I skipped the rest of my classes, thanks to the nurse's medical leave note. My van became my sanctuary of frustration, the bean bag chair swallowing me whole as I stared at the ceiling, replaying my disastrous conversation with Katherine over and over.

"Yulia," I called out, "play Omnithornication by Cinder."

Cinder's voice filled the van, raw and passionate.

The emotion in her performance of Omnithornication made me feel marginally better, like silver iridescent rain shower pouring over me. It made the hole in my chest hurt marginally less.

How had everything gone so sideways so quickly? How had Katherine wurmed herself into my heart? Why did losing her friendship, accidentally making her feel bad feel worse than drowning?

"It's the edge of the world, the heart of Omnid civilization

The sun may rise in the East, at least it settled in a final location

It's understood that Cradlefall sells Omnithornication," I sang along with Cinder.

"Yulia, analyze Katherine's words about her story," I ordered in Kaska when the song finished. "Look for any mentions of Martin Kilborne or Alexa in her social media history."

"No results found," Yulia replied.

I sighed. "Yulia, what do you think is happening? What did I screw up?"

"Insufficient data for meaningful answer," she responded. "Anomalous variables detected disconnected from overall pattern. Recommendation: gather more information before drawing conclusions."

"Helpful," I muttered sarcastically. "Pretty up Christi's pics in Lazarus cavern and post the best ones on my Omnigram tagging her in them. Let's see if my social score increases."

"Can do."

I closed my eyes, listening to Cinder's other songs for the rest of my free time.

My phone buzzed, interrupting my musical reverie. A message from an unknown number on Omnigram.

[Unknown]: Don't come to the show. Stay away.

The number wasn't saved in my contacts. I stared at it. Pfff, yeah okay. I typed in a response and clicked send.

[Alex G:] Who be?

[Unknown]: A friend.

[Alex G:] I'm not hearing a name, frien. Why shouldn't I attend Oodwarts, Dobby?"

[Unknown]: ☠️ It's going to be a catastrophe.

[Alex G:] Is that you, Iogann? Way to out yourself. How'd you get my contact?

No response came. My message hung there, unanswered. Maybe Em told him to stop texting and focus on show prep.

Another text popped up immediately after.

[Vesp🌩:] Hey mixie! Come to our show. Auditorium in 30. Front row. VIP pass. 😘

[Alex G:] Why the sudden invite?

[Vesp🌩:] Saw yo Omnigram pics of Christi in Lazarus cavern. Bring yo cam! I want my best angles captured.

[Alex G:] I heard from Io that Em is pissed. Don't want to get chopped up 'accidentally' by a flame sword.

[Vesp🌩:] Pff. She's never not pissed. Don't be a wuss. If you get chopped in half, I'll incarnate ya.

[Alex G:] Free incarnation, huh? Sounds like a deal. But what's the catch?

[Vesp🌩:] No catch! Just want some killer shots slayin' shit for my socials. U tots the best photographer in the school right no

[Alex G:] Been here two days. Not sure that's a high bar.

[Vesp🌩:] 🤣 U funny. comin or not?

[Alex G:] Only if u protec me and my equipment from possibl dragon-ree. can't bless u with quality shots if I'm dead.

[Vesp🌩:] Deal. I'll keep u safe w m ⚡️. Front row VIP pass incoming.

A ping. An electronic ticket materialized in my Omnigram inbox.

[VIP PASS: FRONT ROW - THE DREADFUL DELVERS SLAYER PERFORMANCE, SEAT 17A]

Free front row seats? With Vespera's protection? Seemed like things were looking up! Guess that Kat pulled me into the deep before Vespera spotted us. Or this was a ruse and maybe I was going to get murdered. Either way, the show would hopefully distract me from the Katherine-induced sulk.

I pulled on all of my stolen hexamesh suits and grabbed my camera bag, checked my equipment, and headed towards the auditorium. The VIP pass glowed softly in my Omnigram app as I scanned it at the entrance door, the digital golden ticket promising front-row access to what was apparently going to be a disastrous show. The ward let me into the mostly empty auditorium. A large table at the front featured plentiful snacks from the cafe.

Don't mind if I do.

Lance and Christi were there already.

Cinder's brother stood near the side entrance, a gray bulky figure. His orange eyes were narrowed with obvious tension, scanning the auditorium repeatedly as if expecting something to go wrong.

The Cherufe girl paced closer to the stage, in another pink-purple suit-dress. Her flames flickered erratically. She too seemed stressed.

"Sup L-man?" I asked.

Lance spun to me as if spooked, then relaxed.

"Helping Cassi... err, Cinder," he exhaled. "Just went through final ward checks."

"Good stuff. I'd help but I don't know enough about wards," I said. "Also, you don't have to twist yourself into a pretzel in front of me."

"What do you mean?" Lance blinked.

"You can say 'Cassie' around me, if you feel like it. I'm not the Kaleid-name enforcement agency," I said.

"It's just... it's been hard, you know? One day Cassie was my little sister, and then suddenly… I have to say Cinder all the time and pretend like we aren't related or whatever,” His fists opened and closed.

"Don't worry. I'll sort it out." I said.

"Sort it out?" He blinked at me. "What? ...How?"

"Give me forty two hours," I added.

"What? You've known her for, what, two days?" Lance pointed out. "I've been trying to help Cass with... her issues for so many years. And you think you can just..."

"I don't operate by the rules you've all built around yourselves,” I said. “There are no boxes. Come back with your complaint in forty two hours if it's still unresolved."

He crossed his arms.

“I already made her smile. I can make you smile too. She’s totally warming up to me." I said.

"Hrm. She doesn't usually... warm up to people this quickly. Or at all, really."

"Really?" I feigned surprise. "She seemed perrrrfectly friendly after chasing me down kicking my van a few dozen times."

His eyes widened. "She… did what?"

"Cassie is very angry," I told him. "She's hurting and I'm not going to stop until I figure out why. Maybe it’s because of the troupe and Em, maybe it’s something else. Regardless of what the issue is, I’m going to untangle it.”

I put my hand on his tense-looking shoulder.

"Promise," I looked into his orange eyes.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Cassie- I mean, Cinder doesn't like it when other Omnids try to 'figure her out'," he warned.

"Good thing I'm mostly human then," I grinned.

Lance stared at me, clearly having little faith in my capabilities.

"Oh! Alex!" Christi flared slightly, approaching us. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to the show! Totally spaced out with all the... stuff going on. Sorry."

"S'fine," I shrugged. "Vespera sent me a ticket."

"Vespera invited you?" Lance blinked. "Really? How'd you pull that off?"

"I'm good with people," I shrugged. "Vee's nice."

Lance and Christi exchanged a look that suggested they doubted my statement.

The auditorium was filling rapidly. Students crowded into seats, arms full of catering food, their excited chatter creating a dull roar. Magical wards shimmered subtly around the stage - intricate geometric patterns that pulsed with soft blues and greens.

"So, where you guys sitting at?" I asked.

"We were asked not be here," Lance sighed.

"Aw. You ain't watching the show then?"

"Cass and Em don't want us here," Christi sighed.

"Student council is permitted to assist with general prep, but banned from attending," Lance nodded. "Em thinks we'll interfere with the show by being annoying. Or worse, try to stop her."

"Stop her from doing what?" I asked.

Christi's flames flickered nervously. "Summoning something... really dangerous."

"Isn't summoning a giant demon the point of this whole shebang?" I asked.

The couple exchanged a look. Christi whispered something into her boyfriend's ear. He nodded and glanced around and then slipped a runestone into my fingers, his gray claws trembling ever so slightly.

Then both of them rapidly retreated as if they didn't even know me. I put the runestone into my pocket and went to my assigned seat, setting up my equipment. I set up a Rricoh 360 degree camera on a tripod in front of me to capture the audience reactions as well as the performers.

My phone buzzed almost immediately after with a text from Christi:

[C-iris🪷:] Hi. I convinced Lance to give you the ward control runestone. I trust you. Use it... if... when things go bad.

[Alex G:] Use it how? Can it stop the summoning?

[C-iris🪷:] No, since the summoning is performed by Io, it can't be stopped.

[C-iris🪷:]diagram.pdf

These are emergency ward-focus runes. If pressed in the correct sequence as listed in this manual, they can create a temporary full-dome barrier around the bearer. The second sequence listed will produce a much stronger shield facing away from the central hexagram. The performers will have similar stones. Don't show it off unless you're targeted. Em has the master one, she could disable yours if she suspects anything.

[Alex G:] So basically a get-out-of-death-free card? Thanks!

[C-iris🪷:] More like a precaution. Whatever Cass summons might be able to punch right through the shield. Create a dome as soon as something comes through. It'll help keep any mental effects out.

[Alex G:] Mental effects? What kind?

[C-iris🪷:] I don't know. Bad, intrusive thoughts. There's no consistency with Io's gates!

[Alex G:] Thanks, Pink Chancellor. Really appreciate the aid.

[C-iris🪷:] Protect Cass... if you can. Lance might not show it, but he's super worried that she'll get hurt. She will have her own shield-stone, but if you get close to her, the effect will stack.

[Alex G:] Understood. Over n out.

The auditorium lights began to dim. The crowd stirred. I heard snickers behind me.

"Dreadful Delvers? More like... dreadful losers," A Sasquatch behind me commented.

"Bet you ten bucks something goes wrong," a Thunderbird whispered loudly to her friend.

"Make that fifty," her Lamia friend replied with a laugh, waving her phone. "I'ma record how badly they fuck up this time. Gonna get all the clicks on Omnigram. Surprised Graves let 'em perform in school."

"Ye. Did you see what happened last time?" the Thunderbird continued. "Those idiots nearly opened a gate to some flesh-hellscape during the Spring's End Festival!"

"Surprised you came at all," the Laima commented.

"Pff I ain't a pansy," the Thunderbird rolled her eyes, tapping on her massive jewel-hexagram on a necklace. "Got a personal ward barrier. Best shit mom's company could get. Pro delver stuff. Would take a LV125 monster to punch thru one of these babies."

More snickers and whispers.

"Heard Em's gotten even more unhinged since the Festival..." someone laughed. "Like, full-on psycho beerch mode."

"Her Moth griftwit can't even open a gate to a normal dungeon. It's always random shite."

"And that Quetzi Bard Altnil?" Another voice chimed in. "Total fake. Pretending to be all dark and edgy with that Kaleid name bullshit..."

My hands tightened on my camera.

"Yeah, what kind of twitbrain name is 'Cinder' anyway?" A Kelpie sneered. "She ain't no fire elemental."

"Big-tiem daddy issues, obvs."

I hadn't expected this much escalation - this gleeful anticipation of failure, this barely concealed hostility. The audience wasn't here to support D&D. They were here for the spectacle, waiting for a catastrophe.

Ten minutes. Enough time.

I got out of my spot and walked across the rows, discretely pointing Yulia-connected hidden wrist cam at every single face, using the AI to find their Omnibook profiles and names.

The AI rapidly identified and tagged each sneering face. Most of them were from wealthy families. Trust fund kids and their sixies looking for entertainment at others' expense.

I returned to my seat just as the house lights dimmed completely and the red curtain dramatically slid apart.

Fog rolled across the stage, and a single spotlight illuminated Emerald as she strode out.

Her ruby mane caught the spotlight, sending crimson reflections flickering across the walls. She wore what appeared to be magisteel, gold-plated armor, stylized with dragon motifs and studded with an ungodly amount of gaudy, oversized rubies etched with defense hexagrams. A massive magisteel sword hung from her side. Her whole getup could probably buy an entire town in North Acadia.

"Welcome, prey," she announced via a magitek microphone, her voice carrying easily across the auditorium. "Tonight, you'll witness true power. True hunting. True predation! The Dreadful Delvers will show you what REAL dungeoneering looks like!"

More snickers from the audience. Emerald scoffed at the people in attendance with gold-orange eyes. She dropped the microphone and stepped on it, crushing it underfoot with a deafening feedback noise. I knew that she could project her voice without it, she meant to do it as part of her act.

The audience fell silent, wincing.

Iogann emerged from the fog in his oversized hat and hippie shawl, skull-capped wings trailing behind him. Vespera and Solace joined Emerald's side, wrapped in lavish medieval armor. The Thunderbird had the mace she had nearly used against me and the Olgoi-Khorkhoi carried an enormous executioner's axe.

And then Cinder walked out. Unlike the Slayer and Knights trio she wasn't wearing armor. A dark headband, almost like the one from my drawing, pulled her feathery mane back. Her entire figure and wings were dark gray, her face twisted into a scowl.

Vespera spotted me and sent me an exaggerated wink. I lifted my DSLR, taking photos of everyone on stage. The camera clicked rapidly, capturing each member of the Dreadful Delvers in sharp detail.

Cinder spotted me and her face went slack.

'What the fuck are you doing here? Who invited you?!' her expression stated.

I grinned and waved, making sure to catch her momentary look of shock on camera. She quickly recovered, her wings flashing with red which immediately faded back to dark gray and black.

"Gate!" Emerald barked, swinging her oversized sword in the air.

Iogann stepped forward, pulling out his old harmonica. He slowly raised it to his face.

Then he hesitated, his harmonica trembling slightly at his lips. Something flickered in his gray eyes - doubt, fear, resistance.

"GATE!" Emerald barked again, her voice carrying an unnatural resonance that made my skull vibrate. "Find a true disaster for me! Something truly high level!"

My hands suddenly twitched, trying to reach for... something. A gateway-opening artifact which I didn't even have? I wasn't even a gater. The compulsion faded as quickly as it came, leaving me disturbed. Emerald commands clearly contained some kind of powerful mind control magic.

Iogann's body went rigid, his resistance crumbling as if overridden by something stronger than his will. The harmonica touched his lips and haunting, alien music began. It danced across the stage, carrying with it deep, gut-wrenching, awfully somber tones.

The haunting notes from Iogann's harmonica twisted through the air like living things, layered atop each other, each tone carrying almost a physical manifestation of utter doom. The melody wasn't just music - it was a dirge, a funeral march for reality itself.

Dark lines began to dance across the stage floor, at first thin as pencil marks, then widening like cracks in the foundation of the world. They moved with horrible purpose, spiraling outward from where Iogann stood, leaving trails of wispy darkness in their wake.

The lines converged and began to fold upward, defying gravity as they wove themselves into a perfect circle hanging in the air. The edge of the gateway rippled like the surface of an oil slick, colors that shouldn't exist bleeding through from whatever lay beyond.

"Bard!" Emerald commanded Cinder. "Draw our prey through!"

Again, I almost started to sing right then and there, Emerald’s orders affecting me on a fundamental level. I bit my tongue to silence myself.

Cinder stepped forward, her wings suddenly unfurling in a burst of iridescent color that made my brain short-circuit. The dark grays and blacks exploded into a living rainbow that danced across all of her feathers like aurora borealis.

Then she began to sing.

If her performance in music class had been impressive, this was transcendent, divine. Her voice carried otherworldly harmonics that seemed to resonate with something buried in the depths of my soul. She called out to me like a siren, like a Charisma goddess, like the most beautiful, most precious thing in the universe.

I suddenly bumped into the stage wall, my feet carrying me forward without my conscious control. In another minute I was somehow at the side stairwell. The audience behind me erupted in laughter as I rushed up the stairwell and stumbled against the magical barrier separating the crowd from the performers.

"Look at the dum' nullie!" Someone called out. "He's totally enthralled!"

"Pathetic!" Another voice jeered. "Can't even resist basic bardic magic!"

My hands pressed against the shimmering barrier as Cinder's voice wrapped around my mind like silk threads, pulling me towards her. Her wings were a kaleidoscope of colors that made my eyes water, her voice irresistibly alluring.

The world beyond her ceased to exist - there was only her voice, her wings, her presence drawing me in like a powerful electromagnetic pull would pick up a metal flake.

Through my Cinder-induced haze, I dimly registered movement from the gateway. Something tall and lanky began to push through, distorting the circular opening in reality like a membrane being stretched to its limits.

Cinder's song cut off abruptly as she retreated behind the armed slayers.

Emerald's sword ignited with blinding flames.

"That's it, beerch," She growled. "Commere. Time to die."