Beyond the bordering forest of Veres was a cliff edge, followed by a sheer drop to the bottom of a ravine.

  “So, we’re meant to jump off this thing, right?” Verena asked, peering down. Of the two, she was the only one who couldn’t fly. Drucilla, dressed in light armour that allowed for flexible movement, tied her hair with a piece of red string before double-checking that her glaive was securely strapped to her back.

  “Well, I’ll see you at the bottom,” Drucilla replied dismissively. She didn’t wait to see how Verena would manage, instead launching herself off the edge. Her figure, clad in black armour with that bright red string, quickly shrank into a dot as she fell into the abyss below.

  Kaladin raised a brow at Verena, who could only gape at him.

  “Come on,” he said, sweeping her up into his arms. “Hold on tight.”

  Verena barely had time to react before they, too, plunged into the ravine’s depths. The wind tore past them, the sensation of weightlessness both exhilarating and terrifying. Far below, Drucilla was already cutting through the air like a blade. Kaladin, needing no wings, held Verena securely as they descended, eventually slowing just enough to make a smooth landing.

  Drucilla touched down a few feet away, her dragon wings unfurling behind her. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and looked back at Verena. “Try not to get in my way. There’s no one here to find your remains if you die.” Her words were as harsh as they were true—this was Veres; to die here meant an eternal rest among its ruins.

  The trio made their way down the rocky path of the ravine, and soon the structure of a castle loomed in the darkness. The abandoned stronghold was nestled between the high cliff walls, its turrets and battlements reaching up as if clawing for sunlight that would never reach it. Moss and vines sprawled across the crumbling stone, twisting around towers and spilling over shattered windows. Some walls had collapsed entirely, leaving gaping holes in the structure that exposed dark, empty rooms within. A bridge, long decayed and barely holding together, stretched across the ravine, leading to a main gate.

  The main gates were a pair of colossal stone doors that stretched so high they could barely see the top, etched with symbols and markings unfamiliar to Verena.

  Drucilla approached, running her gloved fingers over the carved surface. “This is it,” she murmured. “The castle should be beyond these doors.”

  “Is it really that simple?” Kaladin warned. “A fortress like this must have a guardian. And judging by the size of these doors…”

  “Well, we just have to lure it out, don’t we?” Drucilla’s voice was dismissive. “The other team will handle it.”

  Kaladin’s frown deepened. Using Hadassah as a decoy was already risky, and now Drucilla planned to direct a monstrous guardian towards her as well? Wasn’t that too much?

  “Do you have a problem with that, Kaladin?” Drucilla’s gaze was sharp, her words laced with challenge.

  He forced a smile. “No, Your Highness.”

  Verena spoke up, her tone measured. “I don’t think that’s a wise plan. It sounds like it could easily backfire.”

  Kaladin couldn’t have agreed more and thanked her silently, though he kept his own concerns in check.

  Drucilla paused, giving Verena’s words consideration. “So, what do you suggest?”

  “One of us should lead it out, while the other two continue through the castle,” Verena replied.

  Drucilla’s gaze slid to Kaladin. If the guardian matched the size of the doors, the entire tunnel could be destroyed if they tried to lure it out. She knew Kaladin was the most capable and, importantly, someone she trusted not to betray her. He could handle the guardian and return.

  “Kaladin, you do it,” she ordered.

  Kaladin inclined his head in a slight bow, accepting the task.

  The massive stone doors swung open, revealing a dimly lit craven dominated by a towering stone statue of a large woman carrying a set of balance scales in one hand and a bundle of wheat in the other. The statue loomed above, eyes closed, taking up over a third of the space in the room, and smaller figures appeared carved around its base, each depicting a person bowing in reverence.

  ‘Arcadia.’

  That was all Verena could think as she took in the sight of the statue.

  Kaladin stepped forward, his footsteps echoing softly in the silent hall. He stopped just before the massive stone figure. It would be foolish to think it was an ordinary statue—it was guarding something. His gaze shifted to the door beyond, barely visible behind the stone guardian’s looming frame. If they wanted to proceed deeper into the castle, they would have to confront or bypass this silent sentinel.

  In Veres, there were no humans, so Kaladin had to wonder what this figure was protecting, if not the inheritance.

  Kaladin stepped closer to the towering statue, scanning it for any hint of what might activate its dormant power. Before he could decide on a course of action, the statue’s eyes ignited with a strange green glow, and a split second later, everything around him dissolved into darkness.

  ˋ?-?-?ˊ

  Rahn dropped Zarek down into the ravine before folding his wings and joining the other two, whom he had dropped down earlier. The rabbit beastmen had moved their camp closer and slowly started to build a contraption to let them down. Meanwhile, the scouting group had changed before coming down: Hadassah now wearing her black silver armour she had augmented for extra protection and flexibility, the rest of her beads around her wrist, and her Wyre around her right hand.

  “We need to find Drucilla as soon as possible. She’ll be somewhere ahead.” Ash said as they began to walk through the ravine.

  “They should have found the castle by now, though there should be a castle guardian, it only makes sense.” Hadassah muttered, “the only thing I need to know is what kind of monster we’ll have to fight.”

  Zarek surveyed the rocky terrain, noting just how many tunnels and crevices lined the walls around them.

  “Look at this place,” Zarek muttered, unease flickering in his eyes as he took in the seemingly endless number of dark, hollow passages. “It’s like something’s just waiting in there.”

  Ash, sharp-eyed as always, suddenly went still, his gaze fixed on one of the darker shadows. “Wait…do you see that?” he whispered.

  Following his line of sight, the others froze. Emerging from the darkness were eyes—numerous, beady shiny black eyes, and unnaturally focused on them. Within seconds, a clicking, skittering sound filled the air as a swarm of monstrous creatures crawled out from the tunnels. They looked like enormous spiders with sinewy, elongated limbs, much like the creature from their nightmares.

  “Run!” Zarek shouted, springing into action. Without a second thought, he scooped Hadassah onto his shoulder and sprinted down the ravine as the creatures burst into movement behind them, their legs tapping a rapid, chilling rhythm against the stone floor.

  “Alright so, this is inconvenient, but can someone figure out the best way to kill those things? I don’t want to run out of beads!” Hadassah shouted to the group, her eyes on the creatures scaling all up the walls of the ravine and rushing at them.

  Ash unsheathed his sword, “I might stay back to deal with this, the rest of you can run!”

  “You must have gone mad.” Separating now was a bad idea.The best thing would be to tell Rahn to unleash his shadows, to tear into these creatures, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to expose him unless absolutely necessary, especially since Ash and Zarek both did not know his identity.

  Ahead of them, as if summoned by her hesitation, an enormous stone giant began to form. Rocks and boulders clattered and assembled, each piece slotting together until a towering behemoth loomed over them, casting a shadow so vast it seemed to engulf the entire ravine. For once, Hadassah found herself staring up at a creature she could not even fathom the size of.

  ‘More stupid rocks, great.’ She was sick and tired of having to fight them. The faster they could get out of there the better.

  “Zarek, drop me!” she commanded.

  Zarek set her down, trusting she had something in mind.

  “Help Ash with those crawling beasts,” she instructed. “Rahn and I will handle this big one.”

  Zarek looked up at the giant, hesitating.

  It was simply to big. The other stone giants they’d faced had only been as tall as the trees, but this one towered as high as the ravine itself. Its head was almost obscured by the fog and mist, a monstrous silhouette looming over them.

  A part of him wanted to urge her to reconsider, to rethink this reckless plan. But the determination in her eyes was unshakeable. Gritting his teeth, Zarek unsheathed his sword, choosing to trust her. He turned and joined Ash, who was already engaged in fending off the swarm of crawling creatures closing in on them.

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  Hadassah watched him go, then turned her attention back to the giant. The creature seemed to shift its stance, stretching its left leg back in preparation, almost as if it were about to sprint.

  “Don’t tell me… this thing can actually move quickly too?” she exclaimed, eyes widening.

  Her initial plan needed an immediate revision. The giant’s movements were fluid and unnervingly fast, not the lumbering gait of a typical golem. It moved as naturally as a seasoned warrior, each step resonating with crushing power, the earth itself trembling beneath its weight.

  “Rahn,” she called, turning to him, her voice steady despite the dread creeping up her spine.

  Rahn needed no further prompting. Without a word, he stepped beside her, wrapping his arms around her as his powerful wings unfurled in a single swift, graceful motion. With a powerful beat of his wings, they launched into the air, darting past the giant, narrowly avoiding its massive, sweeping arm.

  The stone giant’s hollow gaze tracked them, and then, with a rumble that shook the entire ravine, it began to run. The ground quaked with each of its strides, rocks tumbling and fissures forming in its wake as it charged after them, the entire ravine seeming to shatter from the force of its pursuit.

  The golem thundered after them, each step shattering the ground beneath its massive feet. Rahn’s wings beat fiercely as he carried Hadassah higher, the wind rushing past them. She pointed to the golem’s head. “Take me to the neck!” she shouted over the cacophony caused by the golem’s movements.

  Rahn nodded, his focus sharpening. He adjusted their path, angling upwards toward the golem’s head. The creature’s stone arm suddenly lifted, swinging towards them with enough force to squash them like flies they were hit. Rahn veered sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding death.

  But it wasn’t enough for Hadassah.

  “Rahn, hold steady!” she urged. “I need five seconds—just five!”

  Rahn, jaw tensed, pushed them forward, skimming close to the creature’s head but positioning them in its blind spot where it couldn’t immediately swat at them. They hovered there for only five seconds, Rahn holding them steady against the chaotic winds stirred up by the giant’s every move.

  Hadassah raised her arms. From beneath her sleeves, her gold body chains burst forth, like living serpents made of metal. They wrapped around the golem’s neck, and as it moved, her body was dragged with it.

  The chains pulled her forward like a slingshot. She flew through the air and her body slammed violently against the golem’s shoulder, the impact jolting her bones but anchoring her in place. The chains held strong, binding her securely as she clung to the titan.

  Rahn flew onward, darting past the giant’s face and wings flicking just close enough to draw its attention. The monster swatted at him with wild, frustrated movements, momentarily distracted from Hadassah’s steady climb up its shoulder.

  Ignoring the aching in her limbs and the bruises forming under her armour, Hadassah forced herself upward, gripping onto any crevice she could find until she was finally balanced on its massive shoulder. She caught her breath, calculating her next move. She knew the weakest point of any stone giant was the neck; it was the only area not fully reinforced by stone. If she placed the remaining beads precisely, they could easily blast it apart. Though she’d lose her most trusted weapon, she knew she’d have to manage with her Wyre.

  Hadassah threaded the string of beads with her gold chains, then it looped around the creature’s neck by her command, and the beads were secured onto a single spot at the base of the giant’s neck.

  ‘Rahn, I’m about to jump!’

  In an instant, she released her hold and pushed herself off, diving away from the creature’s shoulder with nothing but faith in Rahn’s speed.

  The explosion erupted from behind her—an ear-splitting crack that sent her body flying violently. The giant’s neck shattered under the impact of the beads, its head decapitated, flying forward as the creature’s entire form began to destabilise.

  Just as Hadassah began to plummet, she felt Rahn’s arms wrap around her. He caught her mid-air, his wings unfurling fully as he soared upward, carrying them both out of the debris field. Hadassah was grateful for her armour, she had prepared hem before hand, at least she would not be burnt alive by her own explosions.

  The wind whipped past them as the stone giant crumbled, its headless body collapsing into rubble, shaking the ground below.

  “Don’t drop me.” She said weakly, her body shattered, “don’t let go.”

  ‘I won’t.’

  Rahn pulled her close, and they hovered for a moment, both watching as the giant fell to pieces, its form reduced to a mound of rubble.

  “Find the shell core. I need it.” She said coldly, he nodded and let her down before going to search for it.

  Hadassah, standing on the rubble, looked to the distance before taking off to help the other two.

  ˋ?-?-?ˊ

  The ground beneath Zarek shook with the force of the explosion, pieces of stone falling from the sides and crushing some of the crawling creatures under their weight.

  “Something’s come down,” Ash remarked, slicing through one of the spider-like creatures that lunged at him. “We’d better hurry up.”

  Zarek gripped his sword with both hands, they were surrounded by the swarm. He shared Ash’s urgency, but it felt impossible to kill them all.

  “Damn it,” he muttered, frustrated. These creatures shouldn’t pose such a threat, but the narrow space of the ravine left him unable to fully unleash his beast form without risking disaster. No matter how many he cut down, more seemed to take their place.

  “DUCK!”

  A shrill voice shouted from behind, and he and Ash exchanged a quick look before diving to the flanks.

  A loud, crescendoing screech followed as a blast of fire tore through where they had just been, clearing a path through the writhing creatures. The smell of scorched insects and the sickening sizzle of burning flesh made Zarek’s stomach churn. He turned back to see Hadassah, her hand outstretched, fingers splayed, the golden device glinting in the firelight, her hair wild against the backdrop of flames.

  “If you don’t want to get roasted, stay out of the way!” She called, and the two men quickly ran, giving her room as she activated the Wyre again.

  In less than half an hour, the ravine was scorching hot, flames flickering sporadically as they burnt the corpses of the creatures. Hadassah looked down at the Wyre in her hand, dissatisfaction flickering in her eyes—the range was still too low, the power too small. She would need to augment it later.

  She looked up to see Zarek and Ash, both looking slightly stunned.

  “Let’s go. The castle entrance should be just ahead.”

  Ash coughed, fear in his voice. “My apologies, young Kesmes, but this is where I leave. My soldiers are still waiting for me,” he explained, adjusting his chest plate in the heat. “We’ll come back down here soon to help with the clean-up.”

  Hadassah raised a brow. “What if we need your help?”

  Ash looked at her incredulously as Zarek spoke up. “I don’t think you’ll need it.”

  Hadassah laughed softly. “We’ll see you soon.”

  Ash gave a stiff bow, unnerved, and left them to continue on their way. Clearly, he was at fault for underestimating one of Kaladin’s students.

  ˋ?-?-?ˊ

  The three of them found their way to the chamber with the statue, where the same stone guardian remained standing.

  “Another statue, if it comes to life, I will actually lose my mind.” Hadassah said spitefully, she was getting tired of seeing so many stone creatures.

  “Well, if it was merely another stone giant, that wouldn’t be so bad.” Zarek tried to be light-hearted; if the statue was more than just a giant, he was afraid they would struggle.

  “Well, I hope it’s just a stationary statue, I don’t have any adequate weapons, I don’t think the Wyre will do much-” Hadassah looked up from the knives strapped to her legs and was met with darkness.

  One moment, Hadassah was there with Zarek and Rahn, and the next, she found herself standing alone in a void of endless blackness. She forced down the instinct to panic, taking a deep breath. Right, this was Veres; if she wasn’t careful, she might die here without understanding how.

  It didn’t take long before she noticed a small dot of light far off in the distance. She moved towards it, almost on instinct. At least at the end, she would meet whatever waited for her. As she walked, she noticed the light had a hint of green, and eventually, she came face to face with what looked like a simple circular doorway leading into a forest. She took a step through the portal, her boots landing on twigs and dirt, and found herself in daylight, beneath a canopy of lush green leaves. A gentle breeze brushed over her face, and warm sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled patterns on her skin. She could hear the soft buzz of wings nearby, and from the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the fae—small, glowing pink wisps dancing around her, just like in Valdemar.

  ‘I’m home.’

  She walked along familiar paths, down old trails that led to the valley where she’d grown up. There, she saw it: their house, an old wooden building with a fudian tile roof. She descended the valley, steadying herself by grabbing the short trees growing along the slope. She knew the stone steps were only a few feet away, but as a child, she would often slide down when she was in a hurry—something her father had always scolded her for, warning she’d hurt herself one day.

  At the bottom of the valley, she crossed a small stream over a simple wooden bridge, following a winding path that led to the large house. Her feet knew where to go, and she walked until she reached her tutoring room behind the house. The open hallway was flooded with memories, and she slowed down, wanting to savour each step. It felt like he was still here, like her father was alive, and she was just a girl, free and safe in the forest, with no worries weighing on her shoulders. She finally reached the room, her heart throbbing, and she heard the sound of pages turning—someone was flipping through a book.

  She halted. She knew that sound. Her heart raced, but she forced herself forward, rounding the corner until she could see into the room.

  There, seated on his side of the low table in the centre of the room, was her father. He looked up as she stopped in the doorway, smiling at her. She stared, her heart swelling until she thought it might burst.

  She said nothing, only took off her boots—she’d come this far without removing them, and she knew he’d have hated that.

  But he didn’t comment.

  She walked in and sat across from him, watching his expression as he observed the plush rabbit ears atop her head, and he stifled a laugh.

  “You look ridiculous,” he said.

  A small smile tugged at her lips, and she reached up, lightly touching the plush ears. “It is ridiculous, isn’t it?”

  He chuckled, his gaze warm. “What have you been up to? You look like you went treasure hunting.”

  Hadassah laughed softly, realising he wasn’t wrong—this could definitely be considered treasure hunting. But her laughter faded as she continued to study him, trying to take in every feature and every detail she’d missed so dearly. He was exactly as she remembered, his white, pristine robes, the jade flute resting on his lap. She glanced at his hands on the table—calloused but meticulously kept, just like always.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said finally, then poured out everything that had happened: the people she’d met, the Vortigern tree, the Veres expedition. She spoke about Kaladin, about the Seer, about her explosives—all of it. He listened, laughing at her mishaps and nodding along with her stories, as if these were simply tales out of a storybook.

  At last, she let out a long breath, her heart steadying as she tried to remind herself that this wasn’t truly her father. But he looked at her with such gentle pride that she couldn’t help but feel deeply comforted by his presence.

  “It sounds like you had fun,” he said with a smile. She wouldn’t have called it fun, exactly, but perhaps, in this moment, she could see it that way.

  She felt her heart skip when he continued. “I’m glad you made it here, Esther. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Her body tensed, and she fidgeted nervously with her hands. “I came all this way, so I assume now you can tell me everything?”

  He nodded, straightening up with a sigh. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you before. I wanted you to choose your own path, to decide what you wanted to do on your own.”

  “You knew I’d never disobey you, Father. If you told me to go, I would go,” she said softly. She didn’t need to follow his instructions to come here, but she had done so anyway.

  His eyes saddened. “I know. I was blessed with a great daughter.”

  Her lip quivered at his words, words that pleased her to hear. “What is it you want me to do here?”

  His smile grew, but rather than joy, it was filled with sorrow. “I have a request for you, though I know it’s asking a lot.”

  She allowed a few moments of silence to pass before she replied. “Whatever you ask of me, I’ll do it.”

  The only person who had ever wanted the best for her was her father. The only person who had protected her and loved her fully was him. She would do anything for him.

  “I want you to forfeit your life.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to steady her breathing, even as her heart fractured at his words.

  She would do anything for him, including giving up her place in the land of the living.