The Guild Hall. Night.
Grog sat alone in his room.
The rings were on the table before him. Twelve of them, plain silver, warm and pulsing. They had been empty once. Now they held mana stones, monster parts, the lingering trace of the infection that had almost killed him. He had been carrying them for weeks. He had been filling them for weeks. He had been fighting and hunting and storing and waiting.
The King was dying. The Vargr were massing. The creatures were spreading. The strangers were in the guild now, eating their meals, sleeping in their rooms, learning to be part of something. Edward was leaving for the border. Mirena was working herself to exhaustion. Lira was training, watching, waiting.
And Aldric was still missing.
Grog picked up one of the rings. Turned it over in his fingers. The silver was warm, alive, waiting.
In the old timeline, he had watched Aldric fall. He had watched the hero's eyes turn red, watched him slaughter their friends, watched him drive a sword through Grog's own chest. He had died with Aldric's name on his lips.
In this timeline, everything was different. The portal was closed. Vorlag was gone. The hunters had retreated. The creatures were being culled. The guild was thriving. Edward was becoming a leader. Lira had found a purpose. Ken had found a family. Mirena had found a cause.
But Aldric was still missing.
Grog set the ring down.
He was tired. Not the tiredness of a long day—the tiredness of carrying something too heavy for too long. The old timeline weighed on him. The new timeline weighed on him. Aldric's absence weighed on him.
He stood. Walked to the window.
The city was dark below, the streets empty, the stars bright. Somewhere out there, the hunters were watching. Mirena had detected a spatial disturbance—a tear, small and brief, deep in the forest. Not the artifact. Not the strangers. Something else.
The hunters.
They had found this world.
---
A knock at the door.
Grog turned. "Enter."
Lira stepped inside. Her bow was across her back, her face was calm, her eyes were sharp. She had been training late, as she always did.
"You're still awake."
"I'm always awake."
Lira moved to the table. Looked at the rings. "You've been counting them again."
"I've been thinking."
Lira sat on the edge of his bed. "About Aldric?"
"About everything."
Lira was quiet for a moment. "Edward is leaving for the border. Tomorrow."
Grog nodded. "I know."
"He asked if the guild could spare some adventurers. To help with the Vargr."
"And?"
"I told him we'd see."
Grog moved to the table. Sat across from her. "The hunters are here."
Lira's eyes narrowed. "Mirena's disturbance?"
Grog nodded. "They're watching. Waiting."
"For what?"
Grog shook his head. "I don't know."
---
Lira was silent for a moment.
"You think they're connected to the Vargr."
"The Vargr are massing near the old pass. Where the portal opened. Where the hunters first appeared." Grog met her eyes. "It's not a coincidence."
Lira's jaw tightened. "Then we need to be ready."
"We are ready."
"Are we?" Lira stood. Walked to the window. "The strangers are still learning to trust us. The adventurers are still learning to trust them. The King is dying. Edward is leaving. Mirena is running out of time."
Grog stood. Moved to stand beside her.
"We've faced worse."
"Have we?"
Grog was quiet for a moment. "In the old timeline, we faced the end. We lost."
Lira turned to him. "This isn't the old timeline."
"No." Grog met her eyes. "It's not."
---
They stood in silence.
The stars were bright. The city was dark. The world was waiting.
"What are you thinking?" Lira asked.
Grog was quiet for a moment.
"I'm thinking that I've been carrying this for too long. The memories. The fear. The hope." He looked at his hands. "I'm tired, Lira."
Lira reached out. Touched his arm. "I know."
"I can't stop."
"I know."
"I won't stop."
Lira nodded slowly. "I know."
---
Grog turned from the window.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to Ben. About the hunters. About what they know."
Lira frowned. "You trust him?"
"I trust that he wants to survive."
Lira was silent for a moment. "That's not the same thing."
"It's enough for now."
Grog walked to the door. Paused.
"Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be long."
Lira nodded. "You too."
Grog left.
Lira stood in the empty room, looking at the rings on the table. Twelve of them. Plain silver. Warm and pulsing.
She picked one up. Held it in her palm.
The ring pulsed.
She set it down.
Then she left.