The allure of our mental feast had lost its luster, so I changed our setting to one more comfortable for a post-feast. We sat in padded chairs across a fire pit under a starry sky. The idea of a hot spring crossed my mind. I cut the thought before it had a place to grow. The setting just didn't sit right. Maybe it was too much exposure, or it could be that I didn't like the thought of us being in my mind bathing together. Calypso and I weren't that chummy to begin with, and it felt invasive.

I added crickets and a stream to the campfire setting for the ambiance and then added smoke to the crackling fire. Between the drifting smoke, glowing embers, and occasional pop sending tiny sparks in the air, there was plenty of entertainment. The fire allowed for deep and casual conversation while maintaining the perfect blend of relaxation and excitement. To increase the draw of the fire even more, I decreased the temperature in my realm.

If I had this kind of power as a tour guide, I would have become a phenomenon not just in Alderi but on the entire continent of Agoria.

The conversation with Calypso was still going. I had questions I wanted answered, but we had reached a natural lull. I was deep in thought about my goals, and Cal was inspecting the new room we were in—questioning all of his senses. I think I nailed it, from the lighting to the sounds, smells, and taste.

It took some work to get a blank palate taste, especially with all the tinkering I'd been doing in my mindscape. In the realm of minds, just about everything had a flavor—pine trees, smoke, dirt, cloud chairs, and bodies. While creating these environments, the flavor was often off… in the sense that it was present. Usually, unless in potent spaces, flavors weren't noticeable. So, in my realm, it became a trick of adding all the elements I wanted and diluting their flavor properties.

All my effort paid off when Cal lapped his tongue to the top of his mouth, testing for taste, and then nodded his head in approval with a questioning look on his face. I'd like to think I just blew his mind a little.

Besides claiming a small victory, most of my thoughts were on the looming threats. I needed to save my friends, fight the shadow plague, solve the flayen invasion, defend against the scourge, and live long enough to accomplish all this.

Fortunately, the solution to all of the problems was whittled down to one thing: power. In that regard, nothing had changed. I still needed much more power to accomplish my first goal of saving my friends. Once I did that, I could worry about the other problems. If I had to worry about them at all. Before I even attempted the hero scenarios, I would try every strategy in the Coward's Guide to Survival.

"Does the Alderi Empire really fall in five years?" I asked Cal. It was hard to imagine any threat capable of toppling the Empire. Maybe if multiple powers across Helm united in a combined invasion. Even then, the entire Empire?

"It was a rough estimate, but yes, around that time," Calypso said, his gaze locked on the flickering flames. "The shadow starts in the southeast and spreads west, wiping out the Empire's crops in a week. Without food and under constant attack, Alderi crumbled. The rest of Helm falls apart shortly after.

"And the Emperor?." The Deliverer seemed so omnipotent. Of course, it was nice to know he could be brought down. It makes my side quest for revenge a little more obtainable, and at the same time, if I didn't have to do the avenging, that would be better.

"A wrathful spirit led an army of unkillable wolf wraiths cloaked in shadow. Your Emperor puts up a good fight, but by the time he intervenes, the Shadow Plague is too strong. I spent two hundred years and countless lifetimes looping through my mindscape. The times I survived, I witnessed my people's ships arrive in a world of ruin."

"Ships?"

"Like yours, but they fly," Cal said, with no hint of saying more. I was fascinated by the concept and it took some restraint to push the topic to a later time.

"And the scourge?"

"When we faced your Emperor, we thought the scourge was already here. They are empty vessels, full of power. Quick, aggressive, and they spread like a disease."

"How do they spread?"

"They don't kill their victims. They infect them with their mana, which turns the victim into one of them. A lifeless husk. In time, the corrupted mana tears away the husks, and wings sprout."

"And you bastards are bringing them here. Bloody pits."

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Cal gave an empty nod.

"So your people arrive in my damaged world in seven years; what happens next?"

"They die. Against the Shadow Plague, they stood a chance. When the scourge arrived, they were wiped out."

We fell into another lull as the flames danced to their crackling beat. Shadow wolves from the east, flayens flying from other worlds, and an army of death… Was there a place far enough to run for safety? It didn't feel like it. I mulled over the information before putting it in a container to be dealt with later.

"Cal." I focused my eyes on the flayen sitting across from me. I could feel an unease building within. Even in my mindscape, my hands felt clammy. I forced a swallow and asked the question I'd dreaded: "What were you doing in my mind?" I dreaded asking the question.

"What do you mean?"

He knew what I meant. The flayen was trying to disengage. My fire burned brighter as the sky turned black, and the ambient noise was silenced. Not even the stream made a noise. Trees crept closer, making our open space feel like a closed box. For a moment, it was just Cal and me in a tight space with frozen fire between us—a fire that burned hotter by the second.

"I am sorry, Kip." The flayen took a deep breath. I couldn't tell whether the disappointment in Calypso's eyes was feigned. He fidgeted his hands with his 'beard' and then clicked his tongue. "You have to understand I am fighting for my people." Cal tried lifting his head to show some resolve. All I saw was a withered flayen barely able to sit upright."

"I understand that." I pushed past the dread settling in my stomach. I might not want to hear the answer, but I needed to know. "What did you do inside my head? You were in there for a long time, and don't think I believe you were just idle. I need to know."

"It will not do us any good."

"Calypso," I said his name in a shaken tone, my voice no longer steady. The fire and trees inched closer to the flayen as our surroundings darkened. I didn't want to turn violent, but I was willing to do so if needed.

Cal took another deep breath and paused. I accentuated the beating of his heart, creating a light thud in our confined space. I could collapse the organ if I wanted, and a small part of me was tempted.

"I… Your—I was removing memories," Cal didn't dare look up, and he kept his tone as passive as possible. The tremor that touched my voice entered my entire being. I felt.

I knew he was doing something, but it hurt to hear it confirmed. As the impact of Cal's actions settled, frustration started building within me. In short order, I was seething. Our chairs were no longer soft, and the fire was at a dangerous heat level. Drops of sweat beaded at Cal's brow, bringing another layer of realism to my realm.

"I needed your character to be weakened to take over. If I could change your character enough, I could turn you against yourself. You would become your own enemy, and I would be a guiding light once you discovered you lost your way. Only I would lead you deeper into my snare. I would take over once you were completely trapped in your mind."

"Please restore my memories." The words did not reflect my state of mind. It took all my control to stop the fire before us from burning the entire space and Cal to the ground.

"I truly cannot… For what it is worth, I am sorry." It wasn't just the sadness behind Calypso's face that told me he was telling the truth. I could sense the validity in his words; they had a warm, heavy feeling, almost like they had substance to them. The more he spoke, the more I could feel the weight crushing my soul.

"I watched you cry as you cut down trees and knew there was a weakness I could exploit. Not your softness but your lack of confidence in your decision to value life. When you nearly killed me with your potion of poison, I retreated into your mind and removed the memories that I could.

"I tried numbing your feelings and was successful in a sense."

"No more," I said, barely louder than a whisper. These were my memories the flayen had stolen from me. My treasures—the good and the bad… I cherished them all. I earned them through suffering and triumph. Beyond that, they were a collection of everyone's sacrifice that had gotten me to this point. My family, friends, and Lana. Every day I pushed further, I carried them with me. As long as I held on to them, as long as I had my memories, death had no claim on them.

"Kip."

I almost didn't recognize my name. I knew Cal was tampering with my mind, and I knew it wouldn't be good. Cutting memories was even a possibility I thought I was ready to face.

"Kai—"

"No."

I locked Cal back in a box and retreated from my mind. I needed some space. Maybe just a day or two. A part of my memories had been erased and forever lost. The worst part was I didn't know what I had forgotten. I could still see my parents, sister, old and new friends. I could recall most of the events I cherished… At least, I thought I could. What was I missing?

There were gaps in my mind. Memories had faded without me noticing. Events weren't detailed stories, and I couldn't recall the accompanying memories. Instead of being bolstered by surrounding experiences, details, and events, my core memories were becoming isolated. Some might have already been lost.

The thought terrified me.

I had to ensure their security. I couldn't afford to lose any more memories… to lose myself or my friends.

I took a few deep breaths, calming my nerves, and returned to Cal's cell.