Val's avatar appeared before me, arms crossed, and a defeated expression on her face. ‘You've ruined everything.’

  "Did you really think I would just roll over and die for you?" If I could have strangled her, I would have.

  ‘Your sacrifice would not have been in vain,’ she said. ‘It was the best way you could have contributed to my fight against the Triarchy. If I were in a stronger host, especially one with access to what you understand as magic, I could accomplish my goals at a far greater speed. But no, you chose to be selfish. You turned my plan's beautiful face into mush, and now your people's suffering will be prolonged, perhaps indefinitely since I’m stuck with you.’

  "I should kill you," I said.

  ‘But you can't, can you?’

  "How far can you travel without a host?" I asked. "A mile? No," I shook my head. "Not even close. Even if you weren’t running on fumes, I bet you couldn't make it fifteen feet on your own."

  ‘That is exactly why I require access to someone with a high magical affinity. I could have taught Sabbatha to channel magic instead of powering her spells with witchery and blood. It would have allowed me to tap into the quantized energy field that the system uses to generate magic and recharge myself. My ability to influence the system would have grown exponentially. Now, thanks to you, that will never happen.’

  "Fuck you, Val. From now on, I'm in charge."

  She scoffed. ‘A sheep does not lead the shepherd.’

  "I don't care what you think. This is your new reality." I stepped closer to her. "Listen to me, Val, and listen well. If I ever suspect that you lied to me again, if I have the slightest feeling that I am being misled, I will find the deepest body of water I can, chain myself to a rock, and jump in. I won't hesitate to kill myself if it means I can take you out with me."

  She didn't respond, but I could see the worry on her avatar's face. It looked so human…

  "Maybe I can't kill you," I said. "But I'll find a way to trap you for eternity. And you can't stop me. Can you?" I gave her a bloody smile. I meant every word I said, and she knew it.

  There was nothing for me in this world. The odds that my wife was reconstituted during the creation event were already slim. I had no friends, no real family. All I had was Val, and I hated her with a burning passion. Death wouldn't be so bad at this point.

  "I'm sure you could kill me if you wanted," I said. "But unless you can find someone to do your dirty work, you'll have to do it yourself, but as you said, dislocating while I'm still alive could hurt you, and I have a feeling you're too much of a coward to take that risk."

  Her virtual cheeks flushed red.

  "You are a tool to me, Val. Nothing more. From now on, I'll treat you accordingly. Your only job is to help me. I'm your jailer, your master, and the only hope you have for accomplishing your mission. You are mine to use, do you understand?"

  Val's eyes glowed with fury, and her nostrils flared. My gaze was resolute, determined. I stared her down until she finally broke eye contact.

  She huffed like an angry teenager. ‘Fine.’

  "Say you understand."

  ‘I understand,’ she snapped.

  I stuck out my hand. "Then we have a deal."

  ‘In a deal, both parties get something they want.’

  "You want to beat the Triarchy. You can't do that without me." I looked down at my hand.

  Slowly, she raised her virtual hand and placed it in mine. For a brief second, I thought I could feel her touch, but that moment passed like a breeze.

  ‘We have a deal,’ Val said. ‘But I have little faith in your success.’

  I glared at her. "I passed every trial you've thrown at me so far. If I fail, it will be because you failed me."

  We had an agreement, albeit tentative. I didn't think I'd ever be able to trust Val again, but without her occasional guidance, I couldn't reach the level of power I needed to achieve. We were in this together, whether we liked it or not.

  I turned to the side and pointed to the ground nearby. "Now, what should we do with her?"

  During our conversation, Tara had managed to sit up, her legs drawn close to her torso and her arms wrapped around them. I could practically smell her fear. I wondered what went through her mind after listening to the man who had just destroyed her little coven have a one-sided conversation with himself for the last few minutes.

  ‘Kill her and maximize your experience gain,’ Val said. ‘Sabbatha is not yet dead, by the way, so you should finish her off. She is too damaged to be of use to me.’

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I shrugged, walked over to Sabbatha, and drove my sword through her heart. The only sign she was still alive was the whisper of breath that escaped her bloody lips when I stabbed her.

  I took her dagger, planning to inspect it later. I also noticed she had a thin, black, beaded bracelet around her wrist, which I slipped off her. Lastly, I located the vial she had intended to give to Tara. I inspected it right away.

  SENTIR BONUM

  A rare and potent chemic. It produces a tranquil sensation in small doses and can be used as a painkiller. At higher doses, it will create a sense of profound euphoria and can cause hallucinations. This drug is highly addictive. In extreme cases, withdrawal can be deadly.

  Great. Tara was an addict, and Sabbatha had her fix. The witch had likely used Tara's addiction to control her. The girl was a tool, a useful pawn, just like me.

  I walked over to Tara and crouched down in front of her. I held up the bottle. "What is this?"

  "It's my medicine," Tara said weakly.

  "Medicine for what?"

  "I have magic in me, but no knowledge of how to expel it. Over time, the magic turns foul and makes me sick. The medicine is the only way to stop it until I learn to cast spells. It purifies me.”

  'Val, elaborate.'

  ‘Magic doesn't work that way. It was a lie Sabbatha used to chain the girl to her.’

  I looked into Tara's sad eyes. "You were being lied to, Tara. You were being used. Latent magic can’t hurt you. It doesn't sour inside of you. Sabbatha was drugging you with this." I shook the vial. "It's called Sentir Bonum, and it's highly addictive. The sickness you feel inside is withdrawal from the drug, not 'bad magic.'

  Tara's lips trembled. "No. No, that's not true. Mistress was helping me. She was going to teach me how to use magic. She wouldn't lie."

  "Maybe she was going to teach you." I shrugged. "Or, maybe she would have just kept you as her drug-addicted slave, using you to lure in unsuspecting prey."

  I stood and pocketed the vial. "I've recently grown a soft spot for na?ve individuals who have been taken advantage of, so I'll let you live. But our time together is over."

  I turned and walked away.

  "Wait!" she called. "John. Don’t leave me. Please."

  Those were the last words I heard before I closed the heavy stone door behind me.

  ‘She could still be helpful,’ Val said. ‘You could recruit her as an ally.’

  "She's going through withdrawals," I said. "For the next few days, she'll be useless; after that, I imagine it will be some time before her mind clears. She's not my problem anymore. Also, fuck you for betraying me."

  ‘I thought we were past that, John.’

  I laughed a bitter laugh. "You can have my forgiveness after we drive the Triarchy from the Earth. Also, my name is Ethan.”

  Val gave me a sympathetic smile. ‘Ethan it is.’ She fidgeted with her hands. ‘I was displeased to see my plan disrupted, but I must admit that you are now my best option for success. You have handled yourself well to this point. It was...wrong of me to orchestrate your death. It is possible that in time and with proper guidance, you can build the tools you need to accomplish our mission.’

  "If you think that sad attempt at an apology will make me trust you, you're dumber than I thought."

  ‘What must I do to regain your trust?’

  I spun on her. "Show some goddamn humanity!" My eyes grew wet, and my chin quivered. "And help me find my wife."

  Val didn't respond right away, which made me think she was either devising a lie or seriously considering ways she could help.

  "Remember, Val," I said. "If I sense the tiniest morsel of a deceit from you, we both die. I'll walk back into that cave and find a way to trap us in there forever."

  ‘There is a way we can find Elena,’ she said at last. ‘Sharing this information earlier was unnecessary, as I was going to kill you and implant myself into a more powerful host, and that bit of hope would have only distracted you.’

  "Keep talking."

  ‘Implanting myself into an NPC with a magical affinity was the easiest path for me to gain access to the quantized energy field and recharge. There is another option, although it is extremely dangerous. Acquiring it is one of the last and most crucial steps in my plan. If we can obtain it, I can use it to recharge myself, locate your wife, and put an end to this game once and for all.’

  "Well…spit it out."

  ‘We must confront a Voxal Administrator and steal the controller they use to manipulate the code.’

  "A Voxal?" I questioned. "Isn't that a 'run if you see one' situation?"

  ‘I am pleased to see you have paid attention. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, yes, you run. But when you are strong enough to disrupt their game, the Voxals will take notice, and when they do, we'll find a way to exploit them.’

  "At that point, won't the Master Control know I'm a Player too? Can't it just snap me out of existence?”

  "The Master Control Intelligence will eventually realize a human has Player privileges. I can mask your presence from it, but if it prioritizes its focus and energy in searching for you, it could eventually overcome my concealment. However, even if it finds you, I suspect it will not intercede, as it will see you as an artifact of its creation. Its hubris is beyond comprehension, and it believes its creation is immaculate. To a Master Control Intelligence, an anomaly like yourself wouldn't be viewed as a mistake. More like a happy accident.’

  "Okay, Bob Ross."

  ‘What?’

  "Never mind,” I said. “So, it will think it somehow created me? Or subconsciously allowed it to happen, and it's just too vain to edit me out?"

  ‘That is accurate. You catch on quickly.’

  "Flattery doesn't suit you, Val. Now, how does this Voxal controller thing help me find my wife?"

  ‘The admin controller is a tool that only certain Voxals can use. However, I can bypass that restriction. With the controller, we will have access to a suite of tools that enable us to manipulate the quantization field. These tools are powerful and extensive, but they only work within a local area. This controller allows the Voxals to make on-the-spot alterations and influence game events however they deem fit.’

  "So, they use it to rig the game?"

  ‘Of course they do, Ethan. War among the Triarchy is forbidden, and these games are used to settle disputes among the factions. The Voxals are more than happy to take bribes and engage in dirty politics. It entertains them.’

  "Figures. Continue, please."

  ‘This controller would enable me to harvest zero-point energy from the field and bring myself to full power. It would also grant me access to Earth's pre-alterations files, which include the data for every wiped or reconstituted human. I could discover if your wife were spared during the creation event, and if she was, I could tell you who or what she became. With a controller, we could track her down."

  My heart stood still at the news. Then, it began beating in sync with my rising tide of hope. There was a chance I could find Elena, and a chance, no matter how small, was all I needed to continue on.