"So, you're really saying that little petal puff here took out a wendigo with just a hammer? Bull-Fucking-Shit." Jade said incredulously, prodding at Frisa, who was perched on my shoulder as we waited for dinner with the crew. Frisa's embellished recounting of our adventure was a bit embarrassing, but I couldn't deny that we were starting to bond as a team.

"Hey, go easy on her, Miss Jade. She got hurt pretty badly," I gently chided. Jade raised an eyebrow at my use of the word "Miss" and shrugged. "Uh, neither of you have a single scratch on you," she observed, examining me from an uncomfortably close distance. "But shit—whose blood is this?" she asked with a playful grin, poking at my belly, which elicited an involuntary squeak from me.

"Indeed, you are right, Miss... Gorilla Girl," Frisa replied, earning a few snickers from the younger kids in the crew. "Although my appearance is as flawless as ever, my core is... damaged." She finished, her voice lacking energy, and leaned in closer to me for support.

"Who you calling gorilla?" Jade shot back with a mock scowl, but then her expression softened. "Seriously though, what happened out there? You left looking like a model straight from one of Geddes's magazines, and now you're all bloodied and your clothes are ripped."

I blushed, glancing down at my tattered jacket and blood-stained blouse, and sighed. "Well, it's a bit of a story…"

I retold the story of our encounter, leaving out Frisa's usual flair, and focused on the unexpected emergence of the creature, identified as a "wendigo." I explained how, by combining our magic and working together, we managed to defeat the fearsome beast. The crew listened intently, their breaths held in anticipation, while a curious Pinto begged me to demonstrate my magic. Geddes, however, paid close attention, his expression growing increasingly concerned as I detailed the monster's appearance. The station, or "subway" as the Faraday Kids referred to it, was meant to be the absolute safest scavenging location in the city. The presence of such a formidable creature within its confines was far from ordinary.

"You said it had antlers, right, girl?" Geddes asked, sounding slightly dissatisfied with my description. "Did they look like this?" He reached into his cargo pants and pulled out a thoroughly-used sketchbook and began to expertly trace a pattern. Twin sets of gnarled spires, slightly taller than wide, were highly jagged and exuded menace; yet, they were similar but unmistakably different from what we had seen at the station. "Those are different," I said, somewhat puzzled.

"That thing you two killed was just a pup. You see these horns, and you've got yourself the mama bear. Either way, you too did good surviving. Honestly Lyn, I think we underestimated you a bit," Geddes acknowledged with a hint of admiration. He glanced around at the rest of the crew before continuing more softly, "I think the three of us," he paused for a second and raising an eyebrow at Frisa, who was clinging onto my hair, "make that the four of us, need to chat privately after dinner."

Geddes and Frisa remained remarkably quiet, as the rest of the crew and I ate in good spirits. Melly had prepared a special meal with some of the ingredients we had scavenged; going particularly all out with a meal of canned sardine and nacho cheese sandwiches on bread that was hand made from crushed crackers. Despite my initial reluctance to eat it, after seeing the rest of the crew, Frisa included, devour it like it like crab sukiyaki on New Year’s Eve, I summoned enough courage to try it. It was actually kind of good.

***

As we finished eating and the crew began to disperse, Geddes beckoned us to join him for the private conversation he had mentioned earlier. With Frisa still clinging to my hair, the four of us made our way to a secluded corner, curious about what he had to say.

Geddes gestured for us to keep our voices down and began, "All right, listen..." But before he could finish, Jade blurted out, "Lyn, you won't believe what I found!" Geddes quickly reprimanded her with a smack on the head. "Jade, chill, girlzoe. This needs to stay on the DL," he sighed, rubbing his brow. "There are two things we need to discuss. First, Jade discovered something we haven't seen before out by the Continental Overpass." He paused, casting a warning glance at Jade, who was visibly bursting with excitement. "Go ahead, girlzoe," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I found this, uhh, jagged-glowing-crack thing, just outside Slime’s Null Spot. Take a look," Jade eagerly reached into her jacket and pulled out a key-sized device with a small screen on it. I instinctively reached out to grab it, but she pulled it back. "Use your eyes, petal puff," she teased, pressing a tiny button on the device to illuminate the screen.

The display was minuscule and challenging to decipher, but the image I saw defied all logic. It was an eerie blend of an air fissure and a black hole. A portal, perhaps? It also resembled a pocket dimension, but the background in the image clearly wasn’t the abandoned store mama and I had summoned it the day before. This ‘Continental Overpass’ that the 'jagged-glowing-crack thing' was situated in front of was familiar.

"I've been there," I said, pointing at the screen. "My sprite led us to this overpass, but Mama sensed a Grimm and so we hid in a nearby abandoned shop. We can find her! She's there!" Part of me struggled to believe it—had I really found her already? I was ready to dash out into the city. "Miss Jade, can you please take me there? You said it was ‘Slime’s Null Spot’ right?"

Jade's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she pumped her fist in the air. "Hell yeah, petal puff! It’s not even that far. Let's fucking go—" But before she could finish, Geddes interrupted with a somber expression.

"Here's the thing," Geddes said, switching to a gravely serious tone. "Sevens and Monkey reported spotting some stonehide hyenas prowling around Pearl Street…" He paused, scanning the surroundings to ensure no one could eavesdrop. "Two of the civvies haven't returned yet. I ain't counting them out, but let's just say the two of you finding a wendigo at the subway doesn't sound like no coincidence. I've seen this pattern before. We've got—"

"Whoa, man, what the fuck are you saying? You don't mean…?" Jade gasped, her face turning pale as she reached for her cheek with her burn-scarred hand. "No, no… Fuck. No… It's not a rotation. Come on, Geddes. Tell me it's not a rotation. Right? Right!?" Her fingers moved to her green hair, gripping her locks and tugging as if she wanted to tear them out. Geddes reached out, placing his powerful hands on Jade's shoulders to give her a gentle shake. "Just 'cuz these two saw a wendi? Bullshit, Geddes."

"Jade, I'm sorry. It is happening again," he said firmly. "But this time is going to be different, I won’t let any of you die. Tomorrow morning, you’re gonna take the kids down south of here, I’ll light this place up till every mon from here to the station.”

“Fuck that! We should move anyone who can’t hold a gat to the bunker, and then… We’ll mow as many of the mons down up here as we can.” Jade replied in determination.

At this point, I was completely lost. I raised my hand in an attempt to get the pair’s attention, but felt a small tug on my hair. Frisa had finally decided to speak up. "Lyn," she whispered in her native tongue, "Allow me to explain what's going on. It's crucial that you understand the gravity of the situation before we proceed." I nodded turning to Frisa. “Thank you.”

Frisa let out a deep sigh and began her explanation with an air of authority. "Very well, pay attention. From what humans, including the Faraday Kids, understand, a rotation is when monsters from the outskirts of the city move inwards and wreak havoc on the few settlements that lie within. It's a rare yet recurring nightmare for what few humans are left this city, sadly, claiming many lives."

She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "However, the truth exceeds their simple human comprehension… Yourself excluded, my little heroine” She paused, letting out a cough before continuing. “The real reason for this ‘rotation’ is the appearance of a new portal in the dungeon. Naturally, the Grimm are shifting their positions to guard it, and their menacing presence is causing nearby monsters to migrate and bring chaos to whatever lies in their wake. I imagine that hundreds of beasts of a similar caliber to the one we slew this morning will be parading through this camp within a day or two."

As Frisa's words sank in, despair welled up inside me. Just days ago, I was teasing Tai-Tai and flirting with Feng. Then, by Friday evening, my mother was dying, and I was thrust into the “dangerous and unpredictable” dungeon nexus to reach Hel – all because she had angered some powerful beings when she transferred my soul from my vampire sister into my abomination of alchemy–homunculus body.

The absurdity and horror of the situation struck me, and I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. This was it; we were going to die. I crumpled to my knees, and the world seemed to slow to a crawl around me. The environment blurred into a chaotic whirlwind of overwhelming sensations. Jade and Geddes' argument continued, but their words became meaningless, their voices like distant thunder.

I wanted to hide, to cover my eyes and ears, and pray for it to stop. I longed for clear skies and sunshine.

"Lyn," a distant, ethereal voice whispered in my ear. "No matter what clever plan Geddes might have, these humans are destined to fall. But I know a place where the two of us can hide. We can wait out the rotation, and then afterward, maybe we'll even find another settlement to stay with!"

"Hide?" I echoed, my voice uncertain. That is what I wanted, right? "Yes, Lyn! Please, you're my little heroine. I don't want you to die a pointless death like the rest of these humans." The voice pleaded, but I remained frozen. "We can't control what happens here."

Could it be true? A sensation of déjà vu pierced the fog in my mind. I recalled a memory of a little girl shrouded in darkness under her blanket, quivering in fear as a fierce storm roared outside. It was one of my most vivid memories, but why did it resurface now?

Rather than fearing the lightning, learn to control its path.

A sudden, all-encompassing burst of clarity engulfed me. Within me lay the power of a true storm, bestowed by an ancient goddess. I was an immortal creation of a legendary mage, possessing both the power of a mage and the skill of an adept. I could see mana, wield lightning, and heal from any wound. I was determined to find my mother, rescue these people, and escape this accursed plane. After a fleeting moment of shame for my earlier vulnerability, I rose to my feet and faced the others.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Geddes, you want us to flee while you play the hero and 'light this place up'—which I assume means setting it ablaze?" I scoffed at the clichéd notion of self-sacrifice. "And Jade, your plan is to lock defenseless children in a basement while the heavily armed 'suicide squad' tries to eliminate the monsters before being overrun?"

Channeling mana through the runes etched into my body, I stomped my foot on the ground, shattering the floorboards beneath me. Jade and Geddes leaped back in surprise. "No, we won't waste our lives in a futile battle against these creatures when there's an opportunity to escape. Jade, you'll guide me to where you took that photo, and together we'll find my mother," I proclaimed with steadfast determination. "She'll know how to navigate everyone past the Grimm and through the next portal on our journey to Hel. She did it when she went to Earth fifteen years ago, and we can do it again.”

Geddes clenched his fists and let out a laugh brimming with determination. "Hahaha! Yes! Lyn, I knew you was on a wild streak when we first met. Come on, Jade, fuck this world and this city, let's take everyone and get the hell out of here. Together."

Jade tried to suppress a smile, a hint of vulnerability flickering in her eyes. "Shit! You're raising my hopes. Fuck guys, are we seriously doing this? You know I'm not some naïve dreamer like Caster was, right?" She shook her head as if attempting to dispel the thoughts that invaded her mind. I stepped forward and poked her in the stomach, causing her to jump back with a squeak and glare at me.

“Miss Jade, you’re being a bitch and I still think you’re full of shit!” I said mimicking her usual wide stance and gruff voice. “Don’t you think you should at least hear this helpless idiot out?”

Her smirk returned, and the familiar cool demeanor graced her face once more. "Damn, Petal Puff. That's ice-cold, girl."

"I need you, Miss Jade," I said earnestly. Her face flushed with surprise. "I need you, Geddes, and Frisa too." Geddes responded with an enthusiastic thumbs-up, while Frisa stirred on my shoulder. "We can't do this alone. We have to do it together. No more secrets, no more lies." I pulled out my dungeon bead and summoned the sprite. "I have a plan, but first... I really need a bath."

***

Meanwhile...

*Piii*

A sound?

An artificial sound—C# Minor Chord—Perhaps an illusion?

But even if this is an illusion… I must exist in order to be deceived.

I exist, and perhaps this—C# Minor Chord—exists as well. Is that what this universe is?

I delve into my memory, sifting through a century of recollections—both pleasant and painful.

I discover that I have a name: Yan Ailing. I am a mage from a world named Paurales. I have a wife and two daughters. I should feel some emotion upon remembering them, but nothing stirs within me. Peculiar. My memories paint a vivid picture of a world far more diverse than my current existence in this C# Minor Chord -bound universe. It is a realm of many sounds and—could that be sight? Why am I confined here rather than the vibrant world in my memories?

I am cursed. This revelation is buried deep within my memories, in a place not easily accessed. This memory is unique. I crafted it, not merely in the figurative sense, but I truly created it and tethered it to my soul, so I would unearth it during moments like this.

The message is conveyed in thoughts rather than words, a sequence of lucid and distinct impressions:

CURSE. ETERNITY. TIME. SOUL.

I now grasp the first half of my predicament. I am not trapped in some peculiar C# Minor Chord-dominated universe; instead, I am ensnared within a single moment in time. But why the C# Minor Chord? What does this mean?

***