“I can’t believe that’s your real name.” Joe whispered as he continued down the hallway. “But what’s worse is that you’ve admitted you’re a soul-sucking parasite.”

  “Mana Particles, that is what I consume, and I’ve been the only thing keeping you alive, so you should show more appreciation for my habiting your soul.”

  Joe used the alliance chat to arrange a meet-up with the Blanche Brigade in the Orange Zone common room on the third floor. As they approached the door, a few slumped figures huddled near the entrance, heads down, stretching out like they’d been drained dry.

  "Please… help," a voice rasped, like worn-out guitar strings. Pale blue eyes met Joe’s. Despite being ranked for the Orange Zone, the human-looking ascender was gaunt, sickly.

  All around them, the ground was littered with empty cartons of eternity sticks.

  "What do you need, brother?" TJ knelt down, his usual tough-guy tone replaced by concern. "I’ve got some spare healing potions and mana pellets…”

  “Got any eternity sticks? Just one. We could share.” The man’s hand twitched, gesturing to the other strung-out ascenders sprawled nearby, looking even worse.

  Joe’s gut twisted as he realized how bad it was.

  TJ shook his head. “Nah, brother. Only what I mentioned. Maybe you should lay off those sticks.”

  The ascender groaned, leaning his head back against the wall, shaking it side to side, hands falling limp. “Nothing else works... nothing but the sticks.” His voice was laced with desperation, that raw, hopeless sadness hitting Joe hard.

  Nick appeared at the entrance, holding water bottles and snacks in a brown paper bag. “You made it. Ryan’s waiting for you.” He bent down, offering the supplies to the strung-out ascender. When the man refused, Nick placed them beside him with care. “You got to get some strength back. The food and water are mana-infused, courtesy of Grizzle and Luna. If you don’t get up soon, the mana levels will overwhelm you.”

  Gaia appeared behind Nick, her expression cold. “You’re wasting your time. I’ve seen this a million times before—you can’t help those who refuse it.”

  Joe slipped past the ascenders, knowing Nick had done all he could. Unlike Andras, who had left them with just enough of a supply to get hooked and then discarded them, these guys had been left to rot. Even with time currency, they couldn’t buy more through the trade window. Andras controlled the supply of the eternity sticks, and now they were too weak to ascend the next floor. He’d discarded them like trash.

  Seeing Ryan in the booth made Joe’s heart sink further.

  Despite his injury, Ryan forced a smile, but Joe could see the pain lurking behind his eyes. Luna and Grizzle were propping him up, his skin a sickly gray sheen, like someone fighting off a fever. Hoodie discarded to the side, his right arm was a mess—angry red lacerations, black and green mottled patches creeping up his hand, making it look like he was wearing a rotting glove. The infection was spreading.

  Crumpled pressure bandages lay nearby, soaked through with blood and some eerie green liquid.

  “We leave you alone for a bit and this happens? What the hell, man?” TJ kept his tone light, but there was concern beneath the humor as he placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

  “It’s just a scratch.” Ryan winced, trying to turn his arm over.

  Gaia appeared at his side with a fresh bandage. “Hold still, don’t be such a baby.” She slathered a poultice over the wounds. “This smells disgusting Grizzle. If I find that tentacled, shitwit rogue who took Ryan down, I’m gonna rip her innards out and feed them to her.”

  Ryan cocked his head. “Whoa, Gaia. It’s not like you to spew so many profanities. If it’s too much, Luna can handle it.”

  Luna stepped forward, but Gaia slapped her hand away. “I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do after your stupid heroics saved me. And for the record,” she tied off the bandage with a flourish, “I don’t spew profanities. I enunciate them clearly, like a fucking goddess.”

  Ryan’s laugh triggered a chorus of chuckles from the group. Even Gaia had a twitch of a smile on her lips, though she quickly hid it.

  “We’ve got a stash of potions and pills that might help.” TJ offered the tin. “Brian made plenty.”

  Grizzle shook his head, his expression grim. “Unfortunately, healing potions aren’t doing the job. That green ooze from floor three—it’s worse than we thought. Ryan had the bad luck of falling right into it.”

  Gaia sighed. “You’ve got that magical mobile chemistry set and handheld scope, surely they can tell you something.”

  “They did.” Grizzle swallowed hard. “At first, I thought my scope was faulty. There are tiny moving particles in the sample. Whatever it is, I think it’s infected Ryan.”

  Rose’s eyes softened with sympathy. “Is that why the wound isn’t healing, despite all the potions?”

  Grizzle paled. “It’s worse than that. The wound isn’t healing because... the skin and everything underneath... it’s changing.”

  Joe’s stomach dropped. “Changing into what?”

  “We don’t know,” Luna said, her voice trembling.

  Joe examined the skin above Ryan’s bandage. What he’d assumed was dry skin had a greenish, scaly appearance. His mind flashed to movies and books where mutagens created superheroes or villains. But here? With magic in the mix? These particles were hijacking Ryan’s DNA, transforming him. Into what, he didn’t know.

  Ryan caught Joe’s worried stare and pulled his arm back under the table. “No fussing. I’m left-handed, and I can still pistol-whip anyone who tries me.” He forced a grin. “Have you figured out a way to save Brian? How much time’s left?”

  “A little more than an hour.” TJ leaned in, hands gripping the table. “We found a way to bring him back, but we need your help.”

  Joe explained the ECHOs program and how it worked. “There’s a time penalty involved, and he needs enough time currency to get out of the red. Our goal is to boost him to the Orange Zone so he can recover.”

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  Gaia scoffed. "Are you mad or just plain stupid? Even if Ryan was dumb enough to donate time currency, you'd still come up short. He can’t afford to drop in the ranks either."

  “We’re not stupid, and if you’d shut up for a second and let Joe explain,” TJ shot back.

  Gaia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Gah, never mind, Joe. Your brain is infected with nuclear-grade ignorance. I heard there’s a clinical study looking for volunteers. You’d be the perfect candidate. Contact .”

  Joe frowned. “Give it a rest, Gaia. No one has time for your guilt-ridden put-downs. Ryan risked his life for you, which is probably humbling for an ex-goddess who’s used to friends stabbing her in the back.”

  “Gods and their ilk are pricks if you ask me,” Dawn added, deadpan. “You should be grateful to be surrounded by people who tolerate your grandiose bullshit.”

  Gaia’s face hardened as she stared between Dawn and Joe.

  Nick stepped up. “We’re in.”

  “Me too.” Luna placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder.

  Grizzle nodded. “You’ve got my time.”

  Ryan smiled, though sweat continued to soak his tank. “Just tell us what to do.”

  Joe guided them through the process of opening the trade window, making the transfer.

  When it was done, Ryan looked at Gaia.

  Gaia crossed her arms, clearly struggling with the decision. “Fine. But this better not make us look like a bunch of pushovers.”

  Dawn grinned. “I’m sure you’ll set the record straight.”

  Gaia grudgingly shook Joe’s hand. Once the ECHOs program was primed and ready, Joe cleared his throat. “We better head off. We need to reach floor two before the mana levels spike too high for us to stand the intensity.”

  “I’m going with you.” Gaia placed the unused bandages on the table.

  “I think you’re needed here with Ryan.” Joe watched as Ryan struggled to his feet, mopping his brow.

  Rose rushed over and sprayed some cooling mist. “We might not be able to cure you, but we can treat the symptoms.”

  “If Gaia wants to go, there must be a good reason,” Ryan said, his tone trusting.

  Gaia flashed a smug smile. “This Brian friend of yours? He’s going to need time to recover his mana.” She raised her wrist, the light glinted off the golden jewelry. “With this bracelet, I can create a protective bubble to get him to the fourth floor safely.”

  Joe kicked himself for not thinking of that earlier. He looked at Ryan.

  “You have my blessing,” Ryan said, his voice shaky. “Maybe Rose can stay and help me manage the fever.”

  TJ gripped Ryan’s shoulder. “Easy there, big guy. I got you.”

  Ryan gave him a grateful smile.

  Joe hesitated. Gaia was a powerful sorceress, and Ryan would miss her support. Nick was a ranger, Luna a warrior, and Grizzle could provide healing, but they’d lack a caster for ranged damage.

  “Hey, TJ, how about you stick with Ryan and grind some monsters to dust? And if any of Andras’ cronies show up, you know what to do.”

  “That sneaky bastard is up to something.” Dawn shook her head. “Pushing those Eternity Sticks and using factions as doughboys on the fourth floor? It’s troubling.”

  “Yeah, they make them think they’re invincible.” Grizzle glanced in the direction of the man sprawled out on the floor. “And Andras isn’t facing any consequences for leaving these ascenders strung out.”

  “If justice doesn’t catch up to him, we will.” TJ pounded his fist.

  “Looks like it’s settled.” Ryan inhaled a shaky breath. “Gaia goes with Joe and Dawn. Rose and TJ stay with me, Grizzle, Luna and Nick.”

  ***

  Joe kept his breath slow and steady, trying to ease the growing tension that seemed to hang in the air like an invisible weight. The silence between them was thick, awkward, and unbearable. He was sure Dawn and Gaia were throwing each other dirty looks behind his back, but he didn’t dare glance to confirm.

  The deeper they descended, the heavier the air became, like a crushing weight pressing on his chest. Joe’s stomach coiled and flipped as if something venomous slithered through him, poisoning his insides.

  Desperate for a distraction, he searched for neutral ground to talk about, something that wouldn’t spark a war. “So, Gaia, this quantum sense—can you see threads all over the place? Where do they come from?”

  “I don’t see the threads,” Gaia said coolly, lagging a step behind them. “I envision them. They come in different colors, depending on their affinity. I have some sense of their origins, but it’s like background microwave radiation—only so far back can be seen. As a goddess, I was aware of them threading through the multiverse, connecting everything, everywhere, all at once.”

  “The bracelet isn't simply a fancy accessory, then.” Dawn kept in stride with Joe, though beads of sweat had formed on her brow. She wiped it away, holding her head high despite the obvious strain from the oppressive mana in the air.

  Joe noticed and quietly offered her a mana pellet. This time, she accepted it with a grateful nod, chewing through gritted teeth.

  “The bracelet has many uses,” Gaia said, her voice tinged with superiority. “But explaining them to your feeble mortal minds would be pointless. Simply put, I’ll use it to prevent mana poisoning when Brian returns to the system.”

  Dawn snorted. “Feeble mind? Please.” She tapped her temple with a smirk. “I’m a paladin, with a direct line to one of the few gods who aren’t total assholes.” She said this with a deliberate glance toward Gaia, as if waiting for a reaction. “You can thank me for how quick we’ll find Brian, by the way. I used my power of suggestion—Gnawing Doubt—to bind him to a specific area on the second floor.”

  “Otherwise, he’d be wandering all over the place,” Joe said, chin slightly raised. “And since he’s off the grid, being one of the GORED, we wouldn’t be able to track him on Dawn’s map.”

  Gaia arched a brow. “Nobody likes a braggart.”

  “Ha! That’s rich coming from you,” Dawn shot back, shoving the door to the second floor open with a flourish of confidence. “Let me show you where—”

  She abruptly cut off, eyes fixed on the floor. Joe followed her gaze into the area beyond the door.

  “Where is he? I thought you said he’d be here,” Gaia asked, her voice lacking its usual sarcasm. She sounded genuinely concerned.

  Joe rushed in, kicking up dust with every step. The place was endless and empty, nothing but barren space and rocky outcroppings. He checked the time left for Brian and felt like a bowling ball had dropped into the pit of his stomach.

  “Brian! Come on, buddy, show yourself!” His voice echoed in the emptiness.

  Gaia crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at Dawn. “All that effort… and you’ve lost him. You dragged us through this mess, and now—he’s gone.”

  Dawn’s face tightened, but she stayed silent, her eyes locked on the ground, visibly trying to keep her composure.

  Joe had enough. “Shut the hell up, Gaia,” he snapped, turning to face her, eyes blazing with frustration. “We’re in this together. We’re not giving up.”

  Gaia opened her mouth to retort, but the look on Joe’s face stopped her. She crossed her arms, lips pressed tight, but said nothing more.

  Joe’s voice softened a bit as he glanced at Dawn. “We’ve come too far to let this slip away now. We’ll find him.”

  Dawn gave Joe a small nod of gratitude, determination flickering back in her eyes as they moved forward together.

  With Quick Wit active, Joe scanned the area. At first, there was nothing—only the usual dead silence. Then, faintly, he heard it. A low groan from behind a distant boulder.

  “What is it?” Dawn asked as Joe’s pace quickened.

  “There’s something—or someone—behind that boulder.” Joe’s pulse raced.

  Gaia and Dawn hurried to catch up.

  A louder groan echoed, closer this time. Dawn grabbed Joe’s arm, her voice tense. “Could be a hollow.”

  Joe nodded. He knew that was a real possibility, but his pulse raced with the hope that it wasn’t. “What if it’s Brian?” He pulled away, heart threatening to bust through his ribcage as he sprinted towards the boulder.