THE AIR IS oppressive and thick with humidity. Lush greenery grows in and around knee-deep water, shrouded in a veil of fog. Gnarled trees twist and stretch over the water, working in tandem with the fog to hide whatever may lurk in the depths of the mire. The scent of rotten eggs is strong, adding to the already dense air and making it hard to get enough oxygen into my lungs.

Lucy and Perry stand on either side of me, examining the surroundings with wide eyes.

“It… smells,” Perry says quietly, covering her nose. “Isn’t that sulfur?”

“We’re inside the Tower now,” I say, scanning what little of the area I can. “Stay sharp. Don’t assume anything.”

Upon seeing I’m already armed, the girls both draw their own weapons. Lucy’s face is pale, and she’s breathing heavily, eyes darting left and right. Her knuckles are white where she clutches her machete. I put a hand on her shoulder, and she flinches, snapping her head toward me.

“Deep breaths,” I say. “Through your mouth if you can’t stand the smell.”

“I’m… fine.” Lucy shrugs out of my grip, but does manage to take a few deep breaths.

When I’m satisfied she’s not about to hyperventilate, I address our immediate situation. “Doesn’t look like we’re near any of the other parties. We need to find them—the whole point of this exercise is safety in numbers,” I say, shaking my head. “Follow behind me; watch and listen for anything moving out there. I have high Perception, so I’ll probably know about it before you do. Follow my commands, and don’t hesitate. These aren’t people, they’re monsters.”

We’re on a tiny island in the middle of the mire, which means the only way to go is into the water. The girls groan a little as it soaks through our boots, and I can’t blame them. It’s gross, but more than that, it’s unnerving. There’s no telling what lurks beneath the muddy surface.

The quiet is deafening. This world lacks the sounds of nature humans are accustomed to; no frogs croaking, birds singing, or insects buzzing, the only noise accompanying us our own movements as we wade through the murky shallows.

My Perception is an itch in my mind demanding to be scratched, whispering of the wrongness of this place. It’s too quiet. Nothing is moving. Why can’t we hear anyone else? What if that smell isn’t sulfur? We’re too loud! Something writhes just beneath the surface. We’re being watched.

“Get back!” I bring my sword up just in time to intercept the branch of a tree swinging at me from within the fog. The branch batters through my hasty defense, the thin metal I’d inserted between it and myself doing nothing to stop the weight from crashing into my ribs. The loud crack of broken bones resounds as I’m sent skidding over the surface of the water, landing on another island. Distantly, I register the sound of someone screaming, and then everything goes black.

I come to moments later, just in time to see the terror in Perry’s eyes as she’s pulled under the water. Lucy is nowhere to be seen. I’m alone in the mire, surrounded by fog and things that want me dead.

Silence falls like a guillotine.

My heart pounds like a drum in my skull.

My body is numb.

I failed them.

I knew this would happen.

I knew I would let them down.

They’re dead, and I just watched.

They’re dead, and I just watched.

They’re dead, and I just watched!

THEY CAN’T BE DEAD!

Something primal erupts from my throat. Lightning surges through my body, jolting me to life. I force my mana inward, compressing the wild energy again and again inside the shell of my own flesh, knowing it might tear me apart and unable to care. I grit my teeth through the pain as the power grows more and more unstable, electricity arcing off my body until finally the inevitable happens, and the patch of land I’m on explodes.

In the span of a single thrashing beat of my heart, I cross the distance to my charge, crashing down on the muddy water from above and bursting the silence with a clap of furious thunder. The water erupts, geysering out in a ring away from my impact as a shock wave surges across the mire, blowing away the nearby fog.

In the mere moments the bed of mud beneath the surface of the water is visible, I see where the girls lay flat on their backs, slowly being pulled further into the mud by gnarled wooden limbs. Perry is first, because she’s aware and staring at me and I need her help. I manage to cut one of the hands grasping her before the water rushes back in, and she’s able to struggle free by using my grip as leverage.

“Here!” I shout, leading her to where Lucy is submerged. To her credit, Perry wastes no time in diving for the other girl, joining me in reaching under the water to grasp for anything we can use to pull her up. With our combined efforts we manage to break Lucy free of her wooden restraints, and I lift her in my arms.

This time, I hear the wood creaking behind me. Still holding Lucy, I tackle Perry back into the water, and we just barely avoid our skulls being crushed by the tree branch that swings over our heads. Not waiting for whatever it is to wind up again, we scramble to our feet and sprint for a bigger patch of land, which is more hurdles than running thanks to the water.

The moment I set Lucy down, Perry checks her breathing and begins administering CPR. I could kiss her right then and there, but while she’s busy alternating between chest compressions and breathing air into Lucy’s lungs, I’m scanning the quickly replenishing fog for any sign of movement and listening intently for the creaking I know will come.

A branch materializes from the brume and whips at my chest, but I pivot out of the way and bat my sword like I’m playing baseball. The force of the impact almost causes me to lose my grip, but I barely manage to hold on, severing the branch and dropping it into the water. The leftover stub recedes into the fog, which I’m beginning to suspect is a weapon being used against us.

My breathing is heavy, each inhalation of air sending a lance of pain through my chest. The fact I haven’t drowned on my own blood is a good sign, but adrenaline and Endurance are the only things keeping me standing. Lucy coughs, expelling water from her lungs. It’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard, but I can’t spare even a glance to check on her or I risk losing her again.

“Thank god,” Perry says, sniffling as her voice breaks and she finally gives into the urge to cry. I’m extremely proud of her for doing so well under pressure, and more grateful than I could ever express in words.

“What… the hell happened?” Lucy manages, coughing profusely.

“We’re being attacked by some kind of tree thing!” Perry saves me from an explanation that might distract me.

I have to focus on—

Creak.

A cry tears from my throat as I gather what little mana I’ve been able to regenerate, every muscle in my body spasming at once as the nerve endings in my hand are set ablaze. As another branch emerges from the fog, I release the wild energy, but it goes against my will and lashes out, striking the land nearby and barely missing the girls, who both let loose screams at almost being fried.

In my fear, I fail to completely dodge the branch, and it clips my side, throwing me into the water. Something wraps around my leg, trying to pull me beneath the surface. My panicked thrashing frees me of its grasp, and I’m able to scramble back onto land.

Lucy and Perry stare at me with wide eyes, but I realize they’re not looking at me so much as they’re staring at the small branch sticking out of my side.

Fuck.