Dave activated Phantom Sight and stared at the book. There was a star-like formation inside it surrounded by shimmers of magic. It was definitely a spirit, but not a full human soul, merely a tiny fraction of one bound to the book with incredibly complex, potent magic that appeared almost like fractal clockwork.

“D-do you like my gift?” Terri’s voice came from somewhere far, far above as if Dave was standing in a deep well. With a snap, his mind rushed back into his body, his sweaty palms clinging to the old book.

“Is that an original…?” Leon asked.

“Yes,” Terri answered. “It is.”

“Uhm, yes, thank you Terri,” Dave quickly slid the book into the small side bag that he had pawned from the dead adventurer behind the waterfall.

Dumpich pursed his lips, trying to decipher as to what was going on between his friends.

“Isn’t it incredibly valuable, the only one of its kind?” Leon eyed Terri as she slipped her hand into Dave’s. “Why not give him a copy?”

"A copy? No," Terri said. "I was always meant to give it to him. I should have done it earlier, should have understood that he’s the one it was meant for.”

Dave stared at Terri with Healy. A line of magical clockwork disturbingly similar to the one located in the book was spinning across her brain, gears of starlight flickering like distant constellations.

Was this just a healer thing? Healy’s eyes snapped to Dumpich and Leon. There was nothing magical ticking inside of their brains.

Terri smiled at Dave. There was something eerily familiar about her smile.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.

“David,” Terri said, just like she used to. “Quit staring at me and lead the way.”

Dave blinked, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling that had come over him. He glanced between Terri and the book now safely tucked away in his bag, his mind reeling with unanswered questions.

"Right," he said, clearing his throat. "Let's head to the Cambria Snail Cafe. That's where we'll find my... Other associates."

As they made their way out of the cathedral and marched through Shandria's streets, Dave couldn't help but notice how Terri possessively clung to his arm. Dumpich and Leon followed behind, engaged in a conversation about their dungeoneering plans.

The familiar sight of the giant snail came into view, its pearlescent shell gleaming in the morning sun. Dave's steps faltered as they approached.

"Everything alright?" Terri asked.

"Yeah," Dave nodded, not elaborating on his worries.

As they neared the cafe, Dave spotted a few maids flitting between tables and Murdoc sitting atop Bessie's shell. The old wizard's gray eyes settled on Dave.

"Look who's decided to grace us with his presence again." Murdoc called out. “And with company, no less.”

Hyrei appeared in front of Dave and the Healers with a gust of wind, her skirts fluttering.

Dave took a deep breath. "Murdoc," he said, nodding in greeting. “Hyrei. Uhm… I... I owe you both an apology," he began. "The last time I was here, I behaved rather badly. I was suffering from the effects of a Void dungeon, and it was messing with my head. I'm sorry for the stuff I said and how I acted."

Hyrei's expression softened slightly, while Murdoc's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Dave.

"I understand if you're still angry with me," Dave continued, "but I was hoping I could speak with Cedez. Is she around?"

A heavy silence fell over the group. Murdoc and Hyrei exchanged a glance that made Dave's stomach twist with unease.

"Cedez hasn't returned yet," Murdoc finally replied. "Not since..."

"Not since you two went off on your dungeon trip," Hyrei finished, her tone sharp.

Dave frowned. He had hoped that Cedez would have respawned by now, just as she had claimed she would. The fact that she hadn't returned washed him in waves of guilt and worry.

"I... I see," Dave said. "Do you know when she might be back?"

“She might already be back,” Murdoc shrugged.

“So where is she then?” Dave asked.

“Talk inside,” Murdoc said, getting off his perch.

Hyrei led Dave and the Healer apprentices to the black metal stairwell and into Murdoc’s apartment. The old Snailmancer was sitting on his white armchair and offered the couch to Dave and his friends. He eyed Terri who was still clinging onto his arm with deep suspicion.

Pale tentacles extended from the wall.

“Grab on,” Murdoc said.

“What?” Dumpich sputtered.

“A safety measure,” Murdoc explained, his voice gruff. “Grab a tentacle or get out.”

Dave reached out first. Terri followed. Leon made a pause and then grabbed a tentacle too. Dumpich was last and made a face as he touched a slithery, cold feeler.

"Now then," Murdoc said. “Introduce yourselves… fully. Speak a single lie and you’ll be zapped half-dead. You first, girl.”

"I'm Terri Gootali, an apprentice Healer,” Terri replied.

“And?” Murdoc asked, seemingly sensing something else there through the twinkle of his Kitlix. “What connects you to this bumbling adventurer?” He waved a hand at Dave.

“I am the Maidenlyne of Saint Saria,” Terri added with a small blush. “He is the catalyst of my Cantigeist’s awakening.”

Leon's eyes went wide at Terri’s second sentence.

“Saint Saria?” Hyrei asked. “I haven’t heard of this Sect. If you’re anything like the Maidenlynes of Gorefield, then your presence here will not be tolerated.”

“Elaborate,” Murdoc ordered.

Dave peered at Terri with Healy. The starry fractal in the elkgirl’s head spun like a thousand ghostly gears, pulses of green stars rushing across her neurons.

“My Cantigeist, Saint Saria, served Shandria under Duke Lumir from seven hundred and sixty-one to one hundred and seventy-seven years ago,” Terri said. “Her real name was Laricianna and she was a summoned from Earth, like David. Her entire life she was collared, bound into obedience to the Lumir Valeriant. Only after death by the hand of General Nox's Divine Shadow, she became free.”

“Free in which way?” Murdoc asked.

“Free to reshape the Citadel of the damned bit by bit,” Terri said, her voice fusing with that of another person. “Free to stand to the all grinding Abyss. Free to take control of the Eternal Wheel. Free to wait… until my Champion arrived to wake me up.”

Everyone present stared at Terri.

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“What the shit,” Dumpich sputtered.

“A wielder of an echo from the Abyss,” Murdoc frowned. “As if my life couldn’t get any more complicated.”

“Terri, are you possessed or something? Is this some kind of joke?” Dumpich added. “Come on, mate, of all the people I didn’t expect you to…”

Terri raised a hand to silence Dumpich.

"And what exactly are your intentions now that you've 'awakened', young lady?" Murdoc asked, slipping back into the role of a grandfather figure.

“To save everyone,” Terri said, speaking with a slight echo of two voices. “To bring justice to all. To uplift Shandria. To break every collar. To serve my Lady’s Champion. To fix everything wrong on Arx. To break the all-pulling Wheel of the Abyss. To protect David.”

“Big plans,” Murdoc commented as Hyrei tensed up.

“What are your plans, Snailmancer?” Terri asked in turn.

Murdoc leaned back in his chair, a wry smile playing on his weathered face. "My plans are rather simple compared to your grandiose ambitions. I plan to run this cafe, brew some excellent tea, and perhaps take Bessie out for a stroll now and then. Nothing too world-shattering, I'm afraid."

Terri's eyes narrowed. "You jest, Snailmancer. You wield a bound echo yourself, one of many. The Engine of Crown Continuity grows stronger with each year because the power of Syntropy reinforces the entire city. Surely you didn't bind a jewel of the Crown for no reason at all.”

“Why precisely should I tell you my plans?” Murdoc asked.

“Dave has a plan for us to work together as companions,” Terri replied. “To pretend to conquer the Void dungeon, which he has already decimated. To split the profits from the Voidtree and the corpses of Voidbeasts within. This plan requires your Snail to block the entrance, pretending to blast the monsters within. We’re mere apprentice Healers, the Guild would not believe us if we told them that we took out the Whispering Depths. You’re the leader of this little coven, yes?”

Murdoc nodded.

“We can help each other,” Terri offered. “Surely you want better things for Shandria?”

Murdoc let out a deep, non-committed sigh.

“Terri…” Dumpich said.

“Dumpich,” Terri turned to her friend. “You always wanted to be in a story. This is the greatest story, one reaching back over seven hundred years, one involving the greatest treasure of Shandria. Don’t tell me that you’d give up a chance for an adventure of a lifetime.”

“Hrm,” the apprentice rubbed his brown goatee. “Fine. I’m a simple man seeking glory, and I’m in. You got me, Miss Maidenlyne.”

Murdoc’s eyes moved to Dumpich. “Introduce yourself.”

Dumpich cleared his throat, his violet-brown horns gleaming in the soft light of the snail-shell apartment. "Right then. Dumpich Sentirk, apprentice Healer and former adventurer. I've got a knack for getting into trouble and an even better knack for talking my way out of it."

Murdoc raised an eyebrow. "What made you stop adventuring?"

“My party members died,” Dumpich said. “We were doing weekend dungeon diving. A dungeon tore them to little bits. I got torn up pretty bad too, mind you, but then again… it’s very hard to kill a Healer.”

“Are you working for anyone else?” Murdoc asked as his Kitlix twinkled next to his ear.

“The Rojarl Voicecast Guild,” Dumpich revealed, which made Terri and Leon stare at him.

“On what terms?”

“Informant,” Dumpich replied with a shrug. “I give them information about any Highborn family maladies I encounter.”

“None of what you learn here is to be reported to Lord Rojarl or his Guild minions, are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Dumpich nodded. “My orders are to steal information about Highborn competition. Rojarl’s Estate isn’t interested in dungeoneering, or snail cafes, or arcane cults.”

“Why are you bound to Rojarl?”

“I lost everything and almost died. I was… insured with them. The Guild’s DelveRaid recovered my half-dead body from the dungeon, helped me get back on my feet,” Dumpich revealed. “Studying as a Healer isn’t cheap and I am a bit of an idiot. Blah, do these tentacles have a Truth spellchain on them or something? Really embarrassing to tell these things to my best friends.”

“They do,” Murdoc nodded, gray eyes moving onto Leon. “Now you.”

"Leon Kodmii," the white-haired eternal student said, his blue eyes meeting Murdoc's gaze with equal resolve. "Apprentice Healer, specializing in herbology and potion-making."

Murdoc leaned forward, his weathered hands clasped together. "And what brought you to this particular... venture, Mr. Kodmii?"

“Curiosity, primarily. The opportunity to study Void flora is... unprecedented. But I'd be lying if I said that was my only motivation."

"Oh?" Murdoc's eyebrow arched. "Do elaborate."

Leon took a deep breath. "I'm searching for a cure. A universal panacea, the skeleton key to stop death, if you will. It's... ambitious, I know. Perhaps even foolish. But I believe the key lies in understanding and combining various magical essences. Void flora could be a crucial component. And before you ask, I don’t work for anyone, I’m simply chained to my own ambitions, which won’t let me move forward until I’ve made a breakthrough in potion-making.”

Murdoc looked at Dave. Something pulled on his mind from the shiny tentacle, but all of the disparate souls slotted into Wisdom seemed to fight against the pull, keeping his lips closed.

“You can let go of the tentacle, Dave,” Murdoc sighed.

“Aww, I was hoping to learn something embarrassing about Dave-o,” Dumpich grumbled with a grin.

“Bessie can sense that truth spells won’t work that well on Necromancers who can just slot an echo to speak for them,” Murdoc shrugged. “No point.”

A sword made from wind thrummed into existence in Hyrei’s hand.

“N-Necromancers?!” Dumpich choked, violet brown eyes wide. “Abyss Eternal! So Dave-o is a genuine…”

Leon stared at Dave with a shocked expression. Terri remained an island of calm between the two bewildered Healers.

“I’m a Phantomancer,” Dave revealed to his friends, sending Murdoc an annoyed look. “Not a Necromancer. I don't raise corpses. I… absorb spirits and get stronger.”

“Hyrei, stand down please,” Murdoc ordered. The wind-sword in the maid’s hands dissipated.

“Maidenlyne, hum?” Leon commented, eyeing Terri.

“Everyone has a spot of sunshine which they seek,” Terri shrugged, hugging Dave. “Your sunshine is your herb garden, Leon. This is my sunshine. This is my life’s purpose.”

“I’m not sure how to feel about this,” Dave sighed, looking at the elkgirl.

“If you think that I’m wrong in some way, you’re welcome to destroy the book,” Terri whispered. “I leave the decision in your hands, David. If you want Lari’s last wish to remain unfulfilled, to end with you, then simply burn her journal.”

“Gee thanks,” David shuddered. “Way to push the responsibility on me, Lari. Or is it Terri? You're... what exactly? Terri with Lari's memories? Lari possessing Terri?”

“Just Terri,” Terri smiled. “Lari died a long time ago, but her skill, her desires persisted. I’m the wielder of her final wish, and my biggest desire is to protect you David. Maidenlyne… is basically a maiden, one who dedicated herself to an elder Undying wish. There are many such things in Shandria, many wishes living on, carrying forward.”

“Maidenlynes dedicate themselves to serving Undying things,” Leon affirmed. “It’s not the healthiest existence to serve the desires of an old Cantigeist.”

“Nobody’s forcing me into anything,” Terri shook her head. “I want to heal Shandria. I want to help David. I might not be Lari, but I’m here for David on her behalf.”

“How much influence has your family inflicted on the city serving your Cantigeist?” Leon asked.

“Not enough,” Terri said. “The Cantigeist in my head merely suggests the best way forward. It doesn’t force me into action. I’m a Maidenlyne, not a dungeon Sentinel.”

“Not enough?” Leon tapped his Kitlix who wrapped herself around his wrist. “What terrible things have you done then?”

“Me? I haven’t done anything except be David’s friend since I woke up to what I am,” Terri blushed even more.

“I’m talking about your foremothers, Terri,” Leon said. “What have they done for this Undying wish as its Maidenlynes?”

“My grandmother Juli Gootali worked with Necromancer Kells and spent all of her savings to uplift him. She was his first Lieutenant and died with him before passing the book to me,” Terri revealed. “My grandmom and Kells destabilized the city, breaking the Crown into a thousand separate pieces. Her work isn't finished. It is up to me to do the rest.”

Dumpich whistled while Leon frowned. Dave eyed Murdoc.

“Many of my generation served Necromancer Kells,” the Snailmancer sighed. “We were trying to change the city, make it a better place for the lowborns. A lot of good it did us. The Highborns still own everything and eventually collar anyone of value.”

“That was then,” Terri said. “This is now. Dave is this generation’s Kells. He's the one I've been waiting for, the one who I have to help.”

“Odd,” Dave thought to himself. “Cedez told me that she was waiting for me too.”

Sherlock's violin resounded in his head, suggesting that there was a possible link between Cedez and Terri, a link in the shape of the book currently in his possession.

“Why the hell would Lari help Archmage Kells murder the princess of Shandria?” Dave demanded as he examined Terri's words, unfolding them like origami with Wisdom-armed Sherlock.

“Because you're Archmage Kells,” Terri replied.

“What?!” Dave sputtered.

“He was… another you, to be precise, one that took an entirely different path,” Terri shrugged. “Kells was originally David Horowitz Walter, summoned into existence by the Dragon God-Emperor. He didn't manage to make it from the bone Citadel with his body or sanity entirely intact. Most of his muscles were torn, burned off and replaced with necroflesh that he could shape into whatever appearance he desired. My grandmother cared for him regardless and tried to help him. It… didn't work out. They both died when the Shandrian palace was shredded by the magical assault from the capital.”

Dave simply stared at the elkgirl with wide eyes, his head pounding.

“Every so often, another David Walter is summoned to Arx,” Terri revealed, her eyes igniting with blue sparks. “And always there is the ghost of Lari… of sorts, waiting for him in Shandria with open arms. This time, I'm not going to fuck things up, David. I'm not going to let you lose your sanity or your body. I'm not going to let you die. I'm going to do whatever it takes for us both to reach a happy ending.”