Brett guided us from the chamber into a narrow corridor that led to a large room, which could accommodate a dozen people, although the room only had four beds. Thick quilts, clean sheets, lanterns burning low. It wasn’t luxurious, but it was more than adequate for their needs.

  Balt dropped his pack with a grunt. Tucker immediately flopped onto a comfy-looking rug. I stayed standing. “Let’s get this transfer done,” I said.

  Brett nodded and pulled out a small ledger. “List everything you would like me to procure.”

  I gave a list, and Balt added a few things as well. It took a while, we both had acquired a lot of stuff on the last floor. Balt and I emptied everything: spare clothes, weapons, potions, a few odd trinkets that wouldn’t survive the transfer possibly like Mei’s Comb. The pile grew until it looked like we were preparing for a yard sale.

  When we finished, I stepped back and rubbed my hands together. “Just to be safe,” I said, “give the items I requested to the guide when he gets here. And if the guide himself thinks of anything we might need… tell him not to hesitate to get it.”

  Brett dipped his head. “Understood. I’ll begin working through the list immediately.” With a wave of his hand, all the things we had acquired over the last few months disappeared, and just like that, we were broke again.

  Miranda appeared in the doorway, arms crossed; watching Balt with that mix of fondness and worry I could tell she was trying to hide. Balt walked over to her, took her hand, and squeezed it gently.

  “When this is all over,” he said softly, “we’ll catch up, my dear.”

  Her expression softened. She rose on her toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You’d better,” she murmured, then followed Brett out.

  The door closed behind them, leaving the three of us alone. For a moment, none of us spoke.

  Then Balt cleared his throat. “So… you think Mistress Vex knew your parents or something? The way she reacted to your last name… that wasn’t normal.”

  I sat on the edge of a bed, elbows on my knees. “I’ve long suspected my dad had something to do with this world. Ever since I read his note in that old safe. But whether she knew him or didn’t know him… that’s secondary right now.”

  I looked up at him. “She agreed to help us. That’s what matters for now. I’ll figure out my family’s history in time.”

  Balt nodded slowly, absorbing that. I tilted my head. “How are you feeling? After seeing Miranda.”

  A small smile tugged at his mouth. “I’m doing fine. Really. It was… a relief to know she was okay.”

  He sat down across from me, shoulders finally relaxing for the first time all night. “How about you Tucker, you doing okay boy?”

  A loud, rattling snore answered him. We both froze, then laughed. Tucker didn’t even twitch, just kept sawing logs like he was auditioning for a lumberjack competition.

  “Running all day is definitely a recipe for tiredness,” I said, wiping my eyes.

  Balt chuckled. “He earned it running with all that hair.”

  I leaned back on my hands. “We don’t know exactly when the guide is going to be here. I want to be rested and ready when he gets here. You want to sleep first while I keep watch, or go second?”

  “I’ll sleep first, if that’s cool.” I nodded. “Go for it.” Balt walked over and stretched out on a bed, and within minutes he was out cold too, quieter than Tucker, thankfully.

  Eventually, I woke Balt, and we switched places. I barely hit the pillow before sleep dragged me under. A knock at the door pulled me back to consciousness.

  I blinked, sat up, and rubbed the grit from my eyes. Balt was stretching his muscles. At some point, someone had brought us some food and drinks while I was asleep, and the smell of bacon hung heavy in the air. Tucker was eating what looked like scrambled eggs out of a big bowl in the corner. I yawned as I walked over to open the door.

  Brett stood there, looking crisp despite the hour. Beside him was an older man dressed in worn leather, with a dark green cloak. I moved aside, gesturing them in.

  “Well,” the man said, voice warm and gravelly, “as I live and breathe, a real Outlier.”

  I smiled and extended my hand. “Riven. This is Balt, and that’s Tucker.”

  We shook hands. His grip was firm, confident. I tried to use Identify on him.

  A sharp error message flashed across my vision.

  Mack winked at me. “Nice try.”

  He activated his anchor, and a ripple of light formed into three cloaks, dark green and black, each marked with a small turtle symbol stitched into the back.

  I frowned. “What are these for?” Mack tossed one to me. “Your picture is everywhere, Outlier. A face can be hidden. Clothes can be changed. But talents like Identify? They’d give you away immediately.”

  He handed the other two cloaks to Balt and Tucker. “These will stop all but the highest?level Identify Talent from getting anything off you.”

  I unfolded mine, running my fingers over the fabric. “I don’t think this is big enough to fit my companion.” Mack gave a small chuckle. “It’ll conform to the wearer. Drap it over his shoulders.”

  I did as he asked. Tucker had reverted to his true wolf-bear form, so his body was quite thick now. The cloak shimmered, tightened, and reshaped itself into a snug scarf that wrapped around his neck as if it had been tailor?made for him.

  Tucker looked extremely proud of himself as he showed off his new look. “They’re soul?bound,” Mack added. “And these were a recommendation from Vex herself. You were smart to let me add some things to your list. I will transfer them all over to you when we get to the first floor.” Mack gave us a sheepish look then. “Brett told me the amount you gave, but you should know that these three cloaks alone ate up a good chunk of the credits.”

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  I nodded, uncaring of the amount. “Thank you. Truly. When are we leav—?”

  Balt’s voice cut in, sharp with concern. “Exactly how much did it eat up?”

  Mack gave him a pained look. “About half.”

  “Ha… ha… half,” Balt stuttered.

  Mack winced, sympathy plain on his face. “I’m afraid so.”

  “For that much, these things better be able to suck my…”

  I clapped Balt on the shoulder before he could finish. “Remember, we can always get more. And we were going to lose it all anyway if the Faction hadn’t stepped in. Take a breath, partner.”

  Balt exhaled and gave me a nod, then put on the cloak and started to examine the material sullenly.

  “We will leave in about two hours,” Mack said. “My job is to get you there undetected, so we are going to wait until some men we know are manning the portal. Keep your heads down and let me do the talking. We’ll get through fine.”

  “Understood.” I said.

  Mack gestured over to the food. “Grab a bite to eat; I am going to do the same myself. I’ll return in about an hour to review your backstories in case someone briefly questions you. Brett tells me you have an Armor Talent that can cover your face. Is that correct?”

  I nodded. “Excellent.” He replied. “I’ll see you all soon.”

  Mack left us to eat, and I grabbed a plate of something warm and vaguely spiced. I tasted little of it, my mind was too busy running circles around all the unknowns.

  An hour passed quickly. True to his word, Mack returned, his leathers now clean. “Alright,” he said, “cover stories. You three are faction members stationed on the third floor. You came down from our establishment there—The Empty Shell—to speak with the Steward about a mission he assigned you. You’re headed to the first floor to complete it, and you’ve been instructed to keep the details quiet.”

  He tapped the side of his head. “Our inside man has already altered the records to show your arrival from the third floor a few days ago. Once we’re through, it’ll take nearly two days to reach Lukehaven. After that, I’ll get you in touch with a contact who can help you get the lay of the land.”

  Mack asked us all to repeat the story, even Tucker several times, then added details like the other Steward’s name that ran the place and his appearance and mannerisms. As well, some of the other guards’ names that we would have worked with."

  When Mack was satisfied that we knew our cover stories, we departed. The sun had barely crested the horizon when we stepped into the streets. Cool morning air brushed against my face, carrying with it the rich smells of the food stalls already firing up for the day. Towns in this System?driven world all seemed to share the same rhythm at dawn, merchants lifting their shutters, a blacksmith’s hammer ringing out in steady beats, guards barking orders as they rotated shifts, and people shuffling toward whatever jobs kept their lives moving.

  Mack seemed to take it all in stride and carried himself with the easy confidence of a man who had been here many times before as he navigated the streets. I did my best to imitate his confidence. Keeping my Regalia active, helm on and head down as I kept my new cloak tight. We soon came upon our destination. The portal was at the center of town. It was nothing like the ones I’d seen before. A massive stone archway rose from the ground, carved with intricate patterns. At its center was a swirling void, pure black, like ink suspended in water. Wide stone steps led up to it, and a small line of people waited their turn to enter.

  Guards in Turtle Cloud colors stood nearby, tablets in hand, directing traffic with relaxed smiles. As each person stepped through, different runes along the archway lit up, ten in total. I observed. Over twenty people had gone through, but the last four runes never activated. Eventually, we reached the front of the line. Mack handled everything just as he said he would.

  The two guards checked their tablets, nodded, and one of them, Daniel, grinned at us. “Came in the middle of the night a few days ago, did ya? Must’ve been some request.”

  I shrugged as if this was all routine. “Well, you know how the steward is when he needs a task done. No time to waste, and all that.”

  Truthfully, I did not know how Brett was. But he struck me as the type of person who believes you shouldn’t wait for tomorrow to do what can be done today.

  Daniel paused, then laughed. “Yeah, Brett takes that job extremely seriously, that’s for sure. Well, good luck.”

  We nodded and waited our turn. The portal hummed softly as we approached. The surrounding air shimmered, feeling cold and warm at the same time.

  We all gave each other one last look. Then we stepped through. And everything vanished.

  But instead of feeling that familiar feet hitting new ground suddenly sensation. I felt my body go weightless. I opened my eyes to a void. Stars glittered in the distance, beautiful, distant, impossibly bright. Light came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

  Lawson appeared beside me. But he wasn’t alone this time. An ethereal figure drifted forward, made of soft radiance and warmth. Her long hair glittered with starlight. The being felt comforting; that was the only word for it. A presence that felt like safety itself. A hand, gentle and impossibly real, cupped my cheek.

  A voice filled my mind, resonant and sorrowful. “Do your best to save them. I cannot call another here. It’s up to you and one other.” “What other?” I asked. But she didn’t respond to my question. “I have maximized the reward I can give you, my champion. I am sorry, I will not be able to help you like this in the future. The pact prevents me. Good luck. “What other?” I shouted as the figure disappeared.

  A tiny jolt of electricity ran through me. A System Notification flared before my eyes.

  The notifications vanished, leaving only silence behind.

  One other.

  The words echoed in my mind, sharp and unfinished. I didn’t know who she meant, or where they were, but somehow, I knew the figure had not dropped that bit of knowledge on me willy-nilly.

  I exhaled slowly, chest tight. “One problem at a time.”

  Before I could go through the upgrades. Lawson came over and held out his hand, and I felt a small tingle.

  “Good luck, Riven. I hope this is not the last time we see one another.”

  I asked. “Who was that…?” But Lawson just smiled back at me. “I must go now, or I will run out of time to say my farewells to Balt and Tucker.” I clasped his hand, reading between the lines that he would not or could not answer. “Thank you for everything my friend, and I hope to see you down the road.” We shook, and the world flashed, and I watched a portal open up below my feet, and I began to fall.