On hearing I was ready to continue, Dr. Fadel turned around and told someone out in the hallway to bring the next patient in. We all got into position around our fake treatment area, while Brad remained out of the way against the wall. Soon, an older man was wheeled in on a bed, tied down just like Amy had been. He wasn’t fighting the restraints and he wasn’t gagged either, but maybe he should have been. The angry threats and cursing he was directing at everyone around him were quite off-putting. The visible signs of infection covered probably just over half of his body. I looked at Dr. Fadel questioningly.
“Mainly a precaution,” she told me. “He was quite aggressive, but hadn’t actually attacked anyone yet. It will buy us some time if things don’t go as planned, though.” I understood immediately what she was getting at. The bed was set up in the treatment area, and Grace began connecting the monitors and setting up the I.V. Susan spoke to the man, trying to keep him calm and relaxed. He simply focused his aggression on her, swearing up a storm. To be fair, he was tied down to a bed. Infection or not, that was bound to put anyone in a foul mood. To her credit, Susan took it in stride and continued her efforts to get him settled, raising my opinion of her even higher.
I played my part, turning the lights on around the bed while Grace explained the treatment plan to the man. Dr. Fadel was hands off, just observing everything. Once the treatment officially began, I waited a minute for it to ‘work’ before moving in closer. Activating my Life sense, I looked in horror at the black marks that marred the golden energy coming off the man. There were darker clumps of concentrated Void energy in various parts of his body, with tendrils extending out as they slowly fed on the man’s vitality. Seeing the infection with my regular sight was bad enough. But there was something viscerally upsetting about observing the pure Life energy afflicted by the dark of the Void in this way.
I wondered what I should do. I had no idea what level of infection would allow the Void energy to seize my healing spell and feed off it before it could get in and do its thing. I didn’t want to just cast Heal and hope for the best. I was pretty sure that in its regular, spread-out form, trying to treat everything at the same time, the healing energy was fairly weak at any given point. That would make it vulnerable to being overwhelmed and consumed by the Void energy as it entered the body.
Seeing me hesitate, Dr. Fadel came over and stood next to me. “What’s wrong?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Stepping away so as not to be overheard, I explained what I was seeing and the problem with how my healing spell worked. After a second, she said, “Alright. Maybe I can help.”
Like a lightbulb turning on, those simple words triggered an idea. I looked at her excitedly, thinking I’d found the perfect solution. “Yes, you can help! You saw what I did to Brad, right? I can do that to you, too. The odds are pretty good you’ll have an affinity for Life magic. I’m sure you’ll be able to work out how to use it better than I can.” Sure, I had agreed to let the Colonel and the others choose who the Awakening Discs would go to. But these were special circumstances. And Dr. Fadel was already in the running for one, anyway.
I was so caught up in my thoughts that it took me a second to notice she was shaking her head. “While I would love to take you up on your offer, I’m afraid it won’t help us right now. I saw how long Officer Saunders was out for while the process took place. And look how long it’s taken you to get to this point. I’m pretty sure that by the time I’m at a stage where I’ll be able to do anything useful, it will be too late for a lot of these people.”
I clenched my fist in frustration. “Damn it! You’re right.” I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.
She put her hand on my arm to try and offer some comfort. “What I meant by helping was more along the lines of advice. The way you described seeing the infection clumped together and spreading out reminded me of how cancer works. Maybe you can treat it in a similar way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems like the problem is that your spell isn’t focused enough. If you can get the healing energy to enter the body in a single spot, using a concentrated beam, it might be strong enough to destroy the Void energy there. Then, if I understand how it works correctly, the leftover energy can repair the damage and possibly spread out to the rest of the body to attack the infection from within. Basically, radiation therapy without any harmful side effects.”
I considered her idea and thought it should be within my capabilities. Instead of working things out from scratch by myself, I’d just need to take the energy created and already calibrated by my Heal spell and alter its application.
“I concur,” Cax said. “I believe this has a high chance of succeeding.”
“Alright,” I told Dr. Fadel. “I think I can manage that.”
Taking a deep breath to settle my nerves, I stepped back close to the infected man tied down to the bed. I focused on an area near his stomach that had the densest gathering of Void energy to my new Life sense. Laying my hand against that spot, I cast Heal. I watched as the Life energy formed and flowed out of my palm, actually able to see it moving now and not just the resulting glow. The energy immediately tried to spread out and enter the man’s body as soon as it made contact with his skin. Quickly, I tightened my will around it. It wasn’t easy, as the energy was naturally inclined to seek out all the problems it could within the target and fought against my hold.
Luckily, I had gotten a lot of practice recently at controlling energy. That, and the fact I could actually see the Life energy instead of working blind, meant I was successfully able to force it all into a narrow beam of energy. I made sure to plug the end of the beam to keep it from going inside him until I thought it was ready.
The concentrated Life energy began glowing brighter than usual, and I could actually feel the increased potency of the tightly packed healing energy. It was likely not just because of the way I was holding it together, but also a combination of the spell itself being improved on reaching Tier II and the recent evolution to Aura of Recovery that was enhancing the spell. I wondered if those improvements may have been enough to combat the Void even without my alterations, but decided it wasn’t worth the risk of trying to find out.
I began sweating from the mental exertion required to keep the vibrant energy together. Unable to hold it any longer, I released the plug on the energy where it rested against the man’s skin, allowing it to descend while maintaining my control over the sides of the beam as it sped down into the body, keeping it focused. The healing energy tore into the Void infection in the targeted area, meeting only slight resistance before eradicating it completely.
I released my hold over the energy at the end of the beam completely once it had cleansed the area and was deep inside the body. At that point, its original nature took over and it shot out throughout the rest of the body, seeking to fix any issues it came across.
I could see the dark energy throughout the man’s body disappear in an expanding circle as it was overwhelmed by the potent healing power. Soon, though, the energy faded away. The furthest points from where the healing power had entered the body still contained the Void infection. I was especially worried about the dark tendrils throughout his brain, even though they didn’t seem to be that strong yet to my magical sight.
Judging by the brighter glow around the area that I’d targeted with Heal, a larger amount of the energy had been spent there, healing and even improving the area. The wave of healing that had traveled out simply hadn’t had enough energy to cleanse the Void and still reach every part of his body. And that was even with the added benefit of the evolution I’d just chosen for Aura of Recovery that enhanced the potency of my healing spells. The Void infection must have been deeply rooted inside of him, requiring a lot of energy to remove.
Not a problem at all, I thought, a little worn out but happy. It had worked. Sure, I’d need to cast Heal multiple times to cure people in an advanced stage of infection, but I was actually able to help them. And since I had a notification waiting for my attention, I was pretty sure more good news was coming my way.
Congratulations!
You have achieved an evolution of your [Heal] spell.
You may now target the spell at a particular area, prioritizing specific ailments and speeding up recovery.
Your progress towards the next rank of this spell has been reset.
That was even better than I could have hoped for. I wouldn’t have to go through the mental stress of forcing my will on the energy every time. Instead, the spell would now direct it with just some simple guidance from me. I was so happy with the outcome that I didn’t even care that I was back at the beginning of Rank 3 in the spell. I forcibly repressed the feelings of self-recrimination that tried to rise up as I thought about Amy and how I probably could have saved her with this method, refusing to give in to them. I needed to celebrate the wins when I could.
I cast Heal again, focusing it on the largest concentration of Void infection remaining. The energy entered his body just like the first time, eradicating the infection around the targeted area before spreading out. This time, there was enough energy remaining to travel all throughout his body, cleaning up the last traces of the Void and returning his skin to normal. I looked over at Dr. Fadel and gave her a victorious smile, stepping back from the man now that my job was done. His life force glowed brightly, even more so than the other people in the room. He was going to come out of this terrible experience much better off, and would likely have many healthy years ahead of him.
Susan and Grace took over after I indicated it was ok. They undid the restraints and then Grace took out the I.V. while Susan talked soothingly to the man. He looked around in shock, seemingly confused about where he was. The infection had clearly been messing with his mind and it was clear he hadn’t been fully aware of what was going on. I left the two women to look after him and went and told Dr. Fadel what had happened. She was suitably impressed, and quickly asked me if I was ready for the next patient. Checking my mana levels, I wasn’t quite there yet, but I told her that by the time they got the next person ready, I should be good to go. Hearing that, Dr. Fadel made a call.
Soon, a couple of nurses arrived with the next patient, leaving her with us and leading the man I’d just healed away. This time, the patient wasn’t on a bed, but rather able to walk perfectly fine by herself. She looked nervous, but Grace and Susan led her gently to the bed and had her lie down, explaining the process as they got her set up.
Doing my part with the lights, I looked at the patient with my Life sense. There was a strong cluster of Void infection in one of her legs, presumably where she’d been scratched or bitten, but it hadn’t spread any further. This one should be easy. I suddenly found the drawback to this new healing method. My hand needed to be touching the area I wanted to target. Finding a reason to touch the young lady’s hip was the most difficult part of healing her, but soon enough, she was completely free of Void energy. And due to the smaller area affected, it had only required a single heal to get the job done.
She was soon replaced by another patient, and the next couple of hours passed by quickly and uneventfully as I successfully healed patient after patient. I didn’t bother casting Aura of Recovery again since the remaining cases weren’t serious enough to need the enhancing effect from the aura spell. I wanted to save the mana for direct healing.
Dr. Fadel was happy to hear that all of the people brought into the treatment room showed the presence of Void energy to my magical sense, since it meant her screening method worked. She still wanted me to have a look at some people who had come in but had tested negative, just to make sure the method was foolproof, and I readily agreed.
An end to the healing came when Anita entered the room and told us to take a break for lunch. There were still patients to be treated, but they were in the very early stages of the infection so there was no rush. I hadn’t reached the next rank with my Heal spell yet, but I was pretty close to getting it there. The afternoon healing sessions should see another evolution to the spell.
Happy for the chance to rest up a bit, I took off the medical gear and left it in the treatment room. I winced as I once again saw the jagged hole in my T-shirt, the memory of the pain coming back to me. The whole side was completely missing due to the Void puppet’s attack. Fortunately, the medical gear had been easily replaced.
I gladly followed Anita to another room where I found Brad already eating, along with a couple of familiar faces from Tully’s squad. Kerrin and Hamish, the young officers I’d fought the first Void puppets with in the park and healed afterwards, stood up as I entered.
Smiling broadly, I went over and shook their hands warmly. “Good to see you guys again! What are you doing here?”
Anita answered for them. “I mentioned before that Sergeant Tully’s squad would be sharing the job of protecting you.”
Returning my smile, Hamish said, “That’s right. Kerrin and I volunteered to go first. We’re going to escort you back to the park when you’re done here.”
Anita spoke up. “I’ve already sent Officer Young home to take a break, and Officer Saunders will also return home after the meeting with the Rift Committee.”
I looked over at Brad, unsure how I felt about that. We’d been together for a while now. Despite my initial objections to having people guarding me, it would be strange not having him around. Seeing the look on my face, he said, “Don’t worry, Dean. I just want to check in with my family and get a few things, then I’ll head straight back to the park.”
It made me feel good to know he wanted to stay together too, until he added, “I can’t wait to get back into the dungeon and try out my Fireball spell!” After giving him a dirty look, I turned my attention to a bunch of shopping bags against one of the walls.
“Are those for me?” I asked hopefully.
I expected Anita to answer, but instead Kerrin said, “Yes! When I heard Steve was going shopping for you, I tagged along. Lucky for you I did, too. You should have seen some of the things he wanted to buy you.” She made a face.
I laughed. “I knew he’d try to pull something like that! Looks like you’ve already managed to protect me.”
Looking through the bags, I pulled out several shirts and pants. There were a mix of casual and formal stuff. There were also some shoes, a belt, and to my surprise, even some underwear. I cast a quick look at Kerrin. When she saw what I was holding, she winked at me. “Hope I got the size right.”
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Not quite sure how to respond to that, I simply flashed her a cocky smile and dropped the underwear back in the bag. I found a black ski mask that I absorbed immediately, then made a copy that I stored in my Inventory. I wanted to have that on hand and ready to go just in case.
“Eat your lunch, and I’ll go and set up for the meeting with the committee. We’ll have it as soon as you finish eating,” Anita informed me.
Taking the bags over to the table, I sat down in front of some plates that had already been prepared for me. There was a meat pie, some sandwiches, and even a piece of lasagna. They must have hit up the hospital cafeteria. I absorbed everything first, then created copies and got stuck in. While I ate, I absorbed all the clothes, adding their patterns to my knowledge core. Then I created a few items to make up a casual outfit and did the same for a more formal style. Making use of my evolved Inventory, I stored each outfit together in one slot. That would let me get completely dressed instantly. Well, almost instantly. There would be a 5-second delay for withdrawing and depositing items in a set.
Finishing off the food, I went behind a partition that was handily in the room and absorbed the clothes right off my body, leaving me standing there completely naked. I was no Brad, so even with the partition blocking me from sight, I was aware of the people just on the other side and felt a little self-conscious. Sure, my body was in great shape now, but that didn’t mean I suddenly wanted to be an exhibitionist.
Quickly, I summoned the more formal outfit directly onto my body. I needed to visualize where each item of clothing should go clearly in my mind and hold that image as I activated the ability. After five seconds, I was fully dressed in a white, button-up collared shirt with black trousers, belt, and shoes. The size was spot on. It felt so good to be dressed comfortably again.
I stepped out and joined the others again, a relaxed smile on my face. They all looked me over, surprised. Hamish blurted out, “That was quick!”
I shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Magic.” Looking at Kerrin, I told her appreciatively, “Good job. It’s perfect.”
Even though I knew she was just messing with me, I couldn’t help blushing a little as her gaze travelled down and she muttered, “Yes, it is.”
Hamish hit her on the shoulder, making us all laugh. “Settle down, you perv.”
Just then, Anita came back in. “Excellent. You’re ready to go. And for once, you actually look normal.”
“Hey!” I said indignantly.
Ignoring me, Anita looked at Kerrin. “Well done, Officer.” Shifting back to take in both Brad and me, she said, “Let’s go.”
Brad and I walked out with her, leaving Hamish and a beaming Kerrin behind for now. As we walked, Anita said, “See? You don’t need an assistant. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll see it gets done.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. A thought occurred to me, and I couldn’t resist giving voice to it. “But then, doesn’t that make you my assistant?”
“Me? I’m your minder. ‘Handler’ at best,” she replied smoothly, not missing a beat. Beside me, Brad chuckled, and I smiled in appreciation at the comeback.
We soon arrived at a meeting room not too far away from where we ate, with a long table in the center of the room. I took a seat on the far side from the door, wanting to keep an eye on the only entrance. Brad took the seat on my left, and to my surprise, Anita sat on my right rather than sitting on the other side of the table. Turning, I gave her a grateful smile for the overt show of support. She stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice.
While we waited, I filled Anita in on how the rest of the healing had gone, along with my new ability to see Life energy. I was sure she would be given much more detailed information later on by Dr. Fadel and the other staff, but I was feeling nervous about the upcoming meeting and telling her was a good distraction. We weren’t kept waiting for long.
The door soon opened, and the members of the Rift Committee that had flown to Brisbane entered. I started to stand with the others, noting the surprised look and raised eyebrows the man in front gave Anita as I did so. It was clear the message she was sending had been received. Any concern for what repercussions she might face for literally taking my side flew out of my mind as I recognized the second person to enter the room.
“Susan?!” I asked incredulously, barely a hint of a question in my voice. She was dressed in relaxed formal clothes instead of medical gear, but I was almost positive this was the same woman who had been assisting the patients in the treatment room. With her gray hair and face fully visible now, she was older than I’d first assumed. Probably in her sixties. But the way she moved, along with her height and body shape, were spot on. But more than that, it was the way she was looking at me that gave it away. I’d caught the same look cast my way several times in the treatment room. I’d put it down to curiosity over the healing magic I’d been using. It was pretty obvious now that my magic hadn’t been her only interest.
Smiling warmly at me, she was about to respond before the last member of their party to enter said in a slightly stern voice, “When speaking to the head of the Rift Committee, Mrs. Price would be a more appropriate form of address.”
Still smiling, she said, “It’s ok, Graham. I think Dean and I are well beyond such formalities.”
Motioning us all to sit, she sat down directly across from me, with the two men flanking her. I listened distractedly as they were introduced, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Susan was the head of the Rift Committee I’d been dreading meeting. Graham was of an age with Susan, whereas the other man was much younger, probably mid-forties. He introduced himself simply as Viraj. In contrast to Graham’s sternness, Viraj seemed like a friendly sort.
“You were spying on me?” I said, more statement than question as I stared challengingly at Susan.
“That’s correct,” she replied unapologetically. “We thought it prudent to observe you before officially meeting. You can get a better sense of someone when their guard is down.”
“I still think it was a foolish risk for you to do it yourself,” Graham said half under his breath, clearly meaning for it to be heard.
I had to agree with him, but still, I was impressed. Maybe I should have been upset at the deception, but I was too distracted by the fact that someone in her position had been willing to get her hands dirty, so to speak. Not to mention putting herself in danger like that. The fact that she had continued even after Amy had become a Void Puppet and attacked us spoke volumes. “So, what’s the verdict?” I asked directly, deciding to get to the heart of the matter.
She smiled warmly. “You acquitted yourself well. I’m sure you’re aware there were some reports as to your temperament. To be honest, even without those reports, we would have been concerned with someone your age gaining such incredible powers. Most young men would be out there trying to impress some young ladies with them, not using them to help strangers and fight off an invading force.”
I wish, I thought wistfully. That’s exactly what I would like to be doing, but I kept those thoughts to myself and didn’t react to her comment.
Continuing, she said, “What I observed today, along with the many positive things we’ve heard about how you’re dealing with the threat we’re facing, have alleviated our worries.”
“Don’t beat around the bush, Susan,” Viraj said, turning in his chair to look at her. “It’s obvious Dr. Sudditch just had an axe to grind. We should get rid of him before he tries to cause any more problems.”
“I don’t necessarily disagree,” Graham chimed in quickly, leaning forward to look at Viraj, “but I don’t think that’s a conversation we should be having here.”
“Indeed,” Susan said, smoothly taking charge again. “This is all about you, Dean. We have decided to give you our full support, and would like you to officially sign on to work for us.”
I was shocked, and spoke without thinking. “Hang on. You mean you’re not going to try and screw me over?”
Anita kicked me under the table as Viraj laughed loudly. “Not a fan of the government, huh?” The look on my face must have been answer enough. “Well, I’ll level with you. You’re not far off the mark. There are people on this very committee who see you as a way to gain more power for themselves. Do you have any idea how many calls Susan got this morning after people found out about those disc things you have that can give people powers? Almost all of them were about people wanting her to get her hands on them for committee members to use.”
Susan was glaring at Viraj. “Any other secrets you would like to spill?”
Viraj waved his hand dismissively. “You get more done by being honest. And Dean here seems like the sort to appreciate a bit of straightforward talking.”
I nodded emphatically, leaning forward eagerly. This meeting was going so much better than I’d expected. With Susan still glaring at Viraj, Graham spoke up. “My colleague is correct, unfortunately. The reason Mrs. Price chose us in particular to accompany her is because she knows we share the same ideals as she does.”
Looking at me sternly, he said, “Although, just so you know, while her mind is made up about you, I still have some reservations,” he told me warningly. “But what the three of us agree on is that with the world itself at stake, this is no time for selfishness. I like to think that most of the people in the know feel the same way. However, Mr. Singh is correct in that there are some people who are still focused on their personal desires ahead of what’s right. I believe that is true of any group, however, not just specific to government.”
I sat back in my chair, truly taken aback. I had been ready for Persuasion to be going off constantly, alerting me to a barrage of lies. Instead, they’d hit me with the truth. I had to admit, it was a very effective strategy.
“So, are you willing to work for us directly?” Susan asked, returning to the main point of the meeting.
I thought about it. I couldn’t think of a good reason not to, but I was still a little wary of their motives. “Why now? What’s wrong with how we’ve been doing things so far?”
“We just thought that you would be able to get more done as an official government employee,” she said. “You’ll have our full backing and access to any resources you need.”
I didn’t point out that I already had those things thanks to Anita’s help, mainly because I was distracted as my Persuasion skill reacted to her answer, finally getting the chance to work. The tingle wasn’t as strong as when it had picked up on David’s false apology, leading me to believe that she was withholding something rather than lying. Instead of calling her out on it and giving away the existence of the skill, I kept my response vague. “I don’t believe that’s the only reason.”
I stared at her steadily, and finally she said, “Due to the magnitude of the danger the rift poses, we are going to be briefing all other governments around the world and making the Rift Committee an international, collaborative organization. We’ll need to inform them of your existence, but we’ll try and keep your identity secret for your protection as long as possible.”
My brain processed the information quickly and I thought I had a better understanding of their drive to make things official. “You’re worried another country will try to poach me once they find out who I am, and you’ll lose access to me,” I guessed.
Viraj smiled. “Hah! He’s a sharp one. Spot on, my boy.”
“Look,” I said, leaning forward again and resting my forearms on the table. “Like I’ve told Anita before, you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to run away from this problem and leave my friends and family alone. Plus, with the whole dungeon thing, it’s not really an option for me to just pack up and go.”
“So we’ve heard,” Susan said, glancing at Anita. “And having met you, I believe you. But that’s not the only reason. There are those in the government who would feel much better if there were some binding agreement between us. If they’re feeling confident and relaxed, they’re less likely to cause issues.”
“And despite what I said before about people seeking opportunities out of this disaster,” Graham said, “I do think you deserve to be rewarded for the work you’re doing.”
Becoming rich had lost most of its appeal after everything I’d seen and done, especially after working to help all the infected people today and fully grasping how many people were at risk from the Void. But I had to believe that we would come through this, that life would eventually return to some form of normal. And at that time, it would be nice to be wealthy. Sure, I could literally create my own fortune with my abilities, but that could also create problems. Doing things above board would be the best way.
“There is nothing wrong in planning for the future,” Cax said softly. “In fact, it can often be what gets you through the present.”
I sighed softly before nodding. “All right. Let’s talk terms.”
The discussion lasted for a while. Brad chimed in a fair bit, clearly on my side. Even Anita offered suggestions to help me out, much to the chagrin of Susan and Graham, and amusement of Viraj. The whole thing actually went surprisingly smoothly, with the Committee members being quite accommodating. We finally settled on the terms, and they said they would have them drawn up properly for me to sign later.
The basics were that I would become an official member of the Rift Committee, but with full autonomy. I would be required to keep them in the loop by making regular reports through Anita or other representatives, but I didn’t need to seek permission before deciding on a course of action. I would be compensated with a six-figure annual salary, and any materials or items I needed would be provided at no cost to me.
The only slightly contentious issue had to do with any Awakening Discs I got in the future. Everyone in the room agreed that they should go to the people who could directly use them in the fight against the Void, but Susan wanted something included in our agreement to appease the people seeking personal power in the hopes it would keep them from making trouble.
We finally agreed that I would have complete control of who the discs were used on until the situation with the rift was resolved, with an unwritten understanding that I would listen to recommendations from people like the Colonel. At such a time as there was no longer any threat, I agreed that we would renegotiate how the discs were used. The aim would be to provide them to different professionals such as doctors, teachers, and of course, politicians, to see what options would become available for improving society. I was pretty sure there wouldn’t even be any more discs if there were no more Void puppets to defeat and loot, so it wasn’t much of a concession on my part.
“That should keep them off my back for a while,” Susan muttered as she jotted that part down. There were a few other things we put in the agreement, but soon enough we were done.
“Well, that’s that,” Susan said happily. “Thank you so much for your time today, Dean. We’ll let you get back to healing the infected people. I won’t be…”
I missed the rest of what she said as a blue screen suddenly appeared, popping up unexpectedly and filling my vision. It was the same color as the quest I’d received from the World Spirit, and my pulse started racing before I even began reading it.
Quest
Secure the area
Another Colvoen shard has entered through the rift, once again disrupting the barrier and allowing the breach to widen.
More of the planet is now exposed to the Void energy.
Destroy the shard and contain the spread of the Void.
Rewards: Variable
Do you accept?
Fear gripped my heart. I took a deep breath to try and calm down before accepting the quest, making the screen disappear. I became aware of the silence in the room and saw that everyone was looking at me and Brad. Brad! I turned to him and saw his eyes were unfocused. A second later, he blinked rapidly and stood up quickly.
“Did you get it, too?” I asked him urgently.
He looked at me, clearly worried, and nodded. I shot to my feet, wanting to get moving immediately. Viraj held up a hand, stopping me. “What’s going on?”
“We’re under attack,” Brad answered immediately, already moving to the door and ignoring the confused exclamations from the others in the room.
“Another shard has come through the rift,” I clarified quickly as I joined him, making my way around the table. “And it’s made the rift grow bigger.” I had no idea if the soldiers around the forest would be able to deal with the shard by themselves, and I wasn’t willing to find out the hard way. And as concerned as I was about the shard, it was actually the least of my worries. We needed to find out how far the Void energy pouring out of the rift could reach now. The number of infected in the clinic might be just a drop in a bucket that was about to overflow. “We need to get there now.”