Since his encounter with Laci, Glacier found it impossible to rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the endless hall again. He could still hear his voice calling her name, over and over.

  “Rosalynd! Rosalynd!”

  He sat up in bed, hot and trembling. Stifling air rushed through his lungs. The sheets were soaked in sweat.

  “Why didn’t she answer me?” he asked the darkness.

  Apollo’s firm gaze greeted him from the shadows. “Do you still worry about her? You need to move on.”

  “You wouldn’t know,” Glacier whispered.

  Apollo laid his ears back and raised his head. “I have existed through thousands of lifetimes. This is a waste of yours. Do you wish for others to suffer her fate?”

  “No. What are you talking about?” Glacier said.

  “You need to get out of here. If you want her to have justice, do whatever it takes to get rid of them.”

  A soft knock sounded on the door, and Doctor Greg entered, interrupting them. “Is everything alright?”

  “This is your chance. Stab him and free yourself,” Apollo commanded.

  Almost involuntarily, an icy blade formed in Glacier’s hoof, which he held behind him on the bed. He grazed its cold, sharp edge with his sole, and felt its weight.

  “I heard noise through the wall. I thought I should come check on you. And I brought tea,” Greg said, leaning down and placing the tray on the nightstand.

  “Do it. Now,” Apollo said.

  Glacier lifted the dagger and swung it toward him, but his grip faltered. The knife slipped and fell to the floor at Greg’s feet, clinking against the hardwood. Glacier put his head in his hooves and gasped. Greg stared at the knife in confusion.

  “What is your problem? Finish him!” Apollo ordered, shoving Glacier’s shoulder.

  “I can’t!” he shouted, silencing him.

  “What’s going on?” Greg asked.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Glacier sank back into the sheets. “I loved her,” he whispered, voice breaking.

  Greg sat next to Glacier on the bed and passed him tea. Carefully, he drew a blanket over his shoulders.

  “Who?” he asked.

  Glacier took a small sip, and exhaled. “Rosalynd.”

  Greg knew of Glacier’s wife. “She passed last year, didn’t she?”

  Glacier nodded. “This is all my fault.”

  “It’s not too late,” Greg said, putting a hoof to Glacier’s shoulder. “Maybe all this isn’t what she would’ve wanted. You can fix this.”

  “There’s no fixing what I did,” Glacier said sharply.

  Greg paused and looked out the window into the starlit lawn. He always felt small in the middle of an expanse so vast, but it was all a matter of perspective. Perhaps Glacier felt too small to cover whatever mistake he had made. It reminded him of Orion and his crew, searching tirelessly for Laci to bring her home. Orion was larger than life-it seemed no blemish was too large for him to repair. What Laci had done scared him, but it didn’t stop him from trying to put it right.

  “No matter what it is, it can’t be hopeless,” he reflected.

  Apollo switched his tail and leaned close to Glacier. “He’s speaking nonsense. If you join them, you’ll create chaos. They are the reason she is gone.”

  “No. It was you,” Glacier said, standing up and pushing Apollo back. “You made me afraid of her power. You saw her as a threat.”

  Apollo raised his head and stared down at Glacier with contempt. “I’m not the one who put the ice through her heart.”

  Glacier stumbled to the ground, sobbing fitfully, as Apollo watched him coldly. Greg came beside him to comfort him, lifting his face with a hoof. Without another word, Apollo’s spirit drifted through the door and vanished into the night.

  “It’s alright. Everything will be okay,” Greg said, gently leading him to bed.

  Greg stayed by his side as he wept into the pillows for what could have been hours, until he finally collapsed to sleep from exhaustion. Glacier did not even move when Greg draped the covers over him.

  The pony sighed with relief as he stepped out. “At last,” he whispered to himself.

  Ashley stood waiting for him in the hall, her dished head raised in oddly composed fury. “They are coming very close to ERUJ. I’ve been trying to help Laci from the inside, but it’s no simple task.”

  “How have you been going about that? Have you been able to reach Laci?” Greg asked.

  “No. Her mind is too strong to access from here. Especially in these circumstances. I have help from a guard named Gabriel,” she explained.

  Greg perked his ears. “Can he hold her over at least until Orion gets there?”

  “It’s possible. That’s the hope,” Ashley said. “How’s our friend Glacier?”

  “He’s coming along. Finally getting some rest,” Greg replied.

  Ashley nodded with approval. “Thank Epona. I was starting to worry I would have to step in.”