Hendrick’s fervent attempts at trying to reach the shade with his son’s eyes stopped. Seeing a man vanish into thin air right in front of him was enough to snap him out of his delusions. The thing in front of him wasn’t his son. It was a monster. There was nothing more to it. Pascal was gone, and this thing had his eyes.

  He couldn’t help but spill out the contents of his stomach at his feet. D was far from what he would call a friend, but seeing that happen to anyone was enough to make him sick to his core. One second, he was there. The next, he just wasn’t. There was no sound, no light, nothing. He could only imagine that’s what happened to Pascal too. How frightened the young boy must have been.

  The shade was only inches away from Hendrick before he noticed. It was attempting to take advantage of his less than stable mental state. They weren’t quick, but taking your eyes off of them was a recipe for disaster. Hendrick quickly retreated back towards the outpost. He didn’t even know that he was capable of making the noises in his screams as he ran.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  D was shocked to find himself no longer in the forest. The moment he made contact with the shade, he was back in the hills. The sky was pitch black, and there were two moons hanging above his head. It was a perfect recreation of his dream from the other night, but he now had his sword with him. Even the boy on the hill was the same.

  The grass rustled as D’s hurried footsteps breezed across the rolling hills. The ground wasn’t so slippery this time. He knew what death was supposed to be like, and this wasn’t it. The whole atmosphere was oppressive. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his every move was being watched.

  As D reached the apex of the hill, his suspicions of the boy’s identity were confirmed. Pascal stood waiting for him. Only now, the boy’s eyes were right where they were supposed to be.

  “I’m glad you trusted me,” he said with a tone that seemed too sophisticated for someone so young. “I have information of the utmost importance for you, Stonebearer.”

  “Hey, Pascal,” D started off, slightly annoyed with the boy, “that’s really cool, and I would -love- to hear all about it later, ‘kay? First, we gotta figure out how to get out of here. Wherever here is.”

  He grabbed Pascal’s hand and attempted to guide him, but the boy didn’t budge easily. “There is no way out for me, Stonebearer. My time in that life has long since ended.”

  “Why are you talking like that? Come on, let’s go.” Everything about this kid creeped D out.

  “How long have I been dead for you?” Pascal’s question made D freeze. “A day? Less than that, no? It has been much longer for me. I’ve lived multiple lifetimes in these hills. I learned many things, Stonebearer. I’ve climbed the tower. It showed me the other possibilities. The ones where I lived, and the ones where everyone else at the outpost died. It told me your past and your potential, Stonebearer. I envy you.”

  D let go of the boy. “Are you really Pascal?”

  “I was once,” his eyes didn’t look like they were lying. “I have become far detached from what anyone had ever known me as. The Pascal that I am now is not the one you are looking for. There is no trace of that Pascal now.”

  My risk was for nothing? The kid I was trying to save doesn’t even exist anymore? “I don’t get it. Why are you telling me all of this?”

  Pascal thought the answer was obvious. “Because I want to. You hold a fantastic power and know nothing of it. I took pity on you.”

  Pity from a kid, great. “I don’t need pity, kid,” D affirmed. “I need to know how to get back to your dad, and I need you to come with me. I don’t care if you think you’re a different person now. Your father is worried sick about you, and I can’t let a spoiled brat like you take that for granted. I would have killed for a dad that loved me a tenth of what yours does.”

  For the first time, D saw emotion from Pascal. A small smile had snuck its way onto his face. “Through all the futures I saw, you still manage to surprise me, Stonebearer. Perhaps my judgement was hasty. I have no doubts you will use that sword to its fullest potential, but you will face many opponents on your journey with powers that are sure to rival your own. That stone sword is one piece in a grand collection of items. The Kingstones, as they’re called, each hold a power strong enough to allow even a peasant to become a ruler. You must use your Kingstone to become a king, Stonebearer.”

  “Why?” D was finding this whole story hard to believe, but played along. Anything to satisfy this kid and get the both of them out of here. He never wanted any power like that. He was more than happy sitting on the sidelines, out of the spotlight.

  “There may not be any hope for me, but you can still save my father.”

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Hendrick’s bag was filled with everything he could carry: food, water, spare clothes, a bed roll. He didn’t even bother to scribble down a note before leaving. Workers disappearing wasn’t new, so why would anyone care if he followed suit? On paper, he would be just one more lost in the forest: another worker forgotten in a week.

  He started by blaming himself. If he never took this job, Pascal would have never been anywhere near the shades. He tried to reason and rationalize at the time. He hadn’t even wanted the job, it was just the only one that would take someone untalented like him. The pay was terrible and the location was wrought with monsters, but it meant he was able to feed his son. It was the best option they had at the time. Really, it was the only option they had.

  His blame shifted. The hate Hendrick forged for himself drifted towards King Gallahan. He was the one too stingy to get the job done properly. He was the one that allowed the shades to infest the forest for years longer than they should have. He was the one who killed Pascal.

  There was only one desire left inside the broken husk of a father that was Hendrick. If there was one thing he did on this earth, it would be killing King Gallahan. He slipped the bag over his shoulder and trudged on towards the capital.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  All this was becoming more frustrating than scary. There was a reason D never wanted kids. He took his empty hand and rubbed his eyes. “You know, kid, I’m trying really hard to not just ditch you and find a way out myself.”

  “Then we are in agreement?” Pascal was puzzled at D’s apparent sudden change of heart.

  “NO!” Dammit. “We are -not- in agreement. I’ll drag you out if I have to.” He grabbed Pascal by the wrist and began to drag him. Pascal was still only a young boy after all, D had no problem overpowering him. Naturally, this agitated Pascal.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Stonebearer, please,” he protested, “unhand me. How dare you treat your elders this way? Surely your father taught you better.”

  “Dad was an asshole,” D interjected, “thought we already touched on that.”

  “Oh? Then I suppose you take after him,” the previously calm Pascal was starting to raise his voice.

  “Oh no,” D mocked. “Insults, my one weakness. How will I recover?”

  Pascal had enough. His pride could no longer take being dragged around like a doll. D felt a sudden burning sensation all through his hand followed by a quick crack. What was that? He turned back towards Pascal only to find he was a few steps behind. When did I let go of him?

  His eyes moved toward his hand. It was completely gone. An icy stump ending at his wrist took its place.

  “Do you understand now, Stonebearer? You are dealing with something beyond your comprehension for now,” Pascal informed. “I will tell you how to leave, what your next step will be, and then you will go and do it. Without. Me.”

  None of Pascal’s words registered. He was still in shock.

  “Please,” Pascal scoffed, “your injuries are minimal. A hand isn’t the end of the world, and we don’t have much time. My father has likely already left the outpost. The shade is currently feasting on your flesh. If we do not stop it, you will suffer the same fate as me, Stonebearer.”

  That caught D’s attention. “Feasting… on what?”

  “You are nothing but a spirit whose body is slowly being consumed by that shade. It’s how they hunt. One touch, and your body and soul are separated. Your body goes into one part of the shade’s body, and your soul gets tucked away in here until it’s time to throw it out. Your soul is like the peel of a fruit the shade must remove before eating,” Pascal explained.

  “Oh… That’s why you can’t come back,” he really is dead. Nobody saved his body in time. D gripped his sword tighter. His teeth clenched. He still had a chance. A lost hand really did seem like a minor injury all of a sudden. He relented. “Okay, Pascal. I get it. What do I do?”

  Pascal pointed upwards. “What do you see up there, Stonebearer?”

  D peered up. “Two moons?”

  “Exactly what I thought at first,” Pascal commented, “but look closer.”

  D strained his eyes, not understanding what Pascal meant. I don’t know, they’re kind of smooth? The color is off? Suddenly, the moons vanished before reappearing in the void of a sky. D stared in disbelief. “Eyes. They just blinked, they’re eyes.”

  “Yes, they are,” Pascal confirmed. “The shade wants to keep a close eye on your body more than anything else. If you head towards its eyes, you are bound to find your body.”

  “And what do I do when I find it?” D asked.

  “You will use your Kingstone to kill it,” Pascal commanded.

  D ran off towards the horizon. Somewhere in these hills, those eyes were pointing at his body. He didn’t know how far it was or how much time he had, so there was no choice for him besides sprinting at full speed. He felt light. Each step propelled him faster than he had ever been able to go. Without his body, there was nothing holding him back.

  There was also nothing to hold him down. He began to lift more and more off the ground. Seconds would pass between his feet touching the ground before he eventually found himself not touching the ground at all. The hills grew smaller below him as he tumbled higher into the sky. No, no, no! Go DOWN!

  Pascal was waiting for him up there. Standing still as if he were standing on solid ground, he sighed. “Is this really how hopeless you used to be?”

  He grabbed D by the back of his jacket with both hands and swung the man around like he was an olympic athlete competing in the hammer throw. D was launched at an incredible speed towards the shade’s eyes. As he flew, Pascal caught up to him. “This place is a spiritual realm; it’s like a dream. Your imagination becomes your strength. Trust that you can fly, Stonebearer.”

  Slowly, the tumbling leveled out. D was able to turn himself around the right way and even made his sudden motion sickness fizzle away. The freedom of flight surged through his body and he began to laugh. He spread out his arms to feel the wind on his skin as he accelerated.

  The shade’s eyes were getting closer and closer until D saw a familiar face not far away: his face. He and Pascal dove down to it immediately. A dark shroud of smog was gently caressing his body. From the darkness, hands emerged. They were much faster than the shade’s real body.

  D barely managed to avoid the claws that tried to grab him while Pascal effortlessly froze and shattered any that came close to him. The sword. Taking a note from Pascal, he decided the best defense in this situation might be an offense. He brought his sword against the next hand that reached towards him only for it to dart out of the way at the last second. Many hands continued to avoid his swings as the pair descended despite the onslaught.

  When they finally touched ground, the smog retreated from D’s lifeless body. It pooled together and towered into the familiar, humanoid shape of the shade. It held its claws at the ready, but steadily retreated backwards. “Don’t let it get away!” Pascal warned.

  D was happy to oblige. He launched over his body, sword ready to strike. His heart was beating through his chest as he brought it down on the monster who terrorized him. Die! As the sword made contact, the shade vanished. What happened? “Where did it go?”

  Pascal calmly approached D who was searching wildly for the shade. “It’s over. The shade had been defeated. That is the power of your Kingstone. Anything you wish to be erased from this world will be, Stonebearer.”

  Erased? The sword somehow felt heavier now. His hand began to shake. It was erased. I made it stop existing. He heaved, but nothing came up. I don't want this. I don’t want this.

  “I understand your feelings, Stonebearer,” Pascal reassured. “The concept may sound easy to comprehend, but seeing it in person is something else. Our minds were not built to understand it, but we have no time for this. Return to your body now and defeat the shade’s true body in the physical world. You have to do it again, and you will need to do it again after that. Do not feel sorry for them. They are nothing but monsters.”

  “What do I do then?” D stared off into nothing. His limbs were limp, and he was barely managing to stand on his own. No thoughts ran through his head. He only relied on Pascal to tell him when and where to go.

  “You will need to catch up to my father. He is on his way to the capital with a lofty goal. You must choose to assist him or persuade him to reconsider, but under no circumstances can you allow him to go through with his plan alone,” Pascal advised. “Everything after that is up to you, Stonebearer.”

  D hobbled back to his body. It seemed almost instinctual to lay down in the same position his body was in. Stepping through himself to lay down felt strange but somehow right. It was snug, exactly his size. It was warm.

  The forest? The shade! D jolted up off the forest ground. It didn’t seem like much time passed at all. The shade was laying on the ground, unmoving. Its eyes had disappeared. Why is it still here? It vanished right? As D stared at the lifeless body of the shade, Pascal’s words resonated in his mind. Spiritual realm. I didn’t kill the body, just its spirit.

  The stone sword was raised aloft. Quickly, he aimed to cleave the shade in two. Just as it did back in the spirit realm, the shade vanished the moment D made contact. He wasn’t any more ready for the shock this time. Only now did he look down to see his hand was back where it always had been, but it was numb.

  Adrenaline could only sustain him for so long. He hadn’t eaten since he came to this world. Pascal’s warning was heard, and D knew he could not let Hendrick continue on with his plan alone. However, there was no chance of fulfilling that goal if D starved to death. He needed food. The outpost.