Kyo stood several paces away, chest aching as he watched her hold herself together for everyone else.

  The guilt settled deeper into his bones.

  He had been thinking about her while his nephew, the only living family he had left, lay unconscious in the mud. Kane and Clarissa would have kicked his ass for that. He tried to shove the thought away before it rooted too deeply.

  Baxter eased him down carefully beside Miles.

  “Slow movements,” Baxter warned. “You look like one decent breeze and you’re out.”

  Kyo’s legs nearly failed again, but Baxter adjusted his grip until he was kneeling. Once he was steady, Kyo reached out and braced a hand against Broderick’s plating.

  The metal was solid and unmoving beneath his palm.

  Grounding.

  Miles’ breathing was steady now, soft and rhythmic beneath the faint hum of Broderick’s systems.

  Kyo focused on the rise and fall of Miles’ chest, trying to let that rhythm calm the anger still burning under his ribs.

  “How the hell was that guy looking like a completely different race?” he asked at last, his voice rough, exhaustion threaded with irritation. “I thought the whole point of this game was that the system scans what you look like in the real world. Unless I’m losing it, there has never been an elf on Earth.”

  Ace let out a quiet breath through his nose, still scanning the treeline out of habit before finally lowering his bow completely.

  “It’s called Glamor,” he said.

  Kyo frowned. “Glamor?”

  Ace nodded. “It masks your appearance. It doesn’t override the red-name flag, but it keeps people from recognizing you. Makes it harder to target someone specific or gang up on them if you can’t confirm who they actually are.”

  He glanced toward the clearing as if expecting movement that never came. “I heard from a developer once, someone who lives in Umbra. They wanted to label every criminal, big or small, as red. The only way it passed as humane was by making red Glamor cheap. That way they can live on the run, constantly changing how they look just to survive.”

  Ace’s expression darkened. “They can change their names too, so I wouldn’t assume his name was really Anthony. With how strong that guy was, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s built a reputation under a different identity. We should ask around when we get to Umbra. I just wish I could remember that old guy’s name.”

  Baxter shifted, brow furrowing as he thought. “I think I remember him. He kept saying he was acquainted with Ren. Lang? No. Luke?”

  Kyo’s head snapped up. “Are you talking about Professor László? He made it here? And he’s in Umbra?” His voice sharpened with disbelief. “I assumed he would’ve been killed with Ren, but they kept Ren’s daughter alive too.”

  He turned toward Ava with a brief, relieved smile, only for it to falter when he saw how rigid she had gone, like he had struck something raw. Kyo looked back at Ace instead.

  “They grew up together,” he added quietly. “Practically brothers. If Umbra really is as brutal as you say, they probably spawned him there just to die.”

  Ace let out a slow breath. “Welp. Looks like we’ve got another objective when we reach Umbra.”

  “That’s if we make it there,” Baxter muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Ava straightened immediately. “Why would you say that? Who else is hurt?”

  Her gaze followed Baxter’s, landing on Sable in the rear of the clearing. One of the dog’s hind legs was twisted unnaturally, blood matting her fur around the joint.

  Ace swallowed hard. “I’m scared to move her. I don’t have anything to help her with and I…”

  His voice caught.

  Ava was already moving. She pulled the red ribbon from her hair, long strands of wet, blood- and dirt-soaked hair spilling down her back as she crouched beside Sable. She tore a strip from her tunic sleeve and worked quickly, wrapping the fabric and ribbon tight around the injured leg.

  Sable yelped sharply.

  “I know,” Ava murmured, hands steady. “I’m sorry, girl. It has to be tight.”

  Sable whined weakly and lowered her head again.

  Ava slid one arm under Sable’s chest and cradled her back legs with the other, lifting her carefully against her body.

  “Broderick,” Ava said, voice calm but firm. “Can you carry Miles? Baxter, can you carry Kyo until he gets his strength back?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Baxter crouched in front of Kyo. “Up.”

  Kyo didn’t argue this time. He climbed carefully onto Baxter’s back, arms draping over his shoulders. His pride could take the hit. His body could not take the walk.

  Broderick uncoiled from around Miles, lifting into the air to reposition. His plating shifted with a low mechanical hum as his tail extended and looped into a reinforced cradle. The metal curved upward at the edges, forming a makeshift nest.

  Ace gently lifted Miles and settled him into it, adjusting him until he was secure. Broderick hovered a few inches above the ground, keeping the cradle steady and clear of the mud.

  “Miles secured,” Broderick confirmed.

  Ace turned toward Ava. “I can carry her.”

  Ava offered him a reassuring smile. “I know you can. I’m not doubting that. But you were also capable of treating her leg, and you froze.” Her tone stayed gentle. “We’re all human. If we’re a team, we work together. When my arms get tired, I’ll tell you. She’s going to be okay. I promise.”

  Ace nodded, eyes shining as he managed a small smile. “Thank you. Truly.”

  They began moving.

  Kyo was the first to break the silence as they made their way toward Umbra.

  “Where can someone buy this Glamor?”

  Ace did not answer right away. His attention remained fixed on Sable in Ava’s arms.

  “For a normal player?” Ace said at last. “Glamor’s expensive. It’s a luxury item. Probably auction houses, if I had to guess. But it’s a huge risk for a red to sell it. All auction houses are in the major protected cities. You need permission from the town councilor to access those freely. If a red is caught sneaking into a protected city without clearance, they can be executed on the spot.”

  He shifted his grip on his bow.

  “It’s technically a non-tradeable item. But it can be sold. You just have to physically get there to do it.”

  Kyo frowned. “So how do reds afford it?”

  Ace exhaled. “For red players, it’s different. They can buy it from any general store. It shows up as an option from NPC merchants. For them, it’s cheap. I’ve heard it’s less than a few copper.”

  “That’s it?” Kyo asked.

  “Yeah,” Ace muttered. “System balance. If you can call it that.”

  They walked in silence for a few more minutes, mud squelching under their boots.

  “So,” Baxter said eventually, “what’s the plan? Split into two teams? Find a healer and a place to stay, then start asking about the professor?”

  Ace shook his head immediately. “No. If there are red players in Umbra trying to prove themselves, splitting up is the worst idea we could have. We stay together. Safety in numbers.”

  He glanced toward Ava. “We also need to ask about that guy.”

  “Yeah,” Baxter agreed. “If he’s running Glamor, someone in Umbra’s seen him.”

  Kyo’s jaw tightened, but he did not comment.

  Ava adjusted her hold on Sable as the wolf shifted weakly.

  “First priority is a healer for Sable and Kyo,” she said calmly. “Then information.”

  Kyo lowered his voice so only Baxter could hear him.

  “Remember what we talked about in the cave?”

  Baxter glanced down at him. “About you getting stronger?”

  Kyo nodded once. “I’m done talking about it. I want you to help me train. Endurance. Strength. All of it. Even hand-to-hand combat. I want to be useful.”

  Baxter studied him for a moment before giving a slow nod. “You’re already useful. You just need to build up your stamina.”

  “Maybe,” Kyo said quietly. “But I need to do this. To get out of this game. To protect you all. To stand beside her without feeling like I don’t belong there.”

  Baxter let out a short, poorly contained laugh, loud enough that the others glanced back.

  “Sorry,” he called lightly. “Inside joke.”

  Once their attention drifted forward again, Baxter leaned down slightly. “That’s a lot of motivation for someone who isn’t dating her, lover boy.”

  Kyo sighed. “Forget I said anything. But I still want the training.”

  “Oh, you’re getting it,” Baxter replied under his breath.

  They slowed as the road to Umbra finally came into view.

  Ace stepped closer. “Switch.”

  Ava didn’t argue this time.

  He carefully took Sable from her arms, adjusting his hold to keep pressure off the injured leg. The wolf huffed softly but didn’t protest.

  Kyo tapped Baxter on the shoulder. “I think I can walk the rest of the way. Thank you.”

  Miles stirred weakly in the cradle of Broderick’s tail, shifting but not waking.

  Ace glanced over. “Baxter, grab the kid.”

  Baxter moved in carefully and lifted Miles from the metal cradle without disturbing him.

  “Broderick,” Ace continued, his tone turning tactical. “Shift. Familiar size. Not human. That’ll draw too much attention. And try not to talk.”

  There was a brief pause.

  “You’ll get stolen in about five minutes in Umbra,” Ace added dryly.

  Broderick’s optics dimmed once. “That is statistically probable.”

  His form contracted smoothly. Plates folded inward with precise alignment as wings compressed and his tail shortened. Mass redistributed efficiently, mechanical components sliding into compact formation. Within seconds, he hovered just above the ground, no larger than a small whelping. Sleek. Controlled.

  “Size adjusted,” he stated.

  Ava knelt in front of him, her eyes lighting despite the exhaustion in her face. “Look at you. You’re adorable. You almost remind me of one of those figures I used to collect.”

  She held out her hand.

  Broderick regarded it briefly before coiling neatly onto her palm.

  “I am not decorative,” he replied evenly. “However, your comparison is acceptable.”

  Ava grinned and lifted him closer to eye level. “You’re barely bigger than a whelping.”

  His wings shifted slightly.

  “If anyone else had made that assessment,” he said calmly, “I would have corrected them through demonstration. With you, I will allow it.”

  Ace glanced toward Kyo. “Most mages’ familiars don’t speak aloud. And they don’t attach themselves to other people. So stay close.”

  Broderick paused mid-hover. “Understood.”

  He extended his wings, lifted cleanly into the air, and settled onto Kyo’s shoulder with deliberate balance adjustment, his tail curling lightly to stabilize.

  They continued forward.