Chapter Forty-One:

“Echoes of Failure”

The Aetheris pulsed with a steady thrum, its engines whispering beneath the wind as it carved through the heavens. A ghost among the clouds, a vessel of steel and magic that had never before graced Eldoria’s skies.

The living area glowed with warm lantern light, spreading a soft radiance across polished wooden floors and worn leather seats. The low hum of machinery wove through the quiet, a constant undercurrent beneath the soft creak of the ship’s frame.

Ankit and Amari sat at the long central table, their focus locked on a collection of colorful cards spread across its surface. The game’s name, Spells, The Summoning, was written in elaborate script on the worn boxes beside them.

Amari picked up a card, frowning at the symbols. "So, let me get this straight, each of these has different effects depending on... what, the colors I use?"

"Exactly," Ankit said, shifting a few of his own cards into place. "And you can combine certain ones to create chain effects. The goal is to deplete your opponent’s life points before they do the same to you."

Amari scratched the back of his head. "Sounds simple enough."

Ankit smirked, tapping the edge of one of his cards. "It’s not. But I can teach you. I pick these up pretty fast. I played a lot of TCGs back in Tel Aviv with… " he trailed off, his voice losing momentum.

Amari didn’t push. "Well, if you think I can learn, I’m game."

Ankit nodded, shuffling his deck of cards, but the pause lingered between them.

Across the room, Lucinda, Evelyn, and Asha sat together, the weight of what came next settling over them.

Lily sat nearby, curled into a cushioned seat, legs tucked beneath her. Silent, but aware.

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Evelyn broke the quiet first. "So, what’s our next move?"

Asha arched a brow. "Why you looking at me?"

Lucinda rested her hands in her lap, her voice gentle but steady. "You came for us, for her." Her gaze softened as it shifted to Lily. "How did you know where to find us?"

Asha exhaled, rubbing a hand across the back of her neck. "We got a notification. Pick up the girl. That’s it. No explanation. Just... an objective and a marker on a map."

Evelyn turned her gaze upward, speaking into the empty air. "So, a new objective would be nice, maybe, no?" Silence. No response. "It was worth a try, I guess."

Lily shifted, speaking for the first time since the conversation started. "I need to find my brother."

A beat passed.

Evelyn sighed, resting her chin in her palm. "Yeah, we know. Too bad we don’t know who or where he is."

The Aetheris continued forward, carrying them toward the unknown.

And then, the silence erupted.

Red light flooded the cabin, bathing everything in an urgent, pulsing glow.

The walls flashed with violent intensity, streaks of crimson cutting through the dim warmth of the lanterns. A moment later, the sirens hit, a deafening, bone-rattling wail that shook the very frame of the ship.

"What the fuck is that?!" Evelyn shouted over the chaos, her chair scraping against the floor as she jumped up.

Ankit flinched, hands flying to his ears as his deck of cards scattered into the air, spiraling chaotically in the flashing red light. "I don’t know, but make it stop!"

Amari, wide-eyed and gripping the table like it might keep him from being thrown into the sky, managed, "Holy shit! I think I peed a little."

Then, layered beneath the alarm, came Gameweaver's voice, cold and unwavering, slicing through the panic with mechanical indifference.

"Warning: Catastrophic global event at Kolnheim! Warning: Catastrophic global event at Kolnheim!"

The announcement blared on repeat, its repetition making the chaos somehow worse.

"HOW DO YOU MAKE IT STOP?!" Evelyn yelled, spinning toward the nearest control panel as if she could rip the speakers out with her bare hands.

"Shut it off!" Lucinda pleaded, her voice strained over the relentless sirens.

"I'M TRYING!" Amari was already at the wall, slamming his hands over the control panel, fingers scrambling over the glowing interface.

The sound bore into his skull. He muttered under his breath, "Come on, come on."

Then, blessedly, mercifully, the alarms cut out.

The red glow lingered a moment longer before fading, the Aetheris humming once more with an eerie stillness. The ship’s voice stilled, leaving only the heavy silence in its wake.

Asha let out a breath, rubbing a hand over her face. "Well, it wasn’t very subtle..." She exhaled once more for good measure and lifted her gaze to the others. "I guess we’re going to Kolnheim... wherever that is."

No one argued.

"Yeah... but can I change my pants first?" Amari asked, raising a hand.

Asha didn't encourage him with an answer.

Outside the Aetheris, the sky stretched wide, silent and waiting.

And their course was set.