Uneasiness gripped Rachel’s muscles, ears twitching as she glanced back at the adorable little, white-haired child that was Jaenona, a weakened, eldritch entity with bows and black roses managing her snowy locks.

With Emotional Detachment keeping her paranoia in check, she listened to Anthony’s story as they made their way onto one of the Everglades National Park trails close by her grandfather’s mansion.

They drew eyes from other hikers or couples, and by their whispers, Mystic was gaining popularity from the Presidential Address, propping them up as an example of the first Guild; luckily, no one was brave enough to approach them, but there were a few lazily disguised selfies attempting to catch Nia and Jaenona or Anthony and her together.

Ignoring them, Rachel only asked a few questions about Anthony’s tale, keeping close track of the disguised horrors; Nia was enthralled by the little girl’s mature way of speaking, cute appearance, and the unreserved manner she was willing to engage with the teenager.

Rachel grew weary as Anthony was clearly guiding them down specific paths that would take them away from any of the general public; it was something she’d do, yet that he took the initiative put her further on edge.

Anthony didn’t remember much, and what he did was somewhat hazy, something he claimed was due to the nature of Magthera—The Grand Existence—his mind couldn’t process much of it, giving him a splintered glimpse at the unusual place.

Had Nora not had something called the Mark of the Archon, they would have been utterly devoured, and with Jaenona and Skra’ner Ysgthelra She’agrht, Chain of the Beyond’s presence—her brother—opening the way, they would have been lost to the madness.

Once he concluded, Rachel’s mind was already alight, connecting dots and pondering several possibilities.

Entering a denser portion of the swamp on their wooden pathway, she let the atmosphere be taken by Nia’s inquiries about things the eldritch horror wanted to try, such as food. Yseress was practically shaking with anger inside Rachel’s Core at how carefree the rabbit was being, yet kept her peace and guard up while joining her in the finer details of Anthony’s reveal.

“Hmm… So, you’re not the Legend of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne anymore, which is why you look a bit… different?”

“Yeah, eh, no. Huu-haaa… I told Nora you wouldn’t like it.”

“No, the long hair suits you—eh-heh… I’m just a little taken aback, and the sun symbol is… interesting, but I have a tattoo of Nia on my back. You have armor, too?”

“Mmh,” he ran his fingers through his feathered, copper hair, burning eyes drifting back to Jaenona. “I do… I just need to do the Legend’s Quests to build it out; I told Nora we wouldn’t start any without first explaining everything to you and her sister.”

“Wise choice,” she forced a smile, her emotions still boxed. “It’s pretty crazy, though… Eldritch of Dre’jna Jaenona Le’thrga. Did I say that right?”

“Yup, eh… The Whisper of Oblivion doesn’t give a very positive light.”

“It’s cool. Still, umm… yeah, it’s pretty scary sounding.”

He slowed, showing concern in his orange irises. “So?”

Rachel puffed out a long breath, trying not to let herself be drawn in as she puzzled everything out. “All you remember is being in your old home as a kid, no memory, and then realizing something wasn’t right—this Herald?”

Folding his arms across his chest, Anthony nodded. “Want me to summarize?”

“There was a clear order, and you saw me before going to this… Magthera, which is…”

Picking up where she tailed off, he scratched his eyebrow. “These particular eldritch beings are beings of… not necessarily dreams, but it is like… air to them, I suppose? When they appear in our Existence, it’s as if they bring a waking dream that bends reality, yet they’re more creatures of chaotic order, which sounds contradictory, I know.”

“And you’re one of these things now?”

He gestured at her ears. “It’s somewhat similar to being a Mythickin—a hybrid of sorts—Selvaria, for instance, still has her human form but can transform into her Leviathan State. I chose to have Jaenona be my bridge to the eldritch because she promised to always be on my side, and this was necessary for her to survive after taking me through the Red Sea.”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, let’s go back to the beginning, but this time, explain each part in detail; I want to know locations, how they connect with the Red Sea and this Crimson Tide… Everything.”

“Okay! Okay! Heh, give me a second, Rachel!” he protested, holding up his hands. “Uh, you wanted a shortened version of the journey first…”

She scratched her neck, noticing all the nearby animals running from them. “I get I’m being paranoid, but can you blame me? I go to Cuba for like two weeks, and I come back to my boyfriend being turned into some kind of… well, I don’t know—something else—not that I’m blaming you.”

“No, I know. It’s a… haaa, a tough situation. It’s been challenging to me, too—I’ve been having the strangest dreams, which, eh, is where it all starts. Basically, I was put into a deep sleep—deeper than your typical dream—like, I think the only way I can describe it is a coma dream that you don’t recall?

“It was surreal; I couldn’t remember almost anything, which was kind of needed for the process—the Herald of the Mecroaf prompted me in the right direction, but it was my choice to keep going… I knew I had to protect Nora, as I promised, and she was in danger.”

“From the Mecroaf?”

“No, it’s not… Mmgm, we can get into that later, but there is so much…” he trailed off, glaring at a corner post as if it would attack them. “So much going on that you’re not aware of… that any of us are.

“Anyone can enter Magthera—the Mecroaf have never closed their doors, and many entities… powerful entities, worship them. To hear the song, I needed to uncover the keys in my dream—to find a backdoor out of the Red Sea, where I met Jaenona, one of the Lost.”

The little girl giggled, jogging forward with Nia to walk beside them, small hands behind her back as she scanned the everglades with interest. “Anthony saved me when I was nearly overtaken; I was able to bud again in Magthera thanks to him.”

“That’s… nice,” Rachel mumbled. “You helped him through this place you called The Dark?”

“Mmh… It is a corruption in the Red Sea—the taint of another Grand Existence that seeks to overtake all—a place devoid of song and light.”

Anthony cleared his throat, trying to pull them back to the topic. “The fog I told you about is The Dark; it can be used as a means to escape the Red Sea, which is how I made it to the Outlands or the edge of this conglomerate of Existences.”

“Right. Where this forbidden Realm of Dreams is… Magthera, and… is it forbidden because of The Dark?”

“In short,” Anthony shrugged. “Just because it is open doesn’t mean everything can enter; consider there being an open club with gangsters out front with bats attacking anyone who tries to get in.”

“Rude!” Nia huffed. “If it’s free to get in, why are they being mean?”

“It’s complicated, Nia,” Jaenona soothed. “To move beyond the Wall of Sleep, which separates our Existences, you must run past or fight these gangsters, and in my weakened state, to do so means death.”

“Sad… Why would anyone want to hurt you when you’re so cute?”

Letting Nia get pulled into another conversation with the eldritch child, Rachel shifted her focus to Anthony. “I can understand why you’d choose to trust someone you knew and promised to be on your side, but as Yseress just pointed out, how could you be sure it wasn’t a lie?”

He shook his head. “I knew it in my bones; it’s… hard to explain. I couldn’t deny it, and questioning that certainty was pointless; Jaenona can’t lie—all entities of Magthera are creatures of truth… sometimes only giving riddles or vague visions, but truth nonetheless.”

“What about this Fate and Destiny?”

“I only know they’re overlooking everything.”

“The Red Sea… Twilight?”

“Possibly. I don’t know anything about this Twilight person other than the obscure answers Jaenona gave me.”

“I said what I could,” she piped up before returning to Nia.

“I know… It can be aggravating, yet she has a particular way of giving information due to her nature.”

A thought came to Rachel. “Could… Twilight have entered The Dark’s Grand Existence to meet this Hollowed Sun, and is he the same as The Dark—I’ve never heard of this Rift of Ethereal Gift or the Song’s Blindness? It implies it relates to a place without sound.”

Anthony yawned, seemingly fighting sleep. “Can I ask a question?”

“You can ask,” Rachel mused, giving him a slight smirk while trying to act more natural.

“Hehe. So, this Twilight entity is inside Scarlet? Has she been there the entire time I’ve known you?”

“Mmh. I don’t know if I can trust you yet to answer that.”

“Fair… Eh, let’s see… Nia?”

The girl raised her hand with a big grin, looking between them. “So—so, are you like the H.P. Lovecraft kind of stuff—no, you’re the good guys, and this Darkness stuff is the bad Lovecraft thingys. Am I right? I’m totally right!”

Broad chest shaking with laughter, Anthony nodded. “I thought you were like… living clothes—how do you know who H.P. Lovecraft is?”

Rachel wasn’t surprised, and the answer was obvious.

“Scarlet! She had a friend that liked to tell her spooky stories about them online.”

“How do you know so much about Scarlet?”

“Because I first imprinted on her because SOMEONE didn’t think I was cool enough to wear!” Nia said, giving Rachel a pointed stare. “Oh, am I right?”

“Eh-yeah, kind of…”

Jaenona held out her hand with an innocent smile. “If you let me experience what you know about it, I can tell you how they would relate.”

“Don’t touch it, Nia—Nia! You ARE going to KILL us!” Yseress snapped, and Rachel held a similar concern; she didn’t have the same in-depth understanding of what the child was that made the Nephilim so skittish, and still, she was a tad freaked out.

The girl’s ears fell back, looking scolded as Jaenona took her hand; Rachel felt an unusual hum caress her mind that stiffened Yseress. “I think she’s a nice, eldritch little girl, Big Sis… She can be our little sis—you could have three little sisters…”

Realizing Nia was placing her in the category of the little sister, Rachel couldn’t fault the innocent rabbit girl; it seemed Jaenona had gained a sense of the situation with her sad smile.

“I apologize for being so forward, Yseress, Rachel, and please do not be angry with Nia; she is a curious child… and there is fault to be had with how I am perceived by such Intelligences.”

“Mmgm…”

Anthony gave her a small frown. “You okay, Rachel?”

“Yeah…”

Yseress? Rachel asked, eyeing the slowing little girl and depressed teenager while feeling the Nephilim hugging herself, rolling around in her Core. What’s wrong?

“It… is trustworthy, Mistress. Gragh—I hate to admit it—I hate it, but I cannot deny it in this second interaction. How is something… so beyond comprehension this pure?! It makes no sense, Mistress!”

Rachel hummed, taking a step back to keep both Anthony and Jaenona in sight. You’re positive? You’d be confident enough to come out and greet her yourself?

There was definitely reluctance, yet in answer, the woman emerged from shimmering ruby lights to reveal the shapely, corrupted Nephilim. “Explain to me what you are,” she demanded, begrudgingly directing their attention to the surprised Living Denier, “as… my little sister, Nia, has explained to me.”

Realizing Nia must have talked to Yseress about this Lovecraft stuff before vocalizing it, Rachel listened; anything they could learn about these new players was huge.

Jaenona charmingly looked up at Anthony, fingers clasped behind her back as she asked, “Can I, Master?”

“Master?” Rachel sighed, and Nia squealed. “I don’t know if I can continue to take this seriously, Anthony. Ugh…”

Yseress shifted in the air to give her a dull look. C’mon, Mistress is…

“Yes, Mistress?”

Really… even when you’re creeped out by Jaenona, you’re willing to throw me under the bus.

“It’s a defensive mechanism,” she smirked, looking away.

Nia wouldn’t allow anyone else to speak as she pointed at them.

“Oh! Oh! So, Rachel has Big Sis as her little bondservant, Anthony has adorable little Jaenona, and I’m Rachel’s Big Boss—we have Scarlet and Alexa, too! Yes, we’re a growing family; we’re getting so big!”

“Is that right?” Anthony chuckled, glancing between the floating Half-Devil and her, clearly looking for answers.

Yseress’s barbed tail curved around to scratch her leg. “I think you have a strange view of family, Nia—In any case, I want to know why I can’t deny your honesty—I have never been compelled in such a way,” she heatedly accused, confronting the eldritch entity.

“Go ahead, Jaenona,” Anthony gestured, breathing out a long stream of air as things calmed down; luckily, they were completely alone on this path. “Tell them more about yourself, Jaenona, interests, and the like.”

She blinked, giving him a bright smile. “I’m interested in Anthony; we are soul bound.”

“Ack—I didn’t mean like that! We’re pretty similar, Rachel—we both have entities inside of us—you have two!” Anthony hissed, swiftly giving Rachel’s lifted eyebrow a strained grin. “It’s not what it seems…”

“Oh?” she mused, trying to relieve tension as Yseress snickered and Nia winced. “Let me see if I can articulate this properly… Jaenona, an eldritch entity powerful enough to transcend Existences, whatever that encompasses, has taken on the visible form of a little, five-year-old girl…”

She gestured at her own glowing, pink-hued snow-white hair and shining red irises. “That looks similar to me—oddly with Scarlet ears…”

“I noticed that, too,” Nia mumbled, looking between them.

“It makes a girl wonder why she would choose to look like this—because, obviously, it is her choice—and for this child to call you Master? Sure, Yseress and Mistress is… more of a slight annoyance against her than anything else, but what is your excuse for Jaenona?”

She could practically see her boyfriend sweating, hand rubbing the back of his neck as he tried not to look away from her. “I… thought it was a little strange, too, but then I thought it was to… you know, lure in people… heh, make her seem vulnerable.”

“I am vulnerable,” Jaenona innocently said, and Yseress had to ask the direct question.

“Has Anthony asked you why you took on that appearance, hmm?”

Her thick snow-white locks shook around her small frame as she shook her head. “He has not.”

“Very well, I will ask for him,” she mused, never missing an opportunity to dig at someone. “Why do you look like that, Jaenona?”

Rachel crossed her arms and waited as the girl politely responded without reservation, making Anthony’s face drain of color, which helped alleviate some of her worries, but her response did put his line of thinking into her own mind.

“While on our journey, and when I was resurrecting, we passed through many dreams and spaces filled with Anthony’s innermost world—the base of his Intelligence—and among those daydreams was a question in if the two of you could proliferate, which came to him thinking about this image of a little girl.”

“No, but—I’m a Chemist—naturally, eh-heh, my scientific mind would ponder how that would work… if she’d share the aspect of Legend and Mythickin—it was just a thought experiment—I know we haven’t even been on our first date, so… Haaa, I know it sounds weird.”

“Ooh, I’m thinking about it, too!” Nia nodded eagerly, ears going up and down. “You don’t think she’d have hare ears—big ones like Rachel—mmh, ‘cause I think that’d be cute, too!”

Feeling like teasing him a little as she figured it was pointless to further play into her paranoia, Rachel clasped her hands behind her back and pressed down on her stiff tail. “Hmm… Well, Nia, you see, Anthony told me he’s not the biggest fan of bunny ears.”

Eyes going big and ears folding back, Nia looked at him as if he’d personally attacked her. “You don’t like—like my ears,” she mumbled, hands pressing them down. “W-Why… are they too small—I know bunny ears aren’t as big as hare ears, but—but I can’t change that I’m a rabbit!”

“No! No—Rachel… I said I wasn’t a fan of Rachel’s ears!”

“Oof… tsk, tsk, tsk,” Yseress playfully hissed as Nia’s colorful eyebrows pulled together.

“What’s wrong with Rachel’s ears? I think they’re really cute—I even put earrings in them—see… They're big and fluffy, and the gold helps draw attention to them…”

“Yeah, Anthony,” Rachel challenged, leaning forward a bit with an accusatory smile, “what’s wrong with Nia and my ears?”

“Ugh… I’m always going to be the bad guy here, aren’t I?”

“You dug your own hole.” Yseress waved a hand. “In any case, I despise not being able to doubt the authenticity of the people I deal with… Explain, if you could.”

Anthony managed his unbound lion’s mane of copper hair that reached his shoulder blades as the warm Florida wind picked up, whistling through the trees. “It’s as I said; I couldn’t deny that she was honest.”

They turned to Jaenona as she stole the spotlight, large shimmering eyes like a child’s. “I do not quite understand the context, Big Sister.

Yseress choked. “B-Big… I am not your sister—”

Jaenona blinked, turning a questioning gaze to Nia as the teen blushed. “I was told it was a proper way to address you. Is it not?”

“For an all-knowing and powerful eldritch entity, you are quite dense,” Yseress grumbled, glaring at the rabbit as she played with her hair, refusing to make eye contact but not backing down from her position; she’d have her big family—likely another product of Scarlet’s influence. “I am not your friend.”

“Understood,” Jaenona chimed, and Rachel wasn’t sure exactly how much this creature grasped their culture, or perhaps this was her way of being awkward for all she knew. “Please, ask your questions, and I will answer to my best ability.”

Rachel jumped on it before Yseress. “Do you know what lying is?”

“I do.”

“Have you lied to any of us?” Yseress inquired, and Nia shifted nervously as the atmosphere took on a heavier tone.

“I have not.”

“Can you lie?”

“I… suppose?” she muttered, confused vision drifting to Anthony. “Lies only conceal the truth, which is counterproductive to the purpose of the Mecroaf. If Anthony were to order me to lie, I would, but it is not something I take lightly.”

“Shoot,” he grumbled, everyone’s focus going to him. “I guess that means I’m the bad guy again—she’ll only lie if I tell her to—eh, Jaenona…”

“Yes, Master?”

“Disregard me telling you anything besides telling the truth to Rachel and Yseress.”

“Okay! What do you wish to know next?”

Nia threw up her hand again. “Oh, remember my question—the Lovecraft stuff! You know what it is now?”

“I do! It corresponds heavily with what you’d call The Dark, yet now that I have an understanding of this concept, I can see their influences in the hearts of men—they are the very same that you have shown me—the Outer Gods corrupt the Red Sea and devour all they come into contact with.”

Nia shivered, hugging herself. “You mean—t-they’re real?!”

Rachel made a mental note to read up on the entities when she had time. “You’re similar to them?”

“Quite similar to those of us in Magthera, I’m afraid,” Jaenona whispered, for the first time shifting uncomfortably. “The Outer Gods have lost the song and extend their influence, which draws my brothers and sisters into their web to fight against what they once found harmony in.”

Anthony’s lips tightened as the little girl grew melancholy. “They’re your opposites?”

“In some respects… We could distinguish ourselves by the label Extratemporals; although we are the same type of entity as the Outer Gods, we have a different purpose.”

Yseress sat in the air, hugging the bag she’d summoned to her breast. “What equivalent to these Lovecraft entities are you?”

Jaenona tilted her body to the right, looking thoughtful. “Hmm… It is challenging to honestly place myself in a hierarchy with the others within Magthera and the Outer Gods. I can answer in this way, but Anthony…”

He hissed, puffing out a long stream of air. “Rachel, the reason I changed the subject was that naming these entities while in Jaenona’s presence draws their influence closer—she’s like an unwilling resonance rod—are you willing to see exactly what we’re dealing with?”

“Will they attack?”

Jaenona’s locks weaved with her head. “Not since they do not know I am severely weakened—I could be slain by some of the Lesser Servitor Races—it will be a warning.”

Yseress’ gnarled wings folded closer, vision narrowing. “Will it not draw them to us—do they know you live?”

“Unfortunately, they do; it is in the song within my essence that they seek to destroy.”

Rachel thought on it for a moment, everyone waiting for her response as she scanned the worried little adorable girl’s face. “What are the pros and cons of summoning this servant?”

“Can we not, Rachel?” Nia quivered. “They’re really, really bad news! Like, like worse than Revilla!”

Her jaw tightened at the comparison. Revilla’s extra powers… So, she’s a product of the Outer Gods; she appeared to have eldritch abilities.

“Hmm… Do you know which of these Outer Gods is the Hollowed Sun or Black Star?”

“I am afraid they are not of the Outer Gods, Rachel… So far as I am aware, it and its followers were trapped within their unhallowed figurehead.”

She can describe them, and we could look them up later…

Yseress’ eyes widened as a thought came to her mind. “If you are of such power, Dre’jna Jaenona Le’thrga, Whisper of Oblivion, can you break into the 9th Circle of Hades?”

Nia gasped. “We can rescue Izzy!”

“Lady Izanami,” Yseress huffed to the teen’s bobbing head.

“Mhm! Izzy is in trouble. We can go save her! Right, Anthony?”

Jaenona fidgeted a little, depression setting into her voice. “I am afraid… I am at an extremely vulnerable stage; their cults are already here. Anthony is the only thing keeping my essence from decaying, from being swept into the Great Old Ones’ hands—to be devoured where they wait in the Red Sea—their cults prepare for their return.”

Rachel bit her thumbnail, emotions a mass of chaos; she hadn’t upgraded Emotional Detachment in some time, and it didn’t have the highest rank since not much had bothered her since feeding off of Yseress and the Hades Moon.

There are far more sides than I initially planned; we really are caught in a maelstrom of conflicting interests and parties, each after their own agenda. We have two opposing Grand Existences of eldritch entities, Twilight, the gods, Hades, the Hollow Sun, potentially this Black Star, and these Destiny and Fate people… possibly more we aren’t aware of yet.

Revilla and Scarlet’s mom weren’t entirely wrong. The issue is we can’t rely on anyone else but ourselves, which is why someone gave us these Seeds—the Crystals are there to force civilizations to advance—they either die to each other or to the creatures looming overhead, preparing to attack… Twilight is the dam.

Obviously, she has her own agenda, and she may not be a part of these Seeds but using them to her advantage… We need to get stronger.

Vision shifting to Anthony, she steadied her thoughts. “If they are preparing their cults across the world… We don’t know who is the closest, so we should try to figure out what scale we’re dealing with.”

“Hmm…” Yseress crossed her legs. “It is best to know who is the summoner; you would be able to determine what things are needed for the ritual to track it down.”

Not only that,” Rachel added, “but I think we should spook them for a time by showing Jaenona is here, which might hasten their ritual to bring their god into the world, but give us a chance, as Yseress said, to identify them. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, Jaenona, but you can describe them without naming them directly, right?”

“I can.”

Anthony’s cheeks puffed out, yawning again while stretching out. “Ugh… I have to sleep soon to recharge—I feel like a narcoleptic.”

“Apologies, Master…”

“Heh, it’s not your—well, heh, I guess it kind of is your fault, but it’s par for the course. What do you think, Rachel? I’m down if you want to summon it; I think it will cause a lot of things to back off for a while.”

“It’s a good point… Still, before that, can you tell us how powerful you are, Jaenona, and describe the entity?”

“Mmh…” she looked worried, rubbing her chest as if recalling a terrible memory. “I suppose to put it in perspective… the one who delivered the fatal blow that slew me… was who I call the Crimson Tide, yet you… you call it the Crawling Chaos.”

Nia squeaked, ducking behind Anthony and looking around to see if he’d show up. “Bad—real bad!”

Yseress shook out her shoulders, glancing down at her tattoos. “Indeed. You were weakened?”

“I… had recovered greatly using the song in my Master to leave the Red Sea; still, even at my strongest, I would be hard-pressed to match that particular Outer God. Currently, they are forced to the Outlands due to the many barriers placed in their way—many by the one you call Nodens—yet their forces are gathering.”

Nia’s fear calmed. “Wait, I mean… I guess he’s okay…”

“There are paths that Nodens helped to fashion to support my brothers and sisters,” Jaenona vouched, “which is why I was able to survive as long as I did.”

Having come to the same conclusion as Anthony, Rachel smiled at a brooding Yseress, trying to figure out how to get Izanami free, Nia, frightened at the prospect of summoning an absolute terror, and Anthony just hoping she wouldn’t shove him away.

“Hmm. Okay, let’s poke the bear and see which bear it is—who would we test—would any do?”

The girl nodded. “It would resonate across the Red Sea like sonar in water, and any like me would feel its ripples; they do not know my name, so they cannot understand the resonance.”

Rachel turned to Nia. “Feeling brave?”

“NO! These things are uber-scary—like, wet the bed scary!”

“Chickening out? I didn’t know you were a chicken,” she teased.

“I’m not; I’m a rabbit Living Denier!”

“So you can say it?”

“Mmgm… Why are you having me do it? Have Big Sis do it!”

“You can’t blame her, Rachel,” Yseress soothed, floating over to stroke her head and make the teen blush. “Rabbits are sensitive and easily frightened.”

“Am not!” she cried, brushing the Nephilim’s hand away to Anthony and Jaenona’s chuckles. “I can totally do it—Nyarlathotep—see! Eep—”

Rachel’s heart stilled, the air on the back of her neck standing up as mist bubbled up from the water around them, and a large, fish-like frog entity rose out of the haze, guttural sounds rumbling the air as it flexed its bloody spear, clearly coming from battle, and all sound outside faded.

Its thick, tarp-like cloth that draped over its slick head dripped with black liquid, staining the swamp and mist as the sound of a storm in the distance yet unseen brewed.

Rachel’s gut churned as it stepped onto the dock, Anthony taking a step forward to be beside her; it was powerful; despite its fat belly, the creature was more than a little intimidating, and there was a gleam in its black, prodigious bulging eyes as it surveyed them.

Nia and Yseress were nearby, the Nephilim seemingly defending the frightened rabbit, trying to summon her courage; it would be a tough fight if they didn’t have Yseress to face it, but in the next instant, her ears twitched, hearing several more rising out of the frothing depths to surround them.

Shark-like wide jaws snapping, the leader spoke in a cryptic language she couldn’t understand, pointing its spear at the stalwart little girl between Rachel and Anthony.

“Gek-gek-gek… God-raga moshi thra ti ga dro-Dagon shuuu-raaa…”

With that ominous phrase, it smashed the butt of its spear against the bridge they stood on, causing a wide-ranged pulse that turned everything to splinters; Rachel jumped forward to meet it just before the blast, forcing her way through the wall-like barrier as the mist swirled, yet her leg only connected with what seemed an afterimage as their connected worlds faded.

Using another lunar platform to reach the in-tact bridge several meters away in the hail of ice balls it had generated, she looked back to see the fog clear, Anthony carrying a black and white spear, the little eldritch girl nowhere to be seen.

Nia was crying. “D-Did you feel that—brr… they came out of nowhere! Literally, the mist just showed up—so, so creepy!”

“Calm yourself,” Yseress mumbled, glaring at the area they’d vanished while setting the frightened teenager down. “They can bridge dimensional space—powerful stuff… What did they say?”

The spear melted out of Anthony’s hands to rise into Jaenona, a somber look on her face. “They were laughing at our folly… Prepare for the Ruler of the Deep Ones… Father Dagon will rise from the sea to consume this world.”

Nia’s fingers balled into a fist. “S-So we need to find the Esoteric Order of Dagon and take them out?”

Rachel rolled around her shoulders; she’d been prepared for a fight, and this was a tad disappointing, but it would have been a rough battle—dozens more were hidden nearby.

“Let’s go back home and fill everyone in.”

“You trust me?”

She gave him a sly smirk, releasing Emotional Detachment to contend with the swirling chaos, playing it off as a joke. “Let’s say… as far as I can throw you!”

“Haha! Okay, so pretty far?”

Yseress looked thoughtful at the turn of events, returning to Rachel’s Core without further comment as Nia latched onto Rachel’s arm.

“Yeah, let’s go! I—I don’t like being near the water now… or sharp edges—gah, these eldritch things could come from everywhere!”