Maxwell sits at his desk, glancing at a metallic ribcage hung on the wall beside him. He then looks down at the chain of thin metal rods linked together on his desk, constructed to represent the skeleton of a left arm, starting at the forearm. Maxwell takes a small welding torch from beside him and lifts it to the thin structure, beginning to burn small holes into the metal. He glances at the disk he took from the creature back at the base before a knock echoes from his door. He looks up at it, exhaling before lifting his hand to his mouth.

  “Come in!” he calls, watching as the door opens to reveal Shari standing behind it. “Everything okay, Shari?” Shari glances around at the walls, each of them covered in soundproofing, with large plates of metal set on the many tables lining them.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, I just wanted to talk,” she admits, stepping inside as he gestures for her to do so. The door then closes behind her as a pair of pistons push it shut.

  “What did you want to talk about?” he asks, setting down the welding torch. She turns back to him, her hand gripping her shoulder.

  “I feel like I’ve… like I haven't been doing much. You all are fighting while I’m kind of just… there. I barely did anything when we were in that facility, and I only said a sentence or two to Pala. I wanted to know if there’s anything I could do to… be more useful,” she admits, glancing at the floor as Maxwell leans back in his chair.

  “Well, what’s your skillset? What did you do best back when you worked with Maroon? Or what about before?” Maxwell asks as Shari exhales, her grip on her shoulder tightening.

  “Before I met Maroon, I joined the Military, so I have military training, but when I was diagnosed by them as having gender dysphoria, they… kicked me out. I still have a lot of the training, though.”

  “I don't know what that means. We don't have anything called the military here, but I’m assuming it’s some kind of organization.”

  “It’s… not important, just know that I can fight, but it’s been so long since I've used that training. I can also shapeshift a bit, but I can't change my skeleton without temporarily breaking it.”

  “Well, why not try fighting more? You did manage to hold Maroon off for a little bit back when she attacked us.” Shari looks back up at him, her hand sliding down to grip the blade of her arm.

  “I’m… more used to taking orders. And you haven’t given me any, so I just freeze, and I've lied to Maroon about so many orders she’s given me that I’m not even sure if I’m good at that anymore.”

  “Well, I don't really know what to tell you. It’s pretty surface-level advice, but if I were in your situation, I’d just start fighting whenever someone was being attacked, kind of like support, you just fight to defend in a way.” Shari nods, glancing around before looking back at him.

  “There’s also something I thought might interest you, just because it’s something about our past.” Maxwell continues to stare at her, raising an eyebrow.

  “Go on.”

  “Well, where we are right now, in other worlds, is owned by a country called America.”

  “I don't know what a country is, or an America.”

  “I… you don't have countries? What about other cultures?”

  “Of course we have cultures,” Maxwell answers, sitting up. “Not everyone can believe the same thing, that would be impossible. I’m also pretty sure that more types of Variants exist, but we haven’t met them yet.”

  “I… I see. I just wanted to let you know that the virus… according to history books from everywhere else, came from here, during experiments.”

  “And why does this matter now? There’s no such thing as America anymore, so there’s nobody who can be held accountable.”

  “Because other worlds still have it, and I think you need to… be careful when you visit one that does,” Shari answers, messing with a single strand of her hair. “Powerful people tend to get… dangerous when that power is threatened.”

  “We’ll be careful, alright? Is there anything else?”

  “I think that’s all. Thanks for… listening to me,” Shari adds, glancing back at the door before looking back at Maxwell.

  “Of course,” Maxwell answers, turning back to the machine on his desk. “you’re one of us now.” Shari tenses as a loud crack echoes from her right arm, the once straight blade going up the entirety of her arm bending from the middle. Shari steps back, staring at her arm as Maxwell stands and turns to her.

  “Whoa! You alright?” he asks, stepping closer as she glances up at him.

  “I- I don't know, I’ve never been able to… to bend it before,” she remarks, bending her arm, staring at the elbow.

  “Does it hurt? Do you think you broke the bone?” he asks, stepping close as she exhales.

  “No, I… I don't know what happened, it just… randomly cracked, and now I can bend it,” she mutters, turning her arm to stare at it. “It’s… been years since I've been able to, it feels… weird.” she looks back up at him again

  “How about you stay for a little while? I can pause my current work for a little bit to make sure everything’s alright with you.” She nods, gripping the new elbow as Maxwell approaches his desk, reaching down and pulling open a drawer to reveal a first-aid kit. On the surface of the box is a green heart painted onto it in such a way as to make it look like it’s covered in bandages.

  Amber slowly opens his eyes, reaching up and shielding them with his right arm, blocking the sun before his gaze locks onto the golden bandages wrapped around the entirety of his forearm. He glances down at the broken pieces of the white bandages covering the bed, small bits of a golden liquid staining them. He tilts his head as he flexes his hand, turning his arm around while he inspects the gold ribbons surrounding it. He reaches forward with his other hand, pressing his finger against his arm. He winces and pulls it away before pulling himself from the bed, standing upright. He glances down at himself as he stretches, his ears twitching. He yawns, approaching the door and pushing it open. His eyes remain locked onto his arm, eyeing the shiny golden bandages that pulse against his skin. He looks up to see Lana, who’s sitting in the living room, carefully cleaning a pair of oversized glasses in her hand with a cloth. Shari sits beside her, her hand still feeling the new elbow.

  “So, how are the glasses?” Shari asks, turning to Lana. Lana glances at her, lifting the glasses and placing them on her face, raising a thin, open, circle-like piece around her ears, pushing the halves together to create a loop around her ears with a thin string holding up the arms of the glasses.

  “They’re a bit of work to keep on, but they’re not horrible,” Lana answers, reaching to her face and clamping a small, transparent mechanism to her temple. “Maxwell made them really strong, so they shouldn't break easily.” Shari nods, glancing up at Amber.

  “And you know what? I’m pretty excited. I don't know if it’s the same where you come from, but here, having glasses is considered hot,” Lana adds as Shari releases her grip on her blade.

  “Oh! Do you know why?” she asks.

  “Not really, people just admire the struggle, I guess.” She looks up at Amber as he approaches, her eyes locking onto the bandages. “Good morning, I… what’s going on with your arm?” she asks.

  “I- I don't really know, I just woke up, and the gold was there,” he admits, staring into her eyes, his face turning slightly red before he turns to Maxwell, who is sitting on the chair across the table. “The… the uh- glasses look nice,” he adds before Maxwell looks up.

  “You’re always the last one awake,” Maxwell remarks, staring at the bandages. “Seeing as you’re hurt, I can understand why, but waking up at… noon every day might cause some issues with our schedule. I’d also ask about the gold, but I have ears, so I know you don't know anything.”

  “Sorry, I… I’m used to leaving at night, so I usually sleep during the day, and I haven’t been able to find a good alarm,” Amber answers.

  “When we get back, I’ll make you an alarm that’ll be sure to wake you up. Go use the bathroom, and do whatever you need to do so we can leave as soon as possible,” Maxwell remarks, gesturing to the bathroom.

  “I… There's one in my room,” Amber answers, his gaze drifting down to the map on the table.

  “Then you should be ready to leave. Are you ready to go?” Maxwell asks, leaning forward closer to the map.

  “Yeah, I’m ready,” he answers, watching as Maxwell places his hand against the map.

  “Description, speaker,” Maxwell demands before the robotic voice starts to speak again.

  “Description… Reality offered protection by Athrin, gifted a sandstone golem measuring two kilometers in height.”

  “Two kilometers?” Maxwell remarks, furrowing his brows as the voice continues.

  “Golem has been designed for combat against large invading ships and enhanced creatures. The Retzas tribe has remained in control of this reality's Earth with its help.” The voice cuts out for a moment before resuming again.

  “Trials description attached to coordinates. The first trial tasks you with making your way through a maze we requested the Retzas tribe to build in exchange for Golem, finding the first half of coordinates inside before making your way to the temple beneath Golem and finding the second set, which comes with a tool to translate the first half, which has been encrypted to avoid guessing.” Amber watches as Maxwell taps his thumb against the map four times, all of their eyes flickering purple before he pulls his hand away.

  Amber opens his eyes, feeling the stone beneath him, the surface covered in sand. He coughs, spitting out sand as he pushes himself to his hands and knees. He turns to Lana and watches as she reaches up to her face, rubbing her eyes beneath her glasses and pulling herself upright.

  “What’s going on? I got sand in my eye,” she adds before Amber looks straight ahead, his eyes locking onto a massive pair of stone pillars far in the distance, his eyes drifting up, staring at the gargantuan humanoid before them, its skin made entirely of a yellowish stone. The human-shaped beast remains still, its armless form stretching high into the sky as its feet dip below the horizon and the top of its head brushes against the clouds closest to the ground. Amber exhales, pulling himself upright as Maxwell turns towards the massive wall behind them, a rusty pickup truck with its logo missing and its side windows gone parked beside the barrier. He then turns back to Golem, staring at the large metal hinges covered in purple lights that connect the sections of its legs, looking at the metal walkways leading to the large segment of metal connected to the lower half of the joint, before he looks at the shoulders, which have no arms attached.

  “Whoa…” Lana exclaims as she pulls her hands away from her eye, gently grabbing her glasses before adjusting them. Maxwell approaches Amber’s side, still staring at Golem.

  “I don't think I've ever seen… well, except that tower back when we got the crown, but other than that, I don't think I’ve seen anything this tall.”

  “Same here,” Amber adds, putting his hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. Maxwell then looks down at the large, pyramid-like building below Golem, the surface riddled with fractures, a massive, fancy pattern carved into the stone, much too far to be distinct.

  “The description mentioned that half of the coordinates and the key to translate the other half are inside a building beneath Golem, and I don't see anything else that could be Golem.” Shari joins his side, squinting her eyes as she glares at the building.

  “It looks like it’s at least twenty kilometers away, it would take hours to walk there.” Maxwell turns back to the truck before starting to speak again.

  “I wonder if that truck works. I doubt it, it’s probably been a while, but I’m sure I could fix it,” he remarks as Shari turns to it. Lana brushes the sand off her shirt before turning to look at Maxwell.

  “So there’s two things we need to get, both of them very far from each other?” she asks as Shari glances at her.

  “Maybe we should split up? Two of us go into the maze while the other two go to the building below Golem?” She asks as Maxwell approaches the wall.

  “Maybe,” he remarks, pressing his hand against the stone, watching as purple light pulses through the surface. “But getting so close to something that big is extremely dangerous. If it starts moving, who knows what kind of damage it could do to everything under it. I think that if we split up, Amber should be in the group that goes to Golem, as Fuerza might be able to escape if anything happens.” he pulls his hand away, turning to the truck as Amber glances back at Golem.

  “I… think Fuerza might be able to fight Golem,” he adds as Maxwell inspects the rusty paint of the vehicle.

  “Even if that were guaranteed true, you heard what Pala said. Even the strongest subjects died after the second time wearing it. I know you’re different, but it could still end the same. Fuerza needs to be a last resort.” Amber nods, still staring at Golem as Maxwell grips the hood of the truck before lifting it and looking inside. “Lux, that machine I made, the one that I use to repair things, do you think it would be able to fix this truck? Everything seems to be here.” Lux then chimes.

  “I do believe that your machine would be capable of repairing this vehicle, though it might take a few minutes,” Lux replies before Maxwell reaches up to his face, carefully gripping Lux before pulling it from his face. He places it against the rusted metal, watching as black wires emerge from the small disk on its back and pierce the surface.

  “Though perhaps we could just wait. It might be safer if we go together, even if it takes much longer,” Maxwell remarks, turning back to the wall before the earth starts to shake, causing them to stumble slightly. A large segment of the wall begins to lower into the ground, the sound of stone grinding together echoing around them as they turn to it. “Do you all know how to drive?” he calls over the loud rumbling.

  “I know a bit, but not much!” Amber replies as Lana glances at him.

  “I can drive!” she adds, staring at the lowering segment of the wall before it enters a free-fall, crashing against the ground at high speeds, causing powerful winds to thunder past them. Amber shields his eyes from the sand being thrown around in the wind, turning to Maxwell as he stares at the large new opening, staring into the massive corridor past it, the walls stretching into the sky. He exhales, turning back to the truck.

  “I’ve only seen the first corridor, and I can already tell that this maze is going to be absolutely massive. Splitting up might be the only way to get this done in a reasonable amount of time, and I doubt any of you could help me map it out.

  “If we split up, who’s going with who?” Lana asks, fanning her face with her hand, blowing away the sand against her glasses as Maxwell approaches some writing on the newly exposed wall. He remains silent for a moment, his eyes scanning the text before he turns to her.

  “The writing claims that the maze is filled with puzzles, while the temple… which is what I’m assuming is the facility beneath Golem, has a smaller version of Golem meant to be fought. I would send Lana and Shari, but in the scenario that Golem wakes up, I don't want to be left fully alone when Fuerza is needed, so Amber and Lana will go to the temple, while Shari and I will map out the maze. Sound good?” Amber nods, glancing at Lana as she does the same.

  “What do you need me for?” Shari asks.

  “I’m not that good of a fighter, and you told me yourself that you are, so I want you to follow me in case I run into something.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Shari remarks, approaching him. Lana approaches the truck, staring at Lux.

  “We…” Lana begins before Lux chimes.

  “The truck has been repaired, though it will require further repairs if you hope to use it long-term,” Lux announces as Maxwell approaches. It looks up at him before he reaches forward, grabbing it and pulling it away from the vehicle, the black wires flailing for a moment before retracting back into the disk.

  “We should just drive to the temple? As fast as we can?” Lana asks, watching as Maxwell inerts Lux back into his head.

  “That’s right, and if you get the coordinates and get back before we finish, just wait.” Lana nods, glancing at Amber, who approaches. He glances at the writing on the wall, taking a deep breath.

  “All members of Athrin with permission are permitted to bypass the trials using their identification badges and ocular scans. For those who are competing in the trials, pay attention to this message,” the wall reads. Amber’s gaze drifts down to the text below. “There are two challenges you must face before you can continue to the next trial. Inside the maze is a series of puzzles, and in the very center is the first half of the coordinates. After you complete the maze, and find your way out, you must make your way to the temple beneath Golem, which houses a smaller version of him that you will need to destroy, as the second half of the coordinates and the tools needed to translate the first are guarded by it He turns, watching as Lana approaches the truck, pulling open the door and staring at the pedals.

  “How long do you think it’ll take to get there?” she asks, glancing at Maxwell.

  “Shari says it should take about twenty to thirty minutes if you drive fast,” he answers before Lana climbs into the driver’s seat.

  “That’s not too bad.” Amber approaches the vehicle, stepping around to the passenger-side door.

  “I don't recognize this brand,” he mutters before pulling it open and glancing at the keyhole beside the steering wheel. “And it… requires a key to start instead of just needing one for the door.” Maxwell approached the window, holding out a key made entirely of metal.

  “Yep. Lux made A key, apparently you need to put it into the hole next to the steering wheel and turn it to start the car.” Lana nods, gently taking the key from his hand and placing it into the ignition. She turns the key, her ears suddenly perking up as the engine starts, causing her glasses to shake with their movement.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “It’s… loud,” she remarks, staring at the steering wheel. Maxwell leans against the door, glancing at the exhaust pipe.

  “It apparently runs on gas, and has enough fuel to get you there and most of the way back, so don’t take any detours.” Lana nods, looking down at the pedals. She gently places her paw against the gas, flinching as the car jerks forward. Maxwell steps back.

  “Touchy…” she mutters after pulling her paw away. She slowly presses her paw against it again, inhaling before turning to Amber. “It might be a bit rough,” she adds. Amber nods, the car jerking forward again before she turns the wheel, redirecting the vehicle towards Golem.

  “We’ll meet you back here, alright?” she calls.

  “Sounds good, we’ll see you soon!” Maxwell answers before Lana presses the pedal down, the truck beginning to move forward across the flat ground. She glances at Amber, taking a deep breath as she presses the pedal further, the vehicle speeding up. She remains silent for a few minutes, driving through the landscape as the truck bounces slightly before she eventually exhales audibly.

  “So… how have you been holding up?” she asks, causing Amber’s ears to twitch.

  “I’ve… been alright,” he answers, resting his head on his hand. “How about you?”

  “I’ve been okay… Confused, but okay. I’ve been meaning to ask something,” she adds.

  “What is it?”

  “I’ve been wondering… I’ve heard that there might be entire other types of Variants out there we’ve never met, and that we’re called mild Variants because of where we are. Do you think Maroon left them alone? Maybe she never left the mild area.”

  “I don't think she even tried looking anywhere else, until now she… seemed to enjoy having to hunt.”

  “I guess that makes sense… as much sense as Maroon could make. I know we still have a lot of work, but it’s nice knowing that people can finally start living their lives again.”

  “Yeah. It’s nice, and hopefully we can deal with Gorlac without anyone needing to die.”

  “We always kind of forget about Mark, he’s spotted way less than Maroon.”

  “Mark’s the one who tried to kill me… right before you found me in the road. He was… less vocal than Maroon, but he seemed stronger… in terms of physical strength. But he felt more serious.” Lana takes a deep breath, glancing at him again.

  “Listen, I need to be honest with you,” Lana mutters, reaching up and adjusting her glasses with one hand. “I visited Danial and Vivian last night while you were asleep. I wasn’t trying to snoop, I just wanted to meet them, but they…” Amber’s ears twitch, his hand tightly clutching the seat.

  “And… what did they say?” he asks.

  “Danial told me about everything you’ve done for them, about how you bring them people, and about how you find a lot of the food that they don't grow themselves. I… don't really understand why you would keep something like this from me. This is something to be proud of, you helped people. I was worried that you… I was just worried.”

  “I… kept it from you because I… I just…” Amber mutters, gently scratching his face as he stares out the window at the endless flat land, taking a slow breath.

  “You’ve been doing this for years, ever since Maroon attacked you’ve become secretive, and then one day you completely changed. You lost all your hope, you became quiet, and spent most of the day either out there or in your room. What happened? It was such a sudden change. You stopped cracking jokes, your encouragement started feeling… one-sided, like you didn't believe what you were telling me. Every day I’m worried you’re going to do something you can't take back. I can't lose you, it feels like you’re all I have left.” Amber swallows, his claws scraping against the seat as he stays silent.

  “Even with everything Danial told me, I could tell that he was leaving something out, because nothing he said explains why you one day came home and just… lost so much of yourself. If you told me all this, I could have… I could have helped. Maybe we could find people together. Saving lives is something to be proud of, something to be encouraged!” Amber exhales, glancing at her, not facing her yet.

  “I don't want to be encouraged.”

  “Why not? It would be healthy. You should get at least some acknowledgment for helping people.”

  “I don't want that either, I don't… I just…” he begins, swallowing again as a tear runs down his face. “I don't deserve to be praised for this… this is something I have to do, it’s the least I can do.”

  “But you’ve been doing this for years, what could you possibly still owe?”

  “It’s complicated… There are things I've done… mistakes I’ve made that… can’t be fixed.”

  “Then tell me. If you would just talk about it with me, then maybe we could work through it together,” Lana adds, holding out a hand to him. He closes his eyes, leaning against the door.”

  “There’s nothing to work through, because if I do… then I risk making the mistake again. I need to keep thinking about it, because if I ever stop, if I go back to not taking everything seriously, then I could…” he begins, sobbing slightly before covering his mouth with his hand.

  “Amber, you… we’ve been best friends since we were kids, you’ve helped me through so much, and I just want to do the same for you. I want to help you fix whatever mistake you made that you feel you can't.”

  “You can't help me… because you can’t bring people back to life.” Lana’s grip on the wheel tightens as she turns to him.

  “Just… I beg you, please just… share it with me… so I can at least understand.” he opens his eyes, staring out the window at the endless flat landscape, his jaw trembling slightly as he turns to her, his eyes scanning her face.

  “I…” he begins, gripping his shoulder, his claws digging into the cloth of his shirt. “I got… many people killed.” Lana continues to stare at him, taking a slow breath.

  “What… do you mean?” she asks.

  “I was leading a family to another camp… one a ways away from the one Danial ran, because I found them closer to it. On the way there, I… I was entertaining their kid, and I… when we got to the camp, I opened the entrance, and told the kid another joke. We were both laughing, and Maroon… killed the kid right in front of me… and their parents. She had snuck up behind them and… cut off their head. She then… killed the parents, who were… right beside me…” he closes his eyes again, taking a shaky breath. “She… wasn’t looking when she killed them, she simply swung and ripped open their necks, but she missed me, so I… hid under their bodies. The door to the camp was already open, so she found her way inside, and…” he pauses again, opening his eyes and looking at Lana. he blinks, tears running down his face. ” Every… single… person at that camp was killed. Maroon only missed one person… me… and all I did was hide. When she left, I made sure to walk through and look at every person she killed… that I killed. I was there for hours, covered in that couple’s blood, counting the bodies. There were exactly a hundred and thirty people there that day. Then, I went back and told the story to Duncan. He let me use his shower, and gave me some new clothes, because I… didn't want to tell you what happened. After that, I… never went into another camp again, and never stuck around after dropping someone off. I tried to get you to go to the camp the next day, because I don't deserve to have anyone… Not after all the people I got killed… all the friends and families who will never see each other again… the couple who had to watch Maroon cut off their child’s head.”

  “Amber, I…” Lana begins, taking a slow breath as he turns back to the window, continuing to stare at the landscape. “I didn't… know.”

  “I know you didn't, because I… kept it from you. Any encouragement you could give… would just remind me that I don't deserve any of it.” Lana remains quiet, looking forward again, her hand clamped around the wheel.

  “This… is why you came home, and… changed so much? That’s why you were wearing different clothes?” she asks, glancing at him as he nods. “I’m… sure we can work through it, you’re still my best friend, you have been for as long as I can remember.” Amber looks back at her, his cheeks wet.

  “You’re all I have now… all I can let myself have. You mean so much to me, losing you… it would… I don't even know… what would happen.” Lana’s grip on the wheel loosens as she exhales.

  “I do.” she looks up at Golem, then looks back at Amber. “But I won't let that happen. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.” Amber sobs quietly, rubbing his face with his arm. “And, I’m… sorry… for begging… for not just letting it go, but it’s… been seven years, and I’ve spent every day scared, trying to keep myself from imagining the worst possible scenario… and mentally preparing myself in case you did something… in case I lost you. I was… desperate to know because… because I was just desperate. I know this wasnt the best way to do it, and I know I should have waited until you were ready, but it was getting to a point that I started thinking you might never be ready. I waited until we were alone for a reason, because making you tell me was already pretty… bad, and doing that in front of someone else would be even worse. I’m willing to accept if you can’t forgive me, but at least let me help you through it. I can’t stress enough that it's been seven years, and you’ve only gotten worse. I’m scared that if we don't talk about it, then once there’s no more threat, you might not… see a reason to continue.”

  “I… never planned to tell you,” Amber admits, his voice shaky. “I… I was scared… that you would hate me… and I’m still scared that you will.”

  “I could never- I could never hate you, you’ve… we’ve been best friends for over twelve years. What I’m about to say isn’t something to be proud of, but I… I don't think I could hate you, even if you did something unspeakable.”

  “It was unspeakable. I know Maroon is the one who did the killing, but I’m just as bad as her.”

  “No, you’re not… You didn’t do anything; you… never wanted anyone to die, you didn't even take a risk knowing it could cause someone to die, you thought you were safe, and it… turned out that you weren’t. You… you said that a hundred and thirty people died, but how many have you saved? And how many of those people would have died earlier if not for you?”

  “It doesn't matter. If anything, the fact that I caused them to live a little longer, only to watch their friends and family get murdered later, it… I can never pay that back,” Amber mutters, looking down at his chest. “I… can still hear the screaming… when I try to sleep.” he grips his chest, closing his eyes. She goes to place her hand on his shoulder, pausing for a moment before pulling her hand away, looking into his eyes as he opens them, looking up at her

  ‘Tonight… let’s sleep in the living room. I’ll bring out the blow-up mattresses, and maybe I can read you a book, like the old days.”

  “But, it… won’t be the same without our friends.”

  “It doesn’t need to be the same. I just… want you to get a good night’s sleep… at least for tonight. Maybe we could invite Shari… and maybe Danial and Vivian.” Amber stares into Lana’s eyes, his eyes flickering with golden light.

  “I’ve… been wanting to do that for a while…” he answers, the golden light pulsing brighter as he says the word ‘want.’ he reaches up, placing his hand on op of hers, which rests on the center console a faint blush appearing on her face as he closes his eyes again.

  ‘Thank you,” he mutters, a tear running down his face. “I… I don't know where I’d be without you.”

  Maxwell runs his hand along the sandstone wall as he walks through the wide corridor, glancing over at Shari. Shari takes a deep breath, looking around the barriers.

  “So… you don't think you’ll need me for the puzzles, right? I can pick locks, but I was never very good at puzzles,” she admits, watching as a black, paint-like substance is left behind where Maxwell drags his hand.

  “I can do all the puzzles. If there’s a lock that I don't feel like just breaking open, I’ll let you know. I asked you to come because I’m more fragile than I’d like. I haven’t had enough time to finish my replacement parts, and I can only repair myself so fast, so if something attacks, I’ll need your help to defend myself.”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” she answers, gripping her shoulder and looking around. “So… are we going to hug the right wall? I heard that’s what a lot of people do.” Maxwell freezes, holding his arm out to stop Shari before he takes a knee, staring at a small slit in the ground.

  “What is it?” she asks, looking over his shoulder at the thin gap in the floor.

  “There’s a slit in the ground… could be nothing, or it could be a trap,” he adds, pulling himself upright. He draws a circle on the wall, turning towards the large opening to their left. “Let’s skip this path for now. We can come back to it later.”

  “But, if it’s defended, wouldn't that imply it might be the right way?” Shari asks, watching as Maxwell draws an arrow on the floor, pointing towards the opening.

  “Doesn’t matter, not worth taking the risk unless it's guaranteed that it’s the right way.” Shari nods, watching as Maxwell starts to walk towards the corridor. She follows behind him. He stops before some writing, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar language carved into the walls.

  “Lux, can you translate this?” he asks, his ears twitching as Lux chimes.

  “This message is written in Relitz, one of the many languages logged in-” Lux begins, being cut off by Maxwell.

  “Alright, I get it. Can you translate it for me?” Maxwell remarks before Lux chimes again.

  “To our saviors, Athrin, may they ever return, we thank you for giving us Golem. We once again have control over our planet and can defend against attackers,” Lux reads.

  “Is that exactly what it says?” Maxwell adds.

  “There were a few words without English counterparts, so I didn't have to take a few creative liberties.” Maxwell begins walking once again, being careful not to spread the paint over the writing.

  “So… this writing… do you think there will be more of it?” Shari asks, her eyes still locked onto the writing. She then bumps into Maxwell, who stares up at a large illustration on the wall before them, with an opening on the left. Drawn in the center of the wall is a large purple diamond shape with a pair of square eyes and a jagged smile, the teeth made of many smaller shapes. Hundreds of small, curved, mitten-like hands made of emerald surround the central shape, each with a slightly different pose. A circle of many dark gray claws, nearly identical to Gorlac’s, is drawn surrounding the illustration. On either side of the drawing are two large, purple wings, made completely of thin, bone-like appendages, none of which are connected to one another. Maxwell’s eyes drift down to the text below in the same language as the previous writing, Lux chiming moments later.

  “This appears to be more writing in Relitz, along with another part of the Celestial Inheritance legend. Would you like me to read it out loud?” Lux asks.

  “Add it to a file, so I can write it down later, but please do go ahead and read it out.”

  “After Athrin introduced us to their god, Nedaro, we dug up an old legend about them that we had left untouched for thousands of years. The legend appears to be a part of a greater whole, and was in these newcomers’ language, so we have decided to write it along with Nedaro’s illustration, completely unmodified,” Lux reads, the pupil flickering down to read the text below, which is all in English, written in very small and messy letters.

  “I can read the rest, since it’s in English. I just didn't notice it before,” Maxwell remarks, stepping closer to the writing and kneeling down before it. “The second sibling, her closest brother Nedaro, and the most materialistic of the five, wished to be granted power over all material wealth and the concept of value, in hopes that it would solidify his place as the wealthiest being to exist. The higher power granted this ask, transforming him beyond his mortal body, surrounding him in the wealth he had collected over his mortal life in the form of emerald hands. He joined Puerza in the void, making them the first to ever reach a power this incredible.” Maxwell stands, taking a slow breath. “It’s a direct continuation of what we had before, even repeats some words at the start. Lux, make sure to save this so I can tell Lana later. I feel like she might want to know.” he turns to Shari, opening his mouth to speak before a loud shriek rips past them, echoing through the air. Shari reaches up, gripping her ears and squeezing them shut as the glass on Maxwell’s left eye cracks slightly.

  Lana’s entire body tenses as the loud shriek shoots past, shattering the windshield. She releases the wheel for a moment, reaching up to grip her ears before grasping the wheel again, her paw slamming against the brakes, causing the truck to make a hard stop, sliding against the ground. She turns to Amber, watching as he grips his ears, his eyes flickering with golden light. She looks up at Golem, who they are now much closer to, watching as its left leg moves, suddenly freezing in place as a small bit of blood drips from her ears. A few seconds after it stops moving, a loud clang echoes past them, causing the entire truck to shake. A large, shotgun-like weapon falls onto the center console, the barrel hitting the leather, the entire gun covered in ropes, one gently squeezing the trigger as it lands pointing towards Golem.

  “Are you okay?” Lana shouts. Amber turns to her, nodding before looking up at Golem. The blackness of its eye turns to purple, glowing incredibly bright as the pupil inside very slowly shifts down. Lana glances at the gun, exhaling.

  “What’s that?” she mutters, prompting Amber to turn to it. He answers, his voice drowned out by the ringing in her ears.

  “Don’t know!” she hears him say as the ringing dies down. A loud bang rips through the air as the rope tightens, pulling the trigger. Amber and Lana shield their eyes as a bright flash of purple shoots from the barrel, sending a streak of light flying through the air towards Golem. Amber watches a large explosion crash against Golem’s abdomen. For a few moments, Golem remains still, a large chunk of sandstone falling from its body, revealing the metal beneath, purple light pulsing through it. Lana grips the gear, pulling it into reverse before slamming her paws against the gas, the tires spinning out for a moment as the truck starts to move backwards.

  “What’s happening?” Amber shouts, turning to her before looking back at Golem, watching as the pulsing light grows brighter, and its eyes lock onto them. With extremely slow speed, it starts to lift its right foot from the ground, the massive metal joints shrieking as their lights become increasingly bright. Golem’s movements remain extremely slow compared to its size, but still incredibly fast. The ground beneath its left foot starts to crack, struggling to hold Golem’s weight. The shriek of Golem’s joints then stops as large layers of rust break away, being replaced by a purple glow. The raised foot eventually freezes in place before beginning to move forward, its movements stiff. Lana spins the wheel, the truck turning and screeching to a halt before she starts to drive forward, turning the vehicle away from Golem. Amber sticks his head out the window, looking back at Golem as its foot starts to lower towards the ground. Lana glances at the gun, then back at the landscape ahead. Amber watches as Golem’s foot smashes against the ground, silent for a moment before a thundering crash echoes past them, the ground directly beneath splitting into two, the side to their left rising while the right lowers. Lana turns the wheel slightly, the truck bouncing slightly as its left wheels fall onto the lowering side.

  Maxwell tumbles as the ground starts to shake, cracks spreading through the floor. Suddenly, the entire maze starts to lift from the ground, separating from the sandstone with a series of loud cracks. He turns to his left, staring at the massive section of land being lifted, pulling the entirety of the gargantuan maze along with it, large fractures spreading through the walls.

  “What’s going on?” Shari shouts, her eyes darting around as the barriers rise, revealing the flat ground of the labyrinth around them. Maxwell’s eyes then lock onto Golem, watching as it starts to lift its left foot, very slowly moving forward. He then grabs Shari’s hand, his eyes scanning the landscape before locking onto a pyramid-like temple in the center of the maze. He sprints towards it, pulling Shari along with him.

  “The maze wasn’t made for this! I’d say we have a minute or so until it collapses, so we should try to get as close as we can before that happens!” Shari runs alongside Maxwell, looking up at the walls as the fractures grow. Maxwell slides to a stop before a slit in the ground, glancing around and running in another direction, stepping around the opening before starting to run again. Maxwell stumbles, stopping once again as a large, scorpion-like creature falls from the wall above, crashing against the ground before turning to them, about half Maxwell’s height. He raises his blade, its sharp stinger ricocheting off it and forcing him back slightly. Shari jumps forward, swinging her blade and severing the tail before she kicks the beast back. It hisses as it regains its balance, raising its four, large, crab-like claws. Maxwell glances up at the barriers, watching as a large chunk of stone falls. He grabs Shari’s arm, pulling her away before the large stone crashes into the scorpion, flattening it against the ground. He then starts to sprint towards the center again, pulling Shari with him.

  Lana’s hands remain clamped around the wheel, large sections of the ground before the vehicle starting to split, creating a short staircase-like formation. She reaches up with one hand, tightening the clamp on her glasses around her temple before grasping the wheel again. She glances at Amber as the truck speeds off the short ledge, crashing against the ground, causing Amber to grip the seat, his claws tearing into the leather. He glances down at the crown, taking a shallow breath before looking back up at Lana. Her eyes locking onto the landscape ahead, staring at the maze, the majority of it lifted off the ground by the rising land to their left. She swerves as a pillar of land spears into the sky, the truck nearly crashing into it. Lana reaches up past her shoulder, grasping the seatbelt and buckling it over herself before Amber sticks his head out the window, turning to look at Golem again. Golem’s foot crashes against the ground, causing the earth to shudder. His gaze drifts up to Golem’s eyes, watching as red light starts to build in the pupils. Suddenly, a massive beam of red shoots towards the ground, causing the shaking of the earth to become more of a vibration. The laser tears deep into the ground, leaving behind a seemingly bottomless chasm as it slides through the landscape, quickly moving towards the maze.

  Maxwell stumbles as the beam of red tears through a large segment of the maze, burning a hole the size of a large building into the ground, creating a long line of destruction to their right, lightly grazing the corner of the building in the center, purple light shining through the opening. He quickly fixes his balance before continuing to sprint.

  Amber continues to stare at Golem, watching as a massive shape starts to lift from the ground, large pillars of stone smashing into place on one of the sides, creating a crude, gargantuan, hand-like structure. Another thick beam of red light tears through the ground to their left, narrowly missing thetruck before its path curves, creating a crescent-shaped hole in the ground. Another hand starts to form as the first slowly lifts from the ground, creating powerful winds that tear apart the ground below it, leaving deep holes where it pulled the material to make the fingers. A large section of the land they are on then drops slightly, creating a short ledge before them. Lana slams her paws against the brakes, only for the truck to crash into it, going from top speed to zero in an instant. Lana is thrown forward, her head slamming against the dashboard, her glasses narrowly missing the surface as Amber is launched out the window. Another massive laser zips by, drawing patterns in the ground as it shoots across the landscape wildly. Amber hits a wall, a loud crack echoing from his body as his back hits it, causing him to gasp before he falls to the ground, slumping against the barrier behind him as blood bursts from his mouth. His body trembles, blood dripping from his mouth before he looks up, watching as Golem’s foot begins falling towards the truck. His eyes then look down at Lana, watching as she lies against the dashboard, unconscious. He reaches forward, his hand shaking as he struggles to move, cracks echoing from his body as he slowly forces himself upright, the golden glow in his eyes becoming so bright that it acts as a spotlight, showering his hand in light as golden ribbons start to wrap around the bloody spots on his body. He takes a step forward, limping as the sound of Golem’s foot speeding down grows louder. He limps forward, his eyes locked onto Lana. The light in his eyes then gives way to electricity, shocking his face, causing the fur to burn before he slumps against the truck. He raises his hand into the air, his bloody claws trembling while he looks up, watching the massive ceiling of sandstone speed down towards them.

  “I want…” he mutters, his hand clenching into a fist before suddenly, a large cube of gold appears above them. Golem’s foot crashes into it, flattening the shape and sending it falling along with the descending ceiling. Powerful winds rip into the ground around them, creating a thundering crash as Amber is pushed towards the ground, struggling as just for a moment, Golem’s weight is held up, the platform stops in the air, forcing Golem to do the same. For only a few seconds, the small gold platform above holds Golem back, gold leaking from Amber’s eyes as a liquid before he clamps his other hand around the crown, ripping it from his belt and lifting it to his head. The gold then vanishes, allowing the stone to speed towards them again as Amber pulls the crown onto his head. Everything then goes black, the sound of the wind lingering for only a second before it too fades.