The sweat dripped off my face and soaked the clothes on my back. Uncomfortable, I raised my sleeve to wipe away some more of the dirt in my eyes.

Once I could see again, I found the cheap brown cloth of my shirt stained red. Something must have hit me, maybe the ricochet off the bullet by the cavern entrance. It didn't matter though. I wasn't in critical condition and at least for now, we would be safe.

With a heavy sigh, I forced my exhausted body back up, before I formed my shell again. It took a lot more concentration than usual, a sign of just how rattled I actually was. Finally, I began to look for Sophie, whom I had lost sight of earlier.

My enlarged eyes swirled around and found the girl to my right, tired and slumped to her knees. A deep breath relieved my anxious mind. At least she was fine. Ready to help up my companion, I walked over.

“Sophie, we have to keep moving,” I said. After a few seconds, there still was no answer. “Sophie!”

When the girl finally looked up, I reeled back from shock. Never before had I seen this kind of face on her. Her skin had always been pale, but now even the last bit of color had been drained. At least her eyes weren't wet from tears, but the silent desperation which filled them seemed even worse.

“...it's my fault.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “If I hadn't been so stubborn and just stayed back, they would’ve never found you. This is my fault.”

As she continued, more and more convinced of her own guilt, her voice became louder to match her self-conviction. “Now they're gonna find the caverns. They'll snuff out what little we have. Before anything can be done! Before we can fight back!”

At the end, Sophie's trembling voice had turned into a scream. I understood her feelings. She had held up well until now, but all this time the unnatural environment had been getting to her. Now the guardians knew the secret entrance to the Caverns. Not long and they would come here to destroy everything the Mystic had built.

This was the last push she had needed for her feelings to break through the dam and flood her rational mind. We might still be able to prevent the impossible, but we would have to move quickly. First however, I had to calm down my unstable ward. In the first place, there was no reason for Sophie to put the blame only on herself.

“Listen, Sophie: This is as much my fault as it is yours. I should have stopped you, rather than try and sneak off on my own. Plus, who knows what kind of magic powers the guardians have, with the way they were flinging spells around. Either way, I doubt I could have slipped by. In any case, nothing will improve if we sit here and blame ourselves. I need you to get up and walk back with me. Can you do that?”

Only empty eyes stared back at me. Again, I caught myself wondering what Nate would do in my position.

“...I can't carry you again. You're way too heavy.”

Finally, I got the reaction I wanted. Her eyes narrowed in anger and with a quiet “fuck you,” she braced herself onto her feet. For now, the best I could do was to break through her desperation, no matter how. I didn't have time to be picky with the long term effects, so I chose to overwrite the girl's depression with anger. After all, we were still in imminent danger. Right now, there was just a thin layer of earth separating the forces of Astralis from the Caverns. We would have to hurry.

“So what now?” Sophie asked.

“Right now, we need to get back and tell the old man what happened. I'm sure he'll have an answer. He always does, doesn't he?”

“...he has to,” Sophie answered in a weak voice.

Though I would never admit it, I quietly shared her sentiment. Despite all of his abilities, the Mystic wasn't superhuman. All by himself, he couldn't possibly stand a chance against an army of mages, armed with those anti-mana guns. Still we pressed on, and hoped beyond hope that the old man could surprise us one more time.

As we got close to the exit, we could already hear the screams from below. Dark shadows of worry covered Sophie's face, and mine couldn't have looked much better. Something wasn't right. A short sprint brought us back to the entrance above the Caverns, but they were almost unrecognizable from the place we had left minutes ago. Before us was a hellhole.

If the chaos in the Caverns from the day of the raid had been like a disorganized beehive, then this was a beehive on fire. People ran around screaming, with no discernible goal. Bands of gangsters patrolled the borders of their territories to push the brave and confused away, under threat of death. In the distance, I could see other groups in jackets, arming themselves with all kinds of improvised weapons. Had they decided to storm the surface perhaps? What kind of madness had overcome them to hedge a plan like this?

“The people are gathering towards the right-side wall,” Sophie said.

She was right. Although there was chaos, the citizens of the Squalor did their best to huddle together at the wall to our right. Whatever had stirred up the people, It was coming from the left.

“Let's get back to the Mystic first. I can't protect you in this mess.”

Sophie gave me a sour look, but didn't say a word. My silence answered her, but I still covered both of us with my light barrier. After the shape had settled, I nodded towards Sophie and we jumped down the ledge together. My prepared cushion of force feathered our fall at the bottom.

At least this secret entrance had been far off the beaten path, so we could collect ourselves before we had to continue onward, into the sea of people. As we weaved ourselves between the rows of the hopeless, the seas turned rough. We kept as close as we could while we proceeded towards the Mystic's home. However, with our goal upstream from the waves of the crowd, progress was slow.

In the end, Sophie pulled me towards the side of the walls. Once again, her head had been faster than mine. No matter how panicked they were, the people would still try to stay away from the gang territory on the edges of the area. For us however, crossing through gangland would be easier. I didn't expect any gangsters to halt the path of two invisible people. When we reached the outer walls of the giant cave, our path cleared and our steps quickened.

Without warning, a loud bang reached us from our left. Although it was far away, it sounded like something big. Again we needed more information if we wanted to make it through the day.

“Wait one second,” I whispered into Sophie's ear, before I shaped a separate barrier for my ward and split up with her. Once again I repeated my trick from inside the jackal's lair. My magic shaped to press my limbs into the earth, I crawled up the wall like a lizard, to scout out the scene.

At first I saw the smoke. Right next to one of the cavern entrances, the one furthest away from us, I could see a black cloud of soot rise towards the ceiling.

Another magnifying shape covered my eyes. For now, I wasn't worried about my magic reservoir. First I had to guarantee our safety.

Out of the smoke, magic projectiles shot and ripped apart the ground, with eerie familiarity.

Another raid!

This time, the red guards had entered the most central sanctum of the City Council's enemies. My brain soon formed a conclusion: The commando of guards at the entrance to the sewers hadn't been a coincidence. They had been part of a second raid. How did they even find the entrance into this place? From the Mystic's self-assured attitude, I was sure this would have been impossible.

Then I realized: Lester's gang. The idiots had stolen their way back into the Squalor to search for a scapegoat. In the process, they must have led the red guards straight here. Although I was furious, no amount of anger could help me right now.

I jumped back down and let my barrier break my fall. Back next to Sophie, I reinforced her light shape while I urged her on.

“We really have to go. This doesn't look good.”

“Wait, what's going on?”

“Guardians. They're coming into the caverns.”

“Wait, what? Oh god...” Again her voice began to quiver.

“It's not our fault. It never was. From how well organized they seem, the guards found a way inside long before we left. The small command we met must have been there to guard the sewer entrance against stragglers.”

At last Sophie calmed down again. Since I had a feeling I would need her head again in the future, I hoped she could keep it together. As the gangsters cleared the back walls to face the ones who had come to threaten their lives, we managed to cover a good bit of distance.

We were only a few steps away from the home's secret entrance, when a figure jumped down from above and landed right before us. There stood the Mystic, ramrod straight as always, with that same stoic look on his face.

“Old man, this is bad!” Sophie shouted as she rushed out of my shape. “The red beasts are coming in! What are we supposed to do?”

We stood with bated breath as the old man sized us up for a few seconds. This was our last hope. Surely, the Mystic would have all the answers once again.

“...follow,” he finally said.

As he repeated the old-familiar phrase, I ignored the doubt in the old man's eyes. At the moment, he was all we had to cling to, so we did as he said. At once he led us past the entrance to his home and into the depths of the cavern. On the plus side, I could finally release my own light shape. The Mystic's skillful shape was more than large enough for all three of us.

“Children, someone has led the beasts to the Caverns,” the mystic's grave voice rang from the front.

“We kinda figured that out, but what do we do now?”

Beside me, Sophie had gone quiet. Maybe she still felt guilt from before, or maybe she was shocked at the Mystic's uncertainty. Either way, it was up to me to ask the questions. I was more polite than her anyways.

“There is not much choice. We will have to expedite the plans,” the Mystic said, “You will enter the lion's den early, children. You will have to see the towers and the fields. And then make your choices.”

“Wait, what? I can't leave! I'm not ready! My little sister's in danger!”

“Our plans are incomplete, but this is our final hope. Even if hope itself is only slim.”

“Wait, old man. What about me? I'm not going in there, am I?” Sophie finally spoke up.

“You will both go, children. The Caverns have ceased to be sanctuary.” After a while, the elder's steps had led us towards a place I was already familiar with: The jackal's lair. However, rather than enter the hideout he walked us past the building and into a chaotic forest of stalagmites behind.

“The beasts are at the gates. You will have to act with haste if you yet wish to change the world.”

“Wait, you're saying 'you', old man?” Sharp as ever, Sophie had noticed the old man's choice of words right away. “So what about you then? You're not coming with us?”

The Mystic halted in his tracks. He turned on his heels and looked at the two of us with the same expressionless face as always. His eyes had firmed up and the calm, piercing stare had returned, the one I had always believed could see through time itself, right into the future.

“There is good reason the beasts have stayed at bay for all these years; good reason the Squalor could grow. They feared the strength of the Mystic. For they knew: If they drew my ire with undue haste, I may harm their ranks beyond repair. So they waited. And plotted. Until I would one day perish or prove feeble. Now they see their chance. When young Brayden unleashed his force, with reckless abandon and beneath the birds, the beasts sensed the power from within the Squalor. Maybe, they thought, it was the Mystic who had wasted all this precious force.”

“Wasted?”

I took offense to my technique, but the old man continued on, rude as ever.

“Young Brayden, your control over the force leaves much to be improved. With the measure of force you released in the Squalor, I created my home, and much of the Caverns below. Be measured in its use, until your strength will be required. All else will prove a waste of your talents.”

“...so you got more experience. Big deal,” I mumbled.

In reply, the haggard old man allowed himself a smile for once. After our first training session, it was only the second time I had seen his expression change. This time, his grin didn't seem as creepy as before. Somehow, it felt almost warm.

“Though the beasts have mistaken young Brayden's force for mine, My life has entered its dusk long ago. All that retains its flame are the wondrous powers of mana. It kept my heart beating, my lungs breathing, my head turning.”

No wonder the old man almost never showed any emotions. Any single movement would cost him more of his precious, limited mana supply. Suddenly, I felt guilty for having made the old man smile.

“The beasts have thus sensed the chance to probe me. For they believe me to be weak or dead. As we spent our days in the shelters, focused on the future, they have seen no reaction to their taunts and ascertained my death, and it has made them bold. Now they have found their way here, into the very core of my dreams. Once again, I will prove the powers of the Mystic. Prove that the Squalor and the Caverns are still protected. The beasts will rue the day they entered the mystic realm.”

The same smile as before was still plastered over the Mystic's face, but steely determination could be heard in his voice. He had resolved himself to stay behind, to save what he had spent a lifetime to build and to buy us time, so we could fulfill the dream he could not.

“Children, I will fend off the beasts, though success I cannot pledge. The flesh is weak, old and worn. From here, you move without a guide. Brayden, child, come here.”

It felt like the old man was speaking his final words, so I went over with slow, measured steps. Even Sophie managed to hold back a snide comment. Although I could feel the old, bony hands touch my temples, the feeling was accompanied by a strange warmth. Eager to learn, I closed my eyes and focused on the shape. At once I realized my misunderstanding, but before I could protest, it was all over. With a slow, mechanical move, the Mystic's hands left me.

“You have wasted too much of your strength, child. Let this mana be the flood which will wash away the filth.”

Like an Idiot, I touched my head as I stared at the old man in shock. It had only been a small amount, but he had given me part of what little mana he had left.

“Up ahead you will find the entrance to the towers, the maws of the beast. Young Brayden will know to seek them out. Focus on the shapes, nothing more. Enter the maws and gaze at the perfect world of the Grand Mages. Unmask the beasts, seek the truth, and choose our fate.

“But know this: To choose will afford bravery beyond most men. I pray you have the courage to do what I could not. Never forget: Not always can sacrifice be avoided. Sometimes, the hardest sacrifice is not one's own.”

“Wait, old man!”

While I was still puzzling over his final cryptic message, Sophie called out. Stiff smile still fixed onto his lips, the old man made a single step towards us before he vanished, off to fight the guardians and protect the people of the Squalor.

“...thank you, old man. For everything.” Sophie had tears in her eyes as she whispered her goodbyes in a fleeting voice. Her figure began to swim in front of me.

“Goodbye, children.”

Besides my ear, I heard a familiar whisper, filled with warmth. I had only met the old man days ago, I had never learned his name, but one thing I knew for certain: To him, we had been the only family he had known in a lifetime... and he had only ever wanted the best for us.