This one-shot begins immediately after the prologue when Nyri travels to Eldenhaven to observe the adventurers.

  The milky Lumi pierces the clouds as it bathes in the warming sunlight under the dark net cast over the sky. From its initial size of a hand, it has grown exponentially for the last few minutes into the size of a regular cat. It gleefully dances amongst the clouds as it soars, finally stabilizing itself to hear what I have to say.

  So… how’s your day? Has Sinner treated you well? I understand that you’re only ten minutes old, but I’m sure you can already understand human speech.

  As well as you can expect when you’re talking to the Dungeon Master.

  I see Sinner has already educated you on my identity… great! What else do you know?

  Hm, shall we see, Mister DM? I understand I am an NPC, which means I don’t have free will, which means everything I’m currently telepathically communicating to you is scripted by you for the enjoyment of faceless readers. My presence here will not be relevant until Silvergate, and even then I play a minimal part in the plot except for saving Cenvin’s ass. I’m only here because I was a major character in the original Dungeons and Dragons campaign you and your friends played.

  *shivers*

  The 4th wall is twitching right now, kitty! Did Sinner tell you all these?

  No, it's pure speculation. Did I guess right?

  Is that sarcasm or not? Well, um, everything you just said is right on the mark. The accuracy and specific details are almost uncanny.

  Good to hear.

  Before we get to anything else- I can’t keep calling you a “cat.” Do you have any names in mind?

  Sure, call me Nyri.

  Any reason?

  It’s a smooth name. It's fun to pronounce it.

  Alright! Are you happy with the arrangements, then? I can… adjust some things for you if you wish.

  I’m too powerful. Make me weaker.

  Why?

  It’s boring! I can essentially dodge any attack just by splitting into atoms, I can launch any attack by shapeshifting into anything, and I can telepathically communicate! I’m your perfect creation, Diem, and there’s no reason for me to exist because nothing can pose a challenge to me.

  … Any other complaints?

  That will be all.

  Usually, people like power. You seem to be the opposite, and I can admire that. That’s some wise thinking, not for yourself but for the sake of the story. Thank you, Nyri. I’ll nerf you now. Ready?

  Yay

  Sailing between the clouds and the spectral sky, Nyri pauses as she feels an intense force splitting her apart from the inside. She gives an ear-piercing shriek as she is brutally torn into two halves, one retaining her white form while the other is corrupted by the inky darkness flowing from within. The corrupted part twists and turns as it grows a catlike face akin to Nyri’s, but more sinister and wicked. The newly born Lumi flies away in an instant.

  Falling onto a bed of soft clouds, the pure, milky white Nyri blends and churns into her natural feline form, albeit smaller and weaker. She concentrates her mind as if to communicate telepathically to no avail. She splits into several letters and begins to spell a sentence in the sky, word by word.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  WHAT HAPPENED

  I nerfed you, as you requested! I have taken everything you are and divided it in half. The other half of you took all of your wickedness and wretchedness, however, so now I guess you’re purely a good guy!

  GIVE ME BACK

  Ah, see, that’s the goal, isn’t it? If you want to take your other half back, you’re gonna have to kill it somehow and absorb it into you. It’s a daunting task, as it matches your prowess perfectly, but I’m sure you can figure it out.

  PROMISE

  I promise. Now, do your duty, and you can see your counterpart quickly. How about in, say, ten chapters?

  FLASH FORWARD TO THE END OF CHAPTER 22

  Target sighted, weakened, and distraught. There’s no better time to attack.

  Nyri peeks her face out of a cloud and carefully observes the battle between Hadke and the party. She waits patiently as the dome shatters and Hadke escapes into the depths of the swamps. Flying from cloud to cloud, she stops as she is directly on top of his position, transforms into an arrow, and flings herself at sonic speeds toward Hadke.

  Direct hit. Hadke reacts instantly and transforms and stabs back with a dagger. Nyri thins into a spear and returns the attack, which Hadke parries as a longsword and counters with a quick slash, resulting in Nyri being forced to take the hit as a shield. She flashes red briefly but recovers instantly and morphs into a Morningstar. Unable to dodge in time, Hadke abruptly splits into ten darts and soars at her, who also breaks into tiny little stones. The darts are knocked down by the hail of stones and reforms into Hadke, who is now visibly fatigued and furious. Nyri crashes into the waters and gets back on her feet, meowing dangerously at her adversary.

  Hadke growls back. They leap at each other once again as battering rams. A deafening BOOM and the two Lumis are each knocked a kilometer away. Nyri recuperates quicker, and she morphs into a bow and arrow. She draws and then launches the arrow in Hadke’s way. It speeds up more and more as it homes in on him, who’s still struggling to get up from prone. The part of her body that is the bow transforms into a cannonball and streaks towards him.

  Finally, back on his feet, he notices the attacks just in time, and he melts into the water. The arrow and the cannonball hurdle into the muddled lakes blindly, unable to track Hadke’s black form among the Otherworldly vegetation and softly swirling mud. She gathers herself literally and levitates on top of the water, waiting for him to resurface: A Lumi, despite all their extraordinary powers, cannot stay in the water forever.

  After a while, she’s grown weary. As she yawns, a massive wall of darkness bursts from the water and slams into Nyri, giving her no time to react. The wall stretches and wraps around her and squeezes as the absorption process begins. Hadke shrieks maniacally as he feels Nyri’s body merging, infusing the power, making him whole again-

  She curves up into a glossy ball and a hundred spikes shoot from her at all sides, piercing the envelopment. Hadke gags in pain as Nyri reverses the situation as she tangles with Hadke’s flailing shape; the table has been flipped.

  She keeps the pressure going as he struggles for his life, but he can’t escape, Nyri proved to have more stamina left than him. Letting out one last cry of a defeated animal, his body merges with Nyri, the darkness fading as the snowy luminescence conquers everything.

  The Lumi that is Nyri splashes into the swampy waters. She limps, vainly trying to fly, but her remaining strength finally depletes. She collapses on top of a boulder, and she goes into a deep, unperturbed sleep.

  After the sun has set three times, Nyri finally returns to consciousness. She brushes off some mangrove leaves that had fallen on her and levitates into the air, looking for the caravan. Nothing in sight. She flashes red in panic.

  What am I going to tell Sinner?

  Hey! You got your telepathy back now! How is it? How’s your old self feel?

  Hello, Diem. I believe I can confidently say that this whole ordeal is a waste of time. I am still not satisfied with myself, nor the status quo.

  But I thought you wanted your full potential back after losing them?

  That was my naive self. My lesser, more innocent, idiotic self. She doesn’t have the wisdom.

  Quite the paradox, isn’t it? Now that you’re complete again nothing changed. You still have the same desire as before. But if I nerf you, you would want it back.

  How about not taking away my wisdom?

  So an immature version of you can roam the world and make unwise decisions?

  Right. I have a conclusion.

  Finally character development?

  I have to accept that I’m not happy with myself. My power is going to be my curse. Adding to that fact that I’m essentially immortal, I will suffer forever, or until you wish to stop. Nothing in life is perfect, right?

  That is… character development indeed. Well, Nyri, I suppose I gotta go check on my players now, anything you want to ask before I leave?

  Are there going to be more Lumis?

  Yes. Stay tuned, and good luck finding the caravan again! They went deep into the swamp if that helps. Bye!

  Haven’t checked on the death count in a while since there’s no need, but now that Hadke is gone, let us add a single death to it: 12,430.

  Until next time, reader!