The wind roared past Silver's ears as he plummeted toward the forest below. There was no angle to twist, no crystal to grab, no spell left to cast. He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes, bracing for the end. He wished he could have done more for Air and Garret, but maybe this was simply how it ended.

  A strange shifting sound cut through the rush of air. When Garret's screaming stopped, Silver's eyes snapped open. Air and Garret were gone.

  "Huh?"

  For a heartbeat he forgot he was still falling. Then the trees rushed up to meet him. He grit his teeth and tensed, ready for the impact. Something yanked hard on the back of his shirt. His descent stopped so abruptly it knocked the breath from his lungs. He turned around and stared upward, mouth falling open.

  "Pyre!?"

  The searing orange and red of her hair burned against the sky. A smug grin curved her lips. One hand held Silver by the collar, the other gripped Air and Garret by their shirts as if they weighed nothing. She wore a white tank top and black baggy pants with heavy cuffs. A torn purple cape hung at her waist, and black boots dangled over the canopy far below.

  The moment their eyes met, Silver looked away. Why was she here? Shelly rising from the earth couldn't be the reason. She had to have already been nearby. He couldn't look her in the eye, not when they left off on such bad terms the last time they saw each other.

  Air laughed, swinging slightly in her grasp. "Ha! Can you believe it, Silver? This lady came out of nowhere and saved us!" Pyre dropped down and they hit the ground with a heavy thud. She carefully set the two boys down, then flung Silver straight into a tree.

  "Ow!" Silver staggered upright, clutching his side. "What was that for?"

  Pyre crossed her arms. The grin that was on her face vanished, replaced by a hard stare. "I had a feeling you were the one who riled up Shelly. Otherwise you wouldn't have been falling out of the sky like an idiot. I'm disappointed. I thought you knew better than to disturb the Titans."

  "What? That wasn't my fault." He hesitated, remembering that he was the one who told Air to destroy the crystal. "Well. Not entirely."

  "Right."

  Her expression softened as she crouched in front of the boys. She ruffled Garret's hair. "How are ya feeling? Nothing broken?"

  "N-no," Garret said. "Thanks for helping us, Pyre. Honestly, I thought you had gotten sick of me."

  She broke into a wide grin. "What? Why would you think that?"

  "Well, Silver said you weren't going to explore any sprouting dungeons with him this cycle, so I just assumed..."

  "Aw, I'll never get tired of you and your little tree head. You're the reason I'm even here." She straightened and shot Silver a pointed look. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you why I wasn't around."

  Silver nervously scratched the back of his head.

  "The reason I wasn't with him," she continued, "is because I'm done being his personal get through a dungeon free card. Among other things."

  Garret glanced between them, catching the tension Silver tried to hide.

  "Anyway," Pyre said, brushing it off, "let's catch up at The Holloway. Your parents are probably worried sick."

  "What about the giant monster?" Air asked. "Did it die when you hit it?"

  Pyre snorted. "Die? No. That was just a little love tap for old Shelly. He'll stay put until I guide him back underground." She turned toward Alderbrook and started walking. Air and Garret hurried after her, sticking close. Several steps behind, Silver limped along in silence.

  —-

  Elara burst from the bush in a stumble, barely keeping her footing. Before she had struck the ground, she had thrown her dagger from the falling platform and blipped to wherever it landed. The mission was a failure. That stung, but not as much as the thought of Rumus lying broken somewhere in the forest. The fear gnawed at her harder than the pain in her leg.

  She limped through the trees, shoving branches aside, eyes scanning desperately. When she caught sight of a flash of red between the trunks, her heart leapt. The familiar hue of an Emel Church hood. She pushed herself faster, ignoring the flare of agony with every step.

  Her hopeful smile vanished the moment she entered the clearing. Kelar lay sprawled on his stomach in the dirt. She snarled and kicked him hard with her good leg.

  "Ouch! Hey, what're you doin? I just fell from who knows how high up. Can't I get a minute to rest?"

  Elara's jaw tightened. "Get up. We need to find Rumus. The faster we tell the Minister we failed, the faster we can get this over with."

  Kelar let out a low chuckle, not bothering to lift his head. "Don't count us out just yet, lass. The Minister said we needed to bring him loads of elemental energy. He never said where we had to get it from."

  Elara's glare sharpened. "And where exactly are we going to get that? It'll take months for another core crystal to start forming inside that part of that Titan. By then it'll be back underground. We were lucky to coax it up today. Unless you're suggesting we chase another Titan, or hunt down an actual elemental. The elementals are either too strong or too dead for us to take advantage of."

  The back of Kelar's bald head creased as his shoulders shook with a quiet laugh. "Actually," he said, finally lifting his face from the dirt, "I can think of one that's ripe for the taking."

  Pyre sat at the Holloway's dinner table, working her way through the plate Faelan had set in front of her. Each time she lifted her fork, the dense weight of her thick forearms flexed beneath her skin. When they had first arrived, Silver hurried through an explanation of everything that happened, clearly aware that Linnea and Faelan might have knocked him upside the head if he dragged it out. Now everyone sat or stood around the table, the tension finally settling into something quieter.

  Pyre pointed her fork at Air. "First things first. Who's that?"

  All eyes shifted to the boy, who paused mid-bite.

  Silver cleared his throat. "He's Air. I'm pretty sure he's the new elemental of wind."

  Pyre smacked her lips thoughtfully. "If that's true, then old lady Rale's finally kicked the bucket. Damn. I'm gonna miss her cooking." She angled the fork toward Silver. "What exactly were you doing inside Shelly?"

  "We thought it was a level eight dungeon. From the outside it looked like one, and everything inside pointed to it being one."

  "Ah, I get it. Lots of dungeons sproutin' this time of cycle." She shrugged. "I'm guessin' the Guild classified it. There was a dungeon in that shell, sure, but it was man-made. A couple cycles back, my old man decided to get off his lazy butt and build it around one of Shelly's core crystals."

  Garret touched a finger to his chin. "Core crystal?"

  "A crystal formed from excess energy leaking outta Shelly. At that size, Titans like him bleed off huge amounts of magic. It's bad for the ecosystem, so core crystals store that energy and spread it out safely. Instead of warpin' everything in the region, it only affects what's close to it. Shelly's shell got so wide and hollow that it formed somethin' like a dungeon naturally. After that, it wasn't hard to turn it into a real one."

  "Really?" Silver asked. "If it was man-made, shouldn't it have been a bit harder?"

  "To my understanding, you and your party went up instead of down," Pyre replied. "The farther you were from Shelly's actual body, the weaker the influence of his magic got. If you'd gone down, you'd all probably be dead."

  Silver leaned back in his chair. "Oh."

  "Now for the important part. Why the hell—" She stopped, glanced at Linnea, and bowed her head slightly. "Excuse my language." Her gaze snapped back to Silver. "Why the hell would you destroy that crystal? What, did you drop it tryin' to haul it out so you could sell it later?"

  Air raised his hand. "Actually, I broke it."

  Pyre's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, I can't believe you're takin' kids into what you think are level eight dungeons."

  "He didn't take me," Air said quickly. "I went on my own because I wanted to see what they were doing. When I got there, those creepy people in with hoods were attacking him. If Silver hadn't told me to break the crystal, we all would've died before you saved us." He turned to Garret. "Garret, I'm sorry. I dragged you there and put you in danger. I said I wanted to help Silver, but I was really just thinking about myself."

  Garret waved his hands. "No, it's okay. If you hadn't gone, Silver wouldn't have made it. We're all fine now, so no hard feelings."

  Pyre set her fork down on her empty plate. "Those creepy people you mentioned. What were they doin'?"

  Silver lifted his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "They were performing some kind of ritual on the core crystal. And judging by how they acted, it wasn't anything good."

  A knock rattled the door. Faelan rose and opened it to find Anya outside. Behind her, Sir Borin and the two surviving spellcasters lay motionless on transport beds.

  "Doctors, we need your help. They're in critical condition."

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  Faelan's expression sharpened instantly. "Lin! We've got patients!"

  Linnea was already on her feet, pulling on her coat as she hurried out the door with him. They headed across the Holloway to tend to the wounded adventurers.

  Once the door shut behind them, Pyre pushed her chair back and stood. "If they've found everyone, I can guide Shelly back underground. I'll keep an eye out for any more cloak-wearin' weirdos. See ya later, Garret. Air."

  She stepped out of the building, each heavy footstep echoing against the floor before the door swung closed behind her.

  Now Silver, Air, and Garret sat alone at the table, the room steeped in silence. Air was the one to break it. "So... who was that lady?"

  Silver crossed his arms. "Pyre. She's the elemental of fire, so you and her are pretty similar. She's my... she was my girlfriend." He exhaled slowly. "Up until a couple months ago, we did everything together. I'm not surprised she's still angry with me. Honestly, I thought she'd be more mad." He stretched his arms over his head. "I think everything that's happened today is starting to catch up with me. I'm heading to bed." He made his way upstairs, leaving his hat behind on the table.

  Garret had been wearing a small smile since they returned, but the moment Silver disappeared from view, it faded. "He's in a bad mood. The people who died were working under him. He couldn't keep them alive."

  "It's not entirely his fault, though, right? Those creepy people were the ones who killed them."

  Garret stared at his open palm. "I know. I understand how he feels, though. I can't help thinking I could've done something. When I saw those bodies, it was like I couldn't move. My parents taught me a lot about healing magic. If I'd just run over and tried to heal them... maybe..."

  Air lightly punched his shoulder. "Hey. Don't start blaming yourself for no reason. What happens, happens. Sometimes things work out. Sometimes they don't. For the most part, things have worked out for me, so I believe they'll keep doing that. You should try it. It might help."

  Garret's gaze dropped to the wooden table. "Sure. Okay. I'll try."

  Night eventually settled over the Holloway. Sir Borin and the two surviving spellcasters were stable and recovering, and the building fell quiet as everyone drifted to sleep.

  The next morning, Air wandered into the Holloway's medical ward. That side of the building was larger, its halls more intricate and lined with additional rooms. Garret walked beside him as they stopped at Sir Borin's bedside. The exhausted man turned his head toward them. The right side of his face was wrapped in bandages.

  Air had been told Sir Borin personally requested to see him and Silver. Silver refused to get out of bed, but Air hadn't minded coming.

  "Ah, it's you. I don't know exactly how you did it, but... thank you for saving my life. I apologize for what I did to you when we first met. I was admittedly a bit unkindly to you."

  Air gave him a thumbs up. "Thanks. Silver's sad about what happened to those other guys, but I'm sure you still being alive has helped ease his pain."

  Sir Borin's gaze lowered. "I expected Silver to be here when I said this, but I suppose it can't be helped. I noticed something about the people we fought inside that snail. They were all wearing gold bracelets with a white triangular charm. I didn't think much of it at first, but I believe those bracelets are meant to show rank within the Church of Emel."

  Garret tilted his head. "Church of Emel?"

  "I'm from Aurelios. I've seen them plenty of times. Their church sits on the third layer of the city. Most outsiders don't know what truly goes on inside, but the higher-ups in Aurelios have always had a bad feeling about them. Unfortunately, much of the city is funded and run by them. If the High Council meddles in their affairs, powerful people would be angered."

  Garret absorbed every word. Air, however, only blinked. "Oh. Alright then. I'll tell Silver all that...stuff you just said." He slowly backed out of the room, Garret following close behind.

  Later, while Faelan and Linnea tended to patients, Garret unpacked supply boxes that had arrived from Aurelios. Being tucked deep within the forest, Alderbrook relied on shipments from the city. Air helped, though his boredom showed in the way he mismatched items and stacked things incorrectly.

  "This is fun to you?" Air asked.

  "I wouldn't call it fun," Garret replied, sorting bandages. "But I don't hate it. Organizing is relaxing. And It's the least I can do to help my parents."

  "I guess I get that."

  "Lifting the boxes is easier with you here. I could only carry one at a time, but you stacked three like it was nothing."

  "Yeah. It's because I'm an elemental, or whatever Silver said."

  Garret perked up. "Oh. You probably don't know much about elementals since a lot of your memories are gone. Pyre told me a bit, so I can explain if you want me to."

  Air nodded. "Anything to make this less boring."

  "Elementals are people whose bodies and souls are connected to one of the world's elements. Magic flows through everything in Modus, through both objects and living beings. Since you're an elemental, your magic flows the same way that the magic carried by wind does. Most people have to draw certain symbols to tap into that flow temporarily. But you're aligned with it all the time. When you said you could feel the wind moving through you, I didn't understand what you meant at first, but nowI do. You're special."

  Air stared at his hands. "I guess I am."

  "You also woke up in a coffin. That makes you double special in my eyes."

  Air smiled and lightly punched Garret's shoulder again. "Now you're just being too nice."

  Startled, Garret dropped the metal tray he was holding. It clattered and rolled into the kitchen. "Oops," Air muttered. "I'll wash it."

  He skipped into the kitchen, picked up the tray, and turned the blue knob on the sink. Symbols etched into the faucet glowed as water flowed. He hummed softly while rinsing it clean.

  "Psst."

  Air froze. He looked up to see a large hooded figure outside the window. The sharp black beard and bald head were unmistakable.

  Air's face twisted as he opened his mouth to shout, but Kelar spoke first. "If you tell anyone I'm here, I'll burn this entire building down. I've already prepared the spell. Keep quiet and nothing happens. Just listen."

  Air's jaw hung open, but no sound came out. He forced himself to stand still.

  Kelar smiled. "Good. I'll keep it simple. I want you to come back to Aurelios with me and my comrades. We want you to become a member of the Emel Church."

  "What? Why?" Air whispered.

  "Because you're an elemental. We could use that power. And there's something else different about you. Tell me, where were you born?"

  "I don't know. I woke up in a coffin."

  Kelar chuckled. "A two in one. Excellent. If you accept, no harm will come to your friends or this village. If you refuse, you won't like the outcome. Think about it." He began stepping backward into the shadows. "Just meet me behind the tavern the next time the sun rises. If you tell anyone about this conversation, blood will be shed." Then he was gone.

  Garret leaned into the doorway. "Air? You alright? Were you talking to someone?"

  Air turned quickly. "No. Just talking to myself." He held up the tray. "Look, now I'm all clean." He said in a silly voice.

  Garret laughed. "Alright then."

  A moment later, Pyre stepped into the kitchen. "Oh? You guys playin' pretend?"

  Garret's eyes lit up. "Pyre! You're back!"

  "Yep. Shelly's safe and sound. Didn't see anyone in cloaks, though."

  "Oh, about that. Sir Borin said they're probably from the Emel Church."

  Pyre crossed her arms. "Of course. Those weirdos are always up to somethin'. Killin' guild members and messin' with a titan? Someone's gotta deal with them sooner or later. I'm sure Staffs is gonna have a field day when he hears about this. But right now, I just wanna relax. I was underground all night, it's not the best environment to sleep in"

  "Alright. I'll keep organizing. We'll talk later." Garret slipped back into the other room.

  Air followed, but paused at the doorway. Without turning around, he asked, "Pyre. If someone was forcing you to do something you didn't want to, and you couldn't tell anyone, what would you do?"

  She looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I'd sock 'em right in the gut. Why? Somethin' wrong?"

  Air shook his head quickly. "No. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to know what someone as cool as you would do..." He hurried off to rejoin Garret. Pyre watched him go, one eyebrow slowly rising.

  Silver sat across from Anya's desk in her study above the tavern. A piece of parchment lay unfurled before him.

  The letter read, "Thanks for reaching out, dear Anya. It seems you've stumbled across an 'Advent.' I've already sent the Inquisitor to retrieve and bring the Advent back to my study. He should be arriving the morning after you receive this letter, so keep an eye out. He can be intimidating, but I assure you no harm will come to anyone. I've attached a special guild card that you'll need to show him. Also, make sure to give him some of your father's Melo juice. No one in Aurelios makes it like him.

  Ps. Giro Mercier."

  Silver leaned closer, reading the letter for the third time. "What the hell is an Advent?"

  Anya, who was busy rearranging books along the shelves, shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. The term feels familiar, but I haven't looked into it. None of the literature I have mention it, at least. I suggest you prepare for the Inquisitor's arrival. Based on what Giro said, I doubt he'd be too pleased with you if you're unprepared."

  Silver stood up. "I don't know how I feel leaving with those Emel Church goons still around. There's a chance they all died when Shelly went dormant, but they were able to perform magic at a decent level. If at least one of them survived, I don't want them messing with anyone in this town."

  Anya waved a finger. "The town's still full of brave adventurers. I doubt they'd cause any kind of scene here. Besides, you're going to the Great Hall. Talking to Aurelios' higher-ups is probably your best bet at getting back at the Emel Church."

  "I guess you're right."

  Silver didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to feel like he wasn't really needed anymore. Pyre would take Air down to Aurelios if he asked, and she'd probably do a much better job keeping him safe. The feeling of uselessness that had plagued him for cycles began creeping back in. Back when he and Pyre explored dungeons together, she did most of the heavy lifting, but it had still been fun. Feeling like he had a part in something was what kept him going. Lately, he'd only been delving for the money. Finding time to study enchanted items was difficult when there was no one to study with.

  Several months ago, a dungeon he and Pyre were escaping from began to collapse. Pyre had been left hanging from a ledge. She's strong. She can get out of it, he'd told himself. And she had. But she'd finally had enough. It wasn't the first time he'd made that calculation, and it wouldn't be the last. What if one day she really couldn't get out of it? Would he just leave her for dead?

  When Silver hesitated to answer, she stormed off, kicking a large trash bin as she made her way down the sidewalk. Since then, he'd been exploring alone. He discovered he was capable enough with careful thinking and even rose a rank, but it all began to feel pointless.

  Finding Air reminded him of the day he first met Pyre. She had been sitting outside in the rain, steam rising from her skin where the drops struck. He knew what could happen to powerful people like elementals if someone with good intentions didn't watch over them. When he met Pyre, her soul had already been stained with the blood of others. He didn't want Air walking that same path.

  Now sitting at the bar, Silver took a long swig from a bottle of whiskey. He'd been drinking for hours. It started with a few shots and turned into the whole bottle. He was almost surprised Barnaby hadn't refused to sell it to him. Was it that obvious he was in a bad mood? Future Silver would probably regret this. But that was a problem for someone else.

  -

  Linnea heard a knock at the door while reviewing paperwork at the medical ward's front desk. She set the papers aside and went to answer it.

  When she opened the door, a blue haired woman stood there, wrapped in a brown blanket. The light spilling out from the Holloway illuminated a large puncture wound in her thigh. Most of it had scabbed over, but dried blood trailed down her leg, proof that it had bled heavily. Her face was smeared with dirt, and dark bags hung beneath exhausted eyes.

  "Please...help me."

  The woman slumped forward into Linnea's chest, unconscious.

  "Oh dear! Don't worry, sweetie. I'll help you."

  Linnea scooped her up and laid her on an empty transport bed, already weaving the first of several healing spells as she rolled her down the hallway. Proper treatment required multiple continuous incantations, and even then, magic could only do so much. The rest was left to the body itself. After settling her in a private room, Linnea completed the final spell and cast a quick appraisal. The woman's condition was improving.

  She exhaled in relief and cleaned the dried blood from her patient's leg. Adventurers arriving in the dead of night, battered and bleeding, was nothing unusual. That was why she and Faelan rotated night shifts. Being paid directly by the guild was comfortable work, but helping people had always been the best part of it.

  The woman's eyes slowly fluttered open.

  Linnea offered a gentle smile. "How're you feeling, hun?"

  "So much better already," the woman replied softly. "You're a lifesaver."

  Linnea clapped her hands lightly. "Alright then. I'll head back to the front desk. I'll check on you in a couple of hours, but if you need anything, just ring the bell beside your bed, okay?"

  "Okay..." The woman's voice was still weak.

  Linnea turned off the lights and quietly shut the door behind her. The moment her footsteps faded, a sharp smile curled across the injured woman's face.

  "Ah... I can't remember the last time I didn't have to pay for healing. Now then, how shall I repay you, kind doctor?"