———Hail———

I want to tell him. I want to tell Red that Vermidia has Domnik. But how do I even begin to explain that? How do I admit that I killed him? That his death was my choice?

I grip the edge of the table, my knuckles white. No. This has to stay buried, at least until I figure out what the hell kind of game the Court is playing. The weight of it sits heavy in my chest, threatening to crush me with every passing second.

"Hail?" Claire's voice cuts through my thoughts, soft but sharp, like a blade slipping between armor. I glance back as she steps into the small, dimly lit side room where I've hidden myself away. Her gaze meets mine, bright with concern.

Her eyes sparkle in a way that unsettles me. She actually cares—cares why I walked off on my own.

"I'm fine," I mutter, trying to sound convincing. "Just a lot on my mind, that's all."

Claire tilts her head, unconvinced. "Is it about... being in another universe?"

I hesitate before answering. "Partially."

She moves closer, her steps deliberate. "You're not alone in this, you know. The others are overwhelmed too. Hell, Kylen and I didn't know what to think when we first got here. I promise—it'll make sense eventually."

I grunt in response, turning away to face the wall. The tension in my chest only tightens.

Claire hesitates behind me. "I'm sorry if I—"

I cut her off, unable to keep it in any longer. "We failed."

Her breath catches, and I feel her watching me closely as the words pour out.

"We failed Naurus and all of Amerei," I continue, my voice low and strained. "By leaving, we gave the Daem exactly what they wanted—a universe free of gods. Free for them to do whatever the hell they want. And now, we're stuck here. Powerless."

There's a long pause, but Claire doesn't flinch. She doesn't walk away. Instead, she steps closer, her voice steady. "We haven't failed yet, Hail. Not while we're still breathing. As long as we're alive, there's still a way to fix this."

Her conviction cuts through some of the fog in my mind, but it's not enough to dull the guilt. "And if we don't? If we're too late? If—"

She interrupts me this time, her tone firm. "We will find a way back. And when we do, we'll stop whatever chaos they've unleashed. All of us. Together."

Her words hang in the air, heavy with promise. I don't respond immediately. I can't. Instead, I let out a slow, shaky breath, staring at the wall as if it might offer answers.

"I hope you're right," I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Because I don't know if I can stand to fail again."

Claire doesn't respond right away. When she does, her voice is quieter, softer. "You won't. Not this time."

But even as she speaks, the weight in my chest doesn't lift. It won't. Not until I face what I've done—and what I've kept from them, about Domnik and about what I did to Zenot.

———Alyse———

Kylen pushes away from the wall, his expression sharp. "We're not screwed, but we are in the dark. That means our priority is gathering intel. We need to figure out who or what 'M.V.' is, how the Court operates, and why they care about us."

Dylan crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair. "So we're detectives now? Should we be expecting trench coats and magnifying glasses?"

"Not quite," Kylen replies, ignoring the sarcasm. "We'll start by analyzing the orb. Kat claimed to have information about it, so she'll be helping me. You all—" he gestures to the rest of us, "—need to focus on staying off the radar and preparing for another attack. The Wraith wasn't just a warning; it was a test. Hail says it's not dead, so we have to assume it'll come back and it will come back stronger."

"Lovely," Keegan says. "So while you're playing science, we're supposed to play bait?"

"You're supposed to be ready for anything," Kylen says, meeting his eyes. "This isn't just about us anymore. If Earth is becoming a battleground, we have to protect it. We can't let it meet the same fate as Amerei."

Keegan holds his gaze for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough."

Dylan raises his hand mockingly. "Question. What happens if the orb turns out to be a dead end?"

Kylen sighs. "Then we start looking elsewhere. But until we know more, the orb is our best lead."

"Not exactly comforting," Dylan mutters.

"It's the best we've got," I say, standing. "We've faced worse odds before."

Dylan shrugs. "I guess. Still, would it kill us to catch a break?"

As if on cue, Kat strides into the room, holding a tablet. "Hate to interrupt the pity party, but I've got something you're going to want to see."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Kylen moves to meet her, glancing over the tablet. "What is it?"

"Information on the orb," she says. "I cross-referenced the energy signature with some old files I... acquired. Turns out, it matches something called the Amerei Codex. Ever heard of it?"

Kylen's expression hardens. "The Codex is a legend. A supposed artifact created by the gods to stabilize rifts between dimensions."

"Legend or not, this thing matches its description perfectly," Kat says. "And if it really is the Codex, you've got bigger problems than just getting home."

"Why?" I ask, stepping closer.

"Because the Codex wasn't just made to stabilize portals," she says, her voice low. "It was made to open them—all of them, everywhere."

"Define everywhere?" Hail's voice cuts through the room as he and Claire step in, their presence commanding immediate attention.

Red glances at him, then back to Kat. "Yeah, what exactly do you mean by everywhere? That bridge was supposed to be the only one."

"Maybe on this side," Kat replies, her tone measured. "But I'd bet there are more on your home planet. And who's to say there aren't others scattered across different planets in this system—or beyond?"

Kylen furrows his brow, his mind already working through the implications. "So, whoever M.V. is, maybe they've found another bridge and want the orb to power it. Or..." He pauses, his gaze sharpening. "They're planning to hijack ours."

"Or," Keegan interjects, leaning casually against the doorway, "what if M.V. is from Naurus too? Maybe they're trying to get back home, just like you guys."

"Then why not work with us?" Red asks, frustration edging his voice.

"Because they're a Daem," Hail growls, his expression dark. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Then why isn't the Court sending Wraiths after them?" Red snaps. "Why is it just us?"

"Because the Court doesn't know they're here," Hail says confidently. "The only reason they know about us is because Vermidia tipped them off, and I bet you anything that's why the Court is leaving M.V alone too, they are working with the Daem now."

Kylen's eyes narrow. "And how the hell do you know that?"

Hail strides to the worn table at the center of the room, pulling a leather-bound book from his satchel. He tosses it onto the table with a thud and crosses his arms. "This," he says, "is Navigating the Nexus. It's how I found all of you in the first place. This book knows everything—well, everything worth knowing about the known universe."

"Like the Internet?" Dylan quips, breaking the tension with a smirk. "Man, that's actually meta as fuck!"

Everyone turns to stare at him, their expressions ranging from disbelief to exasperation.

Dylan's face flushes crimson. He raises his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, my bad. Carry on."

Hail doesn't even acknowledge Dylan's comment. Instead, he flips the book open, its pages glowing faintly, as if pulsing with life. "This book doesn't just contain knowledge—it tracks it. Think of it as... a guide to the Nexus. Locations, power sources, threats. It's all here, written in real-time. That's how I know Vermidia tipped off the Court about us."

"So, the book just... told you?" I fold my arms, sounds like bullshit. "Seems a little convenient, doesn't it?"

Hail gives her a pointed look. "It's not convenient—it's a tool. And one we'd be idiots not to use."

Kat steps closer to the table, studying the glowing pages. "Okay, but why would they care? The Court wouldn't listen to her unless she had a damn good reason."

"Or unless she lied," Kylen suggests, his voice low. "Maybe she told the Court we were a bigger threat than we actually are. Gave them just enough reason to send a Wraith after us."

"Well, if that's the case, why stop with one Wraith?" Claire interjects. "Why not send twelve rings' worth of hellfire to take us out completely?"

Keegan shrugs, leaning back against the wall. "Maybe they didn't want to waste the energy. Seems like they're testing the waters—figuring out how much of a threat we actually are."

Dylan snaps his fingers. "Like a beta test. You throw out the bare minimum and see what works before scaling up. Makes sense."

Kat smirks. "Beta test or not, the Wraith clearly didn't work. Which means we're not just a threat—they probably think we're a problem worth escalating."

"Great," Red mutters, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So now we're on the radar of some godlike space cops and whoever the hell M.V. is. Anyone else feel like we're getting way too popular for our own good?"

"I don't care about being on their radar," I say, my voice steely. "What I care about is how we're going to deal with them when they come back. Because let's be real—they will come back."

Hail nods. "They will. And next time, we'd better be ready. The book says Vermidia has a deeper connection to the Court than we realized. She's playing both sides—Daem and divine."

"That doesn't make sense." Claire leans forward, studying the book's faintly glowing pages. "Why would the Court work with a Daem at all? Wouldn't the Court be staying out of the war?"

"Not if their interests align," Kat says, her tone sharp. "The Court cares about maintaining order, right?Vermidia thrives on chaos. If her chaos threatens to unbalance the multiverse, they'd be willing to strike a deal to keep things in check."

"That's messed up," Dylan mutters, running a hand through his hair. "So basically, we've got inter-dimensional gods teaming up with Daem to make sure we don't mess up their perfect little system."

Kylen slams a hand on the table, his jaw tight. "Then we find a way to work outside their system. If they want order, we give them chaos. Enough to distract them while we figure out who M.V. is and what they're after."

"Risky move," Kat says with a sly grin. "I like it."

Keegan raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure, sounds great. But what happens when that chaos blows up in our faces? You know, because it's chaos?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Red says firmly, his eyes locking with Keegan's. "Right now, we focus on finding M.V. and staying ahead of the Court. Hail, what else does the book say?"

Hail flips another page, scanning quickly. "Not much. Whoever M.V. is, they're careful. They're not leaving a trail. But..." He pauses, his brow furrowing.

"But what?" I prompt.

"There's a mention of a convergence point," Hail says slowly. "A location where multiple bridges might intersect. If M.V. is building a network, that's where they'd go."

Kat straightens, her expression serious. "Then that's where we go too. If there's a chance to cut them off—or figure out what they're planning—we can't waste it."

Claire glances at the others, her voice soft but firm. "We need to be careful. If we push too hard, we risk drawing even more attention. From the Court—and from whoever else might be watching."

"Well, subtlety isn't exactly our strong suit," Dylan says with a chuckle. "But hey, maybe we'll surprise everyone."

Keegan snorts. "Yeah, surprise them by surviving."

Red looks around the room, his gaze lingering on each of them. "Surviving isn't enough anymore. We're past that. If the Court wants to come for us, let them. If M.V. wants a fight, we'll give it to them. But we're not running. Not anymore."

Silence falls over the room, broken only by the faint hum of the book and the rain against the roof. One by one, we all nod in agreement, resolve hardening in our eyes.

"Alright then," Kylen says, his voice steady. "Why don't we all load into the helicopter and head back to Smith Tower, I think we all need some rest. Then, in the morning we figure out where this convergence point is."

"Agreed, my head is still killing me." Dylan says as he rubs his temples.