Carried away.

Shadow could feel Waynev slipping as even she couldn’t open her eyes.

Her own hold on her was failing as time passed.

So slowly, yet so wholly.

This was it, she thought to herself as she felt herself fade.

But as she did she could feel a life sign, much like Waynev’s nearby.

Already dead.

Yet… waiting.

The rumbling stopped but the slipping continued.

Time slowed as Shadow could feel herself tempted, scared and desperate.

The spark was miniscule, nearly nonexistent.

Perhaps-

But as Shadow was contemplating, the distance between the body, between the container was slowly becoming larger.

More distant.

Taking a leap of faith Shadow tried to enter the foreign body, only for it to reject her.

Pushed back into Waynev she could barely feel it in the distance.

Trying again, this time Shadow used the last of her power to read what should have been the owner of the bodies mind-

As she did she finally got in and saw what looked like a computer.

>ERROR

>SYNDICATE USER PERISHED

>SLEEP MODE INITIATED

>NEW USER DETECTED

>NEW USER UNABLE TO CONNECT

>SLEEP MODE INIT-

>NEW USER CONNECTED.

>WELCOME 5H4D0W.

“What is ha-”

But before Shadow could even open her new mouth, her new body was thrown against a hard object and as the rumblings around her stopped, Shadow slept.

Unaware that she had been disposed.

…

Unworldly screams erupted around her as she cleaved another Imp apart.

Scrambling to close the door, Kresley looked inside her once clean and orderly house.

At what was now covered in bodies, limbs and black blood.

Sticking to everything like a thick sticky oil.

“Pill! Vaud!” She called out, running back to her room.

Climbing the stairs and moving past the scarred handle Kresley was immobilised when she saw the sight, just outside her window.

Demons of all sizes were coming out from the roads and sewers.

The red and blue decorate the houses and shops were now dashed in dark red and black blood.

Below in the street Vaud and Pill were defending two children from a flock of flying imps.

Vaud blocking and Pill shooting them down with his crossbow, Kresley quickly grabbed her gear and equipped it, sparing precious moments watching the scene unfold outside.

One of the imps aimed at the ground below Vaud rather than his shield causing a short shriek of pain which Pill capitalised on, as Vaud grabbed the nearby imps attention he shot off two bolts nailing two of the flock immediately.

With each garment attached a knife was slid within, grabbing her leather pouch she easily retrieved all 12.

Leaving none behind, she grabbed her pack as she put on her last greave and snuck in the last knife.

Hearing Vaud shout a war cry, Kresley bolted down the stairs, knives in hand.

Kicking open her door, she saw the last four imps of the flock rapidly fire down at Pill and Vaud.

Pill used his crossbow in vain to block two of the shots but one hit his shoulder and the other his hair, small shrieks followed as Kresley aimed her knife at the imp well above her firing range, about to throw-

Loud sirens emitted as the familiar magic beams shook Aestern and illuminated the sky in a vast sheen of yellow and blue.

The portal circumvented the entrance of almost all the flying imps, causing fireballs to crash against the barrier but to no effect.

“That was too close,” Vaud pulled himself away from the children before they scattered to nearby houses.

“Those little shits-” Pill already grabbed a small potion to heal his head and the many snakes affected, still slithering although weakly.

“Guys!” Kresley ran up to them, about to hug Vaud before noticing his injuries.

“Oh-I’ll let you heal first-wait what’s happening, wasn’t the annual summoning the n-next month?” Kresley stuttered as she began noticing people around them open their doors and either leave or watch the skies with large eyes.

“Hold on, first are you alrig-” Vaud moved closer to Kresley, nearly face to face before Pill interrupted.

“We don’t know what’s happening, perhaps it was just a few demons summoned from cultists or were in hiding waiting.” Throwing a potion to Vaud, he put his pack on before his serpent eyes began scanning the surroundings for more demons.

“Then why did the city’s barrier go up?I-I don’t think you’re wrong but isn’t this a bit-” As Kresley spoke she saw a short haired Birdfolk land on a rooftop nearby and help her family.

Hitting Kresley like the imp that woke her, was the feeling of recognition.

“Wait...Pill, Vaud. Have we-have you guys seen Waynev today?” Vaud and Pill who were still bandaging themselves up seemed to stop and look at each other in slow realisation.

“Waynev, she was meant to be at the-” Vaud threw his bandage to the ground and grabbed his shield.

“Dungeon. Crap, the monsters, the beasts would’ve felt the portal. She’s in danger.” Pill definitely remarked, grabbing his pack.

“Oh my gods-why did you let her go alone?”

“Kres, it was a normal day until moments ago. We need to hurry before the full invasion begins, the emergency sirens have already begun dying down.” Vaud quickly finished his preparations and stood next to Pill, waiting for Kresley.

“It-ok. Let’s just go,”

Not needing to be told twice the group already began rushing towards the dungeon.

The streets were a chaotic mess, between rubble, injured bodies and the occasional fully collapsed house it seemed everyone was trying to leave the city at once-

Which came to no surprise was a bad idea, especially when demons were trying to fight their way inside.

“The gates.” Vaud spotted the large wooden doors, fire resistant from the outside and able to be refitted with more wood or scaffolding from the inside, they both shared a carving of a blue ocean and red sky.

Kresley looked to Vaud who’s eyes were squinted ahead of the crowd.

“They’ve closed them off, we need to go through the supply routes,” He turned to his teammates, Kresley was barely able to hear him through the shouting ahead.

“...or make our own way through.” Pill whispered to Kresley before getting closer to Vaud.

“I spotted a barrel of oil near the gate,” Pointing with one of his hair snakes.

“It should make hole small enough for us to get out, hopefully kill any demons nearby and be easy for the guards to patch up.” As Pill was explaining his plan, already his crossbow was loaded and a black tinted arrow was loaded.

“So, are we doing this? Or should we trust that wherever Waynev is, she’s alright,” Pill remarked, continuing as he faced Vaud and Kres, “Who knows, she could’ve come home earlier.”

“Well…” Kresley tried peering through the crowd, but all she could see was a mix of tanned skin, scales and the occasional feather.

“Personally, I’ve seen Waynev in action. She’s resilient and fast at ranking, but…” Vaud’s words fell short at whether she could survive in a frenzied dungeon.

“I agree, she… is strong and… is a risk-taker. She’s an adventurer, but her surviving on her own…” Pill hesitated but agreed with Vaud’s assessment.

As Kresley looked at her two teammates she realised they were waiting on her opinion, to rescue or not to.

To blow up part of the wall to attempt to save her-

What if she wasn’t there, or worse they were already too la-

Shaking her head, Kresley remember Waynev’s self-assured aura and tried to think what she would do if she had the choice.

“Guys- Pill, Vaud. I… I want to save her, you know she would do the same if it were me.” Kresley closed her eyes and remembered the stair mimic and Waynev immediately trying to protect her.

Pill looked at Kresley for a small moment before he scrunched up his nose and raised his crossbow.

“Alright, I’ll count down.” Pill whispered loudly to the two, the crowd around them immediately muffling the treason in their own shouts and complaints.

“Ready?” Not waiting for a response he pulled back the mechanism.

“Three.” Vaud pulled up his shield and prepared to brace.

“Two.” Kresley huddled up next to him and tried to calm herself.

“One.” A small sound like a knock of wood came from Pill before-

The barrier shuddered as a fiery red spark lit the wall aflame.

The lines of bodies in front of them all were shoved back at the abrupt explosion, and a roar of pain was heard before all hell descended.