The group pushed their horses hard, never pausing to catch their breath, even when the clouds split open and rain poured down in sheets. The animals seemed to sense the urgency and pressed on without protest.

Hours later, Aliss began to lag behind, stiff in her saddle as another vision gripped her.

“STOP!” Dreu shouted, prompting Seraphis and Cassius to rein in their horses. They were passing through thick trees, the dense foliage offering some cover from the merciless rain. The ground was slick, strewn with broken branches and brambles, forcing them to remain in their mounts.

Dreu and Cassius rode to Aliss, scanning her face for any signs of distress. This time, she managed to hold herself together through the vision and exhaled sharply when she snapped back to the present.

“What is it?” Cassius asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I don’t know,” Aliss said, lifting her gaze to meet three sets of eyes. “This time it was only flashes. Zenior laughed, and another figure in a cloak beside him. Then I saw a parchment with Cassius’ signature on it, and a man standing at a window with his back to me. Thunder rolled outside, and lightning lit his frame, but I couldn’t see his face.”

Art above by Nelson Oga

Art above by Sakhatokan

Dreu glanced upward as thunder cracked across the sky.
 “Can you tell if it was the present, the past, or the future?”

Aliss bit her lower lip and shook her head.

“It’s fine. I can help you sort them out as we go. But for now, we need to find shelter.”

“Afraid of riding in the rain, monk?” Seraphis asked, his tone once again light and teasing.

“No,” Dreu replied flatly. “If we stay out too long, the horses could fall ill, and lack of rest won’t help us either.”

“Yes,” Aliss agreed. “I need rest, too. I don’t care what you think about it.”

Without another word, she urged her horse forward.

Cassius watched the exchange in silence, noting how natural they seemed around one another. He felt a flicker of relief at catching a glimpse of Aliss’ usual spirit, Seraphis’ playful tone, and Dreu’s steady, mentor-like presence.

But he wasn’t ready to rest, not yet. If he’d been traveling alone, he would have reached Sovervale by now. The thought of relying on the three of them gnawed at him. He was half-tempted to leave them behind and press on.

“Thinking about ditching us already?” Seraphis’ voice carried back from ahead.

Clicking his tongue, Cassius nudged his horse to follow.

***

The fire crackled in front of Cassius, consuming the dry branches they had struggled to gather after hours of heavy rain. The horses were quiet, their occasional stirring blending with the rhythm of the flames. Aliss sat deep in thought, while Dreu remained beside her in his usual meditative pose. Seraphis had disappeared deeper into the cave, likely to contact his superiors and report the changing situation.

Each passing second tangled Cassius’ thoughts in chaos. He couldn’t shake the image of the monster they had encountered while escaping Essenwell. The zombies they had struck down had clearly fused into one, leaving him to wonder about the terrifying strength of their combined form. Through it all, a memory he had buried deep rose to the surface. This time, he didn’t resist. He let it consume him, a grim reprieve from a life spinning out of control.

The children had cackled at him, pulling faces and making strange noises in mockery. They pointed at his bare feet, stained with mud and dirt, and at the clothes he had worn for days, frayed at the hems, with the right sleeve of his tunic clinging by only a few stitches. Cassius had stood there, fists clenched at his sides, fighting the urge to lash out. His jaw still ached from the blow he had taken after trying to steal an apple from a market stall.

“Go away, beggar,” one of the children taunted.

Cassius’ eyes tracked the boy’s subtle movements as he neared a stone. He realized what was about to happen long before it did. He could have run, but hunger and exhaustion kept him rooted. He felt that if he moved even a step, he would collapse, and the kids would trample him just for the thrill of it.

The boy crept closer to the stone, picked it up, and smirked. He pulled his arm back, raised it, and in the blink of an eye, hurled it toward Cassius.

Cassius braced for the impact, eyes momentarily shut, but the hit never came. When he opened them, his world tilted slightly, yet he still saw the figure standing in front of him like a shield.

“I made contact with my order and updated them on the situation,” Seraphis’ voice snapped Cassius back to the present. “There’s unrest on the Otherside as well. Lard is growing in power, and the other evils aren’t pleased. They feel threatened.”

“How can they affect us?”

“They can’t act directly, no,” Dreu replied. “But they might try to reach out to powerful wizards, luring them with promises of unimaginable power in exchange for striking a deal.”

“So the other evils on the Otherside might want to stop Lard, and the only way they can do it is from this world, because Lard is here?” Aliss asked, her face pale in the firelight.

“How can they make contact?” Cassius asked, watching the flames flicker as the fire consumed the wood.

“Through dreams. They tempt them with their heart’s deepest desires and lure them toward greater power.”

“If any of the wizards make contact, the Axis of Seraphim would know. Right?”

“After what they’ve done to you, do you think they can be trusted and will try to stop more evil from stepping into this world?” Aliss asked.

Cassius nodded. Her question held merit. He tried to approach the problem from another angle, mentally retracing Zenior’s path and the choices he had made.

“Tell me, Dreu,” Cassius said, his mind churning. “Zenior is a doctor, so his abilities must be limited, regardless of Lard’s power, right?”

“Yes,” Dreu replied. “A wizard can only wield abilities connected to what they were born with. For example, a fisherman who becomes a wizard can only perform feats related to fishing. A doctor, on the other hand, could manipulate the body’s anatomy or inflict diseases on his enemies using his medical knowledge. Still, he wouldn’t be able to summon ocean water, conjure fishing hooks, or call forth fish like a fisherman could.”

“That’s it,” Cassius said, snapping his fingers as everything clicked into place. “Zenior isn’t working alone. There’s another wizard with him, the one who manipulated the memories of Redglen’s people, erasing Zenior’s presence entirely. And that same wizard cursed the people of Essenwall, forcing them to relive the same day over and over.”

“What can you tell us about the man in the window and the cloaked figure beside Zenior?” Seraphis asked, turning to Aliss, his eyes wide as he processed Cassius’ words.

“Zenior is not alone,” Dreu echoed, letting the realization settle. “It seems we’re dealing with an archivist working alongside him.”

Seraphis sank down, his shoulders slumping, and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

“So that’s why we’re all together,” he murmured, making Cassius hold his breath for a moment. “Now, a seer, a monk, a thunderborne, and a spellblade are all four of us against two wizards, backed by a gluttonous evil.”

Aliss swallowed hard. “I remember everything from Redglen. So why don’t I remember this other figure?”

“The man from the window?” Dreu asked.

Aliss shook her head. “The cloaked figure. And I think the man in the window is another piece of the puzzle, one that might still surprise us.”

Stay tuned for Chapter 19 on 09/26/25