“What have you done?!” I heard Pell’s voice. The others were shouting too, but I paid no attention.

I was in a daze, standing on the scorched ground, looking at the spot from where I had just jumped off. Perhaps … perhaps Simon didn’t actually die from that fall. For some reason, his Pyromancy got crazy strong at the end; perhaps he saved himself. Somehow. My mouth went dry and my world spun. I imagined what it would look like down below—and for a moment it wasn’t Simon but Roland I saw, his broken body lying so very still.

Somebody began clapping and the shouting stopped. I could hardly care.

“It’s always a pleasure to see humans murder each other.”

Murder. Yes, I had killed someone—again. This time it hadn’t even been an accident; I still remembered the way I felt when Simon threatened to burn my arms. I felt no trepidation, no fear. He was just yet another hurdle in my way, a problem easily solved. I had placed the Mark of Replacement on the back of his neck so that I could help him during the fight, but I hadn’t hesitated turning it into a weapon. Why? I didn’t understand. Why did I become so cold-hearted all of a sudden? Was it the stress? Was it Soul Eater? All of my decisions felt as my own, yet somehow they weren’t right. Why did everything turn so wrong so fast?

“Well, well. What do we have here? What is your name, beautiful?”

The last sentence was spoken on the Sylven tongue, which finally jarred me out of my nightmarish thoughts. I turned, realizing that it wasn’t the Inspector who visited us but four Sylven men, illuminated by a floating ball of light. They were coming down from one of the bridges, armed from head to toe. Two of them wore heavy armor – well-crafted plates of steel with glowing runes inscribed into them – while the third man was clad in leathers and carried something large on his back. The fourth Sylven, the one at the lead, wore a flowing robe of black and silver and seemed to be the only one who didn’t own a sword. He smirked behind his neatly-trimmed silvery beard, watching Devi expectantly. The two of them engaged in a brief conversation that I could not follow, after which a shadow passed over the robed man’s face.

“Oh, but where are my manners?” he said, regarding the rest of us with amber eyes. “Everyone, I am Lord Tengi’quinn, head of House Quinn. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Drop your weapons please, and stand aside. I want to inspect you lot.”

Tengi’quinn’s eyes were glowing with an almost hypnotic light, I noted belatedly. Soul Eater wasn’t in my hand to begin with, but I heard the clatter of steel as the others disarmed themselves. Something in me balked at this, and I felt a pressure building in my head. Fire filled my veins once again, making me waver. Fighting so much had put a tremendous strain on my body. I wanted to walk to the others, to stand aside just as Tengi’quinn requested, but I stumbled and fell. I didn’t have the strength to get up. It would be alright—I just needed to take a nap first. I sighed. I was so very tired. My vision faded, and I welcomed the darkness.

I felt hurt, but well-cared for. Funny. Like when Sarah gave me a piggyback ride because I injured my ankle. Thomas ridiculed me for being a crybaby, but Roland just smiled knowingly. He was the oldest of us, barely nine years old, but I had always thought that he was very mature for his age. Sarah adjusted her grip on my leg, jostling me higher. I hugged her closer so that I wouldn’t fall.

“I love you,” I mumbled.

“Thank you,” Teva’ryn said. I opened my eyes slowly, realizing that the Sylven man was carrying me on his back.

“You don’t even know what I said,” I told him. “I don’t remember teaching Devi that word.”

“I listen, I learn,” Teva’ryn said. “I learn from Imaya too.”

“Huh. Well, I’m impressed. And here I thought you weren’t interested in our language! You’ve never said anything.”

Teva’ryn didn’t say anything this time either, so I took the time to look around us. We were walking on a wide road full of glowing plants and mushrooms. Green and blue mostly, almost blindingly bright. They grew over every surface, plants big and small covering the otherwise dull and uniform buildings. Houses with seamless, rounded walls about one or two stories high, sprouting everywhere just like the mushrooms on them. I didn’t know how they could have been built, but I had an inkling that magic was involved. This place felt as surreal as a radioactive wonderland.

I was also keenly aware of the dark shape of the fighting pit up above, hanging from the ceiling, defying gravity. Memories about what had transpired were coming back, as much as I didn’t them want to. They made me feel numb and hollow. I could have asked Teva’ryn whether they had seen Simon’s body, whether they had confirmed his death, but I didn’t dare—I didn’t want to know. His death was more abstract this way. I wouldn’t see him ever again, and that was it. I didn’t want to think about him.

I glanced behind me as overtly as I could. Tamara, Pell, and Imaya were following us, their expressions troubled. Further behind them walked the four Sylven men, with Devi in their midst. I couldn’t see them well enough, but I could hear them talking—though they were speaking too fast for me to understand anything. I turned back ahead, resting my head next to Teva’ryn’s ears.

“You still haven’t put me down,” I said quietly. “So, what’s bothering you?”

“We’re in trouble,” Teva’ryn whispered, switching back to his tongue. “We need to escape.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

“They forced us to go with them. They are using us to uncover traps,” was what Teva’ryn said, probably. I wasn’t sure about each and every word, but I could decipher their meaning. We were down here after all, instead of getting the hell out of this Dungeon already. I paused at that thought—I was forgetting something, wasn’t I? You must claim the Dungeon’s Core, or slay the one with the control. The way out was blocked for the time being.

“So they brought us along to serve as bait,” I murmured. “Even you, Teva’ryn?”

“This is my punishment,” he replied. “I failed my duty as a man. I did not protect Devi.”

I snuck another glance at the five Sylven behind us. Tengi’quinn had an arm around Devi’s shoulders, gesturing with his other hand as he talked to her. From the disgusted look on Devi’s face, it was clear that she didn’t enjoy the conversation quite as much as the men around her.

“How ironic,” I said. “Seems to me that it’s only those men you didn’t protect her from.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Teva’ryn admitted. “I’m not strong enough. I ask you to save her, if you can.”

I huffed, falling silent as I let my eyes wander over the homes at the side of the road. The city seemed to be desolated and eerily quiet, save for the Sylven men’s voices echoing off the walls. I wished I knew more about them. Devi and I had barely discussed the topic of culture because the subject proved to be too difficult for our vocabulary. I couldn’t be sure where Sylven morals lay, or what beliefs they had. These Sylven men certainly did not hold our lives in high regard, however.

“You place too much trust in me,” I told Teva’ryn, resting my elbows on his shoulders. “You saw what I did to him. What I did to the entire group. How can you place anyone’s safety in my hand?”

Teva’ryn didn’t speak, though he rolled his shoulders to dislodge my elbows.

“Sure, you can shrug it off,” I said. “You could reason that it was self-defense. But you know what? I didn’t even hesitate to kill him. I regret it now, but didn’t regret doing it back then. It didn’t even occur to me to find another solution to stop him. I’ve never—well, I’ve never thought I had it in me to act like that. Perhaps … when it comes to my safety, Soul Eater is turning me more selfish.”

Teva’ryn grunted at that.

“Yeah, right,” I said, slumping down a bit. “Instead of blaming that stupid spoon for everything, I should take responsibility for my actions. I suppose the best I can do is to vow to do better next time. I can’t avoid any and all confrontations just because I’m afraid of myself. Like, there really is no reason to give up on saving Devi, right? Even if I believe her perfectly capable of saving herself.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Teva’ryn continued to walk in silent agreement.

“Alright, you can put me down now,” I said, patting his shoulder. “My body is sore all over, but I’m able to walk.”

“Good,” Teva’ryn said, letting me go. “Did you figure out a plan?”

“Not really,” I said. “But why would I need a plan, when I could just unmake theirs?”

I waved at the baffled Teva’ryn to go on, then stood aside to let Imaya, Tamara, and Pell pass by. They gave me wary glances, as if I was a completely different person now—and perhaps I was. It didn’t make their reaction any less heart-wrenching. Talking with Teva’ryn had helped a lot, but … I wished I could cry. I felt too empty for tears. My body felt cold and disjointed, almost as if I was watching my shell act on its own. Objectively, I saw that I brought this upon myself. Objectively? I hated myself. It wasn’t anything new, really. I had always been a disappointment wherever I went. Why would it be different now?

I needed something to distract myself with, something to keep me busy. In a way, I was almost glad for the sudden appearance of the Sylven men.

Although their collars were hidden from sight, I was pretty sure they were high-leveled Players who had come here to challenge the Dungeon. A party of adventurers, perhaps. The longer I looked, the more they ruined my mental image about the Sylven being a race of blue-skinned elves; much like humans, they apparently came in all shapes and sizes. One of the armored Sylven had taken off his helmet, so I could see that his chubby face was completely bald and his horns had been sawed off at their base. The man beside him — this one wearing dark leathers — was sporting a well-groomed silvery mustache. He was also very short, barely taller than Imaya.

“What are you looking at, worm?” the man asked when our eyes met.

“Nice mustache,” I answered honestly. I wondered if it curled naturally or he had given it some assistance. I must have blinked too slowly however, because in the next moment I found the guy standing right in front of to me, pointing a handgun at my head. A handgun! It even had some glowing parts alongside the barrel, so it was either a futuristic high-tech weapon or a magical one. He held the gun so stupidly close to our head that we could have easily grabbed it before he had a chance to fire. Uh-oh. Probably a bad idea. I tilted my head slightly aside.

“You try to be clever, you get blasted to pieces,” mustache-man threatened me.

“Stand down, Damoro’quinn,” Tengi’quinn spoke on a mild tone. “Our human fellow has hit his head quite badly, can’t you see? The poor thing must have no notion of what’s happening.”

Damoro’quinn stepped back without a word, and in that moment I realized that the large item he carried on his back was some kind of sniper rifle. I furrowed my brow at that. If this world had guns, why were some people wearing heavy plates and swinging swords?

“So what is it, human?” Tengi’quinn decided to indulge me. “Do you need something?”

I turned to him slowly, consciously not looking at Devi in his arms. I did see however that Devi had rebound the bandage on her left hand, moving it higher up on her arm to cover her wrist. In the back of my mind I could feel a small dot of awareness – my Mark of Replacement – located beneath the bandage.

“I, uh—” I scratched my head. “Have you seen my dagger?”

“Indeed, we found a dagger after you fainted,” Tengi’quinn said, then gestured with his free hand at the bald Sylven. “Rimuto’quinn will carry it until we figure out what it is. Is it an item bound to you, perchance?”

“Bound?” I asked, surprised that they had guessed it so easily.

“Items from the Seed Shop are bound to the Player who bought them,” Tengi’quinn said, huffing at my ignorance. “They are useless in any other person’s hand, even if the owner dies.”

“Ah, I see,” I said, glancing at Rimuto’quinn. I didn’t know how he was able to stuff Soul Eater away while wearing those heavy plates, but I was inclined to believe Tengi’quinn. Perhaps bag of holdings were a thing in this world?

“So?” Tengi’quinn asked, getting impatient. “Is it bound to you or not?”

“Ah, right,” I said, blinking. “I didn’t buy it from any shop. The Inspector gave it to me.”

Damoro’quinn quietly gasped, but Tengi’quinn watched me with a carefully blank expression.

“Which Inspector?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, glad for the confirmation that there were more than one of them. “I think it was a woman. Jovial, with a smooth voice.”

Tengi’quinn nodded. “Did she say what the weapon does?”

“No … she didn’t even tell me what it was for,” I admitted. I scratched my head again, then added, “but it’s a pretty dagger.”

Damoro’quinn snorted at that, while Tengi’quinn ran a hand over his bearded chin—probably to cover his smirk. The other two men didn’t react at all; I was increasingly sure that they didn’t speak the language.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to hold onto your pretty dagger for the time being,” Tengi’quinn said. “We might be able to find out its purpose sooner than you.”

“Sure, I don’t mind lending it to you guys,” I said. “Just be careful, it’s sharper than it looks.”

This time Tengi’quinn didn’t even bother to hide his amusement, chuckling alongside Damoro’quinn.

“Right,” he said. “Well, we will make sure to—”

He stopped abruptly as Devi burst into motion, twisting herself out of Tengi’quinn’s arms and creating a clone of herself before the Sylven lord could catch her. Devi and the clone jumped to the side of the road, both of them creating an additional clone as they ran in different directions. It would have been a good move, if the clones hadn’t been so dumb. One of them ran straight back into the Sylven men, the second ran into a wall, the third stumbled in its own leg and fell—and that left only one of them, running down the street from where we had come.

Tengi’quinn sighed, more disappointed than worried about Devi’s escape attempt.

“Stop being so childish, Devi’quinn,” he said, reaching out toward her with curling fingers. The shadows around Devi came to life suddenly, tendrils of darkness lashing out at her arms and legs, restraining her movements, stopping her with ease. Tengi’quinn said something that I didn’t get, walking to the captured Devi with his men in tow.

I tapped my feet to the ground as I waited, watching the presumed clone who had run into the wall slink away, silently disappearing between the buildings. It didn’t take long for the Sylven party to realize that they had been tricked.

“After her!” Tengi’quinn yelled, this time with considerably more alarm. Damoro’quinn took off toward the buildings — moving so fast that he looked barely more than a blur — and I even got to see Tengi’quinn run in his fancy robes. The two Sylven in heavy armor were the slowest, but even they gave chase. Catching Devi was apparently more important than keeping an eye on the rest of us.

“So,” I said, turning back to the others. “Don’t you want to make a run for it too?”

They all looked miserable, but to be fair, probably so did I. Imaya shook her head at my question, her lips trembling.

“The robed m-man,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “H-He put us under some kind of … compulsion. We cannot run.”

So that was what Teva’ryn had meant by being forced! I frowned. Yeah, that hypno-gaze was going to be problematic.

“All of you?” I asked.

“All except you and Devi,” Tamara said bitterly, as if she was too tired to be angry. “Go on, just leave us. Enjoy your luck.”

“It’s better if we part ways, anyway,” Pell added with a grim look on his face.

“You might be right,” I said, averting my eyes. “You might be right, but you know, I’m a terribly selfish person. Leaving would involve a lot of running, and my legs are still sore, so I’d rather stay for now.”

Hopefully Tengi’quinn would forgo putting me under any compulsion. I didn’t think he’d find it necessary if he saw that I behaved, but I’d try to avoid looking into his eyes from now on, just in case.

“W-We are screwed either way,” Imaya said, sniffing. “We’ll all die. E-Even if we ran away, the portals are closed. There is no way out.”

Not yet, I silently corrected her while Tamara stepped closer to hug Imaya. Pell turned away and sat down by the roadside, and Teva’ryn kept scanning our surroundings for threats.

I should have asked the group about the Sylven Players, about any information that could be used against them. I let the silence settle on us instead, listening to Imaya’s sobs. That was the least that I deserved.

I tilted my head up to the large platform above, imagining the Inspectors watching us with keen interest. I didn’t really know how they were tracking our actions, of course. If invisible undead Players were possible, invisible cameras could easily be recording us from every angle. Even so, picturing the Inspectors as they looked down from above felt more fitting to me. Like amused gods lounging on their clouds, watching the rats below stumble around in their maze.

“I hope you’re entertained,” I whispered.

My Inspector, entertained. It was a ridiculous thought, yet the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Imaya had told me recently that this all looked like a great story to her, and maybe she was right. There was this journey—it had begun when we woke up on that hill, and it would end when we reached the perceived safety of the nearest human city. Perhaps this journey was only the first chapter of my book, or perhaps the story would end all too soon in tragedy. Whatever was the case, my Inspector had to be at least a little invested in my journey. I had nothing to lose by believing that to be true.

“I promise to make the finish even more exciting for you,” I said. “I just need an opportunity.”

I took a deep breath, then tore my eyes off the ceiling to find Tamara staring at me as if I had gone mad. I smiled to let her know that I was alright, which of course didn’t work, maybe because I wasn’t really alright. At least Teva’ryn seemed to take my madness in stride. He probably thought I had been praying, which wasn’t actually too far from the truth.

Voices from behind made us tense up in anticipation. We didn’t have to wait for too long before the Sylven men returned—dragging Devi with them. Tengi’quinn sounded as if he was chiding her, and she listened glumly, pouting.

“Good, you’re still here,” Tengi’quinn said when he saw me. “Let us move on then.”

Rimuto’quinn shoved me by my shoulder to get their point across, and I was only glad to comply. Like Imaya had pointed out, running now was futile. Devi had known this too of course, and so when I felt around with my mind for Mark or Replacements, I wasn’t surprised to find quite a few behind us. Devi had been caught, but her decoys were scattered across the streets still, alone and forgotten.

I found it amusing how much the Sylven men were underestimating her. Even Teva’ryn was guilty of this, asking whether I had a plan while it didn’t even occur to him that perhaps she would have one. With all the pieces in place, we just had to wait now; the Dungeon had already given us a hint about our alternative option for leaving. You must claim the Dungeon’s Core, or slay the one with the control. Although I didn’t know who or what possessed that so-called control, I was fairly sure that we would find it out soon enough.

I had asked for an opportunity, after all.