Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm realm, Seed World, Living Section Looking at Dredre, whose pink pupils were fixed intently on her demon merchant codex, Wyatt couldn't help but feel proud of how much she had changed. She was trying to memorize the visualization method he had shared with her, her small hands gripping the codex tightly in concentration. Though the thought of her hearing the call of the river of souls worried him deeply, the progress she'd made was undeniable. Watching her tackle this challenge on her own, it was clear the changes were for the better. Still, she needed to learn to ask for help when she needed it. Wyatt sighed inwardly, blaming himself for passing on the bad habit of stubborn independence.
Under Wyatt's warm and slightly distracted gaze, Dredre suddenly lifted her pink head, her eyes sparkling with determination. "Done!" she declared, breaking his train of thought.
"What?" Wyatt blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't been paying attention.
"I've memorized the visualization method," Dredre said again, tilting her little pink head as if to emphasize her words.
"Already?" Wyatt asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. But then he paused, remembering. The tiny, cute, pink being hovering before him wasn't some child. She was a millennia-old powerhouse who had, out of boredom, read most of the books in the Infinity Library. With that thought, his surprise faded. Of course, she'd memorized the method in under a minute—what else could he expect?
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, practice it and see if it helps with the sounds you're hearing," Wyatt said nonchalantly, withholding the praise he knew she was angling for. He wanted to see how she'd handle a little playful teasing from someone she considered a friend.
Dredre's pink eyes narrowed as she squinted at him, clearly unimpressed by his response. Then, with an exaggerated huff, she turned her back to him and began practicing the visualization method. Her tiny frame radiated determination, but Wyatt caught the subtle flick of her wings—a clear sign of her irritation.
The old Dredre would've doubled down, practicing even harder in front of him to win his approval. But the current one? She didn't hesitate to show her dissatisfaction, letting her actions speak louder than words. Wyatt couldn't help but smile to himself. It seemed it would be harder to tease Dredre any more, anything hardly gets past the current her. Wyatt was being to understand the downside of kids growing up. Well, she won.
"Dredre, I was joking! Good job memorizing the visualization method in under a minute!" Wyatt blurted out, trying to salvage the moment. He knew it was going to get harder to score points with the current Dredre. If this trend continued, he'd lose his spot as her favorite human. Worse yet, Corey—that multi-Identity loon—would claim it.
Wyatt could tolerate losing to almost anyone else, but Corey? No way. He could already picture her smug grin, taking every opportunity to rub it in his face and thoroughly enjoying his suffering.
"I know," Dredre replied coolly, brushing him off without missing a beat. "Now let me focus. I need to practice the visualization method."
Wyatt blinked, momentarily stunned by her response. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Then, as if sensing his shock, Dredre spun around with a mischievous grin. "How does it feel?" she asked, her pink eyes glinting with amusement.
"I've never felt this mortified and proud at the same time," Wyatt said, pretending to wipe imaginary tears of joy from the corners of his eyes.
"Well, you'll get used to it," Dredre teased before her tone turned icy. "Now, go away and let me practice the visualization method more seriously."
"Dredre, that's not funny," Wyatt muttered, frowning. But seeing her dive back into practicing with laser focus, he could only shake his head as he prepared to walk away.
As he turned, Wyatt's concern about losing his spot in Dredre's heart to Corey melted away. Instead, he found himself pitying Corey. Knowing this newer, bolder version of Dredre, Wyatt was certain she wouldn't hesitate to exploit Corey's desperate need for her attention—or to prank her mercilessly. He chuckled at the thought, reassured that his position as her favorite was safe.
Just as he was about to ask Ceed to send him to Corey's island for a quick check-in, a pink flash flickered before him. It was Dredre. Her face was scrunched up, her eyes wide, as if she were barely containing her excitement.
"What is it?" Wyatt asked, unimpressed. If she was planning to make him her first prank target, she'd better brace herself for brutal payback. "It's gone!" Dredre exclaimed in a high-pitched tone, her tiny frame trembling as she tried to control her excitement. Her pink pupils sparkled with a mixture of joy and relief.
"What's gone?" Wyatt asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes. A part of him dreaded being the first victim to one of Dredre's pranks, but his concern for her wouldn't let him ignore her—or take anything about her lightly.
"The sounds! They're gone. But… I can still hear them if I choose to," Dredre replied, practically bouncing in place. Her excitement was so overwhelming that she blurted out the news without giving Wyatt any context.
"You mean… you can no longer hear the sound of the river of souls?" Wyatt asked, piecing her words together with the situation. His brow furrowed as he processed what she was saying. Then, his eyes widened. "That was quick!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
It didn't make sense. She'd only just started practicing the visualization method he'd created for her. It hadn't even been a few seconds—that was far too quick, even for someone as extraordinary as him, a Celestial Viltronian and World calamity tree hybrid.
"Are you sure?" Wyatt pressed, wanting to confirm what he was hearing.
Dredre, still radiating excitement, waved off his disbelief like an annoying fly. Then, with a calmness that didn't match the bombshell she was about to drop, she said, "I can truly revive the dead now."