The cabin’s interior hung with the scent of death, the metallic tang of spilled blood lingering in Rachel’s nostrils. Benedict Arnold’s labored breathing punctuated the silence as he stared at them with bleary eyes. Astra’s revelation hung in the air, a cold gust passing through the space between Scarlet and the AI as they stared at her.

  “Baba Yaga…” Rachel mumbled, ears twitching slightly as past memories resurfaced. “So the USSR is working with the guy you send to hunt down the bogeyman, huh? I mean, I’m pretty sure Grace could probably out-shoot a normal myth like that.”

  Maria snorted. “What, we talkin’ some mythical hitman shit? Pfft. Like, uh, what was that hombre’s name—Helsing?”

  Scarlet’s lips parted, showing her fangs for a moment, bewilderment slowly spinning in her eyes as they turned their normal blue color. “Huh? Helsing… What are you two—no! That’s—Rachel! This is serious!”

  “What? I get it, he’s deadly with a pencil. I get the pop-culture reference. ”

  “But, you don’t…” Scarlet let out a nervous chuckle as she glanced at Astra, seemingly at a loss for words. The tension in her shoulders betrayed her unease despite the laugh. “She’s not a hitman—she’s not a he! We are so off topic.”

  Benedict Arnold wheezed from his position against the wall, blood seeping between his fingers. “Are you…making movie references…while I’m coughing my lungs out?”

  “Seriously,” Rachel returned Maria’s confused look, “that’s the only Baba Yaga I’ve heard of. So, she isn’t a hitman? Then…who are we dealing with?”

  “Okay! Hold up! I know something you don’t! Yes!” Scarlet interjected, her excitement seemingly momentarily overriding her nervousness. “Baba Yaga is from Slavic folklore. She’s an ancient witch who lives in a house with chicken legs in the forest.”

  Her crimson eyes returned, brightening with academic enthusiasm as she spun in a circle, no doubt looking for the witch. “The Oscillation fuses historical myths with modern interpretations, right? That’s why some Legends and Mythickin look more…you know, appealing than their original versions. So…”

  She gestured with her hands, becoming more animated. “So the real Baba Yaga would combine the ancient hag of myth with whatever modern culture has turned her into. Which…yeah, she’s ultra powerful in pop-culture. We’re talking about probably the scariest hag slash witch in myth! She’s probably wearing some kind of disguise to—”

  “She doesn’t wear a disguise,” Astra interrupted, his voice hollow as he popped a new stick of gum into his mouth. “She wears the skin of those she’s made deals with. And, yes, Scarlet, we’re talking about an immensely powerful hag that leads a whole coven of the creatures from various mythologies. I don’t have any other details on her other than she’s on my list of creatures to avoid. She’s no longer human… She likely never was, at least in her own mind.”

  The cabin fell silent. Even the radio static seemed to dim in response to his words as Rachel’s mind quicked at the new information. Black’s warning words immediately filtered into the forethought as Maria crossed herself instinctively, muttering Spanish prayers under her breath, likely about witchcraft and devils.

  The hag that Black encountered… It was Baba Yaga who met with Aurora. Well, that tells me more than anything else… Someone on Aurora’s level. An Eldritch witch… She likely has some kind of contract with one of the two major factions, potentially a smaller branch.

  Aurora’s visit with her flashed back with clarity. I can never tell if she’s on my side or working a bigger angle against me… She’s utter chaos. Typically, I like that, but not when it is against me…or when I can’t find order in it… Hah. Maybe that has something to do with why everyone keeps calling me Karma. Misfortune loves chaos… Karma loves balance.

  Throughout Astra and Scarlet going back and forth between stories and possibilities, Rachel kept her ears sharp. Barbara just made contact with Grace after she’d changed and they were on the way to the nearest bar—Grace required alcohol to live, literally. Cahira was the same way… Somehow, she was gathering a crew of alcoholics.

  Yet, it wasn’t long until Benedict Arnold coughed, flecks of blood spattering his uniform as he interrupted. “You all have a lifetime. Me, not so much. That’s…why I was going to mention it.” His voice had weakened, the Tyrfing curse taking its inevitable toll. “And I’m…dying anyway. So…could I speak? Before it's too late?”

  Everyone turned toward him, the gravity of the moment silencing further discussion of the hag.

  “Time’s not on my side,” he wheezed, attempting a weak smile. “They’re gone, you know. The USSR agents. Already fled. The Kremlin spies—my whole network—are dead… At least those I knew about.” His bloodied lips curved upward with grim regret. “But they achieved their goal… If only I knew what it was at the time.”

  “What goal was that?” Rachel asked, her ears flicking forward in interest. Maria gave her a nod, telling her that he was speaking the truth. “The Kremlin went after my brother to cause enough of a panic to get…what?”

  Arnold raised a trembling hand, pointing toward a table in the corner. “See for yourself… I can only assume they wanted you to know what Russia was after—the USSR, that is.”

  Rachel approached the table, her footsteps silent on the wooden floor. Spread across its surface were photographs—dozens of them, meticulously arranged. Her breath caught as recognition dawned.

  Tom’s whiteboard. All the information he’d gathered from her and all the other nations, about gods, connections, supernatural events—everything she’d shared with him about her journey since The Oscillation began. Her entire life, her secrets, her powers, her allies…Scarlet and Twilight. All documented in stunning detail.

  “This is…” She trailed off as the implications cascaded through her mind.

  “Shit!” Scarlet gasped, peering over her shoulder. “This is bad, right? No, it is bad. Wait, is that…a whole diagram chart about me and my connection to the Scarlet Hand? Everyone…I knew growing up like teachers…store clerks?”

  Maria joined them, cursing fluently in Spanish before switching to English. “I have no idea, chica. But he ain’t lying about any of this shit. How the hell did he even get in this place? It was totally locked down.”

  “It doesn’t matter at this point,” Rachel muttered, holding up the image that had her name on it with every member in her family, including her Korean side who she’d never really met.

  Tom, you didn’t show me this section… It makes sense, though. And now…the USSR has all of this. What will they do with it? What is their goal? Adele… Everything I’ve done.

  She turned to Astra, who still stood motionless near the door, her voice lowering. “You’ve already analyzed all of this, haven’t you?”

  To her surprise, Astra shook his head, gripping his elbow. Scarlet was glaring daggers at him as he spoke in semi-code. “I’ve made a point of not looking at it. I can’t hide anything, though. Right now, there’s no oversight. The raven has eyes for…grander things right now. After all…the string is cut sooner than anticipated.”

  Fiona… Aurora’s warning made her fingers tighten into a fist. Benedict was currently being looked over by Maria as he struggled to breath. But, that gives me the chance to show a little more teeth if Adele isn’t watching right now…

  “This might be our best chance,” she said quietly. “Astra, go to Tom. I’ve had him looking for the person who can free you… Barbara told Grace they found who you were looking for.” Her lips curved into a small smile as his eyes went wide. “It’s easier when you have eighteen intelligence agencies on your side. But don’t think we’re done. You better hurry. And remember—you owe me. I’ll collect.”

  Astra’s expression shifted, genuine gratitude flashing across his features. “Thank you, Rachel.” His form shimmered, changing to that of a female Mexican engineer. “I’ve diverted one of my puppets there. But I’ll leave to give you privacy. We’ll talk later. And Scarlet…”

  “Humph.” The fanged girl gave him a withering stare. “So we’re not even pretending anymore? We have nothing to talk about.”

  Astra’s brow furrowed with an emotion that somewhat surprised Rachel. There was something buried underneath it that was shockingly…human.

  “As much as I want to be free, Adele is sort of…my mother, as well, Scarlet,” she whispered. “And if this doesn’t work, I’d like to share something she wrote while watching you bully me into giving you information on Russia… A poem of sorts.”

  Scarlet’s throat constricted and a conflicted look crossed her face as she looked at her. But this was for the traumatized girl to decide to hear. “Fine… I’ll hear it.”

  Astra took a deep breath as Maria managed to somewhat stabilize Benedict, at least for another few minutes. Her voice came out in a melancholy, wistful, desire:

  “Play of virtues

  “Forced to face our fears

  “Overblown reflections

  “House of glass becomes a hall of mirrors

  “Lies that ring true

  “Echo through the years

  “Undertone of tension

  “Dissonance that we can play by ear

  “Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

  “Life is war in a masquerade

  “Such a beautiful mess we’ve made

  “Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

  “Life is war in a masquerade

  “Such a beautiful mess…”

  Scarlet grew quiet as Astra departed, leaving them in silence.

  Seeing the fight inside the dark-haired girl’s returning blue eyes, Rachel knew this was something she had to contend with on her own.

  She turned back to Benedict Arnold and crossed the room, feeling the weight of Adele’s words herself, mirrored with her own mother.

  Adele hid everything she did in the light with Scarlet, yet my mom hid everything in darkness… It feels so…backward. This masquerade they both play is so… I can’t find the words. No. Bury it for now. Just…bury it.

  She sat down in front of him, her expression softening slightly. “Do you have any loved ones you’d want me to deliver a last message to?”

  A pained smile crossed his face as Maria stepped back, hands on her hips, lips tight. “My wife…but she’s in Russia, on her own mission. She’ll be fine.” He chuckled weakly. “After all, she is the highest-paid spy in the American Revolution… I started teasing her about that. A pen and paper?”

  Rachel nodded and Maria grabbed a piece of paper with the least blood on it, snatching a pen along the way from a nearby desk. Arnold scribbled down an address with shaking hands.

  “There’s a painting I made for her,” he explained, his voice growing fainter. “At this location. Could you…see that she gets it? If you ever get the chance… She may be dead by the time you lot do anything in Russia,” he sighed, muscles growing lax.

  “I‘ll make sure your country gets your last words,” Rachel promised. “If she lives, they’ll tell her.”

  Arnold’s breathing grew more labored. “I have no animosity toward America anymore… I used to. Hah. Lost it over the past month. Used to really hate my life here… My station as this crazy triple agent…always felt more connected to the UK soil. But since The Oscillation…since my time as a spy in the Kremlin… I’ve learned there are more gray areas than I initially thought… And you have some good people at the helm.”

  His eyes clouded with regret. “I’m not sure what to make of the political landscape…that will emerge from Russia. With so many factions taking root there… At least six major ones.”

  He struggled to continue, each word a battle against his fading strength. “I made a list. Hid it inside General Dallas’ tent on the table… Where I took the pictures in secret. I hope it will be enough.”

  The dying man’s gaze locked with Rachel’s. “I know I’m a traitor to you people… Revealed your life to people who wish you and your family harm. I regret that.”

  He coughed, more blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “But the insanity brewing in Russia is growing and escalating. It’s going to split Russia into different factions. War has already broken out in Ukraine… And the funny thing is, the Kremlin isn’t responsible. It’s…the Immortal Army… Ivan the Terrible. He wants to take Ukraine.”

  Rachel’s ears twitched forward; this was something important for Tom, no doubt.

  “The U.S. should be aware,” Arnold continued, his voice barely audible now. “Gather support from allies. Every European nation is going through internal strife…competing factions waiting to see who comes out on top in each country. It may not be as visible as in other nations, but make no mistake…”

  His voice dropped to a rasping whisper. “Old factions are rising to overthrow and take control around the world. There’s more…so many enemies… Warn my country… Save them. So many countries… I see darkness within the light… Is that…normal?”

  With those final words, Benedict Arnold exhaled one last time, his eyes glazing over as death claimed him.

  “Todo lo que dijo es verdad,” Maria confirmed solemnly. “What are we gonna do with him?”

  Rachel moved to drop heavily onto a nearby chair, finally feeling the toll the day had taken on her body. The adrenaline and lingering energy was fading, leaving exhaustion in its wake—body, mind, and spirit.

  “He was a UK agent who infiltrated the Kremlin,” she mused, “who had him infiltrate the U.S., who then had his orders changed to infiltrate the USSR during this operation.” A tired smile tugged at her lips. “Lived quite a few different lives. But in the end, he was loyal to his country and managed to gather significant intel, even if he leaked sensitive information about us.”

  She sighed, rubbing her temples. “He had no idea how valuable the information was until it was too late. Right, Maria?” A grunt told her that was correct. “Good. I’ll leave his body to the President and probably the UK Prime Minister. It’s not something we need to deal with.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Her eyes hardened as she looked at the photos spread across the table. “It wasn’t the USSR that plotted this, but they did use it to corner Benedict and get the information from the Kremlin… The people who ordered the hit on my brother were from the Kremlin but the USSR were fully willing to use that opportunity, as well.

  “As for Baba Yaga, Aurora, and the Tower… More mysteries for us to nibble away at.” Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Whatever the case, the Kremlin will be paid back in blood in the future. For now, this secret operation is done. I’ve figured out a few things—not everything, but enough.”

  Scarlet approached cautiously, blood swirling anxiously around her. “What are we going to do now?”

  Rachel’s shoulders slumped slightly as fatigue settled deeper into her bones. “I don’t know how much time I have left conscious. I’d like to be with my brother. But before that, I need to talk with the one person who’s been with me since this mostly started, so we can compile everything and I can fill in a few gaps. Luckily, Barb seems to know me too well at this point.”

  She turned to Scarlet. “Can you use your blood portal to take me to the bar where Grace is? Barbara is there interrogating our poor newest recruit. I’ll go through, then you can teleport Maria to me through shadows.”

  Maria said a prayer for the fallen men before turning and letting out a low whistle, crossing her arms. Her silvery hair twinkled and shifted against her shoulders as she tilted her head to the side.

  “Mira, mira, ?qué cabrona! Using eighteen agencies to put an AI in your debt and help them escape? ?Eso es un movimiento de jefa!” She chuckled, flicking her wrist dismissively.

  “That’s some real gangster shit, chica. Always ten pasos ahead of everyone. No me sorprende that you got the feds wrapped around your finger now. And that portal shit? You a real one for that, sabes? Even if you look like death warmed over twice.”

  “Hey, just paying my dues,” she returned with a raised fist that the unicorn met. “You’ve saved my ass more than I’ve saved yours.”

  Scarlet nodded, the crimson liquid around her coalescing into a swirling gateway. “Seriously, Maria. We owe you a ton! Is Rachel that bad? Like, I can tell it’s bad, but now how bad.”

  “Best believe it, chicas. ?Está destruida como siempre!” Maria exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “And bad doesn’t cut it, Fangs. She’s an absolute mess. You better be grateful! Thanks to you I’m gonna have to sit outside in the damn winter wonderland for the next 36 hours to recharge and get your tail back on track.”

  She shot Rachel a stern look that softened into affection. “I swear, I’m only a part of Omen just to keep your reckless ass from breaking apart, liebre lunar. How’s the kid doin’?”

  Rachel chuckled, genuinely touched that she’d even inquire about Nia. “She passed out in my soul with Nike and three Hellhounds. What a sentence. Seriously, I couldn’t do this without you. Out of everyone, you’ve actually saved me the most. I…literally wouldn’t be alive without you.”

  Maria’s expression brightened. “Hey, you practically became a part of the familia after everything you did, helping to save my hermanito.” She grinned, the Spanish terms rolling naturally off her tongue.

  “Well, we have many more adventures to come.”

  She stepped through the portal, Rachel wrinkling her nose at the unsettling sensation—like ghostly hands sliding through her. The interior of some fancy bar materialized around her, with Barbara and Grace waiting in a corner booth of the totally empty establishment. The cowgirl had a few bottles from the back along the table, sampling each.

  Rachel settled into the booth with Grace and Barbara. She took in Grace’s new attire: jeans, a flannel button-up, and new cowboy boots, paired with her frayed hat, which showed evidence of their recent adventures.

  Barbara raised an eyebrow as she joined them. “You look surprisingly well for the insanity I’ve been hearing about from Grace. Where are the others?” she added, spotting the blood portal disappear.

  “They’ll be here soon. I can summarize a few things now,” Rachel began, “but you know me… I know I’m not going to be conscious much longer.”

  Barbara snorted. “Yeah, I’d say I’ve noticed a pattern. It’s not anything new. You’ve been going 500% since the first day after The Oscillation. You’ve never slowed down unless your soul was on the verge of unraveling, which is a pretty intense thing, I’d say. You really are like the Energizer Bunny.”

  Rachel chuckled tiredly, tail stiffening and ear twitching but enjoying the light jab. “Right. Grace can fill in a lot of the details, but the short answer is that we were all being controlled by a higher being named Fate. Now those strings are cut, and everything has been thrown into chaos…meaning we’re free.”

  She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Also, major development. It’s confirmed that Aurora isn’t actually Aurora. Astra confirmed it, and Black suspected that Aurora hasn’t been Aurora since at least a few days after The Oscillation. Someone else has been assuming her identity the entire time.”

  Just then, a swirl of shadows revealed Maria and Scarlet. Barbara’s gaze darkened and glanced away, contemplating the possibilities. And Rachel interrupted herself to glance their way, a weary sigh leaving her lips.

  “Sorry, Scarlet, Maria, I wasn’t even thinking but I don’t believe I need the two of you here. My brain is a little fried…”

  “Now that’s a scary thought!” Scarlet giggled. “You mentally fried? My brain would be jelly.”

  “Well…it’s a lot,” she admitted, rubbing between her eyes. “Right now, I just need to compartmentalize most of it and prepare for the Crystal…and what happened to my brother. And…what’s going to be coming tonight. In any case, can you take Maria back?”

  Scarlet hesitated, vision shifting to the side and probably thinking about her mother’s poem. It didn’t take too long before she was shaking her head and redirecting her thoughts.

  “Sure thing. But, umm…did I do good this time?”

  “You really did,” Rachel affirmed, her expression warm. “And what do you mean by this time? You did great in the Legend Quest, too. The biggest help was keeping an eye on Astra, which means keeping your mother’s eyes away from me. That was huge. It really was. I know it was tough for you to be so calm throughout all of that, to not blow up on your mom through Astra and reveal everything.”

  Scarlet beamed but there was a sadness behind her blue eyes that Maria seemed to sense because she wasn’t interjecting. “Yeah… I’m happy to help. I feel like I’m getting more control of my life… But now I have so many questions for my parents, and…I’m scared to learn the truth.”

  Rachel felt that grip around her own heart, tightening her chest. Me, too, Scarlet, she internally reflected. Me, too… I used to think I feared nothing…but I do. I fear having your life…and it can’t be a coincidence that we were brought together… I fear my mom’s secrets will only leave me with ashes and smoke in the end. That everything will be burned to the ground.

  With that, she carried Maria back to the safe house where Nam, Alexa, and Aella were being kept. Barbara’s expression grew serious as Rachel refocused and continued, Grace quietly listening between sips of her brandy.

  “There are new enemies… Probably the worst yet. But there’s more I need to consider before saying it aloud, especially now that the USSR has all the information Tom gathered.”

  Barbara leaned forward at that, linking fingers, the saint’s military mind picking apart everything she was revealing. She liked dealing with the Marine Raider captain with how effortless it was to report to her. No constant interruption, just cold, logical integration into the bigger picture.

  Rachel gestured vaguely. “There’s no use crying over spilled milk. The Legend of Benedict Arnold was involved. A spy from the UK who was sent to infiltrate the Kremlin, who sent him to spy on the US before being tacked onto infiltrating the USSR…

  “Essentially, he has the general’s world map, the dimensional information I uncovered—they have all of it. But after everything I’ve been through, there’s so much more not on that list that we can go over. It goes higher than any of us can comprehend… Including the gods.”

  She took a deep breath. “The biggest threat now are two Eldritch factions. Without the Black Moon’s power, I don’t even want to name them. Doing so might give them power, the ability to see us, and potentially…find a way to us. It’s dangerous shit.”

  Barbara’s brow furrowed, speaking to that. “After your report of the masquerade, are you saying they had their hand in that as well?”

  “Yes, primarily for Twilight’s sake, I’ve concluded. I can call the more positive side the Ever-Shifting Mists. That’s what Cerridwen has been working with, guiding me to this moment.” Rachel paused, considering her next words. “There could be a connection between Aurora and Twilight. I plan to talk to Elizabeth about that. I am worried about her and her daughter after the leak…”

  Barbara shook her head, auburn hair shifting against the booth back. “Elizabeth was kept off the records purposefully, with a few other details, so she wouldn’t be compromised by the leak.”

  “That’s good news,” Rachel sighed in relief. “That means we still have a major player inside Europe. That gives us a foothold into a lot of backdoor areas and meetings.”

  She lowered her voice further. “The other faction, I’ll call them the Crimson Tide. I don’t know their real name, and to say it would be to invite them.” Her expression grew distant. “They have ways to get around Scarlet’s walls. And, speaking of walls… I broke past the 7th, meaning the 7th dimension.”

  The soldier and Grace sat a tad straighter at that, the cowgirl’s eyes big as she listened to the story that had almost stripped her of all her clothing. “We’re entering a new phase, a new world… When I broke past the Seventh Wall… I created a momentary bridge through Melishna.”

  She shivered as she felt thousands of eyes momentarily pass over her before fading in what was likely a shift in the Red Sea, drawing her away—she’d been right, saying their actual names without the Black Moon had an effect.

  Rachel’s gaze hardened. “When I broke through, I awakened something that had the power to actually cut Fate’s string. I only opened the way for her to wake up. But, by doing that… I’ve created a second Oscillation event, opening a way for more Seeds to come in.”

  Grace choked, placing a hand on her chest, face turning as bright as a tomato. Barbara was far more measured, keeping eye contact that asked ‘when’ not ‘how.’

  “It will happen tonight,” Rachel continued, “likely around the same time as the last Oscillation. Tom or the President should deliver a message, warning people and governments about a second wave… We have less than 24 hours.”

  Barbara leaned forward. “I see… We can’t be sure these will be the same as the first, can we?”

  Rachel shook her head. “

  “So, this could introduce new elements… What have you found out about the Seeds? And what about your brother?”

  “The Kremlin’s doing, but the USSR allowed it to happen to use it as a smoke screen.”

  “Shit…”

  “Well, that’s not the worst of it. That much, I can handle in the future. Not with the Seeds, though. I had to use everything I had, three Hell Lords, a few gods, and the support of the Ever-Shifting Mists through the Black Moon to contend with it… It’s still murky, but what I did find out is rather alarming,” she admitted.

  “I’ve uncovered disturbing details that tie back to the Eldritch at their core, but I'm not sure if that is just the Lesser Seeds or if it includes the Greater Seeds, as well. I should say I learned a lot more about Fable Seeds. The others are still much the same mystery. I need to do more thinking and consult with Nike. But right now…” She suppressed a yawn. “I’m not going to be conscious much longer.”

  Scarlet returned through a shadow portal, and Barbara stood. “Understood. We can discuss the details later after you’ve rested, hopefully before the Crystal opens again. And this gives me more than enough to take to the general. I’ll take Grace to talk to him about all this.”

  “What?” Grace protested, holding a bottle close against her chest. “I’m not even an official member of Omen yet! Can’t a girl get a little rest? I shot a damn demigod genie for Pete’s sake! Don’t I get credit for that?”

  Barbara rolled her eyes. “Maybe after I hear it. Come on, cowgirl.”

  Scarlet grinned at the young woman as she was ushered out of the booth and toward the door. “Good luck, Milky, and welcome to Omen! I hope you enjoy your stay. Oh, and send me a bill—I handle a lot of the finances.”

  “Actually, that would be my brother,” Rachel chuckled, stretching and rising out of the booth herself. “You’re just the bank.”

  “Well, that’s a pretty important part.”

  “It certainly is, Ms. Billionaire.”

  “Billionaire?!” Grace gasped as Barbara took her through the door. “We’ll discuss salary later!”

  Rachel shook her head with a low chortle before allowing Rachel to create another blood portal to take her to her brother. On the other side, she finally saw her brother after all the hell she’d raised over his attack. Tingles ran down her arms, letting the heat in her lunges exit in a slow stream.

  Nam lay on a bed, his body still charred black, veins glowing like molten fire beneath his skin. Maria was on the patio, starbathing. On a nearby couch, Alexa stirred, cracking open her eyes. Alexa looked up, her expression troubled.

  “Rachel, you’re back? What did you find out? There are a lot of whispers and talk along the celestial hotline, as I call it—a buzz and noise in my head. They’re saying something significant is happening to Nam.”

  She nodded tiredly. “I know it is… Eostre is with him. I just got through with something…huge. I’m sorry, but…I don’t have the answers you’re looking for right now. I’ll have to figure that out from her, maybe when I’m sleeping, but I have one more call to make.”

  Alexa’s small, 13-year-old, angelic figure curled in, fingers tightening against her thighs, but she showed a small smile. “You’re the hardest worker I know… I can tell you did something phenomenal and…did everything you could to figure out who did this.”

  “No… I know who did it,” Rachel growled. “That’s not the issue. My next goal is to figure out what happened to Nam. Just…be patient.”

  “Yeah…”

  Rachel tried to keep her head above the water, puffing out her emotions. It came in a surge upon seeing her sister-in-law take her husband’s hand and offer a silent prayer, the pressure closing in behind her nose and eyes.

  I’ll figure it out, Alexa… I have to.

  She took Maria’s phone off the side Nia and Nike weren’t awake to give her hers, and dialed Arthur Pendragon’s number, saved in their shared contact list. When he answered, her voice was clipped and precise.

  “Arthur, you need to inform Merlin that when Fiona and her team arrive in the UK, the Scarlet Hand is going to make a move. They can’t know I was the one who shared this information, or it could change events. Fiona will likely be captured… Prepare for that.”

  There was a pause on the other end of the line.

  “The Scarlet Hand needs something involving the World Tree,” she continued. “All I have are fragmented images and a rough understanding. But I’m guessing there’s no other information you need from me?”

  “No,” Arthur promptly replied. “I’ll have the Knights of the Round and Merlin prepared. If anything, this will give us cause to push past bureaucracy.”

  “Before I hang up—you might want to contact General Dallas sometime today before evening… Something big is coming, and the world needs to prepare.”

  She ended the call and settled back on a couch near Nam’s bed. Scarlet took an armchair in the corner to stand guard, ruby eyes scanning the surroundings. Rachel’s body felt leaden, every muscle protesting the day’s exertions.

  “I’m going to get some sleep,” she murmured. “I don't know what’s going to happen next, but thank you, Scarlet, Alexa… Yes, you,” she chuckled at her questioning, star-like eyes. “You were here for him while I was out chasing for answers. Thank you Scarlet, and thank Maria for me when she comes back in… Thank you all for everything you’ve done for me.”

  Before anyone could respond, consciousness slipped away from her, darkness enveloping her mind.

  * — * — *

  Perspective shifting, expanding beyond mortal and godly comprehension.

  Fate observed the exchange, floating within her palace of thread, overlooking the colossal maelstrom of the Red Sea. Across from her, the seat of her most bitter rival, Destiny, stood empty—at least momentarily.

  She held up a single snapped thread, examining it with detached curiosity. Such a tiny thing to cause such massive consequences in her weave. The unique interaction of Karma and Misfortune had created just enough pressure to break it all the way up to her domain.

  Of course, even with all the many supporting factors she had, internally and externally…one figure outside The Weave had tipped the scales.

  “What is your goal, Watchers?” she mused, gazing down at the maelstrom before turning to the figures hovering around it—beings of the Nihility.

  Below, two other colossal existences—opposing Eldritch forces—moved in from both sides, their incomprehensible forms mingling within the current of tens of thousands of Existences and their resonances. At the center, hidden within the Black Sun, the empty Blood Throne waited for its queen.

  To her right, a presence materialized. Twilight—a blonde woman with piercing pink eyes—settled into Destiny’s seat with casual grace.

  “It took quite a bit for me to sit across from you, Transcendent of Fate” Twilight greeted, her voice melodic and slightly amused. “It must be so vexing to see me of all people here… A lowly mortal thrust into the grinder until I stand before you…polished. As short as it will be. I appreciate the audience.”

  Fate smiled thinly. “It was not I who invited you. The arms of Destiny are quite powerful, to pull you up through the Maelstrom and into my palace.” Her gaze lingered on the thread in her hand. “It shows how much power you’ve gained from attaching yourself to my snapped thread to be dragged out…without being utterly destroyed.”

  “Quite lucky,” she chuckled, “but also a product of my hard work and the fruit of my labor.”

  “A product of…you? My, how amusing you tiny creatures are,” she whispered, examining the single thread that had collapsed the whole structure. “To those within the current, you must look so strong and intelligent… Yet, to me, you are…a frail thread to cut.”

  She held up the broken string with a small hum. “Not a product of your fruit, dear. You can tell Rachel that she is lucky her brother fixed the game in her favor… Luck is a fickle thing that can only get you so far…but when combined with Misfortune, the duality is…exquisite.”

  Twilight tilted her head. “Now there is a string coiling around my throat already. I love it… But before we get into those details…” She looked down at a cosmic chessboard that had materialized between them. “Destiny has given me one game with you… Only, I have a few hax on my side, being inside the game myself.”

  With elegant precision, she moved a piece forward. “I believe I’ll take the first move.”

  Fate’s easy smile didn’t falter, her expression serene as she contemplated the board after the rabbit’s interference. “Our game will be swift since I am expecting guests. It doesn’t matter if one moves first or last. Fate will always have the last laugh… Let the game begin.”

  With deliberate care, she moved her own piece, setting the next phase of the cosmic game in motion.

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