"Shit is right," James muttered, his gaze also fixed on the barrier in the distance.

Just beyond the Contamination Zone, where the next part of the road along with vast farmlands should be waiting for them, a forest now stood. And it wasn't a normal one either.

For one, the trees resembled half-bald pines—if pines could grow two or three times their usual size and turn their needles sickly yellow. At the very least, their trunks were normal, if much thicker than usual.

Aside from that, the ground had changed too, becoming dry, almost decayed. From so far away, Isaac couldn't make out the finer details, but at first glance, there didn't seem to be any other flora aside from the towering trees.

"We ain't in Kansas anymore, or California for that matter," James said. "Should I get us closer, or are we turning back, boss?"

"Forward," Isaac answered. "If we're already here, might as well take a proper look." He frowned. "I don't like this, though…"

"Yeah, me neither…"

The car lurched forward as James stepped harder on the gas. A minute later, he eased off, bringing the vehicle to a stop a dozen or so feet from where the glowing green barrier cut into the road. They stepped out of the car and slowly approached the border.

"It's like another world," James whispered.

"Something like that," Isaac muttered back, pausing at the end of the road. The barrier's glow washed over him, bathing him in some kind of unnatural warmth. Yet, he ignored that sensation and focused on the sight beyond.

His initial assumption had been correct. Aside from the trees, the land beyond was dead. Not a single blade of grass broke the cracked, dry dirt. How those towering yellow pines even survived in such conditions was anyone's guess. It simply shouldn't be possible.

He squinted, trying to see past the dense tree line, but the forest was just too thick. The massive branches sticking out in all directions also didn't help with visibility. Whatever lay on the other side would have to wait for the fall of the barrier.

Why does it all look like some unfinished project? Isaac mused, glancing at the line that separated the inside of the barrier from the outside. Like two worlds colliding. James was right.

For a brief moment, he questioned whether this was still Earth—or if the Interface had somehow ripped out the Contamination Zone and planted it somewhere else. However, as quickly as the thought came, he dismissed it. They had been lied to before, sure, but this? This was different.

No, there must be a different explanation. But what?

Nothing came to mind. He sifted through every notification the Interface had sent him, but none offered any clear answers. The outside world was changing, and no one had any idea just how much. They probably had to wait for the end of Phase Two, if not longer, to find out.

Not gonna lie. A little warning would have been nice.

Shaking his head, Isaac looked toward James, who was flinging rocks at the barrier. To no one's surprise, none of them made it to the other side.

"You done?"

The man dropped the rock in his hand and chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, man. Was just checking if what people back at camp said was true. No way out…"

"So it seems," Issac muttered, reaching for the radio clipped to his belt. "I'm gonna contact the others. Try to walk along the barrier in the meantime. See if you can find anything."

James snapped a salute. "Aye, aye. On it, boss!"

Just like that, he jumped off the road and onto the barren farmlands that ran alongside it. Isaac, though, just raised the radio, activated it, and spoke.

"Can anybody hear me?"

At first, only static crackled through the device. Then, a high-pitched whine screeched into his eardrums. He winced, fighting off the instinct to throw the radio away. It was a good thing he did, as a few seconds later, the noise stopped, and a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Isaac?!" Daryl called out, his words almost broken apart by the static. "I can hear you, kid, but just barely. Where are you?"

"Next to the barrier," Isaac called back, keeping his voice loud and steady. "Listen, everything beyond it is gone! All I can see is some dead forest with overgrown trees. James is checking further down the border, but I doubt he'll find anything. We're cut off."

"What?" Daryl asked, and for a moment, Isaac worried he would have to repeat himself. "Are you sure?"

"Unless I took some strong drugs without knowing, then yeah…"

"Shit," the older man growled. "Maybe it's an illusion? Something to confuse us."

Isaac paused, closing his mouth. That was surprisingly a good point—one he didn't even consider. With all the madness going on, an illusion wasn't out of the question. Now, if only he had a way to test if that was really the case here.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He threw Analyze at the barrier, but it returned nothing. Like an idiot hoping for a different outcome, he chucked another rock at it. As expected, it disintegrated on impact.

"Isaac? You there?!"

Shaking his head, he raised the radio. "Yeah. Was just testing something."

"And?"

"Nothing," he said. "No way to prove if it's an illusion or not. We gotta wait for the barrier to fall. Sorry."

A sigh could be heard from the other side. "Don't worry, kid. Cooper and I will figure this out. You should start heading back. We have almost everything ready for your departure."

Isaac nodded. "Got it. Till then," he said, disabling the radio and turning toward the vast farmlands. It didn't take him long to spot James jogging along the barrier.

Snorting, he also jumped off the road and sprinted toward the other man. If they wanted them back, then back they would go. As Daryl said, whatever lay beyond the barrier was a problem for later.

Maybe there are monsters waiting beyond it…

"Fisk, you old crow! It's been a while."

The holographic image before him flickered, shifting to reveal the gray, scaly face of his fellow Overlord. The half-man, half-crow narrowed his silver eyes, the dark feathers covering his head forming something akin to a half-helmet.

"Rakin," Fisk grumbled. "What do you want, you bloody fool?"

The Overlord Chaos pouted. "Why so cold, my friend? Have I done anything lately to earn your ire?"

Fisk sighed, shaking his head lightly. "You? No. Your Wraiths? Oh yes, certainly. How many times do we all have to tell you to keep your attack dogs on a leash?"

Rakin grimaced. Of course those damned idiots had to pull him into another mess. And they didn't even bother to tell him. The sheer rudeness. Then again, he had only himself to blame.

Doesn't matter. I will kill them, I swear to the Creator…

On the outside, though, he tried to keep his face impassive. "What did they do this time?"

"Zarkon," Fisk stated flatly. "The star forges were corrupted. Again."

Fuck! Rakin hissed internally, resisting the urge to teleport right to the headquarters of his Wraiths and kill the idiot who did this. Instead, he schooled his expression and offered his fellow Overlord an apologetic smile.

"I will, of course, pay for the damages and send a team to assist in repairs."

"You better," Fisk grumbled. "I promise you, if they damage my forges again, you will be looking for new generals."

"You're preaching to the choir, Fisk." Rakin waved a dismissive hand. "If this happens again, I will be right there at your side, ripping those idiots in two. It might be time for another batch anyway."

Fisk snorted. "You go through generals faster than Viktor goes through his Priestesses. And yet, they all are still somehow as powerful as our oldest subordinates."

"What can I say? Sending them deep into the Broken Realm has as many cons as pros…"

"That it does," the Overlord Broadcast muttered. "Either way, why have you called if not to apologize? Business?"

Rakin grinned. "What else, my old friend? As always, I have a list for you. Standard procedure. Sending it over now."

Fisk looked down at that, his gaze going somewhere beyond the reach of the hologram. A moment later, his brow furrowed. "Four names already? The Hibernation stage isn't even over yet. What happened?"

"I got lucky with the Breakouts this time." Rakin shrugged. "Not sure about all of them yet, but they show some potential."

"I see," his friend muttered. "Very well, I will do as you ask. Their observers will be disabled. Just remember the rules, Rakin, or the deal is off, you fool. I'm not sacrificing my reputation for you again."

"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't born yesterday. I know what I have to do."

Fisk huffed. "Tell that to your last batch."

"They weren't worth the effort."

"I don't care," the Broadcast growled. "It's my reputation on the line, not yours. So, better keep your end of the deal, or this is the last time I'm helping you—or any of you, for that matter. I have had enough of dealing with the upstarts because they aren't allowed the same privileges."

Always so emotional. Rakin rolled his eyes. "Ignore them. Half of those idiots can barely match our generals, let alone us. As for the deal? You have my word there won't be a repeat of the last Integration. That was a mistake."

"Your word doesn't carry much weight these days, Chaos. Remember that," Fisk scoffed. "But fine, whatever! I have your list, and the protections are in place. Now get the fuck out of my sight. I have work to do, unlike some of us."

Just like that, the hologram flickered out, leaving Rakin alone in his office. He narrowed his eyes and slammed his hand upon the desk before him. The small communication device lying there splintered into countless tiny pieces, filling the room with a sharp clatter.

"No weight? No weight?!" he hissed, resisting the urge to destroy something else. "Just wait for the next Leaks, you damned crow. We will see who you call for help again. You always get too cocky when a new Integration is around the corner."

Rakin took a deep breath, steadying his racing core. Not even a minute ago, he had called Fisk emotional. He wouldn't become a hypocrite just because of some words said in the heat of the moment.

No… I have a much better idea.

Reaching beneath his shirt, he grasped the amulet resting against his skin and channeled a sliver of Viron into it. "Narin, you there?"

His second-in-command answered almost instantly, her voice filling his mind. "Sir? Is there a problem?"

"You could say that," he said, keeping the irritation out of his tone. "A Wraith damaged Fisk's star forges. I need you to handle it before the old crow decides to do it himself."

"Again?" she asked, sounding just as exasperated as he felt.

Rakin nodded. "Again. Just please, be quick about it."

"Of course, sir. Consider the matter solved. Is there anything else you need from me? Shall I identify which of the Wraiths is responsible this time?"

"No," he muttered, cracking his knuckles. "I will deal with this myself."

"Understood. Have fun, sir!" Narin chirped. "I will put out feelers that we are recruiting again."

Rakin snorted. "Thanks."

With that said, he let go of the amulet and gathered Viron into his hand. Then, with one swift motion, he slashed the air in front of him, tearing reality apart. He stepped right through the crackling tear, his boots almost instantly hitting the crystalline floor of the Wraith headquarters on the other side.

He cleared his throat.

"Wraiths! To me! Failure to comply will result in your termination! Come here and bow before your lord!"

What followed after was the kind of therapy Rakin had needed for a long, long time…

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