Something roused Kari from his sweet dreams. What was that? The thunder outside?

A cacophony of crashes, like a tower of glass collapsing, followed by dull thuds of heavy material hitting the shutters on Kari’s bedroom window.

Something was happening outside.

Through the waves of hissing rain, Kari thought he heard a faint yell unlike anything he had ever heard before, but it was a familiar voice.

Benson.

His cries were like that of a wounded animal, guttural and raw, setting the heat beating immediately.

Kari threw his covers off but hesitated to leave the safety of his bed. Just for a moment, he briefly paused. Perhaps he was imagining things? If he just went back to sleep, perhaps he would wake up to yet another usual morning.

Thusly he was tempted by the security offered by the covers he had just discarded.

But his whims would not change the course of fate.

Another yell. Kari’s heart leapt with fright.

His heart pounded in his ears, and Kari instinctually stepped out of bed. He crept over to the window, cracking it open just enough to see outside with one eye pressed against the gap. Cold, grainy wood pressed against his cheeks. Frigid wind and rain met the sliver of his face. The sound of torrential rain filled the room.

The scene outside was terribly dark. Flashes of distant lightning would light up the scene one disjointed instant at a time.

The landscape outside was unrecognisable. Gigantic chunks of destroyed ice littered the landscape, the paving stones had all but been ripped from their homes in the dirt. And though the young Kari lacked have the presence of mind to process it, several collapsed heaps of fabric - bodies of several professors and students – lay motionless amidst the scene.

Through his tiny crack in the shutters, Kari could make out two figures between flashes of lightning. One was bent over, leaning heavily to the side. Benson.

The other stood at a fair distance, a hooded figure.

“Return the book.” The hooded figure demanded.

But Benson gave no audible reply.

“So, you forfeit your life. So be it.” The voice proclaimed.

“NO!” Kari shouted, with such intensity that if emotions could change reality, his wishes would surely be realised before him... But his words were merely snatched away by the wind and thunder.

Reality was cruel.

Unbearable darkness shrouded the scene.

When the lightning flashed again, Benson lay motionless on the torn-up dirt.

Kari wanted to shout and scream and cry, but he daren’t even breathe.

The shrouded figure approached the fallen Benson. The air between the two combatants shimmered…

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And the world shattered as a massive explosion sent Kari hurtling back into the depths of his bedroom. The back of Kari’s head struck the wall and-

Kari awoke as he landed heavily on mossy cobblestone. There was a great slithering as P’tira’s vines trailed back into the heart of the swamp, having delivered the trio to the eastern edge of her territory.

Someone nudged at Kari’s shoulder with the toe of their foot. He finally opened his eyes.

It was early morning; the sun bore down gently through overcast skies.

“You have some explaining to do.” Said a familiar voice.

The events of the previous night all came flooding back and Kari’s drowsiness evaporated in an instant.

“Rhaspalaka!” he hissed, suddenly awake.

“He’s not here,” Elwin said from somewhere above him, in a flat tone Kari hadn’t heard before.

Kari took stock of the situation. The foot and voice that nudged him awake belonged to a winged, silver metal skeleton. Hollow in various places, but strong in stature. Blue’s orb peeked out from the eye-sockets of its face. Lights on the orb’s surface expressed her pupils, while the morphic metal replicated the texture of muscle, allowing the digitised elf to

Based on the voice…

“…Blue?” Kari began, quite at a loss for words.

Blue yanked Kari to his feet with a cold metal hand. The same rigid hand then poked Kari rudely in the chest.

“Do you realise you nearly got us killed back there?! We’re lucky that P’tira was in a good mood.” Began Blue with furious indignation. “What are you after? You clearly knew that man, why is he trying to kill you?” Blue asked.

Kari grimaced at being yelled at. “That man is a monster that kills innocent men, women and children. All I want is what any normal person would want. Justice.” he replied.

“You want justice for the innocent, by putting our innocent lives in danger by neglecting to warn us that you’re being hunted by a mysterious assassin? Hypocrite.” Blue retorted.

“I didn’t think that you needed to know,” said Kari, in an attempt to justify his actions. But in the back of his mind, discomfort formed. The truth of Blue’s words shook him.

“You lied to me after Rhaspalaka attacked us outside Ellenia. You said you didn’t know who he was or why he was attacking us,” said Elwin. “If I didn’t have the Pincushion- …what if I died? Would you even care?”

“I…” began Kari, but he gave up on arguing.

“Destroy the book, and perhaps he will leave us alone,” Blue demanded. “And forget about your quest for vengeance.” She said, throwing her hands up for emphasis. “Need I remind you that our world is currently being invaded? The world needs heroes right now. People are dying, cities are laid under siege, and yet here you are, selfishly pursuing some quest for vengeance.”

As she finished her tirade, Blue once again shoved Kari’s chest with a finger for emphasis.

Kari, for the first time in a long time, hesitated for the briefest moment.

Blue saw the look on his face and pressed on: “Heed my warning: If you value your life or the life of anyone close to you, you will discard of the book. Just stop to think for a second. We have been quested to awaken ADAM himself. Once we reach him, perhaps we can give your loved ones the justice they deserve.” She offered.

ADAM, the benevolent god worshipped in ancient times, had since locked himself away in a Labyrinth of his own creation, far from the transient world. In legends, he held the power to grant the wish of any who could prove themselves to him. Perhaps Blue was right… perhaps ADAM could grant the perfect Justice…

But then, that terrible scene flashed through Kari’s mind once again.

“…No.” the hydro-hand finally said.

He couldn’t give up now after he had sacrificed so much. It had taken three years before he had even found the book. If he gave up now, he never knew if he would have another chance, especially with the ongoing invasion. It was now or never.

Elwin sighed, clutching his forehead in frustration. Kari saw that his innocent eyes were red with emotion.

How little you understand. Thought Kari coldly from his place below on the cold, hard cobblestone.

“Why?” demanded the elf in despair. “After everything we’ve been through… I really thought you were better than this.” His voice was overly cold and emotionless, masking the broiling emotions beneath.

At this, a frown formed on Kari’s own lips. Despite everything, the human hated to see the good-natured elf’s elegant features so marred with such a mix of sadness and anger. But even Kari’s guilt at this could not stop him. His heart was made up and hardened to anything else.

“I’m sorry.” Said Kari uselessly.

Blue stared down at him with disgust, though internally, even she was surprised that someone so far gone was capable of remose.

Only the sound of gentle rain washing across grassy fields could be heard.

And with that, Blue and Elwin turned their backs on the forlorn traitor and were gone without another word.

Once again, Kari was all alone.