I woke up in a bed inside a shabby building that smelled faintly of old wood and wet fabric. My limbs were heavy, my mana dry, and my mouth felt like cotton. Light filtered in through cracked shutters, and the sky had that distinct blue that meant I had slept for at least eight hours.

  Then I remembered the battle, the teleport, the fire, the chains.

  I turned sharply and spotted Takur lying motionless in a nearby bed. I scrambled over and placed my hand near his nose, warm breath, faint but present. Relief washed over me like cold water. He was alive.

  The room held four mismatched beds with scratchy linens and flat pillows. There was a bucket in the corner that I sincerely hoped was for mopping and not the alternative. Judging by the lack of enchantments sewn into the wallboards and the cheap tallow lamp on the table, this was a remote inn in a poor village.

  I stood, stretched my arms and back, then limped toward the creaky wooden stairs.

  Downstairs, the common room was quiet. Most of the tables were empty, a few chipped mugs still left behind. No innkeeper in sight. Sunlight streamed through an open door, and a faint breeze stirred the curtains.

  Vena was sleeping in a chair, her upper body hunched over a glass of water. Her cheek rested on the table’s edge. She looked peaceful, in a sad kind of way. Across from her, Kan sat on the floor, hunched over her chains. The metal links looked terrible; some were warped like chewed gum, others cracked entirely.

  “Vena, Kan! You’re alright!” I cried out, rushing toward them. I dropped to my knees and pulled them both into quick, tight hugs, like I needed to physically confirm they were alive.

  Kan gave me a tired but genuine smile. “Yes, we made it. Thanks to you.”

  I squeezed her tighter.

  “We would’ve been dead if Kitchi hadn’t shown up just in time,” she added, patting my back with one hand, the other still entangled with metal.

  Vena stirred at my voice. She opened her eyes, met mine, and gave me a small, apologetic smile before pointing at her lips, then shaking her head.

  Something was off.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked, my heart starting to pound again. “Is she hurt?”

  Kan hesitated, setting the pliers down. “She overused her miracles,” she said quietly. “She’s undergoing a vow of silence to repent for it.”

  “What?”

  “She pushed too far. Healing everyone. She’s not hurt exactly, just… drained. She’ll be fine. But that’s not all.”

  I waited.

  “She’s also refusing to eat,” Kan added, her voice dropping lower. “I think she’s fasting because she lost someone under her care.”

  My blood ran cold.

  Lost someone?

  No.

  I searched my memory, rapid-fire. I remembered flashes of the battlefield, the chaos, the smoke. But I didn’t remember seeing Ja’a. My mouth went dry.

  “Who did we lose?” I whispered. “Was it Ja’a? I… I didn’t see her in the fight.”

  “I’m fine,” said a voice right behind me.

  I startled as a hand touched my shoulder. Ja’a materialized, literally, from the air beside me. I blinked twice to confirm she was real. She looked fine, except her clothes, cheeks, and hair were smudged with glitter.

  “Stupid glamour,” she muttered. “I really need a bath.”

  I sagged in relief. “You scared me,” I breathed.

  “You’re next,” Kan said without looking up. “After Nakera’s done, you’re using the bath.”

  “I’m serious,” Ja’a grumbled. “Pixie dust and I are not friends anymore. I keep sneezing rainbows.”

  I almost laughed, but then the original question came crashing back in.

  “Who cares about the baths?” I snapped. “Who did we lose?”

  Kan and Ja’a exchanged glances.

  “Lieutenant Lloyd,” said Ja’a softly.

  For a second, I almost sighed in relief.

  Then I felt the guilt hit me like a gut punch.

  Lloyd. The man dressed like a ninja. He had seemed like an interesting fellow with his shadow powers. I remembered wanting to ask him if his shadow movement was teleportation or something else… and now he was dead. And I was relieved it wasn’t Nakera. Or Kuru. Or Yon.

  That was terrible of me.

  I covered my face with one hand. “He… he died?”

  “He took a killing blow from a cursed weapon,” Kan said.

  “Vena probably blames herself. She kept focusing on keeping Takur alive,” added Ja’a.

  “She even healed my minor wound,” said Kan, rubbing her face.

  “Where was your wound?” I asked.

  “I was punched in the face,” said Kan.

  “Yeah, no, head wounds are never minor,” I muttered, shaking my head. I reached over and gently patted Vena’s head. “I’m sure you did your best. This was your first major battle, and you saved a lot of people.”

  Vena closed her eyes even tighter, and I noticed a tear slipping down her cheek.

  I sighed.

  I wasn’t the right person for this job. If only Lady Sana or Camille were here.

  Then, as if summoned by fate, my savior arrived: Sergeant Yon, hair and clothes slightly wet, holding blankets and a two-clay-jar bundle wrapped in linen.

  “Ja’a, the bathhouse is ready. You can go now.”

  “Hey, you look wet! Did you skip ahead? I was supposed to be next.”

  “No, no, I jumped into the river.”

  “But it’s cold as hell.”

  “Kindred, remember,” he grinned.

  He dropped a blanket over Vena’s shoulders, then hopped over the counter and lit a fire. He stirred some milk in a pot with a spoonful of honey.

  He gently shook Vena’s shoulder and offered her the warm drink.

  “I know you’re fasting, but I also know you’re allowed liquids when you do,” he said with a wink.

  Vena gave him a faint smile and took a sip.

  After making sure Vena was drinking, Yon started cooking something more filling over the fire.

  “So, Alice, are you feeling better?” he asked.

  “Yes, just mana drain,” I replied. “This was the first time I teleported myself with something bigger than a chicken.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. Did the teleportation cost you anything?”

  “Nope, other than my reserve of Star-mana. I’ll probably need to travel back to the Sunless Reach to recharge it.”

  “That’s really inconvenient,” Yon winced.

  “Yeah, my powers are temperamental.”

  “How did the fight end?” I asked hesitantly.

  “The three remaining cult members disengaged after Kitchi showed up,” Yon answered. “Hanakudo is trailing them in dragon form.”

  “It’s quite obvious where they’re heading,” Kan frowned.

  “Yeah, they went west. There’s only one thing in that direction.”

  I tried to remember the map. The Pikar Steppe is directly south of Hano. Hano itself is already in the Southern Hemisphere of the planet, and to the southwest of the continent, there’s only one thing.

  “The Undead Dead-Zone,” I deduced.

  Everyone nodded, even Vena, who was still sipping her warm milk.

  The Undead Dead-Zone is a mana anomaly the size of Egypt, filled with skeletons and undead abominations, a place even monsters avoided.

  “I wonder if they have a way to navigate the place without getting attacked,” Kan mused.

  “That’s above our pay grade,” Yon shrugged. “We sprung this trap to destroy the cell of the cult operating in Hano.”

  “Can we really call it destroyed?” grumbled Kan, “when the strongest members escaped? We didn’t even get to question them about the prisoners.”

  I blinked twice.

  “You guys don’t know?” I said. “I found the missing people. That’s how we knew you needed reinforcements.”

  Vena stood up so fast, her chair scraped against the floor. Her eyes were shining. Her face was expressive. We could almost have a conversation without the need for words.

  “Yes, I found Luna, too,” I said, smiling. “She’s alive.”

  Vena stepped forward and hugged me tightly.

  I explained everything, how I felt guilty for staying behind, how I decided to use my powers to gather information. I told them about the dragon ride, the cult camp, and the clearing in the forest. Vena’s expression hardened when I mentioned the man she had healed, how he’d turned out to be part of the cult. Her mouth twisted when I told her he called Luna “just a whore.”

  She grinned, actually grinned, when she heard I was the one who killed him.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “If I’d decided to act a day sooner, maybe Lloyd would still be alive.”

  “Or maybe you would’ve teleported straight into Todor’s arms,” Yon said, shaking his head. “He would’ve turned you into mincemeat.”

  “You know,” he added, “your teleportation is detectable to anyone with a moderate level of aura control.”

  “Even I was able to sense your arrival,” confirmed Kan. “And aura control isn’t even my focus.”

  “I recommend you don’t do it again,” Yon said seriously. “You were lucky all the half-decent cultists were focused on us.”

  I blushed. I’d never stopped to consider how my power felt on the other side. I had been lucky until now. What if I tried to teleport into a warded location or, worse, straight into someone’s aura trap?

  Oh, well. I’d try to be more careful next time.

  With Vena clearly feeling better, I decided to go check on the others.

  I stepped outside and found Katar and Raik nearby. Katar was sitting cross-legged on the ground, examining his Messar sword. The blade was covered in deep nicks, some at least five millimeters deep. Raik stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

  “Want me to try evening out the metal with my heat powers?” Raik offered.

  “No, that won’t work,” sighed Katar. “It’ll ruin the tempering and make it shatter on the next impact.”

  “I guess we’ll need to get you some new blades,” Raik shrugged.

  “This is one of the best-quality steels we could find,” Katar muttered. “No... what I really need is to kill Izair and loot Malifice off his corpse.”

  He smiled as he said it.

  It was the first time I’d seen Katar smile. It was terrifying.

  Well, at least he was doing okay.

  “Okay, you do you, buddy,” Raik laughed. “I’m gonna check on Takur.”

  He gave me a wave as he passed, heading back into the inn.

  I glanced around. We were camped at a waystop inn, somewhat isolated from a small goat-herding village. It looked like the freelancers had commandeered the place, including the tiny bathhouse in the back.

  Hans was perched high on the roof, keeping watch with his bow slung casually across his lap. On the far side of the clearing, I spotted Ki’a, Kuru, and Nakera talking with the leadership, Kitchi and Captain Yoka. Nakera’s blond hair was still damp; she must have just come from the bath.

  I hesitated before joining them.

  Kuru looked worried. Yoka looked angry.

  “Why are they here?” Yoka asked sharply.

  “I don’t know. They arrived at the village a few hours ago,” Kuru answered, arms crossed, posture tense.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, stepping closer.

  “Sergeant Da’i and his team,” Kuru said grimly.

  “Are they with the cult?” Kitchi asked immediately.

  Yoka’s face turned to stone. Her jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed into slits.

  Then she launched into the air without a word, flying hard in the direction of the village.

  Kitchi rolled his eyes. “Let’s follow her and make sure she doesn’t kill anyone too important.”

  “Da’i is a prick, but I doubt he’d be working for the cult,” said Ki’a as we started running after Yoka.

  A few minutes later, we arrived at the scene.

  Yoka was standing with her arms folded, glaring at a floating Sergeant Da’i. It looked like she was using her kinetic power to hold him in the air by the collar of his neck. His boots dangled just above the dirt.

  “I told you, you’re overreaching, Commander,” Da’i spat. “You don’t have the authority to question where I choose to go.”

  “We were attacked by the Cult of the Old Realm,” Yoka growled. “Lieutenant Lloyd is dead. You better not be working with them, boy.”

  “The cult?” muttered one of Da’i’s goons, sounding shaken.

  “Lloyd is dead?” gasped another.

  “I promise we had nothing to do with that,” said a girl standing behind them. Her voice trembled slightly.

  “Then why are you here?” Yoka asked again, voice sharp as a whip.

  “We came for that bitch Alice,” the girl said, glaring at me. “We wanted to drive away the Nightmare Beast so she wouldn’t get any benefit for her expedition.”

  “Mi’i, shut up!” Da’i shouted, face flushing red.

  “You traveled for two days... just to be petty?” Yoka scowled. She let her hand drop.

  Da’i hit the ground hard, grunting as he rolled to his feet.

  “Get out of my sight,” Yoka said coldly. Then she turned and flew back toward the inn.

  Ki’a strolled up to Da’i with a smirk. “Cousin, still an idiot, aren’t you?”

  I decided to leave before things escalated again. Nakera and Kuru were already walking away, and I fell in beside them. I didn’t want to complicate the situation any further.

  Kitchi stayed behind for some reason. Maybe to keep an eye on them. Maybe just to enjoy the show.

  But I didn’t care.

  I’d seen true evil. Petty people like Da’i weren’t even worth my concern.

  When I returned to the inn, I found Yoka standing beside a cart.

  She was alone, staring down at a body covered in a white blanket. Even without seeing the face, I knew who it was.

  Lieutenant Lloyd.

  We approached slowly, me, Nakera, and Kuru. No one said a word. The air was still, the kind of heavy silence that presses down on your lungs.

  I didn’t know what to say.

  Back on Earth, I might have offered a religious platitude, “He’s in a better place” or “May he rest in peace”, but here, in this world, things were different. Yoka wasn’t Mythic. I doubted she followed any faith.

  “I guess I’ll finally be able to promote Ensign Sashka to lieutenant without interference from higher up,” Yoka muttered, arms crossed, eyes never leaving the shrouded body.

  I blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m the captain in charge of information gathering,” she said, voice flat. “Can you believe that? Me. A spy. And my only method of stealth is flying high enough that no one can see me.”

  “Then why did they put you in charge?” I asked, puzzled.

  She gave a tired shrug. “Because I’m strong. And the captain needs to be strong. Doesn’t matter if I’m subtle or clever. Power speaks louder than skill in hano.”

  She paused for a beat, then added, “Honestly, poor Sashka is our best spy. Our best one by a long shot. But we both knew she’d never make it to captain, not with her father being who he is.”

  If I remembered correctly, Sashka was Kan’s sister.

  “And now with Lloyd gone, our spy assets are... greatly diminished,” Yoka said softly. She turned to Nakera and gave her a small, sad smile. “You have big shoes to fill. You’ll be promoted to sergeant when we return to Hano.”

  Nakera blinked, stunned. “Me?”

  “You’ve earned it,” Yoka said. “And you’ll probably be sent to High Rock. The Council would want answers: whether Lieutenant Izair is acting alone, hiding from command, or if this cult business has official support.”

  Nakera straightened and saluted. “You can count on me, ma’am.”

  Before Yoka could respond, a shadow passed over us.

  I looked up and instinctively reached for my weapon, then stopped myself when I recognized the dragon.

  Hanakudo.

  He descended gracefully, wings flaring as he landed on the grassy path near the inn. In a shimmer of firelight, he transformed back into his human form and walked over, saluting Yoka with a fist over his chest.

  “Captain,” he said, voice calm. “I followed the three remaining cult elites as far as I could without entering dangerous airspace.”

  “Where did they go?” Yoka asked immediately.

  “They crossed into the Undead Dead-Zone,” Hanakudo said, frowning. “They didn’t try to mask their trail. It’s like they wanted to be followed.”

  Yoka’s eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t pursue?”

  “I circled the border,” he replied. “Any further and I would’ve drawn the attention of wraith nests. I saw at least three bone titans within a kilometer of their route. They either have protection or a death wish.”

  Yoka clicked her tongue. “More likely the former.”

  “I thought it's best to report directly,” Hanakudo finished, bowing slightly.

  She nodded. “Good decision.”

  “Dinner’s ready!” came Yon’s voice from the inn.

  We turned. Smoke curled lazily from the chimney. The sun was setting, staining the clouds violet. As everyone went inside, I gave Lloyd’s body one last look.

  “You seemed like someone who had it all together. I wish I had known you more. I wish I were able to save you,” I whispered. Then I turned and joined the team inside.

  The scent of hot food met me at the door: spiced meat, root vegetables, and something faintly sweet. Yon had made a thick stew. It wasn’t Louis-good, but it was still leagues better than anything I’d tasted in your average roadside inn.

  I sat down quietly between Nakera and Hans, letting the warmth of the food and the clink of spoons fill the silence left in Lloyd’s absence.

  After dinner, I sat with Katar near the fire pit. He was still coaching me on weapon maintenance, pointing out every little detail I’d overlooked, most recently, a streak of dried blood along the base of my spear’s head.

  “You see this?” he said, gesturing with his cloth. “That kind of grime builds up fast. If you don’t clean it properly, it’ll mess with the balance and ruin the wood. Worst case, it could screw with your lightning.”

  “Got it,” I muttered, already scrubbing.

  That’s when Ki’a approached, holding a palm-sized wooden flask sealed with wax and a square of paper rune-script. He knelt beside us, calm and steady.

  “So, Alice,” he said. “You still want a Nightmare Soul, right?”

  My eyes darted to the flask. “Yes. My spear was made with a Nightmare Soul. I thought adding another could strengthen it.”

  Ki’a nodded. “That’s possible. I’m no enchanter or Soulscribe, but as a Soul Dealer, I can make sure your spear comes out on top in the merge.”

  “Isn’t it dangerous to do that here?” I asked, lowering my voice. “Injured people are resting upstairs.”

  He smiled, confident. “Not this one. The soul remnant’s weak, more instinct than will. I’ve got it under control.”

  He broke the wax seal with a flick of his thumb and peeled away the paper. A faint shimmer rose from the opening, and the air turned a few degrees colder.

  “Dip one of the spearheads into the flask,” he instructed.

  I hesitated, then lowered the spear slowly. A prong of my bident slid into the mouth of the soul flask with a soft glorp; it felt like thick syrup.

  Ki’a placed one finger on the side of the flask and the other on the shaft of the spear. His expression grew stern.

  Then his aura flared.

  I felt it instantly, like gravity pulling inward. It reminded me of Garo’s training drills, when he showed me how to compress aura to dominate an enemy’s flow. Ki’a wasn’t just guiding the ritual; he was suppressing the soul inside the flask with sheer will.

  Seconds ticked by.

  Then, just as suddenly, the pressure vanished.

  Ki’a leaned back and exhaled. “Done.”

  The honey-like liquid inside the flask was gone, completely absorbed. Not even a trace of residue clung to the wood.

  “Your spear is now saturated with Nightmare essence,” Ki’a said. “Let it settle for at least a week before you try anything else. I’ve gathered three more Nightmare Souls. I’m giving one to my brother, but you can have the other two if you’re serious about this path.”

  I looked at him, stunned. “Thank you.”

  Katar leaned in and examined the spearhead. He ran a finger carefully along the edge.

  “It’s sharper,” he said, surprised. “So it’s not just a magical upgrade. There’s a repair aspect too.”

  I tested the weight in my hand. It felt the same... and yet more focused… More complete.

  “I wonder if it can hold more Star-mana now,” I murmured.

  Ki’a gave me a sideways grin. “Only one way to find out. Just don’t fry yourself testing it.”

  “Okay, everyone,” Yoka announced, hands on her hips. “We’ll travel at first light. So rest well.”

  The group dispersed after that, quietly. No one had the energy left for chatter.

  I ended up sharing a room with Nakera and Kuru, while Vena, Ja’a, and Kan took the one next door. Raik, Katar, and Yon picked the third room. Hans and Ki’a chose to stay with their teammate Takur, who was still recovering from the effects of the Perfect State.

  Nakera fell asleep almost instantly. Kuru followed soon after, curled up in her blanket with a quiet sigh. I lay still for over an hour, eyes open, mind buzzing. I’d already collapsed from mana exhaustion earlier, so my body was rested, but my thoughts were anything but quiet.

  Eventually, I gave up.

  I got up and tiptoed to the window, careful not to wake the others. I eased it open just a little and leaned my elbows on the sill. The night air was cool against my skin, and the stars above glittered sharp and clear.

  No light pollution. For once, I had a perfect view of the night sky. I scanned the heavens, hoping to find a shooting star. One good flash, one celestial streak, and I might be able to refill my Star-mana, saving myself a two-day trip back to the Sunless Reach.

  That’s when I noticed movement outside.

  Two figures.

  I tensed at first, heart quickening, but calmed down once I recognized their silhouettes.

  Raik and Kan.

  What were they doing out there? They looked serious… and close, talking quietly but intensely. A long pause. Then… they kissed.

  I blinked, surprised.

  Then I smiled.

  Good for them. At least one good thing came out of this whole fiasco.

  I leaned against the window frame and let the moment linger, watching the stars. The night was still, the sky vast and sharp. And then, just as if the world wanted to offer me a small gift, a falling star cut across the heavens in a silver arc.

  I closed my eyes and felt it, the soft rush of energy washing through me, quiet and warm.

  Star-mana.

  It filled me gently, like a sigh I hadn’t realized I was holding.

  My upgraded spear felt more responsive when I stored the star mana inside it. I smiled. Maybe with enough upgrades and a stronger soul, I’d be able to jump back and forth between here and Earth.

  That thought made me reflect on everything that had happened since I first landed in this world. It had only been a few months, but it felt like a lifetime. I’d crossed realms, made friends I’d trust with my life, trained in lightning magic and spear-fighting, hunted rats and giant spiders, helped stop a cult from sacrificing people, and even added a few chapters to the world’s understanding of medicine.

  I smiled to myself.

  Whatever came next… I’d be ready.