Rhen spent the train ride back to the dungeon in absolute terror. His circular thoughts revolved around his choices: stay and finished the dungeon build only for the Desedras to sweep in just before everything was finished and take it out from under him, or run.

Sen was giving him the chance to run, he wanted Rhen to run, because then it would be no contest. Desedra would take over, and that would be that. But if he stayed, they’d have to fight him for it. He needed a plan.

Identity theft was illegal and carried with it serious charges that would put him in prison for at least half of his life. The murder charges they’d likely try to nail him for would be the end of his freedom for certain, possibly the end of his life. How could he get through this?

The others were in high spirits after the victory, they hardly noticed Rhen’s silence—save for poor Aki who had to hear all of Rhen’s loud thoughts. The Prelusk ignored him, sharing in the reverie with everyone else instead. It was a good choice. Rhen wished he could join them too, but he had to think.

If there was anyone in the realms who could help Rhen with his sticky identity issues, it was Tansi. If she was considered the offended in this case, she could—just as Rhen had—free him from the consequences. But would she? She detested him…

Rhen closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. Jakira sat next to him and pulled his hand into her lap. “What is it?”

Rhen’s perpetual scowl deepened. He had only told Jakira his school given name once, and asked her never to use it, so she may have just forgotten. He tried to smooth over his frustrated expression. “You didn’t hear him?”

“Hear who?”

“Sen. He…” Rhen looked at the others who didn’t know anything about his secret. “He knows.”

Jakira’s eyes narrowed for a second, and then grew wide. “Maddox,” she whispered.

Rhen looked out the window.

“Surely there’s something we can do,” she said, keeping her voice low.

“I’m going to reach out to Tansi, beg for her grace. I don’t know if that’ll be enough. Otherwise… I think it’s maybe time to tell everyone.”

Jakira’s hand tightened around his. “Are you sure?”

Rhen nodded. “Soon. When I’m summoned.”

“How do you know you’ll be summoned?”

“He won’t wait until everything is done. He’s letting me run, if I want. Either way he wins. If I run, he takes over now. If I stay and get the work done, he gets a finished nexus transport.”

“And if you take what you can, destroy the nexus, and flee?”

Rhen scoffed. “I think he sees right through me. He knows I couldn’t do that—at least not the last part. I’ve never wanted anything more than this, what we have. Destroying it would… destroy me.”

The rest of the group had grown a little quieter, noticing the action happening in the corner.

Rhen smiled. “Who wants to stop at the Bustling Brood for dinner before we head back to Zephitz? On me, of course.”

There were murmurs of agreement, but both Wyland and Joseph gave Rhen a cautious glare. They’d been around him long enough to know something was up. How long they would wait to ask about it… Rhen gave Joseph max two hours, Wyland might just let it go. Rhen might have to come clean sooner than he’d planned.

Gods, what even was the plan?

Keep working on the nexus transport, get through all the paperwork, and beg Tansi for help. He didn’t want to surrender his dungeon to those criminals, and he would fight for it. His last ditch would be escape… he’d upgrade the resurrection node and decrease the respawn timer, get it down to three hours. If things went bad at his hearing, he knew how to get an expedited end. Piercing Detonator didn’t differentiate between friend, foe, or self.

That was it. He’d keep a bugout bag near the resurrection node, which would be easy now that they’d started setting up the changing rooms and cubbies there with spare clothes. No one would question it if Rhen put a specific bag in there for himself.

The rest of the ride was more subdued, everyone seeming to sense Rhen’s mood. They were confused by it, and Rhen felt bad for that. He’d tell them soon. There was really no point in keeping it a secret anymore. Desedra knew, and they were going to pinch him at just the right moment.

“Have you ever considered,” Aki said smoothly as he sat in front of him. “That Sen does not know? That he used that name to try to trap you?”

Rhen gave him an incredulous smirk. “Well, if you’d just been paying attention and listening to his thoughts, maybe we’d know.”

“I did try. His cebrum defenses are strong.”

“Stronger than you? I don’t believe it…”

“I hardly could, either. I have not been bested so thoroughly by a mouth-talker before.”

Rhen chuckled. “Is that what you call us?”

Aki pulsed yellow. “Is it not an apt description?”

The momentary amusement Rhen felt drained away. “I don’t want to do this. Why can’t it just be easier?”

“I do not know, my friend. Your plan is solid. It is admirable that you do not want to hamper the Desedra’s efforts…”

“I never said that. I would love to shut them down if I could. But I couldn’t harm the nexus. It means more than just a new world to explore. I remember the voice as I traversed for the first time, and the feeling of complete and total oneness with a being so immeasurably large… I can’t even explain it.”

“You do not have to. I feel it. I understand.”

“This is more important than me and what I want. It’s about the other delvers, too. What’s going to happen to them when they find me guilty, strip my title, revoke everything I’ve done? Will they come after whatever I’ve promised to them? Can the guild steal what they’ve already earned?”

Aki turned a pensive, somber blue. “I do not know.”

The train hooted its arrival at Yu.

Rhen couldn’t leave them all in the dark. This could affect everyone he’s ever talked to… gods, what a mess.

They headed toward the Bustling Brood as promised. Rhen sidled up next to Jakira and passed her his coin purse. “Get everyone started with some ale and stew. I have something I need to take care of really quick.”

She took the bag, her brow wrinkled. “I doubt, knowing you, it’ll be very quick.” Her face softened and she pecked him on the cheek. “Good luck, whatever it is.”

He squeezed her hand, then turned off for Matilda’s all-in-one library, post, and printer. It was just past sundown, but Matilda opened at Rhen’s behest.

“Ah, Mr. Zephitz. I heard you located the fabled Faust family! Not a moment too soon, their post bin is overstuffed.”

Rhen smiled curiously. “How did you hear that?”

“Oh, the Prelusk, Aki. He came through here to let me know not to send the post off to the guild since they’d be coming back. Is it true?”

Rhen nodded. “Yes.” He saw the “Welsh” sticker over a large bin at the center. “You can take that one off, though.”

Matilda’s eyes glimmered with intrigue. “Please, do tell.”

Rhen indulged her with a shortened, yet still very spicy version of the trial story that included Welsh being forcibly silenced, then removed from the deliberation room to head off for a hundred-and-fifty-thousand-mark sentence in Ptahl’s notorious prison dungeon, Everest II.

“Well, that is just fascinating. I’m glad you got your justice. Now, what can I do for you?”

“I need to pen a letter.”

She laughed, full of mirth. “Are you any good at it?”

“I had a few lessons years ago. I suspect my skills are still passable,” Rhen said with a smile.

Matilda led him to a bench where he could write out his letter, then brought him an old-fashioned quill and inkpot. He’d never used one of these but had seen them used and got the basic gist.

He stared at the blank page for a moment, then took a deep breath and dove in.

Tansi,

I know I don’t have a right to be sending this, but I need your help. The secret is out, and I suspect my day in the Deliberation Room is coming sooner rather than later.

He paused for a moment, considering his plea.

If it were just me, I wouldn’t care. I have solutions. But this is about them. My friends. They won’t be left untouched by the end of this, and I can’t fix the situation for all of them. But maybe you can.

He sat back and growled in frustration. None of this was coming out the way he wanted. But he had to be careful in his message. He didn’t need this information spreading too far and wide, especially if Aki was right and Sen didn’t know everything yet.

I beg your forgiveness for what happened; for the time I got, and you didn’t. I wish I could share it with you. He was the best man I’ve ever known.

Rhen stopped. Tears welled up in his eyes and he sniffed them back. Why was this so hard?

If you can’t help me, please tell me. I will find a way to help all of them. Whatever I can do, I’ll do it. I owe them that for the lie I’ve kept.

With sincerity,

~R.M. Zephitz

He picked up the page and waved it around to let the ink dry, then folded it up neatly into the provided envelope.

“All done?” Matilda asked.

Rhen nodded.

“Let me just,” she said, grabbing the letter. A tiny green syntial came to life on the tip of her finger and she pressed along the seal of the envelope. Colorful sparks shot out from the paper, and when she was done, the flap was solidly pinned down.

She handed it back to him. “Write your addressee on the front now, and the destination city. If it’s tampered with or doesn’t make it to where it’s going, I’ll find out in a few hours.”

Rhen assumed she didn’t offer this service to everyone for every letter and had to wonder how she’d known he’d needed it. Perhaps it was his sniffling that gave things away.

He addressed it carefully, making sure his penmanship was much cleaner than what he’d done inside. Matilda took the letter and walked over to the box that read, “Outgoing.”

“Someone’ll be by in two days. Your letter,” she paused to eye the address, “should be there in about two weeks.”

Rhen blew out his cheeks. He supposed he could hire a courier to take it there faster and more directly… but that might rouse more suspicions from Sen. A personal courier would have to register when they passed through the realms and state what they were transporting. If Sen was watching carefully, he’d see this happen—since anyone headed to Shin’Bara had to pass through the Desedra I nexus node.

Rhen didn’t want that fluffer knowing he was crafting his own plan to combat him. Better take the slow and discrete route of group mail.

“That’ll do fine,” Rhen finally said

She dropped the letter in the locked box. It was done, then. His plan A was underway. Time to prepare for plan B.

“Five marks for the materials, ten for the spell,” Matilda said, hand outstretched.

Rhen scowled at her, but she only smiled. He paid her what she asked. Hefty upcharge on that spell though… he wondered if it would really work.

He made his way back to the Bustling Brood where just about everyone had already finished eating. Only Derk was shoveling in another bowl of stew, with three bowls stacked up beside him.

Rhen pulled up next to Jakira and grabbed a bowl of warm stew.

Tsu’me groaned, saying, “Finally,” before she took the stage.

She cleared her throat and pulled her lyre and her tall base from the enon bags at her side. All four of her arms gripped the instruments firmly. “This one’s for Peter Welsh, may his tender extremities freeze off in Everest II.”

The crowd was confused at first, but slowly, as Tsu’me regaled them with a mostly rhyming tale of Welsh’s karma, the crowd began to cheer and dance along. They tossed more coins than Rhen had ever seen her earn, and at the end she called for a round of ale on her—tossing all the coins to Perry, the inn keeper.

Rhen breathed a tentative sigh of relief.

Maybe this would all work out.