Kevin's heart raced. And that was the easy part.

  It was only when the ferryman showed that things went sideways. They could fight, which is true, but that would lead to no answers. And without any clue as to the whereabouts of Kiyo and the others, this will get problematic quickly.

  Fortunately, he wasn't the only one not itching for a fight.

  Chester, the private investigator they ran into, was prepared for one.

  He handed Mia off to Mira, who slowly retreated behind the bar.

  "Dr. Morbidus, it is inappropriate for you to barge in here and think that saying a few non-descript words would mean something to these fine people. But this is your show, however… so, please… continue your monologue."

  "Words do not come cheap, investigator," Calix replied.

  The cloaked men around them stood there in silence, not brandishing any weapons, and waited. Kevin could see web scales when they shifted, as if standing in place was too much for them to handle.

  Calix continued. "We only require that you follow me, as you stand with the progenitors of all our grief. A piece of this land’s Power of Rowen is providing the necessary nutrients to ensure that all are guided. All are grieving. Once the final connections are made, we can establish a wide network. We will all share our grief. We will all drown in the Sea of Sorrow."

  The Power of Rowen. It makes sense now. The Power Sword of Water is indeed here in Mordecai. His mind shifted to show an old memory of Nimuel, the Essence of Water that inhabited the Sword, could cause something this dangerous. She would be terrified if the wrong hands used her. The thought gave him shivers.

  "You honestly think that we would follow you to some unknown trap like every villain trope known to man," Carl replied. "Got news for you, Calix. I have been in enough battles to know where that all leads. If there is somewhere we have to be, then be sure we will get there on our own. Feel free to wait for us there if you like."

  "This… is not up for discussion, Carl Jackson," Calix said. "You will come with us, but I never said it would not be by force. The Great Darkness insists."

  Chester stood next to Kevin. "Prepare now, hero of legend," he said in a low voice. "This will get ugly."

  Kevin whispered, not taking his eyes off Calix. "I am ready."

  However, he was not ready for Mia to yell behind him. "No! Celia? Why are you here? This can't be right?"

  Chester’s young assistant, Mira, held her back but was also frozen in fear, looking in the same direction as Mia.

  He saw a watery-shaped apparition form near the corner. In it, he saw his mother. Then the apparition changed to other various family members. Family members, who, according to this image, are dead.

  "Hey," Carl said, blinking his eyes. "That cannot be right. You are dead."

  "It is a trick, do not see what is in front of you!" Chester said, pouncing toward Calix. He froze in mid-jump, like time stopped around him.

  "Not now, investigator," Calix said, twisting his hand. Sweat and water seeped out of the cheetah as he looked helpless to stop it. "I do not see any grief from you. What is a grieving soul without the paralysis of that sadness? Perhaps, a death from someone close will trigger a response I desire."

  One by one, the figures rotated through the cloud. Family, he knew. Friends, he had lost. His mind tore between whether this was factually correct or whether they were dead. The two halves of his mind could not agree on which was right.

  He saw a figure move past him in the corner of his eye. It was one of Calix's dark-robed men. He moved to Mira and removed his hood, revealing crocodile features and a grin that exposed sharp, serrated teeth.

  Kevin struggled to move. The family member’s empty and hollowed eyes paralyzed him while they paraded around. Voices started in his mind of what each family member sounded like. He fought to break the spell as he saw the croc expose Mira's neck and its salivating smile.

  It was subtle, but he heard a metal clang hit the ground and skid behind him to Mira.

  Not a moment later, Mira regained her senses and pulled away while performing an overhead toss of the croc into the water apparition. She reached into one of her pockets, throwing two vials at the water images.

  The smell of salt and lavender broke Kevin's concentration. The images stuttered and skipped, followed by one of Carl’s lightning strikes.

  He regained his senses as the water splattered on the ground with the Spore-Beast croc in the middle.

  Electricity split the air. Carl's boots lifted inches off the floor, his entire body wreathed in dancing blue-white arcs. Lightning danced around his friend.

  "That is enough games!" The words thundered through the bar. Carl landed with a deliberate impact, his claws buzzing with power as he leveled them at the nearest henchman. "You have been warned and now you are pissing me off."

  Pizer moved carefully, beside them, his baton spinning into a defensive stance as his free hand flicked one of his twin knives from its sheath. The blade pointed at the ready as he fell into step beside Carl.

  Henchmen surged forward. A tide of blades and teeth advanced, their weapons glinting in the electric glow of Carl.

  Pizer moved first, his baton became a blur as he deflected an incoming sword strike, the impact sending sparks skittering across the tables.

  Carl didn't hesitate. His claws lashed out, electricity arcing between his fingertips as he drove a lightning-wreathed fist straight into the nearest attacker's gut. The man convulsed violently before getting thrown into Calix.

  Chester fell to one knee, and Mira threw a mug of root beer. "Boss, catch!"

  He reached behind him, caught the mug with one hand, and downed the contents before Calix retreated a few steps. "Thanks, Lass, I was getting a bit thirsty."

  Despite the investigator's cheap lines, he reached into his vest and pulled out a small revolver that glowed green in his hand. He fired, causing a wind blast to force Calix out the door.

  "You cannot escape your grief!" Calix yelled from outside. The remaining crocodile henchman slithered out the door.

  "Oi! The witty one-liners are my department, mate!" Chester said, sliding his weapon into its holster and brushing debris from his coat. "You alright there, Hero? That was a bit too close for comfort."

  "What happened?" Pizer said. "One moment I was frozen thinking about my poor cat that passed away, and then it wasn't there anymore."

  "Interesting indeed," Chester replied, looking at Mira’s feet. "We were fortunate to have someone in our ranks who knew kuji-kiri to break from Calix's mind Resonance. Nasty stuff."

  "Celia! I saw Celia!" Mia shouted. She kicked away the croc in the puddle and sloshed the bluish water. "She was right here. You said she wasn't dead! Where is she, you beast-kin?"

  "Woah, Lass, come here," he said, grabbing and holding her. "Easy there, yes, she is alive for the better part of the word. But there is more to this investigation, and I promise I will get to the bottom of it. Trust me in that, dear."

  Kevin went back to the wet wood and found that it was drying. "Hey, I am sorry I couldn't react faster. I couldn't shake what I saw. I could have used the Sword, perhaps."

  "No," Carl said. "I would much rather fight the battles myself than rely on that power to solve problems."

  Mira handed Pizer one of his daggers. "I do not get it. Why did he attack? We would have followed, and it would have made it way easier. Do you think he heard the Green Cloak nearby? I heard her talking to another in the distance. Sounds silly to think about, right, boss?"

  "Indeed, my dear assistant," Chester replied, kneeling over the unconscious croc. He fumbled around the body when he pulled back suddenly. "Oh, what do we have here? Mira, camera, please."

  Mira reached into her pockets and pulled out a tiny camera resembling a miniature Polaroid.

  Chester pointed at a section of the body, and Mira snapped pictures repeatedly.

  "What is it?" Kevin asked.

  Chester licked his finger across the blue liquid before spitting it back out. "Salty. Like grief. What an unusual finding, and an answer to one of the many mysteries of this city."

  The pooled liquid flowed on its own out the door. Grabbing his jacket and his hat, followed after it. "We must continue the investigation! Mia! Your daughter awaits!"

  And he rushed off outside, leaving everyone else there wondering what had happened.

  Mira looked at Carl and Pizer before walking out. "The boss knows what he is doing. We should follow."

  "Carl," Kevin said.

  "I know, man," he replied. "This crap is getting weirder. I hope the rest of the swords aren't like this."

  "Dude," Kevin shook his head, knowing his friend had summoned Murphy's Law.

  "Fucking red flags," Carl replied.

  They followed Chester, or better, they followed Mira, several blocks before they finally reached the investigator overlooking several large bluish pipes, identical to the ones Kevin saw earlier.

  "Kevin, look," Carl said. "The pipes are leading the opposite way, as if the bluish water is flowing back into the valley."

  "There is another one of those platform elevators. How much do you want to bet that it will lead downward? Hopefully, the residents are below and can give us the answers we need."

  The large platform elevator descended quietly to the next level. Much like before, more buildings were constructed on top of each other. The construction did not have any unusual add-ons, as they were the original buildings themselves, untarnished.

  "Kevin, we have been here before," Carl said.

  Indeed, Kevin did remember the city in front of him. Along the central square was a large fountain with a waterfall cascading among different shapes, transforming the area into a beautiful spectacle of lights and rainbows. The many shops that covered the district were perfectly preserved. And the memory of them walking through the area was as mesmerizing as it was back then.

  "Ok, but I still do not see any people here," Pizer said.

  "We went to a Research Station here," Carl said, staring at the fountain, mesmerized.

  "There was a female scientist who helped us," Kevin added.

  Mia grabbed onto Kevin's arm. "Whatley."

  "Seems to me we have our continuing investigation," Chester said as the elevator stopped. "Shall we?" he said, lifting the gate.

  The path ahead was noticeably smoother than before, its polished stone surface reflecting the eerie blue glow from above. But something was different this time - thin rivulets of unnatural blue water seeped from cracks and out of the building doors, trickling down walls and pooling in the gutters.

  The streams converged toward the central fountain, where the waters swished around in a vortex of auras. The water's surface sparkled with a hypnotic quality.

  Kevin's fingers twitched. The way the water flowed reminded him of something - a half-remembered nightmare about drowning in light rather than darkness. Even the steam rising from the water gives the place an aura of depression.

  Their steps broke through the watery silence as the group moved cautiously forward.

  "Look out!" Mia said as she pointed to a shadow.

  A slight whiff of wind, and not a split second sooner, a metal baton came out of nowhere from behind a building and struck Kevin from behind. He stumbled forward toward the ground.

  "What the.."

  Carl jumped and kicked the attacker, using his claws to block a second strike, and landed another roundhouse to the face. He threw the attacker out into the open, and with several kicks, the attacker flew toward the waterfall and onto the basin.

  Pizer's dagger clattered to the floor. "Captain...?" The word sounded like a child's plea.

  It was Bryson. Or what was left of the Advent Guardsman. Blueish water poured out of every opening of his face, and his uniform was splitting at the seams from the blue veins bulging out like roots.

  Bryson yelled, but the voice sounded drowned and garbled. "It's your fault she is dead! I will kill you both, and then we will all go to the Creator and find her!"

  "What is he talking about and why does he look like that?" Carl asked.

  "Lies, all of you! You killed them all!" Bryson rushed again, and this time, he took out his baton and raised it in the air.

  "Captain Bryson," Pizer yelled. Kevin could feel his emotions dripping. "You need to come to your senses. You are my friend!"

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  The water stopped flowing out and gathered onto the raised stick. At first, it swirled to form a shape of a faceless shadow, with eyes that glowed as it watched him. Then it disappeared. He knew that image. The Great Darkness.

  The crazed Captain flicked a switch on the baton.

  "You will join her in death. RESONANCE: ADVENT GUARD."

  Bryson's uniform transformed into a warped, armored mockery of the armor, with the baton morphing into the standard polearm. The bluish liquid poured out of it and absorbed back into his foot as his whole body pulsed in uncategorized waves.

  Standing before the others, Carl said, calling the lightning into his hand. "Pizer, didn't your Commander say that the beacon was not operational here. Did Bryson get it working?"

  Pizer checked his gear. "No, I have nothing."

  "Me neither," Kevin said, checking his gear.

  Bryson's armored form blurred forward, his polearm flashing in a deadly arc toward Carl. The weapon sliced through the space between them, forcing him to roll sideways with a grunt of effort. Sparks flew where the blade struck the stone floor, leaving a scorched mark.

  Carl barely regained his footing before Bryson pressed the attack, his movements precise and relentless. The polearm blurred, each strike carrying enough force to shatter rock.

  "Damn it, Bryson!" Carl spat, barely managing to block a strike with his gloves. The impact sent painful jolts in his arms. "Snap out of it!"

  But Bryson's face remained blank behind his visor, his attacks continuing as that same uncanny pulse of energy radiated from his body in waves. Whatever had taken hold of him wasn't letting go without a fight.

  Kevin joined the fight when Bryson got the best of Carl and sent his friend flying. He slammed his palm and pulled out the Fire Sword partially as Bryson's polearm came crashing down. Kevin kicked off and pulled it out completely,

  "Stop fighting. Tell me what happened," Kevin said.

  "You killed her! You killed them all!"

  He pushed Kevin off with unexpected strength, sending him skidding backward across the ground.

  Pizer didn't hesitate, rushing forward with his twin daggers flashing in the light as he intercepted Bryson's next swing. The metal sang as he caught the polearm between his crossed blades.

  "Got you! Now get a hold of yourself." Pizer grunted, muscles straining as he locked the weapon in place.

  The momentary standstill was all Carl needed. He launched himself into the air, electricity bounding in his arms. His palm slammed against Bryson's back, and the discharge lit the entire area with a blinding flash. The lightning coursed through Bryson's body, causing him to stiffen and convulse in place, his weapon trapped in Pizer's cross-guard.

  Bryson exploded outward, pushing everyone back. "You will all die because of what you did!"

  A massive crimson chain, wreathed in flames, whipped through the fountain. It snaked around Bryson's body, constricting with such force that his polearm clattered from his grip.

  Paz bursts through the wall of water in the fountain with her staff pointing at the other end of the bend. "You will not control his grief," she said between breaths.

  Kiyo was behind her, "Guys, Mia, I am so glad you all are ok." She ran and hugged Mia, who held her tight.

  "Oh, there you are," Carl said sarcastically, releasing his claws. "Been wondering what you were up to."

  Paz ignored him and looked up and down at the two newcomers.

  Chester bowed and tipped his hat. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Green Cloak. I am—"

  "Do not care," she said, walking past him.

  "Of course, as expected," Chester replied without missing a beat.

  "Sword Master," Paz said, "Kalaraq is not needed now, and you may recall the spirit. There is something you need to see."

  The chains clanked on the ground.

  "Yo, she's dragging the Captain," Pizer said, gesturing with his chin. "Can't you say somethin' to her, mate?"

  "I know it's for his good, but it's Bryson, Captain. We have known him for years," Kiyo added.

  When Bryson refused to follow, Paz's chain yanked him off his feet and dragged him while rolling on the ground. Although it was inhumane, carrying him was not an option, as Paz told them the liquid would affect anyone it came into contact with.

  A much smaller, self-contained building stood in the distance. Its newer construction differed from the rest of the surrounding architecture. Several large radio antennas jutted from the rooftops, followed by a circular rotating radar dish.

  Paz stopped and pointed toward the large oval door. "Steel your resolve, Sword Master. The Power Sword is close. We are at the apex of the situation."

  The voice yelled in Kevin’s mind.

  MASTER, YOU HAVE ARRIVED WITH MY PARENTS!

  The lights in the ceiling stabbed themselves when Kevin stepped inside. Instantly, a pulsing wave pushed into him, as if he had dropped several thousand feet from the air. The walls turned to a futuristic metal, and along various walls was a symbol of unknown origin, and underneath it in bold silver letters - SABRECON SECTOR-NINE LABORATORY.

  "No, this cannot be possible," Carl said, stepping in.

  "Carl, do you know this place?" Kevin asked.

  At first, he didn't reply until Kevin looked at him, and Carl shook his head. "Bud, I do not know this place specifically, but the name is unfortunately very familiar. It looks like one of their futuristic labs. Back at home, we do not have a laboratory, but more of a Library System, which is designed much like this."

  "How very slick in design, very altruistic," Chester said, investigating the walls. "Intriguing, wouldn't you say, my dear assistant?"

  "I do not know, boss, this place gives me the creeps."

  Pizer backed away from the walls. "Why do I feel like this place is watching us?"

  Kiyo guided Mia down the large corridor in front of them. "This way."

  As Kevin navigated through, he felt swallowed by an atmosphere that mixed technology with something deeply unsettling. It was either the buzzing with energy or the pressure he felt in his ears that he could barely perceive. Every surface—from the subtly curved walls to the shifting interfaces—gave off the vibe of advanced technology that seemed alien.

  The clear pipes pumping more of the tainted water led the way along the top edge of the walls. He felt like he was walking downward, as each step was measured carefully with the other.

  Eventually, they ended up in a large open area that hummed. An extra-large cerelum crystal stood ingrained into a stone wall, which did not match the room's architecture. It pulsed with gentle azure light that cast eerie shadows across the floor.

  That was the only 'earthly' thing in this room, as large holographic screens filled the walls with different stations doing different alchemical things. Kevin watched as digital diagrams of molecular structures twisted and reformed across one display, while another showed a pulsing liquid being filtered through some kind of energy field.

  The air tasted metallic, charged with the same subtle electricity that made the hair on his arms stand on end.

  Overhead, a network of clear tubes carried the tainted water they'd been following, all seeming to converge toward the massive crystal, which drank in the light from the screens and reflected it in fractured, prismatic patterns. The technology here seemed even more advanced than what they'd seen in the corridors— unsettling in its seamless blend of science and something that resembled magic.

  The walls disappeared, revealing hundreds of pocketed spaces that contained various cocoons.

  "Kiyo, what is this?" Pizer asked.

  "I don't know," she said. "I didn't get this far until Paz pulled me back and said we needed help."

  "This, my unwanted guests, is the Sea of Sorrows," Calix said, stepping into the room.

  "Doctor," Chester said with his hand in his coat, "I think you left the door unlocked, and we are merely visitors. This is an amazing place, but I would surmise this is beyond any known technology; even the Grand Temple Palace could not catch up for hundreds of years."

  "Hey, Kev," Carl said, staring at one of the spaces with several cocoons. "Yo, is that what I think it is? Please tell me that I am not tripping here."

  The 'pocket space' was a cutout section of a residence room, each containing several pieces of furniture, depending on what part of the room it came from. Some displayed bedrooms. Others are kitchens and dining rooms. Many were businesses, and some were living rooms preserved in place.

  But what was more interesting was that the cocoons moved. Umbilical cords jutted out of each of them as they attached to the wall of each residence, respectively.

  "Oh dear," Chester said slowly. "Oh my dear, Calix, what did you do?"

  One of the cocoons suddenly ruptured, spilling fluid everywhere. At first thought, he assumed it would be a baby to come exploding out; instead, it was a full-size Spore-Beast, and it had reptilian features. Two more crocodiles materialized into the room to throw a cover on the naked beast-kin and guided it out of the room.

  "Another awakened to the Great Darkness. Another is freed from reality," Calix said as a wave of energy pulsed in him.

  The ground rumbles as he braces himself. Kevin looked over to the crystal and heard it call his name.

  MASTER, YOU MUST SAVE US! END THE SUFFERING!

  "These are the homes of Mordecai, or at least a representation of them," Chester said. "The mystery of where the residents are has been solved, my dear assistant."

  "Boss, focus. People are turning into crocodiles."

  "Wait," Kiyo said. "Are you saying that those reptile beast-kin are the residents? No, that cannot be right. Mordecai is a Rowen town. Not a beast-kin village."

  "Calix," Carl said. "What did you do to them?"

  "Only what they truly desired, and as the Shepherd, they follow the calling I provide to the Sea of Sorrows."

  His headaches intensified, and he felt the lab as he walked closer with each step. The crystal encased a small child with pointed ears, but what he saw he couldn't believe his eyes.

  On top of the crystal, pulsing with wires connected to it, was a translucent blue dagger. It was semi-transparent, yet, save only for the fact that the cables connected to it were not, he would never have noticed it was there.

  "Celia! My Baby!" Mia ran to the large crystal and banged on the glass. And rumble shuddered the room, but it didn't faze her as she continued to bang on the glass.

  "Mia!" Kiyo's voice cracked as she lunged forward, catching Mia's trembling hands before they could bloody themselves further against the crystal. "Stop! You're hurting yourself!" Her fingers shook, the reality crashing down—this wasn't another drunken episode. The woman who'd scolded her for tracking mud in the caravan now looked... hollow. "We'll get her back."

  Kevin's pendant vibrated like a Geiger counter.

  "Now that is interesting. A large crystallized cocoon with wires dangling from an invisible connection," Chester said. He placed his hand on Mia. "My dear, is that your child you have been desperately missing for three decades?"

  Kevin’s anger pulsed in the pendant. "Carl, this makes sense now. The Power Sword of Water has embedded itself with their child and crystallized around them. Nimue must be protecting her, but now it feels corrupted. We need to destroy whatever this is!"

  "You are right. This nightmare scenario has gone on long enough," Carl said, his eyes crackling. "Paz, help me destroy this machine so we can deal with the Power Sword."

  Calix, unfazed by the tension, threw off his hooded cloak to reveal his naked body. He calmly reached into the corner and pulled on a scientist's outfit. "I wouldn't be so eager to shatter that glass," he warned, his voice carrying the smooth confidence of someone holding all the cards. "Do that, and you'll doom everyone in this room." His lips curled into a slight smile. "Well... almost everyone."

  "Celia…Celia." Bryson must have realized Celia in the crystal as she stood up and ran to it. The chain yanked back, and he flew backwards to the ground, but it didn't deter him as he rushed it again. He fell to his knees and crawled on the ground with the chain digging into his waist to free himself.

  "Oh, would you look at that," Calix said amusingly. "Seems like he wants something over there."

  "Calix," Carl said. "Shut it down, now!"

  "What?" he asked callously. "Why shut it down when you started it?"

  "Carl," Kevin said. "What is he talking about?"

  "I have no clue, but I am destroying this crystal. None of this should even be in this realm."

  "Says the one who also does not belong. Isn't that right… Leader of the J-Clan."

  "Come on, Carl," Pizer took out his daggers. "Let us break this glass and free their child. Don't worry, Bryson. We got this!"

  Before they could strike, Calix threw a couple of vials at Paz. They shattered on the ground next to her, and a moment later, the chain dissipated. “Dispelling Resonance. Be free, my wayward son. Grieve for me.”

  "Celia, Celia,… Don't die!" Bryson, now free, ran up to the glass wall and pounded.

  Calix positioned himself next to a panel. "Now that the final catalysts have presented themselves, we can proceed to the final stage of the Sea of Sorrows."

  The glass disappeared, sending Bryson and Mia tumbling forward. Two umbilical cords—identical to those they'd spotted in the rooms earlier—shot out like striking vipers, plunging into their chests. Energy pulsed along the cords in rhythmic light waves, lifting them off the ground.

  Horror seized them both as they hung suspended in the air. Their bodies convulsed, forcing thick, mucus substance from their mouths. The viscous fluid spread rapidly, enveloping their struggling forms until they were encased in cocoon-like structures as seen in the pocketed spaces.

  "Mia! No!" Kiyo ran and jumped to grab them, but missed as they hovered in the air, turning into hardened cocoons.

  She turned to Calix. "You son of a bitch!"

  The distraught Kiyo grabbed one of Pizer's knives and tried to attack Calix, but Chester grabbed her before she got close.

  A small brooch fell out of Mia's cocoon and hit the floor. Kiyo scrambled to pick it up. It was Kiyo's. The one Mia found on the farm one day during an evacuation exercise, and had fixed.

  The pin pricked Kiyo's thumb now as she grabbed it, a bead of blood welling like the tears she now shed. She looked at the cocoon, and the pin must have punctured her palm because he saw blood falling out of her hand.

  Kevin fell to one knee as the headaches pounded him senseless, and he lost vision. He heard thousands of voices, all crying out in pain.

  Then some laughed.

  And those voices were the same. Darkly. Sinister. Evil.

  Malikhil.

  "YOU BASTARD!" Kiyo broke free from Chester's grasp, but not before snatching his gun. She closed in on Calix, getting mere inches from his face before unleashing a left hook and firing a single wind round point-blank as he staggered. The attacks passed straight through him, his body exploding into water.

  Another rumble, this time it was much stronger than before.

  "The data is astronomical!" Calix's voice echoed in the room. A pixelated picture of his voice appeared on one of the screens. "Who would have thought the missing data was from the Weeping Child's parents. Once the cycle is complete, there will be enough power to welcome everyone to the Sea, and we can all take comfort in the grief. Such a pure substance. I need more to shepherd this liquid emotion!"

  Several Hooded Reptilian beast-kin appeared in the room.

  "Let me taste their grief as you kill them one by one. Slaughter the Lightning Fist last, so I can savor the Sword Master's grieving soul."

  "Kiyo, get behind Kevin!" Carl said as he unleashed an attack at the nearest enemy. Chester fired his weapon at another while his assistant roundhoused another.

  Pizer flipped over one beast and kicked it to the glass wall. "Guys, in case anyone wondered where that rumbling was coming from…"

  Despite the pounding headaches of a thousand voices, another horror appeared.

  "Well," Chester said. "That is rather unfortunate."

  On the screen, one of the rooms is flooded with water. Several other screens showed the same thing: water rising in some rooms before the screen blanked out.

  "We have to save them," Pizer said.

  "Calix intends to use this city as a catalyst," Chester replied, shooting another reptilian as more poured in. "To complete his 'Sea, ' he will drown everyone in it."

  The child's voice echoes in Kevin once again:

  MASTER! THEY ARE DYING! HURRY!

  Kevin stood up. "Carl, Paz. We need to cleanse the corruption of the Power Sword. Nimue can keep the water abated."

  The first tendril of blue liquid slithered under the lab’s doorframe, a serpent tasting the air. Kiyo stomped on it reflexively. It didn’t stop. Behind her, the crystal pulsed, as if laughing.

  Carl struck another reptilian while back-kicking another. "No, that means going through your memories, and I do not want to do that again."

  "It is the only way, and you know it," he replied. "You gotta do what you did to me before!"

  "Kev, there has got to be —"

  Kevin fell again when the rumbling continued. "We do this together. Like we always do."

  Carl stared at him, and Kevin knew he wouldn't change his mind. But he nodded. "Fine, together."

  "Paz!" She popped up next to them. "I swear you two are annoying, but I understand. Sword Master. Once the Soul Siphon is in place, you must grab the Power Sword. The corruption will be intense, and once we are inside, we do not have the Primal Champion to guide us."

  "It's fine," Carl said, pulling out the Soul Siphon. "Not my first life or death situation."

  Paz placed the matrix around Kevin's head. An aura formed around him when the last node connected to his pendant.

  Mira jumped toward Chester. "Boss, if we are pulled into this … whatever they are doing, will our bodies stay here?"

  "Oi!" Chester yelled. "Whatever it is, like my assistant has pointed out, I do not think they will leave us unabated if we go unconscious, I do not think?"

  Carl nodded. "Yeah, I thought about that. Which is why I have this!"

  He pulled out the metallic cube and adjusted the dials.

  "Carl, how long do we have before it turns off?"

  "Normally eight hours, but it wouldn't matter if that water floods the whole city."

  Pizer adjusted his daggers. "He's got a point. If anyone wants to leave, now is the time."

  Once they were set, Carl pressed the button, and the golden aura erupted from it, and an extensive line drew around them. Once the circle was completed, a large wall dome cascaded around them and turned invisible. The glow of the Save Point gave Kevin warmth as it vibrated with energy.

  Some of the reptilians approached but were instantly reflected. Chester held his weapon up to strike, but he gave the shield a curious look once he saw them fly off. "Do you think the water will come in here?"

  Mira reached into her pocket and threw a vial at the shield. It splattered against the shield and dripped down. "I say we are good, boss. However, when we regain consciousness, it will be a sure bet that we will be underwater."

  Kevin held onto his pendant. "We will be fine once I recover, Nimue. She will help us escape."

  He walked over to the Crystal, closed his eyes, and touched it. Suddenly, a power surge boomed from the dagger, sending vibrations through the air.

  The flood of memories crashed in his head. Lifetimes of worry and grief consumed him as he sorted all he could.

  Paz chanted the Empress’s Song once again.

  "Per somnia ad veritatem, through dreams to truth.”

  Kevin saw the sadness of loss.

  “Anamnesis to Aletheia, remembrance reveals reality.”

  He saw the essence of despair.

  “The shadow self must face the light.”

  He will take on all their pain. All their Suffering…

  “Memento mori, memento vivere.”

  To become the Sword Master once again.

  “By Mnemosyne's waters, we seek what lies beneath.

  MindSpace, Reborn!"

  Before his mind fell unconscious, he heard Malikhil's sinister voice in the distance.

  "Come Sword Master, I am waiting…"