Steve approached Völundr, seeking answers. "Where's Zak?" he asked, frowning.

"He has departed to the Unseen City of Paasilinna," Völundr said, petting Dante, Alice's ferret.

"Paasilinna? But just three hours ago, he was here in the meeting."

Völundr shrugged. "He was never here," he revealed.

"Never? Then who was here?" Steve asked; his bewilderment evident.

"It was a Projection of his soul," Völundr coughed.

"A Projection?" Steve repeated, gawking.

"Yes, it's one of the many abilities you can unlock with the rings I crafted for each of you," Völundr said, patting Dante. "It allows you to transport a part of your Aether into an object. This object then takes on your shape for a limited time. The duration depends on the amount of Aether provided by the caster. However, only Zak and I can do such a thing. You haven’t learned to do it yet."

"But... how do you explain the argument between Alice and Zak?" Steve scratched his head.

"It was just his projection."

"What do you mean?"

"As I said, by using your ring you’re able to attach a part of your Aether to an object. By entering into a trance, the object shall take your desired shape and let you see and interact as if you were there. Zak left a couple of days ago, but through this method, he’s been able to attend our meeting," Völundr elucidated.

"Oh, come on!" He sighed, shrugging.

"This castle is like a network of nerves connected to my mind. If Zak were truly here, I know it. I can perceive everything that occurs within Walhalla," Völundr assured him.

"But... but... " Steve persisted, seeking clarity.

“There’s something more important than Zak. You must go to Paasilinna as well, Alice has gone there already.”

“What? Alice?”

“Unfortunately, she disobeyed and went ahead. You must go there immediately.”

“I will go right away.”

“Hold on a moment,” Völundr stopped him. “There’s something I must give you, but well… I’m also a Projection.”

“Like Zak?”

“Yes, you must go to the top of the castle and meet with the other members right away. They’re waiting for you!”

Völundr then disappeared. Now alone in the castle's main hall, Steve took in his surroundings. "A deep red carpet, weathered war banners, and peculiar marketing billboards suspended from the ceiling. Dozens of delicate glass lamps," he mused, pointing at each object he noticed. "It's all nonsensical, damn it! Völundr why didn’t you wait for me instead of disappearing, I don’t know to how get to the fucking rooftop!" He yelled, hoping Völundr could hear.

Determined to find Alice and seek explanations, Steve headed toward the massive gate at the end of the hall. The gate stood at an imposing thirteen feet in height, crafted from intricately carved wood with rune-like reliefs. Its polished metal frame gleamed under the morning light, adorned with two-foot-long copper handles.

Struggling to open the heavy door, Steve pushed with all his might, finally gaining entry.

"Where the hell is everybody?" he bellowed, scratching his head in frustration. "Völundr... where are you?"

Walking through a long hallway, Steve suddenly caught sight of a black cat. The feline moved its right foreleg in a motion reminiscent of the Japanese lucky cat, seemingly beckoning him forward.

Following the black cat, Steve found himself in two polished gray stone halls. The first hall resembled a museum, showcasing trophies and antique weapons from blowpipes to swords, to guns. The second hall featured paintings of numerous Nordic women. Each painting had a gilded metal frame and a small metallic tab displaying their names.

One painting, in particular, caught Steve's attention. "She's beautiful!" he exclaimed, captivated by the portrait of Svava, a green-eyed blonde woman. The largest painting belonged to Alvitr Hervör, surpassing even the size of The Commander of the Valkyries, Brynhildr. It intrigued Steve because, in his opinion, it depicted a young blonde girl, resembling Alice in age.

Continuing his exploration, Steve entered a third hall that split into two gates at the end. A sign labeled the left gate as the Chess Hall, while the right gate led to another corridor. Steve followed the black cat and ascended a staircase, eventually reaching a landing where he found the cat waiting.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Such a confusing maze," Steve muttered, struggling to catch his breath.

The landing connected to a grand lobby adorned with an extensive collection of rings crafted by Völundr. The rings sparkled in the ephemeral sunlight, casting a mesmerizing rainbow of light refractions. "Wonderful!" Steve whistled.

Opening the entrance that led to another corridor, Steve climbed a spiral staircase crafted from white stone, his exhaustion weighing on him. “Please, no more stairs,” he panted. Then reaching the top, he and the black cat entered a room with brownstone walls, surrounded by windows. Another staircase awaited them at the far end, beckoning them to ascend once again.

"Finally," Steve groaned, stepping onto the castle rooftop.

Observing the darkening morning sky, Steve furrowed. "Why is the sky so dark? It's still morning," then he stared at the cat.

"Take care of her, I'll take care of you!" the cat suddenly spoke before transforming into ashes, carried away by the breeze.

"What?"

As he stood at the center of the rooftop, Steve relished in the cool breeze, closing his eyes to savor the refreshing air. However, his tranquility was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a woman. She possessed loose waist-length blonde hair, captivating blue eyes, and an alluring appearance. Clad in a navy-blue low-cut dress with an asymmetrical skirt. Her porcelain-like skin resembled snow, and her lips were painted in a dark shade, mirroring the color of her high-heeled pumps.

"Hello, dear," she greeted him with a melodic voice. Steve, overwhelmed and shocked by her beauty, found himself at a loss for words.

The woman moved behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders, and whispered near his left ear. "How are you?" Her words sent a chill down Steve's spine, leaving him speechless.

"I see... you're rendered speechless by my captivating presence," she remarked, smirking. "Don't worry, I'm accustomed to men being awestruck by me," she added, releasing a charming yet devilish chuckle.

Before Steve could respond, a voice rang out, breaking the moment. "Hey Steve!" somebody called, and Leo reached the rooftop through the same entrance Steve had used.

"Leo, good to see you too," the woman responded, brushing hair away from her face with her right hand

"Shouldn’t you be with Völundr?" Leo asked.

"You’re certainly right, my lovely boy!" she replied, placing two fingers on her lips, blowing a kiss at him while winking mischievously. In an instant, she vanished into thin air.

"Who is she?" Steve asked, still bewildered by the encounter.

"She's one of the absent members Völundr mentioned in the meeting. I’ve seen her a couple of times, but don’t know her very well. Völundr was looking for her just now," Leo chuckled. “He was complaining he felt she arrived but hasn’t come to see him.”

“Is he coming?”

“Yes, he said we must wait here.”

Steve nodded and then started surveying the afternoon sky, Steve realized that there were no mountains, trees, or any recognizable topography. Only padded gray clouds stretched out as far as the eye could see.

"Where in the world are we?" Steve questioned, turning to Leo for answers.

"I don't know the exact location, but Völundr told me we're floating among the Nordic clouds. It's hard to believe, but take a look for yourself," Leo replied.

Curious, Steve peered over the gray stone wall that encircled the rooftop. Indeed, the castle appeared to be suspended in the air, surrounded by an endless expanse of clouds. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt the cold wind pierce his skin.

Examining the surroundings further, Steve noticed that the bedrock and building foundation had been ripped away. Instead, there were countless interlocking trees on the verge of free-falling, and a small, dilapidated cabin teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Steve noticed a woman sitting on the rooftop of a tower on the lower levels of the castle. He couldn't contain his curiosity and called out to Leonardo, eager to share his discovery.

"You have to see this! She's nuts!" He called Leo. "Who is she?"

"She introduced herself as Anna during the meeting," Leo explained. "She's a stoic girl who prefers to keep to herself. She even warned me to stay away from her."

"Oh, I remember her now. But why is she up there?"

“Who knows.” Leo shrugged.

"She is quite young and pretty," Steve commented, his voice trailing off as Leo blushed.

Kyrie arrived at the rooftop and interrupted their conversation. “What’s going on?” Steve questioned.

"I'm here to report Zak may have betrayed us," Kyrie revealed. "Despite our promise not to harm others in our pursuit, he has taken someone's life."

"First, the incident about Africa, then the D'Arc Order reappearing, and now Zak?" Leo sighed.

"Where is Zak now?" Steve asked.

"He's in the city of Paasilinna," Kyrie answered. "According to Völundr, it's known as The Unseen City of Paasilinna. It's a snowy city where Arlos and Janas reside."

"Arlos and Janas? What are those?" Leo inquired.

"They are male and female Thaumaturgy casters, respectively, like Völundr," Steve clarified.

“Oh yeah, Völundr told me about that,” Leo chuckled. “To be frank, just a couple of months ago I thought it was all fairy tales.”

Kyrie proceeded to outline their plans. He revealed that he would be heading to Paris, while the others were assigned to various locations where Zak had issued his threats. “According to Völundr, Arashi is already in Tokyo, Aran in Jerusalem, Damon has gone to New York, and Lowe is in London, he and Aran will meet in Rio de Janeiro. There are other people I don’t know that will meet in Rome.”

“What about Anna?” Leo interrupted.

"Anna has gone to New York, and Völundr has warned Alice as well," Kyrie cleared his throat. "Steve, your daughter is already in Paasilinna, right?"

"Yes, I will go find her!" Steve declared, determined to protect his daughter. "I won't let Zak harm a single hair on my daughter."

"I will go after Anna,” Leo added.

"Very well, it's decided then. Leo, take this ring," Kyrie handed Leo an orange ring with a tiger's eye stone and the figure of a lion.

"Thank you!" Leo expressed his gratitude with a smile.

Then Kyrie handed Steve and Leo an apple. "Eat this," he instructed. "It will grant you extra strength and vitality for a time. According to Völundr, if you consume the entire apple, you will be virtually immortal for a few hours. Use it wisely."

Steve took a bite, hoping to benefit from its effects. As he did, Kyrie and Leo vanished from sight. Steve reached into his pocket and retrieved his golden dragon ring.