Everyone froze at the moment that Rasputin vanished. Only Maya made any noise as she gasped for breath on the ground where Rasputin dropped her.

I raced over to see if I could help. “Maya, are you okay?”

She whimpered, grasping her chest. “I’m…dying…”

“What?” I asked, speaking louder as I turned to look for her friends. “Come quick. Maya needs you.”

Only, they weren’t there. Zofia stood where the other mages from the high house had been, trying desperately to stow a device of some sort that was too big to fit in her lab coat. “Where did they…?”

Maya’s clutched my sleeve feebly and whispered in a raspy voice. “Don’t worry about that. They were cowards. Please take care of Rumierre.”

“Who?” I asked, stroking her hair softly in an attempt to comfort her. “Besides, you aren’t going to die!”

She shook her head, struggling to keep her eyes open. “I feel it in my core. I’m fading away.”

Throwing caution to the wind, I placed my hand over her chest like I was going to give her CPR. Then I flooded her body with mana, attempting to heal the damage inflicted by Rasputin’s soul magic.

“No! You mustn’t.” She groaned weakly, trying to push me away. “Whatever he did can affect you too.”

I didn’t care at the moment. There was no way I was going to let my sister die if I could help it. At first, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Mana flowed through her channels that I’d awakened the last time I connected with her. Then I saw it. Blackened mana pulsed through her system that felt like sludge, devouring her life force faster than she could create it. The damage it was doing was catastrophic.

I flooded her core with mana, hoping that if I pushed enough in, it would expel the toxic mana. Rasputin’s mana was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Working like the plague I’d cured when I first arrived on Gaia, it ate away at her core. While Maya’s soul was putting up a serious fight, it was slowly being overwhelmed by the curse.

Sweat poured down my face as I dumped more and more mana into the effort to save my sister. No matter what I did, the rot continued to consume Maya’s core. Realization set in that I was having no effect on the dark pulsing mana, and I removed my hand from her chest.

“It’s no use.” I gasped trying my best to hold back tears of frustration. “I can’t stop it.”

Tears dripped onto Maya’s cheek and she feebly reached up to wipe my face. “Don’t blame yourself, dear brother. I understand. Please… Don’t forget… Rumierre.”

It took me a moment to grasp what she was saying. Blame myself? Was it my fault she was there? Probably. Was it my fault I couldn’t save her? Maybe. I should have trained more. Who was Rumierre? Wait, she said something about him. She wanted me to look after someone. I could do that, so I replied. “I promise.”

She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. Then I felt it. The ring. “Um, sis, how much do you care about your body?”

Her eyes widened and she stopped gasping for a moment. It was almost like she forgot she was dying as she asked, “My… Body?”

I nodded, nervous about what I planned to do but also desperate to save her at the same time. “What if I told you I have the ability to trap your soul in an artifact? You might be stuck in there while we figure out how to get you out but I’ll do everything I can to make you comfortable.”

She looked at me, her hand in mine, for what felt like an eternity. Then, with a look of determination, she squeezed her eyes shut and whispered. “Do it.”

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I took my hand from hers and pressed the ring to her chest. As I had done with Mardella, I pushed mana through the ring. The effect was significantly more pronounced when I wasn’t half dead. Maya’s entire body began to glow and panic surged through me as I saw the light dim from her eyes. Then it was back, only it was different.

She blinked at me and a grin appeared on her face. “Ah! I didn’t expect you to take me up on my offer, boy. At least not this soon. Wait a second. What’s this madness? Did you place me in a dying body? Are you trying to kill me?”

She ran her hands all over her body, frowning. “Oh, I see what happened. You didn’t intend to free me. You did this to save someone who was dying. Worry not, a simple affliction of the soul is nothing to a grandmaster.”

Maya stood, ignoring the fact that she had just been dying, and hunched over with a look of concentration on her face as though she were constipated. Light began to leak from every pore in her body which was quickly followed by an explosion of the blackened mana I’d seen earlier.

I was blown back by the force of it. Kalli rushed over to me. Did you just…?

My mind was a blur and all I could do was nod. We both knew what I did and what happened. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten that the ring worked as an exchange, releasing one prisoner for every new one it accepted.

I slowly climbed to my feet and looked at Maya. She looked smug. “Longinus?”

She nodded, flexing her newly acquired scrawny arms. “You remembered me. I’m touched. However, didn’t I tell you to get me a male body? Oh well, I suppose it couldn’t be helped. Come over here and let me help you with that curse.”

Kalli grabbed my arm defensively. Don’t you dare! We can’t trust this man.

She looked at us and a smirk appeared on her face. “Ah, well, I wouldn’t trust me either. However, you still did me a favor and I always repay my debts. If you wish to take me up on my offer, you will find me at Wuru Peak. There is an old monk I’d like to exchange a few words with, if he’s still alive, that is.”

I wanted to continue the conversation but Maya punched the air and a portal similar to the one I’d seen in Zofia’s big tent appeared. She winked at us and stepped through. Then it was gone.

Everything quieted down quite a bit after Maya left. We huddled with Zofia and the guards to come up with a plan. Esha scanned the tree line nervously. “It isn’t safe here. Whatever caused that explosion earlier is still out there.”

I nodded my agreement and replied. “You’re right, there’s nothing more we can do here. He didn’t want to talk. He wants to hunt me. Let’s go back to the castle.”

Wrapping mana over the group, we returned home, minus one very important person. I could care less about the other three women from Solitair. They were worthless.

When we got back to Celestea, I immediately wanted to visit Maya in the ring. However, there was something important to discuss first. “Um, Zofia, that thing you shot Rasputin with, what is it?”

Zofia fidgeted, hiding her hands in her pockets. “That’s classified.”

Kalli offered the woman a warm smile. ‘Whatever it was, you probably saved us all. Is there any chance we can work out a deal to get more of those to use against Rasputin? It worked when magic didn’t.”

The girl, for that’s truly what she looked like, rubbed her chin theatrically. “Well, I could make a deal. The question is, are you prepared to make a fair offer for what we have to offer?”

“What do you want?” Kalli asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Zofia replied, rolling her eyes and looking even more like a kid. “I want power. Erm, I mean, the company needs mana. To power our designs. It’s the only power source of its kind and we don’t have a steady supply. I’ll supply you with enough tech to arm one hundred soldiers for, say, ten thousand mana batteries.”

“Ten thousand?” I asked incredulously, throwing my hands in the air. “Where did you get that number? For that, you’d need to give us at least a million of those guns.”

Zofia scoffed in outrage and stomped her foot. We both turned to look at Kalli when she started laughing. I couldn’t fathom how she could be so lighthearted so soon after losing Maya. Or her parents for that matter.

What’s so funny?

Kalli turned that charming smile on me and I found myself unable to think. It melted my resolve every time. You’re both acting like little kids. Couldn’t you tell she was exaggerating?

She was?

She winked before turning back to Zofia. “I’m sure we can come to a satisfactory arrangement. Get us a list of what you’re willing to provide and what you would like in return. Then we can come to an arrangement.”

Zofia gaped at Kalli, obviously wanting to continue our outrageous haggling. She sighed and nodded. “I’ll get you a list. If you see Rasputin before I do, you need to tell me if he exhibits any after-effects at all. Please write down any detail. It’s very important for my research.”

Kalli nodded and turned that smile on Zofia. “We certainly will.”

She frowned, obviously immune to the effect. “Very well. If that will be all, I think I’ll retire to my room and work on that inventory list. You might want to start working on those mana batteries now. Our services don’t come cheap.”

I tossed Kalli a sidelong glance as Zofia marched off.

Do you even know how to make a mana battery?

She shrugged. How hard can it be?

I sighed, looking at my hand. Mana battery creation was the last thing on my mind. There was a difficult conversation I needed to have before I did anything else. Kalli sensed what I was thinking and placed her hand over mine. Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.

Again, I said nothing. Sometimes words just weren’t necessary. She took me by the hand and guided me behind the throne to one of the hidden rooms in the back. The castle had many hidden rooms like that, quiet places where royals and nobles could go to host private conversations.

Kalli pulled a red velvet curtain closed when we entered one of the chambers. Together we sat on soft cushions around a small round table. The castle’s magic will ensure our privacy while that curtain is drawn. It can only be opened with my permission.

I couldn’t help myself and let out a small laugh.

Are you saying I’m your prisoner?

Kalli smiled, a feeling of relief coming from her. It’s good to see you smile again. Let’s go see your sister.

Together, we entered the ring. Howls of laughter echoed through the hall as we walked toward the solid oak door where Longinus used to be. “Maya? Are you in there?”

A weak voice answered from the darkness. “What have you done to me, Melvin? Was this whole thing a trap?”

I shook my head, trying to open the sturdy door. “No! You were dying. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.”

“What is this place?” Maya’s voice asked. “Why is Mardella in here? You said she fled.”

The door responded to my intentions and something clicked inside. Realizing it was no longer locked, I pushed it open and stepped into the room. “I didn’t tell you when I first figured out what it did because I’d just met you. Mardella tried to kill me and this was the only thing I could do to survive.”

Maya sat hunched in the darkness, shaking uncontrollably. “Is this a prison? Am I trapped in here for all eternity?”

I hadn’t thought of that. In my haste to save my sister, had I condemned her to an eternity of suffering? I’d visited the afterlife. Maybe it was better? Stephanie seemed to like it in any case.

“I don’t know what this is other than the fact that it’s an artifact like the ones in your house.” I tried my best to explain. “There are others in here who seem to be prisoners. You aren’t a prisoner though. I won’t lock the door and I’ll do everything I can to make you comfortable until we figure out a way to get you out.”

She slowly climbed to her feet, walking through the open door. “Mardella?”

The laughing at the end of the hall grew louder. It sounded like the woman went insane. A dry female voice from the next cell answered instead. “Don’t worry. They all lose their sanity temporarily. It usually only lasts a few years. She’s actually taking it quite well.”

“Who’s that?” Maya asked, walking over to the tiny window in the door to peek inside.

“My name is Vana, Nir Vana.” She chirped, sounding a bit more cheerful to be introducing herself. “Before you ask, the only way out is if the master of the ring finds you a body and releases you. I’m next in line, though you might break that order considering you’re the first to be released from the cel. At least by the current warden.”

I stood on my tiptoes and took a peek into the dark room. A woman in a brown jumpsuit with short brown hair stood in the center of the room, staring back at me.

Name

Nir Vana

Class

???

Level

???

Affection Level

Undecided

At least she was who she said she was. Her eyes flashed when she saw me. “Boy, are you the current lord of the ring? Do you intend to grant our freedom?”