" Khan said.

"I said maybe,

" George pointed out.

"And, yes, of course, you are the best man.

"

"Will Anita threaten me the night before?

" Khan questioned.

"I think she'll ask Monica to do that,

" George guessed.

"Can you win against her?

"

"Did you see what she was wearing tonight?

" Khan sighed.

"I'll flip with one look.

"

"Understandable,

" George nodded.

"We are **ed, aren't we?

"

"So **ed,

" Khan agreed.

George heaved a helpless sigh before reaching for another bottle and throwing it at Khan. The latter caught it, swiftly opening it and taking a long sip.

"So,

" George exclaimed, seizing a bottle for himself.

"Eighteen years, huh?

"

"You get used to it,

" Khan shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it's not like I have anything to compare it to. I don't remember much of my life before the nightmares.

"

"Do you just see stuff?

" George questioned, waving his hand to point at Khan's head.

"Or

more?

"

"More,

" Khan revealed.

"I feel what the Nak feel. It's part of me. In many ways, it's me now.

"

"No wonder you didn't get married yet,

" George commented.

"You want to fix this thing

first.

"

"My father said that I shouldn't pass down anything strange once I reach the fifth level,

" Khan revealed.

"Monica would be already pregnant otherwise.

"

"You don't want to spawn more kids like you,

" George said.

"One of me is enough,

" Khan chuckled.

"We don't want more crazy chaos wielders running

amok.

"

"And stealing hot girls,

" George added.

"I never stole anything,

" Khan scoffed.

"Besides, Amber and Cora are a thing now. That should rejoice you.

"

"Really?!

" George gasped.

"You only needed to stay in Reebfell a few more months.

"

"I know, right?

" Khan exclaimed.

"I told Monica, and she threw her heel at me.

"

"Women are incomprehensible beasts,

" George shook his head, his eyes wandering across the

hall.

"If only they didn't feel so good,

" Khan sighed.

"If only,

" George also sighed.

"Did you get Anita pregnant?

" Khan suddenly asked.

"Why would you think that?!

" George cried.

"You considering marrying her,

" Khan explained.

"If she is, it must have been recent. I would

have sensed it otherwise.

"

"Are you a scanner now?

" George questioned.

"Shaman,

" Khan corrected.

"If there's even a definition for that.

"

"She isn't pregnant,

" George declared.

"I don't think so, at least. She would have told me.

"

"How can you not know?

" Khan wondered.

"Condoms aren't perfect, man!

" George cursed,

"And we haven't been exactly careful,

especially lately.

"

"I can hear the leash tightening around your neck,

" Khan joked.

"Shut up,

" George scoffed.

"Why don't you explain why you've finally decided to tell me

about the nightmares instead?

"

Khan fell silent, his glowing eyes inspecting the bottle in his hands. He wasn't surprised to find it empty, but one look at George made a new one fly in his direction.

"I can't be everywhere,

" Khan explained, looking at the new bottle while slowly opening it.

"If something happens while I'm away, I want to know you'll have the strength to protect

yourself.

"

"I still train, you know?

" George said.

"This is different,

" Khan shook his head.

"All this stuff about being the mana's enemy is deep.

I feel it's nothing we have ever faced before.

"

"You'll come up with something,

" George reassured.

"That much I know.

"

"Come on, George,

" Khan pleaded, looking at his friend.

"This is way bigger than me. It took

all I had to get one planet, and we are talking about facing a universe-ending threat.

"

"Don't you have a plan?

" George asked.

"Getting stronger?

" Khan guessed.

"Getting as many people as I can stronger? Maybe understanding what that damned corpse was saying before going after a species that ruined

my life?

"

"You aren't fooling anyone,

" George sneered.

"What's your plan B?

"

Khan's expression grew slightly colder before he diverted his gaze. He had thought about something else, but the idea wasn't a real plan or a solution.

"If the scarlet eyes want the Nak,

" Khan announced,

"They'd probably want me, too. They might even want to deal with me before attacking other areas infected by mana.

"

"You are planning to be a decoy,

" George realized.

"I can hold my own fine,

" Khan explained, inspecting his hands.

"I can probably live for

centuries with the mana and the Nak genes. Humankind might get a chance at winning if I run

circles around the scarlet eyes for that long.

"

"Shouldn't we surpass the mana or something?

" George pointed out.

"I shared my methods with humankind,

" Khan declared,

"And I plan to add more species to

my organization. Their joint forces might succeed, given enough time.

"

"Does Monica know about this plan?

" George questioned.

"You are the only one I told,

" Khan revealed.

"Still, knowing her...

"

"She definitely knows,

" George finished the line.

"She definitely knows,

" Khan repeated.

"Well,

" George sighed, picking up a new bottle and lying on the nearest couch.

"I guess we'll

keep at it until morning.

"

"I guess we will,

" Khan agreed, approaching the array of couches to join his friend for what would inevitably be a night of booze and catching up.