The mysterious woman led them through the crowded streets of Drayton Bassett, each turn feeling more like a descent into some shadowy underworld than a stroll through a little Midlands’ village. The further they walked, the more the place seemed to transform, as if the buildings themselves were warping under the strain of all the power being gathered in its environs. The increasingly narrow alleys twisted and turned, their stone walls becoming slick with something that might have been water but smelled to Lorelei far too much like blood for comfort.

***Shrug Message***

This actually has nothing to do with me – it looks entirely normal from my side. I think your companion has some sort of mental manipulation Skill which is making you all feel like you’re characters in a gothic horror movie. Bitch is growing on me.

Well, wasn’t that lovely. Quite apart from her Guide’s newfound enthusiasm for whatever was taking place, there was an undercurrent of something to the air which clung to the back of her throat. Not for the first time since casting Chance’s Gambit on the Chimera, she really wished her powers were back. “How long left on my debuff?” Lorelei asked under her breath.

***Tick Tock Clarice Message***

You know what they say about a watched kettle? Well, constantly checking on a ticking debuff has the same quality. The cooldown on the Chance’s Gambit debuff is a nominal 48 hours. However, between you, me and that lamppost, it’ll last right until the moment I don’t find it fun anymore. Keep asking me about it is likely to extend that deadline.

“How is that fair!”

***Suck it up Message***

I have a distinct memory of you soloing an elite troll and, a day later, leading your shitty underpowered team to victory against a Raid Boss that earned you ridiculous gains. Ask any of those people back in Drayton – who earned their power the hard and bloody way – whether me nerfing you right now is ‘fair’. Even fucking Fortuna hasn’t asked me to ease up on the debuff. Call this the character-building part of your training montage.

The buildings on either side loomed even more overhead, their windows dark and empty like the eye sockets of long-dead skulls. Lorelei felt a prickling at the back of her neck, the sense that they were being watched by something that wasn’t entirely human. The noise of all the people in the square behind them had faded completely.

“Where exactly are we going?” Hild asked, her voice low, as if afraid to disturb the quiet. Her hand remained on the handle of her axe, her knuckles white against the dark leather. As she spoke, somehow, the street was growing even narrower with each step, the walls closing in as though the village itself wanted to trap them. It wouldn’t be long before Ent wouldn’t be able to go any further.

“To the edge of the village,” the woman replied without turning around, her voice expressionless, like the surface of a frozen lake hiding treacherous depths beneath. “There’s a place there that few know of—a place where the amulet was hidden long ago.”

Lorelei glanced around, her unease growing. The walls were definitely streaked with dark stains, the cobblestones beneath their feet were uneven, slick with the same substance that glistened in the dim light. If this was all a mental manipulation by the woman in front of them, what was her purpose?

“Hidden by whom?” Michael and Michelle said at the same time, their voices merging into one unsettling harmony. That had been happening quite a bit of late, this increased synchrony. Lorelei couldn’t shake the feeling something fundamental was changing between them, something that might not be entirely under their control. They hadn’t had chance to compare stat sheets since defeating the Chimera, and she was beginning to wonder whether the Veiled Stalker siblings might have picked up something interesting in their most recent level-up.

The stranger paused, just for a moment, her head tilting slightly as though considering how much to reveal. When she spoke, her voice was softer, almost reverent, as if speaking of something sacred and forbidden. “By those who understood its power and the danger it represented. The amulet is not just a key to the tournament—it’s much more than that. But only those who are worthy will be able to claim it.”

***Help Message***

This is giving off serious cult vibes. I’m half-expecting her to pull out a sacrificial dagger and start chanting in Latin. Keep your wits about you, sugarplum. Oh, and if it turns out you have to lift a massive hammer in order to get your hands on the amulet, make sure you make clear it is not Mjolnir. Copyright can be a bugger.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Lorelei dismissed the notification, her fingers twitching, missing the feel of her dice in her hand. “And how do we prove ourselves worthy?” she asked, her voice steady, even as a cold sweat began to form at the nape of her neck. Her Guide wasn’t wrong, the entire setup reeked of a trap. But what else where they supposed to do? Fortuna wanted this amulet, and they weren’t overburdened with other quests.

The woman stopped abruptly, so suddenly that Lorelei nearly walked into her. She turned to face them, her eyes glinting in the dim light, dark and unreadable like twin pools of ink. “By trusting me,” she said softly, “and by being willing to face what lies ahead, no matter the cost.”

As if the strength of whatever Skill she was using increased, the shadows seemed to deepen, lengthening into grotesque shapes that twisted and writhed at the edge of vision, only to dissolve when looked at directly. Somewhere far off, there was a faint rustling, like dry leaves skittering across the cobblestones, or perhaps the sound of something far worse slithering through the darkness. Or even the sound of unspooling thread. Every instinct screamed at Lorelei to turn back, to run as far from this place as she could, but there was nowhere else to go. The others looked just as uneasy, their eyes darting around, their weapons at the ready, as if expecting the walls to close in and crush them at any moment.

“What’s it going to be?” the woman asked, her gaze locking onto Lorelei’s with an intensity that was almost painful. Looking into the woman’s eyes felt like staring into the abyss, a void that threatened to swallow her whole. Lorelei swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet that gaze without flinching. “We’ll follow you,” she said finally, her voice firm despite the fear gnawing at her insides. “Lead the way.”

***Help Message***

You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. I mean, you’re not smart, but I guess you can’t have everything.

The woman’s smile returned, but there was no warmth in it, only a cold amusement that chilled Lorelei to the bone. “Very well. Let’s continue.” She turned and resumed walking, her steps silent, her form blending into the shadows that clung to the buildings around them. The group followed, their footsteps echoing hollowly. The path began to change as they walked. The cobblestones grew rougher, more uneven, the ground slick with that same dark substance that seemed to cling to everything here. The air was colder now, every breath misting in front of them, the smell of rot and decay growing stronger, almost overwhelming. It was the stench of something long dead, something that had been festering in the dark for far too long.

Then they were out from the village, the buildings thinning out, giving way to a twisted, overgrown clearing that looked like it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. The trees that ringed the clearing were gnarled and twisted, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands, clawing at the sky. The ground was covered in a thick layer of dead leaves that crunched underfoot, the sound unnaturally loud in the stillness.

***Help Message***

Oh, I like this. Tell you what, our girl has some horror-aesthetic game. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s done this sort of thing before. Which doesn’t make a lot of sense of a newly integrated world . . .

The light of Day 3 was fading fast, the sky overhead a deep, bruised purple as they reached the edge of the clearing, and the woman stopped again. She turned to face them, her expression unreadable in the fading light, her eyes gleaming with that same unsettling intensity. It was as if she could see through them, down to the very marrow of their bones.

“This is where we part ways,” she said, her voice low and smooth, like the purr of a predator that knows it has its prey cornered. “The cavern in which the amulet resides lies within these woods, but you’ll need to find it on your own.” There was a finality to her words, a sense of something ending, or perhaps something beginning.

Lorelei blinked in surprise, her unease deepening to a cold dread. “You’re not coming with us?”

The woman shook her head slowly, a shadow of something—pity, perhaps, or maybe just boredom—crossing her face. “No. My task was to bring you here. The rest is up to you.” Her gaze lingered on Lorelei, as if she were sizing her up for something, something unpleasant.

“And how do we know you’re not just leading us to our deaths?” Kris asked bluntly, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.

The woman’s smile returned, sharper than before, a flash of white teeth in the darkness. “You don’t, Leech. But if you want the amulet, you’ll have to take that risk. Now, are you going to stand here all night, or are you going to claim your prize?”

Lorelei exchanged a glance with the others. “We’ll go,” Lorelei said finally, her voice steady despite the cold knot of fear twisting in her stomach. “Thank you for your help.”

The woman nodded, her expression unreadable in the dim light. “Good luck,” she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of something dark and foreboding. “You’ll need it more than you think. Fortuna’s Herald.”

With that, she turned and walked away, her form melting into the shadows like smoke, disappearing into the gathering darkness. Lorelei watched her go, the sense of foreboding intensifying with each step the woman took.

“Well,” Pete said gruffly, breaking the silence with a voice that sounded like gravel grinding underfoot. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Lorelei nodded, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead. “Let’s move. The sooner we find this amulet, the better.” With that, they turned and entered the woods, the darkness closing in around them like a shroud.

Behind them, the village of Drayton Bassett shimmered. All of the gathered adventurers faded from existence, leaving only two women behind.

“Well done,” the younger of them said, fingering a spindle in her hand.

The second woman, the one who had led Lorelei and her group to the edge of the woods, shrugged. “I am not sure the point of this. Our sister wants the amulet. How is helping her Herald find it to our advantage.”

Moira smiled. “Let us just say, Lysiara, that the threads of Fate have quite the surprise in store for our sister’s favourite.”