Captain Zak'Sho was missing from the command tent when we arrived. Sergeant Rhy’Lath had assumed command while the captain was occupied with guardian duties, whatever those were. Her first command had been to set the watch on three-hour shifts. The rest of her orders were simple. Get some rest, keep an eye on the rift and sound the alarm if anything changed.

Eliaria had returned to our rooms to fetch clothes and towels for our bath and I found myself walking down a lane behind the command tent. As I walked I saw soldiers carrying corpses and I recognized faces among the dead that I knew. Kha'Vex the healer with a gentle nature and a penchant for hitting people with sticks... Sar'thek the archer who always smiled... Hor'tha the camp blacksmith with a hearty laugh... All of them dead.

And I still don't know why. Why did the waves come? Are they after something, or is this some sort of sick game?

These questions filled my head, as I made my way back to our room, my mind racing. The battle had been easier than expected. We had lost many good soldiers, but our casualties were fewer than expected.

Something about the day felt off though. Patches and Malachi had made no appearance on the battleground, and the demons hadn't even laid a finger on the barrier. It was like they hadn't even tried.

As I approached the nest we were staying in, I noticed for the first time just how quiet everything was. There were no sounds of birds chirping or insects buzzing, no wind rustling the leaves, no sound of any kind. Just a blanket of silence. I felt uneasy, the hairs on the back of my neck prickling.

I picked up my pace, quickening my step. But as I walked, the sound of music on the air made me pause. It was a slow, sad song, played on an instrument I had never heard before.

"Who's there?" I called out, my voice echoing through the empty village.

The music picked up, growing louder, and as it did, my head swam, the world spinning around me. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

I moved faster, feeling a renewed urgency, I knew I needed to reach Flint and Eliaria, I had to warn them.

I reached the door to the nest and flung it open. It closed behind me as I stumbled inside. The room was spinning and warning bells rang through my head. Something was wrong, very wrong.

I drew my dagger and took a step forward, and suddenly the stone floor seemed to shift underneath me. I tried to steady myself on the wall, but my feet slipped, and I fell face first onto the hard floor.

My dagger slid across the room.

As I lay there I saw a figure move in the darkness, black and indistinct, but it was moving towards me...

I bit my lip, drawing blood, straining to stay awake, but some spell was fighting against me, dragging me down deeper into unconsciousness. My eyes closed, and I finally succumbed to my fate, falling into the darkness.

***

I sat up groggily, trying to remember where I was. I remembered the battle, the rift, the music and I remembered something moving towards—

A foot crashed into my side, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I reached out with my free hand, grabbing hold of whatever I could find. My hand found soft, warm flesh, and dug my nails into it and yanked.

There was a loud crack, and the thing that had attacked me let go. It tumbled backwards, landing with a painful thud.

I scrambled away from the creature, searching for my dagger. I heard a loud groan, followed by a whimper.

The creature was still close by, I could feel its eyes on me, watching me, waiting. I turned in circles, looking for something I might use as a weapon. I didn't want to use magic, the room was too dark, if I missed I could hit Eliaria or Flint.

My stomach lurched as something brushed against my leg.

And then I saw it, just barely visible in the darkness, the creature was a bit shorter than me with long, gangly arms like a spider. Its head was shaped more like a snake than anything else, with a mouth full of jagged teeth.

It was a creature made of everything terrifying that I'd ever seen.

It was staring at something on the floor. I followed its gaze, seeing my dagger lying a few feet away. It saw me looking at the weapon and opened its mouth to speak. The sound that came out was a screeching hiss.

Is it trying to tell me something?

I looked back at the creature, watching its movements. It moved slowly, carefully, almost like it was afraid of me.

What the hell is this thing? Kill it first and ask questions later.

I rushed towards my dagger and at the same moment it leapt for it. The creature landed next to me, its hand fumbling for the knife with its other arm.

I kicked it with one boot, and it reeled backward, stumbling again. But it had my dagger, and it swung it wildly at me.

I backed away, it seemed like I had no choice but to use magic.

Just as I was about to cast [Toxic Barrage] the creature did something that made my blood run cold. It pressed its hands together in a sign of prayer and whispered, three words. I couldn't understand the language, but the action I had seen many times before.

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"Maker protect us," I said, the words slipping from my lips.

The creature backed away, still holding the dagger. It seemed uncertain, almost scared.

I reached into my pocket, whilst still keeping an eye on it, and drew out my oracle glass, I held it to my eye and peered through the lens.

It was like looking through a kaleidoscope. Images shifted and twisted, forming patterns that seemed to make sense, only for them to disappear and reappear. I focused on the creature, and as I did, I saw Eliaria, her blonde hair mattered across her face, her eyes wide with terror.

I raised my hands in a sign of peace and stepped towards her, "Elia," I repeated. "It's me, Bastion."

She didn't move, but she didn't drop the dagger either, I moved slowly putting my right hand on her shoulder and spoke softly, "You're okay, it's alright..."

She flinched when I touched her, but didn't pull away. With my left hand, I held the oracle glass to her eye.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked through the glass. The dagger clattered to the ground, and she threw her arms around me.

We stayed like that for a while, hugging each other tightly, before Eliaria released her grip and stepped back. She still looked like a monster. She tried to speak, but her words were hisses and clicks that I couldn't understand.

A sinking feeling started in my stomach.

"What about the others?" I asked.

I ran to the door, Elia following behind me. We burst into the hallway, and I stared at the carnage. Monsters fought everywhere, all around us. There was screaming and yelling, the sounds of combat and steel cutting through bone. But as I held the oracle glass to my eye again, I saw that the monsters were just soldiers, transformed and killing each other.

Through the mass of bodies, I saw a towering creature, standing at least twice the size of a man, and covered in spikes and jagged protrusions. It was swinging a huge two-handed axe, hacking away at the great tree. The protective barrier around the tree was destroyed and with each swing of the axe chips of wood flew through the air.

Eliaria let out a small cry as she saw the creature.

I didn't have to use the oracle glass to know it was Zak'Sho, the giant monster had the same aura that the captain had.

What does he think he’s fighting?

I leapt over a railing, dropping onto the main level of the village. The fighting was much worse here. I ran towards the captain, fearing what would happen if he destroyed the tree.

I had to stop him.

Laughter echoed in my ears.

I skidded to a halt, spinning to face the noise. A small girl sat on a ledge, her legs dangling over the edge. She wore a pink dress, a red ribbon tied in her long dark hair. Her eyes glittered with malice and her smile seemed to be mocking me.

"Oh, hell no," I said.

The girl hopped down off the ledge, falling far enough to kill a regular human. She landed in front of me, moving with the grace and speed of a spider.

I heard a shout behind me and turned just in time to see the monster form of Eliaria hurling a golden javelin at the girl. It hit her square in the chest with enough force to tear a hole right through her. But instead of blood and gore, the body shattered into a shower of pink butterflies.

More laughter echoed in the hallways, "So scary," said the girl, its voice eerily childlike and innocent. "Now it's your turn to be afraid."

***

The demon girl’s spell washed over us like a wave, fear gripped my heart and mind, and I froze in place. I looked down at my hands, they were covered in blood, and the dagger that was clutched in them was dripping with it.

My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat, my whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

The visions came like a flood, and I was lost in the madness.

My mother sat at a chair, weaving a basket and humming a song. It was a happy tune, one I remembered singing with her every day. She looked up, and her face changed. A deep sadness crossed her features, and she slumped in her chair.

"Mother?" I asked.

She shook her head. "You did this," she said.

I screamed, and clutched my head, feeling the pain of the magic tearing apart my mind. "No! Stop!"

But it was too late.

The vision changed.

Eliaria fell back in the grass laughing as I collapsed beside her, she had flowers in her hair.

"Don't be afraid," she giggled, she leaned towards me and kissed me, her lips tasting sweet like honey.

My hands moved of their own accord, reaching for her throat. I watched helplessly as I choked the life from her.

"No!" I cried out, my voice hoarse and broken. "Stop!"

Tears ran down my face.

This isn't real.

The scene shifted again, and I stood on a rooftop, the wind whipping around my clothes. "When I grow up," Flint said. "I'm going to become the greatest card mage that ever lived."

He stepped onto the ledge, spinning around and pointing at me. "We can do it together! We'll reach the top and become the most powerful mages ever!"

His eyes were bright and full of hope, he had no fear.

This is just an illusion.

"Get away from the edge!" I shouted, reaching out towards him.

Flint turned and laughed, "Don't worry about me, nothing can touch me."

"Flint! Stop!" I yelled, trying to grab hold of him.

"Come on, we'll fly together!"

My heart thudded, "No!"

This time I knew what was coming, and I tried to fight it. I threw myself forward, screaming, trying to grab hold of Flint. But I couldn't, and he toppled over the edge.

The last thing I remember was the sound of his scream, fading into silence.

***

"This is just an illusion," I repeated the words like a mantra.

The girl walked close to me now, and I struggled to breathe. "This is just an illusion," I whispered over and over again, hoping to convince myself.

"My work here is done," the girl said, giggling.

She stepped past me, heading towards the sundered tree, her feet skipping and dancing along the ground. She reached inside the trunk and pulled out a box.

She turned and looked at me, her face serious and calm.

"Things are about to get a lot worse," she said, "You should leave."

A crow cawed as it flew overhead, heading towards the rift. The girl watched it fly away and nodded.

"Too late," she said, "Good luck."

She turned and vanished, and the scene around me shattered, falling away like shards of glass. Golden text floated before my eyes, the words sending a chill through my bones.

[Quest Failed: Defend Kel'Veth village]

I blinked away the message and looked around. The monsters were gone and all that remained were bloodied soldiers, lying lifeless on the ground.

The captain stood up, his axe lodged in the trunk of the tree, which was split in two.

He looked at the tree, and tears streamed down his face. "It's over," he said.

***