-Have you seen something similar before? - I asked with my thoughts while we were climbing out of the cave in silence.

-What?

-His tools. Have you recognized any of them?

-It looks like just some regular items that were… modified? Besides the ball that is… - I heard from Kon.

-Yeah… No, I’ve never seen something like that before.

-You neither? Damn.

-Sadly, no. But I have a guess about the “hammer”.

-An anchor? Yeah, I figured that as well when it started shining after he closed the portal.

-Right. But I’ve never seen someone use a crystal as an anchor…

-Why not?

-I mean, it’s just a waste. Why not use some paper? Or wood? Or if you want to make it permanent just use some metal or something, I don’t know. Even a piece of jewelry would be probably cheaper than to use some kind of magic crystal.

-Speaking of anchors, what about ours? What happened to the… “emergency anchor”, so to speak?

-Emergency… the bone?

-Yea.

-I have it with me - replied Kon. - I took it with me, as you told me to.

-Yeah, I told him that when we were fighting them back, or rather when you were - confirmed For. - Why are you asking?

-Do you want to use it?

-What?! No! Let’s not be crazy. We still have enough anchors. I was just concerned… It might be that he is looking for it right now.

-Well, if we are correct, it is indeed connected to Axelrod, so no wonder he’d be interested if that is their true goal.

-It might be a good bargaining chip - I pointed out. - I don’t know what for exactly though… So far there’s been nothing that I would consider interesting.

-Yeah, that is strange - agreed For. - For that “mysterious” group of people they are really… how would I describe it…

-Bland?

-Well, that’s one way to describe them…

-I agree. Besides the way they dress and the strange tools he got, there’s nothing interesting about them…

-And even then, I bet we can figure out what those things are ourselves.

-What, you’re thinking he’ll use those while inspecting the slab?

-Probably. That is if it’s not just anchors that he has with him…

-You think so? I mean, one is an anchor, sure, but the rest…?

-Two - suddenly pointed out Kon. - I think the looking-glass thing is also an anchor. Or the wood rather.

-Wood…?

She squinted, trying to see it better. So did I, but I was unable to tell anything useful about it.

Sure, it had some magic in it, but it was just the same for any other item he had on him. Including the bags.

What was interesting though, the handle I said was the anchor earlier was now glowing even more, but only to my enhanced sight, as in it was getting more and more infused.

As if to confirm that one, I noticed that the overall mana residue that was constantly everywhere in the tunnel was a bit thinner near him.

It was sort of like when someone would be walking through the smoke: he was punching a hole through the thick layer of residue, just for it to disappear shortly after.

I took a few more glances at every single one of us, and it seemed like it was not just that he had this effect: all of us had a similar thing going on.

Wait, that couldn’t be right.

Sure, with us, it was clear that I would be the one absorbing the most of the mana from the environment, but it was actually the opposite. I was the one leaving the least of the traces, while Kon and For had a similar one behind them, just like the wrapped guy.

Again, my observations did not make any sense. Whatever.

Kon noticed my concern and started following my gaze, just to frown as well as start muttering something inside his head. I kind of wanted to hear what he was thinking about, but without me actually focusing on him and trying to read his mind, I only was able to hear some buzz, just like a TV static, so I decided to leave him alone.

If that was something interesting or important I bet he’d tell me anyway.

Meanwhile, we managed to reach the surface.

At first, the guy was genuinely surprised that we were not lying. He quickly tried to hide it and calm himself down, but I could tell anyway.

-So, you were telling the truth.

-I mean, why wouldn’t we? It’s not like we own the place or hid something here…

-Hmph. What about that tablet, though?

He pointed to the broken slab of rock that was hard to miss.

-Check for yourself.

-I intend to. I was asking if you were the ones who broke it.

-Nah. I assume it was Axelrod.

-So you don’t know?

-And why are you so interested? - I asked, trying to get something out of him, but I didn't learn much.

-You already know that we are following him. So why wouldn’t I be interested in something that he clearly was messing with?

-Well, more like something that he broke - pointed out For. - Maybe he’s just got angry. Or a stray spell hit it, breaking it.

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

-Yeah - I agreed. - If we were to repeat our encounter here, I am sure that something sticking out of the ground would be the first one to be used as cover and destroyed.

-Not my problem, and definitely not yours.

He turned his back on us and proceeded to inspect the rock.

-Damn.

-Yeah, I thought he might tell us at least something interesting.

-He’s annoying.

-He’s smart - I pointed out. - But I wonder what he’s going to say about this tablet.

-Can he read it even? - asked Kon. - It looks like he’s just staring into space.

-Well, it got broken pretty badly.

-Yeah, even I had problems reading it - agreed For. - Without Mor’s hint I doubt I would’ve figured out anything.

For a second it actually seemed like she was right.

The guy was carefully going through the whole ruined tablet and inspecting it one by one, just to start and attempt to put it back together, like some large puzzle.

It definitely looked like he was going to be at it for a while, so I just was staring at him with a blank expression.

-Well, when he’s busy with that, let’s discuss where we are going next - I thought to my companions.

-There’s nothing to talk about. It’s a simple decision. It’s either Kalkano or Arbo.

-Yeah, okay, but where exactly? I don’t really want to appear in the middle of the palace or something.

-Fair. But no, we didn’t have such deep access. I don’t know for sure where we’d appear, but it was Jacob’s, so it’s not that bad.

-Fuck, that’s not good.

-Why?!

-We have to assume the worst and that he leaked the information to Axelrod. And that would definitely include the location of the anchor.

-Okay, but…

-It doesn’t have to be that bad - chimed in Kon. - The anchor is not just some static place, so we shouldn’t be easy to track.

-Not a static place? You mean it’s bound to some book? How do you even know that? - I asked.

-The anchors are always pairs - he explained. - And I mean that literally. If the anchor that we have is the book, then on the other side it has to be written somewhere in a book as well. Or at least on something similar.

-What about our earlier portals? Didn’t we use a piece of jewelry and landed… in the middle of nowhere? You’re telling me that there was an identical piece somewhere and that’s why we landed where we did? Why didn’t we land next door when we used the ring to teleport? There was obviously a pair.

-That’s… I… Huh.

He was obviously dumbfounded. And rightfully so. Why in the hell was he saying that now if back then he was saying something completely different?

He clearly just realized that.

-Why did I… How did I know that it was going to get us somewhere else…? And how did I know about portals that much…?

-You’re not making sense - pointed out For.

-She’s right. Before you were so sure about it…? What changed your mind now?

He stared at me in silence for a while.

-I… I can’t understand. I mean… I do, I remember the explanation, I remember what I said. But I don’t know why.

-You’re not making it any easier on us…

-I know! But I have no idea! It’s like I forgot… I don’t…

-Forgot?

-Yes! Like, when I told you about portals back then it was… just like I always knew that information… But I don’t know where from! That’s the problem. As I remember now, all my information about portals and that magic came from… I don’t remember! What’s going on…?! It’s like part of me is missing…

That was not a good sign.

I honestly started thinking that it was somehow my fault, that I had to mess up during his awakening or something. That the Origin Crystal was messing with his head, but I was not sure.

Damn, if only Iloa was here to dispel my worries…

Wait. Il.

-Kon. Do you still feel ILMA with you?

-ILMA? Wasn’t she with Goldie? And he is gone.

-Yes, but just answer me.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

-No. I can’t feel anything.

-And Iloa? You said you felt her once before? How about that?

Again he focused, but shook his head.

-Also no.

I sat down on the rocky ground and scratched my chin.

-That is not a good sign.

The wrapped guy noticed my sudden shift and briefly looked in our direction, just to go back to his puzzle a moment later.

-Mor? What’s going on?

-I think… that when the brothers left, they took a bit more than what we thought.

-What, you think that Goldie was able to somehow steal his KNOWLEDGE? You kidding me?

Kon looked at me, wide-eyed, starting to understand.

-You think… that knowledge was from miss ILMA? Or… Iloa?

-Yeah. One of them - I nodded.

-But how did Goldie take it then!? Or Jacob? He can’t just pull something out of someone’s head, can he?!

-Nah, just like you said, he’s not that good at magic - I shook my head. - It’s just, he’s pretty good at running away. And apparently running away with ILMA was enough for the link that he had with her to be broken. The link that all of us had.

-That’s… actually, that's good news though!

-Good? How?

-That means that his head is clear! That his thoughts are his own again!

-Well…

-If I understand correctly, it means that since he approached her for the first time, she had to latch onto him and who knows what else.

-I told you, she can’t harm…

-Yes. Harm. And do you consider sprinkling a bit of herself into him as harm? I bet you don’t.

-That’s… fuck. But no, she’s…

-Harmless? Come on, stop living the illusion. I don’t know what she was for you before this whole thing, but it has been clear to me that it’s not the same. Can you stop lying to yourself?

-I…

As much as I didn’t want to, I had to agree with her.

She was absolutely right. So far, every time I had to deal with ILMA, she always surprised me with something. And every time I somehow was able to force an explanation to myself, however improbable it was.

-Eh… you’re right. That’s getting unhealthy.

-No shit. I swear, even if you say that she’s just some “technology” that I don’t really understand, it honestly just looks to me like you’re a very clingy ex.

-Oh fuck you.

But her explanation was not that far off from the mark…

-I am serious.

-Okay, okay I get it. You are right. But please, don’t assume things. Even hearing you tell me that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

-We are not speaking.

-You know what I mean.

-Wait, what does that mean? - asked Kon. - I mean… you did say that she was not really a person, so what is she…?

-I told you before, it’s hard to explain in terms you’d understand.

-Just try. I am interested too - For was not hiding her curiosity. - Your reaction… is not something I expected…

-And what did you expect?

-That you’re going to deny it and call me an idiot or something.

-You really think so badly about me…?

-...

-Okay. I get it.

I gazed towards the guy still playing with the tablet.

He was almost done with putting together the pieces of the slab, still ignoring us.

-I guess we have some time…