15

Zack observed Emma’s onslaught from the shadows of the trees. Damon stood beside him, silent and passive. His eyes were glassy. At least he’s standing now, Zack thought, knowing that was a small sign of progress. The orcs had put away their weapons after seeing how futile they were.

He watched Emma attacking the Golem from her position high above the scattered fragments of the dungeon floor. Around him, the ceiling lights that had burst from the wrecked structure gave the flooded region a surreal green glow.

Further in the front, Thao and the mages pounded the behemoth with their flash spells. He saw Emma attack the Golem, destroying its first layer of boulders. Although they had lost two people right at the onset of the battle, the rest of the campaign had gone relatively smoothly. However, the Marine couldn’t shake the feeling that they were still vulnerable and something bad was about to happen. He would have laughed at the suggestion, but Zack’s intuition was at the front of his mind.

He glanced at Damon. The orc general was miserable, but his grief had stabilized. Zack looked at the other members. That dreadful feeling in his stomach continued to gnaw at him.

“Something’s going to happen,” he said loudly for everyone to hear.

His teammates stared at him, confused. He searched the sky for Brett. Maybe he was coming back to exact more revenge. But the madman was nowhere in sight. He turned his attention back to Emma and, a moment later, Harper shouted her warning. Zack saw the black projectiles shoot from the Golem’s mouth. Emma was one hundred feet away from the expulsion, but Zack knew she had bare seconds.

He sprinted for her, shouting, “Greased Lightning.” He accelerated, then bellowed “Leap.”

The black blobs were halfway to Emma, who appeared startled by the attack.

At full speed, Zack jumped. He soared up toward the Grimalkin hunter and initially thought it wouldn’t be enough. I’m going to fall short, he determined miserably. Then he cleared the overhanging mist, and the air seemed to become thinner. It was like he had received a boost. As he sped toward Emma, he told himself, You only have one shot at this. He reached for her right foot. His fingers wrapped around her ankle and squeezed hard. He didn’t want to come away with only her boot.

Emma cried out painfully, but the orc’s weight yanked her downward and out of danger. As they plummeted back to the earth, he pulled her against his chest. A fraction of a second later, his back slammed hard into the terrain at the perimeter of the dungeon. Water rushed through his clothing and armor. Emma cried out again as the impact jolted her now twisted ankle. Meanwhile, Zack’s legs kept pumping, running like a wind-up toy, splashing against the rocks.

“Damn spell,” he muttered as Emma threw her arms around him and thanked him for saving her life.

16

Even with the ankle injury, Emma rose back into the air while Zack ran into the forest, unable to control his Greased Lightning spell. He returned minutes later after his mana had flatlined.

The Golem swung its arms at Emma, but she had moved further back, giving herself more reaction time for the glitch spray. She pointed at the beast and waited for the ability to take effect. It took much longer, and the Grimalkin hunter assumed it was because of the greater distance. Still, after a few minutes, the layer of boulders started quivering. This time, they cracked before exploding outward.

As she avoided the flying rocks, Emma heard the team below her cheer. When the dust from the explosion dissipated, she saw what was left of the Golem. Its stone armor was gone and what remained was a giant that had been totally consumed by the glitch. Its black-and-white body was leaner without the heavy layers of stone, and it began crawling out of the large hole in the ground.

“Damn, we’re in trouble now,” Hammer said far below her.

The beast seemed to be aware of its power and its ability to infect the teammates. It craned its massive leg—which had been trapped in the depths of the dungeon—over the landscape and was about to pull itself out when it suddenly stopped. It remained fixed in that position for a second, then tried to scramble out, clawing at the soaked terrain. However, it was pulled deeper into the remains of the dungeon.

“Give it to him, Crusher,” Zack shouted.

The black-and-white giant thrashed against the landscape. Its four arms slammed against the earth, splashing the water, which was immediately infected with the glitch. The ichor void skimmed over the surface like a leak from an oil tanker.

The glitched Golem roared as the monster at the bottom of the dungeon devoured it. Its shoulders, then its head dipped below the landscape. Emma hovered over the opening and watched water gush over the descending giant. Soon, she couldn’t see any trace of the boss and turned to rejoin the team. As she flew over the churning waters, a thunderous noise boomed behind her. The remains of the Golem, the black glitch, burst from the hole in a geyser that soared two hundred feet into the sky. The void landed on the water and the land, barely missing Vlad and Emma.

17

The teammates watched the glitch spread quickly over the water and more slowly over the terrain. “We’re going to have to get out of here,” Damon said in a low tone, speaking for the first time since losing Angie.

Zack stood closely beside him and pointed to one of the green lights that had landed on dry land. “Do you think those things can take us back to the landing zone?”

“Home sweet home,” Harper murmured. She walked from the group that had gathered near the trees and approached the cylinder. The opaque side had glowed when the Golem was killed by the creature at the bottom of the dungeon. Now, as it leaned against a pine tree, it shone from both sides. Overhead, the sky rumbled, and she looked up at the dark clouds that were moving into the area as the daylight faded.

Harper picked up a rock and tossed it into the glowing green light. It was a test they had run what seemed like ages ago when the team had been apprehensive about entering the tower’s first portal. She telepathed Kylah, who was back at the landing zone. Did you see that?

The young teenager answered immediately. We sure did! Have you guys finished the dungeon?

18

Her teammates cheered when Harper told them they wouldn’t have to trudge back to the beginning of the realm. Except for Damon, who continued to stare at nothing, lost in his despair.

“First, we have to find Armando,” she said, then sighed. “And we have to bury Jordan.” With thunder booming over their heads, the team assigned Zack, Hammer, and Emma to the burial duties. They carried Jordan’s body back to the tower and buried him beside his brother. It was a difficult task, as the land was now under two feet of water, and the tower was still leaning, threatening to tear up the region they were standing on. But they managed the task in an hour and felt better for having done so.

“At least he’s with Ethan,” Emma said morosely as they returned to the dungeon site.

Finding Armando was a much easier task. The long-haired orc limped out of the woods just as Harper and Vlad were ready to go looking for him. His steel battle armor was coated with blood. Rachel rushed to him and began healing him.

After talking with the members, Emma kept Jordan’s steel bastard sword and handed his splint mail to Thao. She told the team about her conversations with Brett and how he had mentioned the possibility of save-states. “Because of his interactions with the Wendigo, he knew a lot more than any of us,” she said.

As thunder reverberated over them and a heavy rain started to fall, Harper suggested they jump through the portal.

“Sure, who wants to go first?” Zack asked without the usual levity in his voice.

The veteran mage told them she would. She approached the portal. Under the darkened sky, the green cylinder looked like headlights in the pouring rain. She sprinted the last few feet and dove into the upright portal, disappearing from view. After a few seconds, the other teammates followed her. Damon and Zack went last.

“Damo, you’re going first,” the blonde orc said, unsure if the orc general would follow him if he went first.

Damon shuffled to one of the few areas close to the dungeon hole that wasn’t infected by the glitch. He said something inaudible into the deep and dark waves, then returned to his place beside Zack. He stared silently up at the black sky and allowed the fat raindrops to spatter against his face and helmet. Then, without saying another word, he ran and jumped into the portal.

19

As Zack vaulted soaking wet into the circular portal room, he smelled fried meat, and his stomach grumbled loudly. “I smell supper!” he bellowed.

Kylah strolled through the doorway linking the landing zone to the portal room. She looked more mature and older than when he had seen her last. “Yeah, we started cooking as soon as we knew you guys were coming back,” she said and pointed to the LZ where they had flash-fried some salmon.

Zack could see the other members already lounging on the floor, digging into the meat. Rachel was the only one standing. She was making herself busy healing the most injured.

“Hey, leave some for me, you bums!” Zack shouted as he wiped the rainwater off his armor.

Nevan walked through the doorway and smiled. “Don’t worry, there’s lots for everyone.” He paused as he eyed the blonde-haired veteran orc. “What happened to you?”

Zack moaned. “Uuuhh, it’s a long story.”

Nevan shrugged. “Well, anyway, the food is the good news,” he said as his smile faded. “The bad news is we haven’t been able to contact Cloud Nine since we arrived.”

“Motherfuckers,” Zack grumbled, but he wasn’t surprised when Nevan told him the interactive screen had stayed black the whole time. The big orc walked into the landing zone with Nevan and Kylah, then lay on the floor with the rest of the members. At the bottom of a lake and far below a violent storm that rocked the disintegrating landscape, the teammates settled back, licked their wounds, and talked about what they’d do next.

“I’m staying here,” Harper announced, turning to Nevan and Kylah. “And I hope you two stay here with me.” While Keshon expressed surprise at the veteran mage’s decision, Harper stayed focused on the father and daughter. “No matter how perfect you are out there, you could still end up dying in a very gruesome way.” She took a swig of water from her wineskin. “I’ll go out for food when it’s needed…”

“Have you seen what’s happening out there?” Zack interrupted with no rancor in his tone.

Harper shook her head. “So, I’ll venture into the beginning of the water realm and catch some food there…”

Once again, she was interrupted. This time by Sierra. “It could be just as bad there,” she suggested, and the veteran mage threw up her hands.

“Then we’re fucked either way, aren’t we?” she asked with a raised voice. “All I’m saying is if we’re going to die because we are stuck in this world, I’d rather do it here than at the hands of some giant insect or mythical creature. And god knows what waits for us in the water realm.” With her face flush with exasperation, she turned to each member. “I’m staying. Who’s with me?”

Nevan, then Kylah slowly raised their hands, and Vlad followed.

Finally, Thao lifted her hand as well. She glanced at the other teammates. “Sorry, guys, but as a non-swimmer, it doesn’t make any sense for me to go into the water realm.”

While the five members opting out expected some sort of condemnation from the rest of the team, the reaction was unusually muted. Every member was too tired to put up much of a fight over anything.

In the silent reflection that hung over the group, Damon said softly, “I’m going back out there tomorrow. I have to find Angie.”

Zack rested his hand on the general’s shoulder. “You won’t be alone, buddy.”

20

After supper, the teammates gathered in a tight circle and covered themselves with the remaining canvas blankets and large white furs. Most of their sleeping supplies had disappeared with Angie, but no one was going to mention that fact. Fatigued and worn from their injuries, the entire group fell asleep just before sundown. Not that they would have known that; hundreds of feet of water lay between them and the storm-bloomed, blood-red sky.

Far to the north, the tower finally collapsed in an eruption of displaced soil and limestone bricks. Ethan and Jordan’s graves miraculously remained intact. The glitches that had burst from the dying Golem’s body continued to surge through the landscape like a virus unchecked. Past the trees and the birthplace of the Dryad breed, a new rip was expanding on the eastern border. And beyond, the man who had ventured unwittingly into a forbidden world had evolved into a powerful and malignant force obsessed by visions of power, subjugation, and deification.

21

Brian entered the bar and saw Greg sitting at the end, nursing a beer. He walked through the mostly vacant drinking hole and sat across from the Cloud Nine employee.

A fat man in a greasy t-shirt approached the stall. “What can I getcha?” he grumbled.

“Um, a beer,” Brian replied nervously as he placed his phone on the table.

The barkeep raised his big, hairy eyebrows. “What kind of beer?” he asked in a slow monotone he reserved for morons. He was sure this guy fit the bill.

“Um, um, sorry. I’ll… I’ll have a Heineken.”

The fat man blew a raspberry and walked away.

Sitting across from him, Greg, a balding man in a white shirt, laughed quietly. “You were saying you wanted to keep a low profile? That guy’s going to remember you for the next week.” He shook his head, grinning at his friend’s foolishness.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Brian whispered. “I’m just…” He raised his hands, not finishing the sentence. The barkeep returned and plunked the beer bottle down onto the dirty wooden table, then sauntered away. Brian took a swig, swallowed, then took another. “So, what are we gonna do?” he asked urgently.

Greg’s smile faded instantly. “Nothing.”

“But…but…” Brian stammered.

“But what?” his friend asked pointedly. “Do you want to get yourself killed? Keep your mouth shut and forget about it. What you saw in that lab did not happen!”

Brian took another drink. “I can’t, man. Those people are going to die in there… or worse. How can you just let that go? Did you see what they did to that kid and her dad?”

Greg leaned back and looked like his head was ready to explode. He placed his palms on the ring-stained table. “Keep your fucking voice down,” he whispered. “If you tell anyone about this, those people are still going to be trapped in there. The only difference will be you’ll suddenly go missing too.” He stared at the man across the table and shook his head. “Do you even know what you’re dealing with here? I mean, fuck. The DNC security just came in and took over the corporation. Have you heard the rumors about Paul?”

Brian nodded slowly. Paul Walker and much of the executive team were supposedly rotting away in their personal six-by-eight cells in Guantanamo Bay.

Greg stood up and walked the short space to his friend’s stall. He settled his hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Look, the drinks are on me. You have my advice. Keep your mouth shut. You have a family to worry about, Brian. Don’t be stupid!” Greg patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

Behind him, the bell over the door chimed, and Brian knew he had been left alone with his decision. He picked up his phone. It was an old cellular model. Despite working for one of the largest corporations in the world, the Cloud Nine technician couldn’t afford to have even the most basic IID technologies. He tapped the screen, and a contact displayed on the broken glass.

The number revealed nothing, but the name spoke volumes. In blue text over a dark purple background, it read:

Simon Gunther

Investigative Reporter

The Washington Ledger

22

Angie choked, and that brought her back to a basic level of consciousness. Around her, the black universe engulfed her. Although her skin was frozen in the barren environment, she involuntarily gulped at the vacuum and her lungs screamed. She coughed and sensed the rusted-iron taste of her own blood. She imagined ice crystals forming on the inner lining of her lungs.

She was dazed, and she muttered Damon’s name, but there was no sound, just the black nothingness that permeated her existence. She tried to remember what had happened, but she couldn’t think straight. Sensing she was about to die, she closed her eyes and tried to recall imagery that would comfort her.

Then a voice whispered in her ear… or was it her mind? She couldn’t tell anymore.

I will give you life, the voice purred. I will give you life. I let you breathe again. Her clouded mind couldn’t detect the sardonic glee in the speaker’s voice. Nor could she see the pale, white eyes that stared at her from the darkness. All you have to do is say ‘yes’.

As her skin cracked and her lungs shriveled, Angie spoke without conscious thought, driven by the primal instinct to stay alive. “Yes,” she rasped, and in the desolate void, that sound did indeed carry like a blood-signed contract with the devil.