Chapter Seventy-Nine:

  “Out to Play”

  Lingering frost shimmered across the wooden floor of The Sleeping Embers Inn, the last traces of cold already fading. The young girl stepped forward, her violet eyes scanning the gathered faces with a steady, assessing gaze. Beside her, the massive wolf, remained silent, his glowing blue markings dimming more with each measured breath.

  She gave a quick glance towards Ani before speaking. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to freak you out."

  No one spoke immediately, still absorbing the sudden turn of events. The hush of her arrival settled into the room, not oppressive, but undeniable.

  “My name is Raya,” she continued, her voice composed, carrying a quiet calm that hinted at an ancient knowledge far beyond her years. “And this is Ani.” The wolf’s ears twitched at the sound of his name, but he remained still, watching them with intelligent, glacial eyes.

  Raya glanced around at the uncertain faces. “I know you all have questions, and I'll answer what I can,” she offered quietly. “But there are also things I wasn't told, and I can't answer what I don't know. Please understand, that’s just how it’s been for me since I entered the Dive.”

  Ankit caught it first. His brows knit together, his head tilting slightly. "Entered the Dive? You're a Player?"

  Raya gave a small nod. "Mmhmm. I grew up in Jerusalem. Ani was... has been with me since I can remember. He's my earliest memory." Her voice softened, a hint of something unspoken crossing her face. "Gameweaver brought over his essence after..." She trailed off, her fingers idly brushing against the thick fur at Ani’s neck.

  Emily leaned forward slightly, her voice edged with curiosity. "So how did you become the Guardian of Ice?"

  Raya turned toward her, unbothered by the directness of the question. "Well, I'm not exactly the Guardian of Ice," she admitted. "But I am the guardian of the Guardian of Ice."

  Asha blinked, her arms still folded across her chest. "...Okay, that makes a sort of sense... I guess."

  Leo, who had been watching Raya carefully, let his gaze drop for the first time. That was when he saw it, the sapphire resting against the hollow of her throat, ice blue, glinting in the firelight. His breath caught for just a second before he spoke.

  "That sapphire," he murmured. "That's the Guardian, isn't it?"

  Raya gave a small nod, her fingers resting lightly against her necklace, Ani's collar. "Yes."

  The single word carried weight, but she didn’t let it linger. Instead, she inhaled, steadying herself before she continued. "And to understand why… I have to tell you how it happened."

  The warmth of the inn and the crackle of the fire faded into something more distant as they listened to her tale, the present slipped away to something already written.

  The room had been quiet, save for the occasional pop from the fire burning steadily in the grand hearth. Raya sat cross-legged on a thick cushion, Ani curled beside her, his fur radiating comforting warmth against her side. Across from her, Arlo leaned back with his usual ease, idly twirling a dagger made completely of ice between his fingers, while the old man sat watching her with an expression that felt like expectation.

  And the robed woman, veiled in blue, her presence impossibly steady, studied Raya with a gaze that saw beyond flesh, beyond the now.

  Raya exhaled, her fingers brushing over Ani’s collar resting against her chest, its familiar weight grounding her in the moment.

  The old man spoke first. "Raya, do you know why you’re here?"

  She shook her head. No.

  The woman’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Then let’s start there."

  The fire burned lower. The conversation began.

  The robed woman rose from her seat with quiet grace, the blue of her veil catching in the firelight. "I suppose introductions are long overdue," she said, her voice carrying a warmth that contrasted the authority she naturally commanded. "My name is Mia."

  She turned then, her gaze settling on Arlo, who was still twirling the ice dagger between his fingers. Her brows knit together in immediate disapproval. "And you," she said pointedly, "put that away. Stop showing off. And for the love of the Goddess, sit up straight."

  Arlo sighed dramatically, not bothering to hide his smirk. "Yes, mother."

  He tossed the dagger one last time, but instead of catching it, the blade slipped through his fingers, shattering into glimmering shards against the stone floor. The moment it made impact, tiny ice fragments scattered across the rug near Mia’s feet.

  Mia exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I didn't mean let it break to melt on my rug! Goddess, teenagers, am I right?" She shot a glance toward Ani.

  The wolf merely lifted his head, let out an unimpressed huff, and set it back down without so much as opening his eyes.

  Raya glanced between Mia and Arlo. "She's your mom?"

  Arlo suddenly looked like a kid caught being embarrassed by his mother in front of his classmates. He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

  Mia turned to Arlo with a look of mild exasperation, shaking her head. "Interrupting the adults when they’re speaking? Really?" Her tone was only half-serious, but Arlo still rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

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  Raya, ignoring the exchange, looked at Mia with curiosity. "Earlier, you said you were and weren’t Gameweaver. What did you mean by that?"

  Mia’s expression sobered slightly. "You remember the night you saw me and Sterling playing that game of cards? The one that wasn’t really a game at all?"

  Raya shuddered involuntarily. The memory surfaced too easily, the rotten food, the long dark staircase, the steady clink of the cards. And the moment Sterling’s fingers unclasped Ani’s collar from her neck. The sound of it still lived in her soul. But she shook it off. "I remember."

  Mia nodded. "That night, Sterling was trying to destroy something called the Waystone at Kolnheim. Before the Waystone was destroyed, Sterling was powerful, yes, powerful enough to turn an entire region of Eldoria into a rotten, death-filled wasteland. But even then, he had limits."

  Before she could continue, Wiz, who had been watching quietly, suddenly clapped his hands together. "Enough of that for a moment. Heavy talk doesn’t go well with empty cups."

  Raya blinked as she looked down, her mug of cocoa, which had been nearly empty just a second ago, was now completely gone. She looked up in time to see a fresh one materialize in Wiz’s hand, steam curling lazily from the surface. With an effortless motion, he extended it toward her with a knowing grin.

  "There. Much better."

  Mia shot Wiz a look, but chose not to linger on his lack of manners. Instead, she pressed on. "There is a Waystone in every one of my Realms. They are, in essence, my connection to them. If one is destroyed, my connection... my power is severed."

  Raya’s fingers tightened slightly around her warm mug as understanding slowly dawned. "So since Sterling shattered the Waystone here, in Eldoria, you don’t have your power here anymore."

  Wiz gave a slow nod. "That is correct. That isn't to say she holds no power, but she is no longer connected to this realm."

  Raya considered this for a moment, then frowned. "So does that mean Sterling is... connected now?"

  Arlo leaned back slightly, crossing his arms behind his head, propping it up. "Not exactly." He paused just long enough to let the gravity of the moment take hold. "That is where you... and I come in."

  Raya blinked, her expression knitting into confusion. "Wait, what?"

  The warmth of The Sleeping Embers Inn settled around them once more as Raya’s voice carried through the firelit room. She had been telling her story for some time now, her words weaving between past and present, but the pieces of what she had learned were finally clicking into place, the shape of the truth becoming clearer to them all.

  She exhaled, steadying herself before continuing. "They told me that Sterling still needs all four Guardians, their essence, in gemstone form, to complete Souleater. Once he does that, he won’t just rule. He’ll become God of Eldoria."

  Silence settled over the table, the implications sinking in.

  Raya’s fingers absently ran through Ani’s thick fur. "And it won’t stop there. If he succeeds, the blade will open the path to the next closest Realm, letting him cross over and start his conquest all over again. He’s already done it before. He’s conquered many Realms. Eldoria is just another stepping stone."

  Enya made her way around the center hearth, a fresh round of ale in hand, her usual ease never dampened by the weight of the conversation. As she reached Raya and Ani, her gaze flicked down to the small puddles still lingering on the floor from the portal’s arrival. She arched a brow as she handed Raya a mug.

  “I really loved your entrance,” she said, smirking. “But did you really have to mess up my floors?”

  Raya tensed. "I... I’m really sorry... "

  Enya waved a hand dismissively, already grinning. "Calm now, I was merely trying to lighten the mood."

  With a simple gesture, the moisture on the floor evaporated in an instant, leaving the wood as dry as if it had never been touched. "See? No worries."

  She gave them a wink before turning and strolling back toward the bar, already moving on to the next thing.

  Raya eyed the mug in her hands warily. She had never had ale before, but everyone else seemed to drink it just fine. Taking a small sip, the taste hit her all at once, sharp, rich, bitter. She coughed, nearly choking, eyes darting up to see if anyone noticed. Her face heated as she quickly composed herself.

  “It’s delicious,” she managed, voice strained.

  Then, much to her horror, she burped.

  The table went quiet for a second before Ani, still resting beside her, huffed in what almost sounded like amusement.

  The laughter followed.

  The laughter faded, leaving behind the warmth of the moment but not erasing the depth of the situation. Leo, absentmindedly tracing the ruby in his ring, broke the silence. "So I take it this boy with the ice dagger, this... Arlo, he was the Guardian of Ice?"

  Raya nodded. "Yes. He told me that he chose me to be his protector, that he would put himself into Ani’s collar, giving Ani and me his power of ice..." She trailed off.

  For a fleeting moment, she was back in that room, the click of the clasp, the cold touch of Sterling’s hand as he unlatched Ani’s collar from her neck. A memory that would never quite leave her.

  She steadied herself and continued. "As well as ensuring no one could ever take my necklace again."

  Her hand settled over the sapphire. "He sacrificed himself so that we could protect Eldoria from Sterling. To ensure he never completes Souleater."

  Ankit, who had been turning Souleater over in his hands, inspecting the gemstones embedded in the blade narrowed his eyes. Without much thought, he pressed his fingers against one of the stones and attempted to pry it free.

  The moment he did, a violent shock ripped through his arm. The force sent the sword clattering onto the table as Ankit recoiled, shaking out his hand. "Wow! That really hurt!"

  Raya let out a small sigh, shaking her head. "I was about to say that once the Guardians' gemstones have been placed in Souleater, no one can remove them… ever."

  Emily had been silent for a long time, but her thoughts had been anything but still. The Wendigo, Rendall, the endless prophecies, every torment Gameweaver had woven into her path.

  Finally, she spoke. "Gameweaver... this Mia. Did she happen to tell you why she's been so cruel, if she is this... mother figure?"

  Lucinda straightened, her expression darkening. "I was wondering the same thing." Her voice was quiet, but firm. She had seen more than enough of Gameweaver's cruelty firsthand.

  Raya shook her head. "She only told me that she is tasked with discovering something very important, and that it involves making the impossible possible."

  She paused, her brows knitting together as she thought deeper on the memory. "And one last thing."

  The fire crackled, filling the brief silence before she spoke again.

  "She said that souls were like muscles. They need to be broken to become stronger."

  A horrifying understanding settled over the group, the full gravity of what Raya had revealed sinking in. If Sterling succeeded, if he gathered all four Guardians into Souleater, Eldoria would fall, and then another Realm, and another. There would be no stopping him.

  Asha, however, wasn’t deterred. If anything, her eyes sharpened with newfound purpose. "This is very cut and dry," she said. "All we have to do is keep Souleater and the gems away from Sterling. How hard could that be?" She looked around, her eyes full of confidence.

  It didn't last long. Asha had barely finished speaking before the first chuckle broke the silence.

  Then another. And another.

  Three voices, distinct and chilling.

  The first was a male cackle, high and sharp, almost manic, something between a snicker and a growl, like a creature barely containing its excitement.

  The second was a young girl’s giggle, light and teasing, but laced with something far more sinister.

  The third was a deep, slow chuckle, rich with amusement, as if its owner already knew how the night would end.

  Ankit bolted toward the nearest window, heart pounding as he peered outside.

  Not good.

  Hex stood in the cool night air, the glow of the inn outlining her small frame in restless streaks of firelight. And she wasn’t alone.

  Flanking her were two figures. One hunched and gremlin-like, the source of the cackling. The other, a brute of a creature, muscle-bound and barely contained gleeful rage simmering beneath the surface.

  Outside, Hex cupped her hands around her mouth and called out in a sing-song voice.

  "Oh, Guardians… come out to pllllaaayyy!"