Stealing the world band was Arthur's best chance of survival.

  Arthur crept down the dank tunnel, his heart pounding in his throat. Despite being a professional, no amount of experience could have prepared him for this. The air had long since grown uncomfortably warm in the subterranean labyrinth. His clothes clung to his body, wet with perspiration, and his slick palms tightened around his weapons.

  Five rounds. That's all he had—five rounds for his pistol, plus one slide for the slide launcher he had taken from a Critter who no longer needed it. The alien weapon resembled a muzzle-loaded pistol but with a vertically flat slot instead of a barrel.

  How had it come to this?

  Arthur's flashlight battery had died hours ago, so he hiked on, his path illuminated by the pulsing light of yellow crystals embedded in the wall. The glowing amber glass forked into veins and spiraled around the tunnel like bolts of lightning frozen mid-strike. The warm glow emanating from the crystal grew brighter the deeper they got. They were close.

  "Arthur?" Jacob wheezed from behind.

  Arthur realized he had come to a halt. The mercenary glanced over at his final companion. Arthur wasn't surprised that Jacob was the last survivor of his unit. What Jacob lacked in experience, he more than made up for with youthful energy. If anything surprised Arthur, it was that he, himself, was still alive. Teeth, acolytes, and other survivors had picked off the members of his platoon one by one until only the two of them remained.

  "You holding up?" Arthur asked.

  Jacob grunted in agony without an answer as he clutched his side. A tooth had ripped out a respectable chunk of flesh when they were still on the surface. Jacob smiled weakly, his face ashen and his eyes distant. He leaned against a radiant vein of warm light to stabilize himself.

  "Can you make it?" Arthur hissed, keeping his voice low.

  "I think so," Jacob winced.

  Arthur looked at the wound again. Deep crimson spotted through the third layer of hemostatic bandages.

  The boy needed a medic and rest, but stopping would mean failure. He hefted his pistol before turning the corner. As he rounded the curve, Arthur gasped and instinctively ducked back into the mouth of the tunnel.

  "What is it?" Jacob asked in a low voice.

  Arthur peeked more carefully this time, taking it all in as his lungs momentarily forgot their duty. The tunnel widened into a colossal cavern. Its top would have been lost in shadow, if not for the thousands of glowing sun-gold veins that spiraled down the walls, all meeting on the ground in the cavern's center. A bright tree grew from the center of the cavern where the veins of crystal light started. Arthur rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him. Yes, it was a tree made up entirely of golden light, as though millions of fireflies were synchronized in their flight to make a tree out of their brilliance. The tree of sparks seemed to shimmer. The crystals embedded in the ground ran off from the tree-like roots.

  It wasn't until Arthur finally pulled his attention from the tree that he noticed something less awe-inspiring but equally surprising. A series of folding tables sat near the tree with computers, monitors, and humming generators. Several thick power cables ran from the generators, snaking over the glass-like roots, casting wormlike shadows. The power cables ran to massive coils surrounding the tree, containing it.

  "This has to be his base," Arthur hissed in delight. He could feel the end of his time on this hellish rock approaching. After being adrift in an ocean of nightmares, the cavern was the first sight of land. The relief winked out as Arthur heard voices approaching from somewhere within the cavern.

  He ducked back next to Jacob, cursing himself. This place had been left unguarded as they arrived, but their moment of opportunity had passed.

  "What is it?" Jacob asked as he heard the voices.

  Arthur peered over. Three men walked to the monitors. Arthur recognized them—all humans, two acolytes, and their leader. Arthur growled. Michael.

  "Michael?" Jacob asked through clenched teeth.

  Arthur nodded. Michael wore their ticket home in the form of a metal world band around his arm. Arthur knew nothing about the bracelet or how it worked, but he was confident he couldn't return to Earth without it.

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  "Is he alone?" Jacob asked as he hefted his sawed-off shotgun.

  "No," Arthur muttered. "He's with two acolytes."

  "Two acolytes?" Jacob choked. "We don't have a chance!"

  "I don't know," Arthur said, daring another glance at the monitors and tree from behind his cover. "There are some computers and generators. If we destroy those, we might have an opening."

  "But two acolytes!" Jacob lamented.

  "Make that three acolytes!" a voice sneered from behind them.

  Arthur ducked as he spun to find another grinning acolyte blocking their exit. He was tall, with a beard of neglect sprouting from his face.

  The acolyte wore torn jeans and a dirty t-shirt. The only thing that marked him as Michael's servant was the metal circlet he wore on his forearm. Runic figures pulsed with familiar golden light on the armlet.

  Already, the acolyte held a glowing, golf ball-sized stone that melted in his grip. Liquid light ran down his arm, working its way into his flesh. The same light began spilling from his eyes, and the runes on the armband flared brightly.

  "Move!" Arthur shoved Jacob aside before diving to the ground. A bolt of yellow light flashed from the acolyte's palm and streaked past him, slamming into the wall behind with a crack. Rocks and liquid fire sprayed dangerously close.

  On his back, Arthur raised his weapon and quickly squeezed off two shots at point-blank range. The bullets slammed into a barrier in front of the acolyte that was invisible until the rounds hit it. A wave of glowing yellow runes rippled through the air.

  Only three rounds left. Arthur wouldn't have any weapons to face the other three in the chamber. Three, which undoubtedly heard the gunfire.

  The acolyte grinned as he raised his hand at Arthur again, his eyes and armband burning furiously.

  "Hey, dumbass!" Jacob grunted as he pulled himself up to the acolyte’s feet.

  The acolyte frowned, forgetting Arthur momentarily, as he looked down at Jacob in surprise.

  Jacob placed the barrel of his shotgun up between the acolyte's legs. "Go to hell!" he spat, and he pulled the trigger.

  His gun bucked in his hands as it spat a shell of buckshot through the acolyte's groin. The acolyte shrieked, and he collapsed to the ground, cradling himself.

  Jacob lunged at the fallen man, bludgeoning him with his empty weapon. Arthur ran up to the grappling men and kicked the glowing pebble, which was noticeably smaller, out of the acolyte's hand. He raised his slide launcher and pulled the stiff trigger.

  Shchiiink! The slide launcher jolted in his hands as the spinning card-like blade flew from the flat weapon and bit into the struggling acolyte's shoulder.

  The acolyte screamed, and his eyes lit up with light as he threw Jacob aside like a weightless pillow. The acolyte searched frantically for his dropped stone, but Arthur was already moving. He reared back and kicked it further down the tunnel before turning his pistol on the man and firing his final three shots.

  The acolyte staggered, and the yellow light in his eyes dimmed before he collapsed in a heap.

  Arthur ran at the fallen acolyte and furiously fumbled for the armband until it finally slipped off.

  So they can die! Arthur noted with bitter satisfaction.

  "You actually did it," a drawling voice said in lazy surprise.

  Arthur cursed and turned to see Michael and his two other acolytes standing in the mouth of the tunnel. Michael was entirely unimpressive. The middle-aged man's shirt stretched tightly across his pudgy belly, and the beginnings of a double chin drooped over his thick neck. A patchy, shallow brown beard sprouted from his face.

  "You would be the first," Michael continued, sounding mildly impressed.

  Arthur panted as he drew his pistol and leveled it at Michael.

  His acolytes started protectively, but Michael held up a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, he's out of bullets."

  Arthur dropped his pistol with a growl and held up the armband threateningly.

  Michael's eyes widened, and he took a protective step back. "Don't!"

  Jacob grunted as he climbed to his feet next to Arthur.

  "Don't let him put it on!" Michael cried, and his cronies sprung at Arthur.

  Arthur would have found another way if he had any other options. He would have been more cautious if he wasn't exhausted and death wasn't imminent. Acting on instinct, he slipped the band on.

  The metal ring instantly tightened around his wrist, clamping down hard and threatening to cut off circulation. Arthur cried out as the ring began to heat up.

  "Hunger!" an omnipotent voice sounded in his head, no, coming from the cavern, from the tree. "Meat!"

  Arthur's vision blurred, and he pitched and reeled as he became one with the acolyte ring. He felt good—great, actually; powerful and in control. Arthur's vision flashed yellow as his green eyes started to burn with amber light.

  "Leave him!" Michael laughed, calling his acolytes to an abrupt stop. "You think these men serve me out of their own volition? I made those bands. They're not weapons; they're shackles!"

  "No!" Arthur tried to say, but his voice didn't work.

  "Dispose of your friend," Michael ordered.

  Arthur watched in helpless horror as he turned on Jacob and drew his knife. "What are you doing?" Jacob cried, scrambling back.

  Arthur strained and tried to stop himself but to no avail. He cocked his head to the side and smirked. Thoughts, feelings, and impulses injected themselves into Arthur's mind. Jacob was the enemy; he needed to die. Two voices coexisted in Arthur's mind, but one had been severed from the controls.

  "Arthur!" The wounded soldier staggered back, and Arthur lunged. His knife took Jacob in the chest, sinking through ribs like twigs. Jacob choked and collapsed. Arthur flipped his blade point down and dropped on top of his former ally, slamming the blade into his lifeless body over and over again. In his mind, he screamed in despair, but physically, he cackled through the tears streaming down his face.

  Arthur stabbed his companion's corpse a final time before rising and turning toward his new master. He snapped a sharp salute. "Commander?"

  Michael grinned. "You've been the biggest thorn in my side," he said.

  "My life is yours to take," Arthur said, exposing his neck to Michael.

  Michael chuckled, "Are you kidding me? You're easily my greatest asset now. At ease, soldier."

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