What the...? Ragna’s body shivered, and cold sweat fell down her cheeks.

Mana surged from the temple’s altar room into the sky like a jet-black geyser. The moon disappeared, and darkness basked the forest. Only the temple’s red flicker remained.

Everyone started to run into the forest’s depths as one desire occupied their minds: to get as far away from the temple as possible.

None of them knew what had appeared inside the temple, and they weren’t eager to find out. Instinctively, everyone understood that the source of the roar belonged to an entity that shouldn’t exist.

The wind that breezed through the leaves increased its intensity and cut into Ragna’s skin. Like knives, they tore her flesh and cloth. Thunder drummed, and raindrops fell from the sky. And the sound of hooves followed their trail. Louder than nature itself, they stomped on the ground and crushed through stones. Like a boulder that would galvanize their bodies, the sound hounded them.

The winds transformed into sickles and scythes, increasing the cuts on her skin. Her wounds accumulated, and blood gushed out while the pain continued to soar through her nerves.

Rain poured in masses. It soaked the ground, and the soil dampened to mud. Thunder roared, and lightning struck the dry bark of the trees, lightening them up. Despite the rain, the fire spread with the winds. It burned across the mud and cut off the way back.

They had no choice but to run forward.

Thick smoke and nebulous gases forced their way into Ragna’s nose. She coughed, and the sickening drench disturbed her brain like toxins. The flaming images around her contorted into enigmatic shapes: Monsters that reached for her with their claws and fangs. Over the puddles, she stomped. Through the branches, she swam.

Ragna couldn’t care about the abnormalities.

She had no time to spare for such thoughts. Not when it reached for her. The galloping closed the distance. The hooves followed like her shadow. Those not quick enough, the galloping and howls engulfed, and their screams were all that would remain.

But in the end, all paths concluded at a wall of trees.

Ragna stopped running and chuckled to herself.

That’s it. It’s over.

The hooves had caught up. Blood gushed from every part of her body. Her clothes dragged her down, and water lashed like bombs onto her scorched skin, cuts, and skull. It itched and hurt. Thousands of mosquitos buzzed around her and stung her.

How much she wished to claw her brain out so that she would not feel it anymore?

Mud covered her lips with a sour taste, filling her head with nausea. Everything was twisting and turning.

Altera and Eric had made it this far, as well.

She smiled and dropped to her knees.

At least, she wouldn’t be alone.

Clockwork, that girl, and three of his men had arrived too.

Strange. How reassuring it was that even those criminals had made it here.

She looked up to the sky. It had transformed into an ocean of dark clouds, with neither stars nor moon. The dances of fire and lightning provided the only source of light.

At least, they would see their end coming. Was this how it would end? She didn’t want to die.

“No!” Altera’s voice echoed. “This isn’t the end. We’ll live on. But we’ll recognize our transgressions.” Altera grabbed Eric’s bag and forced him to the ground. She knelt like a knight in front of her monarch and opened Eric’s bag.

The stag’s skull levitated into the sky, and the hooves and noises stopped. They heard the screams of the Clockwork Coterie, but then those disappeared as well. The skull turned around, facing them.

Perhaps her brain was on the verge of collapse, but when she glimpsed at the stag’s head, the outlines of a humanoid connected to it.

“So be it.“

Those words drummed in Ragna’s head, and the skull vanished.

֎

Ragna wasn’t sure how long it took her to become aware of herself and her surroundings. It might have been minutes, or it might have been hours.

The rain was gone, the fire extinguished. A full moon shone with all its might. Cuts, bruises, burns, wetness, and dirt had all disappeared.

Three ivory needles raged into the sky through a body each.

Rivers of blood spiraled down from the corpses of the Clockwork’s men.

Ragna stood up. Her body was still shaking.

A warm breeze messed up her hair, and she looked up at the sky. “Just what was that?”

“If I had to guess, Eikthyrnir.” Eric breathed heavily.

“That can’t...”

“Have you any better explanation for everything that just happened?”

Ragna remained silent.

Eric was right. There was nothing she could explain with logic.

She walked towards Altera and offered her a hand.

“Thanks.” Altera took it.

“How did you know kneeling would work?”

Altera shrugged. “The idea just came into my mind. Sorry, I can’t explain it.”

A warm smile formed on Ragna’s face. “Whatever it was, it saved us. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Altera blushed and averted her gaze.

All three sighed in relief, and once their minds had rested enough, they decided to leave the forest.

But their steps came to a sudden halt. They couldn’t move further as if a barrier blocked their path. No matter which direction they tried, an invisible wall prevented them from leaving the temple’s perimeter. They were trapped.