Seri leaned on a wall. “So,” she said. “What’s the plan?”

That brought an involuntary spark of pain where there weren’t any while he healed his wound. The grey light of Jadewater Hands masked most of the action, yet if one looked close enough they’d see Grisla’s shoulder wound stitching itself closed, leaving not a mark or an indication of prior damage. His boots made small trenches in the mud earlier, in his panicky race to safety. Hair damp in sweat, blood, and the moisture that coats the cave’s rock in a film; at this point, he couldn’t tell you the difference up there.

His invisibility script upon the talismans were crude. But they worked all the same, thus, he can’t voice a complaint. He let the light fade off his hands, “That’s the most I can do.”

Looking deeper in, the crab was just as invisible as he to it. Hints of its presence by way of the sloshing of water, beating the cave rock; the tics from its joints. A while ago, he stepped a little bit out of the formation: the result? It instantly attacked with the same fervor as the first time. Forgetting about him as if its mind was wiped the instant he stepped back in. Going past him, there was a small gap in the stone, tight as a clogged artery, but as his only way forward, the fit would have to be done.

Grisla flicked an eye to her, “I don’t know.”

She opened her mouth to say something but—closed.

“Hey, Seri,” Grisla muttered. “Would White—”

Her head shook.

He wasn’t surprised. Quite expected. It didn’t hurt to try though. Grisla let the moment rest, his thoughts churn. Assessing himself, he had enough Juva to sustain himself for a short battle, however, ‘Jadewater Hands’ and continuous use of ‘Steps of the Alpha’ siphoned nearly half from his container.

There was a suggestion to push his speed to its limits and leave the creature behind however—that’s a risk he wouldn’t be willing to take. Grisla’s eyes glazed over the area. While it’s invisible, there’s no way of surmising how wide the creature’s body is. What point would speed be, if he dashes right into its claw, or smacks headfirst into its body? He’d be doing a “fast-food” delivery, he termed it. Besides, to deal with it by pushing his core to its limits for the first obstacle in his way, would mean his time at the Well of Wonders will surely be over before it even began.

If his teeth were a whit weaker, they’d crack.

A hand pulled out the Earth Restorative Pill he stashed. While pinched between fingers, he rolled it like a pristine gem.

Maybe I should.

Close to his lips, a swallow would do it. After, he’d leave the crab clueless in his wake. But—he froze.

Out of the question. I don’t have a single guarantee that a situation won’t occur the next time. If I can’t pass this measly thing without a supplement, then I’m certain to be screwed the next time.

The pill was stashed back in his sack. Instead, he took the time to move his legs into the lotus position for meditation. Seri watching over him.

When he opened his eyes, Limbo was there.

Seri’s wall vanished into nothingness, but her eyes never left her charge.

Grisla’s Juva stirred, his core trembling on his request.

“Seri,” Grisla turned his head slightly. “I want a simulation.”

Her lips moved like silk, “Of?”

“Give me the crab, I know you can see it. But… keep the invisibility.”

She didn’t bother to ask the “What for?” Instead she did as asked, tracing air with her fingers. A vague shape of something came into being before his eyes, till she took an extra breath to snap her fingers and allow the something to vanish into nothing. Grisla’s Spiritual Sense tickled on the outline of another that’d appeared on Seri’s command.

“And?”

He stood up. “Hold nothing back. I’m serious. Also, keep it silent.”

Grisla closed his eyes. The solitude of Limbo combined with the blackness he’s seeing, he could say that he, was in the closest somebody could get to a void.

“It begins now.”

A moment of time that was neither long, nor short came. He was a lone figure inside Limbo, the Cardinal Four weren’t anywhere near, nor would they spare a bout of attention for this. With his palms held together, it looked as if he was in a devout period of prayer, with revelations and enlightenment privy to only himself. His ears were so devoid of activity one would reckon they’d had already outlived their usefulness. Grisla was thinking—

Did she even listen to him?

Instinct forced his eyes open. He moved, but not soon enough—an arm was stolen off him. Prompting a howl.

Limbo or not, the pain registers all the same!

Though, in the real world a dismembered limb would deliver a fountain of blood. Alternatively, his stump was cold, and the wound was tamed.

He backed off for distance once more. The culprit was nowhere to be seen; and not an ounce of sound. Grisla closed his eyes again, standing still in the meantime. A suicidal play by any sense of reason. Yet, he did as such.

Smell has failed him. Sight has failed him. Touch, a worthless endeavor. Hearing is but an illusion. His Spiritual Sense? A child without glasses.

It matters little. Those with horrid vision can still find their way. But I have no room for error, the target must be precise, the details accurate to perfection.

Seri seemed to be taking a mercy on him; a second arm was lopped off. He grimaced with all his might against the first arm—hell, he even drifted in and out between fantasy and reality, trying to keep his consciousness stable. And now? Now he buckled to his knees, the idea of Limbo being-reality-but-not didn’t square in his head. What did it matter? He felt the pain as real as he would back in the cave, his labored breathing forced his mind into a freefall.

Then—Grisla stood up.

“Wait… Seri,” He panted. “Please, give me a moment. I just need time to—”

His torso was impaled. Thereafter he was lifted by an entity he could neither see nor sense on its sword-claw. Grisla hadn’t died in this world before, didn’t want to know if it was possible either, his curiosity didn’t extend that far. That unasked-for wish, will be answered.

The agony in his chest multiplied, a feeling that no man should experience was at hand. As if the entity itself was shucking a clam; his body as the victim.

“Seri!” He screamed. “Sto-stop! It hurts!”

The witch smiled. “I heard my request, Grisla Orlith.”

“Try again next time,” Her fingers snapped.

Split in twain, he was.

A scream filled the desolate cave. It spilled out and sprinted liberally anywhere it could go. Bouncing through the dark and empty hallways of the Well of Wonders. Reverberations carrying the full spectrum of emotions without a loss in quality. Somewhere, a group travelling stopped. Their heads turning to a direction. One individual amongst them flashed a devil’s grin; direction reversed, they started on a new objective.

The boy held himself. Shivering like winter itself had hugged him. His eyes couldn’t fixate anywhere, if they wanted to do such a thing at all. Breathing cycle at an irregular pace, the subject acted as if the air itself was semisolid.

A moment came and went, and he returned in parts. Grisla Orlith held himself tighter. It’s me! I’m alive, still, alive.

“Quite a cruel idea,” Seri said, sitting next to him. “I wasn’t sure if you were serious at first.”

He didn’t answer her. Couldn’t even spare a glance.

“Look,” she exhaled. “I don’t know if whether you’re doing will be worthwhile or not. In fact, it’s a very big theoretical with a high risk to your sanity. Especially since you just pulled it out of your head on the fly. But—”

She put a hand on his head. “I believe that you’ll figure out a solution somehow. May not be now, or tomorrow, or the day after that.”

Grisla stirred, and as he was turning around, Seri was already up; looking at the light fading from his talismans. She put a finger to the both, blinked, and at the same time the light returned with triple the intensity. After that, she tossed him a blanket from his sack.

“Sleep, and we’ll restart tomorrow.”

“I don’t think I’ll have a tomorrow,” he doubted.

“How about this,” Seri raised her chin. “I’ll do a favor for you, and, you’ll do a favor for me, cool?”

He pulled the blanket over himself. “What’re you planning?”

“Nuthin’, I just don’t give out freebies.”

“…Deal.”

Grisla wasn’t even able to see it, but, for the first time, Seri gave him a concerned face underneath the shadows of the cave.

“Sleep well,” Her form dissipitated, then was sucked right back in by the amulet.