The makeshift curtain, crafted from an old clothesline and a couple of vividly colored sheets, served as the stage for the villagers’ impromptu play. As they brought out their somewhat shabby musical instruments, spared from the bandits’ plunder, the air filled with an expectant energy.

The portrayal of Zer Ilkaar in the play was anything but flattering. He was depicted as a debaucherous and brutal ruler, drinking the blood of virgin animals and forcibly taking every unfortunate woman to his bed. A prop bed was set up for these exaggerated scenes. The actor playing Zer lounged on it, surrounded by three women, and melodramatically asked his servant, “Were those the last virgins in the realm? Have we exhausted our supply?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Not that I really wanted any, no. What I’d prefer is...” The actor playing Zer trailed off, awaiting his cue.

“The king of kings who’s fathered one thousand bastards, what your desire is?” the servant dramatically inquired.

“Bring me some sheep!”

“Sheep, my lord? You had them just a day before.”

“Then drink a cup of lead!”

The guards, portrayed by two robust villagers, mimicked pouring molten lead into the servant’s mouth using a funnel.

Watching the farcical depiction, the emperor’s shadow, visible only to Blik and me, seethed with fury from the sidelines. “Is this how they remember me?” he bellowed, unseen by the rest. “As a debauched sheep lover? I, a great warrior, sought the company of the realm’s most beautiful women, not livestock!”

His voice, laden with centuries of indignation, echoed through the void, unheard by all but us.

“Bastards?” he continued, outraged. “I provided for every woman who bore my child. I dreamed of a world ruled by my progeny. If not for those meddling seltars, everything would have been different.”

“They’re just simple villagers, sire,” Blik chimed in between bites, drawing a puzzled glance from Lara.

Fed up, she turned to me and demanded, “Who the damn are you always talking to?”

Choosing not to disrupt the villagers’ performance, I leaned in and quietly shared the entire bizarre tale with her. It included everything about shadows, power spheres, artifacts, and the mysterious black rider who seemed to be on our trail. Lara listened intently, her expression shifting from disbelief to curiosity. Had I been in her place, I would’ve dismissed a story like that as utter nonsense.

After hearing it all, she asked the last question I expected: “How can I see this Zer?”

“It’s quite simple,” Blik perked up, setting aside his food. “You just need to pass a trial in a Life Sphere. Otherwise, it’s almost impossible. People often don’t believe in what they can’t see, or rather, they can’t see what they don’t believe in.”

“Have her look at me,” Zer interjected.

“Alright, Lara,” Blik said, turning to her with a serious expression. “Please look to your right.”

Lara did as instructed, her brow furrowed in concentration.

“Her eyes are green with a hint of yellow. That means she can cultivate her Qi up to the third stage of the steel league. With my guidance, she’ll breeze through the golden league,” Blik rattled off, echoing the emperor’s words, then reached for another piece of fish.

“That’s absolutely ridiculous!” Lara exclaimed in disbelief.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Realizing she expected me to drop the facade, I pressed on. “I thought the same until I saw it myself and fought a man who had been initiated. Trust me, it changes your perspective.”

“But Rhys, why can’t you just lead a normal life? Why all this… what did you call it, cultivation? Why not just stay here, in this village?” Lara’s eyes held a mix of weariness and deep concern for my future.

“The Dark World’s kingdoms didn’t slap that bounty on his head for no reason. They won’t rest until his head is off his shoulders and I am back to my prison. Tell her that, jester,” Zer interjected, then returned his attention to the farcical performance where an actor portraying him fought off painted-up seltars with a stick, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

The play, set in the baths, showed the protagonist constantly smacking the behinds of his concubines.

“Everything they remember about me is false. The real fight with the seltars lasted but an instant—time doesn’t bind them,” Zer mused, his voice heavy with disbelief that his storied life had been reduced to fodder for such a ridiculous play.

I saw a rare look of disappointment in his red eyes. It was as if for the first time, he considered how his life, though historic, wasn’t the legacy any great warrior would wish to be remembered by. Had it been someone else, not Zer, I might’ve even been touched by their brooding expression.

“Rhys,” Zer called, jolting me back to reality. “Lara would make an excellent healer. Persuade her to embrace the path of power. That’s for your own benefit. We’ll need a healer initiated in the Life Spheres at the second stage of the bronze league.”

But didn’t you manage without a healer?

“Who said I didn’t have one?” He spoke with a mix of anger and sorrow. “Eowa wasn’t just my wife; she was my healer, tending to the wounds I constantly acquired. If she had survived, the Light World never would have broken me. They only cornered me after killing her, decades later.”

Our conversation was cut short by the rousing conclusion of the play. The makeshift theater group took a bow amid applause.

“Rhys, listen to me. Convince her to join us. And make sure these villagers never stage this mockery of a play again,” Zer hissed before disappearing.

Just then, the village mayor approached us. “Did you enjoy the comedy?”

“It was amusing, sure, but it wasn’t even close to the truth!” Blik blurted out, waving a chicken bone at the man. “Do you want to hear the real stories about Zer Ilkaar? I’ve got plenty.”

The mayor gave me a puzzled look. I sighed and nodded, playing along with Blik’s story. “Yeah, believe her. My… um… daughter has been through every library in every city we’ve visited, and we’ve been to a lot.” I scanned the villagers, then suggested, “Since you’ve got your instruments out, how about a lively tune? After all, you didn’t just get rid of those bandits today, you’ve also gained them as loyal helpers!”

“That’s true,” the mayor whispered, glancing nervously at the bandits sitting near the house with vacant stares. “But I’m worried they might go back to their old ways after you leave.”

“No, they definitely won’t,” I assured him confidently.

“Sounds like you’re sure about that,” the mayor said with a relieved smile. He clapped his hands. “Well then, let’s celebrate!”

***

As the sun set, the small festival we’d started could draw unwanted attention, but the villagers, either overly confident in my abilities or just eager to forget their recent fears, celebrated like there was no tomorrow.

Lara and I were given a house to stay in, its floorboards still wet and stained with blood that wasn’t fully washed off, a grim reminder of the peasants’ retaliation against the bandits. Seeing Eye defeated, the villagers had taken matters into their own hands, slaughtering a few marauders who were in a drunken stupor.

While Blik kept the villagers entertained with songs and stories, Lara and I lay on the oven bed, continuing our conversation.

“I came here to warn you, and now you’re asking me to follow you into the unknown,” Lara whispered, her eyes heavy with fatigue.

“I am,” I confirmed.

“And you’re doing this for a man who died two millennia ago, a man who’s only visible to you and a concussed little girl.” Lara always had a way with words, especially when it came to being both caring and critical.

“I’ll say it again: you can only understand it when you feel it yourself. Please don’t think I’m crazy, Lara. I’m not,” I said, hugging her. As I lay there, I pondered how I could prove to her that my story was true.

“Fine. I’ll go to this Life Sphere, but only to prove you are delusional. Those spreading these leaflets think you’re a wizard. I need to find a way to disprove that.”

“You’re not really listening, are you?” I replied with a smile, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of her hair. I decided to stop arguing since she’d soon see for herself.

“Tell me honestly,” Lara said in a resigned, almost fatalistic tone that made me open my eyes to listen more closely. “Have you found a new war to fight because you couldn’t settle for peace?”

“I... I wasn’t looking for another war. But now, I think it’s better than the kind of peace we have,” I said, realizing I was echoing Zer’s sentiments.