The simulation’s formerly peaceful blue sky writhed and twisted like a living thing in time with Thirty-Six’s screams. Looking up at it gave Kano a splitting headache. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, where the grass had become something between glue and water. It stuck to them on contact, yet it rose around them like water. Through it all, it retained the appearance of grass.

“What’s happening?” Kano shouted, struggling to free her legs, but the grass wouldn’t let her go.

Wide-eyed, Yon looked every bit as surprised as Kano. “I don’t know! But she must be doing it. See if you can wake her up!”

Even shouting, it was hard to hear Yon over Thirty-Six’s wailing. It continued on and on, like a siren. Kano stretched out toward where the grass had enveloped Thirty-Six and shook her. Other than making the sound issuing from her mouth waver, it had no effect.

“Thirty-Six! Can you hear me?” The little ghoul didn’t react. Kano turned back to Yon. “What are we supposed to do? You’re the one who turned on this stupid simulation—figure out how to get us out.”

“I’m trying! Just give me some time. I can barely think with all this noise!” Crouching down, Yon closed her eyes and covered her ears.

With no idea how to get out of this situation, Kano tried her force field. The blue light appeared around her but did nothing to the sticky grass creeping up her legs. She supposed it made some kind of sense; it was only a simulation.

If she couldn’t affect the world around her, what was she meant to do? What did Yon think she could do? It seemed like she’d been stuck in this world for a while. Had she been here doing nothing the whole time? No, that didn’t make sense; she’d been busy with something when Kano had arrived.

Kano narrowed her eyes, looking for any irregularity in the necromancer’s appearance. Other than Yon’s face, all Kano could see was the black cloth of her robe. Nothing about her suggested how she was interacting with the network. Nothing except… Kano realized in a flash of inspiration that her eyes were closed.

Following suit, Kano found she couldn’t see anything other than the usual darkness. Yon had to be connected to something else back in the real world. That, or it was because of her unique nature as a necromancer. Either way, there wasn’t much Kano could do about it. In this strange world, she was powerless, with no choice but to wait it out and see what happened.

With a burst of static right in her ear, the simulation ground to a halt, and Thirty-Six stopped screaming. The sky and grass froze in place. Though it was no longer trying to cover her, it still clung to Kano. Straining to get free, she heard Yon sigh and say, “Okay, I managed to suspend the simulation. But I still can’t figure out what was happening to Thirty-Six. What is she? I can’t believe she’s just a simple ghoul, not after what just happened.”

Kano told her what Gresitosis had been using the children for and what Virtur had discovered about them.

“What the hell was Gresitosis trying to create?” Yon asked, biting her lip. “Did he already know about this place and what they were trying to create?”

“I… don’t think so,” Kano said, shaking her head. “I think whatever he was working on was similar but with some important differences. He had this… thing. I don’t know how I know, but it came from a different research center than this one. One that was destroyed a long time ago.”

“I can’t believe humans have technology like this. Not just an isolated group, either, the one behind all these centers. It doesn’t make any sense. How did they die out like they did if they could make such incredible things?”

“I don’t know.” From what little Kano could remember of her dreams, none of them had shown her anything about humanity’s decline. They’d all been much more recent than that. “Shouldn’t you have some idea? I thought it was the necromancers who destroyed them.”

Yon shrugged. “That’s what I’ve been told, but I don’t know the details. I thought humans were extinct when I was training to become a necromancer. It was only when I met Bornon that I found out that wasn’t the case.”

“For someone who didn’t even know humans still existed,” Kano said, “you were awfully hostile toward them on your first meeting.”

“Just because I didn’t think they were still around, that doesn’t change their relationship with us. Even if we’re working with them for now, we’ll never really be on the same side.”

Something about what Yon said was off. “Wait, you’re still working with them? I thought you betrayed them and were trying to seize the facility for yourself.”

“What?” Yon blinked. “I was just trying to figure out what it was all for. I’m not so pathetic that I need to steal whatever resources the humans left behind. Once I figure out how to duplicate what they’ve built here, I’m leaving.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Oh,” Kano said, chuckling, “I guess Bornon got the wrong impression. Though I can’t say I blame him, given what you think of the humans.”

The color drained away from their surroundings, turning everything gray. “Okay,” Yon said, “I think the simulation is shutting down. You might want to close your eyes.”

Kano did as she said, but her vision still whited out from the explosion of color as the real world returned. Rubbing her eyes, it was a while before she could see clearly.

“Well,” Yon said, “if nothing else, at least that was interesting. Wouldn’t you say?”

Kano grunted. “I think I’ll pass next time.” She kneeled and nudged Thirty-Six, who was still lying on the ground beside her. The little ghoul stirred, and Kano smiled. “Are you okay?”

Thirty-Six’s eyelids fluttered, and she sat up. “I think so.” She shivered. “That was a bad place. I thought I wouldn’t ever be able to come back. I don’t want to talk to them again. They scare me.”

“What happened to you?” Kano asked.

“I got lost in this… sea of voices. I didn’t even know who I was anymore.” She rocked back and forth on the ground. “Please don’t send me back. Just kill me instead.”

Kano put her hands on Thirty-Six’s shoulders and held her still. “It’s okay. You don’t ever have to go back there. You’re fine now. Don’t think about what happened, just focus on the now.”

Yon, watching the spectacle unfold before her, clicked her tongue. “I would’ve liked to hear more, but I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to figure out how the network functions on my own.”

“Wait,” Kano said as Yon was turning away. “What about helping me? Isn’t that why we came here in the first place?”

“Honestly? No, not really. That was why you came here.” Kano glared at her. “Fine, I suppose my work can wait.”

“Did you find out what was wrong with me?”

“More or less,” Yon said. “There’s a large section of damaged tissue in your brain. From the looks of it, someone tore something out of your head. But it’s not just that. The cells in your brain are degrading, and your body seems to be losing the ability to replace them with new, healthy versions.”

“Degrading?” Kano asked, eyes widening. “Does that mean that I’m dying?”

“Pretty much,” Yon said, nonchalant. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t survive the next few weeks.”

A few weeks? Had things already gotten that bad? Kano didn’t doubt Yon’s word, but wouldn’t she feel much worse if that were the case? “A few weeks? How is that possible? I don’t feel that bad.”

“The effects appear to be getting worse at an expediential rate. Any symptoms you’re suffering from now will rapidly intensify.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do? Like new body parts or something?” Changing out damaged limbs and the like was common enough.

Yon shook her head. “Beyond transferring your soul to a new body, I don’t think so. It’s your brain that’s the problem; replacing parts of you wouldn’t serve much purpose.”

“A new body? Is that possible?”

“Technically. But now that your soul is bound to your current body, it’s almost impossible to get it to move to another.”

Kano scratched her head. “Impossible? I thought this was exactly the sort of thing necromancers did.”

“No. Putting a new soul into a body is relatively easy. What you’re asking is completely different. I know it’s been done before, but it’s way beyond what I’m familiar with. I don’t have much experience in manufacturing bodies or working with natural souls.”

Kano realized her hands were shaking. She was… afraid? The feeling was so unexpected it took her a little while to identify it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt fear. Given the current state of her memory, that came as no surprise. It felt strange to fear for her life. She hadn’t been worried about dying when she attacked the Red Company or Gresitosis.

So why now? Was it just because of Thirty-Six? She knew she cared for the little ghoul, but she hadn’t realized quite how much. The thought that it had changed how she felt about life and death was disquieting. Was it a result of her faulty brain, or something real? How was she supposed to tell the difference?

She clenched her teeth. It was all so damned complicated. Didn’t she already have enough to worry about? Screw it, she decided, she’d go with her gut. She wanted to go on living—that was all she needed to know. “If you don’t know how to make me a new body, then who would?”

“Are you sure about this?” Yon asked, raising an eyebrow. “Even if there’s a necromancer that’s willing to help you, it won’t be easy. They’re going to want something pretty substantial in exchange.”

“Like what?”

Yon sniffed, looking impatient. “For example, a multitude of high-quality synthetic souls. Something which I imagine is well beyond your means.”

“Yeah,” Kano said, “you’re right. I can’t afford that. But what about you? You’re a necromancer. You must have a fair few souls on hand.”

“What of it?” Yon asked, narrowing her eyes. “Are you planning on robbing me? Because I certainly won’t be giving them to you. I’ve already repaid you for taking care of Gresitosis.”

Kano shook her head. “You can’t be serious. All you did was take a look at me using a machine, and in exchange I got you into here. Access to that network has to be worth a lot more than that.”

“You have a point.” Yon crossed her arms. “But it’s not enough. Not for the amount of souls you’d need. I’ll concede that I owe you something, but you likely couldn’t have gotten us in here without my help. And it’s going to require a lot of work for this network to be of any value to me. At least beyond a mere curiosity piece. If you offered me something that would let me unlock its secrets, we might be able to make a deal…” She glanced Thirty-Six. “Such as your friend there, for example.”

Kano fixed her with a glare, and the necromancer shrunk back. “All right,” Yon said. “It was just a suggestion.”

“Then let me give you a ‘suggestion.’ If you try to take Thirty-Six, or force her to use that thing again… I’ll kill you.”

Yon paled, and Kano felt a sense of satisfaction. Good, she understood. Maybe she wouldn’t try anything stupid, at least in the short term. Kano had no doubt that Yon would betray her if there didn’t seem to be any other way to control the network. But this would do for now.

She still needed to get Bornon and Rovon to stop whatever nonsense they were up to.