“No!” Regal yelled, his scream reverberating through the cavern.

  Lloyd felt the scream wash over him; it resonated deep within the place where his Mana dwelled. The four stone creatures halted mid-swing, their limbs mere inches from Lloyd. They then pivoted and shifted their attention to Regal. Their bulky frames lumbered into motion, charging at Regal with surprising speed. Lloyd took a deep breath as he checked to see if Colette was fine. With an uneasy smile, she nodded at Lloyd.

  Regal said something to Sheena and Milla that Lloyd couldn’t hear. The women backed away from Regal as the monsters closed in. Shortly after, Regal was bombarded by the golems. Regal struck at the closest golems, and they responded in kind. His sword deflected off the stone, failing to harm the golems. The creature’s heavy fists pummeled Regal, shoving him back from the impact. Regal must have realized that their overwhelming numbers could turn deadly at any moment. He dropped his sword and focused on evading their attacks.

  “Kill it!” Regal shouted as he pointed toward the bear.

  Lloyd grasped his last Mana potion, taking a deep breath before downing its contents. I hope this will be enough. Turning to face the bear, Lloyd saw Sheena and Milla sprint to his side.

  Now, on all fours, the bear’s eyes darted back and forth between Regal and the others. Lloyd’s mind spun frantically, searching for the best course of action. He considered whether the tactic they’d used on the golems might be effective against the bear. If it isn’t broke.

  “Potion!” Lloyd shouted to Sheena, then turned to Milla. “Burn the bear!”

  “It’s my last one. Let’s make it count!” Sheena said as she uncorked the bottle and poured it into Milla’s awaiting maw. “I like it. Milla, get on her back—we’ll handle the rest.”

  Milla closed her mouth and glared at the bear. Her eyes glowed the brightest blue that Lloyd had seen. A piercing howl erupted from Milla before she shook her entire body. Flame erupted from her fur, and even from a few feet away, Lloyd could feel the scorching heat.

  In a blur, Milla darted forward, narrowly dodging the bear’s slashing right paw. Her movements were fluid and precise, a deadly dance against a creature of raw power. She dashed behind the bear and, with a guttural snarl, sprang onto its back in one swift motion. Her claws latched onto the bare patches of exposed flesh where the bear had torn away stones to hurl at Lloyd. The skin beneath was raw and ridged, offering her a tenuous grip as the creature roared in protest.

  Milla’s fire flared into a blazing inferno, a searing beacon of light and heat that signaled the group to attack. Flames erupted from her claws, licking hungrily at the exposed flesh and the surrounding patches of stone still clinging to the bear’s back. The heat intensified, and the stone began to glow, shifting from dull gray to a vibrant, angry red. Thin cracks spread across the surface, tiny rivulets of molten rock trickling down like lava. The air filled with an acrid stench of burning minerals and singed flesh, a nauseating cocktail that stung the nostrils and clung to the back of the throat.

  The bear’s agony was palpable. It shook violently side to side, its deep, guttural bellows echoing through the cavern like thunder. Milla clung tighter, her claws digging deeper as she poured more fire into the creature. The stone on the bear’s back softened, deforming and sagging as more molten rock dripped from its massive frame, spattering onto the cavern floor with a series of wet splats.

  When shaking didn’t work, the bear reared onto its hind legs and slammed down hard, the impact reverberating like an earthquake through the cavern. Fortunately, no fissures or stalagmites were created from the stomp. Sheena seized the opportunity, darting in with daggers drawn. Her strikes were precise, aimed at the vulnerable, unarmored areas of the bear’s body. Each blade struck true, her weapons returning slick with thick, dark blood. The bear roared again, a sound of pure, primal agony. It lashed out at Sheena, its massive paw carving through the air with terrifying force.

  Lloyd focused with every ounce of his will, his hands trembling as he sought to divert the bear’s crushing blows away from Sheena. Meanwhile, Sheena pressed her attack, slashing and dodging as the bear’s massive frame loomed over her.

  Milla, still clinging desperately to its back, growled through gritted teeth as the bear hurled itself backward into the cavern wall. The impact was catastrophic. A sickening wet splat and the unmistakable crunch of shattering bone reverberated through the space. Molten rock splashed outward from the collision, hissing as it struck the ground.

  Milla let out a sharp yelp before wriggling free and dropping to the floor. Her body remained wreathed in flames, but her hind legs were unmistakably broken. She clawed forward with her front paws, attempting to drag herself away, her hind legs dragging on the ground. Sheena’s gaze shifted from Milla to the bear. Her hands tightened on the hilts of her daggers as she charged in again, targeting the bear’s underbelly and legs with precise jabs, a warrior’s cry erupting from her lips. The bear’s colossal frame came crashing down, threatening to flatten Milla and Sheena. Summoning his strength, Lloyd halted the bear’s descent, suspending it momentarily so Sheena could evade and rescue Milla. Sheena grasped the fox in her arms as the fire seared Sheena’s skin, drawing a wince of pain. While the bear was forcibly held still, they ran out of its attack range. Colette sprinting after them. Milla’s blaze dwindled, its fierce glow fading into a dim ember.

  “Keep her still!” Sheena commanded. “Heal Milla!”

  Lloyd’s hold on the beast wasn’t absolute, which allowed the bear to bellow in defiance. Lloyd used the moment to shift his telekinesis and grab hold of its massive maw. His grip tightened around the bear’s sharp teeth, brushing against the vulnerable soft tissue inside its mouth. Sheena caught onto Lloyd’s plan and closed the distance swiftly, plunging her daggers into the upper ridge of the bear’s mouth. Blood oozed freely as Sheena wrenched her daggers back. A soft whine left the bear’s throat as it was unable to move its mouth. Lloyd’s strength faltered under the bear’s immense weight as he fought to keep its jaws apart.

  Sheena drew her daggers back, preparing to strike again, but froze mid-motion. Lloyd’s magic held the bear’s mouth in place, but his gaze swept the room, seeking the reason for Sheena’s hesitation. A quick scan revealed nothing that might have caused her to pause.

  “What’s happening?” Lloyd demanded, worry creeping into his tone. His stomach tensed tightly, the grip on his staff threatening to break either bone or wood. Everything was being put into holding the bear still, they couldn’t waste time.

  “I think… I think I can free her,” Sheena said. “Hold her still.”

  “I’m holding on, but I’m almost out of energy,” Lloyd admitted through gritted teeth.

  Lloyd’s powers waned, but he poured all his strength into keeping the bear restrained as it thrashed against his grip. Sheena extended her hand, placing it gently on the bear’s face before closing her eyes. Lloyd noticed nothing at first, his grip weakening as seconds dragged by. Exhaustion rapidly set in as a growing void of Mana hollowed him from the inside out. He couldn’t let Sheena get hurt again, but he wouldn’t have much choice in a few more moments. Before surrendering, he felt the bear’s resistance sharply diminish.

  He kept his hold on the bear; each passing moment made it more manageable to maintain. Then, all resistance vanished. Lloyd dropped to his knees, releasing his staff and hold on the creature. The bear closed its mouth and eyes as it gently lay down on the ground. Sheena released the breath she had been holding and took a few steps away from the bear. Lloyd’s body quaked with strained muscles, even though his exhaustion was purely mental. Sweat dampened his robes. After a moment, the bear’s eyelids fluttered open, its violet glow now extinguished. In fact, the bear looked upon Lloyd’s group with normal, dark brown eyes.

  The bear’s softened stone exoskeleton began to peel away. Rock clattered against the ground, revealing the dark brown fur underneath.

  Turning to Regal, Lloyd noticed the golems had collapsed into lifeless heaps of stone. Dragging his sword behind him, Regal shuffled slowly toward the group. Regal rested a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder before embracing him in a quick hug. The two of them sank to the ground, their eyes fixed warily on the bear. Though no longer Corrupted, the bear was far from harmless.

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  “When you can, Colette, heal the bear,” Sheena said.

  “What?” Colette said, blinking in confusion.

  A quick look at Regal confirmed that he shared Lloyd’s bewilderment.

  “She won’t harm us now. She knows we saved her,” Sheena said calmly. “We do have some harm left to dish out, though. Those fuckers in the village lied to us. They lied to us in a big way,” Sheena said, plopping down next to Milla and Colette.

  Regal stood up and walked over to Colette. He extended a hand and pulled her to her feet. Her gait was slow and unsteady. Regal wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to the bear, his grip firm on his sword’s hilt in case of trouble.

  “Explain…please,” Lloyd said.

  “Long story or short?” Sheena asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.

  “Short,” Regal replied without hesitation.

  “Nothing wrong with the long version,” Colette said as she placed her hands on the bear and began the healing process.

  “Short works for me,” Lloyd said, walking over and dropping down beside Milla and Sheena.

  “Boring,” Colette muttered with a slight grin.

  “I connected with Mika briefly, and she revealed her past to me,” Sheena explained.

  “Mika? That’s the bear’s name?” Lloyd asked, his eyebrows raised.

  “This is going to take a while if you keep asking questions,” Sheena said, catching Lloyd’s apologetic look.

  “Look, okay, I’m kidding. Mostly. Yeah, I didn’t name Milla. That was just her name. It’s the same for Mika over there. She used to be a normal bear—or as normal as you’d expect,” Sheena said, her voice wavering with a mix of anger and something deeper, perhaps guilt.

  “One day, Mika was out hunting, leaving her cub safe in the cave. Or so she thought,” Sheena began, her words heavy. “The people from the village came, stumbling upon the cave while searching for crystals. Maybe they attacked the cub out of fear, maybe for sport, or maybe just because it was there. Bears are easy to fear, I guess, especially when they’re guarding something people want. Mika heard her cub’s cries and came sprinting back to their home.”

  Sheena paused; her hand moved toward her dagger, tightening on its hilt. “But she didn’t make it in time. When she reached the cave, her cub was dead, lying in a pool of its own blood. Its tiny body broken by those bastards. The townsfolk turned on her, and that’s when she attacked them.”

  Colette released a soft sob as Sheena continued her story.

  “She killed some of them,” Sheena admitted, her voice softening with a strange, almost bitter respect. “What mother wouldn’t, after what they did? But they overwhelmed her. It wasn’t until the last of her strength was leaving her body, until she was bleeding out on the floor of her own home, that something… changed.”

  Sheena’s gaze flicked to the shattered remains of the Manarite crystals on the ground. “There was a single crystal in the cave back then. Just one. But it must have been enough. Whether it was rage, grief, or some primal instinct to survive for her cub, she drew on its power.”

  She gestured toward the hulking form of Mika in the distance, her eyes flitted between the humans as they looked at her. “She transformed. Her body grew, twisted into what you see now. Stone grew on top of flesh, and her strength multiplied. The villagers who thought they had the upper hand didn’t stand a chance. She tore through them like they were nothing, their weapons useless against her new form.”

  “Hold on, monsters can do that? They can just become Altered? They’re not born that way?” Lloyd blurted, instantly regretting his barrage of questions.

  With a sharp tilt of her head and a pursed expression, Sheena shot Lloyd a familiar glare. Lloyd raised his hands in surrender, mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.”

  “Turns out, yeah. Can’t say I knew that before now,” Sheena said with a shrug.

  “She ended up slaughtering the crew that tried to harvest the Manarite. Those stone golem things we fought? Yeah, they were once humans,” Sheena said grimly.

  “Those were people the village coerced or deceived into entering this cave. Once Mika killed them, their bodies became human-sized Manarite crystals, which the town used to power their defenses. If you ask me, it’s sickening,” Sheena said with a disgusted shake of her head.

  The weight of the revelation hung heavy in the cavern, wrapping the group in a somber silence.

  “So, they sent us here to die… just so our bodies could fuel their defenses? What was their plan for dealing with Mika when they came to harvest us?” Lloyd asked, shivering as he realized his failed fate. The image of his body turning to stone and being encased in crystal burned through his brain.

  “Did you notice her eyes? Someone was connected to her. I wasn’t with you in the town, so I didn’t see them, but someone there is clearly a beastmaster,” Sheena explained.

  “But those eyes—they were purple. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Lloyd said.

  “I haven’t either. My theory? Mika’s still wild at heart but tethered to the beastmaster. Milla and I bonded with a mutual agreement. I think that fucker forced Mika into serving him. It’s just a guess, though. We didn’t exchange much in the way of memories—there wasn’t enough time. Let’s grab some of the crystal and get out of here,” Sheena suggested firmly.

  “Agreed,” Regal said.

  “The Citadel is just a week’s journey from here. We grab our trophies on the way. I’m so sick of this place,” Sheena said as she stood and began gathering the Manarite shards scattered across the ground.

  “Think it will be any better in the West?” Regal asked.

  “That depends on what you mean by better. It sounds like there’ll be more devastation—and more dangerous creatures. But there won’t be much human activity. Honestly, humans seem far more monstrous than these creatures ever do,” Sheena remarked, gesturing toward the now-sleeping bear.

  Lloyd felt an immediate urge to argue with Sheena. His family and friends in Breakwater were amazing people—kind, considerate, and strong. He’d also met plenty of genuinely decent people on his journey. He looked forward to returning to Mulbar and catching up with its people, eager to see how their journey had progressed.

  The thought of those who had tried to swindle or kill him sprang sharply to Lloyd’s mind. Perhaps Sheena had a point: humans could be more dangerous than any beast.

  The group spent several minutes meticulously collecting all the Manarite shards scattered around. Before leaving, Sheena scratched the bear’s head gently between its ears. Mika released a humming growl as she accepted the pets. Sheena hugged the massive head of the bear before she joined the group. They quietly began their ascent through the illuminated corridor to the surface.

  As the group approached the tunnel’s exit, Lloyd observed how significantly the sky had darkened since they first entered. It wasn’t quite nighttime yet, Milla’s form still fiery. Dark clouds drifted overhead as a light breeze wafted through the trees.

  When they finally emerged from the cave and felt grass beneath their feet, Lloyd took a deep breath, closing his eyes to offer a quiet thanks for reaching the surface. He wasn’t aware when he was down there, but being underground was incredibly nerve-wracking.

  “Oh, thank God,” Colette said as she knelt to thread her fingers through the grass.

  A ripple of laughter passed through the group, each of them clearly sharing the sentiment. Together, they retraced their steps along the dirt path that had brought them here.

  “That got a little too close for comfort,” Regal remarked, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the others.

  “Honestly, man. If things just went slightly different back there, I don’t think we were walking out. What the hell did you do back there? How’d you make all the golems target you?” Lloyd asked Regal as they walked.

  A giant grin grew on Regal’s face before he answered.

  “Holy shit. No way! Did you get a mutation?” Lloyd asked, excitement bubbling in his voice.

  “Yeah, I think I did. I could feel this...energy, or whatever you’d call it. It amplified my yell, and I felt it pierce into them. I remember that all I wanted was for them to come after me instead of you,” Regal said.

  “Whoa, so you’ve got a taunt ability now? That’s awesome!” Lloyd said as he excitedly slapped his brother on the shoulder a few times.

  “If you are going to take all of the hits, I think we need to find you a shield,” Sheena said.

  “I don’t need a shield; I have really tough skin, remember?” Regal said with a goofy smile as he banged his fist against his chest.

  “Considering how often I’ve had to patch you up, I’m going to go on a limb and say that you probably should get a shield,” Colette said as she nuzzled against Regal, tilting her head to rest on his arm.

  With a smile, Regal draped his arm over Colette’s shoulders. “I guess you’re right. If the monsters are really that much stronger in the West, an extra set of defenses might be nice,” Regal admitted.

  “Don’t get me wrong, you took those attacks from Mika quite well,” Lloyd said.

  “They didn’t break the skin, but trust me, I felt every one of them,” Regal said with a grimace. “Mika would have made an awesome companion for our journey west,” Regal said, his tone hopeful.

  “She probably would have,” Sheena said.

  “Yeah, why didn’t you do that?”

  “Oh, you mean why didn’t I link myself to another highly conscious, immensely powerful being? That’s your question?” Sheena asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

  “Uh, yes?” Regal replied, glancing at Colette as she shook her head beside him.

  “It’s already challenging enough being bonded to one animal. I can’t imagine what it would take to handle multiple. Everything is shared and connected on a deep level. Three entities sharing emotions simultaneously would be incredibly demanding. Plus, she just got her freedom. I wasn’t about to bind her to me. Maybe it’ll be possible someday, but definitely not right now. At the rate we’re developing mutations, I guess it’s possible,” Sheena mused.

  “We? Did you also get a mutation in that fight?” Lloyd asked.

  “Well, yeah. I’ve never been able to free an Altered animal before—especially one connected to a beastmaster. That definitely feels like a mutation to me…” Sheena trailed off, her focus sharpening as her gaze shot forward.

  The hackles on Milla rose as she growled at something within the forest. Twigs snapped, and branches shifted in the distance. Something was approaching.