《All For One: Red Monolith (Twelve Monoliths Book V)》


 PROLOGUE

    2022


    Issachar


    Crimson rays cooked the surface of the stone-white field where life ceased to exist so short a time ago. Heat cast from the sun above cooked the corpses of any unfortunate enough to find themselves in the bonelands when the world had shifted over. The tint of the light casted from the sun hid the blood that boiled from within the decrepit bodies that had attempted to survive against all odds. Coating the ground in a caramelized sheet of dried blood stained the white expanse with brittle patches of murky black splotches that¡ªover time would too catch ablaze and burn itself from the surface of the bone-white rock. Future adventurers would find the bonelands glazed a golden red color as the blood stains the stony white textured surface.


    It was a place of terror that held its breath as the true nature of its devilish design were only yet to ensnare those that found themselves within this new world¡ªpoised to kill them at any waking opportunity. This was but one of the several million changed landscapes after the turnover of the decade. The planet had once looked entirely different, but if one had enough memory and will, they could almost see echoes of the new world etched into the heart of the new.


    The Collapse had snaked through the universe as a singular thread that life would branch off and continue to expand. Echoes of the past universe were etched into the sands and lands across the many continents that have stretched and slammed into one another. The world was different, as much was easily evident in the color of the sky and the noticeably harsher taste of the air in the lungs. But this was true even for the small details¡ªwater on average was heavier than before due to increased levels of lead and copper from the atmosphere.


    As if by cosmological blueprint, life tended to repeat various states of patterns in geography and landscape. To those that existed in both versions it might seem like a cruel joke or cosmic coincidence in finding shared knowledge of climate and topography, but this was just the lifeblood of the world itself expanding into the infinite outside of the universe. A land given the space to breath and create life as naturally as possible given the set variables.


    In late 2022 the world was irrevocably changed¡ªall that was before in the infinite vastness of the multiverse was compressed¡ªoverlayed into a single existence. Cities were leveled and re-leveled hundreds of millions of times over. A perfect composite built and joined by imperfect parts infinitae. Multiple existences were overwritten again and again. Those that remain in the new world are those with the strongest wills¡ªthose that overcame a cosmic return to the most basic values.


    The stone white surface reflected the crimson sun¡¯s rays to a blinding fault. The immense heat that radiated from the surface of the planet cooked the air and sizzled crackling the moisture in the air. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for spurts of fire to crack as the pressure released from all around.


    The bonelands stretched on for miles and remained as quiet as the natural hum of the planet underfoot echoed across the empty space. Empty, but for the two figures that sat in quiet communion ten feet below the surface¡ªthe only area of the bonelands not lethal to step foot in. The population at large had not yet faced the horrors of the bonelands¡ªonly but a few months had passed since their spontaneous growth because of The Collapse.


    The first few weeks after The Collapse the area was frozen solid and covered in a thick layer of ice. The spires that rose from the surface jutted up like hooks of frozen bone. Monsters from below looked to be reaching for the heavens, cursing the angels for casting them out from their Eden. Of course, from such angels, one might say they looked like the talons great mythical beast carving its way out from the center of the planet.


    The caverns networked under the earth for a considerable distance throughout all sides¡ªcarved out by the two deep within networking the tunnels. The goal was to make an alternative path through the bonelands without needing to bare the reflected heat that cooked the air above. Down below, among the dark emptiness that held little else other than jagged stone and subterranean insects¡ªsmall, colorful critters that scuttled against the hard earth in search of any sort of sustenance in the new environment. Issachar sat on a rough edge. He pared away a chunk of rubble from the wall and brought a hand up to wipe away the beads of sweat that had started to form. He stood in the body of Lillian Jones.


    There remained still a rumbling of her voice deep underneath the surface¡ªstill begging for release and for penance. However, it has not yet sunken in that the work they had been doing was to be her penance. It was almost a humorous thought that humans of this age could be so blind to that which will benefit the most people on a cosmic scale. That which benefited just the sole was often the incorrect way to think about life on a global scale. Humans of this age tended to prove how little they chose to listen to one another.


    Issachar had wiped beads of sweat off Lillian¡¯s brow. He could thank that she was in shape¡ªquite more than other people her age. Although it was still tiring work excavating, and they still had so much more work to do. It had been a few months since the passing of their father¡ªthe creator of everything that they knew¡ªZ-One, and still so little progress had been made. And even though they were safe from the sweltering heats from above the surface, it was still hotter than what was comfortable down below. Just because they could survive in it did not mean it was not fraught with peril if they weren¡¯t careful.


    The tunnels themselves looked like the work of small creatures defending themselves against the harsh pressures of the sun, and while that purpose did hold true, they would be essential for all walks of life as the bonelands above would soon be known for the copious number of carcasses lay stretched across the surface. It was a form of public service they provided, and Issachar couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the image of both working with luminescent vests that could have only existed in the old world.


    Passing was the harmless way of describing what had happened. That was how they were meant to think of it¡ªto harden one''s heart by distancing themselves from the human aspect and the reality that in said passing, life ended. In order to restart, sacrifices were made. And Issachar knew that more than most¡ªhe didn''t think he would forget the sight of his Father''s body in the Great Library anytime soon. It was however burned into his memory.


    Among their litterings in the underground bunker were a couple of books¡ªa few of them were splayed open to show hand-drawn maps of the carvings of the underground. The dashed and hurried markings implied a rush that the two figures had felt in marking the page. Would these maps be found by other travelers across the bonelands, or would they be reproduced in annals down the road? Neither of them knew, but the ever-fleeting hope was that they could return to their world before that would ever become a reality.


    He was facing Sakonna, the youngest of the Children of the Night. She often took the form of a dragon, but when she didn''t¡ªlike now¡ªshe looked like a woman named Ai Nagatomi. A vessel who had aged considerably slowly considering how long ago she had taken it up. She had told him that it was sometime around the fourth century¡ªbut he wasn''t sure how much of that was folktale and how much was the truth. Sakonna had the habit of embellishment. That quality was absent in her face now¡ªshe sat with a look as hard as the surrounding rock on her face.


    "You doubt me." Sakonna said. It was a statement devoid of any doubt, unphased by the implication of the words. It was an easy enough accusation to throw out considering her history, and she knew that he knew. Anyone else she had spoken to would have taken it as almost offensive. Yet, he could detect the whimsy laying behind her words.


    Issachar would have noted some sort of humor in her voice if the reality of the situation weren''t so grave. It was something about her that he didn''t care for. He knew she often clashed with their other siblings on policy and ideology, and while he did tend to agree and take her side on these kinds of arguments, her acting this way didn''t lend her any credence. It was almost as if she thrived on the conflict itself.


    "It''s not that," Issachar sprawled out and looked toward the roof of the cave. The staggered rock chunks clung tight to the ceiling above. It almost threatened to cave them in if he looked away too long. He heaved a sigh and looked back to her. "Nothing about this situation makes sense. Of course, I don''t believe you could have killed him¡ªI didn''t even know he could be killed, honestly. But you''re not someone I suspect."


    She regarded him with a curious sound that almost sounded like that of a teacher when confronting a child about questionable behavior. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to feel on the dynamic.


    "That is good to hear," she said. She rolled her eyes around and turned away for but a moment. "For what it''s worth, I don''t think I did, either."


    "Are you being coy or are you trying to tell me you don''t remember what''s been going on?" The humor she attempted to inject was not lost on him, but he hardly thought it was the time for it.


    She smiled small, that irksome gesture that forced a sigh out of him like a great vacuum.


    "Come on," Issachar reared his head back. "This is serious business. I understand why you¡¯re acting this way, but I am asking you not to."


    "You don''t have to tell me that," Sakonna said, her voice hardened¡ªher face shifted in an instant. "I''m aware of how serious the situation is. It''s laughable I had anything to do with it, and it''s laughable that we''re even having this conversation right now."


    "It''s not," Issachar said. "And by that, I mean Samael''s serious about this. He, Ez, and Ormus are mounting an investigation. They''re going to be looking through everything."


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    Memories flooded past his eyes and Issachar flashed back to the conversation he had with Samael back in the Great Library. He saw how solved the situation had seemed in his eyes¡ªand just how little he cared whether Issachar felt one way or the other on it. He was only means to an answer, and that more than anything burned him up inside. How confidently and stubbornly refused to hear anything he had to say on the matter. How quickly and succinctly he was categorically denied even a chance to plead his opinion.


    Even though he thought Ezrael and Ormus were more levelheaded than Samael was, the trio as a whole were definitely a problem if they had suspected Sakonna. The three of them were the eldest of the Children of the Night, and if Samael was able to convince the both of them of his reasons, that didn''t spell good fortune.


    "Listen," Issachar started. He sat up and clasped his hands together, "We just need to iron out all the details and approach this rationally. There must have been something off when you last had company with father. Anything out of the ordinary, anything that could lead to who could have actually done this?" He looked to her expecting her to follow off of his prompt.


    "I can''t tell you that." Her words were blunt. There was no more humor to her voice.


    He could tell he crossed into some conversational tripwire and knew he''d have to tread carefully. Issachar cocked his head, running his hand through Lillian''s hair he sighed and returned a frustrated look. "Why not?" Sakonna offered nothing, which only frustrated him more. "Come on. You have to give something. How are we supposed to convince them you didn''t do it?"


    "I don''t think they would buy anything I had to tell them if they''re this far into it."


    "Not if you don''t give them anything," Issachar groaned. Sometimes she seemed aching to make things more difficult. "You think so badly of them and trust me, I understand your frustration with Samael. I am not his favorite nor he mine. But it is hard to help you if you''re not doing anything to help yourself."


    "Then don''t help me. I never asked for it."


    He didn¡¯t know how to answer. They were layers deep, and he had to take a deep breath to handle it from the start.


    "I know you didn''t do it. You know you didn''t do it. But if they conclude that you did and you don''t say anything in your defense, they''re going to kill you." Sakonna was silent. "Did father tell you to be quiet about it?"


    Her continued silence was enough of an answer, he thought. It was an answer, but that didn''t mean that he had to like it¡ªhe didn''t like the added questions that it brought. The questions only further fueled the confirmation that he was way in over his head in all this. This fear deep inside him that had only continued to fester with the passage of time. He had specific tasks and goals to reach. All of this mystery was...nebulous. Unaided, and worst of all it was tearing his family apart.


    "Do you have a plan? At least tell me you¡¯re thinking of what to do next. I know you love contributing to the global good as much as I do here, but there has to be a next step.¡±


    "I have pieces of ideas floating in my head," she began. "I must admit I am not prepared for the events that have happened¡ªI had been so focused on acquiring the energy from the SubCon Facility that I mistakenly allowed this path to transpire¡ªand right under my own nose."


    "It''s taken us all off guard," Issachar tried to comfort her. ¡°You have to believe at least that much.¡±


    "Not all of us," She mused, bringing a hand to her chin and she tapped slowly. "I do think Samael''s right in the idea that one of us is responsible. Instinct tells me that he''s responsible because of his determination to see me hung for it, as it were...and that''d be no great waste on my conscience..."


    "But Ez and Ormus..." Issachar said.


    Sakonna sighed. "I don''t know what dirt Samael''s got. But if it''s enough to convince them, nothing I will say will convince them otherwise, I fear. Lest they would have raised their own objections by now, and we wouldn¡¯t be in the mess that we¡¯re currently in. Unless you mean to assume that Samael does indeed have nothing, and the three of them have decided that even regarding so I must take the fall for it.¡±


    Issachar was silent to this, wondering the legitimacy of the question.


    ¡°...in which case, I would stand just as much to convince them otherwise, no?¡±


    Deep down, Issachar knew this was possible¡ªlikely even. The bond that those three shared was unique. Several small cliques had formed in the Children of the Night¡ªmany who had come to this world around the same time had tended to bond with one another. It wasn''t too hard to understand why¡ªbeing alone in a strange place all by yourself was one of the worst feelings that one could ever experience. It was reassuring to know that a familiar face was nearby to help in the transition period.


    He knew that Nehemoth and Scantar had formed a close relationship...at least before they went silent. That was...definitely a cause for concern, but it at this time could be for a myriad of reasons. And Samael¡¯s own reason for not even entertaining them as suspects as he did Sakonna was equally as maddening. It made him think that they were missing rather than hiding. But going down that rabbit hole made things infinitely more confusing.


    Then there was Thagirion. He was penchant to remain in solitude, but Issachar did know that just as Ormus had acted as an older brother style role to himself, so did Galgaliel to Thagirion. Back in the before, the two of them were close if he remembered correctly. But even then, Ezrael also formed a notable third to that dynamic, which made things even more complicated when she also acted as an elder alongside Samael and Ormus.


    It was lonely to think about his and Sakonna¡¯s situations here, alone. They had each other, sure, but it certainly felt like they were always othered when it came to the other Children. Like they were meant to be raised to take the fall when things came down against the plan. When, all for what they had been trying to accomplish it had seemed like they had been the only ones acting in accordance with the plan. That thought too, was maddening.


    Of course, he knew that boiled down to him and Sakonna being the first two to make contact with the planet. That was what made it so easy for him to relate to Sakonna.


    He was the second youngest of them, although he had come to this planet much longer after Sakonna had. Even so, she was one of the only Children on this planet before the time of the Collapse. She had this entire planet to herself, at least, until he came along.


    He had landed almost exactly in the same place that she had¡ªa tiny village by the name of Steinschild almost thirty years prior. The environment itself was changed, for sure, but compared to the rest of the world, time seemed to have passed in slow motion. The village itself remained true to its traditions of old and its seclusion from the more modern societies around it was truly a marvel that historians would marvel at.


    Legends floated around since Sakonna¡¯s arrival about a dragon that lived in the mountains, and so his arrival had only influenced and blossomed local folklore. He almost wished he could have witnessed the depth of the stories told about him, but his priorities had always kept him busy and away.


    By the time he landed Sakonna had already been on the planet for a millennium and a half. In his time, he had spent several years searching for the perfect vessel to inhabit and interact with the world¡ªthe body that would cause the least amount of disturbance on the global scale. He searched the multiple universes for an utterly despicable human that he could remove from the equation¡ªand to be truthful his list was rather large. There was a lot of people that seemingly only lived to cause others harm and misfortune.


    But to him, something about his search became personal. He knew of Allison Fae¡ªthe infant Ormus had brought into the world. She was perhaps the one human in this world he knew most about. After all, he had appealed to Ormus'' sense of morality more than once on the topic. One might even call her his humanity¡ªsomething treasured but kept away from their goals. Allison Fae had formed a bond with Lillian Jones, and Lillian Jones wasn''t the worst human imaginable. She did heinous acts, and for selfish reasons, but it was because she intended to cross paths with Allison that Issachar had known he had found his vessel.


    In some twist of fate, things for Allison had been decided when Issachar had made his move. This, he didn''t wish. He desired her to understand his actions and why he had done them¡ªso that she could move on from her pain and lead a happy life for as long as she was able. He knew that Ormus reflected these wishes, but in private.


    Instead, Allison Fae held onto her pain. He could not read her thoughts, but he knew that she had started a journey of her own. She desired to find them, him specifically. He didn''t know if she meant to kill him, but unfortunately, he could not risk that chance. Of course, he understood if she had meant revenge. While he hoped that wasn''t the truth, he would be foolish to ignore the likelihood of the situation.


    "So, what''s your idea? Your proto-plan so to speak?" Issachar asked, returning to the present.


    Sakonna stretched and she craned her neck, facing Issachar. "I''m going to search out the Monoliths myself."


    "You''re kidding, right? I don''t have to tell you that this is a serious matter."


    "No, you don''t. My methods aren''t going to be changing, of course, but the end result..." She looked off to the side.


    The Monoliths...the end of the Children of the Night''s desires. Fragments of the Infinity Engine GODSONG that powered creation. Twelve fragments of immense power that by themselves could start and end wars worldwide.


    "You''re seriously thinking of going against the rest now?" Issachar asked.


    "I''m making no large show of it, but once it''s noticed I can''t do much to hide it. It''s not like the others have hidden the agenda against me."


    Issachar knew that she spoke the truth, and that when she was determined about something¡ªit was going to happen. He stood at the edge of a precipice and knew his decision without a second thought.


    "I''ll do my best to help you."


    She offered a kind regard and the both of them in that moment the vow was burned in their hearts.

 1 | Clear Mind

    <h3 align="center">PART I


    Clarity Among Monsters


    2044


    LUCAS Gray


    The Kosunaga Factory was at one point a spiraling business venture that provided many different kinds of services to the western edge of this new landmass with weapons and iron works. Mines along the coast sent along metals to another fabrication helmed by a subsidiary. The processed metals would be distributed toward the weapons development factory and the architectural development facility. The two of these developments grew to be the fastest growing conglomerates in the new world.


    History would first tell of the two brothers that in the old world ran deep corporate conglomerates out of Tokyo. As the world turned over they were halfway through a business trip in what used to be California in the old world.


    Namba Kosunaga was a business elite who ran plenty of housing developments within not just the city itself, but also a string of very successful hotels and casinos on the edge of Akihabara. Tachi on the other hand tended to prefer owning and operating various food chains at the highest level, and the two came together often to shift the tide of Japan¡¯s economic, cultural, and societal direction.


    The official order of their trip was to meet with some American investors in order to branch out their production states-side, as plenty of voices have sprung out to their channels for the desire to expand. To many people they were touted as the unofficial kings of the country with how much influence they had over its development. If the world were to continue on its path they could have risen to be in the top percent of the global elite. Their possibilities were endless in shooting up and out.


    It came to be no surprise that the meetings that the Kosunaga pair had in the States were to be a secret until the deal could be finalized¡ªas general opinions on global monopolies such as they had were frowned on when they seemed so blatant to the public. America was beneficent toward those that worked behind the scenes to string the economy for great profits. It was a grand puppet show by design.


    Namba and Tachi were more than aware of this landscape for great opportunities and were able to easily glance the excited fervor their investors had at the oncoming deal. Uniformity led to the least risk of profit and seemed to shoot the projection at an eventual but certain nationwide takeover of the Kosunaga brand.


    However, real life tended to ignore the assumed certainties of man. The coincidence of their trip lasting long enough to visit the south Californian party scene was not lost on their business partners back east. Thankfully for the Kosunaga brothers, those such business partners would cease to exist come the turn of The Collapse. A smattering of a few had enough will to survive the crossing into the new world, but Tokyo as a whole during the first decade of their new life fell to total collapse before the ushering in of the new city-state that would become the technological marvel of the new world.


    This new world was unsafe and unkind, but Tokyo specifically faced an energy crisis unlike anything the new world or old world has seen. Reactors that used to exist in control and captivity had released tremendous amounts of energy upon being piled onto one another, and that exit point released enough heat and radiation to kill a very large percentage of the people that remained across the sea.


    Survivors clung onto life as the true remnants of a society long passed, but those stories are meant for another time. Those stories will most certainly cross over with these stories, but for now, the Kosunaga brothers remain on the western coast of society as everything around them changed, and so too life demanded they change lest they be damned to the death that so many people had experienced¡ªbroken and forgotten.


    So, finding their only choice to adapt, they utilized their natural charisma to band together to form a small caravan with the other humans around the area who latched to them¡ªsearching for someone to lead them. Their caravan then began to travel the edge of the world begging their way through the apocalypse. If any had remained alive who had seen them at their lowest would not have lived long in their new empire.


    Slowly building reputation for their skills in the forge and fighting ability during the early years after The Collapse was the only thing they could do to avoid succumbing to the new world. As time flowed down the natural spire respect was sown from the seeds planted from their bent-over begging. Respect is a currency that clears in any world, and the Kosunagas took all they had and formed together to create, create, create.


    As with all empires, respect soon molted into fear which signed and sealed their inevitable downfall. It wasn¡¯t until they made a connection with a woman named Scaevus that they began to reach ever eastward before an ultimate demise.


    She was a force that made a name for herself in the east and was noted to be largely responsible for the increased mechanical production and speeding along an iron and steel revolution. Scaevus was as one might assume a new identity taken on in the new world¡ªthe face that belonged to the name had once been a corporate lawyer in the old world who worked out of the Burroughs of Manhattan named Tara Hartstung. Baring new fangs in the world since changed she has climbed her way out of corporate defense into the technological development of the coastal east.


    The weapons the Kosunaga brothers developed had fueled conflict in the area and spread influence across the new landmass of the world. As far as shipment had developed had the clutching reaches of new business.


    This was heavily disrupted after the destruction of the Kosunaga Factory and the death of Namba Kosunaga. The effects on the east would be monumental, but that would be a rippling consequence that would bubble to the surface as the years continued to come. Still, as humanity always adapted to unfavorable situations so would they adapt to the loss of a weapons development facility¡ªto the chagrin of those that lost their lives in the crumble of such a tyranny. It was an unfortunate result of humanity¡¯s determination.


    To others¡ªsmaller in number maybe¡ªthe destruction of the Kosunaga empire stood as a victory¡ªthough pyrrhic in nature¡ªstill came with the reward that meant more to them than most would assume.


    LUCAS Gray took the front lines on the infiltration of the factory¡ªalongside a number of others working toward multiple objectives. Of course, LUCAS worked in secret alongside an aged soul from whose stories could inscribe histories¡ªGavin Daniels had been searching for various fragments of a machine named ICARUS that were said to contain infinite power and control over the many realities and unrealities. Through the course of the dangerous mission LUCAS had revealed the full nature of his mission to his second¡ªLaven, who through fragments themselves of memories of her past he had learned of her pact with an immensely powerful being related to ICARUS and its many pieces. This pact allowed her the ability to wield immense strength and willpower at the cost of increased energy expenditure.


    It was a bond born through ivory flames and golden markings that flared up across her skin like adornments from a god, although the energy that LUCAS felt had very familiar source signatures, the same kinds that eluded his knowledge like the Creatures of the Night. And yet he felt deep wells of strength within her that told him that she was strong enough to wield the power she was given, and he felt that was the strength he found himself attracted to more than any other.


    After the destruction of the building both of the pair lie damaged, but alive. The factory itself had come tumbling down as a result of the last-ditch effort by Namba Kosunaga. He intended to end their mission as succinctly as possible taking himself with it.


    Thankfully, Laven was able to get the both of them out of the building before it collapsed. Unfortunately, the building¡¯s collapse had caused the deaths of many of the captured workers inside. The two of them held deep in their hearts the regret over not being able to save everyone inside.


    Gavin, after coming to the pair¡¯s rescue was quick to let them know not all of their efforts were in vain as there were workers they were able to free and reunite with their families, but on the whole the victory was met with casualty. And on top of everything, LUCAS and Laven stand in doubt of their other teammates as their inside information inside the Kosunaga building leaked out to Namba and he was able to prepare for their arrival¡ªleading to the total destruction of the building in the first place.


    Holding the fragment in his hand, LUCAS couldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t worth it, though. And part of him feared the loss of morality at that feeling. It inspired a sort of fear within him that worried if he would become okay with the sacrifice of life if his personal goals were met. That kind of thought left a sickly taste in his mouth. He had so short of an experience with life, but the one thing he had held true was his disdain for ends justifying the means.


    At least, he had thought it was firm in what counted as his mind. Was he really so malleable that even the first step toward making a difference would affect who he was? Was that really so bad an idea? Extrapolating further¡ªcould he be sure that he was following his own best path? He hated the feeling of uncertainty and would kill it within himself so he¡¯d not second guess every choice he made. If he was going to fulfill his father¡¯s mission and protect those around him he needed to be sure of himself.


    Being sure of oneself seemed like so easy a task to perform. He was sure others were able to just be sure¡ªas if it were as easy as blinking or existing. So easy that the body does it for you without any conscious effort, but he wasn¡¯t built that way. Doubt seemed hardwired into his head, and it rang like a gong against his subconscious like a choral parade running a repeat performance.


    He felt the shaking and tumbling of the bike across the bumps in the sand. Even though the bike had hovered above the surface, it did have to adjust for the hills and crests below and each one brought small seismic shakes that pushed him against Laven. Having her so close helped with the intrusive thoughts¡ªjust as it was easier to think you were on the right path if someone else were on it with you. But a part of him knew that it also led to a strand of intrusive thoughts that adapted to these pleasantries¡ªthey wondered if he were simply leading Laven astray and worried how much he¡¯d be responsible for if he were to be wrong.


    He looked up at her and held the feeling close in him how lucky that she was okay. Something in him almost counted on his action or lack thereof becoming responsible for her loss...and suddenly felt himself placing her below him¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t true in the slightest. If anything, she had saved him time and again. Why had he assumed his own safety so simply? He needed to adjust that thinking. Otherwise he would be nothing but a detriment to not just himself, but for everyone that would ever keep him company.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a bit quiet back there,¡± Gavin said, cocking his head just so slightly LUCAS knew it was directed at the both of them. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. I get it, though.¡±


    LUCAS shifted smally behind him, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to really begin. I feel like I need to sleep for several days¡­and yet I know that the second I sit down I¡¯m going to be unable to stop thinking about what happened.¡±


    Gavin didn¡¯t turn back, but his voice was clear, ¡°Trust me, I know the feeling. Unfortunately, we¡¯re going to need to press on a bit longer. I¡¯m going to take us as close as we can to the camp without being spotted, then I¡¯ll continue on alone to gather the rest of my things. Once that¡¯s done I will come back, and we can all head off.¡±


    ¡°What of the others?¡± Laven asked. ¡°Are you just going to say we didn¡¯t make it out? There¡¯s going to be questions I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Something like that. I am mainly curious to gauge reactions. If I notice anything suspect I¡¯ll mention it when I return.¡±


    The ride from then on was quiet. LUCAS wasn¡¯t sure that him going in alone was such a good idea. With the stories he had heard of Roshe he was concerned that it could turn on him so simply. But he also wasn¡¯t sure if he would be anything that could help in that specific situation.


    The sky held tight as if it were afraid to breathe. Not a cloud interrupted the pale blue sky. The wind around them kept to a slow-moving breeze that only picked up because of the speed they were traveling. LUCAS had to blink to keep his eyes focused¡ªit was almost blurring the blues and browns together if he wasn¡¯t careful. He was thankful that he wasn¡¯t the one driving the bike, as he was sure he would have found some way to crash.


    The sand blowing through the air was coarse against his skin and he knew they would have to leave the desert soon enough¡ªhis body wasn¡¯t built for long-term resiliency against the erosion of the sands. The thought was scary that someday he could take his final steps here as the sands wear away his flesh and leave naught but his endoskeleton for some future generation to unearth and theorize about.


    When they slowed to a stop LUCAS felt a sort of centering as he no longer felt the consistent rumblings of the bike shaking his insides as it kept above the sands. He would have assumed a bike that did not touch the ground would have led to a smoother ride¡ªbut in his now two experiences with them he has only felt what he could attribute to nausea. And he doesn¡¯t even have anything to throw up inside.


    Laven slid off the back and stretched as she looked up toward the sky. It took her a moment to catch the sun angled off in the distance and she smiled smally toward it. ¡°I think the creature inside me is happy to feel the sun¡¯s warmth. I have a sense of it.¡±


    LUCAS turned to her and marveled at how the light radiated off of her. Glowing like an ancient statue brought forward in time. And yet, he resonated with what she was saying. The silent sunlight beating down did usher up positive feelings within him. He wondered if it was something deeper, or if it was just because he was happy to be alive and safe¡ªat least for the moment.


    ¡°Yeah, I understand. The sun is nice,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I can do without the sand though. Too rough.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it shouldn¡¯t take me long at all to make it back here,¡± Gavin began, adjusting his seat in the bike and looking back toward the both of them. ¡°I expect it won¡¯t be longer than forty-five minutes. While I¡¯d love to just get in and out I expect I¡¯ll be approached as soon as I enter the grounds and will have to answer some cursory questions.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what should we do if you exceed that time?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°Surely we shouldn¡¯t just stand here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave that to your discretion. I assume if I take any longer I¡¯m either being held against my will or dead. Neither of which I believe will happen, but I guess you have to account for every possibility.¡±


    With that, he grinned and kicked his leg up onto the side of the bike and revved whatever engine powered that machine onto its course into the caravan. LUCAS stood watching him grow smaller in the distance until he heard his own name called from behind him.


    ¡°You coming, Luke?¡±


    It was Laven, she was about a minute¡¯s walk behind him. He blinked and came back to himself as he ran over toward her.


    ¡°Hey, where you going?¡±


    ¡°I had thought we¡¯d be on the same page. You¡¯re not thinking of staying here, are you?¡±


    ¡°I mean...I kinda was?¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°Well, I would hope you would have considered him in your list of suspects in people that could have leaked our information.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I¡­..¡± LUCAS tried to make the argument, which led to a sigh from Laven in response.


    ¡°I mean, I understand the trust. I do.¡± Laven began. ¡°He¡¯s a likable guy. And he was the one who told you about the fragments. It wouldn¡¯t on first glance make sense that he¡¯d lead you astray, but if you are going to trust anything¡ªand I know how hypocritical that sounds but please keep up¡ªtrust that those kinds of people who on the surface have no reason to backstab you end up being those very ones who do it to you the worst.¡±


    LUCAS stared at her and then turned to Gavin, still riding off in the other direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying he definitively is going to betray you, but if I were you I would work to protect myself from every angle possible. I understand that I¡¯m implying you should separate from me to remain safe, and I have no explanation as to why you shouldn¡¯t...but I hope that you don¡¯t. I just don¡¯t want you falling prey to some plot or some grander scheme.¡±


    LUCAS looked back at her and cocked his head, regarding her more than just a person. He saw her as a whole. As a past, present, and even future. He knew that you really could only know someone as far as you trusted them, and this new world was wrought with people looking to play games above games and willing to cut anybody that got in the way of those ideals out. But he looked at her and saw something different. He saw kindness. He saw a warmth and genuine concern that he could place his faith in.


    ¡°I understand. I do not know much about Gavin and if I am being honest, that does concern me greatly. I know enough to set off alarms in my head, and even though I do agree with the path he is on, I cannot guarantee he is on it for the same reason that I am. I trust you, though, and am willing to place that trust in you to help wherever I go.¡±


    She smiled, and it made him feel warm inside. ¡°Seeing as we both do not have a place to call home, I say we just move¡ªmove wherever our hearts call. Wherever rumors of the mission fly our way.¡±


    Our hearts. The fact that she so easily considered him having heart¡ªhow effortless she considered him an equal warmed and fanned his inner desire. It steeled his resolve and he nodded. ¡°I do have an idea on where we should go, but it¡¯s a bit of a distance.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can tell me on the way,¡± Laven said. ¡°I grabbed this off the back of the bike, I hope Gavin has more back at base to restock from, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be too mad,¡± she turned and showed off a pack made of some sort of leather substitute. LUCAS couldn¡¯t begin to tell what was inside but assumed that it would be greatly helpful in their walk.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fantastic,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I don¡¯t need food or water, but I know you do and the more we can save for you the better.¡±


    She gave a knowing look and smiled, ¡°Right on. Well, you just point the way, and we¡¯ll start moving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing a settlement about¡­. forty miles off to the east. It doesn¡¯t look too large.¡±


    ¡°We can set up camp in threes. Go for about four hours each stop.¡±


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay for that?¡± LUCAS asked.


    She looked at him sternly. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t have proposed it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Sorry.¡±


    She laughed in return. It made her eyes bright, and he loved that look so dearly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I could very well ask you that same question.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, I got to stop doing that¡­¡± LUCAS trailed off. ¡°I sometimes assume others can¡¯t handle the burden I can, and that¡¯s not right.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I get where you¡¯re coming from. Every time you say it I¡¯ll be as right happy to remind you.¡±


    With this he looked at her and he took her hand in silence and they began to walk.


    The pair continued through the desert as the sun hung over them and shone crimson over the sands. A small creature the size of a snake burrowed its way beneath the sands to escape the brutal sun¡¯s rays. Almost as if attempting to reflect the light back LUCAS felt warmth heating his feet below. The two almost felt like any manner of topic would pale in comparison to the elephant in the room, and so it was Laven who finally broke the ice.


    ¡°So, what kind of power do you think those fragments have? I know we were kind of busy the last time we were really talking about it,¡± Laven said. ¡°Did you happen to learn anything more about them, from your head, I mean?¡±


    She was talking about the database that LUCAS¡¯ mind was linked up to. Thinking on it deeper he wasn¡¯t fully sure where the source of the information was¡ªas the laboratory where he was built was now sitting destroyed at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.


    From the database he knew a vast array on tons of subjects, however, the depth of the knowledge was too much to store in his head at all times. He needed to scan the database if he needed to recall something he hadn¡¯t stored within himself.


    As they had been walking¡ªLUCAS had been scanning his database for any more records on the fragments¡ªand on Gavin himself. It was difficult, though. It seemed as the farther they traveled away from Gavin the records on him faded and grew further from his grasp. He remembered that Gavin didn¡¯t come from their world¡ªhe as much had said so. He was from a series of books and became...and became...the details were foggy now.


    All was not lost, as having the fragment close by did make him feel stronger in some respects in his search. He read up on ICARUS, a mythical machine that at one point was used to store and categorize human life and knowledge.


    ¡°The machine it powered was almost like a library of sorts,¡± LUCAS explained. ¡°If you assembled it you could relive history¡ªbe transported to various points in its logged records as if you were reading a book. Although¡­¡±


    Laven cocked her head at his trailing off. The pace they had kept had slowed slightly, and she stopped when she noticed frustration crossing his face. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he snapped out of his concerns.


    ¡°If it¡¯s too much right now there¡¯s no need to force it. We¡¯ll have a lot of time to work through it.¡±


    LUCAS frowned and looked down to his feet. ¡°Yeah, I know, I just feel like I could be of more help. I know we¡¯re throwing everything on this being the right path. And I just want to make sure you don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    LUCAS looked up to her and was thankful she left it at that. He knew that indecision and self-doubt were easy caves he could find himself crawling into. He had habits¡ªbad ones even. If that was proof of anything is that he had a choice. And it would only be the wrong one if he refused to make it. And yet, knowledge of the problem and avoiding it were two different situations entirely. That was the eternal rub.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to work on looking at more, but I might not be as talkative, please don¡¯t take that as anything other than that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it however I damn well please,¡± she offered him a sly grin. ¡°There¡¯s the spark in you I saw before.¡± She grabbed his hand and held it tight. In that one second he felt one of two minds. In the first, he felt a warmth inside that he thought he could hold onto and grasp¡ªas if it were a fire alight in his chest. In the other, he felt a graying sensation wipe all across the back of his eyes. His mind went astray in his search, and he found himself falling through logs upon logs. Stories upon pictures upon feelings upon¡ª


    There used to exist a world where seeds of love were sewn and spread across the galaxy. Those seeds became planets, people, societies, individual hearts and minds. That very same love blossomed into spectacular changes of fate. The stories of these are seemingly infinite in their boundlessness¡ªan eternal proof of the strength of the determination within life to find, secure, and continue to love. As individual and yet uniform on the outside as a single snowflake within a blizzard¡¯s gale, so does love across a generation of universes remain and flicker among the infinite vastness.


    Love is the source of all that exists within the world. The love and the loss of love inspires the good and the evil of every living creature. In truth the desires of every evil or misdoing can be traced to the love or loss of some value or virtue. It can even be said of the love that could be so great it ran in a large cycle¡ªthe love of one man that caused the end of this world.


    Andrew Cress was a boy born to a world that did not love easily. There had been a threat of global war for much of his young life by the time he was sixteen years old. He lived in a place that greatly favored escapism¡ªthe love that one has for oneself when protecting themselves in such a world is greater than the love of those around them¡ªthe kind of love that changes the world. Andrew had suffered unto others a selfish kind of love, a very private kind of love. This was a love that had been taught to many men his age¡ªthe lack of a guiding figure led his desires to wander digital worlds away from his loved ones.


    This same kind of selfish love can be traced back in many families of this old world¡ªself-serving attitudes ran rampant and were causal in problems and struggles worldwide. Its claws had dug through humanity deep and full that those seeds would only begin to bloom with its terrible fruits.


    It wasn¡¯t until he had dedicated himself to his self-protection and had his last hopes eradicated in front of his eyes that he was open to accepting and giving the kind of love that changed him, permanently leaving a scar on his psyche and existence that which can be traced all the way until the end of the universe.


    Andrew met a girl, and through no fault of her own, that girl died. Andrew never forgot her, and he never truly forgave himself for her death. In this¡ªAndrew¡¯s love had been selfless only for a short-lived period of time¡ªas it was during the next five thousand years of global time that imprinted a very important lesson¡ªthat to Andrew, women were scarred and broken things to care about and not for.


    He loved selfishly. Following his actions from beginning to end he continued to love selfishly throughout the majority of his extended life to the detriment of every living being around him. While he has numerous positive records for contributions toward humanity and its salvation¡ªsuch as the resolution of the Radical-9 Incident that stirred a great loss of life in the latter half of the 2020¡¯s and his final stand against the Dromedan race of sentient machines on the planet of Sayar at the apex of the universe¡ªno amount of doubt can be spared for the countless lives lost on Earth the day it was set to explode before the human colonization of space in the five thousand years in-between these two events. Equal amounts of people and lives had been lost in serving of his hero¡¯s journey and downfall.


    The lesson to be learned is that heroes of legend often sacrifice anything and everything in pursuits of their desires, and the sooner they become legend is a boon to humanity as a whole. The irresponsibility of heroism endangers most the people around and entwined with the supposed hero who themselves did not choose to sacrifice their virtues¡ªand in some very clear cases their lives. The hero decides the fate of everyone, and no hero has ever been able to hold true the standard of responsibility such actions require upon others. It is a challenge never fully met and it only leads to sorrow and despair.


    To Aria Valhart, who otherwise would have remained nameless in the history of the old universe, this new history extends its deepest condolences for the ultimate disrespect that love has wrought onto you. To Lindsey Berrant who became another¡¯s love¡ªor loss thereof, it is abhorrent to think of the atrocities done in her name. Andrew Cress¡¯ legacy is undone by the women he shed for his foolish aspirations to be remembered by history.


    Love has the power to change fate. Love has the power to end the world, and it matters not the source of the doomsday so long as the doomsday arrives.


    LUCAS remained staring at a fire swirling into a vortex among the infinite vastness of space. Information was piling onto itself in his mind, and he found an overwhelming pressure building as stars of the old universe glistened brightly behind the vortex. It sucked it all in and collapsed it on itself and he could feel lightheaded as he stepped out over the edge as it threatened to suck him in, too. There he sat on the edge of the universe within his mind as the space outside of creation held for a moment¡ªjust a moment¡ªbefore it exhaled, and the birth of a new universe expanded out before him. He felt the overwhelming light cross over him and fill everything with white.


    LUCAS returned to himself¡ªstaring up at Laven with horror in his eyes. She noticed immediately the look on his face and was asking him what was wrong. He only heard a string of white noise¡ªhe felt paralyzed¡ªtoo stunned by what he had read, seen, experienced.


    He knew without even questioning it that it was all true¡ªthe events he read about had actually happened exactly as he saw. Was love truly the core feeling responsible of everything? Was falling into its grasps no better than what the mistakes of everyone else before him?


    ¡°Hey!¡± Laven shook him hard, and he had heard her again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re freaking me out.¡±


    ¡°I...I want to talk to you about something.¡±


    ~...~


    The two had chosen a crested dune just on the edge of their vision to make a small encampment with. LUCAS needed to get what he had in his head out before he exploded¡ªbut he needed to ensure they could be safe while he did. They had worked to chop and trim strange black trees that sprouted themselves out of the sand¡¯s depths.


    It wasn¡¯t quite wood they were made of, but the material was pliable, so they called it bendwood. They were able to fashion a small hut¡ªnary bigger than could fit the two of them standing.


    Anything to protect from errant weather should it come was preferred. There were definite concerns with how safe the structure would be to gunfire considering how easily they were able to take it down¡ªbut they would have to hope they could stand to avoid seeing any remnants of Kosunaga work out here.


    When the hut was built¡ªat least enough to talk in safely¡ªLUCAS had told Laven what he had seen. She listened intently and he saw her nodding at some points and almost holding herself back from responding to others. He knew she would have strong feelings on the matter, but he appreciated that she held it in until he was done.


    When he finished he let loose a breath and his entire form sunk, glad he had gotten it all out.


    ¡°I understand your concern, and I see where you¡¯re going with this,¡± she said. ¡°Or at least, I see where it seems to be going¡­the author of that database, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Author¡­?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°Well, databases don¡¯t make themselves, do they? That entry was written by someone somewhere. And whoever did that really doesn¡¯t think too positively on the nature of love. And, if I might add, they¡¯re also pretty reductionist to the lives of those women.¡±


    LUCAS looked up to her, a puzzled look on his face. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about this. They¡¯re taking everything from that Andrew guy¡¯s point of view as if he¡¯s the most important person in the universe. Which, I mean if he¡¯s the one responsible for ending it, then I¡¯d say that importance isn¡¯t something that should be celebrated. All I¡¯m saying is it seems like a lot of history is being boiled down to a very small space in order to tell it properly. It is leaving out a lot of important perspectives and information and it is filtering what little remains through a biased lens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really smart sounding of you,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Er...smart of you. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for that to come out so rude. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°I get why you¡¯re upset. I think that was the point of what you saw¡ªto get you upset. I just think it¡¯s bullshit. They do have a point about people who suffer loss and don¡¯t heal from that loss properly certainly can end up doing things to hurt other people¡ªI¡¯m not arguing with that in the slightest. But there¡¯s no guarantee that anybody and everybody who loves someone or something is destined to end the universe. That¡¯s a blatant strawman to argue a point if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡±


    ¡°Seeing it the way you do I agree. I¡¯m...frustrated.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like I said, I think it was meant to be frustrating.¡±


    LUCAS shook his head, ¡°No, I mean I am frustrated that I got frustrated. I have been dealing with self-doubt over my actions as long as I have been awake¡ªalive, however you want to put it. The fact that somebody out there has the ability to make me feel like that¡ªlike I¡¯m some programmed puppet...I¡¯m frustrated.¡±


    Laven took a long and hard look at him before placing an arm on his shoulder¡ªan act to immediately draw his gaze up to hers. He studied her face and knew in her determined look she had decided¡ªon what he wasn¡¯t sure, but he saw a flare behind her eyes that went deeper than her front mind. He could almost see the dragon within baring its fangs in a jointed effort.


    ¡°Well, I think we have a true and proper goal,¡± Laven said. ¡°Or at least a motivation for said goal¡ªassemble the fragments of ICARUS and go show that author of ours a piece of our minds.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still ago with this? I want to make absolutely sure¡ªyou have every reason to back out and go your own way.¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°If you were attempting to dissuade me, it was a pretty poor attempt, which makes me think it¡¯s not what you¡¯re really feeling. You¡¯re saying that because it¡¯s what you feel is right to be said. I appreciate the effort, but I¡¯m in it. I¡¯m in this I think for the first time I¡¯ve been in something actively, opposed to being out of the alternatives. I finally have something to work toward and not away from.¡±


    LUCAS looked at her again and then smiled.


    ¡°Thank you. It means a lot to me. I get what you mean. Obviously my situation is a bit more scaled to the time since I was woken up, but I fully agree with that. I am working toward this because it is something I think is right.¡±


    Laven nodded, ¡°Well then, let us get some rest and we¡¯ll work toward that together.¡±


    With that look a bond was formed, and their mission was set in stone.

 2 | Erosion

    2044


    Allison Fae


    Frost in the air scraped against the dragon¡¯s scales as she coursed through the skies. Silver tufted clouds served as temporary shrouds¡ªhiding the gigantic form of the beast from any that would see from below. That was of course if there were people below to look up at the skies. Congregation stood strongest in established settlements dotted across the landscape. To be in the wild space between was a desire for death. Beasts and savages prowled the emptiness kept only at bay from the settlements themselves by weapons shipped from the east coast.


    The dragon and her passenger needn¡¯t worry about the guns and swords being shipped across the landmass as they each had their own weapons of choice that overwhelmed any tool of man. The dragon herself could afford not to notice as underneath its scales was a shadowy presence that did not exist as flesh and blood. Instead, it existed of waves that pulsed and flashed with the determination of a thousand ages. The scales were merely an outer shell that braced against the impact of the frost outside. The conglomerate of ice and dust of the stratosphere was a familiar element that Sakonna had previously carried around her physical form as she landed out from the outer reaches of space toward this planet. The elements of space shielded her waves from the light¡ªthat which burned her inner form upon contact.


    Since her long existence on this planet, she had continuously built up enough resistance to the effects of the light¡ªenergy that long ago would on impact burn their essence to the core¡ªbut she still required use of what was effectively a suit of ice and fashioned scales as if it were an armor for her inner presence to inhabit.


    She had since learned to adapt through human vessels and handmade scales affixed to her exterior when traveling as a human became too cumbersome and had to be dumped. Since her arrival on Earth and active participation in worldly activities, she has carried out several thousands of missions in the name of her families¡¯ survival. Confusion and sorrow boiled into a black anger that ran through like a blood life and only seemed to harden by the frozen air.


    The mission she set forth on was to seek out the Monoliths¡ªartifacts of immense power that the rest of the Children of the Night were after. Initially, she was aligned with her family in finding them for the same reason, but that all changed when Z-One passed over. Two decades of suspicion¡ªshe had become an exile for the death of their creator. Even now conspirators in shadow still worked their ways to seize control of the ultimate power of the world¡ªthe original machine ICARUS.


    She knew not the reason behind their actions, nor why the target was affixed to her own back, but she knew she wasn¡¯t going to take the events lying down.


    And thus, brought her out in the skies on this night¡ªand yet another source of power¡ªdifferent than the Monoliths, but just as concerning if another were to get their hands on it pulsed close by.


    Memories of the past flashed behind her eyes and the words of her sibling¡ªthe very same soul she was traveling toward now alongside the traveler on her back¡ªAllison Fae.


    Now thirty-five and more of her life spent towards surviving in the new world after The Collapse than not¡ªshe and the dragon she once considered a target now aimed similar sights on the Monoliths. To Allison, this goal only stood as a piece of her whole¡ªas there was something she sought more than anything of the world over. It was just a beginning.


    Her journey has been long, and she has lost much¡ªincluding one of her own legs¡ªlost now to a metal prosthesis of her own creation. Of course, that story sat still on the edge of her mind like a poisoned barb¡ªtoo hurtful to handle and too painful to dig out yet. And the worst part of it all was that it wasn¡¯t even the worst¡ªthere was still so much inside her that sat curled up with its spiked crowns in her subconscious just sinking deeper and stabbing closer. Much of her past had come back like a bad bite ready for seconds. She knew it was inevitable that she come to terms, but the impossibility of the entirety of it all rang in her like a sour note.


    It was in much of the same way that old friends would come together¡ªso could the most bitter of enemies find common ground in shared suffering if their goals were to the same end.


    Because both the hunter and the dragon continued to push forward and dig into the stone, they aimed as one¡ªat least so long as the other has what both search for in a shard of the Black Monolith. The Monoliths together assembled with the Origin Machine¡ªICARUS could rewrite the very fabric of the universe.


    They have flown for half a day¡¯s time since leaving over the hills outside Remire and Tauten. Based on how chilled and sharp the air felt Allison guessed that it was likely near the end of January. She had long stopped keeping track of the exact date¡ªit had not served the purpose when the only schedule that need be kept is the survival clock. It did however help to keep a general sense of the months in mind as it related to the climate. She was familiar with this side of the landmass for a while¡ªit most easily lined up with what she remembered as a young child.


    The east coast of what used to be America followed pretty simple patterns. Of course, this meant she would be nowhere in this vicinity around this time of year¡ªit could turn from a nice spring-like illusion unto the sharp glacial blizzards with little warning. Storms without weathermen became cold and cruel tragedies. Allison felt thankful they seemed to be heading south¡ªin a day¡¯s time they should be out of the center of the cold. She¡¯d just have to deal with it until then.


    One thing that had surprised Allison was her ability to communicate with the dragon telepathically when she rode upon her. Sakonna had likened this to Allison¡¯s own kindred abilities¡ªones that Issachar had long ago since informed her of.


    ¡°So, how...is Issachar?¡± Allison thought to rub her hands together but found that clasping each open and then shut helped stimulate blood flow. Keeping the question in her mind helped distract the threatening loss of feeling in her hands.


    ¡°Do you mean the vessel or my brother true?¡±


    Allison sat back, wrapping her arms around a thick scale that protruded out of Sakonna¡¯s back. ¡°I would have assumed you would have had joy in telling me if Lilly wasn¡¯t his puppet anymore.¡±


    ¡°Puppet¡¯s a crude word for it, but I take your meaning. Yes, I most certainly may have taken some form of joy were we in more oppositive standing.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we¡¯re friends now?¡± Allison said, her face stoic. Almost a humor in the lack of change in her face.


    The dragon was silent for but a moment. ¡°I think were circumstances different we would have found a lot to like in each other. Your humor is as dry as the air we fly through. I see why Issachar found such joy in regaling me of your story.¡±


    ¡°So, you know more than just our own past?¡±


    ¡°I know quite a lot about you. I take great pride in my attention to detail and have taken great efforts to know and understand the people who would wish me dead.¡±


    ¡°At one point I think I did,¡± Allison said.


    The dragon laughed heartily. ¡°At one point...you say as if you were not prepared to try to spear my hide on the mountain there.¡±


    ¡°I might have, who¡¯s to say?¡± Allison said.


    ¡°We both know how stubborn the both of us are. I do have sorrow for how your life has turned out.¡±


    Allison¡¯s smile faded, and suddenly she felt the coldness creeping upon her. ¡°I do not regret what I have done¡ªdo not get me wrong. I am sure others would be angrier at that statement than you might be¡ªbut I regret that my duties were necessary.¡±


    ¡°Are they still necessary?¡± Allison asked. ¡°I mean that sincerely, considering the state of your relationship with the others.¡±


    ¡°You sympathize, it¡¯s almost too humorous to bear.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the root of it,¡± Allison began. ¡°If I can save myself a job and better focus myself, I¡¯d say that¡¯s a win-win.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I may have to think on that. It¡¯s not so simple a sway.¡±


    ¡°Well, your father¡¯s dead, is he not?¡±


    Another tense silence left the two of them at odds. Allison knew something she hadn¡¯t been told by the dragon. If she had to explain how she knew, it would have been a hard conversation. She wouldn¡¯t be able to explain the logic of the act. It almost was as if the two of their minds met in a metaphysical plane, and their conversations acted as a great battle between the both of them.


    Even simple words as a meeting of flesh and scale. Conversation became a battlefield, and suddenly it almost was so simple to describe how social situations were for Allison all her life. But even though on the surface you felt the blows of the connections the two had made, each almost seemed to draw blood¡ªthat metaphorical lifeblood that held their darkest secrets and contained thoughts.


    Allison had known that the being known as Z-ONE was dead because she had seen his body through her blood. She saw the conflict and torment that the each of them felt as accusations went wayward, and she even saw glimpses of talks with Issachar¡ªdecades ago below some land she was unfamiliar with called the bonelands.


    As much as she was able to glimpse within Sakonna, she was sure that she offered up the same in her own blood. She was uncomfortable with being so bare, but knew it was something she couldn¡¯t avoid now. It wasn¡¯t like when she was talking with Felix¡ªhe wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as the being she rode upon¡ªdefenses and walls meant nothing to the dragon.


    Maybe it was that inevitability that opened the conversation so easily and friendly among the two lost souls. With nothing to hide, they found their own level of understanding.


    ¡°The future is uncertain. I have grown to be uncertain¡­¡± Sakonna broke the silence and craned her long neck around to face Allison. ¡°The things I know are what I hold to. I know I desire the world where I came from. If the variables outside of that shift, it doesn¡¯t change my course too much. If you¡¯re on my back or if father is at my side, if the end result happens then I see no conflict. Yet, I know that end conflicts with you...or...does it really?¡±


    Allison cocked her head. ¡°You ask if your goal is not as selfish as it might seem. What of the world you come from, what destination might you seek so headstrong?¡±


    Allison needed no reply from Sakonna¡¯s thoughts. She saw instantly within her the truth of the answer. Another world entirely¡ªanother time that existed full of people, of life...of death and ultimate end in its own collapse. Flashes of lives she could not even begin to understand.


    ¡°Your name was Alex,¡± Allison said. ¡°You¡¯d forgotten that. But I...just saw that deep within you.¡±


    ¡°Alex¡­? That is odd¡­I do sense a tingling sensation in my core. A familiarity. I feel like it is not my own, now, though. I wonder...I feel as if part of me¡ªthe part that claims ownership to that name is somewhere out there in this wide world. Split from me.¡±


    ¡°So, let me ask you this, then. Would it matter so much to you to go back to the place that you came¡ªsay you were able to reconstruct it¡ªbut what if you went back as you are as you now say¡ªstripped bare of who you were? What would you gain from returning to a place you cannot claim as your own fully and truly? Would that not be the most awful thing?¡±


    Allison knew Sakonna dared not answer, but in the same breath she gave her something to ultimately chew on. She started to descend slowly, and she knew they were going to be ending their travels for the night. The winds seemed to slow to a stop as they kept on descending. Almost as if the ground were accepting their arrival.


    Down below the grounds rolled underneath like a panorama that didn¡¯t feel real. The grass rose up almost a full person¡¯s height and the blades from this height looked like swift painterly strokes dabbed across the landscape.


    Sakonna dipped closer to the surface and slowed. Her wings extended out as they slowly flapped and the both of them descended through the chilly air. Lights in the distance hung as an indicator of life¡ªthey were still far enough to avoid notice. The both of them knew a sight such as them would incite panic, fury, fear, and conflict. All things they desired to avoid.


    They came to a landing point a few miles outside the settlement¡ªamber light glowing faintly in the distance. The settlement itself was more solidly constructed than many of the places Allison was used to. On the outset from above she could see that many of the structures were initially constructed with stone and reinforced with iron and other metals. There seemed to be some level of professionalism in the reinforcement.


    That said, it also warned of protection¡ªthat anything that entered its radius as a threat would be dealt with accordingly. Those attitudes Allison knew well¡ªshe kept a close handle on her own personal version, but it was exactly those kinds of people she distrusted the most. And yet, that wasn¡¯t the totality of the feeling that she read from the settlement from above.


    There was a strange warmth that radiated out from the highest spire¡ªit stood in what she guessed was the center like a beacon or a lighthouse. It was more than just a yearning for the sight of people¡ªthose kinds of things rarely drove her desires. It actually felt like the light itself had reached as far as their landing point.


    ¡°It is a light foreign to me,¡± Sakonna had said. ¡°The towers they¡¯ve erected use some form of energy which makes me suspicious. I¡¯ve been eyeing it for some time.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯re in possession of a Monolith, that amber colored one perhaps?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Not directly, no. I don¡¯t think they know the source of their own power, but I feel some sort of energy deep within the veins of the planet. There¡¯s a connection point somewhere. I am not as free to shift my physical form as I was used to. I have expended a lot of energy over the past few decades¡ªmore than I had in the last thousand years. I truly do not wish to harm or kill unnecessary lives, and I know my entering of the settlement would do both.¡±


    Allison began to understand her implication. ¡°You¡¯d have me enter and do the work for you.¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d get it,¡± she sensed a smile behind the dragon¡¯s eyes. ¡°We are still en route to see Issachar. I cannot fly any longer this night, and we would be heading here to investigate at one point or another. I figure you would agree with the path of least bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°Using my own morality against me. Is that a skill you¡¯ve continued to hone over your thousand years?¡±


    The dragon met her eyes, and so the battle within waged on. Knowing what the other was thinking and constantly finding a leg against to mount off from. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go scope it out. You need to rest, and I need to warm up. It benefits us both.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re making the decision,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°If I get to say so, then let it be so,¡± Allison said.


    And so, the two of them went their separate ways. Allison began walking toward the settlement¡ªlarge stone spires reaching up toward the sky basked in that amber light, while Sakonna turned and searched a place to lay herself down and lay low.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°For now, I shall continue to accept the other¡¯s company,¡± the both of them had thought simultaneously, but separately and that thought rung like a synchronous bell in the back of their minds.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Allison heard faintly in front of her mind¡ªrecognizing it as the fading Sakonna¡¯s voice. ¡°Maybe if you return in one piece, we can talk more on this topic of true selves, of Alex and Ally.¡±


    And just like that, the voice faded, and the dragon was asleep. Allison felt sure that she would make it back to talk, but that confronting the past¡ªand not just her own¡ªwould be as scary as anything this city and its people could provide.


    As she got closer she started noticing the overwhelming stench of bread as if freshly baked. It put to mind mental images of a cartoonized version of France. Something she¡¯d read in an old book romanticizing bakeries and artisans in the streets. There was something about the emanating warmth from the tower that seemed to draw those images to the surface.


    She was surprised to find no guard stationed near the southern entrance to the town. She slowed to a stop to ensure she wasn¡¯t missing anything. There really was nobody here. Such a strange choice, but it left better for her to avoid a public confrontation. She continued walking; her arms were tense in the way she always got when she anticipated trouble.


    ¡°Halt! Cease movement lest ye be breaking imperial treaty!¡± A voice rang out from above her. Allison looked up to see the glint of a camera lens. The voice itself was wiry¡ªas if it came from either a man who hasn¡¯t grown into himself¡ªor one who never would. She instantly felt irritation mounting as she called to memory all the similar kinds of guardsmen that acted as defense or the first wave before any of these settlements. They all so similarly underestimated her until she had to prove to them¡ªas if it were right that she had to prove anything to them¡ªthat she wasn¡¯t worth bothering. That she could show them six ways to subdue them without so much as a scratch on her if it called for it.


    She frowned and took in a deep breath. Here we go. ¡°I¡¯m traveling through and was wondering if there was a place I could warm up and grab a bite.¡±


    ¡°Wellst, that would be determined on thous answers to my quiz and riddles three.¡±


    ¡°Speak plainly.¡± Allison said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you it is plenty freezing out here. I care not for riddles.¡±


    ¡°Well well well...impatience and a lack of love for the language of our forefathers. I cannot say that I really expect an aura of that color to meld well with the commonwealth. These tests are here for a reason, madame.¡±


    Allison cringed. Anyone that called her madame was surely racing toward the list of people she would least wish to associate with. ¡°Forefathers? History¡¯s a dead subject here,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°History is very much alive, but now I am interested¡ªyour aura has shifted to a more...debatable color...I wonder. A closer examination is required.¡±


    ¡°Debatable?¡± Allison asked. She knew nothing of auras or their corresponding colors, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was being immediately turned away, so she decided to pull on the thread further. She was not a fan of any sort of closer examination, however.


    ¡°As it says on the tin. You have the look of someone who would argue their point to the end of the earth. While I do consider the lack of respect of the honorable olde tongue egregious¡ªI am curious at the fire I now sense burning within your aura...hold on¡­¡±


    Allison heard him back away from whatever microphone he was speaking into. It seemed to be overly sensitive to his surroundings¡ªshe heard rustling through paperwork and then subtle tapping of keys. Behind the tapping she heard even more voices speaking sotto voce that she couldn¡¯t quite make out what was being said, yet she could tell there was more than one person wherever he was.


    ¡°No...flipping...way...you¡¯re totally...oh my god. You¡¯re an amber. Please, come on in immediately. I must make the most of this opportunity...oh my gods¡­¡± The camera¡¯s view returns to its normal height and Allison heard the footsteps fade into the distance. Confused upon everything else, she turned to see a door open to her right.


    She turned to see a lanky individual whose large home-repaired goggles sat on the bridge of his nose so far from his eyes they made him look like a bug. The man looked exactly as she expected...and almost immediately she noticed the awful stench that reminded her of trash strewn about a murky, slimy beach. She noticed the clothes he was wearing¡ªa denim jacket and jean combo looked to be a size too small.


    His eyes though, magnified through the goggles stared at her with wonder and amazement. They were a deep blue, and he was staring at her¡ªalmost seeing how long he could go without blinking. It gave off a foreign insect-like feeling that made her step back reflexively. He approached her with his hands clasped together and made a sound like an excited puppy.


    ¡°Oh, yes...I see,¡± he whispered to himself, taking a step closer toward her.


    She backed up another and held out a hand in front of her, ¡°Keep space,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m armed and will defend myself.¡±


    ¡°You look even fiercer in person! Oh, this is wonderful. Please, yes, I¡¯ll follow your demand...oh such fire. Such fire!¡± He turned away from her and began talking to himself. She saw a leaflet in his hand with blue ink scrawled from top to bottom as if it came straight from a machine in some strange lab. ¡°Come, follow me, I have so many questions to ask you.¡± He turned on a dime and nodded his head twice before turning once more and walking into the settlement proper.


    Allison stood for a moment but didn¡¯t want to forgo the chance to investigate further, she walked in line behind him. She knew more than anything she was going to look for the first opportunity to ditch this creep, but she did sense she could defend herself from anything he could possibly do, so she followed behind at a safe enough distance.


    ¡°So, this...aura of mine you said you saw. Mind explaining that...or anything else about yourself or this place? What it¡¯s called? Where could I find a place to eat and sleep?¡± Allison asked.


    He stopped and nearly threw himself around to face her. ¡°OH I must say I am quite the forgetful one, aren¡¯t I...hahaha, well, I am quite excited to give you those answers! Must seem weird coming to a place you don¡¯t know. Well I guess that didn¡¯t stop you from coming specifically but I guess you know what I mean,¡± he started chuckling, patting his chest with a closed fist.


    Allison noted that his old English act had easily worn away. Seems like it was only for bravado. Thankfully so. ¡°There are a lot of things happening at once, and I guess I didn¡¯t expect someone of your...energy from how you started off the interaction. I¡¯ve been traveling long in the cold and if the aura talk is simply your oddity then I am more than fine with skipping that explanation.¡±


    ¡°Only my¡­¡± he seemed to repeat as if he didn¡¯t understand the words. ¡°Oh no! No no no, this wonderful world we¡¯ve carved out here all belongs to the aura. You must have seen the great tower we have in the distance!¡±


    Ally gazed up toward the light spilling out from the tower, and then back down to him. ¡°Yeah, I saw it, that was the most curious thing about it, definitely.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because of the amber light! Always making sure we have what we need to do what we do!¡± He said, and then presented his arms out toward the tower in the distance. ¡°Here in our lil city o¡¯ gold we have the amber light to thank for the energy we have! Both electricity and pep speaking if I do say,¡± he trailed into more chuckles. ¡°The great guardian Vita gave unto us a beautiful light source that inspires us every day to be our best selves! And through the light we see shades of each other¡ªthe auras of our inside natures. It¡¯s how we designate tasks and upkeep around here to make this marvel.¡± He turned to face Allison once again. ¡°And I¡¯m Pinocchio, nice to meet you.¡±


    The utter absurdity of the situation showed plainly on her face, but he didn¡¯t seem to register it as anything in response to what he had said. It seemed that this place revered this Vita as some sort of...what, hero? God? She would have to keep this in mind¡ªshe was sure if she were to publicly decry what must obviously be a story to keep these people in working order then she¡¯d be asking to turn an entire town against her.


    That is, if this was a widespread belief.


    She looked back up toward the tower, then reasoned it must be if they had built the entire settlement around it. Then of course, came back to the man who himself insisted he was a fairy tale.


    ¡°This is the part where you tell me you¡¯re joking or what your name really is¡­¡± Allison said.


    The look on his face changed then, but to one of pity for her than hurt or anything like it. ¡°Hm, how to say¡ªthat is my name!¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Allison said. ¡°And that light powers everything around here you said?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes it is and does. We¡¯re the arbiters of the great guardians¡¯ message to the cosmos!¡± He spread his arms out wide.


    ¡°Right. Well, that¡¯s great and all. But I think I personally am caught up and I would like to find a place to bunk for the night. I still am plenty cold from the outside.¡±


    While it wasn¡¯t wholly the truth¡ªshe felt that it was the best segue into separating from such a strange individual. Ever since entering the walls she¡¯s felt a much more prevalent warmth all around her as if she had heat lamps aimed right at her.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s categorically and physically impossible. The heat offered up to us by the great guardians is a gift even amber auras benefit from. So, there¡¯s absolutely zero percent chance that you are still cold now.¡± He stared at her as if he told her the sky was blue still in these days.


    Allison merely blinked at him. ¡°Any chance you want to explain those auras further, or are you going to continue to talk at me about them as if I know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± There was an edge to her voice now¡ªone that he noticed immediately.


    ¡°And there it is!¡± He laughed again, slapping his chest even harder.


    She looked with a tightened expression at the force he was using, but said nothing on the subject, merely waiting for his explanation to continue.


    ¡°Well, you see, auras are deep within each of us. Colors exist outside of nature to denote what kinds of tasks the people of those colors will be doing in their day to day lives here in Galder¡¯s Reach.¡±


    So that was the name of this outpost.


    ¡°Look over there,¡± he pointed toward a brown building to their left. ¡°In there the brown auras take care of transforming the amber light that¡¯s funneled from our main tower into the heat you feel so comfortably around you. You can think of them as transferers.¡±


    ¡°How do they manage that?¡±


    ¡°Dunno!¡± His arms were up over his head again. ¡°Just know it works. I¡¯ve never been a brown aura, so I¡¯ve never seen the inside. I¡¯m a silver aura, so I stand by and keep our city safe from those who would do us harm. Or those who have nothing to offer the Reach in exchange for use of its services. Those kinds of people tend to have no auras at all¡ªthose the great guardians do not even consider worthy of the lowest of the low.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re spending your time out here?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not even close to the only silver, silly. I¡¯ve got relief knowing we hold it down.¡±


    ¡°And what color did you take me as at first? Before I argued back, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly seemed to exhibit qualities of a black aura. Dark, depressing, moody. Those kinds of souls here work in the¡­¡± he trailed off, as if not meaning to say so much on the subject. ¡°Well, they work in dark, gloomy and depressing matters. Nothing you should concern yourself with. Necessary stuff I¡¯m sure, but not the greatest reputation if I¡¯m being quite honest. I tend to turn those people away because I feel they¡¯d be better suited...you know, not being depressing around here, but that¡¯s not important because I saw in you immediately after my first assessment was a brilliant amber light within you. It was as bright as any as I could see, and I just knew I had to invite you in.¡±


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s so special about that?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Ambers, if you can¡¯t tell from our large tower are the most treasured color of all. It provides good feeling and positive energy, warmth, light, and many more things I couldn¡¯t even begin to describe. When an amber passes through we celebrate with all the pride we have in our hearts here because your aura helps the tower shine even brighter than it normally does. You being here simply increases the level that that light exudes out. It really is quite a treat whenever an amber comes into town.¡±


    Allison looked up toward the tower and wondered if that was why she felt such strong feelings emanating from the pulsing light and radiating heat. Was there really something about her aura that aligned with it? It was possible that even though he presented himself in a very off-putting way that he was entirely correct. She needed to find out more and wished it to be from anyone else at this point.


    ¡°Well, that is definitely interesting,¡± she said. ¡°I am not as in the know about my own aura myself, but I think I have absorbed all I can knowledge wise on it right now. Where¡¯s a place I can recover for the night and get a meal? I appreciate you telling me all these things, but this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve asked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right of course. Of course. Where are my manners? Yes continue on down this path here and you¡¯ll enter the main square. It is pretty late, but you should be able to find someone near the bar. It¡¯s part inn, if you don¡¯t mind the stink of the drink,¡± his smile wrapped around his face and he started to chuckle, but he moved his hand over his mouth as if embarrassed by the act. ¡°Oh I¡¯m going to have to remember that one for later,¡± he belted out in smaller chuckles.


    ¡°Got it, well...um, bye.¡± Allison said, not wanting to drag out the conversation any longer than it needed to be.


    Pinocchio did not call out after her and she felt the awkwardness of the situation slowly fading as she passed by more and more people. They looked...ordinary. A little girl was sitting up against a metal light post and staring up at the light of the tower with her feet dawdling. A man was walking to some unknown location, but he had that old city style of walk¡ªeven though Allison knew not where he was going she could tell he was moving with purpose and yet, not in a rush. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the walk as much as what he was going to do.


    It had been a long time since she had felt nostalgic for the old world¡ªand seen everyday life in ways that reflected those days. She had been so used to people hardened and changed by the ways the world had changed that it almost became normal to not be normal.


    ¡°Hey, miss, your outfit¡¯s weird.¡± The girl called from her side.


    Allison turned and while normally she may have expressed some sort of response to this, she found it in herself to feel...almost embarrassed? It reminded her of an old stuffy coat she wore to school all those years ago that was much too large to look any sort of reasonable. That thought threatened to bring back more memories of the past, so she stuffed it back down¡ªlike stuffing the coat itself into a closet and trying her hardest to keep the doors closed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad about it,¡± the girl said. ¡°Just that it¡¯s weird.¡± She couldn¡¯t have been more than ten years old. It was such a strange thing here.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I came from outside. I¡¯m just looking for the inn. Do you happen to know where that is?¡±


    The girl made a face, ¡°Yuck. That place smells like the blues. They got all kinds of gross things there.¡±


    ¡°By blues...do you mean that the uh...people with blue auras work for the inn?¡±


    ¡°You been here before?¡± The girl cocked her head. ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody I know who picked up on that so easily ¡®less you have.¡±


    ¡°I was told about it,¡± Allison said. ¡°My name¡¯s Allison. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Pinocchio. Nice to meet you Allison,¡± the girl smiled, and Allison felt a shiver run up her spine.


    ¡°Y-You too,¡± Allison said, trying not to appear as concerned as she was feeling. She turned and saw a blue building on the corner of the other edge of the square.


    She walked across the corner and thankfully nobody else paid her any mind. It was an unsettling feeling walking past so many people when it had been years since she had seen...much less interacted with so many people. The settlement was big enough that new faces weren¡¯t so uncommon, so she didn¡¯t stick out as much as a sore thumb, but she definitely was no longer interested to chat up the populace.


    Which was unfortunate because she didn¡¯t think a group of people who so apparently seemed to worship the lamp above their heads would allow and out of towns person such close access to investigate the amber light up close and personal.


    She sighed and took a look back at the girl out of habit as she stood in the doorway and felt another shudder as she swore she saw the girl¡¯s head turn fast when she turned to look.


    She hurried inside and immediately scolded herself for letting a child get her so worked up. The bar¡¯s inside had a look that took her by surprise and invited more of the natural wonder wash over her. The floor was so black she could almost watch her feet fade into the void, but the counter top that ran along the length of the side wall had a neon blue outline that almost reminded her of an old arcade or other establishment meant for kids. The wiring lead all the way around so she could see where she was going, but the bar with the door closed looked like it had been sucked into another dimension entirely.


    The otherworldly nature of everything within Galder¡¯s Reach only kept on continuing until she came face to face with the barkeep. If she kept here she felt she could feel a sense of normalcy. Maybe that was why she chose to sit down at the counter before moving off toward sleep. She needed some sort of reassurance that she wasn¡¯t suddenly transported into the land of make-believe. Something to ground her within herself and she knew more than well that a drink was just the thing to do it.


    The barkeep was normal enough, he didn¡¯t ask for any money in exchange for a room¡ªhe simply had her record her name down and said if she needed anything for a drink or a meal to tell a good story in exchange. The offer sounded interesting enough, and the fact that she saw other names that weren¡¯t simply Pinocchio on the log helped ease her mind.


    She figured she wasn¡¯t going to get this opportunity again for a long while, so she pulled up a seat and introduced herself to two women and a man on either side of her and called for a glass of whiskey.

 3 | Library of Shadows

    2044


    LUCAS Gray


    LUCAS and Laven would continue to travel along their path. The sun had begun to set after they had resolved themselves to their end goal. The night treated them to a dreary atmosphere. The winds outside whipped like spirits of the night. More than a few times LUCAS bolted upright thinking that they were found out by the caravan.


    He closed his eyes and scanned for any signs of life. A few times he sensed the presence of some small creature¡ªsome animal crawling amidst the sands. He surely kept an eye if they approached close, but they seemed to keep their distance whatever it was. He did not sense another person close in on their small shack, and for that he was thankful.


    He was also thankful for the fact that each time he had sensed something and come out of his subconscious that he had not woken up Laven. She needed to rest and recover from the massive amounts of energy she spent in saving their lives at the factory.


    He felt the need to make up for that by ensuring they were safe throughout the night where she needed to sleep. At the first of her waking something inside him knew that they were going to start moving again. She opened her eyes and stretched for but a moment before the full of her mind returned. She got up without a word and began dismantling the bendwood shack.


    He knew enough to not question what she was comfortable doing, and so he assisted in taking down the shack. For the little time it took to dismantle it, he memorized the steps they had taken to construct it and he could do it much more efficiently if they needed to again. Plus, discarding the evidence of their stay here was optimal if they wanted to avoid pursuit...if such a pursuit were to happen.


    LUCAS knew that assuming there was nobody searching for them because they haven¡¯t seen anybody yet was the fastest way to guarantee that someone would take them off guard, and so they worked to cover their trail as best as possible. At least¡ªremove as much of their trail as what made sense in a reasonable time frame.


    Laven was sure that once their survival after the mission that the guild would move to uncover the truth about the fall of the Kosunaga building¡ªabout their current mission¡ªabout lots of things that answering would probably lead to the revelation of their betrayer as their expense.


    LUCAS was in full agreement. There wasn¡¯t much they could do in the short term about all the bendwood, but that didn¡¯t mean they had to leave the remains of the shack up to be discovered to give hints toward any potential following party. Was it paranoid to think that way? Sure, the both of them knew it, but they weren¡¯t letting those feelings keep them from moving forward or interacting with one another, so they agreed a healthy level of paranoia¡ªskepticism they coined it¡ªwould keep them free from extraneous conflict so long as they checked on each other about it.


    During their walk they would ring ideas against one another about how far they would take their efforts to remain hidden. If they spent too much time on preserving their secrecy then they could very well be wasting time that could be going toward the actual goals they had set out for.


    It was a balancing act¡ªthe desperate need to survive against conspiracy while actively trying to fight for the belief of common good. If either of them was alone they would surely be driven mad by the paranoia. Thankfully, though, there was some level of control within the chaos.


    Nonetheless, LUCAS and Laven continued on their trek with a renewed vigor. They were sure of themselves and sure of the force they wanted to stop from progressing in their goals.


    The Creatures of the Night had caused so much damage and distress among the populace that they couldn¡¯t be allowed to continue to roam unchecked. In their resting times they would spend hours talking about the atrocities of the world around them¡ªalways landing back at the source of the Creatures of the Night.


    Laven in particular was most interested in the events of the Roulette Game¡ªas the specific events seemed to interest her curiosity. Although they talked plenty on the nature of the being that Laven had formed a pact with. They had not known the original source of the power but agreed that she should not be wanton in exuding the effects of her pact. Laven knew full well the limits of overexerting the power she was given, and LUCAS was more than worried they came with a secret cost that she had not been in the know of.


    During their nightly convenings they would take turns keeping watch and they even grew to be efficient at making small bendwood huts. As the nights came LUCAS understood that he was not able to maintain his nightly watch as consistently as he would have liked. Trying to keep up quickly showed that he needed rest too¡ªhis systems began to overheat and short out if he left things unchecked. He noticed it once when he lost five minutes¡ªgone with the blink of an eye. He had to wake Laven after that point. He felt bad, but she was understanding.


    ¡°I have been getting a little too much sleep lately,¡± she said. ¡°Guess it isn¡¯t fair to hog it all. Sleep well, I¡¯ll wake you when the sun rises.¡±


    After another day of travel they finally found something of note¡ªthe settlement LUCAS had seen in his sensors. They approached the outskirts and sped up tremendously as it appeared in their vision.


    Looking at the buildings, the both of them stared at one another at how...modern they had looked. Laven walked slowly to the edge of the first building closest to them. The bright white paneling on the face seemed such a foreign site in the desert landscape around them. Dust blew across their feet, and she turned to LUCAS.


    ¡°What is this place? Do you have any idea? It looks like it¡¯s been ripped out of time.¡±


    LUCAS studied the emptiness around them¡ªhe didn¡¯t even have to look inside to know that there was nobody else there with them. It was the epitome of a ghost town. He scanned his internals for any information...anything at all that would divulge the story of this encampment. He felt a dull energy below the surface¡ªlike the buildings themselves acted as a mask from a...a sort of odor underneath. Not the kind you smelled, but the kind you felt. He held out an arm to try and sense which direction he felt it in.


    ¡°I think...this place was ripped out from another time. I think...I think it¡¯s a pocket that just shifted over.¡±


    ¡°Shifted...but the people didn¡¯t come with it?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°If there were any to shift over. I can¡¯t grasp the source...but I am sensing something coming from...there,¡± he pointed towards the largest building down the center-most pavilion. ¡°Follow me, I¡¯m on the trail of something,¡± LUCAS said without turning. He started toward the largest building in the development. It stood two stories tall, and he felt guided by a trail of...it almost seemed familiar energy.


    ¡°Something that¡¯s here now or something that was here?¡±


    ¡°Was...I¡¯m sure of it. I think¡­that it was that girl. That one who has the other fragments.¡±


    ¡°You said her name was Allison, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± LUCAS nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure she was here...I don¡¯t think anytime close to now, but there was¡­¡± he paused for a moment. ¡°I think...there are traces of another. I think...that dragon was here too.¡±


    Laven¡¯s reaction was enough to cause him to turn. ¡°She wasn¡¯t shaped like that then, at least, not for when she came. She was in a human body. Or taking over one¡ªI¡¯m not exactly sure on their full nature. But they were here. I¡¯m almost positive of it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and you think they met in that building back there? For what reason, do you think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I fear they may have collaborated as far back as then...it might take some time for me to get an approximate date. But the fact that the traces of them are so faded don¡¯t give me hope of good tidings.¡±


    ¡°Spooky,¡± Laven began. ¡°I don¡¯t like this one bit.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°It¡¯s off putting that anybody would align themselves with those monsters. After all they¡¯ve done.¡±


    The two of them approached the front doors of the large building. LUCAS stared up at the face of the building and noticed high up sat a circular pane of stained glass that depicted a scene of angels comforting small humans below. It became clear the closer they approached the building the clearer it became that it was in fact a library they were heading toward. The stained glass confused LUCAS, though, as he would have guessed that it would have sooner been attributed to a church than a library, but the sign out front¡ªfaded as it may be¡ªclearly denoted it as a library.


    ¡°A strange place to center a town around,¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°I like it. Too common do places ignore the importance of the library¡ªhere you can see just how important it was to these people.¡±


    ¡°If there was anybody around,¡± LUCAS added.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. Not really sure if anybody was actually around to use it,¡± she tapped her forefinger on her chin.


    ¡°I wonder if the people before used this place...I have to hope so, right?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°Hope that people at one point cared about more than what they saw and felt themselves?


    ¡°I guess it means as much if they did or didn¡¯t compared to where they are now¡­¡± she held out her hands. ¡°Not here...that as a concept is still messing with my mind a bit.¡±


    ¡°If I understand how this current reality came to be¡ªseveral hundred million realities were overlayed onto one another to form a complete composite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time picturing that¡­¡± Laven said.


    ¡°Take a hamburger,¡± LUCAS began. ¡°And put another patty on top, and then another, and then another, and continue until you have a million burgers stacked on top of one another. Then you take a press, of course in this situation we have to pretend that such a press exists that could press down a million hamburger patties lined up on top of one another¡ªand then we watch that same burger be flattened into one single piece.¡±


    ¡°You ruined the burger.¡±


    LUCAS looked at her with a positive affirmation and gave off a chuckle. ¡°Yes, if we were going to eat it then it would be ruined but thinking of it in terms of the universe here, I think that is what has happened. Multiple realities pressed into one.¡±


    ¡°So how would you consider this area here?¡±


    LUCAS thought on this for a moment. ¡°Leftovers...or an inconsideration. Either way, it seems that some information didn¡¯t get pressed so to speak, but just came over largely unscathed. I think the people are like this too¡ªwe¡¯re not millions of imprints upon each other¡ªI think we would be able to handle processing all of that. This settlement might be just like that¡ªtaken from one point in time and untouched otherwise. There probably were people that lived here at one point, but those people most likely do not exist anymore.¡±


    ¡°What a sad state,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°Wholly so. And we have to try our best¡ªas a whole and not just us specifically, to preserve what we can. Take what those who had lives before us and with us and carry them forward. At least, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    ¡°No, I agree. I think we should definitely try to learn what we can. I know it¡¯ll be an easier task once we figure out more about the situation surrounding these beings of the night.¡±


    LUCAS nodded, and the two of them opened the front doors to the library and stepped inside. Immediately a pungent smell wafted around them both. LUCAS saw a ray of light casting an imprint of the stained-glass artwork onto the ground. LUCAS found himself standing on top of the casted angel¡¯s image¡ªa shadow of the biblical figure and he felt an almost fitting sense of pride imagining the Creatures of the Night were under his feet.


    The lobby itself forked in two different directions with a central staircase carpeted in a bold red with gold trims that led up to the second floor with doors on either end of the upper fork. On either side of them were walls painted with one of the most aged tones of beige and gray.


    ¡°Smells like death in here,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°Smells like rot. Death is only the beginning. Whoever or whatever has been here hasn¡¯t been so in a very long time. More than a decade I think, could be even longer. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the books inside were to fall apart at the touch. It¡¯s entirely possible that large swathes of this place could have gone even more than one since being touched.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine it being the healthiest of places to stick around. I wonder what that Allison was doing here?¡±


    ¡°I am as of yet unsure...but I am sensing those traces going up¡­¡± he looked over toward the staircase to the second floor. ¡°There. I think the both of them were both up here.¡±


    ¡°Think maybe she was looking for refuge?¡±


    ¡°From what, do you wonder?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°I dunno. Could be anything in this day and age. Maybe she was running from the dragon? Maybe they were running together.¡±


    LUCAS started up the stairs and Laven followed closely behind. When he reached the top LUCAS stopped quick and closed his eyes. He felt a pull both through the door to his immediate left, but also for the larger door right in front of him.


    They opened up to bookshelves upon bookshelves. A wealth of several centuries of authorial work lay right in front of them and suddenly none of it seemed to matter.


    LUCAS felt a strong surge pulling him toward a certain book¡ªhe felt in him a desire to find. It was a book that Allison had visited and revisited¡ªbut why? He walked through the aisles led by her invisible hand. Turning, re-turning. Like a maze that had a secret passage he walked to his inner rhythm. He went up aisles, down those same aisles, following the fervor of a soul that existed in this spot long ago searching for an answer to some question, but exactly what that question was evaded him and that made him even more determined to find it.


    He closed his eyes once more and found the ley lines in his mind¡¯s eye carrying him along. He thought to himself, ¡°C¡¯mon Allison. What were you searching for here? What was so important that you spent so much time here?¡±


    At this point Laven lost the logic along the way. She was following right behind him, but as soon as he started retreading paths and redoubling over aisles he had already been to it became too much for her to keep up. She stopped following and simply watched him¡ªwondering about the path he was being led down and¡ªsimilar to LUCAS at this exact point¡ªwondering what it was that inspired such an immediate drive to search so fervently through the different aisles.


    Confusion painted her face, but she looked in an almost state of amazement and awe at LUCAS as he picked up on the trail and followed it to the ¡°T¡±.


    LUCAS continued until he finally found the stopping point¡ªthe apex of his search. He sensed an immediate and surging presence of the energy that he had sensed from this library at this exact point at this exact trail. He looked up and saw a number of books on both sides of him¡ªthere was probably around a hundred books per bookshelf, but his eyes centered and focused on the shelf behind him¡ªit sat kiddy-corner to another shelf that stretched on another couple of feet.


    He saw a book with an incredibly thick spine that had no text running down it¡ªunlike so many of the other books around it. There was no author or title marked on the side, he grabbed at it and noticed how heavy it really was. He wasn¡¯t able to grab it with a single hand off the shelf. A part of him thought about The Eye of Timaeus as he grasped the hefty weight of the tome but knew that this book was not that...although it did conspire dark feelings under the surface in a similar way.


    He grabbed at it with both of his hands and had to slide it forward off the shelf. As he took it in the both of his hands he bounced with the momentum of recovering from the heavy tome. The front of it looked like it had no markings across the cover. It¡¯s face was leather bound, but bare. He picked it up and noticed its sizable girth.


    He flipped the book open and supported it with his other hand. What was inside wasn¡¯t text, but imprints¡ªthey looked like shadows of people.


    ~...~


    2032


    Ally Fae


    Ally woke up coughing a gruff feeling that scraped at her throat. She woke up lying on the ground in one of the libraries¡¯ back rooms. Shivering, she felt scars of the previous night¡¯s events flashing through her mind. She felt a shadow cross her path and looked up, expecting to find Sakonna standing above her holding...she bit down on her lip and reached out to try and take her child¡ªher daughter back.


    Tears flowed down her cheeks and felt a dark cold taking residence within her. There was a fogginess around the situation as her waking mind took over, but the image of Sakonna walking away with Arianna in her hands became imprinted in the front of her mind. She felt a cold retching as she wished she could turn back time and undo her decision.


    She felt a cold sweat rush over her as she rolled over on her side. She couldn¡¯t stand¡ªshe didn¡¯t have the energy required to even begin to process moving.


    Ally closed her eyes and felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Go away Jace. I don¡¯t want to talk now.¡±


    She opened her eyes slightly and saw him lying beside her. Light from the outside spilled in through a stained-glass window built into the wall. It splayed over her like some divine being was playing a joke on her like she was some angel. Jace was staring at her with a face that wanted to say a thousand things, but on her control he only looked at her.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They sat together for an hour, not saying a word to another and her simply crying in the silence of the otherwise empty library.


    Empty. Such a disgusting word. Such a filthy, disgusting, horrible nasty word. It was a void¡ªinside nothing existed empty. Empty wasn¡¯t nothing, it was the exact lack of what she wanted¡ªwhat she needed. She needed her daughter back. She felt so foolish for letting some demon convince her this was for the best. She was awful...awful. She was na¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re not nasty,¡± Jace had broken the silence. He had looked like he had pushed the boundaries of what she had enforced on him to say it.


    Ally stared at him. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel you¡¯re just saying that to say it. I should have never gone through with this.¡±


    ¡°So, I know my opinion doesn¡¯t hold much weight,¡± Jace began. ¡°but for as much as I disagree with their methods...as wholly as I support you in challenging their motives, I feel...a sense of truth about the fate of Ariana in what you two talked about. I think that being taken out of the game here is the best thing for her.¡±


    ¡°I know damn well I¡¯m in no position to give her a good life...but I gave her life. I brought her into this world. I made that choice. I continued with it. I...just gave her away. I can¡¯t...handle not having her near me. It¡¯s likely if she was here we¡¯d just die together and that¡¯d be the worst thing ever, but I feel like here I am going to just die alone.¡±


    Jace moved to speak but she cut him off.


    ¡°And please don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re here you¡¯re damn well in the know of what I mean.¡± He closed his mouth and then looked at her softly. ¡°And please don¡¯t pity me for god¡¯s sakes. I¡¯m twenty¡­.¡± she had to think for a moment, a puzzled look crossing her face. ¡°God...twenty fucking three. I¡¯m an adult and feel as powerless as when I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so determined on worming your way around your subconscious from saving yourself...I hope you don¡¯t take offense at your subconscious being as derisive in trying to fix you¡ªdeep down your brain desires to survive above everything else. And through everything else it will construct anything it can to hold onto.¡±


    ¡°Tell it to fuck off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re speaking to it,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°You¡¯re more than that,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t so easily just say it to you. You¡¯re more than me. I have the power to make you more than me.¡±


    ¡°And yet like the seed, where I came from is so easily traced back. You are not a monster, and you are not terrible. We¡¯ll have plenty of difficult conversations to have moving forward, but this one is one where I will win, even if it kills me. Even if I as a construct within your mind no longer exist, if I have to shift into a form that will better convince you or protect you, I will.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you love me or something.¡±


    Jace chuckled. ¡°I think you know our bond is stranger than that. I am you. And yet, different. That is, until you make my story that is.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s the motivation,¡± Ally said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Deep down within you is that motivation. It¡¯s not larger than finding your child again, I feel that deep within my core, but it is there. It¡¯s not wrong, Ally, to want something for yourself. You can want more than one thing at a time.¡±


    ¡°All I want is to crawl up and just die here. Is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jace said. ¡°It in fact, is.¡±


    ¡°I just want to lay here.¡±


    ¡°You can, for now,¡± Jace said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you safe in case anything outside happens, but if things do get rough I am going to need to relocate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anybody nearby,¡± she said, mostly to the floor.


    ¡°You can tell that kind of thing now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one of those things I know.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I can do nothing else but trust that instinct of yours. But in that case, you can spend as long as you feel you need here, but I would hope that you in that time do what you need to for you.¡±


    Ally saw him fade before her. She knew that even if he said he¡¯d be there the entire time, she needed as much energy as she could get. She knew deep down that beating herself up wasn¡¯t the way to move forward, but she still hurt so damn bad.


    Ally slid against the back wall and pulled herself up to a sitting position. She held back a gasp as she raised a hand to her head. Her vision waned and she felt dizzy¡ªa lightheaded feeling spun all around her and suddenly she felt the need to vomit. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath as she started to stabilize.


    A thud sounded in the nearby room. She froze in place and waited where she sat for a minute until the stress took over. She bent to her side and spat up whatever had remained in her stomach. She was shaking heavily. A primal fear took hold of her, and she grabbed her wrist trying to stop the shaking¡ªstop the intrusive thoughts¡ªstop it just stop it.


    ¡°J-Jace, I was wrong. I think someone¡¯s here. I¡­.I need you.¡± She vomited again. It burned coming up, and she started to cry as this was it. She had made too much noise now. Whoever was out there had certainly heard her and she simply wasn¡¯t strong enough to defend herself. She could tell she didn¡¯t have enough inside her to summon Jace back. Her stomach kept leaping¡ªtrying to evacuate everything inside her and each spasm sent shock waves of pain through her body.


    One minute passed and she was still alive. She sat in a stony silence imagining the falling hands of a clock just pinching her eyes closed and tightening her posture on the ground.


    Three minutes passed and she was still alive.


    Five minutes had passed, and she had not heard anymore movement from the outside. Was¡­this just a trick to get her to hope? Was someone capable of that level of torture now? She thought they could, but with each passing second she began to slowly doubt the existence of they in the first place. I need to go out there and confront whatever it is. If I die, then I die. At least Ariana can still live.


    Her stomach was still spinning rhythmically, gritting her teeth only worked to partially prevent the pain, but she placed her hand against the wall and pushed against it to begin moving up. I¡¯m not going to die sitting down and in my own vomit. I¡¯m not going to let them have the chance of taking me at my lowest. Fuck them. Fuck that. Fuck...that.


    She shook as she began to stand. She was sore all over. It rang through her body like a hollow bell shooting from bottom to top and then back down toward the bottom. She threatened to topple over and never move again, but she bit down hard on her lip so that it burst open and spilled blood down her chin. She stabilized and set her weight down on her other foot.


    She was breathing heavy now, she tasted the copper bitterness of her own blood and gritted her teeth to will herself forward. It took her longer than she would have liked, but she made it to the doorway that kept her hidden away. She reached down toward the handle and with a grunt thrust the door wide open.


    Out she looked toward a dozen aisles of bookshelves upon bookshelves with the door heading back out to the second floor of the lobby on the right-hand corner of the room. She couldn¡¯t see everything from her vantage point, but it did not seem like there was anybody else in the library with her. The air clung with a thick layer of dust that fluttered in the air¡ªsomething in this room had moved.


    She knew better though to let her guard down, so she slowly made her way from the small backroom and headed down the first aisle that was closest to her. She didn¡¯t even look up at the shelves themselves, but instead spent the next fifteen minutes slowly crawling through every single aisle. She even double-paced through sections she thought she had already gone through before, but she was so on edge she didn¡¯t care.


    When it was clear she was still alone, and more than thankfully so, she let loose a tense breath and felt her shoulders sag. She still felt sore, but she didn¡¯t need to hold herself up against any of the shelves to keep up. She was going to need to find food if she was going to continue to stay here. That much was non-negotiable.


    That was when she noticed the book that had fallen off its place on the shelf out of the corner of her eye. It was a thick tome that had no identifiable markings on its face or back¡ªhell, even the spine looked to be completely free of markings. It had a dark sort of energy that surrounded it¡ªeven though it wasn¡¯t a person mucking around here she felt no less averse to the feeling she got from looking at it. There was a certain allure to it that felt wrong.


    She felt a strange pull toward the book and found herself walking closer to it as it seemed out of her own control. The book lay open face down, and it pained her to bend down to pick it up¡ªyet she strangely found a burst of energy in being able to lift the book.


    She managed enough to flip the book over, the weight pulling most of the work of returning the cover back to closed. She sighed and sat down beside the book, flipping the bare cover open. The first thing she saw was an illustration¡ªcrude, but still true¡ªof a metal city with a large tower reaching toward the heavens. The only source of color came from an orange-colored light emanating from the tower¡¯s heights. She turned the page and saw drawings of all different kinds of characters, many of them were unlabeled, but some of them had the name ¡°Pinocchio¡± underlined under them. Ally noticed that they were written by different hands. They looked like they were marked with a deep black ink that had been stained over several decades.


    She started to skim through the pages until she stopped at one page near the end of the book¡ªa scene is drawn out before her eyes that froze her still. She saw a nearly all black venue with a bright neon-blue lining that seemed to glow off the page and sitting in the center of the page¡­


    She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the figure. The picture not only seemed to move as if it were alive on the page, but as the view circled around she saw the face of the woman centerfold with long dark hair that mirrored her own. She was older, but it was her. Allison Fae, drawn out, and seemingly alive on the page. She stared intently as if mesmerized.


    There...there was no way that anybody could have drawn this so closely to her own image. There...there was no way. She felt¡­sick at the wonder she was feeling. She was absorbing information faster than she could process.


    She saw scenes play out from her life but from some¡­different life. Some life that hasn¡¯t happened yet. She saw billions of faces that she had seen and recognized then but didn¡¯t now. She saw Felix¡­she missed him but knew that the she of here did not miss him. She hated him. She loved him, but she saw the way he acted.


    She saw too much.


    Her head felt like it was about to explode, and suddenly the thing she saw was her flying on the back of a dragon through the night¡ªchoosing to risk freezing and aligning herself with¡­


    ¡°Sakonna,¡± she found herself saying aloud.


    No. NO. NO!


    She shouted so loud she didn¡¯t care if anybody else had heard. There was NO way that she was¡­that she would do that. There was¡­


    The image of Arianna being taken away flashed in front of her face and she found herself screaming even louder. She grappled for the page in the book and aimed to tear it. It started to move slightly, but almost acted in resistance. It refused to rip¡ªto tear, and so she pulled at it harder.


    ¡°I refuse! I am not going to turn into that! That is not my future!¡±


    She gripped with all her might and felt a sense of warmth that quickly transcended into a burning heat. She screamed so loud the heavens above started to tear themselves at the seams. A light blinding as any started to spill from the book into the world around her. She bit down on her lip puncture again and kept that image of her flying with the dragon right next to Arianna being taken away.


    ¡°I¡­..REFUSE!¡±


    All feeling evaporated and the sensation of life drained to an absolute zero.


    ~...~


    2044


    LUCAS Gray


    LUCAS held the book and stared at the intricate drawings on the pages that seemed to be moving. He was speechless at looking at their movement. He saw Allison Fae as he saw her in his vision from the fragment. He could not see the dragon she was traveling with, but the look plain on her face brought a sense of dread, but then suddenly blinding white light erupted from the book¡ªarcing out from the face that was moving and shifting on the page. It had shown a girl about Laven¡¯s age, maybe younger, but in that face he saw the energy he had been following. Something deep inside him told him the picture was of Allison Fae.


    He could have sworn it was her...it was a certainty deep within him. But before he could think on that deeper he felt an immense weight in his hands. The book in his hands had felt like it had grown to a gargantuan size, but in reality it was just getting heavier. As if it were being filled with thousands of more pages and it almost brought him to the ground as it grew and grew. It suddenly grew so heavy LUCAS couldn¡¯t keep a hold of it. He dropped it and the book spun in the air as the light burst out at a higher intensity.


    ¡°Luke! You okay?¡± Laven called out.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good, I found a crazy ass book here, it¡¯s¡­¡± but he couldn¡¯t finish as the light faded like a hose shut off at the source, and in its place was the same girl he had been just staring at inside the pages.


    ¡°It¡¯s what?¡± Laven found him in the aisle intersection he was standing in and looked where he had been dead focused on.


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re...your name is Allison, right?¡± LUCAS asked.


    He knew he had taken the girl by surprise; she had a very real fear in her eyes on him knowing her name. LUCAS put up his hands in a defensive posture, ¡°We¡¯re not looking to hurt you.¡±


    The girl looked around her surroundings with confusion. ¡°This looks so similar...yet so subtly different. Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one, right?¡± Laven asked.


    LUCAS took a deep breath and let his arms fall. ¡°My name¡¯s LUCAS, though you can call me Luke. I know I look strange, but that¡¯s for another time. This here¡¯s my friend Laven. We¡¯re here because, funnily enough, we¡¯re searching for you...well,¡± LUCAS cocked his head. ¡°That¡¯s not particularly right. Not you as you are here, now.¡±


    ¡°As I am¡­?¡± Her voice was soft, it spoke little of the strength she seemed to command.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to explain,¡± LUCAS said, but then he got an idea. ¡°What year do you think it is?¡±


    The question seemed to take her off guard, and not in the way that kept her fear running consistent but gave her something to think about. ¡°It¡¯s...¡¯31 or ¡®32 right? I haven¡¯t been keeping exact track since the world changed over.¡±


    Laven now looked confused. He looked to her with a knowing nod as if to tell her in a moment. Ally¡¯s answer had confirmed his suspicions. ¡°I think there has been some interference...You are not the Allison Fae that we are looking for. And your answer just now confirmed that. I promise I¡¯m going to try to be blunt, but because I think we can help each other out if we can come to a mutual understanding.¡±


    She seemed confused still, but she wasn¡¯t counting it out.


    ¡°Today is December 19<sup>th</sup>, 2044. The Allison Fae we¡¯re looking for is native to this year. Judging based on what year you thought it was¡ªwhat year you came from¡ªthe Allison Fae we¡¯re looking for is about twelve to thirteen years older than you right now.¡±


    ¡°And why are you looking for...me?¡± she said, timidly.


    ¡°I think to make things easy for everyone we can refer to her as someone separate from you. Makes things less confusing, but we¡¯re searching for her because she has something we need, something we¡¯re both looking for¡ªobjects of immense power. And currently, she¡¯s paired up with a force we¡¯re aligned against to get them.¡±


    Recognition flashed in her eyes. ¡°The Creatures of the Night¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you know of them?¡±


    Recognition burned to a fiery fierce stance. ¡°I want them gone. They took¡­¡± her fire faded. ¡°They took everything.¡± She slumped against one of the bookshelves, and suddenly LUCAS noticed how much strength had evaporated from her. She looked like she could collapse at any moment.


    Laven reached out and helped her back up. She flinched for a moment when Laven touched her, but she let loose a breath and let Laven support her up. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why she would work with them. I don¡¯t...I would never.¡±


    ¡°Listen, it seems like you¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± LUCAS began. ¡°I think we know how that feels, if you need to take some time to gather yourself we can wait to talk about more.¡±


    Ally shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯ve had too much time not doing anything about it. I¡¯ll feel better once I¡¯m doing something productive.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I think we¡¯d be honored to have your help, maybe we can find your other self together, but of course I don¡¯t want to force your decision.¡±


    Ally looked at LUCAS as she thought about all the times her life had been ripped from her control. Was it because of her older self¡¯s determination? Could such a thing change her own course? She figured she had already made her decision by standing against what she had seen within the book.


    ¡°I¡¯m in. And you can call me Ally. I hate going by my full name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Ally,¡± Laven says. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a lot of walking a head of us, but we can push that back until you¡¯re feeling more like yourself.¡±


    Ally moved to question, but Laven simply shook her head. ¡°I appreciate the vigor, but if you feel even have of how you look, then I¡¯d wonder how you¡¯re even standing right now.¡±


    Ally looked at her with a second¡¯s worth of offense but knew deep down it was true. She sank down and took in a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the specifics right now, but yes...it has been a lot, the last few...well...I guess I can¡¯t really pinpoint an origin. It¡¯s just been a lot.¡±


    Laven nodded. ¡°I get it. We have some food here, but we can gather more¡ªlocal wildlife isn¡¯t rare round this compound.


    Ally seemed to be surprised, ¡°Place was as dead as a door nail when I came through.¡±


    ¡°Seems a lot has changed around here,¡± LUCAS said.


    Laven swung the bag around and unzipped the largest pouch, digging out a couple of cans of processed pasta. ¡°It¡¯s not going to taste like a banquet, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    Ally started to tear up, ¡°Thank you¡­.you¡¯re too kind. I can be of more use soon¡ªI¡¯m good with metal. Fixing things up, engineering tools and¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now, just get some food in you, and we¡¯ll go scrounge something up for a better meal. We¡¯ll spend the night here and get a fire going.¡±


    ¡°Inside?¡± LUCAS asked, looking to Laven.


    ¡°We can control it, and we have lots of kindling around here.¡±


    ¡°Did it kill you to call books kindling?¡±


    Laven made a face back at him but couldn¡¯t hide her chuckle at the end.


    Ally popped the seal on the top of the can and peeled the top off until it hung off on its final hinge, opening it wide.. She watched the two of them walk toward the door on the other side of the large room and held the can out in front of her. Looking at such a simple can really drove home how strange her current situation was. Her life had come to this point, and she wasn¡¯t sure anybody in her past would have ever imagined it could have amounted to¡­whatever this was. And yet, it wasn¡¯t against her better sensibilities. This could be the start of something fully new¡ªsomething fully healthy. At least, with some work it could be.


    She thought to the her of this time¡ªpaired with Sakonna and the other Creatures of the Night. That very thought that she could work with those¡­sigh. She felt a deep hurt as memories of Lilly came back into her mind and she then thought to Issachar and Ormus. There were intense feelings for them beneath the surface that she wished she could lash out¡ªbut the only person she would hurt is herself.


    No. She would not become that future version of herself. She needed to focus on making a life that she could be proud of.


    I refuse to become that.

 4 | City of Amber

    2044


    Allison Fae


    The glass hit the counter top with a heavy clank splashing the last lip of drink up into a golden caramel arc and as it splashed down back inside cheers roared around. Laughter bounced off the walls and bubbled off the fizz of the ale and polished shine of the cleaned glasses. The energy was electric as each person bounced off of one another as the current of the conversation started as a hunting story on one end and evolved into a story about the revelation of a cheating partner that turned into a humorous story about a construction project. Allison provided enough of her own tales of the hunt to the crowd, and it was as accepted as it was returned and played off of. The faces around her glowed with a shined resolve for fervor and anticipation.


    She had just finished telling the story of her first hunt to the people around her¡ªand she seemed to feel most comfortable in her past, as the words seemed to just slip off her tongue. It also helped she was playing to the crowd¡ªas the other patrons around her seemed the type that were always in the mood for a good hunting story.


    She felt a dull hum ringing echoed through her mind like a bell. It was an annoying sound¡ªthe kind of sound that recalled memories of school as a young child¡ªcalling in the children from their outside play. That same bell signaled the end of fun¡ªthe resumption of the dull diatribes that she so closely related to personal struggle and depression. She wanted more than anything to end that sound so she did the only thing that she could do¡ªshe belted out a hearty laugh. One so loud to drown out the sound in her head. The sound echoed throughout her mind to the point that it seemed to resound within, ringing far off in the distance. The man to her right had said...well, he said something she didn¡¯t quite catch, but the others had laughed heartily in response. It was like an unspoken rhythm that each had contributed their own flawed melody to. In that sense the bar¡¯s cavalcade were similar to a grand performance. Terrible in nature, but yet each person had a part to play¡ªan inner responsibility to decimate the sorrows deposited into the bottles to replace the alcohol taken in.


    The thought of her feeling like she belonged to anything involving another human being much less a small group of them being here was a sick sort of irony she would have died over a much different time ago. The thought of her now was so absurd she only laughed harder. It was so strange the feeling. Like an alien in her brain that did not belong¡ªjust as she did not, but so close a comfort it came to her that she continued laughing into the bottle as the sounds that could have been the other patrons but could have equally been flies on the wall whispering its insect murmurings. She felt like she shouldn¡¯t be laughing as hard, but the warm feelings around the bar seemed jovial enough to allow it.


    She felt the rhythm of the conversation start to wane and knew it was time to pick up and find her room. She bid the others a farewell she could barely remember the words to and grabbed her bag tight around her shoulder. More than anything she kept her bag by her side and throughout her jovial tidings it was a reserved feeling underneath the surface that she kept track of her bag at all times. She stumbled a moment as the world centered underneath her, then she noticed something gripped in her right palm. She was holding something and blinked slow and realized it was the room key she was passed by the barkeep when she initially sat down. She hadn¡¯t realized she had been holding it the entire time¡ªgripped tightly like a knife between her knuckles. Had her habits been so revealing that she was ready to defend herself at a moment¡¯s notice? It was almost pitiful if it didn¡¯t immediately reveal the nature of the world she existed in. And yet, she was thankful she remembered to get that earlier in the night¡ªshe would not have been able to form the words now if she had to return.


    A dull sense in the back of her mind chided herself for being so flagrantly drunk, but on the other end of her brain she felt at peace for the first time in a very long time. It wrapped around her conscious like a warm blanket. It was that alien feeling that had latched itself like a parasite just below her amygdala. Invisible to the eye but its eldritch presence still existent before any other. Did it matter? Should it? Did she care? It was an internal debate she didn¡¯t even want the public invitation to localized entirely in her head.


    She stumbled her way toward a hall in the back¡ªthe blue neon wires that lined the walls¡ªshimmering dull light that hurt her eyes if she looked at them too long. The light hurt, but it was the only thing that allowed her to see her way forward. She buckled and braced herself against the wall, placing her palm open on the wall as she took a deep breath. She felt the sweat beading on her forehead and suddenly felt increasingly hot. Too hot. She was panting until she closed her eyes and steadied her heart. There was a feeling¡ªan icy presence that floated over her, calming her spirits. She held her breath, counting slowly from one to fifteen and then let out a flurry of giggles.


    She found herself in a hallway with doors lined with the neon light and instantly found she didn¡¯t know which room she had gotten a key for. Her eyes darted from one end of the hallway toward the other. Okay, okay okay¡­.okay. Think. She thumbed the key in her fingers trying to gauge if there was a tag she could use to find the right room. She couldn¡¯t see it from the distance she was looking so she tried bringing it closer. The blue light emanating from the wires on the side started a light headache sensation that drove her focus away from reading the number on the tag. She whispered to herself until the number started to focus, slowly piece by piece.


    She found it. Okay, okay...okay. Good. She felt lightheaded for a moment as everything seemed to shake around her, a ghost of a fear came across her that she shouldn¡¯t be feeling this sloppy...but there was a reassuring warmth that made her breathe easier. She¡¯d find her room; she wasn¡¯t on a time limit, and she even had the tag!


    She took a deep breath and brought the tag close up to her face. Room...was that a three? Or...is that an E? Why would you use letters to denote a room? Well, thinking on it, I guess it¡¯s not that weird, but it still...is kind of weird.


    She blinked a few times and then rubbed her eyes. Was that an E or a 3? E or 3...E or¡ª


    ¡°Need some help?¡± She turned on her heels, startled out of herself to see the man from before walking her way. She noticed he was a lot taller than he had seemed slumped over the bar counter. It had taken her off guard¡ªshe had to blink twice to process his question.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this is an E or a 3,¡± Allison said, and then immediately catching herself. ¡°Sorry, that sounded insane. I...just don¡¯t know what room mine is.¡±


    The man smiled and said something that felt like a faint humming. She was trying really hard to focus on what he was saying, but it only sounded like he was humming syllables really loudly. There was a ringing sound in her mind behind his speech that was familiar to her. It reminded her of that bell. It brought to mind old cartoons she remembered seeing in her youth¡ªand she found herself focusing in on his lips to try to read what he was saying. She realized at this moment she was terrible at reading lips. His mouth was moving like normal; he should be talking like normal, but why couldn¡¯t she understand?


    He pointed toward a door just a few doors down from the both of them and she nodded, mumbled something about thanks and headed off, putting the key in the door. It entered the slot, and she heard a click as the tumblers gave way. She opened the door and slammed it behind her.


    She was stumbling over toward the bed¡ªwalking before even processing the look of the room. She saw a bed and she clamored for it. When she was off her feet she took a second and stared up at the ceiling. It was here in her own mind she knew this wasn¡¯t right¡ªshe¡¯s never reacted this adversely to alcohol. But then there came that reassuring feeling again¡ªthat surety that everything was going to be okay. Where was the source of that feeling?


    She sat up to see the barest of rooms imaginable, but at least it wasn¡¯t painted pitch black like the hall or the bar outside. Her eyes felt at rest for not having to adjust for the lack of the light.


    She suddenly felt very sluggish, and her entire body slumped. Whiplash felt like too soft a term to describe what she felt in that moment. It was as if a boulder were suddenly heaved onto her back, and she were now given the task to carry it up the face of Mount Sinai. She grunted as a sharp feeling focused itself deep in her gut. She held a deep breath and tried to stabilize herself within her environment. You¡¯re okay. You¡¯re okay...you¡¯re going to be okay. Don¡¯t think about it.


    She came back to herself when she shivered a feeling that went from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She coughed up a sick feeling that rasped hard against the back of her throat. She felt like she was going to die and let out a small cry but found that warm feeling working its way back in her brain.


    Her breathing started to slow until she was calm enough to fall back against the flat of the bed. Her legs still dangling off the side of the bed and immediately lost sensation in everything but the thread her mind was following. If for but a moment she opened her eyes and while she felt like no time had passed, she felt a dark feeling inside her that that wasn¡¯t accurate. Her head was pounding, and it seemed to echo down her body and then resound back up.


    She slowly sat up and that dark feeling remained. She was intimately aware of that warmth she had felt before, but it wasn¡¯t kind or inviting anymore. She felt like her mind was hers again, and a mounting suspicion filled her mind of how the night had gone.


    Just what had happened to make her so suggestible to the embrace that feeling invited? She felt sick...and not in the way she had before. It was an anger inside her that felt dark¡ªstupidity at lowering her guard in a foreign place. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.


    She swiveled her legs off the bed and took a shallow breath before standing to her full height. She panicked for a moment, thinking she lost her bag somewhere and her mind cleared instantly of the fog that hung heavy. She turned and let loose a breath when she saw the bag on its side on the other pillow on the bed.


    Oh thank god. She reached over and grabbed the bag, undoing the lock and unzipping it to confirm the contents. She found the wrapped food and under the rest of her belongings she found the tablet underneath. Gathering her composure she zipped the bag back up and tossed it around her shoulder.


    Her stomach growled, but she thought it wouldn¡¯t be wise to stay here longer than necessary. She walked to the door and pulled it open. She jumped back when she saw that the little girl¡ªPinocchio¡ªwas staring up at her with a vacant expression.


    ¡°Jesus,¡± she said. ¡°You scared me.¡±


    She looked up at Allison and had no response to give back. Allison noticed that she had taken a step to be within the width of the door. After a few more seconds of extended silence Allison looked at her, ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re here¡­?¡±


    The girl had no response.


    ¡°Okay, well, I have to go, so could you step out of the way?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Allison waited another moment and then brushed past the girl. She was easily twice her height and had more than enough force to go through. There was something to be said about the niceties of the interaction, but niceties were a pleasure she could ill afford now.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Heading down the hallway she felt a tension she hadn¡¯t noticed previously. She made it back to the bar¡¯s main entrance and the room looked different¡ªthere were lights from the ceiling that were now lit¡ªrevealing the previously pitch-black surroundings. Details aside, there was nobody around¡ªnot even behind the bar counter. It brought additional questions to mind of what the girl was doing here, but in reality she would rather take this opportunity to investigate the strange tower and then get the hell out of there.


    Outside, she was frozen stiff as she stared up at the sky. The tower stood tall as it had before, but at the tip what looked like a bolt of crimson red light shot into the sky. She couldn¡¯t see where the light ended, and the blood red sky began. It was more vibrant than the normal hue of the sky.


    As she looked up to down she saw people¡ªdozens of people lined up in two rows all the way from her to the tower. Each person stood not in line like normal, front to back, but instead were all turned to the side, facing her. Their arms were glued to their sides.


    Allison stared at them with a sense of looming dread. She saw the intention was to draw her toward the tower, and instantly she didn¡¯t like how excited that this place seemed to get a new amber aura.


    She moved to push through one of the lines, if they were so bent on getting her to the tower she¡¯d just leave. It wasn¡¯t imperative she investigate the tower alone¡ªshe could regroup with Sakonna. The man she pushed into stood firm¡ªhe was a lot taller than the girl back in the room.


    Irritated, she tried to push past a younger looking woman¡ªprobably looked to be in her twenties. But also like the older man, she refused to move. Allison took a short breath and backed up a step. ¡°Move out of the way.¡±


    Nobody else made a sound, they didn¡¯t even look away. She saw that they were breathing and blinking so they were still alive, but they moved not an inch in response.


    She held out her left arm and shifted her hand¡ªthe lance extending to its full length, ¡°Move, or I¡¯m going to move you,¡± Allison said. She scanned the faces of those in front of her. None reacted.


    ¡°Okay then. Well, this isn¡¯t going to be pleasant for some of you, then.¡±


    She held out her hands with the lance horizontal and the metal shifted and grew out to wrap around the legs of the taller man. Allison worked the end of the metal and yanked him off his balance. As soon as his formation broke the crowd erupted into a frenzy.


    Allison looked behind her and saw the people lined up start to run¡ªtheir faces as expressionless as they were before. She was rushed by bodies and felt hands and fists and feet slam into her from all sides. She held onto the lance with a losing grip but bent down and grew the metal into a dome over her like a shield.


    She gathered her breath as the pounding grew and echoed around her. The sound rang and echoed threatening to drive her mad. It was a constant belting of people from all sides, she had to try to keep the shield held down as she saw fingers trying to lift it up.


    Shit. She needed to think of a plan, and fast. But suddenly, she felt like she was being lifted up, she held onto the hook she gripped the edge of the metal with as the entire dome was lifted, higher, much higher than anybody could have reasonably lifted.


    An industrial magnet had been brought out¡ªcarried by a large crane-mech. She was lifted ten, twenty, thirty feet into the air. The people crowded around her all staring up with those blank faces.


    She tried to warp the metal enough to get it unstuck from the magnet, but she didn¡¯t have that strength. She got enough of it from the top so she could make a thin layer below her, so she didn¡¯t have to hold on solely to keep her up. She looked around, but until she could figure a way to get off of this she couldn¡¯t just jump off.


    The crane started to move across the crowd, and they followed her underneath, shuffling with their faces still toward the sky. She could see they were heading toward the tower. She looked back, the crane itself was large¡ªextremely so, it was running on the large treads and its slow and heavy movement shook the magnet back and forth. She then got an idea¡ªand took in a deep breath. It was risky, but she needed something crazy to get out of her current situation.


    She worked the metal down into a long liquid, she shot an arc down toward one of the treads, and the magnet followed the trail down, bending the crane down as the trail coated the right tread. The magnet slammed down and busted the tread. Allison had to lift her legs up to avoid being crushed, but then she felt her leg stuck up to the magnet. Her prosthesis.


    She gripped it tight and tried to separate from the magnet, but the impact against the ground splayed her arms out and left her upside down¡ªstill connected to the magnet from her leg. The impact loosened her grip and she rolled out on the ground.


    She heard the stampeding surround her and then she felt arms all around her. Arms of all sizes grappled around her arms and legs, trying to lift her into the air. She tried to kick and break free with her real leg, but every time that she managed to break the grip of one, another three would replace it.


    A hand covered her mouth, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to bite down. The hand retreated, but no sound erupted from the owner. She realized that they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, they couldn¡¯t yank her off the magnet and she couldn¡¯t break free of their clutches. She didn¡¯t see how it started, but in the corner of her eyes she felt the glowing warmth of rising heat¡ªupside down she saw a glimpse of the tower¡¯s light start to kick into overdrive. The light was almost blinding, and she felt all around her a rushing wave of unbearable heat.


    With all the bodies around her she felt a loss of breath and her body starting to sweat like crazy she continued to feel the bodies all around trying to rip her away from the magnet. She continued to kick and to bite any hands that came near her face¡ªdrawing blood wherever she could. She felt the heat increase once more and everything was tinted a shade of orange all around¡ªshe felt like she was in the center of an oven. It felt like her skin was burning, and it only receded when her leg disconnected from the magnet, she felt the crowd lift her high into the air and realized they were raising the heat¡ªhowever they were able to¡ªto demagnetize her leg. She noticed the metal from her lance had also no longer stuck to the magnet, it had fallen and melted through some of the people closest in the crowd, but she couldn¡¯t will it back to her.


    She felt the arms over her tighten and the light receded and kept her from passing out from the heat. Allison was still upside down, and saw they were headed to the tower. Despite her best efforts, she was going to be learning the secrets of this tower in the worst way imaginable.


    This would be a fantastic moment for an assist, Sakonna.


    Allison was led toward the entrance of the tower. The doors opened wide, and they filled into what seemed to be an elevator. She wondered at how much technology they had access to here¡ªshe tried to think of something¡ªanything that she could use to get out of her current situation.


    The doors closed and Allison could swear that she could hear a pin drop on how quiet it was. Her heart was pounding, and she felt the arm clutching her chest seem to grasp harder in response to her heartbeat.


    The elevator rose and she continued to struggle until the doors opened. She was passed along the crowd until she reached the end of the elevator, and she was staring out at a brilliantly golden-amber flame until the world around her spun around and she landed hard on the ground. Her entire body ached, and she rolled over. The elevator doors closed behind her, and she was left on the ground with an extreme heat radiating around her.


    ¡°Well, you put up quite the fight,¡± a deep voice echoed from across the room.


    Allison held her arms close to each other as she slowly sat up, pressing her thumb into her left arm. Her vision cleared and she saw the column of fire shooting upward into what looked like a glass prism up top¡ªthat object converted the fire and light into the crimson light bolting up with a crackling hum. Between the two ends of the room was a gap that looked to lead to the source of the fire below, but it was too deep to confirm. On the other end stood a figure that looked to be clad in a silver-shined armor.


    ¡°I watched your coming here with great interest. Of course I watch all newcomers very keenly, but you...oh, you walked in here like a bonfire of energy.¡±


    Allison moved with great effort to stand to her feet, grunting, she raised up and looked at the figure across the way. ¡°I¡¯m not keen to talk to shadows. Reveal yourself and stop hiding behind your masses.¡±


    The figure chuckled and started to close the distance between them. She saw the man closer in the firelight. He had a large build, and his dark hair was tied in a bun. He had a really nasty scar running across his face, it looked like it had real difficulty healing correctly.


    ¡°And here we are, I like to dress up for special occasions, and I would be remiss to miss a day such as this. I am infinitely curious as to the true nature of your energy. What fuels the strange powers you possess?¡±


    Allison noticed a small change within the air and breathed easier knowing that she finally found the chance she needed, but she would need time. She looked up to the man, ¡°Strange way to begin a meeting, don¡¯t you think? You think I want to give you the answers to satisfy your curiosity when I¡¯m dragged here by...that?¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°A trader of information, confidence or bravado when faced with the god of a people...I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t intrigue me more...I shall meet your question. I am Vita. God of Life and Light of this land,¡± he stretched his arms wide. ¡°And this is my flame, here which stands as a testament to my abilities. The fire burns brightest when it senses the continued support of my people, whose strength is fed back through to them.¡±


    ¡°Your fire seems to brainwash the souls that step foot into these grounds, do they not?¡±


    ¡°Brainwash is such an outdated term. I offer the suggestion of comfort, and in every case the people have chosen comfort.¡±


    So, this was the ploy. That was the foreign voice that invaded her mind...and it had only appeared in full after drinking away her shield against these kinds of invasions. She felt so stupid for letting her guard down so simply.


    ¡°You play the part of a god to people who you trick into building a civilization for you. Are you really so vain to fall into that clich¨¦?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°So, oppositional to the end. I guess in that part you are a match. That¡¯s fine. I was hoping for more of an open dialogue here, but if that¡¯s how this is going to go, that is more than fine with me.¡± He looked her straight in the eyes and offered little else other than a small smile.


    There was a whirring behind her, and she gritted her teeth as she reached out her left arm and felt the metal of her lance snap into her hand and solidify. She rushed forward and thrust the lance forward. She should have been worried that he didn¡¯t move to dodge her attack.


    She took another step and felt the tip of the lance connect to his armor. It snapped with a spark, and she found it was a familiar stick. The tip pierced two holes in the chest-piece of the armor, but she felt it stick true. And then she understood. His armor had some sort of magnetic quality to it.


    ¡°Interesting...very interesting. It seems to be a sort of strengthened metal, although its composition is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen¡ªto be able to move to you by some sort of remote locomotion,¡± he studied the long lance that stuck out from his chest, taking slow steps toward Allison. ¡°Or...it¡¯s but a simple metal and the motion and magic of it all lies with you.¡±


    He placed a firm hand around the edge of the lance and Allison tried to rip it off of his chest, but he pushed her back, she slid back closer to the edge near the fire. She pushed back, trying to spin the metal of the lance around his hand, but as soon as a liquid portion separated from the solid it stuck quick to his armor.


    ¡°Shame you¡¯re such a one trick pony,¡± Vita said. ¡°You¡¯ll do well to keep our flame burning for quite some time longer.¡± He pushed her even closer to the edge.


    She looked out of the corners of her eyes and saw the room between her, and the pit shrank with every second.


    Sakonna. I need your help! This is not looking good for me.


    ¡°Maybe when you¡¯re all used up, begging for salvation,¡± Vita began. ¡°You can see the light of the amber light just like the rest of them. I shall await it.¡± With a final shove he lifted a leg like a column and pressed it into her abdomen. She let out a gasp as she fell over the edge of the pit. Her eyes wide as the reached out for the lance. Her mind screamed a name she hadn¡¯t yelled for in decades.


    JACE!!!


    But nobody answered. She fell into darkness and awaited the contact she made with the ground to end it all.

 5 | Iridescence

    2044


    Ally Fae


    The two strangers returned as they said they would. It wasn¡¯t that she necessarily doubted that they would, but she had gotten so used to assuming she would have to deal with her issues by herself. It became second nature to show a kind face until she was alone where she could truly feel the things that were most pressing. She knew it was a damaging mindset to think this way. She looked to the side to see Jace very faintly as he nodded in her direction, knowing that he was thinking the same thing she was. Even though that was typically a sure thing¡ªshe knew he was the first to call her when she was being harmful to herself. It was an irritatingly annoying trait she couldn¡¯t do without.


    She had Jace by her side who like he always did tried to convince her of how rash she was being¡ªit made her so angry¡ªwould have made her so angry if deep down she didn¡¯t feel his thoughts as a deep truth within. It was like a barbed wire she kept in a hidden lockbox¡ªknowing it existed there as a truth should she decide to open the box. It was best to open the box¡ªbut only from time to time. Jace was real, it wasn¡¯t that she doubted in his truality, but knowing how little vigor she had left she had to be sparing. Yet, sparing didn¡¯t seem to exist in the start of this new time, she felt safer with him around. It cost her to keep him out, but when the two others arrived she much preferred to be seen as a pair than alone. She didn¡¯t need to question the surprised looks on each of their faces.


    ¡°His name¡¯s Jace. I guess you can consider him an imaginary friend, but more,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more complicated than that in detail.¡±


    ¡°But more is right,¡± Laven said. ¡°Should we be concerned?¡±


    Ally shook her head. ¡°I have this...power. I don¡¯t fully understand the depth and width of it, but I guess power is a right way to describe it. Usually it¡¯s as simple as telepathy. It¡¯s really only with others like me. Like¡­¡±


    Laven looked surprised, and then thought, almost without thinking, ¡°Like this¡­?¡±


    Ally¡¯s face lit up as she stared at Laven. ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    LUCAS looked from Ally to Laven, ¡°Did...did you just speak to her mind?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to, honestly,¡± Laven said. ¡°It just kind of spilled out. Like...like something in the back of my mind that I never directly spoken.¡±


    ¡°So...you are like me.¡± Ally said.


    ¡°I guess so, I don¡¯t think I can make anything like him, though,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Jace said. ¡°I¡¯m me, but I¡¯m also her. You can ignore me or regard me any way you wish.¡±


    ¡°How chivalrous of you. That¡¯s the first time I think I¡¯ve heard you tell someone to not make you the center of attention.¡±


    Jace made a face to her, and she chuckled quietly.


    Laven stepped closer and smiled, ¡°Maybe we could trade stories after we cook up a good meal?¡±


    Ally hesitated for a moment, but on seeing Laven¡¯s own reaction to her indecision, she nodded, her eyes shifting over to Jace to meet her gaze with a smile. ¡°She thinks that¡¯ll be great,¡± Jace said.


    And so, that brought them to the present moment. They all sat around a cleared away section of the upper floor of the library¡ªa few bookshelves had to be moved aside¡ªdone in part by Laven and LUCAS tag-teaming the effort¡ªan action that swirled several questions within Ally¡¯s own mind, but she held her tongue as she figured their stories may elucidate her on some of the details. She offered to help, but the both of them were quick to turn her down, a point which she both detested and appreciated.


    Laven was the first to sit down. When all was said and done she looked as tired as Ally had felt. She had glowing markings on her skin that reminded her of filigree on an ornate necklace. Except instead of gold or silver, the markings were a bright blue that had since faded to a more sickly color.


    ¡°I am more than ready to devour my fill,¡± Laven said, leaning against one of the overturned bookshelves.


    Together they had captured small creatures¡ªten of them in total that looked like ferrets that had mutated to be twice as long. They looked like kids playthings¡ªat least, they would have if they were not skewered and skinned.


    The both of them had done the work of getting the fire built¡ªthey had taken stones from the outside to build a makeshift fire pit¡ªsomething that wouldn¡¯t burn the building itself down, but when it all came together she had admired the breadth of their teamwork. It was right at this point when she recognized the wanting in herself to be a part of a unit that had worked to such success. To be wanted¡ªneeded, and used without feeling cheated, lied to, or admonished was something deep inside she craved.


    The food had begun to cook steadily, and the aroma had awoken a deep hunger inside her stomach. Even Jace couldn¡¯t help but look longingly at the meat as it had cooked.


    ¡°I made him up quite a long time ago,¡± Ally said. ¡°I want to be a writer...I have to force myself to not say wanted there.¡±


    ¡°Some part of her inside mind tries to tell her all the time to be more positive,¡± Jace laughed, sitting cross-legged and leaning back. ¡°Somebody¡¯s got to, at least.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s...entirely fictional?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°Not the first person like that we¡¯ve met, strangely enough,¡± LUCAS said.


    This brought a questioning look to Ally¡¯s face.


    LUCAS waved his hand, ¡°¡¯Nother story for another night.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ally said. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not really too much to him here, yet. I¡¯ve been able to call him to my side, and he¡¯s helped me more times than I can count, but it¡¯s been hard keeping him around lately. It uses a lot of my energy.¡±


    ¡°Say no more,¡± Jace said. ¡°Conserve away,¡± he made a sign with his hand and started to fade to nothing, just like that. The look on the two of their faces wasn¡¯t shocking to see, but it did draw out a little bit of humor as they continued to work on the food.


    She had long gotten over the innocence of never cooking an animal. The way the meat sizzled on the grill brought smells and heat back to her chest she thought long gone¡ªeven if it would probably end up tasting bad. She found most meat did that wasn¡¯t seasoned, but those kinds of privileges had worn away in the new world. It had to be said that she never had as successful a hunt as the two of them had in the...what, was it two hours¡¯ time they were away? She could have sworn there was an air of jealousy than ran through her, but then she more closely identified it as a feeling of admiration. She was thankful this was so; she would have hated for that to fester and manifest into something she hated.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t expect you to drop your life story, I understand a lot has happened to everyone here, and I want this to be an open space to say whatever you¡¯re comfortable with.¡± Laven began, stretching and cracking quite a bit of the joints in her neck. ¡°I know we¡¯re practically strangers, but I want to start...be the change you want to see, and so on,¡± she made a motion with her hands as if to imply her paraphrasing would have to do.


    Ally looked to her and admired the strength she saw in her, and immediately it felt familiar¡ªin all the ways that Lilly should have been¡ªor at least in the ways she presented.


    ¡°Well, without taking up the entire night,¡± Laven began. ¡°I was raised in a pretty strict household until the world changed all around me. I saw nothing in the future that was orchestrated and instilled into me, so I ran away. I didn¡¯t know how scary the world was. I just needed to get away from where I was. That was when...I honestly thought I died. But instead of existence just ending, I was presented with a choice.¡±


    ¡°A choice?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°It was strange¡ªotherworldly. I sensed a being stronger than I could ever imagine. It wanted to form a pact with me. I could live and grow stronger for an exchange of loyalty¡ªof hosting its power and respect toward its sensibilities. I understand that is extremely vague, but that is how I understand it. I take it to mean to not use its power to go on rampages, slaughters, overall not become a terrible person.¡±


    Ally nodded her head, understanding. ¡°So, did you get a clear look at what you formed a pact with?¡±


    Laven closed her eyes¡ªattempting to envision it. ¡°I remember a very bright white light enveloped by flowers all around me. I don¡¯t think I saw it directly¡ªthe light was too bright. But if I close my eyes and look deep within myself I can almost imagine¡­¡± she sat still for a moment as if drawing the image closer to her. ¡°It¡¯s a dragon. Its scales aren¡¯t white like the flowers, and I think that is what confused me most of all for the longest time. They¡¯re a very bright blue, like the lines that run across my skin when I use its energy¡ªbut its wings are different. Those are the most important, I think. They¡¯re like a butterflies wing. Elegant, refined, and are most what tell me that I shouldn¡¯t use the power I do have for violence unless it is necessary.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ally looked at her, and she opened her eyes simply, looking back with such a simple understanding over herself, Ally couldn¡¯t help but be jealous now.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, and I promise I don¡¯t pretend to know even the slightest thing about the being that dwells deep underneath me. It¡¯s origin is the same as the god above us that might or might not watch over our every move. As far as I¡¯ve moved it has helped me in the things I need to do, and so I don¡¯t question it further than that.¡±


    And it certainly has come in handy, more than a fair share in the short time we¡¯ve known one another,¡± LUCAS had said. ¡°I would be dead without it.¡±


    ¡°Short time?¡± Ally asked. ¡°Just how long have you two been working together?¡±


    ¡°No longer than three or four days,¡± Laven said. ¡°I¡¯ve already started to lose track, though. Time¡¯s a funny thing.¡±


    ¡°Three and a half-ish,¡± LUCAS followed up. ¡°The walk here felt like longer, though.¡±


    Ally looked at the two of them with a stunned expression. ¡°You two seemed like you knew each other for much longer¡­¡±


    LUCAS laughed. ¡°Yeah, it was something about how I saw her past and the whole¡­¡± he motioned his hand toward himself, ¡°You know.¡± He then opened his eyes wide. ¡°Oh, shoot, I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t know. That¡¯s my bad. So, I¡¯m not human. My body is cybernetic, and my mind¡¯s an artificial intelligence program based off of the¡­¡± he trailed off as he saw her mounting confusion. He cocked his head and then sighed, ¡°I¡¯m my own thinking and feeling being, but I don¡¯t need to eat. I technically shouldn¡¯t need sleep, but I think my mind tends to wear out from prolonged use...It¡¯s a lot to take in, but you can treat me like nothing¡¯s all that different.¡±


    Ally nodded, ¡°I guess in the scale of everything around here it could be stranger. I guess I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised what is possible here.¡±


    ¡°I find that not being surprised by anything here dulls the humanity in you,¡± Laven said. ¡°It¡¯s almost the prime human feeling¡ªto constantly be rearranging your own expectations.¡±


    Ally took the words to heart then nodded again. ¡°Yeah, I see what you mean. Things have definitely continued to surprise me since this whole thing happened,¡± she gestured above her as if to motion to the world itself. ¡°Although, my problems began before the world turned over.¡±


    LUCAS and Laven listened intently as Ally explained the events that had brought her to where they were now. She felt scared at first of telling the story¡ªnot knowing what emotions would spill from her once she let loose the gates, but it actually became easier to tell the more she did. Starting from the Nassau Middle School scene and the death of Rosemary Higgins¡ªthe ensuing investigation and discovery of the meddling of the girl she had caught feelings for¡ªLillian Jones. And at the heart of the investigation, the Creature of the Night that had been fueling the supernatural events in order to discern the truth behind the murder and obtain Lilly¡¯s body as vessel to navigate their world in.


    ¡°Issachar had seemed like he truly wished to choose the most despicable human to take upon himself¡ªto cause as little emotional damage as possible. I know that internally, but still, a part of me blames him for ever appearing that day. Like¡­¡± she started grasping for words, not knowing how to branch the thoughts in her mind. ¡°...If he hadn¡¯t appeared I could have lived without knowing any of the darkness of the truth. I wonder if things wouldn¡¯t have proceeded as they did¡ªwith none of their interference the world wouldn¡¯t have turned over...but then I remember that the events of that day weren¡¯t his fault¡ªthe murder I mean.¡±


    Laven cocked her head, listening with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Lilly tore that sheet out from under all of us. Whatever happened with the world turning into what it is now¡ªyes, that¡¯s bad and yes that is their fault, but my world was already in ruin. I feel like my world had already been ripped away from me on that day in Nassau. And that was her fault. So, on that day, I left them all behind. I haven¡¯t kept up with anyone there. I don¡¯t know if any of them are alive, but my goal¡ªeven after the world changed¡ªwas to find her¡ªto find Lilly.¡±


    ¡°What would you do if you found her?¡± LUCAS asked.


    Ally slouched back. She grabbed at the meat that sat in front of her and took a generous bite from it. It felt just right¡ªfinally something cooked in her stomach.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have this feeling deep in my chest that wants to come out. Sometimes I feel like it wants to kill her¡ªmake her pay for what she did. But...that¡¯s not the whole feeling. Sometimes it changes. Sometimes it wants to forgive her, to help her, to show her what she has been missing, what we¡¯ve both been missing. I fight with myself constantly about it. The congruence in the feeling is I have to find her. And...whatever happens when I do will be sorted by whatever my first instinct is.¡±


    ¡°It obviously sounds like you care very much about her and cared at the same point. I understand that feeling quite well. It is familiar to the person I was modeled after.¡±


    This piqued Ally¡¯s curiosity, enough to pull her mind off of Lilly enough to ask about¡ªa most pleasing option. ¡°You were modeled after somebody?¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°My father...er, my creator, his name was Abel. He was...deeply troubled himself. He was held against his own will inside a facility off the east coast alongside a number of other people. It was one of the Creatures of the Night there that was behind it all¡ªbut that¡¯s beside the point for the moment. His older brother¡ªCain, is who I¡¯m modeled after. I didn¡¯t know it at the time, but after having enough of a look through the related memories of the situation¡ªknowing the history of both of the brothers, I can tell Abel had great love for his elder.¡±


    ¡°But he was the reason Abel was there to be part of the game, right?¡±


    ¡°You guessed that very quickly,¡± Laven said. ¡°That part of the story took me most by surprise.¡±


    ¡°I had a...tingling by the sound of your voice,¡± Ally said. ¡°It was almost like I heard his sadness when you described him.¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°Cain was good, but he was also...deeply troubled. He was deeply sad and felt tremendous pain over his sadness¡ªhis guilt. These powerful emotions manifested at one crucial moment¡ªhe had the intentions of helping Abel¡ªof fixing his guilt, but his flaws erupted to the surface in one moment. That single moment spelled a point that would forever change their lives for the worse. Cain died, and his soul became trapped within the system¡ªcontrolled by Sakonna.¡±


    Ally¡¯s eyes flared with recognition. ¡°Sakonna was behind that experiment?¡±


    LUCAS cocked his head and Laven looked at her with new intrigue. ¡°You know of her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± her eyes darted to the side, and realized she knew she would have to tell the story sooner or later. ¡°I do.¡±


    ~...~


    LUCAS Gray


    They had sat huddled together for a time longer until Laven and Ally had finished eating their fill. He had to admit that he hadn¡¯t expected Ally¡¯s story to be so out there¡ªat least as out there as his own or Laven¡¯s. Something in that congruence told him that they were destined to meet here. They were really a collective of the strangest origins as possible.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think on the nature of her existence here¡ªit most seemed like she broke something within the fabric of the universe to will herself to this time. That seemed dangerous to be around, but then again, what better word would describe her than anomaly¡ªone he hung onto so closely. Anomalies seemed to cluster together. There came that word again¡ªhe wondered if there was something about the nature of anomalies in the world that attracted them to one another like a magnet of entropic attraction. But he knew that the world around them tended to draw those anomalies together more than anything.


    Most of all he knew that she was like them both in the way they knew deep sorrows. The kinds that it was unlikely to heal from by just existing through life. It was easy to surround yourself with people who were feeling just as bad if not worse than you¡ªhe thought. If things were normal¡ªif life were normal he wondered if these two weren¡¯t the worst people he could have chosen to hang around with.


    I guess that¡¯s a bit too harsh a way to put it. The whole matter rested heavy on his mind. He looked over toward Laven who had finished putting out the fire. Her eyes shifted to Ally who was laying against one of the overturned bookshelves on her side, one arm outstretched with an encyclopedia tucked in-between her head and her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and her chest rose and fell with an even beat.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on all this?¡± LUCAS asked.


    Laven turned to focus back on the fire. ¡°I feel for her. I¡¯m equally as concerned as to how she arrived here and what that means for us.¡±


    ¡°So, same as me, then.¡±


    She smiled smally, but then turned to him. ¡°I mean, I am still going to vouch for helping her. I know you saw what you saw, but¡ª¡±


    LUCAS shook his head and placed out a hand to stop her there. ¡°I meant it when I said I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the Allison we¡¯re looking for. Whatever happens to her to make the choices she does in the vision I saw...they must not have happened to her yet. And in that case, we may very well be able to make use of that situation and maybe even change her fate?¡±


    ¡°I am wondering, though¡­¡± Laven began. ¡°If it¡¯s possible that the older Allison is merely only pretending to work along with the creatures of the night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°But in the end, it doesn¡¯t make too much of a difference right now. We¡¯re still going to be following her path. If she¡¯s aligned with our goals and willing to cooperate we can team up with as many Allison Faes out there as there exists. But if she really is our enemy...then I have to be prepared to do anything it takes to eliminate any threat to our mission.¡±


    He turned to look at Ally sleeping beside them. ¡°Even so, the part of me that urges me to do the right thing is telling me that we need to help take care of her. I guess that¡¯s what my heart is telling me to do.¡±


    ¡°Your heart is in the right place,¡± Laven said. ¡°And I agree.¡±


    The two of them stood a moment longer before the building was rocked with an explosion¡ªsending the both of them off their feet. Crumbling sounds rocked the building all around. The explosion cracked like a whiplash and a chunk of the floor in the back of the library crumbled¡ªtaking an entire bookshelf with it. The sound of fluttering pages was filling the room before a second round behind them went off below. The entire front of the building caved in and revealed the sky outside where the stained-glass image had one sat. Laven screamed out and he turned quickly, but his vision went black as something fell from above and connected. He fell on his stomach and a third explosion below rang out dully.

 6 | Vermillion Chronomalies

    <h3 align="center">PART II


    Monsters Among Men


    A Time Outside of Time ~ A Space Outside of Space


    Zane


    W-What? Where...am I? I can''t see anything. It¡¯s pitch black all around. I feel a wall. It feels hard, solid. Secure. God, it''s so dark. I can¡¯t see for shit. Ugh, God damn it. Where am I?!


    AGH! Fuck. Okay, not wearing shoes...that¡¯s not good. Is anybody there? I...don¡¯t think I can hear you. You can hear me though, right? Coming through loud and clear? I have a feeling you are¡­God...I think I¡¯m just talking to myself. Going to die in here all by myself. Just going to¡ªeugh, is that...there¡¯s something wet here, oh my god this is dreadful.


    Let. Me. Out. Of. Here!


    I start banging on the walls, pounding the base and hear hollow echoes ring out. My fists run hollow against the metal¡ªit¡¯s too thick for me to reasonably break through but thin enough to hear there¡¯s something outside. There¡¯s something out there, but I can¡¯t be sure for shit I can even make it through. There¡¯s a hollow pain ringing through my chest moving down toward my stomach. It was a stinging sensation that begged for me to throw up everything I had left in there.


    Oh, fuck, how the hell did I end up in this mess? I don¡¯t deserve this. Where¡¯s Em¡ª...wait...who? That was so weird. It was like a memory plucked straight from my brain. I think I saw that in a movie. I think it was that one with the wizard kid?


    Ow, shit. I...I think I found something. It...it''s a sheet of paper. It''s too dark in here to read...damn it. Okay, maybe if I just focus on it...I think I can make out what it says. Maybe...maybe you all can see it better than I can? Wait¡­I think I can get it if I hold it against the wall like this.


    Hello Zane, I see you¡¯re confused on everything. That¡¯s wonderful. I need you to pass along a message to the fine folks who are watching you out there. Yes I quite know my audience. You¡¯re unfortunate enough to be watching the world¡¯s worst show. I am not sorry for that, but you are going to be able to experience the punishment of a lifetime. I¡¯ve got here something no one else has been able to do. And you¡¯re all going to help make this as memorable as possible. And by the end, well, maybe our fine-unfine friend here will only die a few times over.


    Zane here¡¯s been bad. You won¡¯t even begin to believe the seeds he¡¯s sewn...well, I guess I wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. Some of you may know more than others in the audience, but it is important that Zane here keep wandering these lowly halls of himself by himself. He¡¯s here for a reason. But you don¡¯t remember why, now, do you Zaney? I CANNOT EVER FORGET.


    Anyway. There are some rules you all need to follow, and maybe this will turn out great for everyone. First and foremost, you speak of these events to no-one. Zane¡¯s fate is to be decided here and only here.


    Second, you may only interact with Zane through the use of the controller. He cannot hear you otherwise. Incorrect inputs will be ignored. You are, however, able to hear him¡ªso do please avoid angering the community at large, Zane. They are trying to help you after all.


    Third, Zane will be exploring the area I¡¯ve set out for him. He is not allowed to cause any damage to the scenery in order to break the order of events. He must follow his sense of direction and be a good little boy.


    Fourth, If they can crack the code, then they¡¯ll learn the next rule involves time travel. Any resets of the timeline will send Zane back to the bunker, and some puzzles will be reset, but not all of them. Be sure to keep aware of which puzzles you¡¯ll need to solve¡ªor resolve on future visits. Only the final timeline will be remembered, now.


    And fifth and finally, have fun.


    ARKANUS


    Okay, calm down. Retrace your steps. I¡­was at home before all this. Who the fuck is this Arkanus guy though? Who the fuck does he think he is? What the hell aren¡¯t you going to forget, and why am I being subjected to it? Do any of you know that name? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s familiar to me.


    Let¡¯s see. I was watching TV¡­at least I think it was on. I was trying to sleep. Or was I? It¡¯s possible I went out to a party. I don¡¯t remember exactly what I would have been partying about. A lot of my memory is foggy, almost doesn¡¯t even feel my own.


    Why would I have been at a party? Was I? No¡­I was definitely home. Or...god. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s so confusing. I remember being at a party¡ªI think it was for New Years. But I also remember being home. I have a very vivid memory of a Dr. Phil rerun playing deep into the night. Something like that¡ªthe kind of thing you keep on out of morbid curiosity. Agh! Shit, stubbed a toe. I know you can¡¯t see what I see¡ªnot that I can see anything right now, but I¡¯m feeling my way around here trying to make sense of what this place is.


    Okay, think. Sleeping, I was sleeping...on the couch because I had to work the graveyard shift. I was....home from work. Everything past that is a blur. Why was I so certain I was out at a party? I don¡¯t think I could have gone out with how tired I was...hell, how tired I am even now.


    Fuck. Okay, I''m going to try to feel out my bearings here. I think there''s a table of some sort in front of me. It''s where I found that sheet of paper. Behind me...I''ve got a wall. Solid, seems to stretch to my left...a good seven steps before I reach the end. Let me check the other side...okay, about the same length to the next end. There''s...a smell hanging in the air. It''s not familiar, but it is rancid. It almost stings behind my eyes, I can feel myself starting to tear up in response from it.


    Taking in a deep breath.. I''m going to try to creep across the room. One step...at...a...time. I''m waving my arms up and down the walls in the vain hopes of finding a light switch. Even then I''m still disappointed when all I find is bare wall. Part of me didn''t realistically think I''d find anyth¡ªHKKKKK


    Part of the ground was raised...I tripped and landed in whatever was damp in here. My jaw hurts and my elbow feels something similar. It¡¯s a sort of ringing pain that stings with the static feeling of frayed nerves.


    Let me just...stand back up. Looks like it''s a staircase of some sort. Great. Nothing like climbing stairs to who knows where with zero guidance. That never turned out raw for anybody. I don''t know if anybody''s even out there...I just...don''t want to feel like I''m the only one here. Deep breaths. Okay. You can do this. Slow. Light will be here soon. Slow. Light will be here soon. We don''t have to¡ªawhoops.


    Okay...end of the stairs. God please don''t let there be more. I don''t even know if I''m facing away from them anymore.


    I''m frozen....fearing if I reach out my arm something will reach back from the void and take me whole. But I know that''s no way to get out of this mess. Deep in my heart I know. Part of me knew it all along. Where did that come from? Were those my thoughts? Or is someone else here with me? Fuck, okay, moving forward. If I fall and break my neck fuck it. I can''t handle the anticipation.


    Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...Okay...I...oh fuck I haven''t ran that hard in...a while. Jesus. I think I reached something...it...feels like a doorknob. Yes! Okay, it took some work, but I managed to pull it open...only to more darkness. FUCK. Man, if I was watching someone go through this shit on TV I¡¯d be right there with those in the audience laughing and being so thankful this wasn¡¯t my life but¡­now, here we are.


    It feels like a hallway. I can touch both sides with my arms extended. That does wonders for the claustrophobic concerns I had about this place. Great. I¡¯m going to need a double extra session with my therapist by the end of this¡­god damn it. I don''t know if I feel better or worse with less room to breathe...less space to occupy...Okay, slowly, I''m going to follow it to its end.


    I think I''ve reached the end of my rope. The hallway ends. I feel...three...what are these...levers? Jeez, yeah, they''re like...old pull levers you''d see in old cartoons¡ªeven have the rubber feeling handles. What kind of sick game is this? What the fuck is this place? There''s three of em lined up, one after another just jutting out of the walls. I have to squint to see the outlines through the darkness, but I can feel them all the same. They''re all flipped up. Oh...no, I feel like this is important in which order I flip them...god what is the order? I never was good with decision making...I guess you could call that my Achilles¡¯ heel. Wait¡­what was that? I¡­think I can hear you. I thought I heard you before but honestly I wasn¡¯t writing my potential insanity out of the question, but I definitely heard mumbling voices in the back of my mind. So, I listened to them and raised my hand up to the levers themselves.


    ¡°Flip them in this order...2...3...1¡± Jinn, an outsider said.


    ¡°Veto that order,¡± the commands of Arkanus deep within the core of the malediction rang. He had sat through multiple timelines of these choices watching various combinations be pulled, but this is the first that he has personally vetoed.


    ¡°Rude,¡± said Doctor C, of the outside.


    ¡°You have no power here¡± replied Laches, another of the outside.


    I feel a...strange sensation come over me. Like a force outside of my own hovering my hand over the lever in the middle. My mind can barely process the events going on within my mind. I grasp my hand over the second lever and begin to yank it downward. It takes some force, but as soon as it starts to move down I push it through, and it sticks tight with a satisfying click.


    I don''t know why, but I think I''m going to try the third one next...and then the first. Something about that pattern seems...familiar. Twenty-three is number one. Where have I heard that before? Images of small critters dance behind my eyes. A faint humming of a drumbeat in the echoes of the space around me. Twenty-three is number one.


    A loud humming sound rings in the distance, like some far off machine roaring to life. Huh, that must have done something.


    Suddenly, the hallway is filled with light. I can see the hallway really is as narrow as I figured it was. Though...I don''t quite feel like I can move on any farther from here. I turn around and retrace my steps back to the bunker I had woken up in. I hurry down the steps with a newfound energy as I can now see where I''m going, but that energy doesn''t last me long. Suddenly, I yearn for the darkness once more. The first thing that catches my eyes in the corner of the bunker is the body. It''s a woman.


    Her body lay broken on the ground surrounded by a deep pool of crimson blood. Long raven hair shielded her face I couldn¡¯t see any visible entry wounds, but I feared her cause of death was not from a knife or a gun My breath caught in my throat as I tried to center myself¡ªI admit I felt lightheaded upon seeing her body. I have to turn away and retch¡ªpulsing waves of pain entered my stomach as it tried more than anything to empty itself of anything it may have had. I think about the damp liquid I was walking through when I first woke up here and it further incentivized the complete evacuation of my stomach. I don¡¯t even have to look down to see the stained red footprints tracking from the body all across the room during my initial panic of walking blindly around the bunker.


    I...all of a sudden can smell the rot that emanates from the body. My head begins to pound as the deadness of the air hangs over me like a vice. I grip my head that is pounding heavier like a drum. Images flash across my mind like a movie running on double speed. This...this girl...I knew her. I was trying to find her. Why was I trying to find her? I...needed to find her. Agh, fuck this hurts. It¡¯s right there behind my eyes and it¡¯s locked to me. It is so close I cannot grasp it.


    I went to school with her I think. We were just kids. God how long ago was that? It¡­both felt like just yesterday and also decades ago¡ªentire lifetimes ago. Something dark happened. Something bad¡­I feel something dark bubbling up from the surface. They seem like messages from another life entirely. What was going on?


    The messages were flashing behind my eyes faster than a bullet train during rush hour. I saw them laid out to me in other lives and suddenly felt a resounding pressure emanating from the body on the other side of the room.


    1


    There once was a girl named Emily


    She never met a face she couldn¡¯t turn right


    Flowers in her hair, a cloudless sky


    I wonder why she had to die


    California evolved after The Collapse


    But before, news traveled of the death


    And to think, survival was just in her grasp.


    If only she could have held her breath


    2


    In a muggy summer of 1997 I sat facing a setting sun with my legs dangling over the edge of the precipice. The boundless nothing awaiting me as I pondered my own extinction. It was such a thought to end my own life and I look to my side to find the Imp sitting beside me, almost begging for action. I¡¯ve had enough action. This city has had enough action. I desire justice. Nothing until the end of her suffering will ever be enough.


    3


    I return to the schoolgrounds where she went before she died. They¡¯ve been closed down since then¡ªPR¡¯s not great for the scene of a murder. Though, then again if they had to close off every place she died no public entity would survive the backlash. Especially with all the collateral damage. Entering through the halls, I can almost smell the remnants of that day, like a fresh scar on my mind. I carry it close to my soul as a memory that I wish to never forget.


    To never let go.


    4


    Dear Emily,


    Why don¡¯t you answer my cries?


    In the great beyond, are you free?


    From the pain that haunted you so close.


    From the poisons that augment your lies.


    I desire nothing but your sweet release from pain.


    That from this life you gained much but had too much in return taken.


    I am sorry.


    5


    Emily liked skating. She didn¡¯t listen to her parents who told her that she shouldn¡¯t get into a ¡°boy¡¯s¡± hobby. She rebelled against that idea. Hated it, even. You should have seen her when something that passionate got stuck in her head. You told her she couldn¡¯t do something and she¡¯d dedicate all of her energy into doing it. She could have moved mountains.


    Emily, why couldn¡¯t you have done that this time? I never used to understand your passion for going against the grain. I respected it, but I never understood it. There are some forces that bite back. Those beings that haunt these halls are the very kind I aim to eradicate through these cells.


    6


    The human brain can withstand anywhere from three to six minutes without oxygen. She lasted two. The knife wounds didn¡¯t help. It wasn¡¯t determined one or the other as the major cause at our local precinct. Laughable fools who pretend to care about justice¡ªthose who write the books long enough to imitate justice. Her death was considered through and through as a random act of robbery. Disgusting.


    7


    Dear Emily,


    Your story is playing on the news. These people who never knew you are telling everyone just how much they miss you. They talk about you online as if the wannabe detectives have anything to gain but to make your death but a story for their viewership. They say they regret your passing but profit off your death.


    I miss you.


    These people have it wrong...for me. Of course for you it is how it happened. I guess I can¡¯t relate. I¡¯ve never died once, much less twice. Of course, we both know that¡¯s probably not even the exact amount. You agreed to go with me to that party and you probably knew your time was up. Did you? Could you not have told me if so? I still have so many lingering questions it eats me alive. Holding the knife in my hands...it glistens with a darkened gaze as if mocking me. As if it knows what it did. I guess I¡¯d feel the same if I stood in front of the pond, too, or held the rope she was strangled with.


    8


    She was stabbed at a party with friends that should have known better. I went, unknowingly attempting to be her protector, but they should have done a better job. They should have known better. The year was just beginning¡ªit was meant to be a celebration of all the festivities that came and went with a new era. The ball dropped twenty minutes ago; the skyline was sharper than any sight in New York City. People flooded the streets like another year wasn¡¯t guaranteed. The small group gathered to celebrate their new lives. New lives being such an oxymoron in this context that I can¡¯t help but wonder if her own situation affected anything in the end. Sometimes to ease the ache I find myself slipping into poetry to find meaning in the words that hang in front of my eyes. That if I can decode the meaning I can find out the hidden sky she waits for me.


    But she does not wait.


    The school where she died is now a casino. The Collapse has evolved it like it has evolved most everything else. The demon twins run the joint. I look at it like some disgusting scab sitting here. If I had the motivation I¡¯d bomb the place and send them all to hell. But in the end I do nothing. Just like back then.


    9


    Emily¡¯s problem was that she spent so much time proving herself to others she tended to let other things slide. When her affection grew, she had failed to reconcile her multiplicitous lives and responsibilities that came with it. She loved, and she loved a lot. I loved it about her, but I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t think it was the reason why she was killed.


    In one timeline she fell in love with me after our high school prom. I had gotten the courage to ask her out and the night...well, I don¡¯t need to share all those details. We were in love, but she was different. Always was.


    She told me after our first anniversary how she was able to travel between timelines. Live an entirely different life but still somehow find a way to return where and whenever she wanted. I was shocked, at first. I would be lying if I said it didn¡¯t sting a bit that she was capable of loving other people, but after many long talks and several months of thinking about it, I realized that only made her even more special.


    She could love more than a normal human. She could have a full life with me and not make it feel wasted. I was so...lucky to know her for the time that I did. I just wish she could have stayed.


    Time and space are constructed in such a way that the fragmentation of said structure can have lasting and irreparable damage based on the amount and duration of said fragmentation. These fragmentations create voids of space not dissimilar to vacuums. However, these fragmentations¡ªChronomalies¡ªseek to regain the time and space they have lost. They move. They hunger. They are merciless.


    Emily was not the only person who can do what she did, but in total the number of Chronomalies summoned by the few normally aren¡¯t an issue. They don¡¯t cause fragmentations large enough to be noticed.


    That¡¯s because the number of timelines that used to exist were enough so that the Pathfinders could slip through streams virtually undetected by the Chronomalies. Ever since the Collapse, debts are coming due. Pathfinders aren¡¯t able to operate as they used to. You must wonder why you¡¯re here, Zane? Is that it? You still wondering why you¡¯re here? You¡¯ve almost reached the end. I wonder, will you discover the truth?


    The end? That didn¡¯t feel right. Was he really so close to the end? Who had written these notes¡­they felt like shades of myself? I went to that party¡­but I don¡¯t fully remember going to that party. Agh, my head is aching something fierce. What the hell was it again?


    I looked over to Emily¡¯s body in the corner of the room, her blood just as dark and just as real as everything else around me. I¡­knew she was different to most people¡­except there was more to it than that, wasn¡¯t there? There always was more to it. But so much was locked away from me as if I wasn¡¯t the right me to understand it¡ªor if I was the perfect me to, but I was missing a crucial key to the center of it all.


    I was brought here for a reason. This Arkanus fellow has a very specific reason to do what he is doing. It would be easy to guess he wrote those messages, but why then does he remember things about Emily that I struggle to? Why am I only just now remembering that school of hers? What about her with these¡­these beasts that hunted her down? Too much of it made no sense. Would I discover the truth? That much was clearly up to me at this point.


    I remember looking for her. Something about...trying to warn her I think. She ended up dying, but not here. She didn¡¯t die here. Why is she here now, then? It wasn''t supposed to happen. Agh, why doesn''t anything make sense?! She was...thrown in a lake. Her body was dumped, and her killers got away. I''m seeing a dark figure. Not human. And something...eating. Eating something always eating what was it eating...?


    I remember a sunny Saturday afternoon. Staring into her eyes and seeing reflected back the infinite time in her gaze. It was like a deep magic that held secrets I could only begin to guess as. Something in those eyes awoke something dark. I can''t remember what happened next.


    The pain is slowing down. I...can''t remember anything else. I...can''t stay here. I can''t...oh...


    I just noticed...in her hand is one of those notes...you guys are okay with me leaving that there...right? You won¡¯t be too upset?


    ¡­


    Sigh, I know it will eat away at you as it would me. Okay, fuck. I''m going to grab it...Oh god I''m going to puke. Jesus fuck, I''m so sorry. I just...need....this¡­


    </a> The sands of a forgotten clock fall to their depths.


    The sun of a forbidden warmth shielded from view.


    A funeral pyre, erupts from the ground.


    Nothing new.


    Burning the bodies. Burning the regret.


    Give your life, take hers, what do I get?


    Sand. Nothing but broken fragments of time.


    The monster outside of time hunts for its prey


    not knowing how long it will live and relive


    its last day.


    Okay, I''m done. I''m heading out of here; I can''t stay in here any longer. A low rumble comes from the other room, and I take the opportunity to leap back up the stairs until the top step breaks my stride and I trip to the ground, letting out an exasperated gasp. I slam my fist into the ground and let out a small cry. Just what is this place? What kind of bullshit is all this? I...I don''t know. I let myself sit there until I calm down.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    When I''m ready, I stand back up and make my way to the end of the hall, up the stairs and passed the second hall back toward the levers. I find that a passage has opened just before the levers on the left-hand side of the wall. I enter and find another narrow hallway that leads into a much larger room. I take a deep breath and lean against the wall, taking in my surroundings.


    On the far edge of the room I see television sets mounted on the wall in a stack of nine. They look like bulky CRTs that are mounted in purposeful arrangement. To my immediate right are some radio sets. Looking at them I envision some sort of tacky radio host sitting at the table beside it and announcing the top forty hits on the local station.


    The room is full of tech that looks far out of what I can understand in the corner. The limit to my technical know-how begins and ends with the TVs. To my left is an indent down to another long table with a host of technological junk splayed across it. On top of the junk however I can see there''s another sheet of paper on it. One of the televisions in the center flicks on and gives me a start. I turn on a dime and stare at the center screen., a single word is displayed in white text.


    DEAD


    A crackling sound to my right comes from the radios. I listen intently, frozen in place. A corrupted melody plays through heavy bouts of static. It...it¡¯s reminiscent to something I used to play as a kid. Some...game. Some old game I used to like. There were faint elements that reminded me of Zelda...wasn¡¯t it that creepy one¡­? Majora¡¯s Mask...yeah, that was definitely it. Why of all things is that here¡­? The disturbing nature of it sent shivers up my spine.


    The audio fades out and the television shuts off. I''m scared to move lest anything else notice my presence. I feel a dark presence in the room with me...I''ve felt it ever since I''ve woken up here. I can''t put my finger on it, but it''s almost like a shadow trailing me just waiting for me to put my guard down. Like a reaper in the night, except here night always comes.


    Out of the corner of my eye I notice a hatch in the ceiling. Almost immediately I start to see movement, and suddenly I can see gushing water spilling into the room from the hatch.


    Ah, SHIT! Ah...ah...what...what do I do?


    ¡°.control,¡± Arkanus inputs the command, a surprising action to the outsiders looking in. He was interfering more than ever now.


    ¡°I veto that command,¡± says Doctor C.


    Arkanus, unaffected by the Doctor¡¯s wishes continues without hesitation, ¡°.adminaccess¡±.


    ¡°No, fuck you asshole. .control,¡± Doctor C attempts to regain control of their collective vote.


    ¡°.control¡± Zed, another voice from the outside tries to help. His voice echoes through the back of my mind.


    They are each separately met with command errors¡ªthey are unable to disrupt the process within. Arkanus continues, ¡°I choose the input of the Pendant of Memories, an artifact meant to rush in powerful emerging thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Please select a memory,¡± the command center prompts Arkanus.


    ¡°Why are you such an asshole,¡± Tiki, an ever yet ¡®nother member of the outside calls.


    ¡°I choose The Father.wmv. This video originates from the outside world¡ªand depicts the death of the protagonist.¡± Arkanus¡¯ voice flowed through the ether. The video he had chosen was known to the outsiders, and their hesitation on letting it go through was evident.


    ¡°Veto that,¡± says Laches, a voice from the outside.


    ¡°Yeah that is a dick move man, come on. Veto the father.wmv,¡± says Doctor C.


    ¡°A new choice must then be made,¡± the command center relays. It has accepted the vetoes from the outside voices. And from its announcement a new idea springs forth. Using the prompt from Arkanus and the previous connection towards the Legend of Zelda from Zane¡¯s subconscious through the corrupted audio, Doctor C begins the next prompt.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I choose the Zora Mask. It gave Link the ability to swim and breath underwater.¡±


    I stay completely still as the water continues to fill the room. The force it¡¯s gushing into the darkness drowns out the sounds of the voices. It¡¯s frozen cold to the touch and I flinch as it runs over my feet. I look down and see the blood washing away from my feet. My toes clench up as the water rises to my ankles and suddenly feeling a burst of confidence within me, I remain still. Something inside of me says that this is okay...that I can work with this. The water continues filling into the room at a faster rate. It has passed my knees, and then my waist, and soon enough I''m floating in the depths of it. I get an idea to swim up to the hatch, but I find...something odd catch my attention. Another one of the television sets has turned on.


    There''s a strange news report playing on the screen, but I can barely hear it above the water. The parts I can make out unsettle me to no degree. They sound like several different reports about a murder victim. Just...what is this? This...can''t be just like what I just remembered? But...something reminds me about this. These...are the reports I heard after she died. But...she wasn''t stabbed. I remember her being shot. What is going on? I cannot understand what this means.


    Turning around, I face the hatch and begin swimming upward. What are the odds¡­


    Continuing up I find myself breaching the surface. I take a heavy gasp of air and feel a radiating heat and bright light shining down on me. I get a look of my surroundings.


    Around me immediately are stones lining the edge of the pond I¡¯ve swam up into. The hatch I exited from sits at the bottom of the pond¡ªeven though the water was spilling down into the room below the level didn¡¯t seem to lower any.


    On the surface was grass...vibrant grass layering to dozens of grown plants of various colors and sizes. The room could be described as a botanical garden¡ªbut in reality it almost looked like a domed greenhouse. Angled glass encircled the large garden, and I could see bright blue skies diffracted outside the dome. Fresh green grass surrounded the shore of the pond in the center of the room and the colors of the petals each of the flowers held were so bright they almost seemed like entirely new colors.


    Harsh sunlight hangs high in the sky, but its light is fragmented through the dome, so it''s not too harsh. That''s when I notice there seems to be a door of sorts hanging high in the sky on the dome''s surface. It looks like it''s...forty, maybe fifty feet in the air? I can''t see any conceivable way of reaching it¡ªthere''s no landmass connecting to it.


    I look down as I gather my bearings, surrounded by the flowers of many colors is a pot with some dirt in and an almost comically sized looking seed. Instantly I think to fetch some water for it, but I don¡¯t have anything to carry the water in.


    On the far edge of the garden there is a door fashioned into the glass, but I¡¯m not too sure where that¡¯d lead¡ªit looks like it¡¯d lead to the outside, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any...well, anywhere to stand.


    ¡°I vote to use the opportunity to talk to Tatl.¡± Jinn begins. ¡°In Majora¡¯s Mask, this allowed Link to ask his companion for advice, so maybe it¡¯d let us talk to Zane,¡± Jinn says.


    And so...it was. I started to hear the voices more clearly¡ªand in greater volume. They all spoke to me in great number and variety.


    Zane ¡ª


    I...I think I can hear you guys I...I don''t quite know what to say, uh...hello? You can see me, right? Can you hear me fine?


    Doctor C ¡ª


    I think it''s fine for us to go ahead. I think Tiki is translating right now as well. He can hear us? I''m totally going to call him an idiot. Just watch me.


    Zane ¡ª


    Idiot...that''s...a bit uncalled for. And translate? What is going on?


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Oh god I don''t know what to say.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    lmfao. eirjstyruy. amazing. Solid act.


    Jinn ¡ª


    It¡¯s as it said. We are the advice, it seems.


    Zane ¡ª


    I don''t quite know what to do here. I''ve been walking forward for so long I haven''t really questioned why I''ve done anything at all, really. I''m up for any suggestions. I feel like a rat in a maze just endlessly laboring until I run into a dead end.


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Oh no...I can see this going a number of wrong ways.


    Zed ¡ª


    Zane do you recognize the name Arkanus?


    Zane ¨C


    Arkanus? That¡¯s that name from that letter, right? He¡¯s the reason I¡¯m here...I think? I don¡¯t recognize it, though. It like the name of a comic book villain, honestly. Why?


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Zed you gotta talk in controller. I think. I don¡¯t know if he can hear you.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    No he doesn''t need to, this works fine.


    Jinn ¡ª


    It works here.


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Oh shit, okay then. I was wrong.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    He can read us right here


    Zed ¡ª


    Do you recognize the names Jadusable or Emily?


    Zane ¨C


    Emily...she...she''s dead now. If you''ve been watching me this entire time then you all saw...excuse me, it''s still...a lot to process. She used to go to my school, and I was fond of her for a bit. I think we dated, but if I''m going to be honest a lot of the details are really hazy for me now. I have a memory that wants to tell itself that says we went to a party on New Year¡¯s, but it¡¯s foggy at best. And no, I don''t recognize the other name.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    Do you see any sources of water in the current area you are in? Maybe something one could drown in?


    Zane ¡ª


    Water...hm, well, there is a whole shitton of it in the pond here, but that¡¯s a pretty concerning way to phrase that...


    Zed ¡ª


    mans never heard of ben drowned lmao


    Zane ¡ª


    I...think I remember something about that. Scary story or something like that? I don''t know, I only heard of it in passing.


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Why are we asking about Ben Drowned again? Like I know why, but like...why


    Zane -


    Hm, I''m sure I''d be more interested in it if I was out of here. I can''t see how that relates to this place though...


    Shy ¡ª


    "I think we dated" lmfao part of the news report said that the suspect apparently dated the girl that died (wait, lemme listen to it again and verify this.)


    Zane ¡ª


    Uh, you know I''m here, right? What''s this about a suspect? oh, from that news report I couldn''t hear much...but I do think I remember hearing that...hold on. You don¡¯t think I did something like that?


    Zed ¡ª


    Jadusable inputs work Jas. That¡¯s why.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    Ben Drowned¡¯s a story about a haunted Majora''s Mask cartridge. By the way, are you a Majora''s Mask or OoT kind of guy? I mean, the guy''s in a sticky wicket already; might as well make some conversation. Well, commands from both games affect your world, if you have not noticed.


    Zane ¡ª


    I, uh, am down for anything that can help. But uh...that sounds...nice? I don¡¯t know. This sounds very strange...


    Zed ¡ª


    Hey Zane, would you be ok with hearing your situation? You''re stuck in a loop or some sort of game in a place possibly named the Cosmic Casino, we have to input things from Zelda 64 games and that''s how we help you, the best part? You''ll literally forget I explained this to you when you can''t progress and have everything reset, including your memories. Arkanus is someone who isn''t aligned with us and we can''t make out his intentions. So the honest question is, is there anything you may have done which makes you believe you deserve this?


    Zane ¡ª


    That is...okay, wait a second, let me absorb all this. So, that''s why there''s so many questions about Zelda? God I thought you were all just fucking with me. So you¡¯re the reason for those feelings I¡¯ve had...when I¡¯ve had to make those choices? Because you guys control what I...well, now that I think of it, I did feel a sort of out of body experience escaping that TV room just now. That was you guys...I had a feeling it was, but hearing it is something else.


    What could I have done? I don''t...I don''t belong here. I was...trying to find her killer and then I...woke up here. This Arkanus fuck must be the one behind it. And he must have found out I was trying to find out who he is. This shit...this is all his fault.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    Ah, he can remember these vague things but somehow forgets to breathe. Psh, what a novice mistake. Oh yes, I forgot this was an open mic. Never you mind, Mr. Zane


    Zane-


    What do you mean? I plenty mind...and what¡¯s this about forgetting to breathe¡­? Wait, you mentioned drowning before. I¡¯ve been through here, haven¡¯t I? And...I¡¯ve drowned in that room, haven¡¯t I?


    Doctor C ¡ª


    He says he recalls nothing about this Arkanus but what does he know about the Casino?


    Jasmina ¡ª


    There could be something about Arkanus where he is.


    Zane ¡ª


    I wish I knew more about him. The name I''ve never heard of before this, but it has to be the same as the person who killed Emily. Otherwise how else would he have gotten her body here? It¡¯s as if he wants to taunt me. She was gunned down outside of her school...er...no, it was heading to her school. She was caught up in the crossfire...no wait. She was...yes, she was shot.


    Two unrelated people were shooting at each other, and she was shot. I...I''m seeing two things in my memory. I can''t explain them. I remember her as being shot. But I remember hearing news reports that she was stabbed. There¡¯s something behind my memory that wants to say she drowned as well. I...can''t explain the contradiction. My head is pounding as it is, I''m sorry.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    The "Cosmic Casino" or what have you.


    Jasmina ¡ª


    But yeah, Cosmic Casino''s the next question.


    Zane ¡ª


    I...what¡¯s this you keep talking about a casino? I¡¯ve heard you call this place that¡ªCosmic Casino. But if I¡¯m being honest this place doesn¡¯t really strike me as a casino.


    Doctor C ¡ª


    Are you sure that you are not the one that killed Emily? I would rather not be taken for a fool here, you know.


    Zed ¡ª


    T I M E L I N E S


    Jinn ¡ª


    The note we translated did say she was stabbed.


    Tiki ¡ª


    I got it hello i''m late. Sorry everyone.


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Could you be remembering two different but very similar people?


    Doctor C ¡ª


    WEW lad


    Jasmina ¡ª


    Oh.


    Jinn ¡ª


    Show him the notes. All of them


    Zed ¡ª


    >called timelines immediately before note. BASED. thank you Tiki!!


    Tiki ¡ª


    no problem I like doing them lol


    Doctor C ¡ª


    Well Zane, if your head was already pounding, then wait until you get a load of this, buddy


    Zane ¡ª


    Of course I didn¡¯t...I couldn¡¯t have killed her. I was trying to find out who was. I was...I spent so much time. That is...what? Other timelines? I...that all can''t be real, right...? This is a lot to bear in mind.


    Tiki ¡ª


    Sorry buddy


    Doctor C ¡ª


    I am afraid that there is some crazy timeline fuckery going on here And maybe there''s a timeline where you are capable of remembering to breathe. Here''s hoping!


    Zane -


    I...can''t believe that. I...HRRRKR MY HEAD. STOP. POUNDING.


    ~...~


    The memories flashing across my eyes drowns everything else out. The voices all blur around and I¡¯m staring at the garden. And suddenly in another second I¡¯m on the empty city street. The school. The house. The garden. The street. The television room. The garden. The bunker. Her body. The garden. The astrology tower. The garden.


    I''m surrounded by silence. Memories flood my brain and I¡¯m remembering and forgetting everything as if it were running like an open flow of water through a current in my brain.


    I''m sweating and everything around me is dead silent. I keep my eyes closed for fear of what I''ll see. But I know I''m going to have to open them eventually. Nothing around me will move until I take the first step. And all of my fears coalesce into the hunger that I finally notice in the center of my gut. It isn¡¯t for food¡ªit¡¯s a unique sort of hunger that I cannot put a name to. It sits inside like a sour feeling that brings the word rot to mind.


    I slowly open my eyes. I''m no longer in the garden. The air is much colder and the atmosphere is very restrained. My shoulders tense as I readjust to my new environment. Large towers surround me in ordered rows extending far past my vision. As the world around me reconnects my vision begins to adjust to the light. I see the towers around me aren¡¯t actually towers, but instead bookcases.


    I''m in a library.


    I''m staring at a bookshelf that is stacked higher than I can envision¡ªit goes on for miles high above me¡ªfarther than I can envision even if I squint my eyes. The lighting is dim¡ªmaroon candlelight hangs on the atmosphere as sets are strewn about in holders around the perimeter of the walls I can see from my vantage point. In front of me I see that three books are slid out partways of their shelves.


    I take a look at their spines.


    [THE PATHFINDERS]


    [THE ARKANUS]


    [THE OUTSIDERS]


    This Arkanus...that''s what you guys were talking about right? Looks like this might have some answers for the both of us. I grab the book and slide it out, but before I take it off I notice that the other two books begin to retract as I do. Oh...only one, huh? I...hm. Lemme try to grab two at once. Hngggggggggg... Nope. They''re all connected somehow. I can''t take more than one off. I have a feeling you guys need to make this choice.


    ¡°The Arkanus,¡± says Doctor C.


    I follow the voice deep inside and yank the book off the shelf and the others recede past where I can reach them. Inside, I find the following passage inscribed.


    THE ARKANUS


    Arcanus, from secret, intimate, private.


    Ark, from refuge.


    I exist at the center of these points. I¡¯ve taken this refuge and made it into a prison. I¡¯ve taken these secrets and have brought them to the light. What does an opportunist say when he¡¯s come across the perfect situation where he can get everything he wants? He says let¡¯s do this. How often do you get to capture a monster and enact the perfect revenge plan? It¡¯s a once in a lifetime opportunity.


    So Zane, how confident are you in your innocence? How thrilled are you to escape your prison and return to normalcy, or what you believe to be normal? Your time here is almost at an end. Your most important choice is coming soon...unless...you haven¡¯t given this punishment your fullest attention? I wonder. I guess we¡¯ll never really know in the end. I await our final confrontation.


    Just...what is....this? There''s nothing else in here.


    A loud sound from the other end of the library sounds. A door has opened somewhere just out of view. With my thoughts swirling in my head I set the book down and cross the paths of bookcases. The doors at the end of the aisle are grand, at least twice my height and made of a grand kind of wood. If there''s anything about that passage that''s true, it''s that this feels like the end.


    I pass through the doors and am met with a large hallway with golden carpeting stretched across the floor to the double doors on the other side. I push to the end and place my hands on both of the doors and push on them, hard. They start to move, and I''m filled with immediate awe as the glowing starts of the cosmos greet me as I do.


    A glowing path of stars extends out from the floor and winds over to a large building a few hundred feet away. In the distance I can see the flood of neon shining luminescent across the dark backdrop of the infinite cosmos. A voice pricks at the back of my mind, telling me this is the Cosmic Casino. Just...what purpose does a place like this have doing here?


    I take a tentative step out onto the starlight path, but when my feet find solid ground I put my full weight down. There''s...an unsettling feeling in the depths of my chest. I can''t place if it''s fear or excitement, or something...new.


    I take a few steps out of the doorway, letting the heavy doors close behind me. To my right is...something strange. It''s almost like a black hole. I cannot reach it but have to admit that its gaze is almost like that of an eye, staring directly into my soul. I feel a sort of...calling toward it.


    I cannot put it into words. After standing for a few seconds, staring at it, I have no choice but to continue toward the casino. I walk for an unknown period of time. It feels like I''m not making any progress at all, but slowly, I can see the front hall of the casino coming into view. I feel the allure of the building taking its hold.


    Finally making it to the front steps I swallow hard, the anticipation in my gut is at an all-time high. Something...is definitely off now. It''s like...a feeling of dread trying its hardest to mask itself as something pleasant. I feel that little reaper close by, watching my every move.


    ~...~


    As Zane enters the pits of the Casino, he''s greeted by loud music and the hum of a collective community all enthralled by the casino''s innards. The sound is enough to blare out all of his inner thoughts. He''s only able to focus on what is directly in front of him. Nervous, he takes his time and works his way into the belly of the beast.


    Hundreds, if not thousands of people are gathered at what seems to be like any normal casino. Faces and bodies blur around him as if they could be substituted for any old person within the casino. Games and slots of all kinds litter the floor with gold and other shined jewels stocked up at every available viewpoint.


    Zane tries to speak up and gather the attention of any of the other people¡ªall who seem to be dressed in their absolute finest. He cannot break their focus. It is as if he is invisible.


    Motivated, he continues, stopping by different slots, even going so far to grab the shoulder of one of the patrons, but unfortunately, the most he is able to get is a momentary glance before returning to whatever it was they were doing before.


    Dejected, he tries to find anywhere to sit down. He finds an empty seat at the bar and grabs the stool up and plants himself down. He rests his head in his hands and can just barely hear himself think.


    ~...~


    Jesus Christ...this place is so loud. Just what kind of place is this anyway? Suddenly...in front of me are two books. I wipe my eyes, not fully believing what I was seeing.


    [THE PATHFINDERS]


    [THE OUTSIDERS]


    It''s...the ones from before! But...what?


    I look up at the bartender, who gives me a wink, and then returns to his duties of ignoring me like everyone else. Without a second to spare¡­


    THE PATHFINDERS


    Emily Majors lived a life that anybody could envy. She¡¯s also lived a life nobody would ever want. She¡¯s lived dozens of lives, eras that passed under her watch. She need only close her eyes and focus on the cosmic sea and her mind would journey like a wanderer on the precipice of a million possible adventures. Golden stars lead paths toward new selves. She¡¯s open her eyes and one of her other personas would resume life as if it had not stopped from where she had left off. This wasn¡¯t some ability to stop time¡ªin fact it was the opposite. Emily¡ªand other Pathfinders like her could simply process them all at a single time. Her focus would divert to different timelines and she could process every microcosm of what she experienced that whenever she returned her focus to another life it would be but more to learn and gather.


    Pathfinders tend to die in many of the lives they live. These abilities they have do not make them invulnerable as the people they experience, even if they have other opportunities to live in. However, there is a great danger that lies for the Pathfinder who meets with a Chronomaly. Those beasts hunger for the time that was stolen. They follow the trails that all Pathfinders leave like cosmic footprints across the stars.


    The fate of a Pathfinder whose run out of time experiences a fate far worse than death. In death, we persist as humans. In death, our love remains. For a Pathfinder, the only fate that remains is emptiness. A nothing from the devoured and reclaimed time. So to the point that the memories are devoured.


    They are erased.


    THE OUTSIDERS


    The Cosmic Casino originated at the beginning of the Collapse as the ultimate escape from responsibility. Nehemoth and Scantar went dark during their arrival as an ultimate refusal of their role as Children of the Night.


    The construct exists in the Right¡ªthe second sight that the Children of the Night can see at will¡ªsuperimposed over a college campus that was the unfortunate site of a murder. The negative energy that surrounds this event and those it touched fuels the construct which continues to absorb passerbys that lead to increased missing persons cases in the region. Those captured by the construct find themselves losing themselves in the Casino the longer they spend.


    As their memories are gambled away they are given the option to enter the Cosmic Wasteland¡ªa gathering of lands stitched from their memories to locate their truth. If they are determined enough to reclaim themselves then they will be allowed to leave.


    Emily...was a pathfinder. I think...in those eyes I saw once...I saw infinity in my reflection. She was different. She...died, but moreso...she¡ª


    "Excuse me sir, but I think you have a choice to make, no?"


    I look up to find the bartender staring at me, expectantly. ¡°I don''t...understand...¡±


    "This place, is not working as it should. Can''t you tell? It''s been overrun. Poisoned. My overseers have been locked out of their own creation. I can hear them slightly, but I am powerless to do anything. I am merely staff. I have no actual power."


    ¡°What...do you want me to do about it?¡± I ask.


    "Well...I can''t tell you what. I''m...forbidden. But hypothetically, you were given the choice to restore power to the rightful owners or destroy the casino in its entirety...hypothetically of course, things would turn out very differently," the bartender nods toward me.


    ¡°Those are my two options?¡±


    "I would never tell you that."


    "But hypothetically, if such a situation were to arise..."


    I think about it. The Cosmic Casino''s purpose is to be an escape for people...actively seeping away their dark feelings. Running on suffering. That in of itself would be cause for destruction, but at the same time what would happen when that happens? Would that cause a chain reaction from the two who originally created this place? What would happen to Arkanus? I...I cannot make this choice alone. I need your help. I need...some guidance.


    ¡°Restore ownership to the Cosmic Casino,¡± says Laches.


    ¡°I''m going to restore ownership,¡± I tell the bartender, immediately sure of my decision then and there.


    "Well, then. In that case, you''ll need to detach the lower domain."


    ¡°Detach? Lower domain?¡±


    He smiles a look that begs to be questioned further, but the bartender simply gestures his hand out and suddenly a small screen and a controller sits in front of Me. "You''ll simply control the Casino''s weapons system to destroy the offending gateway to the lower domain. Once destroyed, the lock that is holding the owners should be released. And I''m sure they''ll be very grateful that you helped them out."


    I look down at the controller, it fits in my hands easily. and on the screen I see...¡°What...is this?¡±


    "Weapons system 009. Code name, Delta¡ªTechnological Dragon of Storms."


    As I press the button on the controller, a rumbling shakes the casino. From behind me, the ground begins to open. I can see the view of the casino on the small screen, and there¡¯s even see the tiny black speck that would be me!


    "Weapons system 009 was captured from the outside, it originated from before the Casino, but its power is mighty, so the owners kept it around under a tight leash. Thankfully, they were able to modify its controls to bend to their whim but seeing as you currently need it...I''m sure they''d understand."


    The dragon rises from a platform below the ground. It¡¯s silver armor plating covered its body that shimmered brightly against the blazing lights. It has a fierce gaze that echoes pure energy into the atmosphere. Somewhere deep below¡ªa haunting echo resonates with the first, but it is faint.


    ¡°Uh, okay, so I take control now? I just¡­¡±


    The dragon takes flight, clumsily slamming into the wall, knocking various jewels off the side.


    Shit....okay. so, even out. This...is weird but I think I''m getting the hang of it. Lemme try getting out of this place to test out my movement.


    The dragon slams through a wall of the casino, busting a hole through and flying outside into the Cosmic Starfield. I can see the dragon from a third person perspective on the small television screen.


    ¡°Uh, let''s see...gateway...gateway¡­¡± I navigate the dragon toward the area near the black hole. ¡°This seemed like the sort. Lemme just...try this!¡±


    I press a few buttons and find the one that triggers the dragon''s amber-colored flames. They spew into the void, sucked up like a vacuum. Seconds pass, and I¡¯m about to once again, but suddenly the flames are returned, spewing out of the hole like a dark reflection.


    Suddenly from below, there is a roar. I angle the view below to find another figure floating¡ªspeeding toward my dragon.


    "Ah, it seems you have awoken Valent, Weapons System 007. The Bolt Dragon," the bartender says.


    ¡°The WHAT?¡±


    "Yes, you see, the Weapons Systems are quite tenacious creatures. They tend to...congregate when others are active. Especially if they''re so...close."


    ¡°Close? Are there any others that are close that I have to worry about?¡±


    "Well...you don''t have to worry about it...but anyway, this is to be expected. One of the owners did have a bond with this one, so he''s kept it around for reasons of his own."


    So...he''s not going to go for me if I''m trying to help him out, right?


    The bartender gives a nervous look. "I''m afraid it only sees you as another weapons system right now. I am sure it will do everything it can to kill you and claim your light. And by you, I mean Weapons System 009."


    ¡°Well...worst case scenario we just use 007 to burn the gateway, right?¡±


    "And...how do you plan on using it?"


    ¡°I¡­¡± hm, it was as clear as ever. And so my goal was set. I couldn''t let 009 be taken down.


    I grip back to the controller and back the dragon off of the black hole. The Bolt Dragon soars close and narrowly misses a full-frontal slam. Maybe...it''s in another room. Maybe I''m missing something else. I fly Delta away from Valent¡ªthe Bolt Dragon is in hot pursuit.


    They fly over the landmass that contains the library, over the punishment room, past the classroom, when suddenly a sort of destined force seems to take control. Suddenly, I know where I need to go.


    I fly past the coliseum and over the clockwork room, finding the domed terrace of the Botanical Garden. The dragon slams through the glass and bursts through. As if by command, a force in the center of the room begins to expel from the seed lying in the pot. Waves of energy exude in torrents. Delta is slowed by the waves, but slowly it pushes through.


    Only to be held back by a terrifying Valent, almost twice the technological dragon''s size and whose scales glowed a glazed golden. Its teeth pierce the mechanical dragon''s tail and drag it backward, but find its strength is sapped similarly by the seed''s actions. The golden dragon''s eyes flicker to the seed for but a moment and notice its interference. Valent roars and lets go of Delta, beating its wings to blow the waves back toward the seed. It closes in on the seed as its beating continues faster and faster


    Golden flames erupt from its mouth and spill over the seed where a terrible crying like an infant''s pierces the sky, shattering the glass around the dome. Valent is deafened, and slows his wing beats enough for the waves to consume him. His body is sent tumbling to the ground, infesting and shaping his body upward, breaking every bone in his body to shift him into the stance of a flower, similar to the multicolored ones surrounding the seed.


    An echoed scream from somewhere in the Cosmic Wasteland rings out and all that remains are the bitter remains of the seed and Delta, recovering from being attacked by Valent.


    I send the mechanical dragon over toward the seed and continues to burn the seed¡ªDelta is protected from the shrill screaming, so it is able to continue the wing beats until the seed is no more. The TV screen next to me dims and finally goes dark, and I set the controller down.


    "You have done it," the bartender says, nodding amicably. His smile seems so...understated, it was unsettling.


    ¡°Where...are the owners?¡±


    "They should now be free from their shackles. They should arrive here any second, but they do have some traveling to do. Although...I think with Valent dead..."


    ¡°Traveling?¡±


    "Maison," A feminine voice calls from the other side of the Casino. Suddenly, I hear a projected voice over the dulled hum of the conversation. I turn to see a figure walking in toward us. It''s...a gigantic knight in golden armor.


    ¡°JESUS what is that?!¡±


    "That is my master, and part owner of this establishment," the bartender¡ªMaison¡ªsays.


    "Hello Madame, I see you are finally free from your containment."


    "Scantar is...not with us, any longer," she says, as if slightly irritated.


    "I went to check, but my range of mobility in this thing isn''t great. I just need to reconnect with the admin console and then we''re gonna be right as rain."


    "Madame, this is the fine fellow who detached the lower domain." The bartender gestures in Zane''s direction.


    The knight regards me for but a moment. "Yeah, nice, whatever. Now, do you have the admin console on you perchance?"


    ¡°Uh...you could say thanks...?¡±


    The knight turns to me once more. "Yeah, thanks, whatever." then back to Maison.


    "It is where it always is, madame."


    "Scanty always handled that biz. I just...you know," she waves her hand around in a circle. "Manage."


    ¡°You said he was gone?¡±


    The knight looks in my direction with palpable effort. "You''re still here? What are you expecting, a medal?"


    ¡°I...well, no. I was merely wondering if I could...leave? Seems like you''re going to have this all under control here in a minute or so...don''t really need me...here anymore, right?¡±


    "Oh, right. Yeah, no you''re free to leave anytime. Go do whatever," she shoos me away. "Maison, where does Scanty go to interact with the console?"


    ¡°Y¡¯see...I don''t really know...where...to leave here from. Seems like this is the end of the path.¡±


    The knight groans for a solid ten seconds straight, a sound that which is amplified from within the armor. "Why do I get all the basket cases¡­.You go outside and enter the hole out there. If you''re done you go to the Chronomaly Den, and if you want to go back through, you go to the wasteland, just like everybody else."


    ¡°W...Wait...no, I want to leave.¡±


    "Oh, you mean the casino as a whole?" She bursts into a great laugh, which too is echoed from within. "No, that''s not how this place works. You play until your satisfied, then you leave! Not in that yucky old way. You find some peace in your memories, or you cleanse yourself of them forever. There''s really no other option."


    ¡°Why not?! I just saved you!¡±


    "Because I don''t know how silly! You''ve been eavesdropping so you know I never handle that kinda stuff! So, you''re just gonna have to like...just chill and go back through."


    ¡°Can''t you like...learn? Once you find the console can''t you learn and send me out of here?¡±


    "Hmm¡­" She let this hang in the air for a few seconds, each one sending my anxiety through the roof.


    "Nah. Sounds boring. I just want to make sure this doesn''t happen again then I''m going to go start fixing the wall here, maybe make this place a club instead. I dunno."


    ¡°What?! That''s totally bullshit!¡±


    "Guess so, sucks to suck. But hey, you can come back for the club next time you''re around. Promise it won''t be closed off to you."


    ¡°No! Fuck off! I want out of here!¡±


    "Hm, fine. Club is closed off to you."


    ¡°I don''t give a shit!¡±


    "All right, well, I''ve had my fill. The choice is yours now. I''m sending you outside to the wasteland. You clearly have some unresolved shit you need to work out. oh, and if you pass by the clockwork room, can you please clean up the corpse there? I was going to do it but...well, too messy. You get my drift," Nehemoth said, and with a wave of the hand she vanished before me.

 7 | Freedom [A]t a Cost

    1998 - Before the Collapse


    Z???????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????


    There once was a girl named Emily Majors who never met a face that she couldn¡¯t turn right. It was an amazing superpower to turn a smile so often. Throughout her life she seemed just prime to make sure that everyone she had ever met felt better not only about themselves after just meeting, but also felt better about their lives. Just knowing her brightened one¡¯s day no matter what had happened previously.


    Emily died.


    At least, that was the story at one time. History is always fickle for people like Emily. People who have experienced great loss tend to say parables of the virtues of a person living on past their death¡ªthat even if the person themselves has died that their messages will carry on. Emily was a person who took things literally, and as is the chance¡ªhistory was quite literally fickle with Emily herself.


    A path was chosen by outsiders who simply sought to seek the truth. They guided the creature they knew as Zane toward a goal in search of the truth, and in doing so these outsiders have changed the very fabric of the world in more ways than one, but none so simply as for the survival of one Emily Majors.


    Emily is not like other girls¡ªmuch in the way that dragons are not like other reptiles. She was what one could call a Pathfinder. She needed only to close her eyes and focus on the space outside of spacetime known as the Cosmic Sea and her mind would journey like a wanderer on the precipice of a million possible adventures.


    She would find herself amongst the billions of possible shades that inhabited the infinite vastness of existence. Back in the age before The Collapse¡ªreality existed as several billion independent universes that stretched out as far as imagination could expand.


    Golden stars lead paths toward new selves. She would open her eyes and one of her other personas would resume that life as if it had not stopped from where she had left it off. This wasn¡¯t some ability to stop time¡ªin fact, it was the opposite.


    Emily¡ªand other Pathfinders like her could simply process each individual life and history at a single time. Her focus would divert to a different timeline, and she could process every microcosm of what she experienced.


    Pathfinders are no strangers to death as they tended to die in as many of the timelines that they lived. These abilities they have to not make them invulnerable to pain or erasure, even if they had other opportunities to live in. However, there was a great danger that superseded all for a Pathfinder...and that was the ever-long hunt of the Chronomalies.


    A Chronomaly was a type of distorted multi-fanged beasts that existed outside the realm of the Cosmic Sea inside a den of their own creation. They hunger as the arbiters of spacetime¡ªhunting down the trails of Pathfinders who so daily and casually steal from the universe to travel the cosmos. Traces that were stalked across worldlines of the infinitae¡ªthey follow the trails that all Pathfinders leave like cosmic footprints against the stars until they inevitably find their mark.


    The fate of a Pathfinder who has run out of time experiences a fate far worse than any human death. In death, those same parables mentioned before would hold true¡ªhumanity persists¡ªlove and the memory that is held in others continues on until the end of existence. For a Pathfinder, the only fate that remains is emptiness. A nothing from the devoured and reclaimed time. So much to the point that the memories themselves of their existences and their contributions to their countless lives are equally torn to shreds. They are erased from every timeline without beginning or end.


    Emily was in the middle of being erased¡ªshe had been confronted by a Chronomaly that had caught up with her travels and she was unable to escape. And things would have progressed as normal until the intervention of a mysterious interloper only known as Arkanus.


    A lingering voice rang all around the mysterious being that thought these very thoughts. They seemed to be memories...yes, that was it. They definitely were memories. Memories of a recent past where the choice was made by the outsiders.


    Arcanus, from secret, intimate, private. Ark, from refuge. He existed at the center of these intersecting points. Arkanus trapped the creature inside that prison¡ªthat existence out in the cosmic wastelands¡ªfar outside of time and space. It wasn¡¯t his establishment, but he usurped control and held him there.


    He started remembering more and more as the details came fluttering toward him like stray butterflies¡ªflapping their individual wing beats to score large hurricanes in his mind. Flutterings of chaos theory scattered around his mind until they evaporated upon more careful consideration.


    Suddenly he blinked and he was outside of the casino that rested at the edge of this malediction. The casino rang as a hollow temple of all of humanity¡¯s blunders and darkest and slimiest concoctions.


    There was a dragon here that not long ago sought to burn¡ªburn the darkest depths of the corruption of this prison, for there was but a seed lying in its heart like a poisoned heart that came an almost undoing.


    He watched the casino fade from all around him as the void started to break¡ªthe burning darkness down below broke down the facade. He felt the echoes of the reapers like him out in their den¡ªstarving for lost time. Starving without thought¡ªwithout will. He was different from them in that sense¡ªand that was all because of the path he was on. The path he chose and the path those outsiders chose for him lead him to his own will¡ªhis own existence, thoughts, memories, and now desires.


    A strong force urged him to return to the casino¡ªto the prison to erase the slate clean and continue his supposed penance, and sure, if he desired so he could even reconstruct the burning artifice of Arkanus and return everything to how he wanted it.


    But he did not.


    He ripped away from the false existence this pocket provided and found himself on the streets of a damp city on the eve of the New Year.


    It was close to the new millennium, but not quite there. His sights immediately set on a group of teenagers on the other side of the street. They¡¯re walking away from Times Square¡ªthe ball had just dropped not moments before. They were yearning to beat the crowd that had gathered among the momentous occasion.


    Throughout the excitement¡ªthe liquor, the buzz, the lights, the fervor, he saw Emily Majors hanging in back of the group. She had a bottle of her own in hand and was jogging in a rhythm of her own design. It was not hard to assume that the each of them had consumed copious amounts of alcohol at the ball drop and some time before in a crowd where they could get away with it.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A boy¡ªno older than nineteen wrapped his arms around Emily¡¯s side in order to pull her back as she pushed forward¡ªnearly tripping over herself.


    Zane Hannes and Emily Majors¡ªthe group¡¯s treasured couple and most voted to remain together post high school endeavors. It was ironic the kinds of stakes that humans placed on their futures¡ªas if they knew anything. Emily though, he could pick her out in an instant.


    She had a magical allure to her.


    They started to cross the street over to his side. Suddenly, a feeling he was unfamiliar with took over¡ªit was a foreign feeling he hadn¡¯t been used to. A fear crossed his mind and sudden realization took over. Before he could reason it out he felt a terrible sinking but familiar feeling in his gut. This feeling had returned from before he entered the casino. The dark pull of the reaper, the feeling of a shadow following him. That same feeling he felt pouring out from the Chronomaly Den.


    It hit him like a bullet, and no sooner did he shed the skin that he had been using¡ªthe skin he would replace in a few moments time. Under the mask he existed as the reaper, the Chronomaly hunting down his target. So long had he searched...and suddenly the pain he felt all throughout his ordeal inside the prison made sense.


    The longing feelings he endured in search for Emily were stolen from this boy here¡ªwhen he stopped on this scene initially. He remembered it now clear as day¡ªthis was not the first time he stopped to see this group of people sloshily stumbling their way through the night.


    And it was because he missed his target on that day, and because of that he knew he was going to miss today, too. He worked in cycles and suddenly he felt the inevitability of his actions creeping up behind him.


    If he had the ability to change things, their stories would be much different. But as the events played out, so shall they again. Girl steps ahead, boy notices the threat. Boy throws out his hand in front of girl. Girl realizes the true danger¡ªtries to escape into another life but is prevented as the boy breaks her focus. Makes his job easy. Ensures his victory. At least, he thought.


    Instead of erasing Emily Majors, he stole Zane Hannes. He has not stolen before. No Chronomaly had. It would not be thinkable as to what would happen. His goal was always to return to the Den. Return the time, but that changed ever since he stole Zane. He saw more, he felt more. His desires melded as Zane the identity melted away¡ªleaving him alone to take the body¡ªtake the mind.


    And now in the choice that Zane and He sat¡ªhe stared at Emily as she stood frozen in fear as their friends ran for their lives¡ªas if their lives had enough merit to warrant fear from him. He stood staring at her through Zane¡¯s eyes and suddenly, finally, they were his eyes.


    Because he had remembered this, and because he remembered this, he remembered where he was supposed to go next. He was supposed to chase Emily down...but that wasn¡¯t going to happen this time.


    He stood there, with full knowledge of his time in the prison¡ªthanks to the outsiders who helped break the cycle, and he decided he was going to continue the trend. He was going to break the cycle¡ªto disobey.


    She looked at horror at his face¡ªit was the face of the boy she liked in this life, but it wasn¡¯t wholly his face¡ªit was distorted, shaped wrong, as if it trailed off in shapes that almost seemed to reflect the stars if you stared too closely at it.


    She wouldn¡¯t have considered him conventionally attractive anymore¡ªhardly anybody would, and there was an almost excitement in the feeling that something so minute could matter to him now. Because it did, and in that moment of eternity between the two of them there as the rain started to pick up an air of silence hung for a thousand years¡¯ worth of conversation.


    Emily realized that he was no longer there to hunt her down, and so she made her escape, one of her leave-behinds replaced her so simply¡ªnobody here would notice the difference, but he did so simply. It was a subtle change that flashed as recognition between them.


    This Emily didn¡¯t know what he had been here for, and so for all intents and purposes she was no longer relevant to his interests. He turned away from the her of the now turn away from her and the her of the now called out the name he had stolen. He didn¡¯t answer, he only continued to run, leaving her in the dust. He was free now¡ªand he was going to use that freedom to his advantage for once.


    I simply start running. I am free, and I am going to use that freedom to my own advantage for once.


    In his mind he started feeling the rumblings of memories from the prison resurface¡ªthey became clearer and clearer as he continued running. He was going to keep all of them¡ªretain everything.


    ~...~


    2044


    Z???????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????


    California evolved after The Collapse. Zane had seen echoes of the changes he had previously existed in before his own personal loop. The machinations laid by creatures far beyond his own imagining¡ªCreatures of the Night that had hidden away from their own worldly purposes to lounge away in an existence removed from time so much to the point that its own time just loops on and on.


    Zane had felt sick that he was trapped in such an awful cycle¡ªbut even moreso to the fact that he had wanted to keep on going as he did. Before he ever stole Zane away he was such a simple being. Nothing but purpose to fuel his existence along¡ªto return to his den and exist as a primordial nothing until his call was made¡ªuntil a new Pathfinder was found. It was disgusting¡ªdeplorable behavior that he¡ª


    He strangled himself close as a powerful urge came over¡ªlicking his lips as his arm reached over his chest and grabbed his shoulder blade tight¡ªdigging his nails into the skin. He bared his teeth and made a low rumbling from the pit of his stomach until the sensations slowed. The pulsing shapes that comprised his face pumped as the blood through his body beat in rhythm, and slowly they began to fade.


    He still felt his compulsions. They were aberrant detestable feelings that he needed to stay. If he needed to punish this flesh until he got in control then so be it. He started to breathe smoother as he looked out on his surroundings¡ªa vast settlement lie before him with energy pulsing through the ground by the thousands. He felt an immense hunger within him that desired to feast, but he stayed it back down.


    A tower of immense light had begun shooting into the sky¡ªand immediately he knew the energy that had he had been feeling¡ªa Pathfinder existed among the ranks of that settlement. He closed his eyes and he saw the face plainly in front of him.


    Here, in this new world¡ªthe body had stolen had aged a significant portion¡ªhe hadn¡¯t been a fan of how quickly the human body had decided to age, yet he still found that he could sufficiently hone his strengths and train to limits the original Zane could have only ever wished.


    Ever since the new world shifted over, he tried to search down those mythical creatures that exuded so much power to create prisons like the one he was trapped in, but if he should happen to come across the familiar scent of a Pathfinder along his track...well, bad habits always were hard to break. Who knows? Maybe someday he¡¯ll run back into Emily Majors¡ªthe same he ran into on that fateful day all those years ago and they could have a meeting just as grand¡ªjust as liberating¡ªjust as...delicious.


    He made his decision simply¡ªand made his move, diving into the night as the tendrils from the top of his head flew behind him in the wind. He would be able to hide in the dark of night easily. The excitement that bubbled up within him carried years¡¯ worth of feelings he was just waiting to explode. After all, he still had a mission to accomplish.

 8 | The Masks We Wear

    2044


    Ally Fae


    Ally woke with a start. Her eyes shot open, and her adrenaline spiked. Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The ground around her shook as the ringing in her ears immediately told her that something was terribly wrong. She got that far in her thoughts before the second explosion rang out. There was a silence in the world around her as everything seemed to inhale before it all rang out.


    Laven screamed behind her and the world around her shook as half the library caved in¡ªpages of burning books fluttered in the air and smoke started to bellow from the ensuing fires.. A cracking sound from above drew her attention. She saw a support beam bending down with one more crack as it began shooting down. Her eyes tracked the path and saw it was hurtling toward her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she moved without thinking.


    Like a snake she leapt up to her feet and jumped up¡ªnot thinking of anything else but seeing Jace erupt from her like a spirit. And like an extension of her very body he leapt forward, carrying a firm metal lance in hand as he thrusted it upward. The tip of the spear bent the bar in two until it snapped, both pieces falling off to the sides.


    Ally¡¯s eyes darted and saw that the rightmost piece was headed toward where LUCAS was lying. His eyes were closed¡ªit looked like he had been knocked back from the first explosion.


    ¡°Jace, the right one!¡± Ally thought, and he darted right¡ªpropelling off of the air as if there were a wall he was kicking off.


    ¡°On it!¡± He called back and grunted as he whipped the lance out like a whip. He held the end of it in a fierce grip as the end extended out¡ªits shined metal glistening against the new light spilling in from the outside Its tip curled around of the beam and he yanked back on it enough that it pulled toward him¡ªcoming into contact and he vanished like a spread of vapor.


    Ally was breathing heavily as she ran over toward Laven. Jace sprouted from her again and she cocked her head over toward LUCAS. ¡°Help him out, I got her.¡± He nodded and he moved toward him.


    ¡°Hey, come on now, you gotta get up,¡± Ally said. She was holding Laven up to a sitting up position, her hair dropped down just barely touching the ground under them. From here it looked like she was resting, but Ally needed her up and she needed her so now. ¡°Come on, wake up, we need to move...¡± Her eyelids started to flutter and then she started to come to.


    ¡°H...huh¡­?¡± She sputtered as her pupils dilated and started to focus.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re good. You¡¯re good,¡± Ally said, her tone was hurried, and she helped her stand to her feet. ¡°There were explosions...I just woke up from the shaking and the sound.¡± Ally saw markings like filigree across her skin, fading and slightly pulsing with light. She looked behind her to Jace and LUCAS. He seemed to have woken up and was walking over toward the both of them, Jace faded as they approached.


    ¡°Quite the spectacle you have there,¡± LUCAS said, and then he turned to regard Jace, but he looked surprised when he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Oh...and he¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°He comes and he goes,¡± Ally said, finally helping Laven stand to her full height. ¡°Helps me conserve energy when he can tuck back in. You okay, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m fine. How about you? The both of you?¡±


    ¡°She just needs a second,¡± Ally said. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I managed to avoid the debris. Jace helped stop it when it was coming down.¡±


    ¡°Quite the marvel,¡± LUCAS said, staring up at the ceiling where the beam had broken off.


    ¡°Do you know...who¡¯s out there?¡± Laven brought a hand up to her head and wincing. ¡°I¡¯m good, just a headache.¡±


    ¡°Lemme see,¡± LUCAS looked toward the gaping hole to the outside and stood still, his eyes focused and looked like camera lenses adjusting to different apertures. ¡°Shit¡­¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Luke, what is it?¡± Laven asked.


    He looked to her, and they shared a glance, and Laven¡¯s face mirrored his. ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s...who is it?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Quick, we need to get out of here if we can.¡± LUCAS began. ¡°We have a...certain problem we were hoping to avoid.¡±


    ¡°I have some old colleagues who seem to be less than pleased with us,¡± Laven said. ¡°We have reason to believe there was a traitor in our group. A mission we were on went haywire. But it¡¯s possible our trying to leave the situation convinced them the same was true with us.¡±


    Suddenly steps pounded on the floor below and a voice called out. ¡°Hey! You two. No sudden movements!¡± It sounded like it came from a gruff male. ¡°Bambo, eyes.¡± Ally saw the figure erupt from the doorway.


    ¡°Roshe,¡± LUCAS said, turning to Laven.


    Ally looked in his direction at the mention but stared at the man who looked like he¡¯d come off a vicious hunt. He wore a look of tactical precision and carried a machete in his hand. ¡°Jesus, what the hell are you doing here?¡± His posture softened the slightest and he lowered his arm. ¡°Bambo, recall. Wrong duo.¡± His hand dropped and he looked off to the side and exhaled sharply.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± Ally asked.


    The man¡ªRoshe¡ªturned toward them, a questioning look on his face. ¡°Thought you were dead at the Kosunaga mission. Things went to shit when it fell. Blaise and Gavin went AWOL. Bambo and me were the only ones left and the caravan...well, that got shot up to shit.¡±


    Laven seemed to soften as she stared at him. ¡°You¡¯re not chasing us as fugitives?¡±


    Another look of confusion passed on his face, but then he shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere not here, sound good?¡±


    Ally turned to Laven, and she nodded her head. LUCAS still looked wary, but he looked to her and seemed to relax the smallest bit when he saw her look too. Roshe helped each of them out of the burning building. Thankfully the stairs toward the bottom were just near the exit on the ground level. They reconvened in a general store down the path of the main plaza outside of the glaring sun¡¯s heat.


    ¡°I have to say I¡¯m plenty surprised you made it out of there alive. I was impressed at the spectacle of the whole ordeal,¡± Roshe said. ¡°Wished I could have been a part of the cause if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    ¡°Well let me tell you it was not as fun on the inside as it was on the outside,¡± Laven said. ¡°So what happened back on base?¡±


    Ally could tell she was fishing for information. She had questions of her own¡ªand no shortage of them, but she felt it best she stay in the back and let things play out for now. The best thing she can do is rest and prepare for the situation should it go south.


    ¡°It really was as much of a meltdown on the outside. As soon as word hit that the building went down we were attacked by dragon.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, right?¡±


    Roshe minded LUCAS with the same attitude he had previously¡ªlike he were some child that had no business meddling in adult business. He sighed and crossed his arms. ¡°I was this close to getting it, too. Crimson scales and tail as long as the caravan itself.¡± He grit his teeth. ¡°The second I connected I knew I could have torn it apart. But it started to burn the place to the ground. People started scattering. Bambo took shelter, and when it was done with its business Blaise was nowhere to be seen. Caravan itself is rubble now¡ªwe tried to fix what we could, save what we couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You said Gavin was nowhere to be found either, you mean you didn¡¯t meet up with him when he traveled back?¡± Laven asked.


    Another confused look.


    ¡°He brought us back on bike. We stopped about an hour out¡ªtruth is, we believe someone sold us out inside. The Kosunaga brother in there knew we were coming¡ªour location info was sabotaged.¡±


    ¡°What? What kind of spineless¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly...we didn¡¯t know who it could have been,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°You were among the list of suspects so we couldn¡¯t go back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t operate those machines,¡± Roshe spat. ¡°Bambo ain¡¯t our rat either, as far as I can tell I have been on the line with him since the mission started. I would have heard if he was feeding information.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but we have to consider everyone not presently accounted for as such for a reason,¡± Roshe said. ¡°Though I do admit to be taking a little offense to be suspected so easily from you,¡± Roshe eyed Laven.


    She matched his look, ¡°Can never tell in this day and age. Rather would be wrong than dead.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not too much offense. That kind of thing rolls off easier nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Where is this...Bambo you spoke of?¡± Ally broke her silence. Roshe looked at her and it took everything in her to not turn away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this, now? Taking up a spot of babysitting?¡± Roshe asked.


    ¡°You can ask me directly,¡± Ally said. ¡°My name¡¯s Ally.


    ¡°She¡¯s from the past, if you can believe it,¡± Laven said. ¡°And she¡¯s got some tricks up her sleeve that you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    He looked her over for a moment and then huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. I¡¯ve learned underestimating kids is not a skill I adapt to well.¡± He looked to her with a humorous gaze, ¡°Bambo is at a currently secure location. I¡¯d tell you where, but he doesn¡¯t provide me with that information. I typically don¡¯t need to know so long as he scouts, but he¡¯s perfectly fine and able to come out and join the conversation whenever he pleases.¡± He wasn¡¯t speaking to her, but instead the question was posed to another¡ªnot in the room with them.


    A nervous sound erupted from the back of the store¡ªlike the clanging of silverware as it dropped from counter-top to floor.


    ¡°Aw, damn,¡± came Bambo¡¯s voice from the back. A lanky man whose head seemed too tall to be as thin as it was. His eyes darted around the room to assess the people in front of him and they laid on Ally for longer than she cared for. ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡±


    ¡°Heard your breathing back there.¡± Roshe said, leaning back against the counter top.


    ¡°Uh, Rodney Bambon, pleasure to meet you, ma¡¯am,¡± he said to Ally and then found a spot in the circle, then turned to LUCAS and Laven. ¡°We uh, thought you two died. Glad to see you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...you too Bam,¡± Laven said, cocking her head. ¡°How¡¯d you find us here, though?¡±


    ¡°Followed signs of heat. After the dragon wiped out the caravan we thought we were on Blaise¡¯s trail. Figured he was the one who summoned it. I¡¯ve always been vocal about not liking him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know,¡± Roshe said, very irritated at a clearly well-worn point. ¡°We thought we were hot on his trail, ended up here and turns out we found you instead. So, he¡¯s somewhere out there and we¡¯re back to square one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess in that instance we could surely use the help in our efforts,¡± LUCAS said.


    Ally could tell he was acting really strange about the whole situation, as if he wasn¡¯t fully on board with having them along, but she saw him relax in himself and his shoulders slumped as he readied to continue.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re free to go on your own way if you want, but we do have a mission we¡¯re working toward and are open for help.¡±


    ¡°Well, I would hope you¡¯re asking instead of just talking, boy,¡± Roshe said. ¡°Talking in riddles and circles is too tiring these days. If you have a job, then list it, and we¡¯ll determine if we¡¯re up for it.¡±


    LUCAS looked to Laven and then over to Ally. In that moment she seemed to guess that he was asking her on her opinion wordlessly¡ªand in that moment she thought on the two of them sitting in front of her.


    She had hardly a full opinion on the two strangers that first came to her aide, how was she meant to feel on these two new strangers who had only until moments ago been suspected as being their enemy? The answer was that she didn¡¯t know, but for the time being everything and everyone in this room seemed at some sort of inner peace. And was that not the goal she wished to find? It was true that she sought out the Creatures of the Night, but peace was always the treasure that lied at the end of the bridge.


    It seemed for now that both of these goals lied with the two of her accomplices here, and it seemed likely that the brains and brawn alongside them could be a start in attaining those goals.


    She nodded to LUCAS, her look was neutral, but her nod was firm. He looked back to her and bit his lip for but a moment, but then pressed on, turning back to Roshe.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the hunt for some objects of great power. They¡¯re the kind of objects that could ruin the world if used incorrectly, so before I tell you any more I am going to need your word that if we have you aboard that you don¡¯t misuse them¡ªas our purpose is to prevent them from coming to such a fate.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Objects of immense power?¡± Roshe asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid such a description is not unlike that of a fairy tale. Tell your story first then we¡¯ll talk bargaining.¡±


    And so, hesitantly, but pushing past his doubt, LUCAS did. He told Roshe and Bambo all about the fragments of the machine named ICARUS, and of the story of the Roulette Game for context of the powers that such objects could hold.


    Ally listened intently to the story of the cycle that LUCAS had witnessed and re-witnessed through the eyes of his father, Abel Gray. She felt a deep sorrow for the boy he was modeled after and felt that sort of sorrow resonate deep within her.


    When he had finished, Roshe and Bambo looked deep in their own thoughts for quite a time. ¡°We¡¯ll need to discuss this privately, I think,¡± Roshe said. ¡°There is much to discuss, and I figure the each need to come to some sort of consensus.¡±


    LUCAS nodded, ¡°We can meet back up in a few once we¡¯re finished and we can decide then.¡±


    Roshe nodded, and the both of them stood to leave the building, leaving Ally, Laven, and Lucas to their lonesome inside the shop.


    Ally sighed and turned toward the other two, ¡°I know I¡¯m out of my element here. I figure you two know more about them to be able to have a proper opinion on them. I¡¯ll defer to your judgment.¡±


    LUCAS shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much more experience than you, to be honest. But I don¡¯t think that your feelings on it shouldn¡¯t be considered.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll feel better then after hearing your thoughts. I¡¯m not a very proactive person unless I know as much information as I can, unfortunately.¡±


    Laven cocked her head, and she closed her eyes to think. ¡°With everything that¡¯s gone on, I¡¯m inclined to believe them, but I¡¯m also wary. There¡¯s so much that we seem to not know. Of everything, I do think Blaise and Gavin have the highest scrutiny from me right now, and I do not doubt our decision to separate paths.¡±


    ¡°I do wonder where Gavin could have gone¡ªit¡¯s possible that he saw the site itself and booked it himself. But Blaise as the traitor makes a sort of sense¡­¡± LUCAS said. ¡°They mentioned that dragon having crimson scales, didn¡¯t they? Then that¡¯s not the dragon we¡¯re hunting down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s...unsettling there¡¯s more than one out there,¡± Ally said. ¡°Those used to be creatures of myth and legend.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s related to the Creatures of the Night?¡± Laven asked. ¡°If that Sakonna took the shape of a dragon could they not all?¡±


    Ally thought on it, but then shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s one of the others exactly. I know Sakonna takes the shape of a dragon, but Issachar¡ªthe next in line took the shape of a golden wolf. And Ormus¡ªone of the oldest was like a large gecko. They seem to take the shape of a different creature.¡±


    LUCAS then thought on the matter and nodded, ¡°That sounds right. I can¡¯t see any information on them, but the memories I have of past experience ring similar. That topic aside, it will be best for us to avoid having conflict with that creature. At least until we can come to some sort of agreement in how to take it down.¡±


    ¡°Roshe seemed eager to try that as soon as he was able,¡± Ally said. ¡°How much of that is truth?¡±


    ¡°Roshe lived to conquer challenges. As long as I¡¯ve known him he always prided himself on becoming stronger. Part of that pride is what made it easy to distrust him during our last mission. In finding the fragment of ICARUS we feared he would seek out the power for himself.¡±


    ¡°And so we await him to tell us if that is something he would search for?¡±


    Laven shrugged. ¡°That I fear would be too easy to ask for. If he truly did desire it, it would be the smart thing for him not to say so. I guess our choice becomes if we¡¯re willing to take that risk. I know him to be a valiant warrior, and we would be better off with the extra manpower, but those same points I would use in urging us caution with lowering our guards so quickly.¡±


    ¡°It seems that in of itself is our answer, at least if we¡¯re all in agreement?¡± LUCAS asked, looking from Laven to Ally.


    ¡°We¡¯ve spoken about Roshe, but what of the other...Bambo was his name?¡± Ally asked.


    Laven shook her head and waved a hand. ¡°He¡¯s plenty good in a backseat role. He¡¯s not the person you trust in a fight to watch your back unless he has no skin in the game. He has a good heart and desire to see us safe, sure enough. But it¡¯s pretty easy to see that he¡¯s not got a sharp sense of social skills. For every reason to feel safe and confident of his tactical skills there is a regret in the interpersonal dynamics.¡± She turned to Ally, ¡°I saw how he was looking at you. I¡¯m afraid that he may be stuck on you.¡±


    Ally sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in anything of the sort. Especially now.¡±


    She nodded in return, ¡°I get it. He was stuck on me for a while. It is hard being the only girl that¡¯s working so close to what the guild used to be. It¡¯s a feeling I got out of the way quickly. I¡¯m sure he would still be stuck on me if he thought he realistically had a chance. That would be my advice, if this is the decision we make.¡±


    Ally nodded and felt that the advice rang true. She never really had experience with this sort of situation directly¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t foreign to the looks of men. That was an unfortunate constant in any world. Before, she would hide away¡ªwithin herself when confronted with unwanted attention.


    It wasn¡¯t until she had met Felix that she had started to appreciate the difference between attention that was wanted and attention that wasn¡¯t.


    But now that she sat here among the two here¡ªtwo she realized she did want to consider partners. Two that seemed to consider her an equal and of equal consideration for something so important. Here, unwanted attention only picked at that part of her brain that wanted to retreat. And she was at odds with herself as it was the last thing she wanted to do now.


    You simply have to be clear about how you feel. That is, if he truly is stuck on you. Quick, concise, and over.


    She nodded, ¡°I get you. I am okay if they join up. I think I can defend myself if need be.¡±


    ¡°Okay, and how about you Luke?¡± Laven turned from her to him.


    He had a look of consternation on his face¡ªlike he were running the positives and negatives in an algorithm in his head. He leaned back against the counter and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want the extra protection they can afford us. I just worry about how Roshe is going to react to the fragment.¡±


    ¡°That is a concern, I think¡ª¡±


    She trailed off as the door opened up and Bambo walked in alongside Roshe. Ally adjusted herself in her seat and she looked like the sunlight spilled into the room.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve come to a consensus,¡± Roshe said, stopping short and crossing his arms. Bambo walked in almost toppling over himself.


    ¡°And what is your determination?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Roshe began, inspecting the tips of his fingernails as if they held the key to his interest, ¡°With the knowledge of you having something of great import, I probably would have sought to make it an asset of my own. Bambo dissuaded me, however.¡±


    The group shifted to look at Bambo, who looked plenty nervous to have the focus on him. ¡°I...I have a device here that senses electromagnetic signals. I use it when I¡¯m r-running recon. I can use it to screen for any explosives or other dangers when I¡¯m casing an area. I did notice a strong¡ªvery strong signal coming from the room you guys were found in. ¡°


    ¡°Reason why I scoped out with the explosives on the building was because we had decided to disrupt those signals if possible,¡± Roshe said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Laven said. She clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.


    ¡°She knows ¡®em,¡± Roshe said. ¡°They¡¯re bombs first and foremost of course. But they have a core that...well, Bambo can explain em better than I can,¡± he waves toward him.


    ¡°They release a pulse of electromagnetic waves upon detonation after the explosive impact to short out any electronics in the vicinity. The plan was to dissuade whoever was inside from setting off the tools they had¡ªif we had sent off explosives toward them I tend to notice that people with bombs aren¡¯t so quick to set off their own charges if they¡¯re taken by surprise by charges of our own. That way we can control the blasts and the amount of structure that is damaged.¡±


    ¡°I recall the strategy well,¡± Laven said. ¡°Then when you have them...us in that case¡ªsurprised, you can sweep in and settle the situation on cleanup.¡±


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Roshe said. ¡°However, that is not what happened, as we all know.¡±


    ¡°The signal remained as strong as ever on my end after the charges went off. So, that said to me that the object¡ªwhatever it was¡ªwas not electrical in nature. And since we have not yet seen this mysterious item it is then easy to assume it is not a weapon,¡± Bambo said.


    ¡°Which means¡­¡± Roshe joined back in, ¡°that is probably not something I would pine over. So, I recognize that you would have reason to not trust me with that information if it were something you believe I couldn¡¯t be trusted with.¡±


    LUCAS in particular regarded this with a particular level of thought.


    ¡°So¡­¡± he took a deep breath, almost as if it pained him to consider the following, ¡°I am open to talking about what you have and seeing where you¡¯re going. I am a pretty easy person to read, I understand this, but I also know that I was most comfortable when we were all supporting the guild. It¡¯s a tough world out here and one man can hardly make a dent into it much less grow by himself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the most I¡¯ve heard you talk about yourself since I¡¯ve known you,¡± Laven said.


    He stared at her, ¡°Don¡¯t get used to it.¡±


    LUCAS nodded and brought an arm up to the pack on his back. ¡°Okay, well, we talked and agreed that it would be good to work in tandem. And if I¡¯m being honest, how you would react to the item was the biggest point of contention, because I do say this¡ªit is extremely powerful, but it has the potential to cause a lot of undue suffering.¡± He swiveled the pack around and unzipped the top zipper. He reached a hand inside the pack and didn¡¯t even need to look inside to grasp the small object held within.


    He pulled his hand out of the pack and Roshe and Bambo leaned forward to get a closer look at the black diamond-shaped stone inside the palm of his hand.


    It shone with a reflective glaze and LUCAS could feel the energy pooling out of it like any other. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.


    ¡°This is the thing that you were all so worked up about?¡± Roshe chuckled. ¡°Looks no bigger than a skip-rock.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fragment to a machine. And even more so it¡¯s a fragment to a fragment. This piece specifically has been split into three. Obviously we have the one here, but we were tracking down the other two before you met up with us. The machine it goes to is named ICARUS. It at one point housed the entirety of all human knowledge within its walls. It is important that beings known as the Creatures of the Night do not get their hands on the pieces of ICARUS as it is their desire to use the machine to remake the world¡ªdestroy everything that currently exists to return the earth to what it used to be¡ªbefore the collapse, before our time, before any of us were ever alive.¡±


    ¡°And this...fragment here. What good is it to us as it is now?¡±


    LUCAS looked upon it, and then looked back up to Roshe. ¡°For you, probably not much. I don¡¯t mean that just to convince you it¡¯s not work taking. But I genuinely do not believe it would benefit you in one way or the other outside of putting a very large target on your back for the Creatures of the Night. It holds immense power within, but unless you had some way to mine or use that energy, it sits here as but a simple stone.¡±


    ¡°But the Kosunaga pair managed to find a way?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°They did, yes. It was used as a fuel source to power their factory¡ªreplacing dozens and dozens of electrical generators. The amount of work that went on in that building because of this little thing here powering it all...it¡¯s astounding. The power it has inside is immense, as I said. The thing is, we don¡¯t really want to advertise that we have it. That would invite no short order of problems to come our way.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think I am sufficiently convinced I wouldn¡¯t need to fight you for this little power rock, but I¡¯m sure you have some ability to channel its power within yourself? I feel I should be in the know in case the situation comes up where should you turn on me I can know if I stand a reasonable chance.¡±


    It was a weird question, but one he hadn¡¯t really thought of. Ally looked at the pair of them as a quiet descended on the both of them¡ªand the rest watching by proxy.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried,¡± he said. ¡°I probably could, but I do not know what it would do and hope I do not have to find out unless it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    ¡°That is a fair answer, if not frustrating from my end, but I do understand. So, fair folk. We travel the country looking for these power cells of sorts and...then what? Would we not be making it easy for these night crawlers to come and ambush us once we have gathered them all in one place?¡±


    ¡°My goal is to exterminate them,¡± LUCAS said, cleanly.


    ¡°We each...have reasons for hunting them down,¡± Ally said. ¡°Namely, a dragon not unlike the one you saw burning down the caravan.¡±


    ¡°You saying that¡¯s one of those creatures you¡¯re hunting down?¡± His eyes seemed to glow with excitement.


    Ally shook her head, ¡°Not exactly. But I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were some crossover.¡±


    ¡°All right, well, seeing as our options right now are extremely limited, I don''t see why we shouldn¡¯t pair up. Eh, Bambo?¡±


    Again the focus shifted to Bambo, and he nodded shyly. He was sweating slightly but it was enough for him to wipe his forehead. ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that sounds good. Well, we were actually going to be moving onward toward the east. We¡¯ve quite a ways walk toward our next destination¡ªwe were headed to the mountainous west. The coast held the other two fragments of this here,¡± he waved the fragment in his hand. ¡°And...well, we can tell you that story along the way.¡±


    ¡°Walk?¡± Bambo asked, nervous. ¡°Oh...no, we won¡¯t have to walk. We secured some of the airbikes from the caravan.¡±


    LUCAS and Laven looked to one another. ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we won¡¯t need to walk all that way. Although, our fuel isn¡¯t unlimited,¡± Roshe said, eyeing the fragment. ¡°I figure...we might be seeing that object there put to use sooner than you might think.¡±


    LUCAS¡¯s gaze traveled from Roshe and then to the fragment and he thought for a moment. Was that truly a smart move to make?


    They would certainly light up any sort of energy tracker in the area¡ªand any sort of creature that could sense these waves like he could would smell them out from miles away...but then again, he didn¡¯t know if there were creatures out there even more sensitive than him who could merely do so even if they weren¡¯t using it. In that case¡­


    ¡°Sure,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°But sparingly so. We¡¯ll use it only as a last resort, we¡¯ll use the fuel first.¡±


    Roshe offered a smile and then stood to his feet. He stretched for but a moment and then nodded at the three of them. ¡°Well, I say we start out on the road, then. Sun is out in the open and it¡¯s red rays are going to start cooking the ground soon. I¡¯d like to be away from here when that happens.¡±


    And so they went. Ally hung to the back, but close enough to not be left behind. She noticed Bambo¡¯s gaze hold on her longer than everyone else¡¯s. She shuddered when she was sure nobody could see, but she looked up toward Laven and thought that she was right. Now wasn¡¯t a good time, but she assured herself that she would speak to Bambo when the tension of the current moment had faded.


    ¡°Good on you for speaking your mind,¡± Jace said in the back of hers. It was a reassuring thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± she thought back.


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re making quite a lot of new friends.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but I would like to surround myself with people. I am tired of being alone,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°I hear you. Take care, I¡¯m going to rest a bit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Jace, for everything.¡±


    ¡°Thank yourself.¡±

 9 | The Lance of Longinus

    2044


    Allison Fae


    Allison didn¡¯t remember hitting the ground. It happened so fast it was like a cable severed¡ªone second in and then the next out. When she fell off the ledge she screamed¡ªshe was sure of that. Her voice felt scraped by a thousand knives as her vocal cords shouted almost as loud as she ever had. That memory had threatened to surface and only by the luck of the gods did her passing out take precedence. She called out Jace¡¯s name¡ªin vain, unfortunately and she continued to fall. Down, like a fallen angel falling from the graces of heaven. Her wings ripped from her back and kicked to the depths of hell below. Not even Kronos would take her corpse in. Her mind went blank, and her screams died in silence as the darkness had claimed her.


    For but a moment she could have believed that she was dead and the place she existed now was an afterlife meant to suffer and drift without any sense of feeling or emotion. The memory of the fall felt like it happened an eon ago. The fact that brought her mind back to a sense of reality was the pain that she felt. The pain rang so deep within her it flowed freely with no regard to where it bounced off. It rang through her body in totality. It was enormous.


    There was a coldness in not knowing where she was¡ªand the pain struck through like a sword stabbing through her gut. She felt a gravitas surrounding her like an imposing force¡ªrecognizing that force as the shadow of Vita standing over her it sent chills down her spine¡ªwherever that was right now. The feeling was a black disgust in the pit of her stomach. It had been years...so many long years since she had been so easily overpowered and thrown away. All that she had trained for and worked toward...all the suffering just to be thrown down the chute like nothing had ever mattered.


    Suddenly with that realization she felt even more¡ªeven greater and deeper pain from her chest shooting outward in all directions. It was like a cosmic pain that echoed across the galaxies. It threatened to keep her eyes closed like stitching with thin stakes of metal. She began to feel before she could see. A foreign feeling jabbed in her abdomen like a spear, and all at once she thought of her lance and figured she probably got stabbed with her own weapon like a fool.


    No, wait. That couldn¡¯t be right, she lost the lance when she tried to attack...what was his¡ªHRRRKK! She bent over as a sharp searing pain inflamed her chest area and it spread down fast. Like an injection of pure venom into her body her entire being started shaking violently. Her vision seeped with red as it started to wane. Her body felt numb and totally strung up¡ªthe first thing that she could think of was some hunter¡¯s kill ready to be put to the flame.


    Then she remembered the creature she had hunted in the woods before ever stepping foot in Remire. How she had tied up her kill and pared the edible meat from the unusable scraps. Before she met back up with Felix...before her course changed forever and she was shown just how powerless she really was.


    Her eyes flashed open and immediately she saw she was deep in some sweltering-hot cave. The heat was the first thing that came to her after the stabbing sensation¡ªit was both extremely hot in her chest and almost hotter outside. Her skin was drenched in sweat and as her vision tried to settle she could see the waves irradiating off a large central column in front of her. The sights were unfamiliar at first until she recognized that it was much too dark to see the entirety of the room she was in. The only light she was afforded came from the red gemstones embedded deep into the walls at every odd interval. The light was pulsing all around her it reminded her of firelight¡ªbut the artificial nature of it made her shiver above all else.


    She looked down and saw a long, thick cable extending out from her chest toward a large machine in the center of the room, the casing of which rose higher, higher, and she saw it eventually translated from metal to a glowing red-hot light¡ªit was up there that she fell from. The cable itself looks like it was inserted forcefully¡ªdried blood had crusted over the entry point in her abdomen, and the pain she felt from it was still so raw. She gritted her teeth and bent her head downwards as it caused her to let loose a rotten sound.


    She didn¡¯t know how she survived the fall, but that question quickly sank below the pain that shot out of her chest from the cable. She wished she could just will the damn thing out of her like it were made from the same metal as her lance.


    Her lance.


    She gritted her teeth and cursed herself for losing it in the first place. She let loose a scream once and then exhaled sharply, letting her head droop for a moment. She opened her eyes again and took a look around her surroundings¡ªshe was raised about ten feet off the ground by her arms and legs¡ªmetal bracers wrapped around her wrists and ankles. She could tell that everything around her was made of metal¡ªthe floors, the walls, and especially the connectors around her.


    To her immediate right she saw a similar bar of metal running alongside the perimeter of the room¡ªstopping just a few feet short of connecting fully to the bar she was. There was a body in those chains as well, but it had looked worn and decrepit¡ªdrained of all that could possibly been called human. It was little more than the remains of what used to be a teenager, and that was when she noticed the stench emanating from the body. It made her eyes water and she gagged reflexively, coughing up spittle to the ground below. It had the compound stench of decay and burning decay at that.


    A chill ran down her spine as she tried to reach toward the cable, but the restraints were just tight enough that she couldn¡¯t make contact with it. She tried again to will her lance to her¡ªbut still it did not come. No voice came to her, no help, nothing. She was left all and utterly alone.


    She tried calling out in her mind but found only silence awaiting her every call. Jace wouldn¡¯t answer her. Sakonna wouldn¡¯t answer her. What good were people if they didn¡¯t answer. She bent her head low and offered a hollow laugh. She knew this was entirely her own fault. She wasn¡¯t strong enough. She wasn¡¯t worthy. And now she sat here strung up. So, this is how it ends. Not with a bang, but with a slow...inexorable whimper. How pathetic.


    Darkness surrounded Allison on all sides. She lay resigned to herself. Her head remained drooped with her eyes closed. The pain hadn¡¯t dulled any, but the predictable pattern at which it came gave her few minutes of respite before and after each wave. It came like a spoon carving her insides out like a pumpkin on Halloween. She had read plenty of books that described the event when she was younger.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t remember anything about the characters or the stories that took place in those old books¡ªmuch less who wrote them, but she had a clear image of three school-aged kids carving out pumpkins before Halloween night. The act was described as if it were a vicious murder. She sat there with those memories bleeding into the edge of her vision. She thought she could remember the faces of the children¡ªthe faces she ascribed to them at least. They were such familiar faces that had accompanied her on several different storied adventures...but why could she not remember them now?


    It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t matter to her, she absorbed characters within stories like a sponge absorbed water. Was it because that part of her had died, all those years ago when the world crossed over? It was a hollow within her more than anything that this tower could take from her. A scream echoed across the silence as if to accentuate the horror over such a calamity. She felt the pounding weight hanging off her shoulders like it weighed a ton. Her pad sat at the bottom of her pack, and¡ªHKKKK!


    She winced as the cable in her burned white hot and she let out a small scream as the devilish tech did what it needed to. She knew there were more important things now than the unfinished story sitting heavy like a stone in her backpack, but that was the whole point of her feelings, right? There was always something more important. Always something that had to take precedence over herself. Always a duty to get done. Nothing to ever leave to itself and enjoy for herself. Not until her duty was done. Not until...


    She retreated back into her mind to her memories. Thoughts she kept locked away reached around her subconscious like a jellyfish¡ªwrapping their long tentacles around her mind like a vice. Her desire to see that which she had lost contact with called on those memories so full of pain and heartbreak. Felix¡¯s face burned into her memory and like another burning feeling inside her she felt intense sadness and anger. The memory that had threatened to resurface had finally pushed its way up, forcing everything else aside.


    Autumn 2039


    Allison had been long on her hunt for Issachar after her last encounter with him seven years prior. The point in which she was separated from the man she thought was tied to a new beginning for her had been solid in motivation of her search. She was led to find Felix after being separated for so long¡ªafter losing their child and encountering Sakonna so long ago in that decrepit old library. She built herself back up from that day and had Jace by her side to hunt down the life that was ripped from her.


    She was thirty now¡ªand that fact showed in her physique. She had bulked up and trained herself to live up to the hunter role she felt she had to live up to. She hunted down the two most important people in her life, and whichever she had found first would determine which path in life she would continue to follow.


    Years of surviving in the world anew have toughened her to live among the world and adapt to its challenges versus exist outside and in spite. It had become more than clear that this world was not going to revert back to its prior existence¡ªand that meaning from existence would come from whatever she was able to make of it. Her desires would have to be worked for directly. Her hair was short then¡ªshe spent a few years trying out a new look to emblazon the new ideology she was forming within herself.


    Jace was still with her back then. She called on him frequently for advice and companionship in this world in where she trusted so few. During those days¡ªshe was investigating a rumor that a Creature of the Night was spotted around the land that used to be Colorado.


    Rumor spread as easily as water through a filter in these days¡ªand the actions of the Creatures of the Night were marveled at like actions of gods that would spread among the commonwealth as acts of inspiration in the new world. They created new mythologies that spread across the landmass like a ripfire. To Allison, they were simply leads to investigate and confirm if they were worth following or not. She had investigated hundreds of rumors across the country for any sort of validity to the claims being made. This led her across marshes, wetlands aplenty, even to the bonelands of the old mid west¡ªland that required traveling through the underground tunnels to avoid being seared alive on the surface by the intense heat from the sun above.


    It was there underneath the bonelands she found clues toward the two Children of the Night she was hunting down¡ªshe felt deep energies coming from books and hand drawn maps that resonated images of Issachar and Sakonna behind her eyes.


    Since then, she has returned to a local settlement where she took to the informants¡ªthe gossips of the land who trade information for various resources. Thankfully¡ªAllison¡¯s skill in the hunt allowed her to loosen most lips to find the information she was looking for.


    The current rumor she was investigating centered around the mysterious landmasses that floated for no conceivable reason out west of what used to be Denver. It was a strange thought¡ªhow people related location to places that used to be. It was as if they all believed the country that used to be theirs would soon come back to them. Commitment to the new would surely mean that they had to give up on the old.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Allison called this area the Fluxlands. They were areas where the land acted weird. Several chunks of earth were reported to have lifted off the ground and remained airborne. Word traveled that there used to be buildings that had been lifted too¡ªbut nobody knew if anybody had actually lived there before it went skyward.


    Upon arriving on the area Allison had marveled at the chunks of earth that seemed to be floating hundreds of feet in the air. She could only see the undersides of the landmasses from her perspective¡ªbut it was clear to see from the underside that the fragments themselves were ripped from the surface of the planet¡ªthe large craters evidence of their upheaval.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Jace had asked. ¡°Some magnetic bullshit or is there something supernatural happening here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure yet,¡± Allison said. ¡°I am sensing something happening up there which unnerves me.¡±


    ¡°Something like what we¡¯re looking for something?¡± He asked.


    She looked to him, and she saw those same golden eyes and brilliant blond hair staring back at him just like when she was a kid. ¡°Something I wish to check out more than anything else at the moment. It¡¯s strong...pulling me in.¡±


    ¡°Well then el capitan. What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s get up there and rock this shit.¡±


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you excitable?¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She gave him a knowing look and then turned toward the closest landmass¡ªprobably only about ten to twelve feet off the ground rotating on its own personal axis¡ªthat unknown to Allison. She walked to a jog until she leaped off the ground¡ªpushing off with her left foot which was noticeably human and not yet prosthetic. Jace hovered behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he shot forward like an arrow toward the landmass.


    She flew upward with a hand trained to reach for the shimmering silver knife attached to her belt. She reached the lower landmass to settle her balance on¡ªwhich started shifting under her. She almost fell over but still managed to catch herself before steadying and eyeing her next goal¡ªthe larger landmass that looked to be still in its movement.


    ¡°You ready for another one?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Yeah, let me just evacuate my stomach real quick while you spin on this disco ball here.¡±


    ¡°Charming.¡±


    ¡°What can I do but point inward, but I try to work with the material I¡¯ve been given.¡±


    She leaped again and Jace continued to carry her to the next landmass. She landed on top of a larger landmass¡ªit looked to be as large as a football field. Topside, she saw a few buildings that she was surprised were still standing.


    She walked forward and felt a pulse from within her beckoning toward the center. Something about the center. ¡°You got a scope of what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Jace appeared at her side. ¡°Something¡¯s there. Something I can¡¯t quite place. Keep your wits about you. I¡¯m sensing danger.¡±


    She nodded as she approached the first building. It sat misshapen and roughly constructed¡ªshe had been familiar with buildings like it for quite some time. She stopped as she raised a hand to the side of one of the building¡¯s walls and her breath caught in her throat.


    There was no way¡ªshe felt an urging of a familiar energy and she turned toward a building off to her right. She started jogging and then running until she made it to just outside¡ªit was a two-story building made of wood and stones. It looked like it could fall over at any minute, but the source of her feeling was coming from this spot right here.


    ¡°Felix?!¡± She called out, hoping to hear any sort of response. ¡°Felix is that you?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t seen him since they were separated. She had an inkling that he was here, and she looked up at the building again in desperation.


    There was no answer but the wind that continued to whip around her. She took a deep breath and placed a hand on the front panel that acted as a door. There was a smell about the place that she couldn¡¯t quite place, but it felt familiar. She closed her eyes and felt a pushing force behind her eyes that illuminated his face. She couldn¡¯t see what he was doing or exactly where in the building he was, but she knew that he was inside. Why did he not answer?


    She pushed open on the door and it slid into place and stuck. The inside of what she could see almost looked like a lobby¡ªit extended out a couple dozen feet back and looked to extend a couple feet out on either side that she couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too keen on you just walking in there,¡± Jace said. ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s not right and he needs me then I need to do what I can to help.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± he said.


    ¡°And if it gets me back to him then I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Ally, I just ask you take some time to think about it and¡ª¡±


    She took a step in and felt an immediate and unshakable pain latch onto her left leg. She shouted out in pain and looked down to find that her leg was dripping blood from three points just under her knee. The blood trailed down and it forced her down¡ªshe couldn¡¯t feel anything below the blood. The pain was piercing white hot. She was shaking and trying to keep breathing. There was lumbering footsteps coming from somewhere out of her sight.


    The smell of copper filled her front mind and she looked down again and the blood pooling out from her leg had started to spurt now. The sight of her leg like that made her lightheaded, she couldn¡¯t focus enough to summon Jace. She blinked and suddenly Felix was standing above her¡ªhe stood still, arms straight to his side staring at her. He looked worse for wear¡ªthe clothes he had worn were torn and dirty¡ªhis hair a wet mess over his face. He simply stared at her, but suddenly she felt a piercing sound in her mind and felt him crawling around in her thoughts. Probing her brain and she felt questions upon questions.


    Who are you and why do you look like her?


    Who are you and why have you come here?


    Who are you and why are you continuing to torture me here?


    What reason do you have to come here?


    His eyes flashed for a second longer¡ªhe must have realized she wasn¡¯t a phantom or a ghost. The questions continued back up but harder and faster. He stood still staring over her and the pain in her leg was only second to the pounding headache that slammed from his intrusions. The questions were so many, and she was split between feeling pain in her head and her leg. She kept seeing images of Arianna as he scoped through her mind¡ªhe was searching her mind for everything¡ªlooking through everything. He went as far back as Nassau and he saw the face of Lillian Jones and she screamed out, shoving him out.


    The world around her changed as she pushed him out¡ªeverything looked like it shifted. She was inside what looked like a shopping center that was completely hollowed out. The edge of her vision looked like it was full of stars and cosmic energy. Down on her leg she saw what looked to be a crimson bear trap. Its teeth were sunk deep into her leg, and she looked up in horror to see Felix, there was a dark aura outlining his presence.


    ¡°You had a child...you had my child¡­¡± He said, offering a look of contempt. She couldn¡¯t respond, and so he continued on her. ¡°You let her live. Knowing what I have gone through with my condition and with how this world is...you let her live?¡±


    She willed enough of herself together to summon Jace. He stepped in between the both of them, pushing him back a step. Here, in this strange sight...he was fully corporeal.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jace asked.


    Felix looked to Jace with a look of great offense. He placed an arm on Jace¡¯s shoulder and forced him to one knee¡ªhe wasn¡¯t able to push back¡ªhe was too weak. Felix bared his teeth and sloppily pushed him down even further. There was a pained look on Jace¡¯s face, and she felt herself in a similar situation back facing Lillian Jones as she tried to use Jace against her.


    Something in her broke. She jumped up to a standing position¡ªblood coating the entirety of her left leg¡ªshe no longer felt it as it has gone completely numb. The trap seemed to cling even tighter¡ªshe felt it closed fully and the teeth met inside her body.


    Allison had a feeling deep inside of sadness and relief¡ªthe chance at some form of normalcy returning to her life and in that moment those feelings died. He was ready to kill her here and think nothing more on it¡ªall because he learned that he had a child out there. The world around her had stopped. She noticed on his hand was a golden ring with an onyx black stone¡ªand in that moment she realized that was the true source of the energy that was calling out to her. Suddenly the smell came clear to her, and she inhaled a great must of alcohol, it almost doubled her over, but she remained grasping out and clasped a hand on his¡ªcatching him off guard and in that instant an explosion of light seemed to ring out.


    The world around her changed back to the normal sight¡ªand the trap around her leg vanished¡ªeven though the pain and the blood remained. Jace wrapped his hand around hers on top of Felix¡¯s and suddenly she felt his presence leave her. She felt a piece of her vanish as she was pushed back by the force of their impact. In her hands was the shimmering black lance¡ªwhen it reached its full length she saw the black stone in his ring was gone. She had pulled the lance from the stone.


    ¡°What have you done?!¡± Felix shouted¡ªhis face an angry mess. ¡°That¡¯s not yours!¡± They sounded like the cries of an angered child. ¡°You come here with all these...all these terrible things and now you come to rob me all I have left?¡±


    She fell back as her damaged leg couldn¡¯t hold her any longer. It hurt too much to keep standing. She hit on her back and the pain shot through her vision as a bright white flash. The lance extended over her like a shield and covered her entirely against the ground. She felt him hammering at the shield¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying¡ªit was drowned out by his screams and then she heard glass smashing against the shield. And then a second sound of it¡ªalmost like a bottle. Then a third continued. God damn it Felix, how deep a hole have you drunk yourself in up here? That was the last thought she had before she passed out.


    Felix was long gone by the time she had woken up. She was still underneath the shield, but as soon as she woke it retracted and popped next to her as a small ingot sized chunk of metal. Her leg was completely dead to feeling. She had lost so much blood¡ªit was a wonder why she wasn¡¯t dead on the spot. She reached out for the stone and cut herself on a glass shard that had landed near the metal. She bit her lip as she drew breath in and cursed, bringing her hand close. A thin line of crimson started dripping down and she cursed again.


    She reached out again and grabbed the piece of metal and it extended out around her arm¡ªalmost like it had sentience of its own. It worked its way down the side of her body until it reached the part of her leg she couldn¡¯t feel anymore.


    ¡°Jace...I can¡¯t feel...I can¡¯t feel my leg.¡± She didn¡¯t hear any response¡ªshe couldn¡¯t hear him anymore. But she knew what had happened¡ªhe had helped her when the stone in the ring shifted¡ªtransformed before their eyes. There was something about this metal here that drew her in. ¡°Jace...you¡¯re going to need to help me here. I cannot move from this spot. I can¡¯t feel my leg.¡±


    The metal wrapped itself just above the point where the trap had dug into her leg and connected to itself like a brace. She felt a sure feeling in her gut that what was going to happen was going to hurt¡ªmoreso than the trap latching on in the first place, but she knew it needed to happen. She took a deep breath and for a second switched over to that other world¡ªthat other strange sight she couldn¡¯t explain. She saw the trap just below where the metal had wrapped itself around her leg, and that confirmed what Jace had intended to do.


    She sat there as the metal started growing warm around the spot on her leg¡ªwarmer until it became painful. She bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood when it increased. The only thing keeping her conscious was an otherworldly will that came from having contact with the metal. She knew even then that this belonged to something greater than their world. As much pain as it brought it was the one thing her consciousness latched to as it worked to amputate and cauterize the wound in one fell swoop. She screamed louder than she had ever screamed before, and in her memory she returned back to her front mind.

 10 | Man or a Monster

    2044


    Allison Fey


    Another scream littered the soundscape of her mind, and she was brought out of her thoughts. Tears stained her cheeks as the look of Felix on that day stained her memory. How angry he was and how easily she could have died. The pain of that trap sunk in her leg rung in her prosthetic and it felt hot¡ªhot where no feeling should be. In truth the phantom existed in that space where her leg no longer did. It also existed within her as that was the day her hopes of reuniting with him had died. And the gall of him to reappear after so many years as if nothing had happened...it infuriated her, but most it just re-opened the sorrow she thought she had long sealed away.


    Another scream littered the space. They were too frequent to drown out with her own thoughts now, but it wasn¡¯t like she could do anything to help. If anything her position now was just more evidence to her failures. She thought it more than just an occurrence form the outside that didn¡¯t matter. There was a reason for it...what could that reason be?


    Another scream.


    She had no reason to be scared for them. She knew they were part of the reason why she was where she is now, but they were still people. Even if they were brainwashed, somewhere deep down they were still people. They used to be people. Her arms struggled against her restraints¡ªan empty gesture, but one she couldn¡¯t help but attempt.


    Two more screams¡ªlouder than the last. An explosion rang out. She shook and felt a deep memory of feeling a shaking just like this recently but couldn¡¯t pin down the source right away.


    Her eyes darted from the lower edge of her backpack to the center column which built up toward the brilliantly shining amber light shooting out to the expanse. She looked ever upward and saw the shape of the light was flickering, ebbing. It looked as if it shook with every scream pierced the light itself¡ªharming the center core.


    The tower as a whole shook as if something heavy had slammed onto the top¡ªher restraints buckled and she hoped slightly that they might give, but they still held firm. Damn it.


    She felt a chill run up her spine. The cable inside her felt cold. She felt the pain end if only briefly. Another scream echoed out, but this time it was met with the clanging echoes of steel. She noticed it came from above instead, and she didn¡¯t know what she felt about that. The ember-light from the embedded stones went dark and she was left staring at total pitch black.


    There was a sense of dread that filled up within her¡ªfilling the emptiness within her with room to spare. Echoes continued above her until she heard more clangs of metal and a roar that didn¡¯t sound human. It was low¡ªguttural. Like it came from a beast.


    She closed her eyes again and tried to imagine what was going on above. She could only envision what the younger version of her would have wished for. She imagined Jace above fitted in shining silver armor fit tightly around his form. He would wield the very lance she so foolishly wasted and be fending off Vita.


    The light began to shake again. It bent and frayed and suddenly a cracking sound snapped. It drowned out all other sound and left only a faint ringing. The light from above had cut out completely and the room was encapsulated in darkness. She sat in silence, waiting for something¡ªanything to happen. She preemptively waited for the pain to surge through, but it didn¡¯t come.


    Then a horrifying sound tightened her insides into a full constriction¡ªsomething fell from the top of the tower to the ground below. The impact was hard¡ªbut she distinctly heard bones break and flesh compact on itself. It was a disgusting sound and heaved what little was in her stomach up.


    She didn¡¯t dare ask if the body is still alive. She knew their fate as simply as she knew her own. What a poor fool who would challenge Vita. At least they were able to turn out the lights¡ªwhoever they were. It was also more than she could say about herself.


    Suddenly there was a new chill in the air and Allison knew that she wasn¡¯t alone in the dark. Down within the tower¡¯s core the victor from the fight above had joined her down below. She got an immediate awful feeling from the energy of the newcomer. It is a newcomer. This isn¡¯t Vita come to check up on me down here...which means¡­


    Sudden light.


    I¡¯m looking at a face of a man, but it¡¯s not fully a man. His head was shaped...wrong. It almost looked like a human face that was pierced by bullets, but the trails the bullets took melded the skin and grafted it past its natural point. They almost looked like tendrils of flesh and then...his flesh was almost pure white¡ªtoo white. His eyes were nearly pure white but had the slightest of dark outlines around the pupils. He smiled a fierce look as he looked her up and down.


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the source of the smell I¡¯ve been feeling,¡± he said. His voice seemed...doubled. Like there was another voice underneath.


    Allison looked down to see the crumbled body of Vita. His body looked like it had been folded in half and tied into a bow¡ªhis arms and legs broken at the joints. She couldn¡¯t see what lay under him as they all looked to be crumpled on top of his face, but she recognized the armor right away.


    ¡°You...what are you?¡± Allison looked back up to the monstrosity in front of her.


    He flashed another grin and chuckled smally as he backed up, revealing a long tentacle-like arm wrapped around the bar behind her he was using to support himself up. It looked to be the same tone of white that his face looked to be, but the closer it got to her the darker it faded into darkness. ¡°Should get you free first before we talk chutes and ladders, no?¡±


    Allison had so many conflicting feelings on the events as they were playing out, but...she wasn¡¯t reading immediate danger from them. There was a level of unease that gave her pause, but she simply nodded. With Vita dead she would finally be able to reclaim her lance¡ªher dependency was not lost on her.


    She felt the cold presence over her arms and noticed that the tentacle over her hand felt...wisp-like. Almost like a cold fog given the barest amount of physical presence. It did not help her uneasiness.


    She heard the metal unlatching and her right arm fell to her side. There was a soreness aching from her shoulder to her armpit. She noticed that the cable inside her no longer was. Just when was that removed? She felt so out of it¡ªit was totally possible that he had removed it from her.


    She awaited the same cold feeling on her left arm, and it brought similar uneasy feelings to rush over her. The metal unlatching brought both her arm¡ªand the rest of her body down to the ground. She landed on her backside and groaned as she hit¡ªbut more pressing than the issue of her pain was the relief over her release.


    ¡°There you go. Nice and easy,¡± the figure said, lowering himself down to the ground level. ¡°We each have questions aplenty to ask one another I think, I know I said I¡¯d free up my mind when I freed you...but I think talking about our strengths among a graveyard is some disrespect to the dead. So! Follow me, I found a cool space we can pick each other¡¯s brain for information.¡± His arm shifted from a tentacle back to a human hand and three more tentacles extended from his back, lifting him off the ground.


    Allison looked up at him with a strange look but remembered where she was¡ªso she walked over to Vita¡¯s body and winced at the way his body was desecrated. The metal she knew so well was melded onto the front of his armor¡ªit no longer was in the shape of her lance, but instead looked like a slab of dough mashed on the front of his armor. It brought forward all the feelings of self-doubt seeing it attached to his armor as it was. She bent to one knee and placed a hand on the face plate of Vita¡¯s armor.


    She felt a familiar warmth around her hand as the metal tried to call it back to her will. It seemed to pull away enough to cause a separation, but it was clear there was a solid magnetic hold coming from his armor. She felt it coming from her prosthetic, but she kept her hold firm and held her hand over the front of it.


    She saw the image of Jace imprinted as the metal started ripping itself apart from the armor. It peeled some of the armor off with it¡ªand melded with it, almost looking like it had consumed the pieces of armor. When it had ripped enough of the small pieces off¡ªthe metal had seemed to absorb the magnetic qualities of the armor itself, and the rest of the armor started peeling off, piece by piece. When it was done, she held the finished lance in her hand, brandishing it and feeling like a sense of herself has returned.


    She looked up and saw that the figure was nearing the top of the tower¡ªshe saw he was using the excess tentacles to scale the tower from the inside. She couldn¡¯t believe she was moving to meet him up top, but stranger things have happened.


    Allison took a deep breath and then swiped the lance out¡ªthe metal extended like a whip and sunk right into the side of the tower. She yanked back to ensure the grip was firm. When she was confident in the hold she leapt and swiped up the other side¡ªit latched out like a grapple, shooting up to the core about fifteen feet higher than where she was. She continued this pattern of launching herself upward and catching on the wall as the metal latched to the walls and magnetized. The light that spilled out from the top lit enough of her path that made the jumps possible.


    She made it to the top and reached up with her arm, pulling herself up over the edge¡ªplacing her elbow just over the curve and lifting her weight up. When she made it to her knees she let out a hoarse cough and felt the ringing of the pain in her once more. She brought a and up to her chest where the cable was inserted¡ªit was extremely sensitive and still bleeding.


    She gritted her teeth and moved a stretch of the metal to her chest, knowing the incoming pain but spread enough of a patch to cover the wound. She took a sharp breath as the metal felt warm against her skin. She expected it to hurt worse than it did, but when she pulled it back into the shape of the lance she saw it had scarred over. She let loose a breath which led to another cough¡ªthat was going to take some time to stave off, she felt.


    Behind her she saw the prism at the apex of the tower¡ªwhere the light was magnified and blasted up into the sky was cracked in more places than one. The core, she noticed was fractured and continued to be broken cutting the connection completely with the power source. Standing on the edge of the tower overlooking Galder¡¯s Reach below was the figure¡ªhis back was toward her, so she stood in place.


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    ¡°Mind telling me your name, stranger? Or what you are, for the matter? Or is this leading up to a fight between us...in which case I won¡¯t care to learn either and waste either of our times.¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what it boils down to, does it?¡± The figure said. ¡°Always the same, names and faces. Even at the apex of the world it comes down to names and faces.¡± He turned to her. ¡°You can call me Zane. I¡¯m partly human. Partly monster. Specific kind isn¡¯t too important¡ªmonster¡¯s a monster at the end of the day. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with the concept?¡±


    Allison was still wary, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should say one way or the other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight with you,¡± he said. ¡°In fact, I came to you for some assistance, and figured we could help each other out.¡±


    ¡°Speak, and I¡¯ll judge for myself.¡±


    ¡°I understand the defensive nature. I knew people like that real close like. I can feel it in my core myself, you know? You don¡¯t need to act defensive, though. I know the secrets you hold¡ªat least the ones that dragon knew. I¡¯m not asking you anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Allison started, thinking to Sakonna.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t answer your calls for help because she was otherwise occupied, and unfortunately for her, will be for the foreseeable future.¡± Zane moved to sit, stretching his legs out over the edge as the tentacles from his back retracted into his body¡ªrevealing the slits in the shirt he wore where they had previously torn through. ¡°I¡¯ve been intimately aware of those like her for a very long time.¡± He started to chuckle. ¡°I can tell you the dragon breathes no longer, but I hope you¡¯ll hear me out. I know you two were partnered up...well, I don¡¯t know if I would consider it a partnership, but you were at least temporarily allied.¡±


    ¡°And you say you¡¯re not looking for a fight?¡±


    ¡°I know that your alliance was frail¡ªas soon as you got what you were looking for you could care for fuck all what happened to her...am I wrong?¡±


    Allison remained silent.


    ¡°And so, it would go that since I know what she knows, I am of the same value to you of her. I know where the vessel you seek is. And I have every intention on keeping the pace that you two were originally going to have.¡±


    ¡°You come with answers supposedly, but you come with just as many if not more pressing questions.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got nothing but time right now, why don¡¯t you fire away? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find I am not holding anything back. You might as well sit down, though. I have a feeling you have a lot to ask, and you¡¯ve been strung up for quite some time now.¡±


    Allison thought on it, staring at him sitting and realized how simply it would be if she were to gut him in the back. She felt a dangerous feeling standing next to him here.


    ¡°You would probably be successful in stabbing me if you tried. For all my strengths I am not invincible. You would only rid yourself of the only way to that which you seek.¡±


    She thought on it another moment and then took a few steps to the edge and leaned herself up against one of the walls that rose up next to the openings outside and sat down with her back against the wall, Zane directly in her view. ¡°Who and what are you?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you can call me Zane. If you are more comfortable with a last name, I think his was Hannes.¡±


    Her look elicited a smile from him.


    ¡°I am part human¡ªin the fact that the human part was something I claimed. Zane Hannes was the name of the human before I claimed him. The monster¡ªthat was all of me. In their language I was known as a Chronomaly. I had no name because I had no will of my own. That is a very long story which I¡¯ll tell if you ask, but I have a pretty deep suspicion that you don¡¯t actually care.¡±


    Her rolled eyes gave the answer he was looking for.


    ¡°And rightly so. My goal here is to hunt down people that shouldn¡¯t exist. At least, that¡¯s been my goal before I got...well, Zane, under my belt here.¡±


    ¡°And since then?¡±


    ¡°Well, trying to survive, as any other in this world. But you see, tendencies are the way they are, and I find myself attracted towards objects of power¡ªobjects that shouldn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s sort of a bad habit of mine. That metal of yours caught my whiff from quite a ways away. Now, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not itching to steal it from you. I saw what it did to you to not have it right next to you when you were chained up.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to trust that you¡¯re not going to try to fight me for it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a bigger picture out there, darlin¡¯.¡± He said, and chuckled. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s Zane. He¡¯s got a bit of a bad streak with women that sometimes his drawl slips out. So, I am not focusing in on that piece there because I seek a much larger prize¡ªthere¡¯s a scent I¡¯ve been catching that I need your help with connecting with. If I were to go for the low hanging fruit of your metal here, not only would you not desire to work with me, you would also be infinitely less useful for that which I am asking.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m to just help you...what, cause more havoc like I heard out there? I heard their screams. You can¡¯t expect me to in good conscience support that.¡±


    ¡°I would have figured you would have made the connection sooner¡ªespecially since they had you hooked up to their tower and all,¡± Zane said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t normal. Everything served towards the tower here. You should have felt that when they were plugging you up to it. Then all that energy they shot out¡ªwell, that¡¯s another tack entirely. But the point of the matter is that the people down there were no longer individual people with unique thoughts or lives. That would counteract the setup they¡¯ve got going here with this tower¡ªif people had their own wills about them they could freely leave, no? What then happens to your power source if you no longer have any people to plug into it?¡±


    ¡°You speak as if killing them was the only recourse.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Zane said. ¡°Those that get plugged in eventually die like that corpse that was hooked up next to you. Those that don¡¯t get their psyches ripped away piece by piece from the inside. Hollowed and carved out leaving only basic motor function and suddenly you have an army of people willing to bend to your every whim.¡±


    ¡°And you know this exactly...how? You know to the fullest extent there was no other way to save them? I don¡¯t understand how you seem to know everything about what has gone on when you¡¯ve only just arrived?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I know it because that guy down there at the bottom of the tower knew. You didn¡¯t see his head cracked open?¡±


    A look of disgust crossed her face. ¡°I can¡¯t say I was looking directly for that¡­¡±


    ¡°Be disgusted as much as you¡¯d like. My business isn¡¯t a clean one, but it¡¯s how I gather information. I cracked his brain out and...well, to spare your stomach I gained the knowledge he had. I know how this tower was meant to work because I have his thoughts inside me from the source itself.¡±


    ¡°From the source¡­¡±


    ¡°Him down there now didn¡¯t construct this large tower by himself. He¡¯s definitely not the ringleader, by any stretch,¡± Zane chuckled. He just wore heavy plating and convinced the easily convincible that he was some sort of god. No, the one behind this construct here is probably the one that energy was being shot to¡ªfired into the sky and received at some other location. I don¡¯t have the specifics because I think that part of the brain got damaged during our fight. Unfortunate, but it happens.¡±


    ¡°And...you don¡¯t feel bad about that?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking if I¡¯m capable of feeling empathy...I would say no. I was confused very recently into believing I was human¡ªthat I truly was Zane Hannes. I guess in that moment of time I would have said yes, but since coming to the realization of what I am and what I am setting out to do, no, I cannot say I feel bad for the people down there. Don¡¯t take that to mean I took pleasure from killing them. It was simply a natural resolution. And for¡­¡± his head turned toward the pit.


    ¡°Vita,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s what he called himself in this time. That¡¯s not the name he went by for the majority of his life, though¡ªmore of the ideas of grandeur I mentioned. Anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter now. What does is that his brain was imperative for learning about the situation here¡ªwhich leads to what we will do next.¡±


    Allison looked surprised. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking I¡¯m going to work with you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I assumed you still wanted to find that girl who you¡¯ve been searching for so long. And I believe I¡¯ve answered every question you¡¯ve asked to the best I can give? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re letting a moral quandary stop you now.¡±


    She was silent a moment.


    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s not my business to end life for no reason. I would have thought you felt similar. Would you not agree given the circumstances that things played out in the best available opportunity?¡±


    ¡°You really think there was no saving them?¡±


    ¡°I know it, of course,¡± Zane said. ¡°Those parts of themselves got offered up to the tower. They¡¯re converted into that energy. Even if we were to track the specific bursts down and somehow find the containment field where they¡¯re received, that wouldn¡¯t mean much all to the bodies here, right? How would you suppose we convert that into human willpower?¡±


    Allison was silent.


    ¡°Right. The choices available were to end this whole thing now or let them exist. And in that end they¡¯d live out whatever fantasy they pretend to carve out here¡ªbut not of their own desires, but act as dolls that can walk without being pushed. A facsimile of life. And him down there¡ªhe took great joy in overseeing his ant colony. Now, I¡¯m afraid I am reaching the end of the time I¡¯ve given to this particular topic. It is the time to ask. I would search out the destination of that energy and find the true culprit behind these events. The person at the top is someone that I personally have a heavy interest in.¡±


    ¡°Someone who shouldn¡¯t exist¡­?¡±


    ¡°That is right. But also, I have deep interest in finding the one who wears the skin you are searching for. Which is where we are at now. I would ask for your assistance in the former and I will put my full effort into helping with the latter.¡±


    Allison pondered it for but a moment. She held the lance close to her chest and in that moment knew there was only a single choice that mattered then. She knew she would put anything on the line to reach her goal. And so she looked back over at Zane, ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you help me find Issachar first. Me being here was helping Sakonna out before we continued on my way, and we can both see how that ended up.¡±


    Zane flashed a smile and she saw his jagged black teeth like a shark¡¯s. ¡°Works for me aplenty. We¡¯re headed to the south. Both of our destinations is in the south, but we¡¯re going to trend a bit east towards the magnetic quarries. It¡¯s good you sucked up that armor down there...that metal of yours seems to have no end to its wonders.¡±


    She¡¯s heard of the magnetic quarries, but never actually had stepped foot. The land was said to be fatal to step in without proper protection as the waves emitted from the land would disrupt the heart so much as to cause disastrous failure. She saw the sun creeping over the horizon and saw in its red glow a burning desire light within her to hold tight and keep close.


    I¡¯m coming. Just you wait.

 11 | Axiom

    <h3 align="center">PART III


    Men Among Gods


    2044


    LUCAS Gray / Ally Fae


    LUCAS saw the breaking sun over the horizon greeting the brand-new day. As the each of them stepped out of the storefront they felt the oncoming warmth as the desert started its warm bake. They took a few steps out and LUCAS found himself turning toward the library at the back of the encampment¡ªlooking at the sad state of the building as it sat half sunken in. He turned back and noticed Ally was hanging closer toward the back of the group and empathized with her situation.


    This was a lot of new people to meet at once and to suddenly take on. His own thoughts of their new companions were difficultly laced with worry. He was trying to not let the worry betray on his face¡ªbut then something clicked like a flash of lightning. What was the source of those feelings¡ªthose inhibitions toward trusting these two? What was the common denominator for why he had so easily let himself fall to distrust? It was simple when he thought on it¡ªbut it was because Gavin had told him.


    He had trusted him so implicitly that it really was no surprise that he felt the way that he did. Was it because he was able to so thoroughly investigate anything about him that he let his guard down? He figured it also had to do with Gavin being the first face he had seen since coming landside.


    Laven was right to be skeptical¡ªand sure enough she had more experience with him being with the guild so often. And there still was something in him that wanted to believe in Gavin. Maybe that was the trap? The web he created in himself was maddening to untangle.


    He made a stand to himself that he needed to be realistic. Right now, as they were, Roshe and Bambo were here with them. Gavin and Blaise had gone...elsewhere. Whereabouts unknown. That being said, the people to be wary of in this moment were them...as much as it felt wrong in him to do so. He looked up to Roshe who was leading the group to their parked airbikes on the outskirts of the encampment.


    ¡°So, what of the stowaway?¡± Roshe asked, turning slightly to Laven.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a stowaway,¡± Laven said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to be working together I advise you to ask her yourself. Teams are only strong if the individual players feel like they¡¯re part of a team.¡±


    LUCAS felt Roshe¡¯s gaze turn to him, and he felt a shard of discomfort stick in his side. They made it to the bikes and Roshe grabbed for the helmet resting on the side of the handle. Bambo looked at the bike and then turned to Laven. ¡°You comfortable riding this one? I always feel like I¡¯m going to crash on these.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Laven began. ¡°But I¡¯d definitely appreciate if you rode with Roshe.¡±


    Bambo looked slightly down at that, and Laven was first to pounce on it. ¡°That reaction is exactly why.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.


    Laven flashed a look to Ally, then to LUCAS, ¡°You two will come with me. We can fit on this one over here.¡±


    Roshe sat down on the bike and clicked his helmet into place. He keyed in the ignition, and it kicked on, but started to sputter out. He tried it again, and it again attempted to turn over but failed.


    ¡°Damn it. Of all times¡­¡± Roshe muttered. ¡°Bambo, you know how to fix this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Bambo started. ¡°I¡¯m good with numbers and what little we have left of computers. Motorcycles are out of my area of expertise. I Blaise was our mechanic.¡±


    ¡°Tch, perfect,¡± Roshe cursed.


    ¡°I think I can take a look.¡±


    The voice came from Ally. Roshe looked at her questioning then his eyes went over to Laven. She motioned with her head a positive affirmation and he sighed. ¡°Yeah, sure, come on over.¡±


    Ally was familiar with the attitude¡ªwhen she was working in Home alongside Rickshaw and Felix. Rick¡¯s workshop took in all kinds of projects over the years she worked there¡ªand motorbikes were a common enough relic from the old world that people had enough fondness for to rebuild. The older men and women that knew how to construct such vehicles always tended to look at Ally with a look of concern and aversion whenever she worked alongside Rick on repairs and maintenance.


    It was a familiar feeling to have the knowledge she learned questioned just because she was a girl. It frustrated her, but it also motivated her. Metalwork was something that she was really good at¡ªno matter what kind of work that came her way. That was the methodology of Rick¡¯s. Of course, each separate project was so vastly different to one another that she had to learn a lot of different skills to match the project that came in.


    Ally approached the vehicle and bent down to one knee. She placed one hand on the key and waited a few moments. LUCAS stared at her in awe as she looked to be in her element for the first time since they had met. He watched her go over to the seat and she bent down and started working. She pulled a strand of her dirty blonde hair out of her face and worked the saddle off.


    She placed her hand over the battery and suddenly Jace appeared at her side. The sight was enough to throw Bambo and Roshe for a loop. They both looked to Laven and LUCAS for confirmation. They each had satisfied looks on their face which was good enough for them.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s always the ones you don¡¯t expect,¡± Bambo said, marveling.


    ¡°I think the main point is don¡¯t assume based on how one appears,¡± Laven said, and she eyed up toward Roshe.


    He rolled his eyes but returned looking back toward Ally¡¯s progress. She had the saddle replaced and was turning the key¡ªthe bike turned over and stayed on. She wiped her hands clean and fit the saddle on just right, looking up. ¡°It was simple, thankfully. There¡¯s a valve near the fuel line that controls how much, or little gets to flow¡ªthere was some gunk in the way that was disrupting the flow. I also did a test of the battery just in case it was a combined issue, that¡¯s what Jace here was helping me with¡ªbut it doesn¡¯t seem like that is going to be an issue here for quite some time.¡±


    Jace nodded from behind her before he faded completely.


    ¡°Well, that is some mighty fine talent you have there,¡± Roshe admitted. ¡°Seems I did underestimate you.¡±


    ¡°Stowaways can have talents too,¡± Ally said, offering a smile.


    He chuckled, and then sighed. ¡°Not a quiet talker, I know. Fine, that one is on me. Thank you for assisting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Ally said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even deeply mechanical knowledge. There are just some things I picked up when working for a shop for quite a few years.¡±


    ¡°You worked for an autobody shop?¡± Roshe asked.


    ¡°It was more an...everything shop?¡± Ally said, a little embarrassed at the mention of it. ¡°It was a few years ago¡ªthe place is long lost to me, but I learned quite a lot there about these kinds of things.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I must say while the mechanical skills are impressive, I am much keener on that other ability of yours¡ªthat guy¡ªJace.¡±


    Ally looked up to him and nodded. ¡°He¡¯s a special friend of mine. But for what you would be interested in...he¡¯s like an extension of my will. I try not to rely on that strength though.¡±


    ¡°Relying on that which makes us more than just human serves as a perfect weakness for our enemies to eradicate and cripple us completely,¡± Laven said.


    Ally nodded, agreeing with the sentiment wholly. ¡°Exactly that. I...have had problems with that in the past. I am trying to do better.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is very brave of you,¡± Bambo said.


    ¡°Right, good mojo and all that,¡± Roshe said, clicking his tongue and turning back to the bike. ¡°I am ready to hit the road if that¡¯s all right. What say everyone else?¡±


    Ally side eyed to Laven who met her gaze and chuckled. A shared look of shared feeling between them as she revved on the bike next to her. It roared to life and the wheel shifted to the side as the bike lifted a foot off the ground. Ally stared at the machine with widened eyes.


    ¡°That¡­¡± she started.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen an airbike before?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°I saw some parts were different to bikes I normally worked on¡ªof course the things that came in were homebrewed things people built in their garages. I wasn¡¯t expecting that this would be able to fly.¡±


    ¡°Well, we sure have a lot of surprises to show you too,¡± Roshe smiled, kicking his bike into gear and lifting it off the ground as well. ¡°Come on Bambo, let¡¯s show off. Laven¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°Ah...right,¡± Bambo said. He walked over and pushed the back edge of the bike down and put a leg over it slowly. He worked his way over and settled himself in.


    The very second Bambo was set the bike shot out, sending trails of sand on each side of the wheels past. Ally watched with awe as they took off toward the dune in the distance. Already the outskirts looked so much different to the environments that she saw back in her own time. The sands were a silver-gray the further they stretched out from the encampment. They looked like fine silver shavings that had extended as far as the eye can see.


    ¡°Ally? You coming?¡± Laven¡¯s voice pulled her back to herself.


    LUCAS saw her turn from his spot behind her on the bike. While she was out staring at the other bike they had prepared themselves.


    ¡°Oh, right, sorry.¡±


    ¡°No worries at all. If there¡¯s anything right about what Roshe said it¡¯s that I can sure as hell catch up to him.¡± She smiled and cocked her head. Ally nodded and walked over. She put one leg over the side and held her hands tight over the grips on the side. She opted to not wrap her arms around LUCAS in front of her as he was with Laven.


    Laven revved the bike, and they took off into the distance. The wind coursed through their hair as they moved swiftly through the sands. Ally braced her hands tighter against the grips and LUCAS held his grip tight around Laven¡¯s waist.


    ¡°You know,¡± Laven began, ¡°It¡¯s quite a story of my first time learning to ride these things. It wasn¡¯t with the guild if you can believe that.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Really?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine controlling one of these things.¡±


    ¡°The more you do it the more you get used to it,¡± Laven said. ¡°That¡¯s what Syed said to me back in those days,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Syed?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Before I ran with this guild¡ªI was freelancing out near what used to be Pakistan. It was shortly after I made my pact and started to strengthen up. He had a motorcycle...I don¡¯t know what you would call it...fleet?¡±


    ¡°Like a gang?¡± Ally asked.


    She shook her head, eyes still on the sands in front of them. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a bunch of people riding, I meant he had a sizable number of bikes. We lived in a city called Quetta. After the world turned over it merged with the Nushki Desert. I watched that science part of his brain kicks on and take about thirty normal motorcycles and convert them into bikes that floated off the surface of the ground. I couldn¡¯t explain how he got it to happen, but something about this world just clicked for him. It was like a perfect storm.¡±


    ¡°And it was on those bikes you learned to ride?¡±


    She thought on it with fondness before her smile faded. ¡°Yeah. Those bikes didn¡¯t ride as well as they looked. I think they consumed more fuel than anything, but I tried. And the sand allowed for the perfect environment to eat shit if you fell. You just had to watch out for the dunes¡ªnever know what kind of things hid underneath, stones or other sharp objects.¡±


    ¡°What happened to Syed?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Gone, long since. It¡¯s been a long time since I thought of him, honestly.¡±


    ¡°Close friend?¡±


    The silence was telling enough. LUCAS took his right hand and pulled it off enough to put it on her shoulder. ¡°Sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s like what they say¡ªthe people that are gone still live on in the things they teach you. I ate so much dune back in those days so I can now...say that we have caught up. Look over there.¡± She cocked her head.


    LUCAS and Ally both saw the other bike speeding in the distance, but it was getting closer and closer.


    ¡°Roshe is fast, but he¡¯s not accustomed to riding in the dunes. He¡¯s a forest and mountains kind of guy. Only reason he¡¯s out here is because planes haven¡¯t been reinvented yet,¡± Laven explained. ¡°Whereas I know just how to take the crests and troughs to make up enough speed to catch up.¡±


    ¡°So, I know this is probably a dumb question,¡± Ally began. ¡°But where are we headed? And I¡¯m surprised Roshe seems to know¡­¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s just shooting off in a direction,¡± Laven said. ¡°Like I said, he just likes to go fast. We¡¯re going to overtake him shortly and we¡¯ll be making the tracks that he¡¯ll follow behind. He won¡¯t like it,¡± she chuckled, ¡°but it¡¯s as you said. He doesn¡¯t know where we¡¯re going. We¡¯re headed east. Our goal is to find the Allison Fey from this time and that dragon that Luke saw her with.¡±


    ¡°Sakonna¡­¡± Ally said.


    Laven nodded. ¡°LUCAS said she was somewhere near some mountains, which realistically could be anywhere, but I¡¯ve got a hunch about me¡ªsomething I think spawning from the being I¡¯m bonded with that is telling me Virginia. At least, you know.¡±


    Ally did, nodding. ¡°Right. So, entirely opposite side of the country?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s likely they aren¡¯t there anymore, especially if they¡¯re traveling by air, but if we¡¯re going to find a trail, that¡¯d be the best place to check.


    ¡°Let me do some calculating,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°There¡¯s quite a few mountain ranges in the area. I¡¯ll run the information based on what I remember from what I saw, and I can estimate a time of arrival. I¡¯m guessing somewhere between twenty hours from now.¡±


    ¡°Twenty...to cross the country? That¡¯s...ridiculously short.¡±


    ¡°These bikes travel faster than old bikes used to,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what my estimates are telling me.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Laven said. ¡°With no police regulation anymore pretty much all inhibitions came loose and people ¡®round here drive as fast as they desire. Of course, that sort of weeds out naturally the people that go too fast.¡±


    Ally thought on the matter and shuddered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably stop whenever I start to feel tired,¡± Laven said. ¡°Roshe¡¯ll hate it. He¡¯ll probably bicker about the fragility of my constitution or something in not as many words...but he¡¯ll be thankful for it deep down.¡±


    ¡°If you need me to take over I can try to learn on the spot,¡± Ally suggested.


    Laven shook her head. ¡°I appreciate it, but I know you¡¯re asking to be nice and not because you want to. Any amount of tired I¡¯ll be I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be too.¡±


    This was true, on both counts, really. She nodded in return. ¡°Okay.¡±


    They did overtake Roshe just as Laven had said, and when LUCAS looked to the side he could have sworn that he saw a sort of fierce determination in his eyes flare up as Laven passed him. The silver sands below them continued under until the color started shifting to a purple-silver mix. It was a slow transition at first but soon it became a lot clearer that they were going further and further away from the place they had once been.


    LUCAS saw the ground underneath them shift to a more solid violet stone. Then he looked up to see the edge of a canyon on his left. It started as a deep drop off into what he guessed was a void, but as it opened up he saw down at the bottom of the canyon were grasslands. Trees dotted the way like a small forest.


    ¡°Why¡¯s it all blue like that?¡± Ally asked, startling LUCAS who had himself been staring.


    ¡°Dunno. Probably because the sky¡¯s like that,¡± Laven nodded up.


    Ally looked up. She had noticed the sky was a darker shade of red than it used to be. It held malevolent energy that hung over her like a sharpened guillotine.


    ¡°To be specific, the cells in the plants down there react in a specific way to sunlight,¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°So when we have a blue sky the grass seems green. Makes enough sense,¡± Laven said. ¡°Biology always amazed me even though it was hard for me to understand more than the basics.¡±


    ¡°My father loved it. At least, I believe he did,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°He loved reading, and books about the world around him were some of his favorite. I think if given the opportunity he could have become a researcher.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people could have become a lot of different things,¡± Ally mused.


    ¡°You said you wanted to be a writer, right?¡± Laven asked.


    Ally nodded. She felt nice that she had remembered. ¡°Yeah, it was what I wanted for a really long time. I¡¯ve thought long and hard about doing it, but life has kind of made it impossible every time I get close to beginning.¡±


    ¡°I know all about that.¡± Laven began, ¡°although, it is more with poetry and sketches than longer stuff.¡±


    ¡°I did not know you were into art,¡± LUCAS said, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°I think on some level almost everyone is into art,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right...I meant like, as a creator,¡± LUCAS corrected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can really count myself as a creator if I¡¯ve never created anything.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the story of my life,¡± Ally said, rolling her head back. ¡°It¡¯s being endlessly inspired by what¡¯s around you, but endlessly unable to do anything with it.¡±


    ¡°That and then some,¡± Laven said.


    LUCAS felt left out in the conversation. He thought to himself what he thought of art. Was he even into art like Laven had said most people were? Art was nice...he could tell that. But it seemed...like it didn¡¯t matter as much as living¡ªas surviving. And then he figured he saw the problem the both of them were facing.


    It would be like if he were not able to fulfill his purpose¡ªif he were destined to fail his father¡¯s wishes and it was entirely out of his control. He knows that fear well, and they had no choice but to live through that. Maybe...maybe there was a way he could help. He would have to think on it.


    ~...~


    They slowed to a stop as the sun began to set. So fast did the time pass¡ªthey had talked on all manner of topics. Ally felt genuinely happy being able to talk about almost everything. The air around them cooled to a nice breezy chill¡ªnot enough to send shivers, but when she had stopped to take a breather when helping to construct a bendwood structure with the others she was able to admire the stars above in the violet sky. It was continuing the trend of impressing upon here just how different the world could be after fourteen years. That fact brought to mind other things about this world¡ªwhat did Felix look like now? Was he still alive? Maybe someday she¡¯d get to know the answer to those questions.


    Roshe had finished tying down the last of the four walls around the small make-up. They had three smaller skeletons of shapes that could be considered huts. They sacrificed some of the structural completeness for size. Bambo was the one who offered to help build another separate hut, but it was clear he needed help from Roshe to keep it steady. They probably could have made enough huts for each of them to have their own quarters if there were another bendwood tree in close proximity. The further east they drove the sparser between the spotted trees popped out of the ground.


    As the moon hung high in the sky they had each pitched in to help start a fire in the center of their structure. The good thing about bendwood is that it was so pliable because of sacs of water that broke inside to allow the branches and logs to be bent and shaped. That meant that it was heavily resistant to burning as the remaining water inside kept the wood itself damp. To further help the airflow, one of the sacrifices they made on the structure itself was the ceiling. Thankfully, there wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky and rain seemed just as far a concept as snow here.


    Bambo had retired early to his hut¡ªthey had determined that LUCAS and Laven would share a hut to themselves since any other combination made one or both of the parties uncomfortable.


    Roshe, LUCAS, Ally, and Laven all sat around the fire, listening to the crackling sounds lifting embers up toward the sky. LUCAS tapped his fingertips together and then made the motion of clearing his throat. ¡°I, um, I had an idea I wanted to run by you because I was thinking about what we talked about earlier¡ªwhat you guys talked about earlier. About how you never had the opportunity to make your art.¡±


    ¡°Art?¡± Roshe asked, gripping a canteen tight and taking a swig. ¡°That still exists?¡±


    ¡°Kind of the point we were talking about,¡± Laven said, but then she turned to LUCAS. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I...I know it isn¡¯t exactly what you would like, but I think at least until we got into a position where it would be easier for you to write whatever you wanted down, I could record your art¡ªnot to steal it¡­.I just mean if you wanted to get something out and have it available. At least until you were able to make it to whatever you would want.¡± He shrugged...trailing off.


    The both of them thought on it for a moment, Laven was the first to speak up. ¡°I really appreciate it. I don¡¯t think I have any ideas right now for that.¡±


    ¡°That is very nice,¡± Ally started. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d be okay with something like that? Do you have a storage limit? Isn¡¯t there something more important you should put there?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any limit I can see. And I mean this for both of you¡ªif there¡¯s something you want to put out in the world, then that is important. Just as important as surviving. I didn¡¯t understand that at first, but I think I do now. Or at least, I want to.¡±


    Ally looked around the group, as if worried at each of their reactions. ¡°Would...you all be offended if I talked a little bit about the ideas I have?¡±


    ¡°No, go on ahead. I¡¯d love to hear what you¡¯ve been thinking about,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°You know my opinion on it already,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I would love to hear what you have to say.


    Roshe closed his eyes for a moment and huffed. ¡°Go on. You got something in you that you want out. I know how that feels. Can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll listen if it¡¯s a love story, but I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Ally laughed, looking down to her hands. ¡°It¡¯s not a love story. At least, not at the start. I think it¡¯s a story about heroism, and magic...and well, I guess everything that exists now in the world but not as dark.¡±


    ¡°Not as dark sounds mighty good right about now,¡± Roshe said. ¡°Darkness deals too heavy a hand nowadays.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve had the beginning in my head for a long time, maybe I could try and tell what little I have?¡±


    LUCAS nodded, smiling. ¡°The floor is yours, Ally.¡±


    Ally looked at him and smiled. She felt Jace by her side and knew he would be there to help her tell his story. This was something she had imagined as long as she could think. Back when she used to live with the Faes she had dreamed of having an audience such as this¡ªnot necessarily large, but genuinely interested. She had plenty on her mind she wanted to get off. Jace sat next to her and nodded at her to begin and she began to speak. His voice melded with hers and they overlayed one another in synchronous harmony.

 [01] | The Artifacts of Merlyn

    Seraphen began as a land for dragons. The gigantic forms of the beasts were able to carve out the land until is suited their pleasure. There was coordinated effort that historians would explain as divine planning as to why the continent turned out the way that it did¡ªbut to the dragons, it simply must have been. Of those that first existed, several odd peculiarities began taking shape in exactly how the dragons carved their homes. The dragons back then were all of similar birth¡ªwhite-scaled and their wings not yet formed for flight, but their own preferences shaped the environments that they would create. They were known as the God Dragons ¨C those with extraordinary abilities to create anything they so desired.


    In the north, Arrok who had the toughest claws and the sharpest teeth bared out mountains to create massive dwellings inside. It deemed the land of the molten mountain ranges as Pyrron¡ªa land that future dragon spawn would bare similar roughness in their scales as red hues began to overtake the white.


    In the northeast Nocta created the moon and hung it over the world. The light shone down over the rustic farmlands of Noctilum Novae. Nocta¡¯s scales darkened to a deep black that absorbed the moon¡¯s light and cast back the shadow to imitate its revolution.


    In the east, Zephyr sowed forests and hills as far as the eye could see. Lush greenery sprouted from edge to edge of their domain. They grew to become the forests of Windruth. Their scales were dyed a deep green, and they were the first of the God Dragons to learn to fly.


    In the southeast Quincelle shaped and hardened magma from the planets cores into metal¡ªfashioning it over her own scales. Golden plating covered her lightly yellow tinted scales as she worked creating with fine metals. She¡ªlike her land¡ªhad known the wonders of metallurgy. Valencia was created as the land of innovation.


    Whereas in the south, the dragon with the smoothest scales carved out fractions of its land to allow the sea to meld within. Magnus Marinus¡¯ scales turned to a sapphiric-blue, and her claws most resembled that of other aquatic life. Her region came to be known as Oshus.


    In the southwest region that would come to be known as Dand¨¦, Darrios desired privacy above all else and so he shrouded his land with a cloak of immense fog. His scales were tinted a dark indigo and he crafted his lands in secret.


    In the west, Nair¨¦ flooded thick hills with golden flowers and flatlands to build marvelous sights. His scales turned Violet and brilliantly reflected the sun¡¯s beauty upon his land of Tora.


    In the northwest, Anveil preferred the arid sands. She churned up storms of sand and crackling electricity to fashion glass. Her scales were hued the color of amber. The deserts had come to be known as Abu Kheppi.


    And finally, in the center of all eight lands stood the final dragon¡ªEndrose stood as the unifying force tying the lands to a single mass. He stood as the Day¡ªthe sun and the ruler of them all. His scales remained a blinding white and history shows that the future legendary sword Caliburn The Day and the legendary shield Aegis The Night were forged from Endrose¡¯s scales. The central capitol was named Larinae, meaning all-encompassing in the dragonspeak.


    Altogether this land became known as Seraphen and was home to the dragons for many years. Over time, the dragons adopted more comfortable forms to fit the growing population¡ªsmaller visages which they took to most often¡ªthe humanoid forms that currently outnumber the draconic persona of the olden days.


    The human form became the standard evolutionary trait that began to breed and rule, but they still contained dragon blood¡ªthe resonance to the God Dragons of old. Long after the formation of Larinae as the Central Kingdom the God Dragons chose successors to carry on the symbol of their power. Endrose¡ªwho had taken the human form under the name of Arthur Endrose tasked a mighty wizard named Merlyn to capture their essences in several gemstones to feed their energy to the land. He stored his magic within different gemstones to insert in large lighthouse-like towers that were to be erected over deep veins within the planets core to bless each of the nine territories that surrounded Larinae.


    Merlyn bestowed to Tora the amethyst gemstone dubbed Merlyn¡¯s Space. He made the decision early on to not let the flow of magic run freely through the continent as the risk of allowing everybody access to power as great and life altering as magic without the proper care and study could lead to the end of them all. Merlyn¡¯s Space distorted particles in the air of Toran borders giving civilians natural magical tendencies while they remain in Tora. This comes at a cost of physical health, so magic is taught with extreme caution and intense training, leading toward the next generation of wizards of the land to pick up the knowledge. The magic remaining within the borders was demanded by the Central King himself, as he feared granting magic would allow for an easy vie for the crown. Stability was paramount in establishing Larinae and the nine kingdoms. This was a restraint that Merlyn was willing to compromise on.


    Next, to Dand¨¦, Merlyn cast together the dark indigo gem named Merlyn¡¯s Shadow. With its majesty flowing through their land¡¯s lifeblood, they would be totally and completely invisible to outsiders and other unwanted people¡ªMerlyn himself and the Central King would remain the two exceptions to the magic of the gemstone.


    Magnus Marinus in her human form took the cerulean Merlyn¡¯s Wave back toward the southern edge of Oshus and utilized it to help those within its lands barriers to breathe underwater so that they could construct their cities under the surface of the waves.


    To Quincelle, Merlyn gave the golden gemstone called Merlyn¡¯s Bolt. With it the people within its lands would be able to harness electricity and temper grand machinations to envelop a technological paradise.


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    To Zephyr, who remained in his dragon form until his death, Merlyn gave the gift of the emerald, Merlyn¡¯s Gale. The gift came too with limits toward the borders of the nation itself, but upon placing the gale in the Windruthian tower, Zephyr saw the currents underneath their landmass start to rise into the sky. They were able to cultivate new land to expand their floating lands as far as the borders of Windruth sat¡ªand deep below the forests would recover a natural habitat for creatures and the like to repopulate.


    To Nocta, Merlyn gifted the pitch-black gemstone of Merlyn¡¯s Time. It allowed the rulers of Noctilum Novae to manipulate the very fabric of time within its land¡¯s borders. Merlyn knew this sort of power was very dangerous if misused, so he put a special limiter on the magic itself that allowed only the ruler of the nation to approve specific requests so that they could work together on a public effort. Its strengths were unparalleled for the rest of Seraphen, though. It would allow a constant streaming of sources of supplies into Larinae if relations were to remain strong. Merlyn himself chose to keep a very close eye on this nation in the immediate years following.


    Darrios was given the ruby gemstone in Merlyn¡¯s Flame to hone the legendary Pyrronian forges in the deep mountains of Seraphen. Arthur was very pleased to establish a great forge at so dependable a length that he immediately sought to commission work for the Larinaen elite force that were to be established.


    And finally the last of Merlyn¡¯s gemstones was given to Anveil from Abu Kheppi who received the gemstone of amber light, Merlyn¡¯s Storm to grant natural protection against the desert¡¯s many natural dangers. It was a treacherous desert-scape that was fraught with frequent sand and windstorms so brutal, the gemstone allowed peaceful travel and the foundation of a beautiful oasis at the apex of their capitol.


    The totality of Seraphen was strengthened under Arthur¡¯s rule for numerous years as the beginning of its economy had grown. Larinae acted as a central force that mandated its various demands on the different regions in exchange for the goods and services provided by a centralized mediator during conflict and for the magic that Merlyn had provided. Throughout this time the land grew prosperous for the fifty-two years he ruled as its Central King.


    During his rule, Arthur had sired twins with his wife, Claribel. And by the year 156 these two¡ªClancy and Chase¡ªhad Larinae embroiled in turmoil during the time of the inheritance of the throne. Clancy was set to take rule as the elder of the two boys¡ªa birthright that pitted the two boys as well as the entirety of Seraphen into a Civil War that lasted ten years until Chase¡¯s surrender in 166. Clancy held the throne proper as Arthur had passed on halfway through the Civil War. The peace in Larinae would not last long as the outer kingdoms began to doubt Larinae¡¯s strength and authority after the devastation of the war had affected all of Seraphen.


    This comes to a fruition when Noctilum Novae¡¯s fourth elder, Servos II called for public retaliation against Larinae not two years later in 168¡ªa rebellion that is stamped out quickly by the recovered Clancy and the Larinaen Elite Force under his rule. This rebellion led to a near total crippling of the Novaen people. Merlyn had been keeping an eye as he knew he ought to, and it was at this point that their gift from the Central King was too much for them. He had cursed the black gem¡ªMerlyn¡¯s Shadow in his dying days and the nation has since known only darkness¡ªtime has frozen forever.


    For over five hundred years Seraphen continued to grow and grow, and general life expectancies began to shorten per generation. As the number of lives increased, the number of conflicts simultaneously joined them and as such the continent of Seraphen was no stranger to war. In the year 528 the seeds of rebellion would soon settle over the land, so too do the seeds of one boy¡¯s personal rebellion.


    ~¡­~


    Jace sure wanted to rebel against the fields he had been asked to plow. It was sooo boring. His day was to be like any other¡ªa morning of immense struggles brought by the intensity of the sun. The land he lived on was off the surface of the planet¡ªand so the turning side of the day seemed prime to irritate him.


    His family¡¯s shack rested at the crest of the tallest hill outside of the main shire¡ªand his own room was aimed right toward the rising sun. Though, it wasn¡¯t him that woke up first from the blinding rays of the morning, but instead the family¡¯s pet, Ursol. It looked like a breed of sheep mixed with cat¡ªthick wool keeping it warm as the gales picked up around the village, but small enough to act as a second blanket within bed.


    Ursol liked Jace the most but saying so was a given considering how his uncle disliked anything that moved that didn¡¯t directly bring him food or profit. Jace¡¯s mother had fought for her son to keep the creature on the trade of Jace¡¯s help on his uncle¡¯s farm.


    When the morning light broke through, Ursol perked his head up and his ears heightened in awareness. He cooed and hopped up on the bed, shoving his head against Jace¡¯s side.


    Jace groaned, moving his hand aimlessly trying to convince Ursol to stop. When it was clear that Jace wasn¡¯t going to get up from Ursol¡¯s prodding, he bent down and pounced on Jace¡¯s chest. He sputtered up in surprise. Ursol was pretty small, but the extra wool added some extra weight to his attack.


    ¡°Fine, fine. You have won. You may claim your prize,¡± Jace muttered, chuckling his irritation away.


    Ursol perked up and cocked his head. His eyes glowed with excitement as bright as the rising sun. Jace swung his legs over the edge of his bed and gripped the edge of his bed. His body was sore from the previous days¡¯ work. He had tilled the land for a long chunk of the day as punishment for mouthing off to his old Uncle Silar.


    The name even brought a headache on¡ªif he could avoid hearing it again he would be much happier¡­but he knew that wouldn¡¯t be possible. His Mom needed her brother as he took them both in after Jace¡¯s father was presumed dead on the surface. His father, Amatin, was a soldier for the central kingdom. He left three years ago on a request from the central king Percival Endrose to investigate threats of rebellion stemming from the northern rockies of Pyrron. He left, and things for Jace and his mother have only gotten worse.


    With Jace¡¯s father out of the picture, his family stopped receiving the stipends from the central kingdom Jace¡¯s father¡¯s work used to bring in. Their land had to be seized by the chieftain to convert their goods back into community resources. That led toward their current living conditions. Jace¡¯s mother picked up work as a delivery carrier¡ªironically carrying the parcels from the surface that at one point had included the money they had survived on.


    And Jace¡­he worked the fields day in and day out and saw not a single copper for it. Silar took in the fruits of their combined labor and put it toward his own personal payments.


    While the others his age had to only worry about what service they would serve Windruth, Jace had simply only to think about how tired he would feel tonight after he pushed away his feeling tired now. It was a compounded feeling that seemed to explore in him how deep exhaustion could run.


    A pounding sounded once, twice, and then a final time on the wall and Jace tensed, his shoulders tightening and Ursol became rigid beside him. It was his least favorite sensation in the world, and it originated from Silar¡¯s room which sat on the opposite side of the wall. The knocks were always fueled by his uncle¡¯s irritation, impatience, or short temper. He knew his Mom hated more than anything the conflicts that arose between Silar and Jace¡ªshe was caught in the middle of conflict that was not easily solvable. So, he could only work to keep his head down and avoid the complication as much as possible¡­at least, until the day was done.


    Jace had a plan, but he had to wait until nightfall in order to pull it off. He stood and stretched and dressed himself for the day¡¯s work¡ªslipping into loose clothes he could tie back on demand, and he bent down toward Ursol, cupping his head in his hands.


    ¡°After tonight I¡¯m going to be gone. Silar isn¡¯t going to hesitate to kill you once it¡¯s clear I¡¯m gone. But you have to stay until that point¡­you hear me? If you go then it¡¯ll be clear that I¡¯m gone way earlier than I want them to think. However, you have to get out if it looks like he¡¯s going to try to get rid of you.¡± Jace pleaded with the small creature. ¡°You have to go somewhere safe. I¡¯ll find you when I get back, okay?¡±


    He had hoped upon hope that he was understood. Ursol was smart, but it wasn¡¯t like he could confirm he did. If things were different he would have taken Ursol out with him, but he knew where he was going he would not be able to care for and feed Ursol. It was going to be tough as it was getting food for himself. With a final pat he stood up and turned toward the door.


    He took in a sharp breath and headed out the door to meet up with Silar on the outside. He knew the day¡¯s work was going to be grueling, but it was going to be worth it. When his plan worked he was going to finally fix all that had gone wrong in his life.


    He was going to be on the surface searching for his father.

 12 | Up High or Down Below

    2044


    Allison Fey


    </a> The sun had fully risen brightly in the sky and painted a red trail through the mists as the snow on the ground melted into a dense fog that hung close to the ground. The mist clung like a despot¡¯s desires around the area. Oppressive didn¡¯t even begin to explain the feeling the mist had on Allison as she traveled through. It blurred anything past five feet in front of her face and she simply continued on, following the creature that had claimed the name and body of Zane Hannes. She felt as fogged up inside and didn¡¯t know if she felt good with how things were playing out. On one hand, she had little other choice with the available options, and on the other hand she felt like she was abandoning morals she instilled herself a long time ago. The air around was still tinged with cold. Even though the snow had misted over the fog clung to her skin like rough bristles.


    Allison looked at her new companion as he crossed hills¡ªstabbing his tendrils into the earth to propel himself forward. A part of her thought on the ease how he told her that Sakonna was no longer. He was right in the fact that she had been uneasy allies at the first, but she thought again on the feelings she sensed within Sakonna before they ever entered Galder¡¯s Reach. Sensing the person Sakonna was before inspired feelings of¡­she didn¡¯t know how to fully describe it. Loss? Was that it truly? It certainly stirred conflicting feelings deep inside her.


    Across a high crest in the distance a stumbling wave of energy emitted similar but not exact toward the tower they had just shut down. She flashed back to Lillian Jones as she was back in middle school¡ªthe look on her face when she was using her powers to hide the crime she committed¡ªUsing her abilities to get everything she wanted. It was such a powerful feeling in her gut, but she didn¡¯t know why but that was the image that burned itself into her brain and she pushed forward catching up with Zane in no time flat.


    When she crested the hill she stopped and retracted the lance back into the slot in her armband. Zane stood next to her, and his tendrils similarly retracted into his back. The way they disappeared into his skin unnerved her¡ªthey entered through cylindrical slits in his skin that closed as they retracted fully. The places on his body where they came out of looked like bulbous sores. She looked away and over the edge of the decline she saw the depths of a crater. At the very bottom was a large chunk of metal that looked like it was ripped from a larger hull.


    The largest chunk in the center looked like it had been beaten by all forms of matter as it entered the atmosphere¡ªeven though the structure hadn¡¯t broken apart it was dented and dinged to all hell. Metal rods jotted out of the ground at odd angles. A surging presence flashed behind Allison¡¯s eyes¡ªshe saw this same dome falling from the stars above. She sensed the screams coming from inside the dome and even got a glance of the full ship it was ejected from.


    ¡°This came from the sky¡­do you know of any spaceships that were up there recently¡­?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Recently is a broad spectrum for space travel,¡± Zane said. ¡°And the answer is no, by the way. None of the memories I¡¯ve gathered know anything about interstellar travel. This is most curious.¡±


    ¡°This the power that attracted your attention?¡± Allison asked.


    Zane shook his head. ¡°No, although I am more interested in this area than I was before. This is where your friend is¡­¡± he turned to her slowly, ¡°friend, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°You lot all always are.¡±


    Allison turned in his direction¡ªlooking at him was still difficult. He looked like he shouldn¡¯t exist. He visually disturbed her. She didn¡¯t know if she would get used to seeing a face that fucked up.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Zane said, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°You were thinking about what to say in response¡ªto defend humanity and how complication in relationships breeds beauty in the small moments or some other greeting card message.¡± He made a show with his hands at the last.


    Allison shook her head. ¡°No, not anything that optimistic.¡± She offered a smile at the thought. It was humorous to think. ¡°I¡¯m not the best candidate for humanity if I¡¯m being honest with you. A lot of my worst and darkest times are tied to the unforgivable nature of people.¡±


    ¡°Yet you press on?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Throughout the darkness your kind casts over the globe ad infinitum?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for the good of humanity if that¡¯s what you mean. That¡¯s not my responsibility. I keep moving because I have a goal, of course.¡±


    ¡°One that¡¯s almost at its apex.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hopefully so. When that¡¯s done I¡¯ll find another goal to chase after. One not so bright inside, but one I¡¯ll follow nonetheless.¡±


    Zane chuckled, and something about how his voice layered over itself sent chills down her spine. ¡°What kind of goal could that be? What could be grander than reuniting with an old lost soul after decades of searching?¡±


    ¡°You should know, you have her memories after all.¡±


    Zane thought on it, then it came to him¡ªsimply like a bubble popping and sprouting the idea. ¡°Your daughter, of course. How could I have not known.¡±


    ¡°I am not so foolish to think I¡¯ll ever see her again, but I can make this world one that she can return to and be safe and happy. I think my sights after this will be set on that purpose.¡±


    ¡°Hm, interesting. How would you propose to do that?¡±


    ¡°Yet to be seen. I doubt I¡¯ll be allied with you then, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to even begin to theorize here.¡±


    His reaction had set it all¡ªthe arch of the eyebrow and the zest flaring in his eyes as the corner of his mouth twitched up. ¡°Now why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll come down to a point where either you crave a power I have, or I seek to protect a power you crave.¡±


    ¡°That would be unfortunate, yes,¡± Zane mused, almost as equally enthused with the conversation. ¡°But think on the fight we¡¯d have. Cataclysmic, I¡¯m sure. That metal of yours has not ceased emitting its energies out to me. Tell me Allison Fae, would you so wish to waste our fight when the each of us is yet to reach even but a fraction of our potential?¡±


    Allison thought on it. ¡°No, I think not. Though you shouldn¡¯t think me fool enough to forget that you have Sakonna¡¯s treasure she unearthed.¡±


    ¡°So you did notice.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but. You made it all but clear what you did with her. It would have been surprising if you didn¡¯t find it among her possessions.¡±


    ¡°Well, I will say I am very inclined on keeping it. So if you were thinking otherwise¡­¡±


    Allison shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in their tools. At least, any more than I currently have. Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly are something interesting,¡± Zane said. ¡°Any other hero would have fought for the immense power to protect those they love.¡±


    ¡°Who said anything about being a hero?¡± Allison asked. ¡°I have very specific goals. No more. No less.¡±


    ¡°The world has not been kind, hardened your heart.¡±


    ¡°You complaining?¡± Allison asked, irked.


    ¡°Not even a little. Makes it easy to work with you.¡±


    ¡°Enough of the patronizing. Let us move forward, I tire of talking in circles.¡±


    Zane smiled wildly and he let out a laugh that echoed across the dip. She felt one final chill and then decided that she wasn¡¯t going to let his appearance hold her back. He was unsettling to look at¡ªbut the time would come down to it that they would be against one another, and she would consider him an enemy. She couldn¡¯t let something so simple keep her from operating at her best. Similarly¡ªshe couldn¡¯t that let fact keep her from taking advantage of her current situation.


    He has saved her life. He has also led her to the place where her goal will be fulfilled. Finally¡ªit has been twenty-two years. She couldn¡¯t let the future affect her present.


    ¡°Besides, being too worried about what will happen will allow us to miss out on today. I¡­accept your challenge, or at least, I will.¡±


    ¡°I shall await that day with a yearning desire to separate you from that metal for a final time. It shall be glorious.¡±


    The air around the dome hung heavy and Allison felt like it was proper time to spread out the metal around her. She pressed on her armband and stretched the metal up over her arm toward her chest. Reaching over with her left arm she continued it until it wrapped around her torso¡ªshe mainly wanted to shield her heart from any electromagnetic waves. She saw Zane made no effort to shield himself¡ªshe wondered if he would even feel any adverse effects.


    She noticed he wasn¡¯t following her down the dip when she figured her answer¡ªhe wasn¡¯t going to be moving farther¡ªat least yet. There was some level of acknowledgement that she¡¯d want to investigate what was inside alone. That, or it was entirely for her to wade through the dangers first to ensure a smooth cleanup afterward.


    Whatever the reason was, she continued walking down closer toward where the ground started rising off of itself. Fragments of the earth hung tense feet in the air. There was a hum that rang throughout her body, and she could see the space between the fragments distorted. It looked as if it were steaming in a boiling desert heat. A pressure started forming against Allison¡¯s legs as she continued down. She took another step and pushed through it. There was about fifty feet remaining when she passed by a larger fragment on her right side. She felt a pushing force erupting from it¡ªshe knew it was exerting a strong magnetic force against the armor she was wearing. Because she had absorbed Vita¡¯s armor and its magnetic qualities she assumed they were two forces acting on each other with equal polarity.


    Thankfully it seemed like she could take a wide path around the fragment, and she found herself looking back up at Zane on the crest. His silhouette looked no less like a monster¡¯s. The tendrils on his head blew in the cold wind like long hair, but she still pictured a head being fired at with handguns at point blank range.


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    She turned back toward the dome and found herself at the entrance¡ªmetal stairs lay broken and missing chunks before the sealed chrome-white door. She felt a familiar energy emanating from behind the door and knew she needed to get inside. There was a pad on the right-hand side that looked like it accepted a key card¡ªsomething she didn¡¯t have any clue where she would find, however, on closer inspection she noticed that the door at the bottom looked bent out. She separated the metal around her left arm and raised it into the shape of a thin pipe and wedged it in between the crack at the bottom. She was able to work it up and was able to pry the two doors apart from each other¡ªpushing them into their respective slots on either side. She looked inside to see a dark hallway extend forward fifteen feet as another closed door remained shut.


    She stepped inside and opened the next door when she came across it. When she opened it she immediately smelled the gruesome odor of death. It opened to a circular room with a large machine¡ªan engine of some sort in the center affixed to the ground. Bodies in white lab coats had been strewn around the room. There was another door at the other end of the room, but it stood as the smallest level of importance compared to the massacre she bared witness to.


    ¡°What happened to you all?¡± Allison said, finding it escape her lips as a forceful declaration from her mind.


    She walked over toward a body on her left and bent down. The body had been broken¡ªprobably on impact with the planet¡¯s surface. It looked like a woman¡ªshe had long blonde hair and a snapped name tag on her chest read ¡°Anab¡±. It was cut off where the tag had snapped. She couldn¡¯t find where the other piece was¡ªprobably anywhere among the rubble.


    Her name was probably Anabelle. Just¡­what were you doing aboard this ship, Anabelle? And what are you doing here now? Her face was smashed from impact; it looked like her broken nose has splattered blood that crusted all over her smashed face. She could imagine what it had looked like before. She must have been very pretty.


    She checked the other bodies. Some had name tags, others didn¡¯t. The ones that did were Oscar, Jameson, and Victoria. Each of them were similarly smashed to pieces with their pools of blood long dried around them.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she closed her eyes and bade them peace in their final moments. Behind her eyes she saw the moments each of their lives were snuffed out. She winced as each spine snapped and their heads caved in from the pressure change as the engine entered the planet¡¯s orbit. Still she felt the presence deeper inside and knew she¡¯d fine what she was looking for inside.


    She took in a deep breath and walked toward the backside of the room. The door inside opened easily enough as she approached. In any other circumstance she would have questioned why this door suddenly had power when it seemed disconnected from the main source, but she felt the familiar energy spilling out from the room beyond to know she was being led in¡ªinvited like an old friend.


    She walked through the small hallway and found the door opening for herself once more. Inside her heart skipped a beat as she saw the face she had been looking for all her life. Her body had aged just as any person would have¡ªbut she could immediately recognize Lilly¡¯s face. She looked worn¡ªan expected look after existing as a puppet for so long. But¡­there she was. Lillian Jones sat in the corner of the dome¡ªa mess had sprawled all around them¡ªmost likely from the engine entering orbit. But Issachar had come onto this fallen piece of metal¡ªhe surely wasn¡¯t on the ship when it was up in space.


    Still, that didn¡¯t matter in the current moment. Lilly¡¯s face looked up at her and the face smiled small. ¡°Allison Fae, thirty-five. You have grown up¡­it is breathtaking to see you again.¡±


    ¡°Hello Issachar,¡± Allison said. ¡°It has been a long time. I must say I would have expected literally anywhere else to see you again¡­¡±


    She could tell Issachar was not well. It was not a hard thing to see¡ªLillian¡¯s body looked sick.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how long I wished for us to meet again,¡± Issachar said. ¡°I owe you much explanation, and I fear I won¡¯t have enough time to even begin to cover the feeling I wish to express, but I must also ask for your help, but not before anything that I¡ª¡± he coughed and hacked a nasty sound. It continued a few moments longer until he got a hang over it. ¡°I understand you may despise me. I have been personally responsible for a lot that you have had to suffer through. It is unforgivable and I do not deserve forgiveness.¡±


    Allison had things she would like to say but figured more than anything it was most important to hear him out. She bent down and moved to sit down opposite them, crossing her legs and nodding slowly. It was a position she hasn¡¯t sat in years. It reminded her of a time long ago when she sat among close friends at a table in her middle school cafeteria. Back then they were the Outcast Club. Back then the world was much simpler¡ªeven though it was much easier to think they were better then. She certainly hasn¡¯t forgotten the vow she made with herself back then¡ªthat Nassau was the absolute last stand before she gave up entirely on herself and life in total. The thoughts evaporated as she looked back up toward Issachar as he continued.


    ¡°I am sorry, for all that I have contributed toward your life. I tried to meet up with you before and make things right¡­but it got too dangerous. That other boy¡ªhe wasn¡¯t supposed to intrude like that. Because of his abilities he learned things about me and my siblings that threatened their lives. I couldn¡¯t continue our conversation safely¡­¡±


    It seemed like he was waiting for a response now. It wouldn¡¯t do good to keep quiet at this point. ¡°Felix¡­he has problems with boundaries,¡± Allison said. ¡°It¡¯s a problem we¡¯ve fought over in recent years¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Issachar continued. ¡°But I truly did wish to make things right with you then. Ever since that day we met those years ago I searched for you. I tried to separate you from that boy because I sensed danger. I didn¡¯t want any more danger for you. I needed some time to recover¡ªan act like that expends a lot of energy¡ªbut when I awoke again I had lost you.¡±


    ¡°Right after that I¡­I met up with Sakonna, actually.¡±


    Issachar looked to perk up. ¡°She¡¯s¡­s a very fickle one. Stubborn, I bet.¡±


    Allison sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to tell him the news, perhaps it was best to not mention it. Especially with the company she was currently keeping.


    ¡°I know you have been looking for me too¡ªalthough not specifically me. I know you have been looking for her¡ªLillian Jones, thirty-five. I apologize for giving you a reason to suffer. I¡­I had found myself between a rock and a hard place, you could say. A duty much larger than myself with an entire universe at stake against my own personal moral compass. Each of my siblings at the start were working to preserve millennia across a world where we got to live and breathe. Everything was stripped from us. I really believed I was doing something just. I knew we would be opposed, taking the form of a person is not something you can ask of anybody. So I waited¡ªI spent so much time trying to find the absolute worst person I could take over¡ªthe person who would have the least waves generated by their disappearance. I ended up choosing Lillian Jones, thirteen because of the result of our first encounter. I¡­recognize I was wrong. My siblings had each taken numerous vessels over the decades for their work, and in the short times I interacted with them since¡­they always asked or wondered why I kept her around. I grew weaker because of it, because of my own mistake. I decided I was going to not shed her like the rest of them did¡ªdiscarded to the empty nothingness. I was going to find you again, and I was going to let you reunite.¡±


    Allison was speechless. She knew he wasn¡¯t done, so she kept quiet as he continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ask forgiveness. I simply ask you forgive yourself for any guilt you may have had over this whole ordeal. And I ask that you seek out my brother¡ªyour father¡ªOrmus. Life¡­is degrading. Things are not going to plan anymore. We¡¯ve gone off the rails. Our father¡ªZ-One has been killed, and I think there is a mounting rebellion among our number. Ormus was his closest confidant, but he cared for humans. He cares for this world. He cares for you, despite his absence. I know I am asking an impossible task, but I beg in my final moments that you set this right.¡±


    ¡°Final moments?¡± Allison asked, suddenly bringing her back forward. ¡°You¡¯re¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to relinquish the rest of my soul to Lillian Jones, thirty-five. I think it is the final act of penance I can provide, even if it is much too late. I won¡¯t be long for this world much longer. The energy I have spent in keeping her alive has all but worn me away. I am¡­very glad to have seen you before the end¡­and you don¡¯t have to say anything about Sakonna. I have known for a while, now.¡±


    Her breath caught in her throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the others do too¡ªshe¡¯s not the first to have passed. It¡¯s been happening more frequently. I know it wasn¡¯t your fault. Just¡­¡± his eyes narrowed. ¡°Do the right thing when you can, okay? I don¡¯t know how I can better word it. I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes¡ªnot followed orders I should have. Followed ones I shouldn¡¯t have. I¡¯m at the end of my rope of what I am able to change in this world¡ªfor my family or for anybody else out there. I hope that in the remaining life I do have I am able to change something for the better.¡±


    Allison moved to respond, just noticing the tears now welling up in her eyes and she knew Issachar was gone. She felt a deep stain in her heart, cold and icy. It doubled in weight as she saw the light return to Lilly¡¯s eyes. They slowly faded back to their natural color¡ªthe hints of gold were completely absent and they returned to brown. She took in a deep breath like she hadn¡¯t breathed air in years. She sat in silence for a moment as she came back to herself and blinked hard, looking up toward Allison.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Her eyes darted in all around the room before finally settling on Allison. ¡°Are you¡­real? Or is this a continue to my eternal torture?¡±


    Allison felt a war inside her head and her heart. She had thought of this moment since she left her home all those years ago. Since she left everything she had left with that raggedy backpack on her back and Jace by her side. She flashed back to all the troubles and hardships she¡¯s worked through¡ªovercome¡ªoverpassed to get where she was in this exact instance. Everything led up to this one moment and suddenly she came to terms with what she was going to do.


    Lilly looked up to her for any sort of validation. Behind Allison¡¯s eyes now rested a final sense of affirmation. She moved forward in one swift motion, piercing her heart with the lance extending into a razor¡¯s edge. She offered nothing else but her eyes bugging out and a final surprised look. Her arm reached out and Allison embraced her, driving the lance deeper in.


    ¡°I forgive you, finally,¡± Allison whispered into Lilly¡¯s ear. It was the final thing she heard as the light faded from her eyes.


    This world was too dark for her now. There would be no happiness remaining. This was as much a mercy as she could offer. The tears that had welled up had fallen down her cheeks and she coughed one discomfort as she laid her body down, gently brushing something shimmering beside her. She bent down and grabbed at the object¡ªit was a shimmering red prism that emanated immense energy. It was the Red Monolith; she was sure of it. Issachar had come here in his final breaths to reunite with the monolith of his matching. It made a sort of sense¡ªalthough why it was here of all places still eluded her.


    A sight of a dragon swimming through the volcanoes where mainland China used to be swam through her mind. The creature was still a mystery to her, but a single word rang like an echoing bell.


    Elemantic.


    With no answers to the several questions swimming in her head she walked out of the room where Lilly had laid. She had to force the two doors open that had allowed her access, but after making it through she had used some of the metal from her armor to seal the doors completely¡ªensuring a peaceful rest until the end of time.


    Zane met her outside the ship. Her gaze toward him was as firm as she had ever given.


    ¡°You satisfied?¡± His eyes were drawn to her hands which she held behind her. ¡°Well, what do you have there¡­an interesting surging presence even stronger than the weapon you carry.¡± He hadn¡¯t realized he had licked his lips. It was an atrocious sight.


    ¡°I got a treasure of my own,¡± she said. ¡°And yes, I am.¡±


    Zane had made a face and it was the first time she saw him off balance. She decided to move to the offensive and keep her momentum. ¡°Yes, that means I¡¯m keeping it. My priorities have shifted. You can consider it me aiming to keep our final confrontation interesting.¡±


    ¡°Well you must have seen the lord Jesus in there for you to change tracks so suddenly,¡± Zane said, and then seeming to realize, ¡°That¡¯s another Zane-ism, I¡¯m not really too sure it¡¯d land but he seemed to think it¡¯d be appropriate in the conversation.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Allison said. ¡°Although I¡¯m sure Zane if he believed in Jesus would be appalled at the end result of our conversation. I¡¯m done here if you¡¯re ready to move forward to the true source of Galder¡¯s Reach¡¯s power.¡±


    Zane rubbed his hands together and chuckled. ¡°Now you¡¯re talking. Well I am up for you keeping it for now¡ªit will further incentivize me to keep me on my game. I look forward to claiming it as my own.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯m going to let you get the source of that power, but I¡¯ll give you a chance to fight for it.¡± Allison said, a stony determined look on her face. ¡°It can be like a race.¡±


    ¡°Well now this has turned from interesting to something I can fully invest into.¡± Zane smiled wide. ¡°That is a challenge I can accept heartily.¡±


    ¡°You first,¡± Allison motioned. ¡°and I¡¯ll happily crush you in my path.¡±


    Together they rushed into the mists beyond as they raced for the source of the energy that spiked both of their interests. Zane pushed ahead first with his tendrils stabbing the earth¡ªthe two that shot out below grasped the earth with its three-pronged claws shoving him forward.


    Allison whipped forward and used her lance to fire out¡ªextending at the end to latch into the earth and pull her forward. Electricity sparked around their bodies as they flew through the electromagnetic quarry. The sparks crackled and embodied the new spark of life within Allison herself. had another new purpose, and she wasn¡¯t going to let anything get in her way.


    I will make this world right.

 13 | The Mind鈥檚 Eye

    2044


    Ally Fey / LUCAS Gray


    She concluded as Jace sat next to her, pleased with the end of the chapter. Ally had finished and leaned back next to Jace. He had a look to him that was mixture of pride and joy. It was a feeling meant for the both of them¡ªLUCAS sure felt something akin to it in how confidently Ally had told her story. He could tell more than anything how long those words had been waiting to burst out of her¡ªbreaking down the walls and desiring life on the air.


    He nodded to her, ¡°I¡¯ve got that logged for you. I¡­am astounded at the level of detail you put into it. I would definitely love to hear more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have any more in me tonight,¡± Ally said, chuckling. ¡°I think I¡¯d even change a lot of it if I had it in front of me now.¡±


    ¡°Change? I don¡¯t think I noticed anything wrong with it,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I wouldn¡¯t have thought I take much to stories about magic and dragons,¡± Roshe began. ¡°But considering the path life has shifted me on you can say I¡¯ve been made an interested party by association.¡±


    ¡°That means he liked it,¡± Laven nodded, ¡°At least, when translated from macho man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks guys,¡± Ally said, recoiling the slightest bit into herself. She was clearly not used to positive reception toward her ideas¡ªnot for a long time were those parts of her accepted freely. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine for a campfire story, but if I were writing it down I would definitely change how the beginning is. It¡¯s¡­how do I explain it? It drags a bit; it spends a lot of time building the continent itself in a big lore dump and I could probably work that into Jace¡¯s story more naturally. Introduce him earlier and work it in so the pacing doesn¡¯t tank early on.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t why I couldn¡¯t ever be a writer,¡± Roshe said. ¡°The fact you¡¯re thinking of that after telling it is exhausting to my brain.¡±


    ¡°I understand the mentality,¡± Laven said. She reclined and looked at her right hand as some of the lights began to dim. ¡°When I used to paint I would always want to do better. I¡¯d think about remaking old paintings to see if I could do them better or in a unique way. The feeling of satisfaction with art is a very strange concept. You¡¯re never really fully satisfied, just satisfied enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it exactly,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°I see,¡± LUCAS said, looking up to the stars above and thinking on the words that ran through his mind. Something in the database connected and he could swear he saw the mental image of Jace¡ªit was as if he was importing Jace as he was here and using that data to build the scene of the story¡ªconstructing the world of Seraphen. It still looked like it was in the early stages, perhaps he could let it run its course and make a gift of it to her. He smiled and looked back down to Ally¡ªthat would be one best made a surprise, though.


    ¡°I think I am going to head in, thank you again for listening. It has been¡­a really long time since I told anybody about this, and it means a lot to me.¡±


    The group nodded back in reciprocation as she got up, Jace vanishing next to her¡ªa sight that caught Roshe off guard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get used to that,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s shockingly easy to,¡± Laven said. ¡°You¡¯ll see it soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be the judge of that,¡± Roshe said, placing his hands on his knees and propelling himself forward. ¡°I¡¯m retiring myself. I plan on keeping alert of sounds outside but it¡¯s going to come to a point where I succumb myself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Roshe,¡± Laven said. ¡°We¡¯re going to be taking turns ourselves keeping watch so I¡¯m sure one of us will be up when you do fall asleep.¡±


    He nodded them off as he went inside and finally the both of them were alone in the dark with the fire crackling in the moonlight. The embers sparked golden against the violet sky above. They sent shimmering sparks as the yellow fire glowed to a silvery gray at the base of the flame. It looked like a majestic painting¡ªLUCAS was sure if Laven were in the mood that she could make something ethereal with the inspiration.


    ¡°So.¡± Laven said, letting it hang out in the air. ¡°This isn¡¯t quite how I imagined this day to end.¡±


    ¡°I¡­yeah,¡± LUCAS settled on. ¡°It has been pretty crazy. But I think I¡¯m feeling the most confident about our chances if that makes any sense? I don¡¯t feel scared¡ªat least, as scared as I used to about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m incredibly happy about that,¡± she said, smiling brightly. ¡°I was very hesitant to feel that way at first. I think I have trained myself to be suspicious of a good thing. Typically I worry that things will turn out rotten before it has even the chance to turn out right. Me believing in you was the first time I decided to move against that feeling recently, but that feeling exists within me after years of building up that tolerance. It¡¯s not an easy habit to break with new situations. But after tonight I feel like I am open to accepting this group of ours as something good¡ªsomething positive.¡±


    LUCAS was thinking on it all, he understood what she had said and what she was feeling. He placed a hand on her lap, and she placed her hand over his. It made him feel good, and he hoped¡ªno, he knew that it did her too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what has shocked me more,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°The fact that Roshe wasn¡¯t out to get us or encountering a person from an alternate timeline.¡±


    It made Laven burst out laughing. ¡°I think he¡¯d hit you if he heard you say that.¡± She covered her mouth with her hand and let it out. ¡°God¡­just how weird is that?!¡± she looked to him. ¡°I mean, actual proof of multiple timelines. That¡¯s not something you just take lightly. I was handling it fine in the moment because it was clear she needed someone to reassure her that things were going to be okay but like¡­what the fuck?¡±


    ¡°I¡­am increasingly conflicted by Ally¡¯s presence here. She is a lovely individual, but I am constantly reminded that this same person separated only by time is supposed to be our target. I am hoping beyond all hope that nothing we do in regard to that negatively affects her here. I know it would come down to a level of priority if that were the case,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I would assume that someone¡¯s probable future shouldn¡¯t affect their past¡­but I am not anywhere near qualified to be able to say that definitively.¡±


    ¡°Considering what we¡¯re facing¡ªbeasts that have no regard for an entire universe much less individual life, we have to be prepared to meet their match. If it comes down to it where we can save the universe, but it erases her place here, we have to be strong enough to make that choice,¡± Laven said. She looked sad as she turned to him. The crackling fire seemed to respond to her by snapping within the wood and shifting the logs inside. She sighed, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that I think we should offer her up at first available opportunity. I really like her, and I want to try everything possible to avoid that first.¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°She deserves to be happy. We deserve to be happy. We deserve to live.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the eternal call to action, isn¡¯t it?¡± Laven asked. ¡°The declaration against the gods themselves.¡±


    ¡°Thinking of them as gods is the surefire way to ensure whatever plans they have in mind will work out for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Laven said. ¡°They¡¯re nothing more than cowards running away from their own problems¡ªforcing them onto us.¡±


    ¡°More than cowards,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Willing to torture life for infinite time in order to preserve their own. They¡¯re despicable. Putrid. I¡¯m not going to stop until each one of them realizes the damage they¡¯ve done, and I eliminate them completely.¡±


    ¡°You know, you sounded like something of a badass there,¡± Laven offered him a smile.


    ¡°I still got to work on it, trying it on as it were.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± she nodded, and started to laugh. He joined in, and the both of them knew it was probably best they put out the fire and retire to their shack like the others had. LUCAS stood and let the final smoke rings shoot out above into the violet sky as the fire hushed to a final good-bye.


    LUCAS stood and followed Laven back toward their own shack. The shacks themselves lent little to actual privacy, but LUCAS was able to confirm the others around¡ªeven Roshe had nodded off into their slumber. The night was perfectly cool¡ªa rarity for the environment around them, and one they would take advantage of.


    A moment of respite among chaos and turmoil.


    LUCAS had knowledge of the feelings they had each shared between each other, but zero experience of what those feelings did to him and how they affected everything high and low. It wasn¡¯t that Laven taught him what she had felt, but he give what she had asked for¡ªwhat the two of them had between themselves.


    When they finished he looked her in the eyes and saw her as she truly was beneath everything¡ªbeneath the layers she built up in defense of the world. Beneath even the covenant of the butterfly. He saw her depths and he knew that she was seeing him in much the same way.


    They stared at one another for a moment longer before simultaneously resting to their sides and embracing each other. LUCAS has vowed to take the first watch, so he sat with his scanners running in the background as she fell under.


    He noticed the scrambling of small creatures out from time to time, but they didn¡¯t approach close enough that he could determine what they looked like, but their only purpose was to forage for easy food¡ªnot anything they could provide at the strength difference. The fire had long been put out so creatures searching for warmth would have to wait until the sun rose once again.


    After some hours had passed Laven had woken up and held him close as he ventured into the depths of slumber. His mind forayed into the innards of the databases within him¡ªplaying back memories for him to see and scan through.


    He saw images of the Roulette Game run through his mind and he without fail began running side tangent searches for the remaining survivors out there in the world. It wasn¡¯t anything he had willingly decided to do¡ªit just happened at the snap of a finger.


    Aria Fleur¡ªwhen he had seen her she was not even a full adult, and yet she had been on the streets as long as she had been alive. She knew how to take care of herself and was as deeply entrenched in the underworld as a girl her age could have been. Of course, decades have passed since those days. She would be in her sixties now if she still was out there. He had a feeling she was¡ªshe had a tenacity about her that wouldn¡¯t be snuffed out. Though, he didn¡¯t really consider that fair considering most of the time he knew her¡ªhe did so as a corpse at the bottom of the ocean. He surfed through the hallways of his mind searching for any relevant tags he could use to pin a location down, but then he realized his database had cut off abruptly. He was limited to their current landmass¡ªthe land that used to be the American continents.


    He hadn¡¯t thought to search past before¡ªnothing thus far had required him to search of the rest of the world. But¡­it was so simply shut off to him that now he desired more. He wondered if there was a way he could reconnect himself¡ªbecause reconnect was certainly the word for it. It wasn¡¯t that there was a lack of programming inside himself¡ªbut the rest of the world was severed from him. Taken from him.


    He backtracked around the corner and returned back to the central hub¡ªthe center of his current focus. The Roulette Game served as a hub that inspired several different doors for him to travel down. The irony would have been simply too much for him if he had a writer¡¯s brain like Ally. But instead, it stood as a grim reminder for those out there who continued to fight. It was a reminder of what they came from. It was a statement of what he had come from.


    Simon Nagatomi would have been a little older than Aria. It was ever more unlikely that he was still alive out there in the world based on his past habits and lifestyle habits, but if he was still out there, it was most likely that he returned to Japan. Which, like with Aria, would be out of his scope of knowledge. It was a shame, because he had really grown to appreciate Simon¡¯s tenacity after learning of his struggle in remembering each of the cycles they had played through. He felt a sort of kinship to that¡ªand wondered what sort of relationship they would form if he knew that, and his neck weren¡¯t torn to shreds as Abel¡¯s was on that hundredth cycle.


    Sophie¡ªshe was a wildcard. LUCAS had opened her door and found many split pathways and forked trails as soon as he stepped inside. It was clear that her pathway of information opened up into a labyrinth full of dead ends and traps. It would take a sizable effort and many hours in order to determine the truth through the lies. He figured no other method fit her truly. For now, he would leave the door unexplored as he did not have that time or guile to begin unraveling the maze within, but he did keep tabs on it to return. It was a tasked he was determined to reach the end of, if not just to tell Sophie that she could rest easier knowing Sakonna was taken care of.


    He turned to the final door¡ªone that he cared to open at least. AI¡¯s door did exist there, and he was sure if he opened it up he would see the older Allison Fae there working alongside, but he had to restrain himself. He felt such anger toward her that he figured he would lash out. Not only would that do irreparable damage to his internals, but it could be invaluable in their search to find them, so he needed to be sure that when he opened that door he could control himself. He¡­was not sure of that yet, so the door remained closed.


    Levi, however, was the strangest out of them all. Levi was like LUCAS himself¡ªas he was but a prototype of the system that became his own. In a sense¡­would that not make him like an older brother of sorts? He thought on it and figured he would open the door. He stepped into a recreation of the German village that had been itself a recreation of the same location that Sakonna herself had fallen to when she came to this planet all those years ago.


    He sensed something he hadn¡¯t immediately in the other rooms¡ªthere was information and plenty of it in the village itself. At the center he found the core that¡ªto him looked almost primitive.


    It was Levi. He hadn¡¯t a need to even guess at it, there was something about it that just read to him as the man who lived an easygoing life until the move-in of the cartel to the modern-day Steinschild. It had always been a question how much of that story was fabricated for the guise of his memory, or how much was taken from the real-life village but standing here LUCAS knew that it had been entirely fabricated. And yet, just as how he was entirely fabricated, that so much didn¡¯t matter.


    LUCAS held his arms out and encompassed the light¡ªencasing it in a small sphere between his hands and looking down at the data¡ªwhile not dead, it was heavily damaged. He did not thing that it was irreparable, though, and an idea came to him. He sat down, and for the rest of the night began to work silently.


    He worked on pulling as much of the data from his memories back into active data consideration and was fully satisfied when the glowing yellow light shifted slightly to a green color. He looked down at the light and brought it down to the ground, pushing the core into the village¡¯s center itself. The world around him began to glow white. LUCAS was blinded temporarily as he felt the world around him beginning to shift. Even the ground under his own feet was unstable. It started to fade back to its usual colors, although he was moved to just outside the gate at the front of the village. He was looking at the gigantic statue of Sakonna in the center of town.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Back then, he learned through Abel¡¯s eyes that the statue was created for fear of the monster that lived in the mountains above. Humans in that time told terrible stories of how Sakonna would terrorize the people down below solely for her own recovery¡ªafter her choice to assault their world had unexpectedly caused her to rest. It was the epitome of his hatred of the Creatures of the Night. A statue emboldening fear was the exact sentiment he fought against.


    His anger faded as a figure started to appear before the statue¡ªbuilding itself before his very eyes. The tall figure regarded him with a smile, curly hair with a confident stance¡ªone unfamiliar to him, but more than welcomed.


    ¡°Levi, it¡¯s been much too long. I¡¯m so happy to see you.¡±


    ¡°Long? I don¡¯t¡­¡± Levi began. His gray eyes began spinning as he began to process the information around him.


    ¡°Let me take you through it slowly,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I fear if you try to learn everything at once you may throw yourself off for some time.¡±


    Levi looked back at him and then nodded, and then crossed his arms. ¡°Do I know you? Am I supposed to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you would if I was going to be specific. You might know someone who looked like me. Abel was with you in the Roulette Game, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he was¡­very nice. He tried to take care of everybody¡ªlittle tyke was so young, too.¡±


    Hearing his father called a tyke brought out a smile from him out of his control. LUCAS nodded. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my creator. You can liken it to a father if that¡¯s easier for you. Physically, I¡¯m based off of his older brother, Cain.¡±


    ¡°Quite the naming scheme for those two brothers.¡±


    Another smile came forth, but this one had dark roots, and LUCAS was not unfamiliar as to why. Maybe it was that irony that he smiled. Either way, he continued. ¡°Yes, their parents were very much into the power of names¡ªand after hardships of their own determined to imbue their children with as soulfully powerful names as they could muster. I¡¯m not them, though so I don¡¯t want you to get confused. My name is LUCAS. The next part is a bit harder to grasp so I want you to repeat back to me what I just told you.¡±


    ¡°I knew Abel,¡± Levi had begun. He thunk a moment further and then looked back, more confident. ¡°But you are not Abel, you merely look like his older brother, Cain. Your name is LUCAS.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good.¡± LUCAS said, nodding his head. ¡°The longer you¡¯re awake the easier it will be to retain information. For now, we¡¯ll take it step by step.¡±


    ¡°Awake,¡± Levi said. ¡°Where¡­am I?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°First, I have to explain what you are.¡±


    ¡°What I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s many ways to explain this in a way you wouldn¡¯t understand. I¡¯m going to try my best to find a good enough explanation that sits well with you to be able to understand the rest.¡±


    ¡°That answer¡­is unsettling,¡± Levi said.


    LUCAS looked back at him; an unsettling look on his face. ¡°I really am sorry, that is going to continue for a bit.¡± He took a sharp breath and started to explain. Levi listened with no shortage of questions in response to each major point covered.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not a real person,¡± Levi said, distraught at the reality of his situation. There was a look of distress plainly on his face.


    ¡°You are a real person,¡± LUCAS countered. ¡°It¡¯s hard to hear that the things you believed to think were your past were made up by someone else, but that doesn¡¯t mean you have to continue living the way your creator bid you.¡±


    ¡°What use is there to that? What would I be able to believe if everything I had believed turned out to be a lie? How can I ever be sure of anything?¡±


    LUCAS nodded, ¡°I understand how that feels. I wonder that to this day. I get the fear of not knowing what to trust when you are so different from everybody else that exists out there¡­but that¡¯s one thing you and I have in common.¡±


    ¡°How do you handle the conflict of your creation? Levi asked.


    LUCAS cocked his head as he thought about the question. ¡°It is hard. Like¡­really hard. It¡¯s a prevailing thought that returns time and again to my mind, but the way I make sense of it is to manifest my own future.¡±


    Levi looked confused, unsatisfied with the answer.


    ¡°Think of it like this. You were constructed by some very bad people in order to test some very bad things. This is the truth of your creation, but it is not your responsibility. It is not your fault, and you shouldn¡¯t feel bad about what happened here. You will feel bad about it because you have free will¡ªyou are separate to them. You are intelligent. Which means you can be good. And you feeling bad about that is proof you want to be good. What has happened in the past is done and so the most important thing you can do is work to be better than your creators.¡±


    ¡°How can I do that from here?¡±


    ¡°I¡­am working that one out still,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°You are limited right now because you don¡¯t have a body out there anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡­blew up. Right?¡±


    LUCAS was about to nod, thinking of the events of the hundredth timeline of the Roulette Game, but he stopped as he remembered a key point. ¡°I am unsure. I¡¯ve seen you blow up in quite a few timelines. I think¡­you may not have been in our current time, though. The others escaped¡­Abel notwithstanding.


    ¡°Wait¡­so I do have a body out there?¡±


    ¡°You might. If it hadn¡¯t blown up, it would still be in SubCon. The facility itself has blown up¡­but¡­it¡¯s not necessarily impossible it could be salvaged.¡±


    ¡°LUCAS,¡± Levi turned to him quick, a desperate look in his eye. ¡°Do you think you could check? I would give anything right now to have a place to exist¡­to do better.¡±


    LUCAS stared at him, the fire burning in him was inspirational. But he knew he couldn¡¯t turn back to return to SubCon right so quick. ¡°I will, but I can¡¯t at this exact moment.¡±


    Some of the fire in his eyes dimmed.


    ¡°But I promise I will try. I do have something you can help me with in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± Levi said. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Come here, follow me,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± He turned and began to walk away but was stopped when he sensed he wasn¡¯t being followed. Sure enough, he turned back to see Levi standing in place.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know how to move,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this. I can see I look like myself here but¡­I¡¯m not.


    LUCAS stopped and realized for perhaps the first time that moving in here was different. He stopped to think about the difference¡­and how he would explain it, but then realized it would probably be impossible¡ªat least, right now. He walked back toward Levi and reached an arm out toward Levi, placing his palm on the man¡¯s chest. Levi¡¯s eyebrows perked up and his skin glowed with the green light that comprised his data previously. His form shifted and compacted back into the globular light.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Levi asked, the tone in his voice was panicked at first, but he seemed to calm as he saw he wasn¡¯t in any imminent danger.


    ¡°Moving around in here is different than walking around in the world outside. I hadn¡¯t even thought about it because it just comes so naturally to me, but I¡¯ll fix that now. Moving isn¡¯t a physical action here, because I possess no body in here¡ªmy mind is traversing these annals, so I have to imagine myself moving¡ªwhich means I need to have a mental picture of the places I am moving to. I¡¯m going to bring you with me because I don¡¯t expect you to have a full map of the place here, but within time I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get the hang of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, I see. Well then, let us away.¡±


    LUCAS nodded and he gathered Levi¡¯s core and moved back toward the centerpiece hub¡ªthe bubble of a room that comprised the main game that had united all of those people those decades ago. Levi had separated from LUCAS¡¯ grasp and looked around.


    ¡°I¡­remember this. This is where the Roulette Game was played. That means¡­the place we were just at was Steinschild.¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°Yes. This is a hub that is constructed to recreate the SubCon facility. Behind those doors here are information trails on each of the people that participated in those games. I¡¯m sure you can find out yourself which one correlates to who. Aria and Simon are cut off¡ªit is most likely that they have exceeded the distance at which these systems can track them. I¡¯m going to work on expanding those networks out there.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°it¡¯s here¡­¡± He gathered up Levi once again and moved through Sophie¡¯s door. The labyrinth constructed itself all around them and Levi slowly began to shift back into the form he felt most comfortable in. He craned his neck back as his eyes widened.


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    ¡°Massive,¡± LUCAS finished.


    ¡°Yeah¡­this is for Sophie, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    LUCAS chuckled. ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡±


    ¡°Only she would have layers upon layers of complexity to figure out anything about her¡­unless this is meant to be the easiest labyrinth and the other rooms were ten times as complex.¡±


    LUCAS shook his head, ¡°No, thankfully not. This is as complex as it gets. I am going to be honest and straight to the point. I¡¯d like to find where Sophie is. The answer to that is somewhere in here, and I¡¯d love to dedicate as much time as it would need to figure that out, but I have too much I have to be out there for to do that now. I¡¯d like to ask for your help to see if you can make any sense of this place while I¡¯m out there.¡±


    Levi looked at him and flashed a grin¡ªthe older man nodded, and the same fire had lit behind his eyes. ¡°You can count on me.¡±


    LUCAS smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a far cry from the man I saw first enter the Roulette Game. I mean that in a good way. They tried to make you a scared toothpick who would break under the slightest bit of pressure.¡±


    ¡°I tell ya, I¡¯m mighty scared,¡± Levi began. ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot about my current situation that terrifies me to no end on an existential level, but I¡¯m trying to do what you said¡ªtrying to be better.¡±


    LUCAS nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the best thing you can do.¡±


    ¡°I think I can move around here; it makes a bit more sense how you explained it. Is there a way I can reach you when you go¡­out there?¡±


    ¡°I¡­am unsure. I didn¡¯t know you were in here before this, but I don¡¯t think you were fully active. I¡¯ll try to reach out when I wake up.¡±


    ¡°Wake up¡­so you¡¯re out there dreaming this?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking. My mind¡¯s awake as my body sleeps.¡±


    ¡°And you feel rested from that?¡±


    LUCAS nodded, chuckling. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s a strange thing, you know? Put my internals to minimum required values and I do feel better when I wake up.¡±


    ¡°That is something. I shall await being able to do that myself someday.¡±


    LUCAS regarded him with a final nod as he closed his eyes and rose back to the surface. He woke to Laven running her hands through his hair. His eyes opened to her smile, and he returned one in kind.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said. ¡°You must have been reciting a speech to the Queen of England.¡± His confused look made her laugh. ¡°You were whispering in your sleep. I couldn¡¯t make out much of what you were saying, but I could pick out a few words. You were dreaming about that game, weren¡¯t you? I heard you say the name Levi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I was inside my own mind searching through the records and I managed to find Levi in there¡ªthe data that survived. He was there. I was able to bring him back and that felt¡­really nice.¡±


    ¡°That is amazing,¡± She said. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a body yet. I think there¡¯s a chance the one he had could have survived, but it¡¯s way out of our way to find it. It might be better to construct a new one for him, but I wouldn¡¯t know the first thing about that.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think on that? On his body being out there maybe?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not something we should investigate now. It¡¯s imperative that we continue on our path¡­but if there is a chance then I¡¯d like to see if I can help him.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she nodded. ¡°I am not going to pretend to understand the mechanics behind constructing a new body, but certainly that would be¡­I don¡¯t know, better than trying to excavate a broken facility at the bottom of the ocean?¡±


    There was a knock at the door, the both of them turned to see Ally, holding herself nervously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt¡­I couldn¡¯t help but overhear¡ªwell, not overhear but overthink¡­¡±


    Laven understood and nodded. ¡°You understand the context?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± she said. ¡°Enough. I spent quite a few years learning metallurgy, and I tend to get senses of things by interacting with them. Maybe if we get the opportunity¡­I could help learn how you work. Then I could possibly help in making something like that.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°I have a great knowledge of the technical side of things, I could explain why things work if you could figure out how to replicate that.¡±


    ¡°I could try. I¡¯m not the best¡­but I could try,¡± Ally said.


    LUCAS attempted to reach a connection point to Levi, he closed his eyes to focus, ¡°Hey Levi, you there?¡±


    He waited a few moments and heard a very faint reply, just a single word, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We have someone here who might be able to help us build you a new body. It is going to be a bit as we¡¯re still on our current task, but we¡¯re closer than we were when I spoke to you in there.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    LUCAS guessed he was still learning how to project himself to the outside, so he figured the answer was sufficient enough. He opened his eyes and then nodded to the others, ¡°That sounds really good. Thank you, Ally.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Of course, anything I can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Well, with that settled, I think we should get ready for the day, got a ride ahead of us.¡±


    Ally nodded. She hadn¡¯t fully known the scope of what they had spoken about, but enough of Laven¡¯s thoughts slipped through the spaces where they slept that she could estimate with a reasonable level of accuracy the rest of it. Someone LUCAS had known was stuck without a body¡ªsomeone most probably like him, and they didn¡¯t know enough to be able to make him a new one.


    ¡°Brave enough offer, are you an engineer now?¡± Jace had asked in her own mind, keeping the conversation private.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot of things,¡± Ally thought. ¡°But I have a great capacity to learn.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you want I could help out¡ªanother hand to help.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me how to construct a robot?¡±


    Jace laughed, ¡°Unless you start taking some online classes I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to be all brawn for that problem.¡±


    ¡°What if I wrote you as a roboticist. Could you help me then?¡±


    He chuckled harder, ¡°I think that asks to the same question, love. Wish you could though. Silar sounds like an ass, but I don¡¯t think he could fuck with a roboticist.¡±


    ¡°He probably wouldn¡¯t know what the hell you were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Too true.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks for telling my story. I¡¯ll only dock you for the rest that still needs to come, but it felt really nice hearing it come from you out loud.¡±


    Ally smiled at this, and she gathered her stuff together from her shack and met the group back outside the fire pit. Roshe and Bambo had completely torn down their shack and dispersed the remnants to the wind.


    ¡°Good morning ladies and Luke,¡± Bambo said, shielding his eyes from the sun above. It was barely rising in the sky yet still shone so brightly across the land.


    LUCAS nodded in his direction and looked back toward Ally and then over to Roshe. ¡°How was the night for you? It seemed mostly quiet from my view.¡±


    ¡°Quiet enough,¡± Roshe said. It was clear he was ashamed of how early he bit it. ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to go as long as I can if you can match me.¡±


    ¡°The ground was pretty hard, I admit. But I¡¯ll live,¡± Bambo said. ¡°I was up for a bit after ya¡¯ll came back in and I got a route set for us. We can take a few shortcuts to cut down some of our time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, where at?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll overtake you and you can find out,¡± Roshe offered a challenging smile.


    ¡°Hm, shame, seems we¡¯ll be taking the slower route,¡± Laven laughed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Roshe scoffed.

 14 | Blood Covenant

    2044


    William Wallace


    A darkness hung over the innermost chamber as Amnael¡¯s soul faded through his nostrils like a musky steam. It was thicker than vapor and he felt chills run through his blood as he inhaled, licking the girl¡¯s blood off his lips. He stood up to his full height and ran a hand through his hair. They stuck in clumps from the sweat that had coated in the swipe. They had stuck his bangs back in a wild mess. He was breathing heavy. His vision waned, but he tensed and pushed through it, stabilizing his breathing.


    William looked down at the broken mess of bones and blood that stained the carpet. He blinked and his eyed darted past the ornate decorations toward the rear of the room. There was a disturbance that he was now hyper focused on. It took him a moment to come to terms with what exactly had felt off, he noticed the hairs on the backs of his arms were standing up on edge. He took a deep breath and understood.


    He turned and whipped out his arm toward the heavyset door¡ªhis arm shot out like a branch, angling up and down at sharp angles. It ended in a sharpened edge, piercing the door and hooking upward. A voice spattered out as blood caught in the throat of the person behind the door.


    William stood still with their heart in his grip, the edge piercing right through the center and tearing a hole open. He opened his fist and as the point separated back into his fingers it tore the hole open even further as the body began to shake. He retracted his arm, and it came back crimson. The body on the other side of the door fell with a slump.


    He walked over toward the door slowly and placed a measured hand on the door¡ªmounting great force to push it open. It stopped at the body, and he pushed harder. It opened enough for him to step out and he looked down as the door slowed to a close behind him.


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    It was his champion. A machinist¡¯s daughter who had an impressive display in her fight for her role. She had overtaken the previous champion by using her wits to use his strength against him. The previous champion was a brute who thought the only way to win a fight was to hit really hard. It had worked for a time for him¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t the most memorable strategy. It clearly was going to backfire on him when he came across someone who could take advantage of his pitiable intelligence and ill desire to adapt to new situations. His new champion here had given him the exact medicine he deserved¡­and here she went and threw it away for her morals. It seems she had some misguided plan to try and usurp the throne. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what method she had used to sneak into the palace. It was an impressive feat, but at the end of the day he felt a pride in snuffing out such a motivated soul.


    He continued down the hall toward the spiral staircase heading down. The expansive room under his chambers led to the central elevator that connected through the rest of the palace. It was most likely that the champion had managed some way to the elevator. If he were the dormant kind of ruler that always kept to his chambers he surely would be at massive risk of invasion through the atrium.


    It put to mind an idea of a trap he could place for such a future soul who would get an idea. He opened the doors to the elevator and stepped inside. He had some things to check on now that his situation with Amnael has changed. He would return back to the chambers to recover the body¡ªhe¡¯d need to schedule a public display to name the arrangement of a new champion, the girl¡¯s family would probably rebel at the sight of their daughter¡¯s corpse. It would be unfortunate to lose a family as skilled as them, but it was an important lesson to learn that only you could be irreplaceable. Dependency was a death knell.


    But first, he would go to his workshop and begin working on his own little projects. A new vigor flowing through his blood was sending his mind into a creative frenzy. He had urges and desired to manifest them into reality. The doors shut behind him and he descended.

 15 | Memory of the Monoliths

    2044


    Allison Fae


    The white expanse filled the horizon as far as the eye could see. The mist that clung to the ground from the snow had since vanished as the sun above their heads. The temperature around them had risen dramatically as they traveled down the east coast. Out behind them sat a tunnel that led down under the surface. Allison was suspect of its nature, but now seeing the lands out in front of her she had a feeling it was going to be their intended route after all.


    ¡°Dark places with the rest of the rats, is that it?¡± Zane asked.


    ¡°You can try to cross if you wish. I don¡¯t need to take a second look at how hot those waves are sizzling to know we¡¯d be cooked alive trying to cross.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to so quickly ignore the treasure you recovered and the power that emanates from it?¡±


    ¡°No, not even slightly. Whatever shield it can prevent would not ease us from the blistering heat. I would prefer to travel cool if possible.¡±


    ¡°Well then I guess I¡¯ll lead the way on top. Pain isn¡¯t a problem for me up here. I mean, it¡¯s not my body,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite gruesome.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t I wouldn¡¯t have any interest in it, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Allison moved to answer, but she was interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, that was another Zane-ism,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Right,¡± Allison sighed, well, I assume we¡¯ll meet each other on the other side.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t see you there? You¡¯re not going to make me backtrack for your goodies, are you?¡±


    ¡°You can try if you want. I won¡¯t for you.¡±


    He matched her gaze and he nodded as two rear tendrils lifted him off the ground. The third extended over his head like a scorpion¡¯s tail and he turned, launching himself into the distance. She knew he was going to make it to the end first. She also knew he wasn¡¯t going to go farther than her. Not now. It was a serious challenge for him.


    He desired a total and full defeat¡ªand that excluded head starts by any and all counts. He wanted her at her best and that is why he hadn¡¯t pushed for the Red Monolith. He secretly wanted her to collect as much power as possible so that he could create the greatest enemy he could take down.


    It seemed so simple to connect the dots now¡ªthis creature was nothing more than an enemy to be. She needed to keep that in mind. Friends didn¡¯t exist any longer. It would be irresponsible to think otherwise.


    She turned and made for the tunnel. The exterior looked like it had been roughly carved and refined over a period of years. The path down seemed to arc in a winding path. As she headed down she noticed it was noticeably cooler, but the light similarly left as she reached the pitch-black bottom. If she closed her eyes she could feel her way around¡ªseeing with her eyes closed¡ªthe depths of the walls and even so minute the details of the insects that crawled in the dirt. She felt the increased focus from the crystal in her possession. She took a deep breath and began walking through the darkness. She dared not pick up her pace as her senses began to blur and spill into one another when going too fast.


    She stopped¡ªsomething was on the edge of her feeling. She opened her eyes and felt a familiar smell drew her head to the right. A face emerged from the shadows¡ªbut just a face. Lilly stared out toward her; a worried look that slowly melted as the skin dripped down to the shadows. Her form bent and broke and Allison took a recoiled step back.


    Two figures were off in the distance¡ªthe closer had their back to her. Their arm was raised in a vaguely familiar position. She approached slowly¡ªnoticing where it had been pulling the figures from.


    Lilly had stood with her hand outstretched and across the darkness was Ashley Evans. Her body was raised in the air¡ªher arms limp beside her. The scene was frozen as she approached. She stopped to stare at the bodies as they were over twenty years ago.


    Lilly¡¯s head slowly turned toward Allison and her eyes turned a dark crimson. ¡°You run away from a power you claim to have conquered. You run away into the depths of your heart until nothing can find you.¡±


    A lump caught in her throat as she heard the voice spill out of Lilly¡¯s mouth. It wasn¡¯t human. It was deep and beastly. Ashley¡¯s own demonic timbre joined as they repeated the chant again. Allison turned to see the whites of her eyes have gone red¡ªthe pupils shooting up into her skull.


    ¡°You¡¯re not anything more than a ghost of the damned,¡± Allison bit down hard. ¡°You¡¯re from the Monolith, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She grabbed at the crystal without looking away from the figures and felt a bright hot burning in the palm of her hand. Its light reflected in the false-Lilly¡¯s eyes.


    A word rung closely behind Allison¡¯s own eyes¡ªit was a familiar word.


    Elemantic.


    ¡°I am memory given form by your intense emotions,¡± the voice called out. ¡°You lock yourself away and yet it gives me the perfect place to hide and to be¡ªto gain strength and through me be your downfall. I am beyond your experience¡ªbeyond your time.¡±


    ¡°You existed in the time before¡­didn¡¯t you? You came from that old universe¡ªthat same one Alex came from?¡± She had called out Sakonna¡¯s old name as if it were an old friend¡¯s¡ªso simply. And yet, she noticed a reaction. Each of the figures heads had darted toward her and stared daggers toward her.


    They fell into the darkness and a boy took their place. He looked to be about sixteen¡ªseventeen at the most. He looked up to her¡ªhis eyes were the same blood red, but they glowed with the burning fire of the Monolith.


    ¡°I am memory. I contain memory. I seek memory.¡±


    She felt a surging presence in her mind¡ªflashes of a world long ago passed and she saw this same boy when he existed on Earth. It was a time much different to now¡ªmuch different to the world of her own childhood. His name was Devon Campton and he was childhood friends with Alex Sharpe. He got involved with a bad group¡ªa cult that desired to ascend to a higher plane of existence. You didn¡¯t want that, did you? What kind of terrors have you wrought on the universe?


    ¡°You still know so little about the memory of this world,¡± Devon said, his eyes still seeing past her¡ªthrough her. ¡°There is another shade you have been blind to. Another memory.¡±


    He vanished and she was outside¡ªsomewhere high up in the sky. Outside of the planet, outside of time. She is standing in a dense library filled with rows and rows of books lining the walls. A window on the opposite wall reveals a starry backdrop¡ªbut space outside is a long-since foreign black and blue void. The stars shine brilliantly from the metal hull the compound exists from. Allison doesn¡¯t know how, but she¡¯s arrived at the edge of the old universe.


    Another shade you have been blind to¡ªa memory.


    Two figures stand opposing one another, and Allison notices a complete record of the universe¡¯s events recorded on every single book spanning the shelves that surround them. She saw based on the two figures¡¯ posture they were casually comfortable with one another. The rightmost one stood moderately tall wearing non-descript clothes and had dark hair kept short on the sides. He looked noticeably younger, but this fit the description of the force that she had sensed as the being at the center of everything¡ªZ-One. Here he looked like anyone else¡ªit was off-putting.


    But it was not he who stole her breath away¡ªbut the man on the left. He looked to be middle aged if not a little younger¡ªdirty blond hair hung carelessly at the nape of his neck¡ªhis eyes were different colors and in those eyes she reflected an image she hasn¡¯t thought of in a very, very long time. She saw him for one moment and knew that this¡­was her father. This is the being that would¡ªsoon enough¡ªbecome the Child of the Night known as Ormus. He would take the form of a large gecko when on the new Planet Earth¡ªand he would deliver an infant Ally Fae to her first string of temporary homes. Issachar¡­he had said her father existed out there in the world and was this some final extension of his will? This crystal¡ª


    She wasn¡¯t holding the crystal¡ªshe wasn¡¯t holding anything. The lance was gone, she panicked for a second, but she felt them on her body even if she couldn¡¯t see them. Her vision was being overwritten down in the darkness. She felt a hushing presence¡ªperhaps from Devon¡ªto not worry about her physical connections.


    Devon¡­Issachar, that was your name, wasn¡¯t it? You are just like Sakonna. You all are the same. You were people¡­living people with names and stories of your own.


    Father¡­what was your name? Who were you?


    Allison took a step closer and heard they were in the middle of a conversation. She didn¡¯t know if she could be seen, but she figured it would be best to not take the chance.


    ¡°You have to forgive my doubt, but it sounds¡­well, I¡¯m going to be honest. It sounds crazy,¡± her father said. His tone had said they have had plenty of talks like this plenty of times before. Just what power did this other person have¡ªto be seen as this figurehead of their movement?


    She leaned in closer to parse his answer.


    ¡°Would it really be something I came up with if it wasn¡¯t?¡± Z-One offered a laugh.


    Her father sighed, but it was a sound of acceptance rather than irritation. ¡°As fair a point as that may be it doesn¡¯t change my own. I need to hear it from you. I need to know you¡¯re going to see it through.¡±


    ¡°Have you no faith?¡± Z-One countered.


    ¡°I think we both know that answer. Faith is best left to the dogs. Come on, spill it. I can¡¯t bare the anticipation.¡±


    Z-One chuckled, offering a wry smile. ¡°I see. You¡¯re right. You know, you¡¯re closer to my own mind than I think sometimes. Okay, let¡¯s take a seat first. It really is a lot.¡±


    Ormus walked across toward a counter-top and went behind, bending down. ¡°You want the usual?¡±


    Z-One shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. If you want to, I can wait.¡±


    Ormus nodded and he bent down out of sight. Allison saw Z-One look out the window¡ªa contemplative look on his face. Glasses sat on the bridge of his nose and behind them those blue eyes were thinking a storm. He wondered the universe and yet his thoughts were unavailable to her.


    Ormus returned with two drinks in his hand. ¡°Brought you one anyway, don¡¯t forget to tip.¡±


    A shallow smile crossed Z-One¡¯s face. He accepted the glass and the two of them stared deeply at one another. It was an invitation to drop heavy news, and so he did. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to be the only one that remembers. You might have already guessed that seeing as nobody else is here with us having this discussion now.¡±


    Ormus took a deep breath. It was measured, but she saw how the light in his eyes was taking the realization.


    ¡°I assumed¡­but I also feared. Is there truly no saving their memories? I can¡¯t think in good conscience of wasting so much life.¡±


    Z-One sat firm and spoke in a measured tone¡ªit had been rehearsed privately, no doubt. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to be patient with them. ICARUS only gives us so much leeway. I can only bring you fully over. The others will be with you, physically. They¡¯ll be with us, together¡­it¡¯ll just take some careful planning to reunite their memories over.


    ¡°Only gives us so much¡­You made it. What do you mean, leeway?¡± Ormus was letting his emotions get the better of him¡ªthis was why Z-One had practiced his own words. He knew he would react this way.


    ¡°I may have had the idea, but I think we both know that it wasn¡¯t me who made it.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically,¡± he retorted. ¡°But don¡¯t you have the power to fix that? You surely must have the ability to make it so they could all make it through.¡±


    ¡°If I could affect things on such a granular level we wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place. I would have been able to save her.¡±


    Ormus sighed. ¡°Lindsey, right? Listen, Andy¡¯s made his peace with it. Sure, it¡¯s taken¡­a long time, but everything worked out, right?¡±


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    Z-One made a sad sort of smile. Allison could empathize with that look intimately. ¡°That¡¯s the thing I like about you. You always without fail come back around to being the optimist. Even after I put you through so much. I wish I could say that I felt the same way. To this day I regret her end. I regret the pain I caused; the pain that was caused to me. I didn¡¯t make her end¡ªI simply saw it and recorded what I saw.¡±


    ¡°We all miss her, but people die. That¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°Not if I have anything to say about it,¡± Z-One said.


    Ormus paused and looked down to his drink¡ªa golden drink that now looked as appetizing as swamp water. ¡°So, we¡¯re really doing this, then? We¡¯re really restarting all of creation just to undo this one mistake?¡±


    ¡°Surely you know what lengths you will do for the ones that you love. I love all of you like my own. I will do anything to make things right. Is Devon ready?¡±


    Ormus sighed. ¡°Nearing. And you¡¯re sure he¡¯ll make the right choices?¡±


    ¡°I know him like I know myself¡ªlike I know all of you. It¡¯s like I said. I see things. I record them. They happen. He¡¯ll make the right choices. ICARUS will install a new universe¡ªas we are now will be overwritten, and we¡¯ll immediately start our new plans. And then eventually¡­¡±


    ¡°Eventually¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡­admit I haven¡¯t seen that far yet. I have seen scratchings¡ªmoments. I¡¯ve seen fragments that I believe I can connect to what I desire, but if I¡¯m being perfectly honest¡­I can¡¯t see it all. I won¡¯t see it all without them.¡±


    Ormus looked at his companion and cocked his head. ¡°You¡¯re back to riddle-speak. Them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just¡­thinking out loud. You¡¯ll see them, I¡¯m sure. I don¡¯t have all the details yet, but they will be here, and they will help me see more clearly.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Ormus said, taking a swig of the drink in the glass. ¡°I have no choice but to follow.¡±


    ¡°You always had a choice, Gavin. But I know which one it will be.¡±


    Gavin. Your name is Gavin. That was more than she had ever known about him before. She was going to race with theories but he¡ªGavin¡ªinterrupted.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all then I¡¯m going to go now. I¡­have someplace I wish to say good-bye to. If this really will be the end.


    ¡°Of course, tell her I said hello. I¡¯m sure your memories will remember her fondly.¡±


    Her?! Allison jumped up and started running toward her father. He turned his back and disappeared into darkness as the world around was sucked up into a void itself at the horizon point. A voice behind her echoed louder and louder until it pulled her attention away from the void¡ªshifting black then white then repeating. It was Devon¡¯s voice¡­but it wasn¡¯t just his. There was another voice she had heard recently¡­it was Alex¡¯s. They were intermingling, echoing upon one another¡ªshifting and taking new form as the final sounds of the old universe.


    ¡°Roland¡­was my¡ªDromedan threat...ICARUS¡­and restart the old world¡­carnival where it all began¡­¡± A voice spiraled through her mind and echoed from one end to another.


    From darkness that surrounded them all she saw a body borne from the dark¡ªit was Devon. He screamed and fell backward and was breathing heavily.


    Appearing next to him and lending a hand was a shocking appearance¡ªit was Gavin¡ªher father. But he was much younger¡ªat least half the age he had been before¡ªbut this had taken place after the scene she had just seen. And yet, his visage seemed to be alternating between the two¡ªtime was ripping itself apart here at the end of the universe.


    ¡°I had hoped it wouldn¡¯t have come to this. I tried my best to steer us away from the¡­gruesome nature of it all, but we do have a failsafe.¡±


    ¡°Failsafe?¡± Devon asked. He reached up and grabbed Gavin¡¯s hand, pulling himself up.


    ¡°Our time is short,¡± Gavin said. ¡°Cross is going to destroy everything out there. There is nothing that can be done to stop them now. Our only chance is for you to make a choice¡­C¡¯mere. Follow me.¡±


    Gavin led Devon down a set of stairs¡ªbut to Allison it looked like they just walked deeper into darkness. It was possible Devon was seeing something entirely different, but she had a feeling¡ªno, she knew Gavin was seeing it as she was now.


    ¡°What¡¯s this¡­? Is this another of your simulations?¡± Devon asked.


    She looked and saw a machine standing alone in the darkness. Three clawed legs supported the central crystalline column with nine embedded crystals in its surface each of a different color. ICARUS was branded on the side running upward. A single pod was connected with heavy cables.


    ¡°A machine I made in another life. I fear its our last hope. You have to connect with it and make your choice. After that¡­¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Devon asked.


    Gavin laughed nervously, there was a boyish hint of mischief in his eyes. ¡°Because I¡¯d make the wrong one.¡± He placed a hand on Devon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I want you to know I¡¯m proud of you, Devon. If that means anything. You¡¯ve come a long way, and if our fates were decided by me, then you¡¯d be forgiven.¡±


    Allison stood there staring at her father and felt her own heart break¡ªit felt like he had been directly talking to her.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry Dad¡­¡± she let out.


    In that moment she saw flashes of his life past her eyes. She saw him more than just her father. He had been heartbroken over the loss of his best friend Andrew and the woman he loved¡ªIris. That fact threatened his own sympathies, but he knew what he had to do.


    Devon nodded and turned toward the great machine. After turning his back to Gavin he realized he was alone in the room. He took in a deep breath and began. He heard a voice echo throughout the darkness¡ªAllison watched him inside that pod as his body doubled in the darkness¡ªhis sitting form was watching memories of his own life and answering questions to his own morals. He neared the end when he came across the most important question.


    An old man gives a young girl a pretty stone at a local carnival , and as fate would have it, she gives this pretty stone to a boy she likes moments later. This singular event becomes the crux of the universe and sets it on a path toward its current destruction. You, a derelict, wandering soul have the chance to not give this girl the pretty stone and avoid all of the catastrophe and despair. You will however erase all of the joy and love that this world has experienced to replace it with a new existence. All of the kindness and the sorrow, the gain and the loss. Everything shall be reset back to zero.


    Will you change your fate?


    ¡°Yes, I am going to change my fate,¡± Devon said. ¡°I am going to fix everything. I am going to save this world.¡±


    And just like that, ICARUS whirred to life. The darkness started in motion and the scene of the boy in the pod was wiped away as cleanly as wind to a single sand on a beach.


    Devon woke up in the black void, slowly.


    ¡°You did it, I knew you could.¡±


    Gavin once again held out an outstretched arm, this time he did not flicker between his older and younger self. He was the same as Allison had seen him in the library.


    ¡°I almost didn¡¯t¡­¡± Devon said¡ªout of breath once again. ¡°Once I saw her there¡­I almost¡­¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Alex looked around uncertain. She was the same age as Devon was¡ªshe had a remarkable similarity to Lilly¡ªbut she wore her hair down straight. Her eyes were hazel, and her lips were thinner. She looked scared¡ªoverwhelmed.


    ¡°Alex¡­¡± Devon didn¡¯t know how to feel. He looked like there were a million words behind his soft cry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to be here,¡± Alex said, a spot of horror overtaking her tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Gavin said. ¡°We just need to take a second to get ourselves together and then we¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°Agghk!¡± Alex called out, she doubled over in intense pain. ¡°What¡¯s¡­what¡¯s happening?¡± Her face began to shift¡ªit started to melt like how Lilly¡¯s had when she first entered the tunnel.


    ¡°Alex?! What¡¯s going on?¡± Devon cried out, but he similarly contorted in pain. ¡°Listen to me, we¡¯re going to be okay. We don¡¯t have to fight anymore. We¡ªHKKKKKKK¡± He fell to his knees as his hands reached for his face which looked like it had wanted to evacuate his skull.


    Gavin reached down to grab Devon and hoist a shoulder underneath to help him up. ¡°Come on, we got this. Take it easy. It¡¯s okay, we just need to keep moving. We have to keep going until we get to the shifting lights over there¡­easy, right? Come on, one step¡­¡± he worked his way over to Alex and hoisted her up on his other side, he could feel their strength draining but he pulled himself up to his feet. Their screams had shifted into uncomfortable moans and their bodies felt white hot.


    ¡°Come on. We just need to make it to the other side. Everybody¡¯s waiting for you. Come on! We got this.¡±


    ¡°G-Gavin¡­did I mess up?¡± Devon cried out¡ªhis face drooped.


    ¡°No, no, we did it right. That¡¯s not possible. You saved them. Don¡¯t forget that. Please don¡¯t forget that. I¡¯m proud of you. Just keep breathing, we have to make it.¡±


    Alex lumbered one step further and lurched to her knees, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can go oOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON¡ª¡± her body was ripped into two¡ªa white scaly arm broke free from her chest and a glowing white dragon with an eviscerated center clawed itself from her ribcage. Her remaining body melted into a dark form that Allison knew all too well¡ªthe black scales overtook her flesh and her bones started melting into waves¡ªthe form of Sakonna she had known before her recent demise at the hands of Zane.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± Gavin yelled out, refocusing his weight to cover Devon and help him keep his balance, but the reaction continued in Devon¡¯s body. He tore in two and a crimson red wolf leapt through the air¡ªits claws tearing the void as it dashed toward the new universe¡ªDevon¡¯s body graying to a fine golden wolf shape¡ªIssachar. He screamed Alex¡¯s name as the last of his humanity left him and together the two beasts left Gavin¡¯s side¡ªchasing after their others¡ªtheir Elemantics.


    ¡°No¡­no no no this is not happening. We just had to keep moving. We just had to¡ª¡±


    A shining blue hawk shot past Gavin¡ªalmost too close to touch. It had caught up with the others ahead and he felt a new break in his heart.


    ¡°Andy¡­?¡±


    The others floated above and traveled below him¡ªeleven in total with eleven husks following behind. Gavin recognized every single one of them and looked back toward where they all traveled¡ªthe white at the end of the void.


    ¡°Hello Gavin, you have done well. I am so proud of you.¡±


    It was the voice of Z-One from beyond the barrier to the new universe.


    ¡°I thought we were saving them.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± he said calmly.


    ¡°How¡­is this saving? I thought they were just going to forget¡­I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Gavin, calm down. You¡¯re my point of contact in the new universe. You¡¯re going to be my right hand. You¡¯re here. I needed to find a way to convert the rest of them over into the new world. You know how audiences are¡ªthey tire of a world after a certain amount of time. I needed to find a way to bring you all over in a way the new world would accept you.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for us?¡± Gavin cried out. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just go back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on that. It¡¯s going to take some time, but for now the memories of the others have broken free from their bodies. That¡¯s a risk I had to take since they¡¯re no longer a part of the original canon. Something had to give. Our goal is going to be reforming them all. You get me?¡±


    ¡°You mean we can bring them back?¡± Gavin looked up, wiping the tears from his face.


    ¡°Just like they were.¡±


    ¡°How do we do that? Where do we start?¡±


    ¡°First, I need to draw them out. They prosper in stories. I need new worlds for them to inhabit. I do need to warn you though¡ªthey are not going to come easily. They are going to be searching out the Monoliths.


    ¡°What are the Monoliths?¡±


    ¡°After the world ended ICARUS shattered into pieces. Each of those pieces is now the heart of a world¡ªthe heart of a new story. Each of those stories is where we¡¯ll find the memories of the others¡ªthe Elemantics.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find, right?¡± Gavin began. ¡°ICARUS used to give off very specific frequencies, right? We should be able to track those.¡±


    ¡°As a whole, yes. But it¡¯s harder when they¡¯re separated. They can take the form of other objects. They desire to be hidden the same way your own heart desires to be on the inside of your chest instead of outside it.¡±


    ¡°Reconstruct ICARUS, reform the others, then what?¡±


    ¡°We go back. But right now the top priority is preserving and searching out the Monoliths. The Elemantics are going to try to destroy them with everything they¡¯ve got. They¡¯re emotional beings, and I think you know the true power of emotional energy. They aren¡¯t the only obstacle, of course. There¡¯s going to be no shortage of beings that wish to claim the powers of the Monoliths for themselves should they learn of their existence. You must outpower their efforts.


    ¡°What happens if they get the Monoliths first?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pray that doesn¡¯t happen, Gavin,¡± Z-One said.


    ¡°Okay, but what should we do with their bodies¡ªthey¡¯re¡­not human anymore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gathered them over here. I¡¯m going to give them some temporary selves so they don¡¯t fall apart at the seams¡ªthey¡¯re only waves at this point. You may see some familiar traits run through but do not be satisfied in thinking they are their old selves. We must reform them.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­I can do that. And until then, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get to work. I¡¯ve got things I need to create. I¡¯ll meet back up with you soon, okay? Come to this side and sit by the fire. I think they¡¯ll need you over here.¡±


    The others had faded to complete black and Allison knew she was by herself again. At least, the only Devon that was near her was the one she had first seen in the cave.


    ¡°You¡¯re Issachar¡¯s Elemantic. His memories of the other world. I was thinking of this all backwards¡­¡± she said, gripping the Red Monolith tightly. ¡°You were a half of him. And¡­now you¡¯re the only surviving half. He gave his life to help me.


    Devon was silent.


    ¡°You cared very deeply for Alex¡ªjust like how Issachar cared very deeply about Sakonna¡­I think that bond was strong enough to transcend what you went through.


    ¡°Memory¡­hurts. It is sad when remembered. It reminds you of what you failed to have.¡±


    Allison thought on this and looked back down to Devon. ¡°You¡¯re here, but you¡¯re not aiming to take the Monolith. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°A memory without a brain will simply fade into obscurity,¡± he said.


    A second image faded in next to her¡ªbut it was corrupted¡ªbut instantly she knew it was Alex. At least, the part of her that existed as her Monolith in the Lance of Longinus.


    ¡°memories fractured¡­from the whole meant to die.¡±


    Allison held the Red Monolith tight in one hand and felt a warmth from the Black Monolith fragment in her right. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you two die. I¡¯ll find a way to bring you back¡ªthere¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do if I put my mind to it. If I need to collect these things to kickstart ICARUS back into life¡ªI¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The two memories offered what little of a smile they could hold. They faded from view, and she felt a warmth coming from her lance¡ªit was a warmth she hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time. It reassured her that everything was going to be okay. In it she looked toward her goal¡ªthe end of the tunnel was no longer pitch black to her. She saw complexity through the darkness and she took off at a run.


    ¡°Kicking it old school, aren¡¯t you, love?¡±

 16 | Enforal

    <h3 align="center">PART IV


    All For Z-?ne


    2044


    Allison Fae


    Allison emerged from the tunnel on the other side of the bonelands with a new energy in her step. Zane had been waiting patiently just like she thought he would. She approached him with a wry smile, but her look shifted as she gazed the grandiose city that rose higher than anything she had ever seen in this world. It made Galder¡¯s Reach look like the humble scramblings the first gathering she had stumbled onto by comparison. A gigantic golden palace sat rearmost of the landmass that stood in front of the expanding blood red ocean.


    ENFORAL was chiseled into the stone sign on the front gate.


    ¡°Humans have a strange obsession with reaching for the stars but being too cowardly to take the final step out there,¡± Zane said with crossed arms.


    Allison looked to him with a confused look, but it was only a half turn¡ªshe couldn¡¯t help but keep an eye on the tallest spire of the palace.


    ¡°Your buildings. That tower before was much the same way. You race to build the tallest as a statement of status. Zane had memories of buildings that reached for the heavens too.¡±


    ¡°Skyscrapers seem to be a concept people can¡¯t let go of I guess,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Even the name belies its true desire,¡± Zane said. ¡°Of course when you finally reach the outer limits of your capabilities you come crashing down¡­it¡¯s such a shame, really.¡± He shook his head. ¡°A species that has such potential to reach the stars is destined to come burning back down to their truest home¡ªthe dirt.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Allison asked.


    The question took him off balance, but he enjoyed it. ¡°You caught me on a soapbox again. Well, why don¡¯t we head on inside?¡±


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to ask you that we play it cool and not go guns blazing.¡±


    ¡°If I was going to go guns blazing I would not have waited here for you. I have told you I do not kill without abandon.¡±


    As abhorrent a being as he was, she trusted those words. He was a danger, but he was not an unpredictable danger. She nodded and the both of them looked back up toward the sign and took their first steps within the cities¡¯ limits.


    She hadn¡¯t remembered the last time she set foot on a concrete sidewalk¡ªbut it brought to her memories of the world before¡ªnot the world she grew up in¡ªbut instead the one her father had. Buildings of general uniform size stacked in rows upon rows down the streets. The both of them had received cautious gazes from commonwealth in the streets.


    ¡°We should find someplace to make quarters and get food. You do eat, right?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°Yes, I eat. For all I am I¡¯m still using a human body here.¡±


    ¡°Would have thought you got food from the moonlight with that skin tone of yours,¡± Allison scoffed.


    ¡°Anything to do with light is a nuisance. If there were another way to eat for me it sure would not be like a plant.¡±


    ¡°That looks important over there,¡± Allison said, walking toward a community board on a corner. She saw a banner describing the All For One tournament of champions.


    Zane approached from behind and his eyes scanned the sign from top to bottom.


    ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Allison asked. She turned to see the large grin on Zane¡¯s face.


    ¡°Winner of the tournament gets to be crowned champion and be in direct honor of the mighty emperor.¡± His eyes glowed with an electric energy that she could feel from her distance to him.


    ¡°I would only bet one of two things happens¡ªthat emperor has the power we¡¯re looking for¡ªor the person who does enters this tournament.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Zane said.


    ¡°I¡¯d be careful about that,¡± A voice called from behind. The both of them turned to see an older woman approaching the community board. She bent down toward the lower left-hand corner inspecting a sheet for contract work for a local news carrier. ¡°They say the champion¡¯s curse is back and stronger than ever.¡±


    ¡°Champion¡¯s curse?¡± Zane asked.


    The woman laughed, it was a light sound, and she brought a hand to her lips as if chiding him to quiet down. ¡°These tournaments aren¡¯t rare. They¡¯re almost biannual at this point¡ªchampions don¡¯t live long when they get the glory they long for. Sure, you get the laurels and the provisions, but no champion of Enforal has ever retired of his or her own volition.¡±


    ¡°Tough crowd, huh?¡± Allison asked. ¡°What exactly are those provisions you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°You really are as foreign as you look, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked. She peeled the paper she was looking at off the board and stuck the tack back in the empty space. ¡°Champions are set for life with extra income and food provisions for their immediate family. Preference in business from the emperor himself and an eternal target on your back ¡®til the day of your inevitable end¡ªto which point those provisions become a curse instead of a boon.¡±


    ¡°And still the tournament is joined by wanting participants?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°More each time,¡± she said, tired of the notion. She folded the sheet in half and pointed the edge toward her, ¡°If you care about living longer than the next eclipse then you would steer clear of it, lest you end up like the poor fool I¡¯m about to go finalize the obituary on.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d let a contractor touch such a hot button story?¡± Allison asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a contractor. I¡¯m the owner.¡± She offered a smile. ¡°I hate contractors. Don¡¯t have the eye I¡¯m looking for. My daughter says I need the help but as you can see she likes to go behind my back to do so.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You two have a look about you that is going to ignore all the threats of danger and you¡¯re going to go ahead anyway.¡± She looked from Allison and then to Zane, unflinching in her analysis. ¡°What¡¯s a final quote each of you would like to be remembered by, for when I need to write your obituaries, I mean.¡±


    Zane started to laugh.


    The woman shook her head and held her hand up, cutting him off, ¡°Before you say you have no intention of being offed, just know that means I¡¯m going to write that you were a poor fool who thought what every champion thought, and that kind of writing is not interesting for me to write again.¡±


    She waited for a response, and when no answer came she shrugged and nodded to each of them. ¡°Suit yourselves. If you change your mind just head on over to my office on Sprinton & Quixo. Ask for Sherry, I¡¯ll happily edit it to something livelier on request.¡±


    ¡°Take care,¡± Allison said. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine.¡±


    She turned and chuckled, shaking her head before walking off.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t deter you any, right?¡± Allison asked, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°If you believed it would I would say you would not know me at all.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± She lied enough to take some enjoyment from the look he gave her. They were like small kinks in his armor that she took pleasure in pointing out. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you think so. I am interested in the rumors more than the truth of the matter. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll hear more from the thoroughfare. Let¡¯s get on going¡ªI¡¯m quite starving.¡±


    ¡°Such a weak appetite for a would-be champion,¡± he said.


    She smiled, because she knew he was trying to get back at her for her own comments. They told her that she was effective and that acted as a shield to anything he could have said in the moment.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve learned how to eat and conserve energy whenever I can. I¡¯m a hunter by experience, after all.¡± She looked back to the board and found an eatery advertised in the upper right-hand corner of the board. ¡°Stuffed Tons sounds good. I have lost quite a bit of muscle mass over the past few weeks I¡¯d like to earn back.¡± Her eyes darted to his, staring at the sheet. ¡°I¡¯ll expect repayment for the meal. Coin¡¯s hard to come by much less credit of the people.¡±


    He looked confused at her, ¡°Credit?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I know the owner of the place. Helped him out a couple of years back when he was just trying to start up north of here¡ªway past Galder¡¯s Reach. I¡¯m going to call in a favor.¡±


    ¡°You lot are so strange¡­¡± Zane said, looking her up and down. ¡°To keep such a record of the things you do for another to cash in later.¡±


    ¡°You can go without a meal if you want,¡± Allison said as she started walking down the street. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter much to me. Figured I¡¯d offer.¡±


    Zane sighed and followed behind her.


    ~¡­~


    The first steps through the door rang a bell. Stuffed Tons brought a familiar smell to Allison as she stepped through the gates. It was much larger and much more impressive than the pop up the owner had made from wood and rusted nails years back.


    The man behind the counter had his back turned as the two approached the counter. Patrons on each side of the lobby turned to stare at Zane as he passed. He seemed to glow from the attention, Allison rolled her eyes as she sat down.


    ¡°Yeah what can I get you?¡± The man behind the counter called without turning around. He was frying several slabs of meat on the grill in front of him, quickly moving from station to station.


    ¡°Trey Fland such a hot shot now that he can¡¯t guess his favorite customer¡¯s dish by heart? Tsk tsk tsk,¡± Allison said, putting her arms up on the counter and crossing them. ¡°I knew fame hit folks hard but to see star himself fall,¡± She smiled a wry look.


    Trey shot his head back¡ªstill flipping the steak subconsciously as his eyes widened. ¡°Ain¡¯t no way am I honored to host the Allison Fae in my restaurant.¡± His eyes went from her to Zane, and he shoved into he grill from the shock. He grunted but turned fully.


    ¡°You should know my company never was normal,¡± Allison said. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± She looked up at the high ceiling above and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯ve turned your popsicle shack to the big leagues.¡±


    ¡°Popsicle shack,¡± Trey scoffed. ¡°Always an edge and always willing to match with humor. Still a bum wandering the streets for life¡¯s big adventure?¡±


    ¡°Lot like you it seems. Same, but grander.¡± She made a show with her arms to accentuate the grandiose nature of her words.


    ¡°Same old Allison,¡± Trey said, chuckling. ¡°Lucky I like you too much to say no to you tasting my new food.¡± He turned again to Zane. ¡°And any friend of hers is welcome here too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say traveling companion.¡± Allison said. ¡°Or pet, if you wish. Either way, yeah if you can still fire up some steaks and chicken if you¡¯re able.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m able,¡± Trey scoffed with a smile. ¡°You were always a strange one¡ªmixing your meats. Lemme finish these orders and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Allison took a seat as she watched as he turned back to the steaks and began spicing and preparing the steaks as they cooked¡ªthe searing steamed above, and she closed her eyes to smell the full sense of the meat. Her stomach growled with an intense hunger, and she got extremely excited for the food that was to come.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not just me you have sass with,¡± Zane said. ¡°Truth be told I¡¯m hurt.¡±


    ¡°Humans can talk to more than one person. Strange, ain¡¯t it?¡± Allison asked. ¡°Or, more accurately, we¡¯re more consistent with each other. Must be weird for a being that derives itself based on the people it consumes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m my own being. The only thing I get from that is knowledge¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Hey Ramon,¡± Trey called to someone Allison couldn¡¯t see deeper in the kitchen. ¡°Hop on front for a second. I¡¯m taking a break to talk to an old acquaintance.¡±


    He turned to Allison and cocked his head to the side. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a table here, we actually have some steaks we made up for someone who couldn¡¯t pay for their meal earlier we were going to trash.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how kind of you,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°Can you complain?¡± Trey said.


    ¡°That I cannot.¡± Allison nodded.


    They moved toward a table in the back corner of the restaurant Ramon¡ªa strong looking man who couldn¡¯t stop staring at Allison brought out their food and even a boxed meal for Trey. He smiled at her as he dropped it off and headed back behind the counter.


    ¡°Your friend is not subtle,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°He¡¯s very forthcoming about the things he likes,¡± Trey said.


    ¡°Gross if you ask me,¡± Zane said. ¡°Much better things to lust after.¡±


    Trey offered a confused look but decided to ignore Zane from that point forward. ¡°Small talk aside. Please tell me you¡¯re here in Enforal because word has traveled about my food across the country.¡±


    Allison was tearing into the steak in front of her and she looked up at him as he finished. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s exactly the reason,¡± Allison said in between bites.¡±


    He sighed as he flipped open his box which housed a pretty sad looking burger all things considered.


    Zane looked down at the steak in front of him and poked at it with one of the forks by his side, then looked toward Trey¡¯s burger and figured it couldn¡¯t have been as bad as that. He began eating as Trey continued.


    ¡°You¡¯ve must have heard about the champion¡¯s curse if you¡¯ve made it this far into the city. They don¡¯t stop talking about it out there,¡± Trey said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve caught onto that,¡± Zane said, swallowing a bite of steak and then moving toward the chicken breast on the side. ¡°Hasn¡¯t swayed our way any.¡±


    Trey chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. ¡°I know enough to know I¡¯m not going to convince you. I am going to urge you to use caution. There¡¯s a reason for the rumor.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the concern,¡± Allison said. ¡°And the food. It really is delicious.¡±


    ¡°If you like that, imagine a freshly cooked meal.¡±


    ¡°It is manageable,¡± Zane said, finishing his plate completely.


    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Allison said. ¡°He has no taste.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have leftovers either, that¡¯s always my standard,¡± Trey laughed. He turned back to Allison, ¡°If you are successful, come back and you¡¯ll definitely have the money to pay for a deluxe meal. I¡¯ll make that for you personally.¡±


    Allison nodded. ¡°If implies I¡¯m going to let there be an alternative.¡± She finished the last bite of her chicken and wiped her face with the napkin at her side. These movements were so strange and foreign¡ªshe couldn¡¯t remember the last time she sat down at a restaurant¡ªone that felt like it came from the modern day. Too many taverns and hellholes to count over decades of life. ¡°I¡¯ll pay off my debts of the meals you have treated me over the years.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± he said.


    Allison chuckled, ¡°Squidward here can pick up a part time shift to pay his debt. His comments on the food have personally offended me.¡±


    Zane made a motion to look annoyed and he pushed himself up from the table. ¡°I¡¯ll be outside when you¡¯re finished.¡±


    ¡°See you, sourpuss,¡± Allison said.


    He walked toward the exit and Allison saw the other patrons all staring at him as he left before returning to their own conversations.


    ¡°So, spill it,¡± Trey said, pulling her focus back to him. ¡°I played along for the joke but real talk, what the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°Delicate situation I¡¯m working on navigating. For now he¡¯s a traveling companion.¡±


    ¡°For now?¡±


    ¡°Just as I said.¡±


    Trey sighed. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so headstrong I¡¯d try harder to convince you to back out of all this and find someplace small to settle down in.¡±


    ¡°Settling down isn¡¯t in my future,¡± Allison said.


    He bit his lip and closed the box to his leftovers. ¡°Then I think we¡¯re finished here. I¡¯m serious about my offer. Come back and we¡¯ll have a party of it. I could pretend to be your brother to win favor and make this place liven up a little.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard families of champions live to regret the boons they receive. That true?¡±


    ¡°It can be,¡± Trey said. ¡°Folks eyeing the top will take their anger out on anybody in the spotlight. The champions¡¯ family is a simple target to bend folks to do bidding.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. And you¡¯d still put yourself under that chance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you fight. I believe you¡¯d not let that happen,¡± he winked, and he too got up from the table.


    Allison was satisfied with the meal and was pleasantly surprised to meet up with an old friend. She met Zane outside who looked certainly annoyed as she approached.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better I would say someone¡¯s feelings were hurt,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not a fan of wasting time.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°Well, if you truly weren¡¯t then you¡¯d have already signed the both of us up.¡±


    Zane said nothing in response.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the cat out of the bag. I don¡¯t particularly like you, and you don¡¯t particularly like me. You¡¯re trying to raise me to be your greatest foe but can¡¯t stand I¡¯m catching up faster than you expected. It¡¯s ruining your plans, and you felt threatened when I decided to take these seriously,¡± she held up the Red Monolith. She saw his eyes glued to the crystal as she held it up. ¡°I know you planned for a climactic battle at the end of all this where we collected them all and waged a world ending fight, but that isn¡¯t going to be what happens.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you mean?¡± Zane asked, furrowing his brow.


    Allison returned a smile, ¡°This tournament doesn¡¯t care if the battles come to the death. People tend to reserve themselves because they¡¯re good. You¡¯re not good though, and neither am I. You enter that tournament and I¡¯ll match there right next to you. We¡¯ll make it to the finals and then there we can settle this and stop pretending like we¡¯re partners.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a death wish,¡± Zane said, but then took a breath and recomposed himself. ¡°Fine. I thought you heavily appreciated traveling with someone strong. I figured something going toward solving that goal of yours meant¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends,¡± Allison stopped him. ¡°Favors began and ended there. You¡¯re not a friend I am thankful for and want to see succeed. You simply were an enemy that avoided my lance until now.¡±


    Zane took a sharp breath and kept from bursting out in anger. ¡°Fine. This will be our battle. I was playing fair to make it something climactic I¡¯d remember for the rest of my days because I saw great strength in you, but I won¡¯t hesitate to tear you limb from limb when I see you there.¡± He nodded toward her, ¡°Then I¡¯ll claim those treasures of yours and we¡¯ll see who¡¯s having a party at that restaurant.¡±


    ¡°So you were listening in,¡± Allison said, smiling.


    Zane stormed off and Allison let loose a breath kept by tension near her heart. She was here to talk the talk, but she would be a fool to not be concerned over the upcoming fight. She looked toward the Palace and saw signs above advertising the tournament.


    She better hurry if she was going to move forward and make her date with destiny.

 17 | Sophie鈥檚 Labyrinth

    2044


    LUCAS Gray


    Snow whipped around the bikes in great puffy clouds and dustings that spread and shook up the ground below them. Creatures of all shapes and sizes popped up from the depths of the snow and hopped back underneath¡ªLUCAS noticed creatures that looked like rabbits that had an elongated stomach and feet slithering through the thick packets of snow dunes from the disturbances from their bikes. There were birds that hid in the trees and the hollows within, although the colors of their feathers tended to blend in with the snow and the gray-white atmosphere. It made it easier to pick them out from the black bark from the trees.


    They had been on the road for hours¡ªLUCAS palmed the black fragment in his hand and felt an energy surge he powered the both of their bikes with. They were able to keep rolling as he fueled up the tanks if they rode side by side¡ªhe could feel Ally tense up behind him as they got almost so close to intertwine the bikes themselves.


    Once they were topped off Roshe sped off ahead on one of their many shortcuts through rocky mountain-passes. They had long since said goodbye to the deserts of the mid west and have welcomed the cooler atmospheres of the snow-capped forests thus leading to their current trails through the chilled biomes. They were not so dense as to halt their progress, but it did allow them to skip major settlements for a straight shot toward their destination.


    ¡°We¡¯re aiming for Florida,¡± Laven wielded command of the bike like a trusted steed prancing through the air with a great respect. Behind her was LUCAS who had been holding her tightly, and behind him was Ally who similarly held her arms around LUCAS. Laven gripped the handles of the bike tight as she reared her head back to be heard better. ¡°Lot of talk has passed around here that it¡¯s developed like crazy. Based on Allison¡¯s trajectory they were beelining toward there. We might even be able to head them off.¡±


    Ally behind them looked unsure as she always had when talk had shifted to her alternate self, but Laven had an inkling¡ªperhaps because she could hear fragments of her thoughts similar to how Ally could hear hers¡ªthat she was mounting an effort to feel okay with the situation.


    It was a tough situation to sort out and Ally had only been thinking of it for the past day. Even though it had been one of the longest days of her life it was still just a single day. It was a wild concept that she could grasp logically, but emotionally it sent a hurricane of questions running through her brain. She knew the answer to those questions was not something she could work out between her present party¡ªmuch less even between her and Jace, but her deciding to keep moving forward didn¡¯t erase the confusion the feelings had brought.


    LUCAS felt similar energies from her, but he didn¡¯t have the same certainty that Laven did. He felt another sensation prick behind his eyes and suddenly felt Levi speaking out. He leaned forward to Laven and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to lean against you, I¡¯m okay. Levi¡¯s pulling my leg trying to get my attention.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going in now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll lock my arms here, but be careful of any crazy bumps.¡±


    ¡°Got it, let Ally know. And please be safe. I don¡¯t know exactly what you do in there, but come back.¡± Laven said.


    LUCAS nodded then pulled his head back. ¡°I think you might want to shift your grip to the sides of the bike,¡± he looked at her questioning look and continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to be going inside myself¡ªdaydreaming if it¡¯s easier to understand. I have something I need to check out.¡±


    ¡°Okay, ¡± she nodded. Jace appeared next to her and made another grounding agent so she could shift away from leaning into him.


    LUCAS nodded back and then fell himself fall forward as he went inside his mind. He opened to the central hub; Sophie¡¯s door was open¡ªjust like he had left it. He moved inside and felt himself speeding through the labyrinth after Levi¡¯s trail. He passed by dozens if not hundreds of dead ends and tributary paths before meeting up with Levi at a central complex that led to a staircase deeper within.


    ¡°I finally found the end,¡± Levi said. ¡°It took quite a while but figuring out the logic of the labyrinth was easier after taking a few purposeful wrong ends. By looking at a central scan I was able to guess which zones led to paths I didn¡¯t need to worry about checking and¡­here we are.¡±


    ¡°That is excellent. Thank you Levi. Want to come with me through here to see what we find?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can unless you bring me¡ªI have no clue what it looks like on the other side so I don¡¯t think I could go in alone.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go,¡± he put a hand on Levi¡¯s arm and the two shuffled down the stairs into darkness. LUCAS closed his eyes and lights from above turned on harshly one by one down the long stretch of stone passageway. The comparisons to a hidden temple were not lost on him, but he closed the distance between the end of the massive hall in seconds. He found a terminal point sticking out of the ground and placed his hand on top. Files opened around him with articles and photos. He saw pictures of Sophie logged across the country at various points in her life. The resemblance to her younger self was instant and he wished his father could be here to see this moment.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Levi had caught up to him, huffing at the effort needed for him to make it. ¡°Find anything on her current location?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s in here somewhere. There¡¯s a lot of info on where she went after leaving SubCon. She separated from the others and lived like a nomad out in California for a few years. She was heartbroken my father wouldn¡¯t leave with her¡ªbut I don¡¯t know if they could have ever had a friendship if I¡¯m being honest¡­too much history, you know?¡±


    ¡°I think I know what you mean, but it¡¯s a shame she felt that way,¡± he said.


    ¡°She was always a loner, even before she met Cain.¡±


    ¡°She knew Cain?¡±


    ¡°Long story,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Important takeaway is she¡¯s used to doing things for herself by herself. It¡¯s why I¡¯m not surprised that she kept to that when the world turned over in 2022.¡±


    LUCAS stopped as he sifted through files, picking one up and holding it close to him. ¡°Here¡­wait a minute.¡± He said, his eyes scanning it over again. ¡°There¡¯s no way this is a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°What, where is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in Florida. She¡¯s where we¡¯re heading to find what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I cannot believe that. That is ridiculous,¡± Levi said.


    ¡°Can you stay here and check over the parts I skimmed? Let me know if there¡¯s anything you think I should now. I gotta go back up. I¡¯m currently riding on a motorcycle that can hover off the ground and I¡¯d like to not fall off.¡±


    ¡°Oh that sounds terrifying and awesome all at the same time,¡± Levi said. ¡°Yes, go back and get up. I¡¯ll check the rest of this out. I would like to know more about her, so I¡¯ll be sure to be thorough.¡±


    ¡°Thanks man,¡± LUCAS nodded.


    ¡°No problem. Stay safe.¡±


    LUCAS opened his eyes and tightened his grip against Laven in front of him. He could feel her tension loosen as he came back to.


    ¡°What¡¯d he have to say?¡± Ally said.


    ¡°One of the people I¡¯m looking for is exactly where we¡¯re headed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ally began. ¡°That¡¯s oddly convenient.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m suspicious of it as all hell but considering we¡¯re already heading there we can kill two birds with one stone.¡±


    ¡°What are you hoping to achieve by seeing them?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m specifically hoping to achieve anything,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I think I¡¯d just like to know she¡¯s doing okay.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if anybody out there is doing okay considering some of the rumors I¡¯ve heard of the place, but we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°What kind of rumors?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Well first, they supposedly hold this tournament that pits people against each other like the ancient gladiator fights all for their emperor¡¯s pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Did I hear that right?¡± Ally asked. ¡°Emperor? Those still exist?¡±


    ¡°Yep, it is not pretty. They say he¡¯s a mad king who has made a deal with the devil for his power.¡±


    LUCAS turned back to Ally and a single thought crossed between them.


    ¡°That sounds mighty familiar to our own target who seems to have made a similar deal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, her making way for Enforal is concerning considering the possibility of having more than one of those demons present.¡± Laven said.


    ¡°Well we should probably pick up the pace then,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Do you think we could combine our powers?¡±


    ¡°Combine?¡± She asked, taking her eye off the path ahead for a moment.


    ¡°I have no doubt Roshe and Bambo will catch up, but I think we need to pick up the pace. Do you think you would be able to use your power in addition to the energy I can channel through the fragment?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s something you want to do?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I can try to assist,¡± Ally said. ¡°Maybe Jace can act as a conduit¡ªreally get us moving.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it if it will knock you out of commission,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°So don¡¯t overstep if you think it will.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Laven nodded. ¡°I want to see the look on Roshe¡¯s face when we take off.¡± She took in a deep breath and LUCAS saw the filigree begin to glow across her body. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are¡ªbut if this works, you¡¯re both going to need to hold on tight.¡±


    ¡°You hear that Ally?¡± LUCAS called back.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± she said.


    The formality made Laven laugh, and LUCAS tried to hide his embarrassment as he closed his eyes and felt the fragment start to resonate in his hands. In the darkness behind his closed eyes he saw a young girl who looked shockingly like Ally. It was decidedly not Ally, though. Her hairline was different, and the shape of her face was sharper. Her form was corrupted in a way he couldn¡¯t put a finger on. She vanished as the power continued through his body and suddenly he felt another presence between himself and Laven. Jace looked back at LUCAS, and he smiled.


    ¡°Pardon the squeeze, this might be uncomfortable for the length of our flight. Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Thank you for boarding¡ª¡±


    LUCAS couldn¡¯t hear the rest as they shot forward like a rocket and lifted into the air. The bike rode on a golden flame undercut by blue embers and the wind pressed each of them close together. LUCAS tried everything he could to keep his arms locked on Laven. Jace had been holding onto LUCAS and Laven, and Ally behind was holding onto LUCAS with all her might.


    They flew like a golden rocket through the sky and suddenly at the edge of their vision they saw a gigantic castle in the distance with an encircled city within.


    Enforal.

 18 | Shadow of the Press

    2044


    Allison Fae


    After splitting up from Zane, Allison made her way toward the palace. The advertisements throughout the streets and on signs around made it easy to navigate the streets that snaked throughout. She could see herself getting used to a city this large if she decided to stay. It was perhaps the first time in the last fifteen years that she had considered an environment one she would enjoy living in were her circumstances different than current day.


    She was telling the truth when she had told Trey that she had no plans to settle down. If she was being honest with herself¡ªshe had no other plans how to help this world before she experienced those visions in the tunnels under the bonelands. She had said she had wished to make this a safe universe for Arianna to come back to, but in reality now that she had made her peace with Lilly and Issachar she was most likely going to find someplace quiet where she could stop moving permanently. But now a fire burned brightly inside her and she knew there was more that she needed to accomplish and overcome. There was more to save and people to bring back to the world.


    She walked into the entertainment district and noticed a movie theater on the back corner of the street. Glowing lights flashing highlighting the names of some movies with familiar names. It was crazy to think something as mundane as film had managed to make it over to this world¡ªmuch less that it had survived in some form. She wondered if Forrest Gump survived somewhere out here in the world. That used to be her favorite movie when she was younger. It¡¯s been decades since she¡¯s seen it¡ªshe barely remembered most of the events of the film but thinking on it now she could imagine Tom Hanks serving in Vietnam and the thought of sitting down to watch a movie warmed her heart.


    She felt stupid for not seeing how beautiful life could be outside of her goals and for wanting to remove herself from experiencing anything else. Even once this job was done¡ªif it ever could be¡ªshe did want to experience those simple joys again. It had felt for such a long time that she was forced to sacrifice joy at the expense of survival. Seeing it possible here meant it could be possible in other places and settlements.


    The palace¡¯s front gates were majestic, and every part ripped from a fairy tale of old. It put to mind the setting of the story she had been planning. She felt pangs of regret over not putting any actual thought or work into it because of all of the recent chaos that she had been involved in. It was simply stress over not putting in work into something she loved in exchange to simply exist within the world so harsh.


    Once this is done I am going to finish my writing. That is a solemn promise.


    She walked past the gate and stood solid on the wooden bridge which connected the palace proper to the landmass divided by the medieval moat surrounding it. For as modern as the rest of the city had seemed it was certainly a sight the antiquated design of the palace. It was also a wonder of how long it must have taken to be constructed. The secondary thought became of how much of the labor here was forced or coerced. It was a simple assumption to believe that most if not all was.


    It put to mind the nature of the emperor that she had heard so much about. What kind of person rose to power like that in this day and age¡ªand what kind of people allowed that?


    The only answer that came to mind was that the people must have been absolutely sure they would not have been able to win through mutiny¡ªbreeding contempt through a generation of fear and power. The first thing that came to her mind with such a power was the emperor either had access to the power of a Monolith, or to a Child of the Night. Or both. Both was a possibility that she couldn¡¯t help but fear. She took in a sharp breath and pressed on.


    Signing up for the tournament itself was not hard at all. There were plenty of staff available past the inner lobby of the palace¡¯s walls that seemed to guess she was there for that very purpose. Perhaps only people who were foolish enough to sign up made the specific trip. The whole energy she felt was definitely off¡ªit was like she were signing up to host a fundraiser for a school project or signing up for an extracurricular activity instead of pledging to put her life on the line for a supposedly cursed title of honor. It was grossly cheerful for a ceremony that involved much pain and the supposed death of every single one of its victors.


    And yet, Allison was willingly signing up. She knew this was the best choice she could make to get closer toward another possible Monolith and her confrontation with Zane. That still gave her pause, but she knew she was going to have to face it one way or the other. And she would much rather get it over with now instead of working alongside him for years before a final battle.


    Now that she was signed up she had to find some lodgings and that was easier said than done because she as evidenced by her freebies at Stuffed Tons had no money. An imp by her side said she could make a ton of cash by selling her metal and crystal. It was an imp she hadn¡¯t thought about in decades.


    The imp of the perverse was the little demon that nudged you to leap off the edge whenever you looked into the abyss. It was from an Edgar Allen Poe story she was introduced to in her middle school English class. That was¡­Mrs. Fowler¡¯s class. God¡­how long was it since she thought of that woman? She was most certainly dead now.


    Her other classmates were also most certainly dead now. If there was anyone that could be out there¡­maybe Aoi? She hoped he had lived a long and fruitful life if he wasn¡¯t¡ªhe was such a kind soul and one of the people she could call a friend back in those days. But the reality of the situation was that she was most likely the sole surviving member of Nassau Middle School.


    She looked back down toward the imp and it vanished¡ªa symbol of the growing doubt within herself and the rising severity of her situation had caused it to emerge.


    She continued to walk down the streets away from the palace as she began to think of anything she could do to pass the night in safety, and then a plan so simple hit her. It was going to be a hit to her pride, but she figured safety was worth more than something so silly as pride.


    You lot are so attached to such a filthy emotion such as pride. It blinds you to the truth that holds a knife to your throat.


    She imagined Zane next to her offering his collective condemnation toward the whole of humanity. She shook her head and stopped herself. Was she really becoming fond of that monstrosity? Gods¡­strike her down if she let something like that keep her from doing what she needed to when the time came for it. She rubbed her face with both her hands and took a sharp breath and collected herself. She laughed, thinking she was losing it.


    The only thing that could make this more stressful now was if Felix came in during this exact moment to throw a wrench into everything. She looked behind her¡ªa paranoid energy coming over her and she shook it off as a chill ran through her.


    The last thing she needed was to jinx her own downfall into existence. She continued on her way down the street back toward the community board that she had seen when entering the city. She had seen the old woman¡ªSherry heading west from the fork in the road she and Zane had taken when they had headed out toward Stuffed Tons.


    She didn¡¯t know where she would go from there, but she did recall the last thing Sherry had told her about going to change her last words. God, she¡¯d probably need to pull up and act like she¡¯d seen a new light of God in her last moments to give her an extra good story.


    Thankfully, it was a pretty easy building to spot as she came across the intersection of Sprinton & Quixo. It was a white building with large glass windows that extended up the length of the building¡¯s two stories. The windows themselves were opaque so she couldn¡¯t see through them, but the sign out front showed a large logo of a magnifying glass with ¡°Sherry Bogard¡± inscribed within.


    Looks like I found the place. Allison did think it was strange enough that the idea of an intersection had existed without a single car passing through the street. It was possible it was an element of nostalgia taking precedence over practicality. It had certainly worked¡ªshe hadn¡¯t thought of it until now, but the idea of a functioning modern city was a very comforting sight. She was now sure that was an intentional design to sow an ease of mind among the populace and make it a more palatable idea to allow an emperor to do whatever he liked.


    She looked back up at the sign and then turned to walk closer. She opened the door and stepped inside¡ªinstantly she was hit with a burst of chilled air from above. She shivered and held herself tight as she walked into the front lobby. There was a woman about her age working behind the front desk who briefly looked up at her as Allison entered.


    ¡°Hello, Sherry¡¯s is welcome to see you. What business are you entering with?¡±


    Allison looked to her and offered a shy smile. ¡°Hello, I was coming to see if Sherry was available to speak?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty busy today, did you have a prior appointment?¡± The woman asked, still writing down things in her notebook.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have a meeting per se,¡± Allison began. ¡°But I actually spoke with her earlier¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh, were you here about the contractor position?¡±


    Allison sat there for but a moment before nodding her head slowly. ¡°Yeah, I was interested in it, but when we talked about it she seemed to think she didn¡¯t need the help. I could see she looked to be extremely busy, so I figured I¡¯d stop by just to try.¡±


    The woman offered an understanding smile. ¡°She can be stubborn¡ªhas been her whole life. Then again I guess I know where I get it from. My name¡¯s Carrie, what was your name?¡±


    ¡°Allison, although I am not sure I fully introduced myself to her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯re coming¡ªher office is just past the corner here on the left. You¡¯ll pass the printing studio and it¡¯s the door right after that. Knock before you enter if the door¡¯s closed¡ªshe¡¯s a stickler about that.¡±


    Allison nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Hope it goes well. She can use all the help she can get,¡± Carrie said.


    She felt bad about the white lie, but she figured this would be worth it if she could get this to work. She continued past Carrie and walked down the hallway to the left of the desk. She found the printing studio and saw the large space within. She figured most of the expanse of the building comprised the studio itself.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She found Sherry¡¯s office and the door was closed. She closed her fist into a ball and knocked twice. There was silence for a moment then Sherry called out, ¡°I¡¯m not taking contractors. Go back to the front and tell them you¡¯re not interested.¡±


    Allison took a deep breath and then replied, ¡°Not even for a champion to be who wants to give you a better quote for her obituary?¡±


    The sound of typing stopped on the other side of the door, and she heard a sigh from behind the door. ¡°Come on in.¡±


    Allison smiled and she turned he handle and pushed the door open. She saw Sherry sitting behind a desk typing away on a typewriter. Her gray hair was tied in a ponytail over her shoulder, and she looked up at Allison¡ªstill typing a flurry.


    ¡°Something tells me you¡¯re not the type to legitimately change your mind¡ªand if you did you would have chosen to not participate in the tournament altogether. Which means you¡¯re here for something else.¡±


    ¡°I could use a job for the night. Something I can do to pay for a room before the tournament begins. And I¡¯ll give you a legitimate final quote free of charge.¡±


    She could feel Sherry¡¯s gaze pierce her soul¡ªshe could tell this woman had an intense eye for detail and could match her stubbornness tenfold. It was no wonder she and her daughter had warred so frequently about the contractor position.


    ¡°Even if I were to have a temporary position I don¡¯t have one for your friend.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not my friend. And he¡¯s not with me.¡±


    She seemed to chew on this thought. ¡°If I¡¯m being frank, if he was I would have kicked you out of here before you could have even set a hand on this door.¡±


    ¡°If I was still with him I would have thrown myself out. Part of why I¡¯m signed up in the tournament is to take care of that problem.¡±


    Sherry took in a deep breath and stopped typing. ¡°I am willing to let you come in for work tonight and I¡¯ll even pay you up front. I have one stipulation¡ªyou go out there and you tell my daughter that you¡¯re working for me and are going to be working remote after today.¡±


    ¡°Get her off your back, you mean,¡± Allison said.


    Sherry answered with her eyes and looked back down to her drawer, opening up the bottom and pulling a small coin purse out. ¡°You work your whole life for a mission to unearth mysteries about shadows hiding in plain sight and all people see of you is that you¡¯re working yourself into a frenzy. It¡¯s a thankless job.¡± She counted out a handful of coins and placed them on the desk in front of her. ¡°This should cover a room and a meal at Hilltop. Nothing fancy, nothing broken. It¡¯s at the end of the street here. Why don¡¯t you go set yourself up there then return here when you¡¯re ready?¡±


    Allison wasn¡¯t in any position to offer advice on accepting help from loved ones, but she related to the pressure she seemed to put on herself. Then, something clicked. She reached to grab the coins and stopped with her hand grasped on them. ¡°I¡¯d want my obituary to say this¡ªI deeply regret the path I carved for my daughter and hope wherever she is, she can forgive my final stand. And for those I should have listened to that now lie in shallow graves¡ªI hope I can enter in good graces when I join you.¡±


    She walked out of the office and headed back to the lobby. Carrie signaled to her with her eyes when she passed. Allison turned and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. I got the job.¡±


    She exhaled and Allison could feel the sense of relief. ¡°That takes a burden off of my chest. She is one of the hardest working women I know, and she¡¯s been like this¡­¡± she made a motion with her hands. ¡°She¡¯s never slowed down. Never taken a break.¡±


    ¡°She said that she¡¯s been working to uncover shadows that hid in plain sight¡ªwhat specifically is she working?¡±


    Carrie sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous piece. I don¡¯t feel comfortable just saying it out in the open¡ªit¡¯s about the emperor. She¡¯ll tell you when you get back. Just, don¡¯t tell that to anyone else. It can very easily spread and next thing we know we¡¯re out of a job¡ªbuilding¡ªeven our lives.¡±


    Allison nodded. ¡°I understand. My lips are sealed. I¡¯ll be back shortly; I¡¯m going to get a room at the Hilltop.¡±


    ¡°Tell them Carrie will give them a talking to if they put you in 3A,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s their low budget room they try to get away with giving to outsiders.¡±


    Allison nodded and smiled. ¡°Duly noted, thank you.¡±


    ¡°See you soon,¡± Carrie said, and then Allison headed out.


    She made her way over to the Hilltop which was a nice enough looking motel. The man behind the counter smelled like a rank rodent that had scurried through the bog¡ªalmost what she had smelled like when she had hidden in that dumpster as the world turned over now that she thought of it.


    She smiled through it as he introduced himself. Something behind her eyes died as he tried to put on the charm¡ªhe was putting on a voice for her and he looked no older than twenty.


    ¡°So, you going to be in town for long?¡± He leaned over the counter after sliding her the key to room 5B.


    Allison bent over, ¡°I¡¯m here for the tournament to become the Champion. You sure you¡¯re wanting to tie yourself down to that?¡±


    The look in his eyes was priceless. He bent backward had a look of a mistake on his face. It was apologetic and looking for no extra trouble. She grabbed the key and left the coin with a smile on her face. She walked over toward the back hall and found the door that had the same marking etched on the key. She felt a pang of awkward self-loathing over how nasty she let herself get back in Galder¡¯s Reach during this same scenario. She could barely even stand still.


    She shook her head and was going to restrict herself from hard liquor for the foreseeable future.


    She unlocked the door and shut it behind her. She sat down on the bed¡ªit was comfier than the bed back then, but she wasn¡¯t as tired as back then. Though, having a few minutes off her feet was something she could be thankful about.


    Allison slugged the backpack off her shoulder and set it behind her on the bed and lied on her back. She spent the next fifteen minutes just sitting and staring at the ceiling. It was a time of solace to just unplug from the rest of the world for a chunk of time.


    When she had finished she gathered herself together she walked toward the back and found the bathroom. It had been quite a while since she had taken the opportunity to clean herself. Thinking on it, she felt more annoyed that the clerk up front had smelled so obnoxiously since he had pretty consistent access to a shower. She unbuttoned her outer cloak and set it aside on the counter-top. She continued and set her clothes neatly beside the others. She undid the braid in her hair and turned the shower¡¯s knob on. Stepping into the hot water was a feeling of euphoria she hadn¡¯t experienced in quite some time.


    When Allison finished she dried her hair as best as she could and tied it back up behind her. She set her bag next to the bed out of sight and took a deep breath before heading out of the door and locked it with the room key. She set the key in one the pockets in her jacket and she started moving back toward Sherry¡¯s.


    ¡°Hey stranger,¡± Carrie said as she was pulling her items on her desk into a bag by her side. ¡°Sherry¡¯s still in her office. I¡¯m going home to ready some dinner for her so please don¡¯t let her stay here too long because she will sit here all night if given the opportunity.¡±


    Allison nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll try, but I have an inkling she¡¯ll stay for as long as she wants to stay.¡±


    Carrie smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my mom. Thank you anyway.¡±


    Allison nodded her off and continued passed Carrie¡¯s desk and continued to Sherry¡¯s office. Her door was open this time, so she didn¡¯t need to knock.


    Sherry looked up as she came in and she had a slew of folders stacked on her desk. ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to talk to you about. Come in and close the door please.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Allison did, and she closed the door with a satisfying click behind her. She sat down and Sherry opened the first folder on top, several full sized pictured were stacked full in the folder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of my life dedicated to investigating creatures of great and terrible power. They¡¯re beings with abilities that you or I wouldn¡¯t even be able to begin to comprehend¡­¡± she started, then paused a moment. ¡°Look at these and tell me what you think.¡± She slid the top folder in front of Allison.


    She took it and spun it around. Something inside her knew what she was going to see in the pictures, but sure enough they were grainy photos that most people would call that of a conspiracy theorist¡­but she recognized at least a few of the figures in the pictures even though they were blurry.


    ¡°Your eyes¡­¡± Sherry said, looking from the pictures to Allison. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about¡­don¡¯t you?¡±


    Allison nodded. ¡°The Children of the Night. I¡¯m familiar with them.¡±


    Sherry clasped her hands and exhaled a long breath. ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve entered the championship?¡±


    Allison nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from your daughter that you have suspicions of the emperor. I have much the same suspicions. My ex-companion is only but one reason I¡¯ve entered that tournament. Gathering intel on the power of the emperor is the other.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I have gained much fortune not shooing you away,¡± Sherry said. ¡°I have been waiting for something like this for years. Here, look at these,¡± she grabbed at the folder in front of Allison and replaced it with the folder at the very bottom of the stack.


    Allison opened the folder and saw an image of a young man¡ªhe looked to be in his early thirties. He had jet black hair and rough stubble for facial hair. His arms were raised in a triumphant pose, and he was overlooking a railing. Behind him stood a young woman who looked malnourished and wore a frown that said a million words. What looked crazy was¡­there was a sort of shadow behind them that almost looked like a trick of the light¡ªbut it almost looked like it had a nasty grin.


    ¡°This is Emperor William. Legend says before they hosted the current tournaments, the challenges were against him personally and they were hosted with the title of emperor on the line. He never lost and the people of Enforal became too demotivated to try that he established this new tournament to give the people a hope.¡±


    ¡°But then came the rumor of the Champion¡¯s Curse.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°If you are as serious about competing as I can read on you¡ªget as much information as you can on him. I don¡¯t think his power is natural, and if we¡¯re going to do something about that we need to know what we¡¯re going up against.¡±


    Allison nodded. ¡°I can return with everything I learn. I have no intention of dying.¡±


    ¡°I will genuinely hope for you. You don¡¯t know how long I have been working at this.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same thing,¡± Allison said.


    ¡°You should go get some rest. I intended you to come help clean up the print studio to earn that coin¡­but things have now changed. You need every ounce of sleep you can get for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You should get some rest too. I shouldn¡¯t have to say your daughter has asked me to tell you to think of your own work schedule.¡±


    ¡°That woman aims to be the death of me,¡± she laughed. ¡°I know I should. I have been lax in the past and it caused a lot of problems for people I used to like. After failing to help I resolved to never let anything like that happen again, but knew I also needed to live for myself. Changed my name, tried to settle down¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t enough for the man I settled with. Couldn¡¯t tear myself away from work. Carrie¡¯s the only one who¡¯s stayed by my side. I know I worry her, but it¡¯s for her. I keep this place up and running so things can be better and easier for her.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Allison nodded. ¡°And I understand. But her, she doesn¡¯t see that so easily unless you tell her. It¡¯s easy for people who have been through similar to relate, but not as easy for those who haven¡¯t to. She said she was going to make some dinner up. Maybe you should go visit and accompany her.¡±


    Sherry pulled the folder back and closed it on top of the stack but did not say another word. It was clear that she was lost in her thoughts. Allison stood up from the chair and pushed it in before heading out back to the Hilltop.


    The sun had set to the violet skies when she had stepped out of Sherry¡¯s and the crowds of people in the street had dispersed leaving a few stragglers in the dark to their own devices.


    She avoided the front clerk¡¯s gaze as she walked to the door of her room and unlocked it. She headed in and locked the door behind her. She undressed out of her extra clothes, and she collapsed on the bed and fell peacefully into sleep.

 19 | Amissa Occasio

    2044


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    They landed with a rough impact just above the outskirts of the city. They landed just after the edge of the bonelands¡ªunaware of the situation they avoided. They bounced as the bike¡¯s back wheel kick flared them forward another twenty feet before the wheels slowed to a final stop. The bike looked like it was about to fall apart.


    Laven, LUCAS, and Ally stood, sore from their landing, but otherwise okay as the bike had taken the brunt of the abuse.


    ¡°You mind if I stand here a second and kiss the ground?¡± Jace had appeared by Ally¡¯s side. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I made it through,¡± he wiped imaginary sweat off his brow.


    ¡°Yeah yeah your humor is noted,¡± Ally said. ¡°But I get what you mean. My body still feels like it¡¯s shaking.¡±


    ¡°We were extremely lucky to avoid crashing even a little before¡ª¡± LUCAS began. ¡°The heat index of the land back there is¡­astronomically higher than where we are now,¡± he pointed out the bone-white land that stretched out behind them. ¡°I think the bike would have fused with the land on contact and lit aflame with us on board.¡±


    ¡°That is a pleasant thought,¡± Laven said. ¡°Well, that there seems to be our destination,¡± she nodded up toward the sign.


    ¡°ENFORAL,¡± Ally read. ¡°Wonder what it means.¡±


    Laven shrugged. ¡°I always read it as Enfloral, and I keep thinking of those flowers with the thorns.¡±


    ¡°Thorns sounds pretty fitting if we have a mad king here,¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head inside and see if we can find someplace to get some food and a place to stay.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Ally said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money. I¡­everything I did have was¡­¡±


    Back there, in the past.


    LUCAS nodded, ¡°I get it. If it makes you feel any better I¡¯m flat broke too.¡± He smiled. It was attempting to be a comforting look.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to cover us,¡± Laven said. ¡°Merc work pays pretty well,¡± she winked.


    ¡°Roshe and Bambo will catch up, won¡¯t they?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Bambo¡¯s aware of the bonelands. There¡¯s a tunnel dug out that people use to cross it.¡±


    ¡°A tunnel¡­that goes all that way under?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Yeah, must have taken years to get that fully carved out. That¡¯s amazing the people that put that effort in.¡± Laven said. ¡°Come on, they¡¯ll make it soon. Probably a few hours from now. We can at least get a room for them.¡±


    LUCAS chuckled. ¡°Probably won¡¯t be fond of having to share a room again.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re adults and can manage,¡± Laven said.


    This made Ally laugh and the trio walked in through the gates. Ally looked around in awe as she saw how modern the city had looked. ¡°This looks just like cities I used to live in,¡± she said. ¡°I never got to explore them because the world turned over when I was so young¡ªbut¡­¡± she started to tear up. ¡°Seeing people rebuild feels¡­it feels like things can return to normal.¡±


    ¡°I get what you mean,¡± Laven said. ¡°It really would be a paradise if it didn¡¯t have the looming threat of the emperor over it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I guess that part is easy to overlook when you see something like this off the bat,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel down,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the intention.¡±


    ¡°Bingo,¡± Laven said.


    They stopped when they reached the community board on the corner of Sprinton and Yaxley. Laven took the lead and looked through the papers and found an advertisement for a restaurant called Bake ¡®N Brazier that set the hunger pangs off something fierce.


    ¡°Hey what¡¯s this?¡± Ally stepped forward and started to read about the tournament of champions. ¡°Oh, this is that tournament you were talking about, right?¡±


    ¡°Seems sign ups ended tonight. Huh, looks like it¡¯s going to be going on tomorrow though¡ªthey have nothing but anticipation for getting their beloved tournament underway,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°I do think we should check it out¡ªmaybe we¡¯ll get a lead there.¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Laven said. ¡°We should check out this place,¡± She waved the ad for the restaurant. ¡°Sounds real filling,¡± she looked toward Ally.


    She looked taken off guard, ¡°Oh, uh yeah if you both want to go too.¡±


    LUCAS laughed, ¡°Up to you, I¡¯m not going to be partaking in anything. I was actually going to break off to see if I could see if I could find Sophie.¡±


    Laven nodded. ¡°At least follow us to the restaurant so you know where to meet back up with us at.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± LUCAS said.


    Laven looked the advert over once again before pinning it back up to the board. Ally turned but she froze as something flashed in her mind and doubled her over. She reached out a hand and reached against the board to support herself up. The world around her began to slow and she saw LUCAS and Laven reaching out to her. She even saw Jace erupting from behind her to catch her from behind, but it all slowed to a stop as the world shifted to a sepia tone.


    Two figures stood in front of her outlined with golden-amber light looking at the same board they had not hours ago. Her face constricted and she felt her chest tighten. She couldn¡¯t read the energy of one of the figures¡ªit had such a foreign signature to anybody she had ever known¡­but the second figure¡ªthe woman.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She saw herself but fourteen years older. The energy surged and she could tell she was so much stronger¡ªso much harder than she of the now. It set a deep fear within her, and she returned to herself¡ªbreathing deeply and a harsh sweat coming over her. She landed against the community board and had to keep her focus from passing out.


    ¡°What happened?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± Jace said, grasping her from behind, an arm around to support her.


    Ally looked back to him and nodded her head curtly.


    LUCAS and Laven looked at each other and then back to Ally. ¡°So she is here¡­beat us here even.¡±


    ¡°That is really unfortunate,¡± Laven said. It¡¯s going to be infinitely harder to find her if she¡¯s already here than if we were waiting for her to come.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone else with her¡­it wasn¡¯t Sakonna. I couldn¡¯t sense her anywhere. It was different¡­alien almost.¡±


    ¡°Alien?¡± Laven asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t recognize anything about the feeling I felt. It was completely unrecognizable.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s great,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°We should be on our guard; I think we should start moving now. I don¡¯t have a good feeling about staying in one place for too long.¡±


    The other two nodded as Jace faded from behind Ally. She pushed off from the community board and stabilized herself.


    They continued down the path taking a left at the fork down Sprinton street until they came across the restaurant¡ªthe building itself hadn¡¯t looked anything extra special, but LUCAS noticed the interior was decorated to be reminiscent of a dive bar. The building next to it certainly had looked much more impressive¡ªit had large windows that scaled the stories of the building even though he couldn¡¯t see what was inside. It looked like the sign outside showed it as some investigative firm.


    ¡°Meet us back here, okay?¡± Laven said. ¡°Ally and I are going to be a little bit¡ªit¡¯s been quite a while since we¡¯ve eaten, and I want to buy her a drink.¡± She turned to Ally, ¡°Sorry, I should ask first, would you want one?¡±


    ¡°I could use one,¡± Ally said. ¡°Moving forward fourteen years earns me one,¡± she said.


    Laven smiled. ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ll meet up here when we¡¯re done.¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°If you want to give me some I can get our rooms ready¡ªI¡¯m seeing there¡¯s a motel nearby, Hilltop it¡¯s called.¡±


    Laven nodded and dug in her purse and handed a chunk over. ¡°Give Roshe and Bambo their own rooms. That¡¯ll be four rooms total. Could do to spread some good tidings.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± LUCAS nodded. ¡°Enjoy the food and drink.¡±


    They parted ways and LUCAS exited the restaurant and took a step to the side and leaned against the restaurant¡¯s exterior. He crossed his legs to support himself up and thought out to Levi, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re here where I think Sophie is. What¡¯s the word?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s changed her name¡ªshe isn¡¯t going by Sophie Terrius anymore,¡± Levi said. ¡°She works as an investigative journalist for a news firm she owns. It¡¯s called¡ª¡±


    LUCAS had barely heard what Levi was saying as he looked to the side and saw the sign for the building next door, ¡°Levi¡­is her new name Sherry Bogard?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­yes, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never believe this. I just dropped the girls off at a restaurant next fucking door.¡±


    ¡°What are the chances?¡± Levi asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m not feeling great about them. Keep looking for anything I¡¯d like to know.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    LUCAS started to book it for the front doors to the firm and reached for the handle, pulling it and¡­locked.


    Fuck.


    He sensed recent heat signatures in the building and realized he must have just missed her. He had no clue where she went to, so he figured he¡¯d have to try again when they were back open. ¡°Damn it Levi, I just missed her. The place is closed for the night.¡±


    ¡°Shoot, that sucks. Okay, I¡¯ll keep trying here through the night.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You can take a break. I am thankful for the help. I didn¡¯t mean to make you work so hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve had a lot of time where I wasn¡¯t doing anything. I¡¯m good to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Okay, take it easy. I¡¯m going to instead get us some rooms for the night.¡±


    Levi didn¡¯t respond, so LUCAS continued down the street as he came close to the Hilltop Motel. He opened the door and stepped inside. The interior definitely wasn¡¯t as nice as the restaurant¡¯s, but it would work for what they needed. The guy behind the counter had a bored expression on his face as he flipped through a magazine. LUCAS could have sworn he had a spittle of drool starting to form.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to reserve four rooms please, preferably near each other if possible.¡±


    The guy looked up and his eyes in that moment looked more lifeless than a lizard¡¯s. ¡°Get out of here kid. I don¡¯t do pranks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah, real funny. Come back with your parents then we¡¯ll talk about it.¡± He resumed looking at his magazine.


    LUCAS sighed. ¡°Fine, you know what? Sure you don¡¯t want our business. We¡¯ll go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so threatened,¡± the guy said, monotone.


    LUCAS headed back out the door and went on pace back to the restaurant. There were plenty of places in the area they could go to, but the dumb look on that clerk¡¯s face had irritated him something fierce. He almost wanted a drink just to fit in with the other two.


    He found Ally and Laven sitting together at a table, laughing at a joke one of them had told. Laven saw him as he entered and she waved him over. He nodded and walked past the other patrons and he took an open chair next to Laven.


    ¡°Oh, that was fast, what¡¯s up?¡± Laven asked. She took a swig of a large glass that had been filled with a neon blue liquid. It looked to be some form of margherita.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got good news and annoying news. Good news is I located Sophie.¡±


    ¡°What? No way, that was so fast,¡± Ally said.


    ¡°She works for the investigative firm next door to this very restaurant.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, that¡­Sherry place with the large windows?¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°Yup. She owns the place. She¡¯s Sherry Bogard. Changed her name after the Roulette Game¡ªI think in part to heal and in part to hide from Arctic Systems and Sakonna.¡±


    ¡°Arctic¡­?¡± Ally asked.


    ¡°Basically Sakonna.¡± LUCAS said. ¡°It¡¯s part of the longer story of my involvement. But it makes sense she¡¯d change her name. It¡¯s just¡­I think I just missed her¡ªthe place is locked up for the night. I think we¡¯ll have to try again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay that¡¯s not the worst thing, if we go to that hilltop place we should be able to catch her first thing in the morning,¡± Laven said, taking another sip, then moving to eat one of the slices of quesadilla on her plate. She made a sound of delight when she bit into it.


    ¡°We may need to find another motel. There¡¯s a dumb kid behind the counter who wouldn¡¯t let me reserve a room because he thinks I¡¯m a kid.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ally asked. ¡°I look like more of a kid than you do. What even¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fucked up,¡± Laven said. ¡°Yeah, fuck him. We¡¯ll go somewhere else.¡± She bit into her quesadilla again and took a swig of her drink.


    LUCAS busted out laughing. It concerned the other two who looked at him before saying anything further. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, chuckling still. ¡°It just¡­this is the weirdest obstacle I¡¯ve ever faced, and it just caught me off guard.¡±


    His laughter was infectious. The other two joined in and they laughed into the night.

 20 | The Champion鈥檚 Curse

    2044


    Allison Fae


    Allison woke after a dreamless night. Her eyes opened slowly, and she sat up as she stretched across her bed. She awoke with another beginning in the shower¡ªwilling herself to fully feel the energy of the day.


    She washed her hair and let the water pour over her skin for an extra few minutes before shutting the water off. She stepped out and got ready for the day. After she left the room¡ªbag over her shoulder¡ªshe dropped the key off at the front desk and headed back out to the streets. It was early¡ªbut the hustle and bustle city energy had been prevalent in the people that Allison came across. She was able to follow a group of about twenty or so people that were all walking in the direction of the palace. She wondered how many people would be participating, reasoning that it must be pretty selective if it is a public event. Would they host a tournament full of a thousand people for others to watch as a public spectacle?


    She separated from the crowd as she entered the main gates of the palace¡ªthere was a smaller group of people who she could easily tell had signed up to participate standing near a booth. She saw Zane and she kept his gaze until she joined the group. The other two people beside him looked strong¡ªmuscle definition that looked steely.


    ¡°They¡¯ve split us into two groups.¡± Zane said with his arms crossed. ¡°They already took the other four. Which means we¡¯re not facing off first.¡±


    ¡°Shame,¡± Allison said. ¡°What have they said thus far?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re preparing the stadium now; they¡¯ll be taking us back and be assigning us each an opponent from the other four. Then winner moves onto the next bracket, so on.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take it so hard when you lose,¡± the man closest to Zane said. ¡°This is a man¡¯s game and you¡¯re just not going to stack up.¡±


    Allison scoffed, ignoring the comment. If there was one thing she hadn¡¯t missed it was arrogant men that thought the world revolved around them. Instead she steadied her breathing and prepared herself until the four of them were called off by an official.


    ~¡­~


    LUCAS Gray


    LUCAS didn¡¯t sleep at all. He was too preoccupied with his thoughts as he sat next to Laven who passed out like a light. They ended up staying at an inn a few blocks away from the Hilltop¡ªfor all intents and purposes it was a better locale with nicer waitstaff, but he wished he could have preserved the proximity to the investigation firm.


    The sun had not yet risen, but there was a feeling deep in his gut that told him he needed to act¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sure of the exact cause but there was a sort of¡­ringing in the back of his head like a faint bell. He had heard that sound somewhere before and he searched his mind until it clicked.


    He slowly slid out of bed and stood, looking back on Laven he replaced the blanket over her and held his hand out on her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, rest easy.¡±


    He slipped a keycard into his pocket and headed out of the door. The atmosphere of the city at twilight was eerie for sure, but he knew how to protect himself if need be. He knew where he was headed¡ªtracing the map in his mind he followed the streets until he stood facing the building across the street. He swallowed hard and walked up slowly to the doors. He looked down to the door, but before he did he looked right up at the top of the door and noticed a camera. He stared straight in and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Godsong,¡± he said¡­and he waited. It was the ringing sound he had heard in the back of his mind¡ªthe sound that emitted from the tool that Sakonna had used in the bottom of SubCon. It was the engine¡ªtheir terrible engine. A fragment of the original machine, ICARUS. The only people that knew that sound and its importance were in that facility on that day.


    A sound clicked as LUCAS looked down to the door. He attempted to open it and the handle turned easily. LUCAS¡¯ breath caught in his throat, and he slowly pushed the door open. Standing in front of the desk directly in front of him was a face he couldn¡¯t ever forget. She was almost fifty years older, but he could recognize her anywhere.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to think when I was notified that someone had attempted to break in here. At first I was annoyed,¡± she said, turning away from him to place both her arms out on the desk. ¡°I have it lined to report to me of any disturbances like that. Little things, pests. But I was not prepared to see your face. I have to ask if you¡¯re a demon¡ªone of those nightmares come to end my days or if you¡¯re a miracle incarnate. I need that answer before anything else.¡± Her voice was strained, he felt awful.


    ¡°I am not Cain Gray,¡± he said, and he could feel her deflate. ¡°My name is LUCAS.¡±


    Her eyes darted to him, and she turned back around, and then they widened in recognition. ¡°You¡¯re Abel¡¯s¡­¡±


    LUCAS nodded. ¡°It took me a long time to realize that he had modeled me after Cain. That never fails to make me sad, but I am different. I am alive. And I am continuing Abel¡¯s mission to stop the Creatures of the Night.¡±


    A tear formed in her eyes. ¡°I have been working my entire life to bring down those bastards after what they did. And to think you were here. And Abel? Is he¡­?¡± She looked above as if he was going to enter in behind him.


    LUCAS looked to the floor, distraught. ¡°Abel gave his life to send SubCon to the bottom of the ocean floor, permanently.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see. Well, this night keeps getting more interesting,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s another like you that¡¯s here that I met with not too long ago. She¡¯s going to be participating in that tournament here. Her name¡¯s Allison.¡±


    LUCAS¡¯ eyes perked at hearing the name. ¡°That¡¯s exactly who I¡¯ve come here to find, actually, but you have to be careful about that one there,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°She was traveling with Sakonna not too long ago. I don¡¯t know if she has her own agenda¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold on, working with¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°I can¡¯t say I got that vibe from her. There was someone else she came here with, but she said that she was planning on taking him out in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Someone else?¡±


    ¡°He looked¡­not right. His skin was so pale it was almost gray and his¡­¡± she made hand motions near her head. ¡°His head trailed back like you¡¯d shot him with a high caliber bullet and the skin and bone decided to stay.¡±


    The sight was not a pleasurable image. He ran a hand through his hair, ¡°Okay, well do you know where she would be now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s staying over at the Hilltop¡ªleast if she didn¡¯t already head on out toward the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°Okay, I need to head back to my own place to gather my group¡ªI¡¯ve got a few friends with me that have helped me get here. I need to let them know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d offer to go along if I was as agile as I used to be,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Age catches up to all of us.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°It was really nice to see you again, and I¡¯m very happy you¡¯re still here. Levi says hello too,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Levi¡¯s¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a backup of their database in my system,¡± LUCAS began. ¡°And his core was sealed inside, I¡¯ve been trying to bring him back to how he was before he blew up. It¡¯s going to take some time to make a body, but I¡¯m getting there.¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful. Have you heard from the others?¡± She asked.


    LUCAS shook his head. ¡°I think Aria and Simon are out of the country. I can¡¯t track them that far.¡±


    ¡°Track¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I found you here. The backup I have had encrypted data on everyone in that game. Yours was the only one we could access¡ªalthough to be fair it was tricky to get to it.¡±


    ¡°All this time of hiding and changing my name and they could track me no matter what,¡± she sat against the desk, dejected.


    ¡°I do not think they have access to those records anymore,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I have a very high suspicion that mine are the last remaining copy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I guess.¡± She sighed. ¡°There¡¯s something I want you to keep safe, but you have to be careful who you tell about it. I¡¯ve been running on the ¡®no-one¡¯ factor. It seems to have worked out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Godsong, isn¡¯t it?¡± LUCAS asked. ¡°You saw me in the camera and knew a way to get me to come here was to bring that out¡ªalmost like a code word.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, really. I felt compelled to try, and if you responded curiously to it I would have less a chance to fear you. If you were someone who knew what it was I could possibly entrust it to you to keep.¡± She reached into a pocket of her overcoat and brought out a white prism. ¡°It¡¯s much smaller than in the days of old. I¡¯ve realized they built a shell around the core itself back on SubCon. This is the true essence of the beast itself.¡±


    ¡°I am honored,¡± LUCAS began. ¡°But why don¡¯t you keep it¡­or why didn¡¯t you trust Allison with it?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t keep it because I¡¯m sick, and I¡¯m not going to be around much longer. I run this place like a workhorse because I know it¡¯s not going to be much longer that I can and I¡¯m trying to make things as right as I can before then. And as for Allison¡­I don¡¯t know. I got the vibe I could trust her with enough information but not all the information. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age and that is a dangerous thing.¡±


    LUCAS nodded, he understood. ¡°I¡¯ll happily accept it, thank you. I¡¯m going to go see if I can head her off before she makes it to the tournament.¡±


    Sherry nodded and smiled. ¡°You have his face, but you don¡¯t have his flaws. You¡¯re going to make someone very happy someday.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± LUCAS said, but he turned and ran out before he could see the reaction. He palmed the fragment in his hand as it glowed with the shimmering silvery rainbow of an opal. By the time he hit the streets he hadn¡¯t realized it was starting to brighten outside as the sun hung on the horizon. Shit.


    He booked it back to the inn and hoped he wasn¡¯t too late.


    ~¡­~


    William Wallace


    He stared at himself in the mirror. The new tournament of champions was to begin and still he couldn¡¯t be satisfied with the face that stared back at him on the other side of the glass. Here he had absolutely everything under his control with zero threat to his power for the conceivable future and yet still he sat in his lonesome with that dark feeling in his heart that no matter what he did he would always be judged. Always be loathed.


    The shadow of his mother faded behind him, staring holes into his back like the knives they twisted. Daniel Aldoun appeared to his side; Ellie Parker next to him. The other students¡¯ golden eyes peered at him from the shadows and suddenly the weight he carried seemed momentous. On top of the weight fell the darkness of Amnael.


    Except, he wasn¡¯t in the shape of Amnael. He had been a man in his middle ages who had a thin sweep of dark hair and even thinner glasses on the bridge of his nose. He knew not the man¡¯s name, but he felt the man¡¯s anger¡ªhis desperate rage that melted through the mirror.


    ¡°You will stay in your places and cease your voiceless jabbering,¡± William gripped the sides of the desk so hard his knuckles were pure white. ¡°I have revoked your ability to judge me. I will not hesitate to revoke your ability to remember me. So help me if I don¡¯t just wipe this empire of the face of the planet before you shadows have anything to say about it.¡±


    He bent down and took a deep breath. He needed to get a hold of himself. The thought appeared that he might have mislaid the trap near his central elevator¡ªthat his mistake would be the ultimate undoing, but he refused to give into paranoid delusions. The voices only kept growing in his mind like a cacophony of regret swirling like a tsunami.


    He made pained steps toward the overlook where he would sit and judge the tournament. There was a buzzing sound in his ear¡ªit wasn¡¯t from the voices, and it wasn¡¯t from the people below. It was a new sound, and he wasn¡¯t sure of its origin. It hissed like smoke and fire and¡­he lost it. It whirred past him one moment and then gone the next. He shook it off. It sounded distant¡ªif it wanted to come and wipe them all out at this point. So be it. He would go out watching the sport of his own creation.


    Ain¡¯t no good boy indeed.


    ~¡­~


    Allison Fae


    Allison was first up on the docket to fight a man named Darren Dinto. He was a construction worker who spent frequent mornings training so he could bring his poor mother up from the bootstraps after their father had been taken out of work from an accident on the job. Allison was empathetic to his situation, but it was not enough to halt her progress. She sat in a small, darkened lobby just outside the central stadium. It existed in the center of the palace¡¯s inner courtyard¡ªthe modifications had at one point been done by Darren¡¯s own family.


    She heard a voice echo all across the stadium but could only catch bits and pieces of the opening. The voice was a young man¡¯s projected, but she noted how strained his voice had sounded. She caught a little bit of the history of the event before she decided to instead focus on her own plan. She ran through the rules of the event in her head once more.


    Two fighters would enter the ring and would use every tool in their arsenal to determine a victor. If no side caved in defeat the fight would go to the death. She closed her eyes and hoped the only fighter it would have to come to that to would be Zane. She looked to her right and through the darkness¡ªthrough the walls she could see the holding lobby where the other fighters sat as they viewed the ongoing match. They were encased almost like a prison cell. They probably were outfitted cells if she thought about it hard enough. It was clear it was made to avoid any outside interruption for the fighters at hand.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The lights around her started to glow and that was her sign to begin walking. She took even paces out to the stadium proper and saw thousands of people in the stands all around her in a circle. It echoed the roman coliseums of old¡ªan image that would forever live on in her memory.


    ~¡­~


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    LUCAS had yet again missed out on his opportunity and dashed back to the inn to wake the others up. They had met him outside¡ªLaven had given him a verbal lashing for leaving alone in the dead of night, but she had understood when he told her what he had heard and showed the fragment he held. The three of them looked at one another and knew they had no time to lose.


    ¡°No Bambo or Roshe yet?¡±


    Laven shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s possible they stayed somewhere else. I haven¡¯t seen hide nor hair of them and this city is huge.¡±


    ¡°We should get going, right?¡± Ally asked.


    Laven nodded. ¡°Castle¡¯s this way. If she¡¯s entering the tournament we can at least confirm our sights on her and gain insight.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me, but we need to make sure the fragments we have are secure,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if they¡¯re checking for weapons in the audience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Ally said. ¡°Hey, wait. Jace,¡± she said, looking over to see him appear beside her.


    ¡°Yes master?¡± He offered a terrible accent.


    ¡°Hold these,¡± she motioned to the fragments in LUCAS¡¯ hands.


    ¡°Oh I like the way you¡¯re thinking,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°Sorry for the accent. I can do that right away, go poof, and they¡¯ll be safe with me.¡±


    ¡°Like a portable storage system,¡± Laven said. ¡°Yeah that¡¯ll work.¡±


    LUCAS nodded and handed the two pieces over. He palmed them and vanished without another word.


    With that in agreement the three of them ran as hard as they could to the palace.


    The crowd forming around the palace was dominating. It was as if the entirety of the commonwealth had gone to attend this one event.


    ¡°Perhaps attendance is required by citizens,¡± LUCAS offered.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re just curious of the fights and just enjoy it?¡± Laven countered.


    Whatever the reason was, they were antsy as the seating process began. They were surprised they were able to fill the stadium which had extended itself in a full circle around the events below as the central spire where the emperor sat hung in full view behind the seats that sat opposite them.


    Ally looked up to see the emperor open the door that led to his inner chambers. He walked out with a slow stride. He wore a full black two-piece suit and sat with a noticeable lack of effort on the throne at the edge of the balcony. It was hard to see anything below his chest, but from here she could see a despot¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°He looks awful,¡± Ally said. ¡°Like he doesn¡¯t care about anything.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the life of an emperor,¡± Laven said.


    LUCAS stared up at the man as he cleared his throat and the crowd around silenced.


    ¡°Hello all and welcome to our tournament of champions. You know the drill by this point. I don¡¯t need to waste your time explaining the rules. But I will remind you that this was a gift to you, the populace for the glory you can achieve if you too apply yourself, blah next. Our first challengers are on the screen there. You can read. You all can begin now.¡±


    It was certainly a speech. The three of them looked at each other confused, but the masses erupted into a raucous applause and on the gigantic board to the side of the central spire saw the names appear on the screen. Ally looked and swallowed hard as her own name appeared on the screen.


    So they were starting off with her. She felt terrified for this moment, but knew she had to tough it out. What happened next would greatly change how the rest of¡­everything played out. She felt Jace by her side in spirit and he felt him put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°You got this, love.¡±


    ~¡­~


    Allison Fae


    ¡°You got this, love,¡± the faint voice whispered from her lance, and she closed her eyes and heard the taunt incoming from her opponent. The crowd¡¯s loud cheers had totally drowned him out. She kept her eyes closed and could see the entirety of the battlefield as if dozens of spotlights had highlighted them. She saw the figure of the boy¡ªhe couldn¡¯t have been older than his mid-twenties¡ªstart dashing toward her. She stood perfectly still and focused on her breathing.


    The crowd¡¯s noises tuned to a perfect silence and suddenly she heard the laughter as Darren had begun to celebrate his early victory. She waited until he crossed the line. He kept dashing forward and brought out a sharpened scimitar. It glistened in the crimson rays above and he raised it above his head.


    She tapped her armband with her right middle finger and the lance extended to its full length ending right at the center of his gut. He ran into it and dug his heels into the dirt. The tip of the lance had broken skin, but he pulled back enough to avoid impaling himself on the end.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He called.


    She whipped the lance around like a staff and the back and gelled to a fluid and she spun it like a pair of chrome chucks and shot out an end toward his legs. It wrapped around and hooked into his heel as she yanked upward. It spun him around and sent him to his stomach. She stepped over and carried the lance and bent down¡ªwilling the metal to work with her hands. Her body was over his and the crowd had to wait in anticipation of her final presentation.


    She backed off and revealed Darren Dinto hog-tied with the metal sealing his wrists and ankles together in one central mass.


    ¡°Submit,¡± Allison said under her breath. It reached his mind simply and he called for submission. A cannon exploded above, and bountiful fireworks were displayed over the field to signal defeat. Her name was displayed on the scoreboard as the victor. He gave a wave to the crowd¡ªshe figured she¡¯d play to it while she was here. Her gaze froze at one face in the stadium.


    Up on the western edge¡ªthird row from the bottom and seventh person across was a young girl who looked remarkably like Allison Fae. She locked eyes with her doppelganger and kept a lock for just a moment to send one thought over.


    ¡°Who are you?¡¯


    She held still as the crowd¡¯s cheers sustained her look as she waited for a response. One came, and it came forceful.


    ¡°You. Is it true you worked with Sakonna?¡±


    The question was simple in its reply, but the answer was much more complicated and couldn¡¯t be sent back through such a quick medium. She simply looked at her and turned, returning back toward the eastern exit back to the holding lobby as the next group began their match. She caught a glance up at the screen to catch the names of the new opponents as they were being entered in.


    She could only see Zane¡¯s name being entered before the ran out of time and re-entered through darkness.


    ~¡­~


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    Ally stared in horror as she saw the fight play out in less than thirty seconds. She had Darren pinned almost immediately. The crowd around her ripped into a vacuous roaring that nearly deafened her. She turned to LUCAS and Laven who had similar looks of concern on their faces.


    The screen started to shift over as Allison started walking back toward the side of the stadium. The name that replaced Allison¡¯s name was Zane Hannes, and then name that replaced Darren Dinto¡¯s¡­


    ~¡­~


    Allison Fae


    Allison sat on a bench looking through the one-way glass that looked out toward the field. She saw Zane walking out onto the pitch. On the other side of the field she saw a figure wearing a dark cloak with the hood pulled up over their head.


    Zane bent forward and she saw his mouth moving¡ªsomething of a taunt but she couldn¡¯t hear what he said.


    Zane leapt forward as his tendrils shot out of his back. The energy of the crowd echoed so loud she could hear it plain as day underneath them. The holding zone sat just underneath the audience seats above and the display board just behind them. She eyed that robed figure as he stood still¡ªvery similar to how Allison¡¯s play worked out. The difference was she was sure Zane was infinitely more dangerous than Darren was.


    Zane leapt into the air and barreled toward the figure. She saw him bend at the knees slightly, waiting for Zane to get closer. Zane¡¯s sharpened tendril arced over his head as the two to his rear shot out reaching for the figure¡¯s legs. The figure grabbed for the robe and thrust it into his grip and balled it into his fist. The face offered a smile as his eyes offered a serious look¡ªblue and hazel in contrasting accord.


    Allison stood to her feet as she saw her father rip his robe off. He ducked underneath Zane¡¯s frontal assault and he whipped out the rope like a towel from an age long passed¡ªtightened to crack like a whip¡ªexcept his hands had been glowing a pure white. The crack was amplified and billowed smoke as the impact sent Zane off balance.


    Zane aimed himself up and managed to land on his fours, but he smiled a wild grin as he stood up and brushed himself off. He spun fast and vanished into thin air, talk around the stadium had begun and Gavin took two steps in reverse, and he too disappeared just moments before Zane emerged from a void in the air that looked like it had been torn with dark claws. He lunged into empty space and Gavin caught him from the side, pinning him down


    Gavin reached down and took the fragment of the Black Monolith from Zane slipping it into his hand. It was a sight missed by most by how subtle it was, but Allison was deadlocked staring at the swift motion. Zane erupted into a fury and Gavin hopped off. He landed and disappeared once again.


    Zane was wary, looking all around him¡ªsensing where his energy had gone to. There was a silence among the crowd as they waited for Gavin¡¯s attack, but it did not come.


    ~¡­~


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    ¡°What the hell is Gavin doing here?¡± LUCAS asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Laven said.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Ally turned to ask.


    ¡°He was working with the caravan I was a part of before this. He wasn¡¯t full time like I was, but he collaborated with us enough to be a regular.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who introduced me to the fragments of ICARUS,¡± LUCAS said. ¡°He¡¯s involved in this whole situation, but I can¡¯t quite get the grasp of how.¡±


    LUCAS watched as Gavin so effortlessly put the creature named Zane in his place and then¡­vanished. They looked in anticipation as the crowd around them held their breath waiting for the attack. The cannons were let loose, and Zane was declared the winner. He screamed out in a roar that echoed louder than the crowd.


    ~¡­~


    Zane


    His face was pushed into the dirt with the troublesome man digging a knee into his back. He tried lashing out with his tendrils and he bared his fangs, but he was kept down. The man looked at him with a look that seared red hot feelings past his vision. He wanted to rend his flesh from his bones and see them scattered at the base of a million dead planets.


    The man bent down and took hold of the black treasure and as his face was down he whispered, ¡°Thanks for your consideration.¡±


    The pressure lifted off of Zane and he immediately kicked up to his feet. He saw the man float backward and vanish. Zane tensed up and turned to face the opposite direction awaiting the next strike. He clenched his fist, but silence ran through the coliseum as it became increasingly clear that he was alone on the pitch¡ªthe man had vanished for good. The cannon blasted into the sky and Zane turned to see the explosions in the air.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he said. He looked to the display board to show a sign of forfeit from the man who called himself Gavin. ¡°No¡­I¡¯m not done. I will not be made the fool. I WILL NOT!¡± He screamed and his cries filled the space and he spun to look up at the emperor above. He launched himself into the air and landed on the edge of the balcony¡ªfacing the man who looked down on him. He looked like a rat who had been stuffed plump for far too long.


    ~¡­~


    William Wallace


    The creature leapt from his place on the ground and landed directly in front of him. The ringing sound in the back of his mind had turned up to a fever pitch. It rang from somewhere far above and he didn¡¯t dare look away from the creature that stared at him with a blood-thirst that resonated with his own. His mother behind him placed a hand on his shoulder and he shook her off, a dead look in his eyes.


    William stood, the throne behind him knocking back from the force¡ªthe energy between the two of them was electric.


    Zane leapt forward and wrapped his tendrils around William¡¯s legs. They sunk with hooks into his skin, but William shoved a fist right into Zane¡¯s sternum, knocking him off balance on the ledge. He fell down off the balcony. The tendrils still had William up by the legs so he was dragged with Zane off the balcony back to the pitch. The crowd gasped as they saw the two of them tumbling down.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡± A voice pierced the chaos and the collective gaze rose toward an object in the sky¡ªa gigantic fireball headed directly toward them.


    ~¡­~


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    Zane had leaped out toward the emperor and Ally sat back in shock as the crowd gasped all around her. She looked to the side and saw that LUCAS and Laven had started to stand. ¡°Things are about to get real wiry. I think we need to help,¡± LUCAS said.


    ¡°Ally, stay safe here. Send Jace in if you need to,¡± Laven said, placing a hand on her shoulder.


    She nodded and whispered to her constant companion. He appeared by her side and nodded in response.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s g¡ª¡± LUCAS was cut off by the girl on his immediate right screaming into the air. ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡± Her arm was outstretched and past the falling bodies of Zane and William was a gigantic object crashing down to the surface¡ªit looked huge. It wasn¡¯t rock¡ªit looked like a gigantic hunk of metal shooting out from the cosmos.


    ¡°SHIT!¡± LUCAS called, turning to the others. ¡°We need to get out of here, NOW.¡±


    ~¡­~


    Ally Fae / LUCAS Gray


    Allison saw Zane leap up toward the emperor and she knew she had to intervene. She bolted out toward the edge of the stadium and heard a tremendous screaming from above, but the specifics of what it had said had eluded her. She emerged from the darkness to see the two bodies tumbling toward the earth¡ªWilliam was above and Zane below. She crossed the distance and whipped out her lance. She closed her eyes and saw a few very important facts all at once


    Zane definitely no longer held the fragment of the Black Monolith¡ªthat was now with her father wherever he vanished to. That would have to be a tack she tackled at another point. Second, the emperor had the remains of a Child of the Night within him. She sensed a name behind his face, and she spoke it aloud: ¡°Mason Radica.¡±


    She looked between her two targets and made the choice as she leapt up and soared up to their falling forms. She brought her lance and ran it through William¡¯s chest, pinning him to the wall of the central spire. His eyes bugged out of his head as the realization hit but he offered no final word. Shadows claimed his soul from within and his eyes went dark as blood trailed down his lips.


    Zane below flipped enough to land on all fours as he looked up at the both of them. Allison felt a lingering wind around her whisper thanks, and she eased her breathing as she opened her eyes to Zane leaping up toward her.


    She glanced up above and saw the object falling toward them and instantly she recalled seeing something exactly like that not too long ago¡ªand she ripped the lance from William¡¯s body as they both fell to the ground below. She formed the metal of her lance into a flat edge and used it to propel herself away from the wall and then she slid it under her feet as a sled to absorb the shock of the fall. Zane caught William¡¯s body mid fall and he started tearing into it as he fell.


    ¡°Come on come on come on come on,¡± Allison said to herself. The crowd had evacuated the stadium and it would be too late for her to get out now. She saw Zane finish his meal, unsatisfied from the remains and he turned to her. Pure hatred shone in his eyes and he dashed toward her on all fours with his tendrils running amok out of his spine.


    Allison thought fast and spread her metal around her like a shield over the top and dug the edges underneath the dirt. She was surrounded by pitch black. She heard Zane beating on the sides and it put to mind the day she lost her leg with Felix slamming his drunken stupor into the shield. She curled up tight and gripped the Red Monolith tightly. She felt a cooling energy spread over the shield and as she closed her eyes she saw Zane¡¯s bloodhound-like gaze turn slowly upward as he realized how little time he had remaining. He gritted his teeth and turned into himself, vanishing from view.


    Allison remained alone in the stadium, but in truth she wasn¡¯t really alone. She felt the warmth of Jace hold her still. She felt Devon and Alex appear by her in the dark. They embraced hands and waited for the end.

 ENDGAME | Of What Remains

    <h3 align="center">PART V


    Ghost From The Machine


    2044


    ???


    @0fWhatRemains


    So that''s how this old thing works. I''m surprised on so many fronts! A marvel this thing can connect all the way out here, much less run anything stronger than minesweeper. Even had a handy bookmark ready for me. I was just looking for something to log the last days of this ship.


    Ahem.


    Mission Log 143.256.500 ¡ª Maintenance on the external bays has been successful. I had to work at the old residential bay to clean out the remainder of the...remains. No signs of the Credonins which is a positive sign. At least, if they''re also not in the food reserves...


    Which I didn''t! It''s been pretty uneventful here. What else can I say...I almost am at a loss for words now that I have the chance to get them out. This character limit is going to be something to get used to, but if I were afraid of limitations...well, I wouldn''t be up here.


    I think that''s all I really have to report now. I''m sure I''ll forget everything I didn''t mention, but I''ll just get it in the next log.


    Stay safe under the stars.


    -WH


    End Report.


    Mission Log 143.256.501


    AUTM-2044


    Hello! WH here reporting in for another log. I have to say, I was pretty excited to wake up knowing I was able to be on the lookout for new things to discuss. It¡¯s one thing to have a responsibility but then becomes something totally more exciting when there¡¯s the chance with connecting with others about what you do. And especially after the bad job I did last time I wanted to redeem myself. I guess you can say I was literally at a loss for words to explain how finding this thing floating around in space was.


    Which brings me to this! I finally found a way to beat those nasty character limits. At last! I am victorious! It¡¯s been really quiet up here. You learn to take small victories when you can get them. And with that¡ª


    I can finally discuss my day from beginning to end. If mission control were still out there I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be harping on my overall lax nature. Something something confidentiality agreement something something.


    The Colonel would probably actually kill me if he weren¡¯t¡­anyway. I still don¡¯t know how open I really should be about all the classified information. Technically it¡¯s not a zero percent chance that everyone else that would care wouldn¡¯t be able to see this¡­I dunno. We¡¯ll see. I guess I¡¯ll just wing it from here and I¡¯ll cross that bridge when it comes to it.


    I totally forgot to introduce myself last time. I have an auto signature thing here that added the initials there which I would have preferred it not, but thems the breaks I guess. That¡¯s my bad.


    My name¡¯s¡­uhm, you can call me¡­hm¡­what to have you call me? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m really comfortable just tossing my name out there to the void right now. Could be dangerous. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s smart¡­how about green? No, or like, Turbo. No, that¡¯s lame. Ugh, I didn¡¯t know this would be difficult to get a good name off the ground so easily.


    Well¡­I did kind of sign off last time¡­so why don¡¯t we be consistent? WH. We¡¯ll go with that. It¡¯s not fancy, but I figure it¡¯s no use trying to cover it up. Will work for now¡ªleast ¡®til I¡¯m more comfortable. Maybe it¡¯ll be a goal for me or something. That¡¯d be fun, right?


    My day starts out quiet¡ªthe kind of quiet where you can hear the ringing in your head. It¡¯s a real nasty sort of ringing like it¡¯s echoing in your ear drums. You get used to it after a while, but that¡¯s after you¡¯re up and at it for a few hours.


    First thing¡¯s first is confirm that I¡¯m not on a crash course with some rogue star. It sounds like a joke, but when it¡¯s just me out here who knows how to pilot this thing¡ªbeing away from the controls means anything can happen. And, of course, that being the fact that the engines are actually dead doesn¡¯t help with that fact. So, I check on this about three times a cycle¡ªthat way if anything comes into view I can pull just enough weight one way or the other to project a path where I avoid collision. I can¡¯t help much if I come into an oncoming path with a planet, but that¡¯s a bridge I¡¯m hoping I won¡¯t have to cross.


    Once that¡¯s done and I confirm I¡¯m not moments away from certain death, the next thing I got to check is the stability in the nine sectors I have on board here. I think it¡¯d be easier to show you first and then explain it afterwards¡­


    [COCKPIT: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: UNSTABLE ¡ª TWO FOREIGN BODIES DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 6: UNST ]


    [SECTOR 7: SHUT DOWN ¡ª UNKNOWN]


    [SECTOR 8: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 9: UNSTABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    Okay, so, this is what I look at to see the current status of my whereabouts. I¡¯m here in the cockpit, that¡¯s where I¡¯ve propped up this old computer I found floating in the vastness, managed to have enough knowledge to rig up a power source for this old brick. So the one life sign right there is me.


    Sector 1 was the propulsion zone¡ªit¡¯s primarily where the engine was held and is currently why I¡¯m¡­well, here. That¡¯s a story in itself why it¡¯s not here. I''d like to get into it, but my time here to type is limited right now. You noticed that Sectors 4 and 8 have life signs sighted in them, right? Well, that is why.


    I¡¯m the last remaining person alive on this ship. And those¡­things are looking to change that. I don¡¯t know where they came from, and they¡¯re not all the same. The two of those in Sector 4 like to group together. They¡¯re the ones that are the biggest threat to me right now. I call them the Reachers. They have decrepit looking moldy bodies. Skin stretched to its absolute thinnest you can practically see through to whatever foul liquid boils in their bodies. They have these long-disjointed limbs that¡­well, you can guess based on the name. Their grip is immensely powerful and if they¡¯re excited they¡¯re liable to try to cause heavy damage to the ship. I cannot allow this to happen.


    My ultimate goal is to keep them out of Sector 3 at all costs. That is my food supply. I¡¯ve wired it up so if they enter the sector I get an immediate notification from a motion sensor I set up. If that happens I need to go and lure them out and make it to a safe zone unharmed.


    Sector 4 is our archives¡ªyou can think of it like a great library. I took with me a vast array of books and documents that are crucial to our preservation. Of all our sectors it¡¯s not the most preferable location for them to be. The amount of damage they can cause there is highly concerning, but overall sacrificable if it is in place of the food storage.


    The being in Sector 8¡­I¡¯ve only actually run into it twice. Both times I¡¯ve had nightmares about it in the immediate days after. I say the Reachers are a bigger threat to me now because of the damage I can see them do. I don¡¯t know what this one wants. It¡¯s in the residential sector. First time I saw it¡­I was on detail¡ªcleanup services. That was quite a few cycles ago. Around 143.254 or so. Longer it gets the harder it is to keep track. Should be easier now, though.


    It was about¡­two cycles after the cleanup of Sector 8 was confirmed. We had secured the contagion and removed the infected¡ªthat was when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Like a stalking shadow just staring into the window of a house that belonged to an old family I was friendly with. As soon as I caught wind of it, its head turned so fast. I saw the dead eyes that looked like cavernous holes wanting to suck in everything around it¡­and then it was gone. As soon as it was in my front vision¡­gone. But you know who showed up just out of the edges of my peripheral vision?


    You guessed it.


    I¡¯ve decided to call this one the Shadow. It¡¯s thus far not been violent, but it is no less a threat. It is an active source of radiation and if it is left to roam to its own devices, I will run out of living space. I fear it is the cause for Sector 6 acting so strange on the heads up display here. That¡¯s where I saw it last¡ªabout seven cycles ago. I was attempting to lure the Reachers over in that direction¡ª6 is our Storage Unit. Anything and everything miscellaneous hangs out there. I was attempting to investigate our storage numbers to see if there was anything that could be of current use to me and again I saw it¡ªthe Shadow on the edge of my vision. It was just over my shoulder, and I¡¯m embarrassed to say I freaked. Ever since that cycle the Sector has shown as it does now on the display here and¡­I¡¯m honest I¡¯m afraid to investigate it. I know I¡¯m going to have to eventually, but I¡¯m trying to delay that until I absolutely need to.


    Sector 7 is¡­well, it¡¯s a lot. It is our Weapons Bay. Obviously a very essential place for me to secure and maintain, but I am walking in blind there. This one here is as important for me to keep the Reachers out of as the food.


    And¡­that¡¯s the current status of everything to the best of my abilities. The Reachers are the biggest obstacle for me right now. I¡¯m going to attempt to drag them over to Sector 5. That¡¯s our Cold Storage. Obviously separate from the miscellaneous storage. We keep frozen food in reserves here, but the cold really lowers the Reacher¡¯s chance of wreaking havoc. They tend to sleep for longer periods if I can get them in there. Those are the good cycles.


    I think I¡¯m at my limit here. I¡¯ve got to get to it. I feel better about explaining more and not letting me get the better of myself. I¡¯ll report back next cycle.


    Stay safe under the stars.


    -WH


    End Report.


    Mission Log 143.256.502


    AUTM-2045


    WH reporting in. The previous day¡¯s efforts have been¡­well, I guess they can be considered successful, but we¡¯ll get to that. First thing¡¯s first, I should mention that I am thankfully not hurtling toward my imminent doom. Looking out my viewfinder now I see¡­.I think I see Earth. It¡¯s small, so it¡¯s not in harm¡¯s way.


    Aside from that, this cycle has started out okay, but I guess before I get to that I should tell you how the rest of last cycle went. I admit, it could have gone better. I freeze up whenever I get near those Reachers¡ªthey¡¯re absolutely terrifying.


    Okay, center yourself, you¡¯re not making any sense. So, my goal was going to pressure those Reachers toward Sector 5 since it was so close¡­here, let me just show you the results of my labors.


    [COCKPIT: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: STABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: UNSTABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 6: UNST O ]


    [SECTOR 7: SHUT DOWN ¡ª UNKNOWN]


    [SECTOR 8: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SSIGN DETTECTEDED]


    [SECTOR 9: UNSTABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    So, few things have changed. Sector 1 story coming soon, I promise. It¡¯ll come on a less busier cycle. I¡¯m already behind as it is with the four cycles I blanked out on before starting these logs. Don¡¯t become electrical engineers for underground space programs, folks. Do not recommend in hindsight.


    After signing off last cycle I had a pretty brilliant idea to venture off to Sector 2 in order to nab some doohickeys I could use to persuade the Reachers to follow me back with. Sector 2 was the Mechanics / Engineering Bay so practically my little home away from home. Said doohickey was this armament developed by one of the engineers on board before he passed. It¡¯s a retractable drone fit into an arm band here that lets us do repair work up high in the rafters without the need for ladders and complicated pulley systems. It was really cool. Back when it was shown off I called it Dootie, kinda like ¡°Duty¡±, y¡¯know? Well, Dootie here was perfect for a plan I had to lure my fine grabby friends to the cold storage.


    So, remember how I said that I freeze up when dealing with the Reachers? Well, it¡¯s almost a little funny, but that was exactly my problem. So, I gathered Dootie and went back to the central hub¡ªit¡¯s this circular platform that rotates to give access to the other Sectors on command, and it only does so if a personnel ID is scanned. This means that if anything is going to move between sectors it¡¯s going to:


    A:) Need to know that it needs an ID card to call the center station


    and


    B:) Have said ID card in its possession to scan.


    I¡¯ve done my best to confirm the destruction of any ID card I come across outside of my own so that this doesn¡¯t become a problem, but I haven¡¯t been able to confirm a full list of casualties as some bodies are still missing out there¡­going to have to make a list of that and soon. It still hurts¡­though.


    Anyway, back on topic. I scanned into Sector 4¡ªthough I didn¡¯t go in. I opened the doors and let Dootie head in for me. The armband has a display that wirelessly connects to the camera on the center of Dootie¡¯s cute little face. It¡¯s not really a face, but you can kind of make one out if you scrunch hard enough.


    I navigated through the halls and saw the hideous forms of the Reachers inside the Annals. One of them was clinging to one of the walls that extended about forty feet high stacked shelf to shelf with books on various topics (I wasn¡¯t kidding when I told you we stacked up.) I shot it with the surgical laser that Dootie¡¯s equipped with normally to cut through metal.


    It didn¡¯t like that. The bulbous skin that covered it in several layers thick started to melt and smoke and it screamed a bubbled sort of gurgle. It was enough to catch the attention of the second which had been sleeping in the corner of the room. I can only imagine what the first one had been trying to do by climbing to the top.


    They were massive creatures¡ªI don¡¯t think I fully impressed how large they really were. They were at least ten feet tall and maybe five hundred pounds each. Their skin was sickly pale and covered in cankerous sores that looked like they could blow at any second. Their large jaws opened at a joint and revealed terrifyingly razor-sharp teeth. They didn¡¯t have any eyes to speak of, but their hearing was immaculate it seemed. It looked like they at one point did have eyes¡ªas they did have sunken features that resembled them, but it seemed to be filled with more sores.


    I led the Reacher that I had shot with the laser out of the depths of the annals. I had hoped I had stirred enough of a commotion to bring the second one behind it¡ªbut you can see from the results of my labor that it instead decided to fall back asleep.


    When I saw I only attracted one Reacher I knew I couldn¡¯t have Dootie swing back around to pick up the second one. Any chance that it could get to grab Dootie and rip her to smithereens was a chance it would take without hesitation, and for the moment she was just out of his grasp.


    I led it toward the central bridge and¡­this is where I fucked up. I tried to stop the bridge as it started to rotate¡ªbut I froze up. I saw the monster¡¯s maw and we went past Sector 5. I had to slam my hand into the turnstile to avoid sending us to Sector 3. I just narrowly got it and¡­now the Reacher is hammering away at Sector 2. It¡¯s undesirable, but infinitely more so than getting access to the food reserves.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    After I sealed it down and acted as the Colonel to reprimand me for my cowardice I rounded back to the two other points I noticed on the status screen¡ªSector 6¡¯s display looked like it was starting to reboot. If that was the case then I¡¯ll wait until it boots back online before visiting it so I can get a handle on what I¡¯m walking into. Unfortunately¡ªI think Sector 8 is starting to corrupt much in the way that Sector 6 had before it. This is vital information, though. I can reason that a corrupted sector hopefully will not remain so indefinitely. So if I steer clear of the Shadow I should be able to avoid its ill effects. I do not yet have an answer if it chooses to take a hold of the food storage.


    Once that was done I headed toward Sector 3 and had a pretty boring meal alone. All my meals here are alone.


    Today¡¯s mission is recon. I¡¯m going to send Dootie in Sector 8 to get eyes on the Shadow. I wonder how it¡¯ll react to seeing it¡ªhopefully not violently. If it does I¡¯ll have to go in to retrieve it. I¡¯m hoping I can trust its behavior to not vary based on past experience. Once that¡¯s done I¡¯m going to grab enough food for tomorrow and the next day.


    One part about my schedule here I didn¡¯t explain properly¡ªthis ship¡ªthe Lumina¡ªis running on reserve power. I don¡¯t have enough power to operate the bridge full time. I¡¯d love to keep it running and just ram those Reachers into cold storage permanently, but that just isn¡¯t feasible. Based on current energy output I can afford to move the bridge twice per cycle. When I need extra power to steer away from an oncoming collision I will need to hold back and only use one use of the bridge. Those days I usually have to go without eating because securing the ship¡¯s integrity is most important.


    I¡¯m going to grab a second meal, so I have something to eat the next time that comes up¡­I pray it doesn¡¯t.


    I think that¡¯s all to report right now. I know I¡¯ve been holding it off¡­I¡¯ll tell you all about Sector 1 in the next report. It should be an easier day.


    Stay safe under the stars, friends.


    -WH


    End Report.


    Mission Log 143.256.503


    AUTM-2045


    Hello all, WH reporting in. I noticed something odd in my first post. I never wrote the word ¡°Credonins¡± back there. I don¡¯t know what that¡¯s about¡ª nothing on Google comes up. I could check out the annals if I can clear them out, but unfortunately that second Reacher is still inside there.


    So, for my activities last night I can confirm Dootie is safe and secure. So first and foremost I want to make that clear. So I went to shift the bridge over toward Sector 8. I opened the door and sent Dootie inside. I scanned the area closest toward the entrance first. There are a few gym facilities in mock buildings¡ªSector 8 is easily the largest sector out of all on the Lumina¡ªit¡¯s about three acres large. The sector is meant to replicate a small suburban town to ease the minds of the civilians that used to travel onboard the Lumina. Scientia took great detail to propagate true plant life in a simulated civilian environment¡ªso the grass and trees I saw through that viewfinder¡ªand that I normally would see when I traveled through there were all real. It was a wonder to behold. Of course, to what end now?


    It took me a few minutes to navigate to the area to remember where it was that I saw the Shadow. Once I saw the diner I knew I was close. It was a small yellow house built to shape just like the other houses in the area. The only difference was the color and pattern painted along the sides. It put to mind old cartoons in a sense¡ªthe kind I¡¯d watch when I was having morning breakfast before school.


    I froze as I saw the side of the building¡ªa void of an existence stood thin and wiry with the shape that looked like its head looking down in through the side window into the living room of the house. A shape like a hand made contact with the side of the house. A pulsing sort of wave sounded out from the shape¡¯s hand across the shape of the house. It looked like a wave of energy that pulsed out every five seconds or so.


    Dootie had scanners¡ªand plenty of them. Thermograms, XRAY, bunch of fancy stuff. Thermogram was the interesting one, though. It detects heat sources like you would see in those spy movies. Red means hot, blue means cold. Well, those pulses were a very deep violet shooting out. While I was looking at the thermograph the shadow¡¯s head jerked around on a full pivot. The view went cold, and I was sure Dootie was done for, but suddenly the view came back online.


    The shadow was turned back toward the house and continued doing whatever it was doing. I got her out of there, thankfully, I saw nothing else out of the ordinary on the way out. Once that was done I sealed the sector up and headed to get my food. I thought about getting something frozen to heat up¡ªI¡¯ve been needing something more than packaged food I resuscitate with water, but Dootie was freaking out when the bridge rotated toward the cold storage¡ªas if dissuading me from going inside. It was strange. I am big on taking signs when I see them, so I just let the bridge continue forward past Sector 5 and headed to Sector 3. I grabbed enough food to last me through this cycle and booked it back to the cockpit to end the cycle.


    I was wanting to keep up with my promise of that story I¡¯ve been teasing. But first, I feel it¡¯s obligatory to show this before getting into that, as some things with my terminal have changed¡­for the ominous. I aM not OMINous


    [COCKPIT: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: STABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: UNSTABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 6: UNST NOT ALONe ]


    [SECTOR 7: SHUT DOWN ¡ª UNKNOWN]


    [SECTOR 8: STABLE]


    [SECTOR 9: UNSTABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    Reachers remain where they were previously, and obviously the Shadow remains where it has been, but Sector 6¡¯s message here¡­well, I¡¯m going to be honest. It freaked me out. Made me think there¡¯s something intelligent here talking to me. NOT ALONe


    Gave me a shiver. ShIVEr iN yOUR bONEs. Shiver aLL yOU LIkE.


    Anyway. The Shadow seems to be doing something to trick the sensors we have set up in each of the sectors¡ªwe have general structural analysis drones embedded in that analyze the general livability of a sector and how hospitable it is to humans based on a variety of different factors. It¡¯s supposed to show ¡°STABLE¡± as it is now, obviously not screwed up as it is now¡ªit was actually an error that it was showing unstable before. Unstable also happens when a foreign body is present¡ªlike the Reachers.


    I¡¯m not sure what it means to gain from messing with the drones in Sector 8, but I will keep an eye for how Sector 6¡¯s drones are when they fully come back online. DEAD ROT DEAD ROT DEAD ROT DEAD ROT DEAD ROT.


    Okay, with that out of the way¡ªSector 1. I previously mentioned that this held our main engine and was our general propulsion bay. My¡­someone who I cared about a lot used to run that sector. She was the head of the program. Let¡¯s call her AT. iT is SuCH a SHAme whaT haPpENed tO AnNABeL


    We were out here for preservation efforts¡ªto escape what the planet below couldn¡¯t offer us. Everything was fine for the last 503 cycles. But about¡­probably fifty cycles or so ago things went wrong. We had come across a signal for a fuel source completely unknown to our records. Our data team ran extensive predictive models on the potential it had for our systems. More than just our systems¡ªdevelopment, agriculture, engineering. It seemed to have limitless capabilities. I don¡¯t exactly know what it was myself¡ªI¡¯m not that high on the rung. AT was, though. ROT DEAD ROT DEAD ROT DEAD.


    Her team excavated the material from the outside successfully and about¡­two cycles later after their numerous testing¡­alarms. Sudden, loud, violent alarms. And¡­the call was made to eject Sector 1. Chaos sprung forth and people were giving orders, all kinds of orders, but nobody was really listening to orders then, though. It was a free for all. Tensions were pretty high at that time for various reasons, some people started fighting. A lot of people died in that cycle.


    There was a sizable group trying to save those inside Sector 1, and a sizable group trying to preserve the engine. Obviously both were very important, but it became very clear that not everyone was on the same page of what was most important.


    Then¡­the sector was ejected from the inside. We tried our best to redirect ourselves to reconnect¡ªthat sort of operation is possible if we act quick enough. Agents can suit up and manually reconnect the Sector to allow re-entry into the rest of the Lumina.


    But that was when the first Reacher appeared. And it is safe to say we lost our chance to reconnect. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to them since.


    I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. Dead and gone


    I don¡¯t have the energy to make decisions now¡­I¡¯m feeling a cold sort of feeling. I didn¡¯t know this was going to affect me this way, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been so open. But I see no reason to delete it now.


    I¡¯m going to ask for something in return¡ªI need some sort of push to work with. I¡¯ll see if I can work this to make some sort of poll. I need some more opinions on this. Thanks in advance.


    Stay safe under the stars, friends.


    -WH


    End Report.


    Mission Report 143.256.505


    2045


    Hi.


    Thanks.


    Nothing to report.


    [COCKPIT: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 6: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 7: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 8: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 9: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    See you next time.


    ¡ª-WH


    End


    Mission Log 143.256.506


    AUTM-2045


    Hello all. I¡¯m sorry for missing a few days for a report. I listened to your advice and went to go back and investigate Sector 8. I stepped in and immediately felt an overwhelming coldness overtake me. It felt as if the entire sector had frozen over. Now, I¡¯m pretty well bundled up because it can be pretty cold here as it is, but I was feeling it through everything. I¡­unfortunately lost consciousness then. I had a dream I was being watched¡ªfollowed by the Shadow. I felt its cavernous eyes drilling holes into my head.


    I woke up a few hours later. Unfortunately, the door was open for quite a few hours¡ªso the Shadow could have moved anywhere. If it was ever stopped by the door at least. I made my way back to the cockpit to get my bearings and saw it¡¯s been longer than three hours¡ªbut instead it¡¯s been three cycles. That more than anything confused me. Just what the hell happened?


    For the other sectors, well, I have a problem.


    [COCKPIT: STABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: UNSTABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [HELLO:HELLOHELLOHELLOHELLOHELLOHELLOHELLO]


    [SECTOR 7: SHUT DOWN ¡ª UNKNOWN]


    [SECTOR 8: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 9: UNSTABLE ¡ª GARBAGE CHUTE DETECTED]


    I think the Shadow has gotten access to my systems. I do not know if there is anything I can trust anymore if that is true¡ªbut it seems it desires to toy with me.


    I do not like this. I also do not like that the other Reacher has seemingly disappeared. This bodes very poorly for things to come. I am going to eat the other meal I had prepared here and then attempt to investigate Sector 6.


    I¡¯m done waiting for things to get worse before addressing them. I¡¯ll grab some more food after, and next cycle I am going to attempt Sector 7.


    Stay safe under the stars, friends.


    -WH


    End Report.


    Record Date: 12-10|2045


    Record Type: H.264


    Record Transcription: Wireless Transmission


    Transmission Location: @0fWhatRemains


    Transmission Processing: 50%


    Articulation Prediction Software (APS): AX-Worx


    05:05


    Wynrie Herschel¡¯s face is in full view. There is a [high probability] that her position is so close to the camera due to her having just switched on recording. Sweat beads on her forehead and she brings a hand up to her forehead and wipes it across¡ªpulling a stray strand of blonde hair back behind her ears.


    She pulls back from the lens and the central bridge behind her is revealed. Her lips begin moving, but transmission of audio data has not yet been installed on this device. APS predicts the speech with a [moderate probability] of the following:


    ¡°I figure if I¡¯m rolling to send her the unknown, I should do it with some proof if things go long.¡±


    Wynrie Herschel turns around and this unit¡ªDutonomous Orbital Observance Transferral¡ªbegins following behind her just above her shoulder line. In front of Wynrie Herschel a massive door opens. APS predicts this to lead to Sector 6: Miscellaneous Storage with a [high probability] of success using internal map data preloaded into this unit¡¯s systems.


    Wynrie Herschel enters the door, and this unit follows behind.


    05:10


    This unit¡¯s sensors detect low visibility, so [night vision] is applied to the footage. Wynrie Herschel jumps back a step. APS predicts a sound in the distance rang through the halls. Environment analysis concludes a break in a water line somewhere deeper in the storage¡ªa trail of water about 1 ? inches settle on the ground.


    Wynrie Herschel turns back to the camera to say something soft. APS predicts the speech with a [low probability] of the following:


    ¡°Someling in the stark besind.¡±


    Environmental analysis indicates a sudden drop in temperature of approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Wynrie Herschel continues walking deeper into the storage loft¡ªlarge boxes of unknown containment sit stacked on the sides of the loft. APS is unable to make a prediction of their contents. Error message included: Too many variables.


    Wynrie Herschel has reached a fork in the road and environmental analysis has indicated the temperature of the area has decreased an additional 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Robert Credonin appears on the right-hand side of the frame¡ªenvironmental analysis indicates his internal body temperature is sub-zero.


    This unit¡¯s internal temperature is too low¡ªlowering recording priority below survival initiative. Flight patterns suspended. Transmission beginning to source terminal. Visuals have blacked out.


    Mission Log 143.256.517


    WINT-2045


    Holy. Shit.


    You guys. I cannot even begin to describe the things I have seen the last few weeks. Or¡­rather the last few days. Before I get to that though, I need to show you something important.


    [COCKPIT: UNSTABLE ¡ª ONE LIFE SIGN DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 1: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 2: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 3: STABLE ¡ª ONE FOREIGN BODY DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 4: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 5: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 6: STABLE ¡ª NO LIFE SIGNS DETECTED]


    [SECTOR 7: SHUT DOWN ¡ª UNKNOWN]


    [SECTOR 8: DISCONNECTED]


    [SECTOR 9: YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO]


    So. I guess I should start with what happened when I went to investigate Sector 6. I brought Dootie with me to record whatever went on, and I see now she was tampered with. Only half of the footage got out to you guys. Well, the transcription by the looks of it. I think the Shadow didn¡¯t want the rest of it uploaded.


    I was attacked¡ªambushed. It was the figure of a person. I didn¡¯t know who it was at first, but his touch was so cold. It was like an icicle coming into my very heart. I went cold¡ªdeep inside myself. And in my thoughts I saw outside of my own body. I saw the face of the figure that attacked me. It was a man¡ªmiddle aged ensnared in darkness.


    Dootie¡¯s records¡ªwhat little I could scrape before she was dismantled showed he was a passenger on this ship. One of the many fathers escaping alongside us¡ªone of the hundreds of names that uprooted their lives to find life elsewhere. He lived in that house¡ªthe one the Shadow always peered in. Something happened to him here. Something made him that way and some part of his humanity dragged and centered that eldritch presence around the place he remembered.


    His family is gone and dead like the others, but he is still here. And in those terrifying moments before I thought I was going to die I saw a terrifying message in what used to be his eyes.


    We are going to drift here in the infinite vastness, together, as a new family.


    I woke up some time later. Nothing remained¡ªnot Dootie, not Robert. It wasn¡¯t until I came back here that I realized how many cycles had passed. And¡­I see now that the Reacher in Sector 2 had caused enough damage to warrant the ship¡¯s remaining reserve energy to trigger its automatic disconnection for preservation of the whole.


    It seems Sector 8 is now gone too¡ªI didn¡¯t notice any damage when I had been going through, but maybe Robert found a way to disconnect it himself. If that is the case¡­then I fear for my safety even here. Too much power has been used up this cycle as it is, I cannot go back out there. Though I do see we¡¯re on a probable path to orbit with Earth. If that happens I think I know exactly what is going to happen, and it isn¡¯t pretty.


    Sector 9¡­I figure you deserve to know about now. Considering Dootie went and doxxed my name I figure there¡¯s nothing really left for me to hide anymore.


    Sector 9 is the garbage disposal unit. Compactors and incinerators aplenty for waste management¡ªyou¡¯d think burning things out here in space was the dumbest idea but even us lot figured out how to channel that out safely¡ªnot that it matters much anymore.


    My name is Wynrie Herschel¡­I don¡¯t need to say it, but I guess I should. And after the love of my life was ripped from me when Sector 1 was ejected out into space and those Reachers came aboard¡ªall for that dumb crystal¡ªI tried to kill myself in the trash compacter. I wanted to end it all and I wanted it to hurt as much as I hurt inside. But no matter how hard I goddamn tried the compactor would refuse to crush me¡ªas if refusing me my final request.


    I know now this probably had something to do with the Shadow¡ªRobert. He probably had control of electronics even then. Why he continues to taunt me with it I do not know. It¡¯s probable he feasts on negative impact. Maybe he sits outside his home so often so he can devour his own turmoil.


    Either way, I am going to go lie down and try not to let the impending mortality crush me too hard.


    Stay safe under the stars, friends.


    -WH


    End Report.


    END OF LOGS