Vin lost consciousness at some point, finally conceding to all his afflictions: near-fatal wounds and blood loss, lack of essence, and hunger. A typical Human would have died, but even now, he had experienced worse. It was lamentable that he was becoming used to walking on the tightrope between life and death.

  It was still night when Vin woke himself up. He would rest later and give his body time to recover, but right now, he needed to ensure it was safe.

  Vin leaned up and realized two cold, sleeping individuals were leaning on him. On his left was the sickly, black-haired bride in a filthy wedding dress. And on his right, the stoic-looking knight in busted gear. Their souls were mending, but their physical form was still that of the dead.

  Perhaps they slept so much because their body were healing? Who knew, but the first thing Vin did was push them off and struggle to his feet with his non-fractured arm. He was in pain, but most of his wounds were wrapped by Bonely.

  Next, he tried to fathom his situation because it was far from normal. He was currently inside a room-sized bubble on the floor of the Sundusk forest. He expected this place to be abnormal, but what he saw was beyond reason. The trees were massive, stretching to the size of towers, and so full that they created a canopy blocking moonlight. It would be near pitch-black if not for the glowing flowers and fungi growing on various plants.

  Vin could tell by how the mana shifted and how the shadows seemingly crept around the transparent sphere that there was ominous life in that place. Something curious, watchful.

  He walked to the edge of the giant bubble, peering into the darkness in grim awe. He knew from living with Ravenours that many central lands, such as deserts, forests, and mountain ranges, were blessed or cursed by the Gods who used to live there, but seeing was believing.

  As the cold of night sunk into Vin's bones and the feeling of being watched pierced his skin, he shuddered. A concern for his associates made him refocus, and he shouted Gideon's name.

  There was no response; he had no allies in that playground of darkness where the shadows danced around like living entities. In fact, not a single soul aside from his and the two dozers were nearby. However, one person was traveling in his direction from the west. It would be a while before they arrived, so he hailed another pair of clothing and dressed. While he did so, the woman below him clung to his leg, shaking from the cold and groaning from what must have been a bad dream.

  Vin peered down at her and glowered. They were a part of the army of nightmares who haunted him and successfully used him like a tool to become mortal again. Part of him wanted to put a sword through their neck, but the more practical side saw an opportunity.

  Vin kneeled, placed a heated hand on the Elven pair, and spoke into their dreams. He told them to rest. Rest, because their war wasn't over. Their reward for helping him escape the city was their soul, but if they obeyed him, they could also have their body revived.

  The two cold, once-undead individuals settled in delight underneath his warmth, their shivers stopping temporarily. Vin studied their strange, seemingly malfunctioning souls while waiting for his rescuer. It wasn't like he could sleep; his mind was too wired to rest, piecing together fragments of the past and grasping at what lay ahead. His brain even involuntarily filtered through the objects he had archived, showing him random details about arbitrary items.

  Minutes passed, and he saw a torch arriving from between the trees. Hughton and Vin's Shade walked out, the older man instantly stupefied by the fact he existed in places at once.

  "He knows," the mirror said plainly. They were calm, though their tattered and bloodied clothing showed they'd had their own fair share of troubles. The Shade's eyes narrowed in on the two corpse-like individuals, and then they made a face of repulsion. "Casty said you were captured, but- you saved the souls of Elves?"

  "I'd be dead otherwise," Vin replied.

  Hughton trekked over before stabbing a steel sword into the bubble that deflected the blow, telling him, "Wait just a little longer; I'll set you free."

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  While the man toiled away, Vin said, "Tell me what happened, Where is everyone?"

  Hughton conveyed that the others were safe. Gideon's party couldn't pop the bubble, and they were being driven mad by the eerie presence of darkness. So, they took their injured and left to find the main company for help. The Warden took another stab, continuing, "It will be difficult explaining how the Eternal was in two places at once, but I'll handle the matter."

  People would eventually figure out that his power of archive replaced his eternal flame. Still, Vin was glad Hughton volunteered to buy him time.

  Hughton's force grew with his frustration; He directed all his emotion into his attacks, sweat breaking as he stabbed at the rubber-like bubble. After another minute of hammering away, the Shade pulled a weapon, too, and they attacked simultaneously. It wasn't until Bonely used a blade and struck from the inside that the enclosure finally burst.

  Hughton, breathing heavily, stepped back and wiped his drenched forehead. His spirit settled with his success, and he told Vin, "Sorry for the delay."

  "No, I should have better control over them," Vin responded, looking down at the sleeping Elves. It was because those two were wild cards that he had to ask his Shade to take on another job. He needed the mirror to manage the pair once they woke up.

  Hughton cringed, snarling at the dull-skinned creatures. The doppelganger frowned, emphasizing, "I don't have the same connection to that bird as you; if I die, I'm gone."

  "They won't attack you," Vin said assuredly. "They'll behave because they still need their bodies resurrected. And I can't do that until we leave this dimension and my powers are unsealed."

  The Shade studied the slumbering pair for a while, then sighed. "Are they worth it?"

  "Absolutely," Vin nodded. If it weren't for the Ravenour's long-standing hatred for that race, he would have them travel with him, but convincing the brutes to travel with Elves would be impossible.

  A duplicate or not, the Shade still had his reasonable mind. The Echo understood that having powerful servants would do them well in the future. "Then we'll take a different route to the demon continent and meet you at the portal."

  With that decided, Hughton and Vin departed. Thanks to the torch, the darkness never got too close, but they followed close behind. Vin began to understand what the older man meant when he said the Ravenours left because they were going crazy. The constant feeling of being watched was horrible enough, so being beneath the shadows must have been intolerable.

  A few minutes into their walk, Vin saw an animal. He immediately recognized that the deer staring at him was not real but made entirely of shadows. Its eyes were white like pearls as it watched the two mortals pass by. There were more along the way, including rabbit-like creatures and even birds that flew overhead. Luckily, they were unhostile, though still unsettling.

  As they neared their destination, Hughton cautioned Vin of their current situation. "Let me forwarn you. Kaelix is alive."

  Vin shot them a dark glance, prompting them to continue. "The King also lives but has relinquished his crown, leaving the princess and General to fight for command. I wasn't there long, but I know warriors are split on who to follow."

  "I'm sure Maeve will figure something out," Vin said, his words firm and confident. "Your only responsibility right now is Less."

  The gray-bearded Warden looked away as if guilty of something, so Vin asked, "She's safe- right?"

  "Yes," said Hughton, exhaling through his nose. He met Vin's gaze, his voice gruff yet sincere. "And I have you and your summon to thank for that."

  Hughton raised his sword. "But, I also wish to fight. My blood cries out to battle beside our warriors, just as I did years ago."

  Vin looked at them disappointedly. "You need to know, my powers aren't reliable right now. If you die, that might be the end."

  The older man nodded, sheathing his weapon, "I'm all that child has left. You may not know me well, Vin, but believe me when I tell you I will not leave her in this world alone."

  Vin stared ahead, his voice devoid of emotion. "Who lives and dies isn't our choice."

  Boisterous shouting announced they had reached the survivor's army. Vin crossed a ring of makeshift torches meant to keep the shadows away, noticing over a hundred Ravenours huddled around an unfolding scuffle.

  Hughton followed Vin, their footsteps quickening as they neared the center. They both stopped abruptly, eyes widening at the sight before them.

  Maeve, despite the injury to her leg, was viciously beating Gideon with her bare fists, each blow landing with ferocity.

  Vin stormed forward, his scowl deepening as he snapped, "What the hell happened while I was gone?!"