Roan was the first one to move. He sprinted directly toward the creature. It stumbled backwards. The skin on its face slowly regrowing. Flesh sprouted from the stump of its severed arm. The creature was healing.

Roan observed it carefully as he approached. He fell to his knees next to Vicke, studying him. He was still conscious.

Vicke coughed. Roan’s face tightened as blood splattered on it. He held Vicke’s head up and surveyed the open wound at his waist. Blood was everywhere. “Tell my sister I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have left her,” Vicke said.

Roan shook his head. “No man should apologize for dying a good death.”

Vicke looked surprised at that. “Was it…a good death?”

Roan nodded. Vicke smiled. His eyes closed, he coughed again and then went still.

Tirille shook her head. She started to run towards Vicke as well, but Geron grabbed her hand. She turned back toward him. He shook his head.

Roan laid the body back down and set one of his daggers on Vicke’s chest. Wrapping the boy’s hand around it. He stood and cracked his neck. “Alright, I’m down three knives. And you have two of them. But I tell you what, I’ll trade you for this one.” He pulled a fourth knife out, a much smaller knife designed specifically for throwing.

Charlie tilted his head. He knew one knife was on the creature’s shoulder where Roan had left it, but the other was still impaled in the roof of the monster’s mouth. How would he get that back?

“Roan, calm down,” Axel called out. “We need to think this through!”

“Not my style,” Roan said, taking a step forward. “Blue Hex Blade!” The dagger in his hand turned a bright shade of blue. A blue glow emanated from the creature’s shoulder and mouth as well. It growled.

Charlie tilted his head. Even the daggers Roan wasn’t touching were glowing. Were the daggers embedded in the creature’s skin hurting more now that they were glowing? Charlie wondered what exactly a blue hex did.

The creature was almost fully healed now, except for the still recovering arm. It focused on Roan and bellowed. Roan threw the dagger at it. It sank deep into the right side of the creature’s jaw. Roan ran forward. The creature balled up its good hand and swung at him. Roan rolled under the swinging fist and past the creature.

He turned and scrambled up the creature’s back to grab the dagger still embedded in its shoulder. He then rolled over the shoulder and stabbed the blade into the other side of the creature’s mouth as he fell forward. In one fluid motion, he cut the creature from the hinge of its jaw all the way down to its chest.

A trail of black liquid oozed from the wound.

The creature’s jaw fell open as he severed it, revealing multiple rows of sharply edged teeth. The creature looked down in confusion, trying to close its mouth with its good hand. Roan stood directly in front of the creature. It screamed. He abused the distraction to lean forward, reach into the creature’s mouth and yank his other dagger free. He fell to the ground, rolled backward, and jumped away to get clear of the creature. Two knives in his hand now.

The creature looked furious.

“Don’t worry. I know you enjoyed having these for yourself.” Roan flipped one in the air and caught it. “I’m not taking them back forever. In fact, I’m going to return them to you. Over and over. Until you die for real.”

“Samantha! Now!” Axel called out, hurrying forward. “Blue Hex Blade!” A flashing katana cut far more quickly than Charlie could see. Lightning hexes formed all around the creature and probed it. Punishing its newly grown skin.

Tirille started to rush and join them, but Geron stopped her again.

“Geron? We have to help them. We have to get revenge.”

“No. Wait. Something’s wrong. That creature was dead. So how…” Geron looked around the room. Charlie looked up at him, trying to figure out what was going on. He did his best not to think about Vicke. It wasn’t working. But he did his best to push it from his mind for now.

The creature feigned an attack on Axel but turned at the last second and leapt toward Samantha. Moving even faster than it had before.

Much faster.

She scrambled to produce a hex between herself and the monster, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Its fist collided with her slender frame, and she shot back, skidding over the ground. She didn’t get back up.

“Geron!” Tirille cried.

He grimaced. He nodded, granting her permission to join the fight. But neither moved. They froze and turned to look at a new noise. The harsh, grating sound of the dungeon slowly sealing off the only exit. Geron cursed. “Tirille, follow me, now.” He broke into a run toward the door.

“What about the others?”

“If that wall closes, we’re all dead. Hurry!”

Charlie focused his energy. He could help.

Dunge—

“Charlie, wait!” Orb cried.

“But—” Charlie hadn’t realized Orb could tell when he was about to use magic.

“It’s too dangerous. They’re experienced adventurers. If you get involved now, you’ll only make them question you. They need to focus on the threat at hand. Stay out of it,” Orb said.

Charlie covered his face with his hands. He hoped Orb was right about this.

Geron made it to the door and met it with both of his powerful hands. He pressed it back with all of his might. The wall's descent slowed but didn’t stop. Before Tirille could catch up, he had to resort to holding it back with his shoulder, instead of just his arms.

And it was still slowly forcing him down.

“Tirille, help!” he cried out.

She reached him and fell into place, helping him try to hold back the walls.

Geron looked at the fight still going on. Samantha still hadn’t moved. Axel and Roan moved quickly, circling and coordinating attacks on the creature. Their blades were augmented by blue hexes. But it was obvious they were outmatched.

They would lose.

“No. Not with the wall. Take Matthew…” He shook his head. “I mean Charlie,” he said, his voice straining.

“What?” Tirille shook her head, still putting all of her strength into aiding him with the wall.

Charlie tilted his head. Matthew? Who was that? And why was Geron giving him to Tirille now?

“I have to help them. But I won’t be able to fight without holding back unless I know you two are safe. Take him and go!”

“I’m not leaving!” Tirille protested. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears.

There was a loud crack that reverberated across the dungeon, and Roan’s cry filled the room. Charlie looked over to see him jump backwards, away from the creature. His left arm hung limply at his side.

“You agreed to follow my instructions. People are going to die because of your stubbornness. My friends are going to die. Take Charlie and go. Now!”

“Geron!” Axel called out.

Tirille hesitated for a moment before giving in. She hurried forward and pulled Charlie from the baby carrier and into her arms. She held him in the angle of one arm, with her other holding his back. Tirille looked at Geron one last time, before ducking under the wall leading out to safety.

“I won’t fail again.” Geron didn’t wait. The door slammed behind them.

A moment later, the sounds of fighting renewed.

The muffled pulse of hexes and the clanging of metal.

The creature unleashed a guttural scream.

Tirille let out a breath, pressing a hand to the wall separating them from the others. It was dark. It was dark and Charlie regretted allowing Geron to send him away with Tirille. Tirille seemed to regret it, too.

There was a loud crash, and Tirille fell back as an enormous impact crater formed on the wall she’d been holding her hand on. She cradled Charlie tightly as she crashed hard on the ground.

She held Charlie a few inches away from herself to inspect him. He smiled at her to show he was alright. He wished he could ask if she was, too.

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“Charlie, do you feel that?” Orb asked from his new hiding place in Charlie’s pocket.

Charlie looked around. He couldn’t explain it. It felt like the air around him was vibrating.

The sensation tickled his senses. Like someone running their fingertips along his soul.

Tirille shifted Charlie’s weight to one arm, and the other reached for her face. A pained noise escaped her.

“Orb, something’s wrong with her! She might still be hurting from earlier.”

Orb peeked out from Charlie’s pocket. “That’s not good. We need to get out of here. If she passes out, that’s going to be difficult.”

The hand on her face shot forward. Open palm facing the damaged door-wall. Her eyes shot open. She looked surprised at her own action. As if she hadn’t instructed her hand to do that. She looked just as surprised when she said the words that followed.

“Magnetic Hex Memory.”

The hex was metallic, and Charlie felt as if it was pulling a part of him in. But just as soon as the sensation started, it ceased. The pull was still there, but he wasn’t its target.

And then, in a moment, he wasn’t in the dungeon at all.

At least, not in the same dungeon he had been in.

***

Charlie couldn’t figure out who was holding him.

No one, it turned out. He floated there, like a ghost. He heard voices approaching and turned to look.

The group walked quickly, following their leader down the dungeon’s hallway. This dungeon was different, but Charlie couldn’t quite explain how. It was like it was clear, and also blurry at the same time. Like it didn’t matter. Like that wasn’t the point.

The first one he recognized was Axel. His hair was shorter, still in dreads, but not nearly as long, ending at his shoulder blades instead of his waist. Geron was there, beside him. He was just as tall, but slightly less muscular. Slightly. Charlie probably wouldn’t have even noticed a difference if he hadn’t spent the last few hours strapped to the man’s chest. There were others, five others, who he couldn’t quite make out. He assumed, like the dungeon itself, they just weren’t the focus.

Axel was the one that spoke. “We shouldn’t split up. We know which path the core guardian is waiting down already. They didn’t hire us to explore every nook and cranny. Let’s just see this through, as a team.”

The man in front turned toward him. He shook his head. “My little brother thinks he knows better already. Maybe I should just let you take charge for the rest of the mission?”

Axel rolled his eyes.

His older brother smiled. “Listen, I know that’s not the job. But adventurers have gone missing here, some may still be alive. We owe it to their families to at least look.” He pointed out three of the others and beckoned them down a splitting path. “Double back and hit the third path once you clear that route. We’ll handle the guardian.”

They nodded and hurried off. Now, only Axel, his brother, Geron, and another remained. The fourth boy became clear. His skin matched Geron’s. They looked similar, except for the younger man having short black hair, whereas Geron was still bald.

Geron ruffled the teenage boy’s hair and smiled at him. They continued deeper into the dungeon.

Charlie’s vision distorted, and he wiped his eyes at the sudden change of scenery.

“Axel! Geron! Go back the way we came. Some will follow. We can’t win if they stay grouped up like this!”

Lizard like creatures with scorpion tails surrounded Axel’s brother, and the young boy. It was all they could do to fend off teeth, claws, and the sharp stingers that attacked them.

Geron and Axel fought through the mob of creatures, trying to get closer to their allies. Axel’s katana flashed. Geron punched his way through.

“We’re not leaving!” Geron said through gritted teeth. A prominent vein pulsed alongside his forehead. Axel dodged a tail, slicing it off. The creature hissed. The other lizards turned on it at the scent of blood and started to consume it. Geron ripped another creature off the ground and threw it into the mass of opponents. The lizards shrank back from him. Many turned away. It was like they were fleeing. They wanted nothing to do with them, they were focused on the other two.

Axel’s brother was the only one fighting there. Doing his best to keep them away from the boy. He’d backed into a small alcove, just big enough to keep the boy covered, while he waved a short sword around in one hand and shot fire from a hex in the other.

Geron fell to his knees. Axel turned sharply toward him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think… my hex is awakening,” he said through gritted teeth.

“An outburst? Now?” Axel shook his head.

Geron nodded. “I’ve felt my magic potential growing since we got here. The magic in the air is dense.”

“Use it,” Axel said without hesitation.

Geron shook his head. “Axel…your brother said that wouldn’t be wise.”

“Well, if you don’t, my brother and your son—”

Geron held a hand up. “I know!” His head fell. “You’re right. We have to try, but outburst are unpredictable. It may not go as planned.”

“We’ll deal with the consequences together.” Axel placed a hand on his friend’s back.

Geron nodded. He stood, and Charlie felt that same tickling sensation on his soul.

“Broken Hex Bane,” Geron said. It sounded as if he’d learned the chant as he said it. Was this the first time Geron had used his hex? The hex that Roan had called a guild secret.

The hex worked the same way it had before, when Geron used it against the six-crows. The translucent outline of a hex shattered, and from the pieces, other, smaller replicas of the original hex formed. A moment later, the hexes shattered, and the creatures swarming the cave dissolved into dust, instead of simply dying.

Charlie wondered why that part was different. Was it intentional? Or had it been caused by the ‘outburst’ Axel was talking about? He’d need to ask someone what that meant later.

Axel let out a sigh of relief. Geron’s son ran up to him. Wrapping his arms around his father. “How’d you do that? That was awesome!”

Geron hugged the boy tightly. His face hardened when he looked up and saw the look on their leader’s face.

He looked less amused. “That wasn’t your call to make. Outburst are dangerous enough as is, but with a unique hex? What you did was careless. You knew you shouldn’t have used your power, Geron. And Axel, you encouraged him to anyway.”

“Tsk.” Axel turned away. “He saved you.”

“He doomed me.”

Axel looked up. “What?” he asked, shaking his head.

Axel’s brother held up his hand. The tips of his fingers were dissolving, just like the monsters had in their entirety.

“No…” Geron’s voice faltered. He held his hand out, and then turned it toward himself, studying it.

“Geron, you have to stop it! Quick,” Axel said, turning to him.

Geron shook his head. “My power… it’s all gone. I don’t understand.”

Axel’s brother sighed. “An outburst is just that. A burst of all the energy in your body at once. It’s typical in people with hexes who haven’t discovered how to use their powers yet. It’s also dangerous to use it in combat. You didn’t have control, Geron. In the future, you’ll need to be more careful.”

“There has to be a way to stop it. Even without magic. What if we… can we… stop the spread by amputating it?” Geron asked.

“If I thought that was possible, I’d agree in a heartbeat. But this power doesn’t seem to work like that. There were creatures with severed limbs, and yet, no trace of them remains. It affects the being, not just the body.” He faced Axel. “From now on, you’re in charge. You disobeyed me, but I’m the one who got us in this situation in the first place. The failure is my own. Do not carry this, little brother. And Geron, you’ve studied under me for long enough. After this, I’m confident you’ll be especially motivated to control your power. As of today, you no longer need to work under the supervision of another unique hex caster.”

“You’re fading away, and the only thing you have to say is that I’m in charge, and Geron doesn’t need supervision anymore? Are you serious?” Axel demanded.

His brother’s eyes fell.

“You claim to understand my powers more than anyone. Surely there’s a way to stop this,” Geron said, taking a step toward him.

He looked up and met Geron’s gaze. “You should focus on enjoying what time you have remaining with your son.”

Geron froze. He turned back to look at his son. “Matthew?” he said.

Matthew held one of his hands out. He stared at it, wide-eyed as piece by piece, it crumbled into ash. Fading away as if it never existed. “No…” Geron whispered. He stooped down. He tried to take Matthew’s crumbling hand in his but couldn’t.

“Dad…” Matthews’s gaze met his fathers.

“Axel, you need to go help the others. Make sure they escape safely,” his brother said.

Axel couldn’t rip his gaze away from the father and son. At least, not until he realized what his brother was saying. “You want me to leave you?”

“I came to terms with the fact I would die in a dungeon a long time ago. But I will not let my last mission be a failure.” The dust had reached up to his elbow now. He looked at its progress. “I still have enough magic potential to see it through.”

“Then I’ll go with you. I’ll help you,” Axel said.

“No. I need to make sure. And that means using my technique without holding back. That would kill you. I need you to survive.”

Matthew hugged his father, wrapping what remained of his arms around him. “I’m going too, dad.”

Geron shook his head. He tried to stand but stumbled and fell back to his knees.

“You’re not going to be awake much longer. It’s nearly impossible to stay awake after exerting that much magic energy,” Axel’s brother commented.

Geron turned back to his son. “You can’t. Stay with me. We’ll go into town. We’ll find a healer. Someone can help. I’m sure.”

Matthew shook his head. “I want my life to mean something, too. I’m going to help him clear the dungeon. I don’t want what happened to mom to happen to anyone else. I want to see it through.”

Geron closed his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault, dad. It was too late anyway.”

“What?” Geron shook his head.

Matthew turned, revealing a small wound on the back of his waist. “One of them got me. I wasn’t ever going to make it out of here,” he whispered.

Tears filled Geron’s eyes.

“I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, son.” A single tear rolled down Geron’s face, and onto his son’s shirt. Geron’s eyes went wide, and then he collapsed. His body passed out from exhaustion. His son did his best to prop Geron’s body up to keep him from falling. Axel hurried over to help and laid him down.

Axel studied the wound and realized Matthew’s shirt was pulled up. Charlie frowned. That didn’t make sense.

Axel called it out as well. “You did that yourself? The wound. There should be a hole in your shirt if a beast stung you.”

Matthew looked up in surprise. “How did... Yeah. I didn’t want him to have to live with this. As soon as I saw my hand and heard what your brother said, I cut myself. Promise you won’t tell him?” he asked.

Axel nodded.

His brother turned to Matthew. “Let’s go. I need to reach the guardian before the magic reaches my heart.” Matthew hurried after him, and the two headed deeper into the dungeon.

***

Distortion.

Charlie’s perspective shifted again. He was back in the dungeon, but this time, he was in the room where Geron and the others had faced the core guardian today. Before… whatever was going on now.

The silhouette of a man stood over a mound in the earth of the deep cavern. He chanted for a moment before turning to stand and hurrying out of the room. A moment later, the dungeon formed. The rear wall turned into the glass like material. Behind it was the small, but ever-growing outline of the creature that killed Vicke.

Charlie blinked, and the memory ended.

It was a man’s scream that broke him free from Tirille’s memory hex.