The battle was won. Only a handful of Fiends remained, and they fled. Where? It was anyone’s guess. The Lich fled the Core Tunnels, and the Greater Fiend gave chase. Jeze guessed that the two were fighting in the necropolis above. All the adventurers took a moment to rest. Friends hugged and cried with each other. The feeling of victory and loss was palpable in the air. It was almost real.

“You did it, Jezie!” Helga exclaimed.

Rolfe scratched his blonde head. “Where did you go?”

Jeze smiled at the large Protector, her eyes moist with tears.

Mikal shook his dark curly haired head and scoffed, “You had to steal all the attention.” He grinned at her.

Dunar’s serious eyes studied her for a moment. Jeze felt like she was being assessed and started to fidget. The Proven Leader smiled, and he hugged her.

“I’m glad you are well, and Mikal is right. You did steal all the attention,” he said.

Jeze hugged her team. She wanted to tell them everything, but she didn’t. It was hard, but it was the burden she had to carry.

“Ooh! These guys carry some good stuff!” Kash exclaimed.

The Amber Guard duelist was looting the bodies of the Fiends. Glory and gold were the two top motivating factors for all adventurers. Mikal’s eyes lit up, and he joined the others in searching for treasure. Berserker Orn, Miss Heng, and Carl Jorgenson approached them.

“What you did was impressive,” Orn said. His blue eyes glinted.

“Aye,” Jorgeson agreed.

Miss Heng crossed her arms and nodded. It was hard for Jeze to read what was happening behind the Adept’s dark narrow eyes.

“Thank you,” Jeze replied.

“Where is the Hold Core?” Orn asked.

The sudden question even surprised the Proven. Helga and Rolfe’s smiles faded away. Jeze noticed Dunar’s slight shift in his stance, but otherwise, his reaction was well guarded. Miss Heng was the first to respond.

“So, right to business, I see?” She asked.

“It was the reason why we are here? Ain’t it?” Orn replied. His blue eyes were piercing like spear tips.

Jorgenson added, “We have lost so much.”

Orn nodded and pointed to Jeze, “She left the battle with Couzart. I think she knows more than she lets on.”

Jeze flinched the berserker’s words. She has been stabbed before, and this stung more. A part of her heart broke. Jeze loved Orn. He was a great teacher to her, but like Couzart, he was power-hungry. Except, the Elite learned the lesson the hard way, Jeze reflected.

“Couzart took the Orb and tried to consume its power,” she answered.

“Oh? Where are they now?” Orn pressed. He leaned closed.

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Miss Heng uncrossed her arms and stepped in between the Berserker and Jeze. His blue eyes glanced at the Amber Guard captain, but he took a step back. Helga and Rolfe shared a look, and they each took a step back. It was clear on their faces that this was a hard thing for them to watch. They loved Orn like a grandfather, but Jeze was their teammate. Even Dunar looked away. Jeze had also prepared for this moment.

“Gone,” she answered.

“What happened?” Orn demanded.

“Berserker Orn,” Miss Heng cautioned.

The blue-eyed Frostsworn turned on her. “We have lost so much, and this Hold Core means everything to us!”

Miss Heng did not back down. She crossed her arms and replied, “And what would you do with it?”

Orn paused. The question caught him off guard.

“Even if Jeze has it. It is hers by rights,” Miss Heng stated.

“It would be our right to take it,” Orn responded.

That was like a hard slap across Jeze’s face.

“Berserker Orn!” Dunar exclaimed.

Jorgenson placed a hand on the Proven Leader’s chest.

Miss Heng spoke calmly. It reminded Jeze of the lull before a major battle.

“You do not mean that, Berserker Orn. That is against the bylaws, and you are a respected member of the Adventurer’s Guild. You run toward the Darkness, where others flee. You do it to protect the realm,” Miss Heng reminded him.

Orn glanced at her and then at the ground. To Jeze, this was arguably the hardest part. Lying was just another form of misdirection, she told herself. In combat, a skilled fighter makes their opponent believe they are doing one thing in order to create an opportunity to attack in another direction. What she did with the Lich earlier with the illusions was the same thing. But why was this so hard? She questioned herself. Like with any good misdirection, you need to build upon it, Jeze told herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks. They were real because she did mourn Couzart, even though he stole her away. Jeze believed that the Elite meant well.

“They are gone,” she said and sobbed.

“What happened?” Orn demanded again.

“Couzart tried to absorb the Orb. To achieve Hero Rank, but failed. They both disappeared,” Jeze lied.

“Why did the Lich chase you?” Jorgenson asked.

“He thought I had it,” Jeze replied.

The two Frostsworn nodded. Berseker Orn sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, you did well. You made us proud,” he said.

Miss Heng studied her, and Jeze worried that the Amber Guard Captain would ask more questions. Instead, Miss Heng reminded everyone that they needed to figure out how to get out of here.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Jeze said, and she told everyone about the stairwell.

It took the surviving teams a few moments to loot the bodies and gather their belongings. They all followed Jeze to the Hold Core Chamber. The ceiling opened up to the outside and a long winding stairwell replaced the glowing monolith. At the top was a portal.

“That takes us to the sixth floor?” Dunar asked.

Jeze nodded.

“I had hoped that we could have gone back to camp for a break,” Mikal muttered.

Orn whistled. “What is happening to this place?”

Miss Heng answered, “The necropolis was unstable, and without the Hold Core, it appears to fall apart. What we see now is the inside of the true Wandering Spire.”

With their magical light sources everyone could see that the tombstones and graves were fading away to reveal dark stone as far as the eye could see. It appeared as if they were in an enormous circular chamber. Some tombs remained, and Jeze guessed they belonged to the stronger undead. The Vampires were probably still out there as well as the Lich and Greater Fiend. It was so dark it reminded Jeze of an endless abyss. It gave her the chills. A familiar voice called out from above.

“You all can go to the next floor. Or, you could follow me back to an exit portal.”

“Lady Kalina!” Jeze called out.

The Iron Fist Amber Guard looked very different. She was much paler than usual, and her eyes were black pits.

Lady Kalina answered their unspoken question, “This is a story for another time. Come, let’s go secure the Safe Zone. I saw the Greater Fiend and the Lich fighting. We should leave before one of them comes back.”

None of the adventurers needed to be told twice. They quickly scrambled out of the Core Tunnels and followed Lady Kalina through the desolate emptiness.