The tunnels are long and winding. We hear whispers. Eyes peer through the dark. Always staying just out of the light.

  Lucas holds Jackson's hand. "I'm scared."

  Jackson squeezes. "I'm right here."

  Lucas looks back at Barthelemy. "He's still asleep."

  I glance at Melody. Her eyes are fixed ahead. I bump our shoulders. "I'm sorry for losing my cool."

  She shrugs.

  My heart races. "Thinking about my past... I woke up one day and everything had been erased. I don't know what kind of deal I made with...her, but if I hadn't then I'd never have met you...or your mother..."

  Melody flinches and holds up her lantern. She can't even look at me. That's my fault.

  I sigh. "There's things I don't know how to talk about. I'm afraid if I speak it out loud..."

  She glances at me. "I understand, Zachariah. I'm not mad at you for doing what you had to. I'm mad at myself..." Her eyes trail the ground. "Since you saved me, I've always had this idea about you. That you were unstoppable. Impossible. And lately that idea has changed."

  I gulp. "Oh?"

  Melody looks back at Jackson and Lucas. They nod at her. She lowers her lantern. "You're not the man I thought you were. Not knowing who you really are made it hard to see. You were a vision—a dream."

  That's how I feel about myself. I'm never returning to reality. Stuck running from a nightmare.

  She nudges me. "It's not a bad thing—knowing you. At least, what you've shared about yourself. You've been through a lot. The war did something to you and you've been scared to admit it."

  Maybe she's not a follower. Maybe I'm still wrong about her. I smile. "You're a brilliant woman, Mel."

  She jolts.

  I lean in. "You're amazing in everything you do. Fighting the Axeheads took a lot of courage, but it scares me. I'll always love you like a daughter."

  Melody freezes and covers her mouth. Her shoulders shake. She squeezes her eyes shut.

  I rub her back. "I've had an idea about you too. That you were too young. Too naive. I was wrong. You're ready for this. You're ready to lead. And right now, the Wyre needs someone with your courage and intelligence."

  Melody sniffles. "I can't take your place. You have to lead the Wyre. It has to be you."

  Why? Why me? I don't want to lead. I shiver. "I'm better off working behind the scenes."

  She continues walking. "I won't be your puppet."

  For a moment... I swear she looks like... Tatiana...

  I huff, then glance at Jackson and Lucas. They look away. I follow Melody.

  The tunnel expands. A mural... We look up at it.

  Jackson grins. "Some picture..." He points. "What is that thing?"

  We stare at a figure with two heads. I hum. "A few decades ago, I came across the journals of an explorer who traveled these tunnels. He wrote about this place. The lioness... Humans worshipped her."

  Lucas raises a brow. "Well, where is she?"

  I shake my head.

  Melody brushes the mural. "It must have been centuries ago..."

  I nod.

  We move on and find the city. Dubascht is extraordinary. I've been here once. This is the place I met Tatiana. Streets paved with brown agate. Buildings made of stone. Fountains still going. The smell is sweet.

  Lucas shrieks. "Bones!"

  Jackson grabs him. "Uh... Guys! You better take a look at this!"

  We rush to them. They point at... A bloody helmet... Melody squats. "This is one of the Sentients!"

  I look around. "We aren't alone."

  Eyes peer through windows and from the tops of buildings. One of them leaps down. It looks like... me.

  It hisses. "Come here you?"

  I pull Melody back. "Offer friend."

  It gurgles. "Friend to eat?"

  I shake my head. "Friend to live."

  It roars. "No friend live! Eat must!"

  I stomp. "No death."

  It sniffs. "No death."

  I turn to Barthelemy and push him towards the creature. "He wake up. You take care."

  It pokes him. "Care I take. Eat I must. Who dies?"

  I clench my fist. "No dies."

  It growls and morphs into... It's... It's her! Nebula!

  Melody whispers. "We need to get out of here."

  I glare at the creature. "Seen her here?"

  It cackles. "Seen and feared!"

  I nod. "Take this offering and we'll leave."

  It snarls. "Must eat one!"

  I look around. "Some of them are human. This one isn't."

  Melody gulps. "How can you tell?"

  I point to a mark on its head. "It's been branded. This is one of their pets."

  Jackson whispers. "How do we get out of here?"

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I raise a brow. "Wounded yes?"

  The creature howls. "Heal wound?"

  I approach it and pull a ball of light from my chest. Threads float to the creature. It groans, then unmorphs. Its skin is translucent. Veins thudding. Muscles thin.

  The threads retract. "I heal. We go. You stay."

  The creature moans. "Go yes. Stay we."

  I force the trio ahead of me. "Quickly before they change their mind!"

  Jackson looks back. "What did you do to it?"

  I rub my chest. "The brand on it's head is ancient spellwork." My fingers twitch. "Same as mine."

  Lucas whines. "I can't wait to get out of here!"

  Melody furrows her brow. "Why didn't the others attack?"

  I think we're safe. "They're all connected. Healing one, heals them all. I lifted their brands. Now they can eat their masters."

  She shudders. "That's..." Then swallows. "They're the human's problem now."

  Jackson scoffs. "Humans can't cast spells!"

  I nod. "Someone must have cast the spell for them."

  Lucas clings to Jackson. "Who'd do something like that?"

  Melody stares at me and I keep walking.

  Nebula holds Brimstone in her arms. She brushes her wavy brown hair. Jewels and metal wrap around Brimstone's wrists. Her skin is dark and brown.

  Nebula whispers. "Come back to me. I'm right here waiting. Come back."

  Brimstone jerks, then opens her eyes. "Huh?" She blinks. "Nebula?" She holds her head. "What happened?" She jumps up. "Theodore!"

  Nebula stands. "He's gone."

  Brimstone flinches. "Gone?" She stares. "What happened?"

  Nebula looks at the white pool. "He must've sealed you in a crystal before..."

  Brimstone drops to her knees. "Why would he..." She gasps. "The thing!" She grabs Nebula. "Where is it?"

  Nebula sighs. "Nevermind that now."

  Brimstone tugs Nebula through the tunnel. "We have to save him!"

  Nebula stops her. "It's too late!"

  Brimstone looks down at the agate floor. "He... He can be brought back!"

  Nebula touches her shoulder. "Theodore refused my help." She sighs. "We have to set our feelings aside and come together because there's someone else."

  Brimstone stares at her. "Do you mean... The other one?"

  Nebula taps her fingers against Brimstone's shoulder. "You've been down here for centuries. Theodore's been gone just as long. Now, the other one calls itself Zachariah."

  Brimstone furrows her brow. "Zachariah?" She turns. "And his abilities?"

  Nebula shrugs. "Nothing special. Resurrection here and there. Immortal."

  Brimstone clenches her fists. "How is he immortal?"

  Nebula rolls her eyes, then crosses her arms. "We made a deal. My immortality in exchange for his memory. Not a bad deal considering..."

  Brimstone sneers. "You've doomed us."

  Nebula laughs. "Don't be so dramatic!" She hugs Brimstone. "Think of all the things we can do to someone like that."

  Brimstone grunts. "Like what?"

  Nebula grins. "Oh, I don't know... Make him think he's someone else."

  Brimstone hums. "Go on..."

  A figure lounges on top of the laboratory in Sector T. Kicking its feet. Mumbling. Mask tied around its head. It looks up at the night sky.

  "I'm waiting for you... Zach-ar-i-ah... Teehee!"

  Book of Q'an (Final Part): Friendship

  Q'an sat in SAAF's headquarters. A sterile pink room. Four report processors idling in front of her. She breathed. "After we lost Chuboki, I was put in charge of squad Hasty Rabbit. Our goal is to investigate crimes connected to the Wyre's Armed Forces (WAF). My mission remains... Dissolve WAF and reclaim the lost sectors."

  Processor Miami chimed. "Before you became an investigator, what were you doing?"

  Q'an huffed. "I spent a long time at the academy after leaving rehabilitation."

  Processor Taylor buzzed. "How did your rehabilitation go?"

  Q'an swallowed. "All I can remember is fire."

  Processor Pierre swooned. "SAAF's academy has a plethora of fields to study. Which path did you choose?"

  Q'an watched her hands tremble, then lowered them into her lap. "I studied forensic analysis and chemistry. I took additional science courses which led me into bioengineering. I conducted 5 separate projects in medical science and I oversee 20 ongoing genetic modification projects."

  Processor Troy stared at Q'an. "Why the interest in genetics?"

  Q'an shook, then stood up and leaned against the table. "There's such a thing as too much power. I decoded the Calzarian sequence. If I can map the ACC gene, then we can control who's born with abilities."

  The processors rattled. A knock. They turned and hissed. "Who are you to disturb us?"

  The door opened and Nebula walked in. “Who do you think I am?” She rolled her eyes and they powered off.

  Q’an sat back and stared at Nebula.

  Nebula chuckled. “You shouldn't have told them that, but since you did there's only one thing to do now.”

  Q’an growled. “You want me to face him.”

  Nebula nodded. “Not that I need to tell you, but when you encounter him—don't fight. You'll lose. And I have plans for you.”

  Q’an raises a brow. “You don't want to use the machine on him?”

  Nebula shook her head. “I built that machine for someone else. Their blood is bad. I'll make them better."

  Q’an clenched her fists. "Zuna built that machine!"

  Nebula raised a brow. "Who do you think gave him the prototype?"

  Q'an spat. "Why are you doing this?"

  Nebula leaned in. "You've researched this for years. I've lived it for generations. A constant back and forth. I'm tired."

  Q'an snarled. “Why don't you kill him and be done with this?"

  Nebula frowned. “As smart as I thought I was, Zachariah beat me to the punch.”

  Q’an shifted. "What should I do when I meet him?"

  Nebula grinned. "Tell him everything."

  Q'an coughed. "Everything?"

  Nebula cackled. "He'll never question it if it comes from you."

  Q'an huffed. "What about me? I'm... I'm different now."

  Nebula eyed her. "Yes, you are. Perhaps you'd like a promotion. A new position just opened. I'm calling it Axehead."

  Q'an shifted. "What's an Axehead?"

  Nebula points to her temple. "It's a brand. One that binds us together. Body and soul."

  Q'an sneered. "No, thanks."

  Nebula held a sour look. "I'm sorry to hear that. Thought you'd jump at the opportunity. You hold so much promise."

  Q'an leaned against the table. "I'm done hopping for you."

  Nebula's eyes widened. "You'll hop one last time!"

  Q'an froze. Her eyes twitched, but never closed.

  Nebula tapped her nails on the table. "You want to pursue Zachariah."

  Q'an relaxed. Her eyelids drooped. She moaned. "I want to pursue Zachariah."

  Nebula nodded. "You want to be his friend."

  Q'an scratched her thigh. "I want to be his friend."

  Nebula hissed. "You want to tell him the truth."

  Q'an twitched. "I..."

  Nebula smiled. "Go on... Say it!"

  Q'an pinched her leg. "I want to...tell him...the truth."

  Nebula slouched. "That'll be all." She snapped her fingers.

  Q'an found herself standing in a strange place. Brown floors. Stone buildings. A man in front of her.

  He held her steady. "Is that better?"

  Q'an rubbed her eyes. "Where am I? Who are you?"

  He laughed. "You were walking around this place asking for me." He offered his hand. "I'm Zachariah."

  Q'an flinched, then shook his hand. "I'm... Tatiana..." Her head tilted. "Don't I know you?"

  He grinned. "Do you?"

  She swallowed. "I had the strangest dream just now. I was talking to someone about you."

  Zachariah hummed. "Oh?"

  She scratched her head. "I was supposed to tell you... To tell you... I can't remember."

  Zachariah pursed his lips. "Maybe you'll remember later."

  Q'an nodded. "Yeah. Maybe." She looks around. "Where are we?"

  Zachariah walks down the street. "This city is called Dubascht." They stop at a fountain. "Humans live here."

  She scoffed. "Humans?"

  Zachariah made claws with his fingers. "And Margraves! Roar!"

  Q'an smiled and pushed him back. "What's a Margrave?"

  Zachariah looked at a set of eyes peering through a window. "It's a creature who shape-shifts."

  She gasped. "Are you a Margrave?"

  Zachariah shook his head. "I don't think so." He poked her chest. "Are you?"

  Q'an laughed. "No!"

  They walked further into the city.

  Q'an shifted her weight. "Do you know where I came from?"

  Zachariah tapped his chin. "You must've came the same way I did. Why don't we retrace your steps?"

  They go to the Labrynth. Hyme twirls a chain. "You were wandering around the desert when I found you. Kept mumbling about Zachariah, so I brought you here."

  Q'an gulped. "What was I doing out there? I thought I was investigating..." She shuddered and held her head. "I was investigating...a crime..." She gasped. "I'm an investigator!"

  Zachariah rubbed her back. "What kind of crime?"

  She shook. "It's all fuzzy."

  Hyme sighed. "You certainly dress like an officer!"

  Zachariah pointed at her sleeve. "This insignia is from SAAF!"

  Q'an stumbled into the railing. "SAAF... I work for...for SAAF..."

  Zachariah stepped back. "Are you here to arrest me?"

  She groaned and dropped to her knees. "No. No! I'm supposed to tell you... Something about... My investigation!" She jumped up and grabbed Zachariah's shirt. "I remember now! It's about Nebula! She's going to—"

  Zachariah covered her mouth. "Let's talk in private."

  ...

  Q'an hung her head. "That's everything."

  Zachariah backed into a wall and slid to the floor. "Shit!"

  Q'an nodded.

  He stared at her. "And you're sure... The experiments work?"

  She thumbed at the seam of her pantleg. "Wouldn't be here if they didn't."

  Zachariah hugged his knees. "Why are you telling me any this?"

  She smiled. "Because I'm a friend."

  He glared. "Is your name really Tatiana?"

  She looked away. "It used to be... Now I'm known as Q'an Ijou. The Hasty Rabbit."

  Zachariah stood. "What are you going to do now?"

  Q'an sighed. "I don't know. I can't go back. I won't be a cog in Nebula's machine."

  He moved closer. "Ever visited the KWCR prison?"

  She snorted. "Never!"

  Zachariah whispered. "Would you like to?"