It was quiet, too quiet. We floated next to the golden orb in complete silence after the rushing water sound of the mana was long gone. Both of us stared at the orb, wondering if we’d caused lasting damage to our future child. While thinking of a glowing ball of light as my daughter was silly, I felt an unmistakable bond.

Oh no! Kalli squeaked in shock. We both felt it before the message appeared.

Lavender ??? has perished.

Lavender ??? has left the group.

There was no time to worry about Sindra. We jumped back to our bodies. It seemed that time slowed down while we were in dream space. Merlin knelt over Lavender who he gently lowered to the ground. He whispered as he closed her eyes with his hands. “You can rest now, Sister. I’ll show you. I’m right.”

Kalli removed her hand from the throne, and I did the same. The magnetic attraction was gone. For once, the throne was just a chair. Mom looked down at me and whispered. “Did you do it?”

I nodded in silence. Merlin acted as if nothing happened, and rose to his feet. “Now that we got the distraction out of the way, why don’t we continue? Honey, if you’d be so kind as you take your place on the throne.”

Mom sighed. “I haven’t been your Honey for sixteen years. Not since you abandoned us.”

How was she so calm? Merlin just murdered the most powerful person I knew and she wasn’t even batting an eye. Merlin ignored the jab and went back to work on the ritual. It was different though. The runes changed color. What had once been shimmering blue, had turned a dim red. Merlin frowned before rushing over to the throne which Mom had decided to sit on again.

“What have you done?” He bellowed, rounding on me and grasping my shoulders. “Give it back! You aren’t going to like what I do if you don’t.”

“Let him go!” Kalli screamed, jumping on him and clinging to his neck while emblazoned in green flame.

Merlin growled and released me to grasp at Kalli. He flung her over his head, sending her flying into the darkness. I wasted no time, folding mana over myself and stepping into the void. My intention had been to teleport to Kalli and catch her, but Merlin followed me into the void space.

“I’m not going to say it again!” he bellowed, lunging at me. “Give it back!”

Not having time to choose a location, I dropped out of the void and found myself outside the tower in the ruins. A rustling noise told me I’d probably started someone with my sudden appearance. Merlin dropped out right in front of me, having taken his time in the void where time didn’t flow to locate me.

He reached out for me, but Kalli appeared between us. She wrapped mana around us and we vanished. Rather than taking me to the void, we reappeared instantly, only this time in Lavender’s underground hideout.

I looked around for any sign of Merlin while Kalli rubbed her arm. “He won’t find this place. Lavender masked it.”

“We shouldn’t underestimate him,” I replied, reaching out to probe her arm with my mana. “We need to rescue the others.”

Kalli shook her head, sighing in relief when I found the fracture in her arm and began mending it. “No. It doesn’t matter. Merlin won’t stop. We have to deal with him first. Somehow…”

She was right, we may have dealt with the system, but Merlin was still a very real threat. He wouldn’t stop until he figured out what we had done with the accumulated mana. The hideout was abandoned. We looked around for Viola but the only thing left was Lavender’s inter-dimensional door.

“Should we hide on Scrap?” I asked, realizing Mika was probably on the other side of the door.

Kalli shook her head. “We can’t run away. Your Mom and all our friends would pay for it. Like it or not, we have to face him.”

Having time to think for the first time since entering the throne room, I took out the blood key again. Why had Lavender insisted on Shara making it in the first place? Thinking of her name reminded me that she was in a group with us and could answer for herself.

Shara? Wendy? Are you there?

Wendy replied. We’re here.

Can you guys escape through the door you came from?

She sighed. No. It was destroyed by Merlin in the fight.

I groaned. They were trapped. We were going to have to come back for them but first, we needed a plan.

Shara, I need to know why you made this blood key. Did Lavender say anything when she asked you to make it?

Shara took a little while to answer. Her voice sounded shaken. Um, I’m sorry, I can’t believe she’s gone. Lavender said Kalli would understand what to do with it.

Kalli reached over and took the vial out of my hands. While she’d watched Shara make it, she’d been on Scrap at the time. For all I could tell, it was just a normal vial of blood. I inspected it to confirm.

Item:

Blood Cipher [Melvin Murphy]

Components

Blood, Mana, Essence of M

Item Rank:

B

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

Kalli clasped her hands around it and closed her eyes. While it wasn’t visible, I felt her mana seep out and surround the vial. She scrunched her nose in frustration when the glass didn’t allow mana through and fumbled with the cork stopper until she managed to remove it. There was a strong reaction when her mana came into contact with mine. I’d seen it before back on Earth. At the time I thought it was just the result of combining our particular flavors in food but seeing it again reminded me that I’d seen it somewhat recently as well. Our combined mana in my blood took on a golden glow that reminded me of the ball of golden light in our dream space. It was the same color as Sindra.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

Well, that’s another way of combining our mana.

Kalli glared at me, but I could tell she wasn’t upset. That’s our future daughter you’re talking about. Sin is more than just a combination of our mana. Much more.

Kalli was right, of course, and she knew it.

Item:

Master User Key

Components

Blood, Mana, Pure Essence

Item Rank:

S

Item Level:

1

Item Owner:

Murphy

The question was, what to do with it? My first thought was to drink it, but the idea of drinking blood made my stomach turn. Not to mention that was the path to Vampirism. Kalli and I had both been plagued with nightmares for months about the whole Vampire thing. Then there was Shara. I was pretty sure she would have a fit if we announced we were Vampires all of a sudden.

If it wasn’t food, there was only one thing left. Kalli and I nodded to each other before sitting down and turning our thoughts inward.

Hey, Kalli. Since when have we been able to do this without sleeping?

She shrugged. I don’t know. You did it so I knew I could too.

Wait, I thought you did it first.

We both tried to think back and wound up laughing. Neither of us could remember. The golden orb had been floating between our cores for a while since absorbing all of the mana from the system. It floated over to us when we both appeared on my side of the dream, waiting intently as we looked at the vial of golden liquid as if it expected us to do something.

Kalli pulled the stopper again. The liquid bubbled out of the vial as though we were in outer space. Normally, I’d find that strange, but we were in a dream at the moment so it didn’t count. The bubbles of golden mana stretched out into a long string that sought out the orb. It shimmered brightly when it made contact. Two wispy tendrils stretched out toward us.

I looked at Kalli apprehensively and she nodded, reaching out to take one. The moment I took mine, I felt a static shock and an explosion of colors erupted into me. Then a voice spoke that was neither mine nor Kalli’s. I was hoping I would get to meet the two of you in this form.

I was confused. Kalli seemed to understand something I didn’t. Hello, Sindra. My precious one.

I gaped at the little golden ball.

Wait a second. Aren’t you supposed to make baby sounds before you sound like a college grad?

Sindra bobbed up and down, seeming to show excitement. That would be true if I was a baby. However, what you don’t realize, is that Human tendencies are tied to the flesh. Here, I am a concept, the result of your combined essences. Don’t worry. When I am born, you will still be able to enjoy the full experience of being my Mommy and Daddy.

Kalli frowned. How do you know all of this?

The artifact you bound me to is a wealth of knowledge. It contains more data than any one person can absorb in a thousand lifetimes.

It was my turn to be confused.

Are you saying you know everything the system knows?

Sindra bobbed from side to side. I actually know very little. It’s just that I have access to all of this information in real time. I believe the effect will minimize when I am born. The Human brain isn’t designed to process all of this.

Kalli reached out to stroke the ball of golden light. It floated into her and she giggled as the raw energy made her fingers tingle. Do you think you can help us defeat Merlin?

Yes! Sindra replied, a projection of light appearing in front of her. There is a message in the system for you two about that.

The light defined itself as a woman in a dazzling red dress. I recognized it as the dress Lavender was wearing the day we met her. She smiled and took a few steps toward us. “Hello, children. I’m sorry you had to witness my death. It hasn’t been easy for me and I’ve known about it for nearly a century. Before you try, I cannot answer any questions. Too many words make the future unstable.

I am glad you were able to figure out the key. With it, you strengthened your bond and prevented Merlin from taking the system by force. It will also give you the tools you need for the battle yet to come. I wish I could help you with that, but my visions stopped when I died. This is all I can do. You have everything you need to survive. Remember, use the ring if you can’t bring yourself to kill your father.”

Then she vanished. We stared off into space for a while before Sindra spoke again. That is all she left. There are several other entities but I don’t think they will be of any use. I believe you’ve met Aya.

I jumped at the mention of her name.

Oh! The tutorial cat. Do you think there’s a tutorial on how to beat Merlin?

Kalli slapped my arm playfully. Be serious, Melvin. I don’t know about beating him but we need to rescue our friends and your Mom.

I smiled.

Yeah! You’re right.