The door opened and out stepped a granny with a cane.

  She laboriously hobbled out of the door; her cane was challenging to use on the uneven terrain of the forest. She didn’t have any weird growths or powerful auras or lasers shooting out of her eyes. To the contrary, she seemed overly frail, a bit sickly even as her eyes were cloudy and she was coughing. But the fact that she exited this stupid teleporting door—this had to be the same bullshit I encountered in Las Vegas—meant that she wasn’t normal.

  Most likely dangerous.

  Thirteen bent all the way down to assist the old lady. “Out of all the bodies you could’ve used, you picked this. You just want me to accomplish my daily good deeds, isn’t it? I’m on to you.”

  Bodies? This had to be Pando.

  Fucking good news. Same as with Mark, if the big boss of the Corebring came, it meant they wanted to talk to me. Thirteen was around as a bodyguard; he wasn’t here to pulverize me without a trace. Add that Auntie Dora was working for them, I think I had a pretty good shot at talking my way out of this. Working for the Corebring didn’t seem like a bad thing, except getting controlled by others who could kill me if I disobeyed.

  I might even get to see Dad if that was really him that I saw on TV. Did I want to? Now, I was conflicted about working for the Corebrings. But it might be my only way out of here. I’d figure out how to escape them later.

  “This is to give assurance to this poor soul plagued by an Adumbrae that I am no threat.” Granny Pando pointed at me with her cane, raising my hopes of surviving. “How are you, dearie?”

  “You’re Pando, am I right? Are you pretending to talk that way or do you talk that way?” I wasn’t going to grovel at their feet. Now that it was clear they weren’t killing me, it translated to wanting something from me. I wasn’t going to go with their flow that easily. By offering some resistance, I could better my bargaining position. They sounded like slave-driver bosses.

  “Ah, you have heard of me,” Granny said, hobbling closer to me. Thirteen hung back. Granny gestured at herself. “This is my body. This is me. There are many others out there who are also me, and their bodies are their own. I don’t know what they’ve told you, but I could guess. It’s wrong. Are you willing to listen to our story?”

  “Before that, how did you know I was here?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant even if my brain was churning plan after plan. Most of those plans were useless. There was no way I was going to win in a fight. “Seems too sudden that the big guns of the Hive suddenly showed up just to meet me.”

  “We have been watching you, Erind,” Granny Pando said. “Since the moment we were made aware that you were an Adumbrae who retained human consciousness. And quite some trouble you stirred up in La Esperanza and Las Vegas. You have caused, directly and indirectly, the deaths of a few of me.”

  “Whoops. Sorry for that. Didn’t mean to. Or maybe I did. But I really wouldn’t have meant it if I knew about you. I was acting in self-defense, whatever incident this is you’re referring to. I’m trying to live my own life here but people can’t help themselves and bother me.”

  “We know, Erind,” Granny Pando gently replied. “That’s why we are here.”

  “So, you guys keep tabs on Adumbrae like me who kept our minds?”

  “Yes. More so since you were planning to infiltrate Red Island.”

  “I’m guessing you already know of this place?” I gestured at the trees. “This is Red Island. Your body, that guy with the frizzy hair, was on Green Island when a Corebring crawled out of him.”

  “That was Gattan,” Granny Pando said, making a face. “Excuse his rather crude entrance. It was the only way he could’ve gotten to the location they call Green Island.”

  “Tell him next time not to be an exhibitionist,” I said, maintaining my strong front. I was very grateful for this opportunity to be sassy.

  The more stressful the situation, the more I enjoyed myself. This was really stressful as fuck with seemingly only one way to survive and all other paths leading to death. I didn’t have Deen around to help me cheat the dialogue options. Where was my blonde bestie? No way she got killed during the fight between the Corebrings and Adumbrae. Things seemed to have died down.

  “Anyway, Red Island and Green Island are connected through a portal thingy,” I continued. “When we got to this place, the fight was already ongoing. Barring some time dilation shenanigans—I’m not sure if something like that happened—I’m guessing you guys already know of this place and attacked the moment this Gatan guy entered Green Island.”

  “Hey, you’re smart,” Thirteen said, chuckling. Weird how he had such a friendly voice while looking like a freaking alien monster. “Euphonia kept calling you stupid so I was having second thoughts about you.”

  I didn’t respond to Thirteen, waiting instead for Granny Pando to speak. I’d punch Auntie Dora the next time I’d see her.

  “It is as you have guessed, dearie,” Granny Pando said. “We also know of the place they call Blue Island. We would like to include Yellow Island in the wide net that we have cast, but the moment the enemy is made aware we have infiltrated their operations, they would’ve hidden Yellow Island more.”

  Thirteen snorted, muffled by his mask. “It’s a we-know-that-they-know-that-we-know situation. We jumped at the opportunity and took what we could. We’ll eventually get to Yellow Island. Getting three is a good start,”

  “You say ‘enemy’, but they say the same about you.” I pointed at Granny Pando. “Their boss told me that you’re taking over people. I thought Corebrings were supposed to be the heroes, defeat the bad guys, and whatnot. Why are you doing this hivemind thing?”

  “I win the bet that they told her about it,” Thirteen said, raising his hand. The other Corebrings around murmured their bets too, whether they won or lost.

  Granny Pando paid them no mind. Looking me in the eye, no doubt to project sincerity, she said, “It does appear that we’re the threat to humanity, doesn’t it? But this is a necessary evil.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  I opened my mouth, but she raised a finger to stop me. She knew what I was going to say.

  She went on, “I’m sure that’s what they said as well to justify what they’re doing. They’re preventing me from taking over humanity and so on. However, that is not what I’m doing. This body—” she gestured at herself “—has been mine since the day I was born. I am Pando all along, and I have never stolen a body from anyone. I spread through humanity, yes. That’s my power—to be continuously born of human parents. More and more of me each day. I live my own life until the unknowable time would come when I’d awaken to my true nature.”

  “You’re like a sleeper agent then?” I asked. “What you’re saying is that you’re not stealing bodies so no one should be worried. You, the many of you, get jacked up to the hivemind one day and do stuff beneficial to humans. Something like that?”

  “Indeed, dearie. Have you not noticed how the world lives in relative peace despite the possibility of anyone becoming a monster? Now, I’m not claiming it is all my work. Humanity has come a long way in stabilizing society and protecting itself from otherworldly incursions. The rate of seeding has gone down through measures that the Hive cannot claim credit for. But we’d be living in chaotic times if not for my ability. People working together across the globe, of one goal and mind, is a much better power than what Thirteen here has.”

  “Hey, I kicked a lot of butts a long time ago,” Thirteen said. “I suppose I’m not allowed to say who’s, but I concede I’m not the guy to ask for world peace. If there are butts to pulverize, that’s my deal.”

  “It is not only world peace that’s my aim, Erind dearie,” said Granny Pando. Not sure if she was doing that ‘dearie’ bit to annoy me. She approached a couple of steps more. “I say ‘only’ as if world peace is already not a lofty goal. However, there can be truly no peace if Adumbrae continue to breach our reality. This is where my ability shines. Are you familiar with a Cocoon, the one made by Adumbrae?”

  “Guess so,” I replied, shrugging. “I’ve seen a couple. Aren’t they a collection of people that Adumbrae use to bring parts of their real selves into our reality? Not just that mutation thing they usually did with their hosts. Connecting brains and stuff to open a gate to another dimension.” Then I remembered that the stupid parasites died when they tried to take over the body of Pando. “Don’t tell me you’re not just a sleeper agent… you’re like a landmine too? An anti-Cocoon mine.”

  “That’s the first time I’ve heard Pando compared to a mine,” said Thirteen. “But that works.”

  “If even a single one of my many selves is absorbed by a Cocoon,” said Granny Pando, “then its connection to the other dimensions would be broken, the Bridging interrupted, the Manifestation halted. It’s not always that the Hive can respond to a Cocoon. I’m a failsafe spread throughout the world. The more there is of me, the better secured is our reality.”

  “I’m not really sure what to think here,” I said. “All I know is what you’ve said and what the boss of the Adumbrae running this place—who used to run this place, to be precise—had told me. I’m not in a position to check which one is telling the truth. But I suppose I don’t have a choice but to believe you…”

  “Damn right,” growled Thirteen.

  Granny Pando stretched out a hand. “Please, Thirteen. Let me handle this.” Turning to me, she said. “Perhaps you don’t truly believe that I don’t take over people’s bodies. Let’s say that I do. Isn’t it a necessary evil to stop Cocoons from bringing otherworldly monsters to this side of the veil?”

  “I…” I was going to say that I didn’t know if I should believe that either, but it was probably best to keep my mouth shut.

  I wanted to argue about the morality of taking over humans, not only to make Granny Pando paint herself the good guy more and act nicer to me but also to glean more information. But I didn’t care about morals, just like I didn’t care about the truth of the Corebring and Adumbrae war. Let them do their thing, and I’d do mine.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked. “I want to fight the Adumbrae. I mean, I become one myself, but I—”

  Granny Pando let go of her cane and cupped my right hand with both of her. “I know that, dearie. I commend you for retaining yourself. Your body is your own. Don’t let… What?” She looked down at our hands.

  “What’s wrong?” Thirteen asked.

  The atmosphere became suffocating once again. I could feel his murderous intent even if I wasn’t in my Blanchette form. The fuck was going on?

  Granny Pando tried to feel my right palm but I kept my hand shut. No, not me. I wanted to open my hand because I had nothing to hide. Adumbrae had weird growths on their body, even those who kept their mind. Heck, Penemue was a frigging axe. What was wrong with the crystals on my hand? What was wrong with my hand?

  “I’m not doing this,” I said. “I swear—hey! Ouch!”

  Thirteen grabbed my right arm and forcefully opened my fingers to reveal the crystals and golden thread inside. My entire palm was no longer skin and flesh.

  Granny Pando gingerly touched the crystals. I felt a jolt spike up my arm. She started to tremble, her eyes going white. “This… is not… supposed… to be…

  “I’m not doing that either!” I exclaimed, trying to pull my hand away. Was this SpookyErind’s doing? I didn’t know what was going on. And I hated not knowing stuff. But Thirteen wouldn’t let me go. I couldn’t struggle even as my wrist bones cracked. “Hey, stop Pando from touching me! My crystals, they’re doing something to her!”

  “Pando, what do I do?” Thirteen asked. “Is she the one the Mother Core warned us about?”

  “No…” Granny Pando croaked as she dropped away, caught by Thirteen’s other freakishly long arm. “An anomaly… not according to the flow… the Mother Core prophesied.”

  “Okay, so do I kill her?”

  “Woah, don’t do that!” I was cursing non-stop in my head, with another part of my brain yelling at SpookyErind to cut it out. “Our interview was going so well. Just take my hand and study it or something. It’s funky and all. Study the Adumbrae living there and—” I paused as the crystals on my right hand glowed. The golden liquid bubbled out of them as if I were summoning a face. “Again, I fucking swear I’m not doing this. You broke something with—huh?”

  For a moment, I found it funny how I kept stopping my sentences. Then my brain honed in on what my eyes were looking at, the reason I stopped speaking. My right hand, cut clean off my wrist, twirled in the air. It drew red circles with my trailing blood before Thirteen caught it.

  I dropped to one knee, clutching the stump of my right arm. Blood continuously flowed as it healed. It hurt. Bad. Actually, not that bad. The pain wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. I was focused on my regenerating hand, wondering if the crystals would return.

  “What in the Mother Core’s Threads is this?” Thirteen held my hand between his index finger and thumb before throwing it to another Corebring to keep.

  “An anomaly, as I’ve mentioned,” Granny Pando said straight, regaining her voice. “We have to bring her back to the Hive to present to the Mother Core. She might be part of the reason the Threads of Fate are unraveling.”

  “But you’re certain that she’s not the prophesied threat?” Thirteen raised his hand with straightened fingers. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d die if this pastel red bastard karate-chopped me. “Wouldn’t it be more prudent if I just killed her? You always advise me to be prudent.”

  “She’s not the threat to the Hive.” Granny Pando picked up her cane with much effort. Then she looked around. “But the threat… might be nearby. It is no coincidence that the Mother Core urged us to attack now.

  “I don’t understand a single thing,” I mumbled. My heart was pounding as I watched my hand reform, trying to spot any hint of the crystals. Then I heard the voice of someone I wasn’t sure I wanted to be here.

  “Erind, I’m here! Please don’t kill Erind!”

  Twelve advanced chapters on Patreon. Thank you to the patrons for beta reading the rewrite. Also, many thanks to our Purple Bloom supporters, Karp Paul, Krzychu0304, and Neoxym.