When I woke up, my throat felt raw and scratchy, as if someone had rubbed it raw. I experienced a pierg pang in my throat with every cough, and swallowing became rough and unfortable. It didn’t feel like the o of illness, but a persistent irritation that lingered despite my efforts to soothe it. The disfradually eased after casting two Healing Touches, allowio breathe and speak more easily again. I couldn’t make sense of what was going on.

  When I greeted Mahya and Al good m, they were startled and spun to me. They exged a ghen turned bae, their expressions a mix of surprise and curiosity.

  “What?” I asked, fused.

  “Your voice sounds different,” Mahya replied.

  “Different, how?”

  “Richer, deeper.”

  Huh?!

  I vocalized different sounds, and to my surprise, it sounded different, even to my ears. Since I didn’t have a rec of my speaking voice, I turo the best thing–my singing voice. I opened YouTube, pyed one of my songs, then sang and recorded it on my phone. When I pyed back the rec, it shocked me. My voice was a revetion! It was like velvet, smooth and resonant, captivating in its riess and strength, and with a perfect pitch.

  I remembered a video Lyura showed me on YouTube of a singer vocalizing “Ave Maria." Intrigued, I searched for the video and pyed it, attempting to vocalize along. I recorded my attempt on my phoo assess the result. What I heard delighted and amazed me. While I knew I wasn’t yet at Dimash’s masterful level—he was truly exceptional—it sounded pretty close. My voice was deeper and lower, but it sounded great. A wide grin spread ay face as I sank bato the sofa, my eyes wide with joy. I couldn’t help but throw my fist into the air and shout, “Yes!” It was amazing. I felt like a legit bard.

  After breakfast, we sat by the pool ahe Traveler approag the hotel. We didn’t want the meeting by the pool, so to the suite ahe door open for him. I felt him approach, and a young maered the room. He was of average height, a little taller than me, muscur, with red hair and beard, and freckles. And like all the Travelers, he had glowing green eyes. He felt a little strohan me, but weaker than Mahya.

  As Soered the room, his eyes darted around, taking in every detail. His face torted with clear signs of dissatisfa, deep furrows creasing his brow and atuating the tensioween his eyebrows. He pressed his lips together in a tight lihe ers down-turned, and his eyes narrowed slightly. There was a noticeable g of his jaw, and his fists balled up at his sides.

  “What is the reason for the luxury?” he spat, his voice dripping with anger and pt. “This is a rescue mission, not a vacation.”

  Mahya and Al exged wary gheir bodies tensing at the hostility from the newer.

  After closing the door, I cleared my throat, trying to defuse the tension. I stood up straighter, meeting Sonak’s gaze. “Hello, my name is John Rue, and my in is Gaia, the p we are ht now.”

  Mahya shifted in her seat, her posture being more formal as she spoke. “Greetings, I am Mahya Num, from the world of Eldorus.” Her voice was calm, but her eyes never left Sonak, watg for any sudden movements.

  Al leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on his knees as he introduced himself. “Greetings, I am Alfonsen Holerand Mirbit VII, from Leylos.” His tone was cordial, but there was a wariness in his eyes.

  For a minute, Sonak stid, his jaw w as if chewing on his words. Finally, he let out a long, exasperated sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I am Sonak Susil, from the world of Zenitheer,” he said, his voice still tight with barely tained frustration.

  “Please sit down,” I invited him, gesturing to ay chair.

  Sonak’s nostrils fred as he inhaled sharply. “You did not answer me,” he growled, his eyes fshing angrily. “What is the reason for the luxury? My friend is held captive, and you are enjoying vish ditions.” His voice rose with each word, his body trembling with rage.

  I felt my patience wearing thin, my jaw g as I snapped back, “Because I don’t like squalor. If you o live in shit to feel you’re supp your friend, you’re free to find your own aodations.” My hands gripped the arms of my chair, knuckles whitening.

  Sonak’s face flushed red, his body coiling like a spring about to release. I felt Mahya tense beside me, her hand ing towards her side as if reag for a on.

  Sonak unched his fists with visible effort and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. He looked down his me, his jutting out defiantly. “What did you do so far to rescue my friend?” he demanded, each word clipped and precise.

  “Nothing. We were waiting for you,” I answered, meeting his gre with a level gaze.

  Sonak’s eyebrows shot up, his mouth falling open in disbelief. “What do you mean nothing? What were you doing all this time?” He leaned forward, invading my personal space.

  I remained seated, refusing to be intimidated. “As I said, we were waiting for you.”

  Uo tain his agitation any longer, Sonak jumped up and started pag the room. “When are we going to rescue him?” he demanded, whirling to face us again.

  “There are still things we o figure out,” I said.

  Sonak’s face twisted into a sneer. “Like what? What is the excuse this time?”

  I felt my st shred of patienap. Rising to my feet, I locked eyes with Sonak, my voice low and intense. “Listen up. We don’t owe you or your friend a thing. We chose to help free him because we believe it’s unjust for the army to hold him captive. So don’t act like we’re ied to you, and stop being disappointed because we haven’t moved mountains to find solutions. Get off yh horse. You didly go to great lengths to reach him, either. If it were urgent, you would have taken a po the US, but you didn’t. After disembarking, you took a week off in New York, a day off in Chicago on the way, and by my t, at least two days off in Los Angeles, judging by your travel time. So lower your tone and speak courteously to us. If you’re not prepared to do that, the door’s right there. Use it, and don’t e back.”

  As I delivered my speech, Sonak’s face cycled through a range of emotions—shock, indignation, and finally, grudging respect. His body gradually rexed from its bative stahough his fists remained ched at his sides.

  When I finished, Sonak looked at Mahya and Al, his eyes searg their faces. “Are you in agreement with him?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but still tense.

  They both heir expressions resolute.

  Sonak stood there, his whole body vibrating with suppressed emotion. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he took a deep breath a out slowly. With visible effort, he straightened his posture, ung his fists. “Okay,” he said, his voice strained but trolled. “I’ll listen to what you have to say. But before that, if we are going to have a party together, we should expin our abilities. I’m a Fire Mage, a Bcksmith, and a Pyro Knight.”

  I mentally asked Mahya, “Think we should do this?”

  She nodded slightly. “I am a Bdesinger and a Wood Artisan.”

  “I am a Heavy Warrior and an Alchemist,” Al said.

  “I’m a Healer, a Wizard Battle Master, and a Bard.”

  Sonak’s eyebrows rose in surprise when I mentioned being a wizard, his earlier hostility giving way to curiosity. “Wizard?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is your specialty?”

  “Elements.”

  He nodded with a thoughtful look on his face. “Are we going to rescue him tonight?”

  “No. We o scout the base and devise a pn to overe the mana suppression a in and out quietly.”

  Sonak’s temper fred again. His face reddened, aomped his foot like a petunt child. “NO! We o go in, kill everybody, a him out!” he shouted, his bid with frustration.

  “Not going to happen,” I said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because a cure that kills a hundred and heals one is not a cure. I’m not going to kill a lot of people to get o. I assure you that most of the people on that base don’t even know about the Traveler, and they don’t deserve to die. We o do it using our brains, not our physical strength.”

  As I calmly expined why that wasn’t an option, Sonak’s expression cycled through anger, disbelief, and finally, a mulish, stubborn look. He crossed his arms tightly, his jaw w as he ground his teeth. “I agreed not to make demands of you, but you do not tell me what to do.”

  “You’re wele to do it on your own then. We’re not going to help you kill a bunch of people,” I said firmly, standing my ground.

  Sonak stood there, his eyes b into mine for what felt like ay. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, his fingers digging into his biceps. Finally, without a word, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, smming the door behind him.

  We exged worried ghe tension in the air palpable even after Sonak’s departure.

  “BAD BOY! NO EAR SCRATCHES!” Rue decred more forcefully than usual.

  We started ughing, and the tension broke. My dog was the best iire universe.