Cecilia started by taking a deep breath, using her hand to make a calming gesture in the air.

"Okay, how about we start here?" she said. "Max, what exactly is out there that you're so scared of?"

He pursed his lips. "Zombies."

"I beg your pardon?"

"There are zombies, tall ones that control lightning. And they're not the dumb sort of zombies either. These ones are smart, and they also have a refined palate, which means they like to literally roast you before they eat you, and they like human flesh in particular because it's so rare around these parts. Thankfully, they can't enter the forest during the day because the forest was created by a forest spirit whom they killed and ate somehow, but not before she cursed them to stay out. Her power wanes once night falls. But if you leave the forest, they will attack. Then there's also the ant people, the lizard people….it's a whole advanced civilization of animal-creatures here with their own ecosystem."

"Hang on," Cecilia cocked her eyebrow. "Why are so many of them on the same level? How many levels have you beaten?"

He cocked his head. "Levels?"

"Yeah. We've had to enter and defeat levels and solve puzzles to advance. Haven't you?"

He shook his head. "The second I got here, I got the lay of the land. Stay in the cave during the night, and come out during the day to scavenge for food."

"Who told you that?"

"An Elf I met."

"Where's he now?"

"Dead," Max said flatly, although his eyes flashed with emotion. "He got killed."

"By the zombies?"

"No," he sighed. "Look, there's a pretty complicated society set up in this dungeon heart, and I don't speak a lot of their language. All I know is that they hate humans, and I'm pretty sure they'll hate Eldritch even more. And the Fae...I don't know. Unless you can beat a whole army of creatures with powers you can't imagine, I wouldn't go out there."

"I can," Lexie said.

Max shook his head. "You don't know what these things are capable of, Lexie."

"They don't know what I'm capable of either."

"Wait, Max," Cecilia raised her hand again. "I'm trying to understand one thing. How have you been on this level so long without advancing to another?"

"Frankly, Cece, I'm not even sure what you mean by levels. Like I said, I go in the cave at night, I come out and hunt during the day."

She glanced around and said, "Whenever I attempted to stay in one place for too long, the dungeon would eventually force me into another level. Either by sending things after me, until advancing was my only choice, and once, the area where I was turned into a level on its own. So it's weird that it's not doing the same thing to you."

Max shrugged. He didn't seem too concerned about what she was saying and turned his attention back to Lexie.

"Let's go back to the cave," he said. "Your friends are gone."

Everything within Lexie defied that order. "They're not my friends and they're not gone."

Lexie turned around to continue walking, and she heard Uncle Max move to stop her again, but also heard Cecilia stop him.

She told him something that sounded like, "I think she can handle it."

Max argued back with harsh words, but Cecilia must have eventually managed to convince him because after a while, Lexie heard them following her, though Max seemed grudging about it.

Lexie would probably make it faster by fire flight, but Max's harness was still around her ankle, and she didn't think he would let her get away.

She was anxious now to find the Little Fae and Ryn. She wished that she'd created a card with which she could contact them whenever she wanted, but she didn't quite know that she would need one until just right now.

Maybe she could find them if she bonded with Yasycht again. Or maybe she could…she didn't know.

She just wanted to find them.

"How did you two get here in the first place?" Max asked.

"Cecilia teleported us," Lexie answered distractedly.

Max's silence was filled with shock.

"Yeah," Cecilia said. "I could teleport within a dungeon, but only within the same levels. But thanks to Lexie, I could teleport us out of the level we were in and get us here."

"How did she manage that? With her Eldritch magic?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure I understand it myself."

"Yasycht," Lexie said. "He's controlling this dungeon, and he has the power of the doors. So I used my soul card to access that power, and then siphoned this image into the mind of Cecilia so she could calculate the coordinates of our potential destination."

Uncle Max coughed. "Did you get any of that?"

"A little," Cecilia said. "All I know is that I saw a few destinations flash in my mind; this one stuck out to me for some reason, and so I used those coordinates to take us here. But I guess, our companions got lost in transit."

"They shouldn't have," Lexie said. "We're linked."

Lexie froze in her step, remembering something crucial. She shared a soul link with Ryn. She closed her eyes and sensed it with her soul card, tracing it. Maybe she could use that to find Ryn.

She tried to use it like a compass, tugging her one way or another, but she didn't feel anything pulling at her. The only thing she knew with certainty was that Ryn was alive. The bond was solid and vibrant, and she didn't think it would be there if Ryn were dead.

Then where was she?

She turned on Cecilia. "What are the possible reasons why we're here and Ryn isn't?"

Cecilia thought about it and gave a weak shrug. "Honestly, the only thing I can think of is the fact that I don't usually travel with anyone except myself. Travelling with just you tired me out enough, and I don't think I could fully carry four people, bond or no bond, even with the mana boost potion. I was holding you because my priority was sticking with you. Them, not so much."

"So you think they're still stuck in that level?"

"Maybe. It would make sense."

Lexie bit her lip. Her agitation just went through the roof.

Then she remembered.

She pulled out her creature card for Pvilycht. She activated him, and it pulled his essence into the plane, so he stood before her staring.

"Holy shit," Max jumped back and aimed his gun, but Cecilia held her hand out.

"Relax. He's like her cousin."

"Her what?"

"Pvilycht," Lexie said.

"Lord Lexie."

Lexie perked up. She sure did like the sound of that.

"Are my Fae still in that level with you?"

"Yes. They were teleported into another location in the forest, but they're still in the level."

Ah. So the teleport had worked for them, it simply hadn't gotten them as far.

"Alright. I think we're in another level of the dungeon."

"No, you are not."

"What do you mean?"

"You are no longer in Neqal's dungeon."

"What?"

He glanced around. "If I had to guess, I would say this dungeon is under the jurisdiction of Belshyct."

Uncle Max released a rough laugh.

"Really? Ballshit?" he said. "That's his government name?"

Pvilycht ignored him and continued. "It bears Belshyct's essence."

"I see," Lexie said. "And what's his essence?"

"Stagnation," he said. "Laziness. Sloth."

Ah. That explained why everyone had been stuck on the same level.

"How can there be chaos in stagnation?" Lexie wondered.

"You will experience it soon enough."

"Why am I here?"

"You used Yasycht's power to go somewhere else. This is somewhere else."

"But why here out of everywhere?"

"I don't know Lord Lexie. Only you know how your power works."

Lexie sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright. I have a very important task for you."

"If I succeed, will you give me your soul bond?"

"Maybe. Now, I want you to help me search for clues on how to beat that mountain level you're currently in. I also want you to stay with Ryn and Little Fae and protect them from attackers until I return."

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"May I continue my experimentation on the little one?"

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

He sighed. "What about any potential attackers? May I perform experiments on them?"

"Yes, but only if it doesn't interfere with your other duties."

"I see. And if I succeed, I will make a soul bond with you."

"I said maybe."

"Maybe."

Lexie sent him away and then turned to the other two, who were looking at her like she'd sprouted two heads.

"I need to go back to Yasycht's dungeon," she told them.

Cecilia shook her head. "Absolutely not. That first trip was risky, Lexie. Very risky. Even with the flashing images in my mind, it's hard to know exactly where we're going. Just look where we are! We thought we were going into another level, and we ended up in another dungeon entirely. Maybe if we try again, we'll end up in hell." She shook her head. "I can't believe we're in a whole other dungeon. No wonder I failed to carry the other two across. I've never done that distance before."

"Hm." Truth was Lexie had initially known that Yasycht could move creatures across different dungeons as he was connected to them all, but she'd never known how, and she didn't think this would be the outcome of their teleportation exercise.

"We ended up here because we made a mistake," Lexie said. "We did something wrong. We'll do it right next time."

"There's not going to be a next time. Lexie, I don't think you're getting this. We could have literally ended up anywhere! The only reason we even attempted it in the first place was because the alternative was horrible."

"And now Ryn and Little Fae are stuck with that alternative."

"Yes, but your cousin will protect them, won't he? Who knows, without us there, they might even have a better chance of reaching the mountain and getting their wish."

"You're just saying that because you don't want me to go. You don't care if they die."

Cecilia's eyes flared, but guilt also flashed on her face. "Don't say that, Lexie."

"It's the truth. I'm cruel, so I understand cruelty when I see it. I thought humans were supposed to be interested in saving others."

"And I thought Eldritch had a strong sense of self-preservation," Max shot back. "I thought they didn't form emotional bonds with others, and I thought they didn't have loyalty to anyone."

"It's not an emotional bond," Lexie argued back.

"Then what is it?"

She struggled to find a good explanation, finally landing on, "Ryn is teaching me ancient Elven and Fae techniques. She can't do that if she dies. And little Fae…she makes funny sounds. It amuses me."

"Eldritch can get amused?" he challenged.

"You're very annoying," she told him.

"I've been told."

"I will handle picking the right image," she said to Cecilia. "I will ensure that we end up at the right place. You simply need to get me there." Lexie had another thought. "Or you could teach me how your power works, and I could get myself there."

"No," Cecilia said.

"I can make you," Lexie advanced slowly.

Cecilia backed up. "I'm not scared of you," she said very bravely.

"Yes. You are."

"Stop picking on Cece," Max said. "She's right. You can't try again, at least not now."

"But–"

"Lexie, I'm begging you, let's move this discussion indoors, please. Before night falls. When it's day again, I'll help you with whatever you need."

Lexie stared at him for a long time. "Swear?"

He smiled, softly. "I swear."

Lexie hesitated for a beat, but then nodded.

As they hurried toward Max's cave, Lexie thought about making a force field powered by fire, so they could all travel faster by fire flight. She could combine FIRE with <True Windbreaker> for that. Or she could make a new card.

That would be interesting. But for now, she enjoyed the crunch of leaves underneath her feet.

"What if I gave you all my mana potions?" Lexie asked Cecilia. "Would you be able to get four of us out then?"

Cecilia sighed. "I don't know. And too many mana potions aren't good for the human body, Lexie. My heart could stop."

Lexie made a sound of frustration. Humans were so annoyingly fragile.

"Not to mention," Lexie realized. "I do not have any mana potions."

She'd collected mana stones, but only Ryn knew how to make potions from them. Lexie, for some reason, never bothered to learn. Maybe she could use Pvilycht to ask Ryn how to make them.

"If you need mana potions, you can negotiate with the lizard people," Max mentioned. "They're the kindest to strangers, I think, although still devious and tend to steal your face if you're not careful. But as long as you're careful...I have one that I could introduce to you at daybreak."

"Okay." Lexie felt better about that. If they had enough mana potions, then Cecilia could take them back to the dungeon with Ryn and Little Fae.

When they got closer, Max led them through a very specific path to enter the dungeon, telling them, "I placed a few rather...explosive security measures around here, so you'll have to memorize the exact path if you want to get out. Or just tell me so I can accompany you."

Lexie nodded. Cecilia swallowed.

Max's cave wasn't just a cave. It was a security bunker.

They slipped between a thin rocky path, going deeper and darker. Little lights had been embedded in the walls, and they came alive as they walked in.

"Motion-sensored," Max said, sounding proud of himself.

Lexie also noted carved partitions and hidden compartments in the walls, all probably holding weapons. There were also metal scraps everywhere, tools, a metallic pot, chopped wood, and a nook where a half-eaten boar carcass was hanging upside down, dried and salted.

"This is just one room," Max said. "There are others, including a room I use to keep watch and spy on what's going on in town. I have an excellent telescope over there."

"Oh," Cecilia said, in a shaky voice with a weak smile as she stared at the boar. "How...rustic. Your place is lovely."

"Isn't it?" Max said.

Lexie thought so, too.

Uncle Max was right. Night fell rapidly, faster than Lexie thought.

It seemed like she blinked, and it was dark already.

She didn't see the incoming signs, although clearly Max did. He said the secret was in the wind, but Lexie didn't know what that meant.

He also told them how he'd ended up here. After the dungeon had closed in on him, he'd been forced to battle dungeon creatures for what felt like years. He would defeat them, then roast them and use them as food. He also had some energy bars in his bag, so he would eat those when he couldn't find anything to kill.

It was an endless, gruesome grind. He kept racking up more and more injuries until he got gouged in the stomach.

At the retelling, he showed them the huge scar across his abdomen and described how he'd carried his intestines and stitched himself up with the medical kit from his backpack as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Insane," Cece said, awe in her tone.

"Yeah." Uncle Max continued by telling them that, when he was about to slip off for the last time, a secret compartment opened out of nowhere, and someone came out, stole his eyepatch, and left.

"Ah. That explains the pink eyepatch, then," Cecilia said.

"Yeah. Luckily, I had it on me." He gave Lexie a look. "Remember how I got it, Lex?"

She shook her head.

"You gave it to me on my birthday."

"I did?" The memory dropped in her head. "That's true."

Uncle Max smirked and continued his story, telling them how he had retraced the steps and crawled to where the man had disappeared from.

He'd yelled out for help, but no one helped him.

But then a little later, he felt someone come out through the same compartment and drag him through.

"He was an Elf who'd had some contact with humans," Uncle Max said. "He brought me here, and he helped me live. Until he died."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Cecilia said.

"It's fine. People die all the time."

Lexie nodded. That was also true.

Uncle Max asked Cecilia about her story, and she gave her an abridged version of what she'd told Lexie.

Then it was Lexie's turn. She also told her story. When she was done, they were giving her that stare again.

"You killed a hundred trolls?" Max asked.

"At least a hundred," she said. "I kind of lost count after some time."

"My goddaughter really is a bad ass."

"I am," she said and felt something tickle her lips. Strange. She almost smiled out of pleasure.

After that, Max recommended they get their rest, because things would get hectic in the middle of the night. He told them he would take the first watch and gave them his mat to lie on.

Cecilia dozed off almost immediately, but Lexie lay down staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to sleep. She didn't want to dream again.

The dreams were addictive but also painful.

It made her itch badly.

She got up and went to the mouth of the dungeon, staring out at the darkness. She was curious to see what intelligent zombies looked like, and she also wanted to see their powers in action.

After some time, she heard footsteps behind her. Max. She thought he would scold her for endangering them by sitting here, but he came up quietly.

"Why are you here, little bit?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"I can't sleep," she grumbled.

"Yeah. Me either." He reached out and ruffled her tangled hair.

When he was done, she patted it back down out of habit. His shrewd eyes caught the movement.

"Why can't you sleep?" Lexie asked.

"Because..." he said. "You two are here, and I haven't spoken to another human in...gosh, I don't even know how long. I'm scared that I'm dreaming, and if I sleep, it's all going to disappear."

Lexie felt the pain in his voice so acutely, like it was her own.

She also remembered something important, something that a man named Vacek had told her.

"This dungeon is due to appear on Earth soon."

"How soon?" Uncle Max said.

"I don't know. It might already be there." She looked out for a shadow or anything moving through the trees. "If Cecilia and I work out the coordinates, we might be able to get you back to Earth."

"That's a big if. I was there for your conversation, you know. I heard what she said."

"She's wrong. Yes, we made a mistake, but that was only the first time I tried that, and it worked. Think of what I could do after I practice. I learn fast."

"I remember," Max said. "Listen, it's a nice idea, Lex, but I'm not going to hope on it yet."

Lexie thought for a second. "Do you not want to go back?

It was Uncle Max's turn to hesitate. He left a long silence before his answer. "I don't know. I've been here so long, I don't even know what's back there for me. I don't feel like the same person, and I... I don't know if they'll understand who I've become."

The words struck another chord with her. She could understand it so potently that it ached.

"When I first got here, I tried not to even think about going home, because then I would get depressed. I'd want to off myself. Instead, I've tried to bury that side of me and find contentment in my new existence."

"But if you could go home, if it was an option again, would you take it?"

Uncle Max glanced at her and shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I'm not leaving you here, and I don't think you'd come with me."

Something pricked at her inside, and it felt like a bubble burst.

Whatever oozed out melted her defenses.

It felt so…refreshing to be understood so completely without having to explain herself. Uncle Max had only just met her, Lexie the Eldritch, but he seemed to see her better than anyone else. He seemed to already know her and know that she didn't want to go home.

It was…nice to feel known.

No, nice was too mild a word.

She was overwhelmed by the emotion.

At the same time, she felt incredibly sad for Max, because she couldn't feel what she was supposed to feel for him. All that history, love, and other soft emotions were all gone. All their teasing and inside jokes vanished.

She couldn't feel the same things as before.

Maybe you don't have to be the same as before.

Maybe you can feel the new things.

Find a new Lexie.

She thought about it and let her body slowly lean slightly to the side until it touched his arm.

Hmmm. Not unpleasant.

She could tell he noticed what she did, but he didn't bring it up.

"Also, there's something I need to do before I leave," Max said, expression darkening. "Someone I need to kill."

"I can kill him for you."

"No. This is a personal kill."

Lexie nodded.

But she was already thinking about who this person was, because she suddenly wanted to kill them too.

She was also thinking about how to get herself to comprehend and control Yasycht's images. What further training did she need?

If she could figure it out, she could get Uncle Max out of this dungeon. That had been one of Lexie the human's reasons for going into the dungeon, right? It seemed like a worthy cause.

Except that she couldn't stay with him for long.

She had to leave him soon, to save Little Fae and Ryn.

Did she want to leave?

She didn't know.

There was the dilemma she was always faced with. She shouldn't care about Uncle Max, and she shouldn't care about the Faes either, but for some reason, she cared about both.

Uncle Max had been her family.

The Faes educated her and helped her obtain more power.

Uncle Max was her past...

Ryn and Little Fae…they were her future.

Forward or backward. She always had to choose.

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