Chron

By Michaela Love

An explosion rocks Sam’s world, causing her to lose her memories, and she finds herself lost in a forest with a stranger. There, she and the stranger meet an older man named Albin, who provides them with only enough information for them to begin a mission he is suddenly sending them on. Through a magical portal he creates, they are transported to another world to search for a mystical key. Completely lost and confused, they find shelter in a cave behind a waterfall, only to discover that it is not vacant.

Chris, the owner of the shelter, is sent on the same mission, except he has been there for two years with no way back home. The three of them band together to continue the mission, recruiting others along the way. A ruthless king from another world who wants the Key and its powerful counterparts for himself sees Sam as a possible heir to his throne. In an effort to thwart their mission, he throws many trials her way to test her strength and abilities, making their mission harder than it was before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662441455

Book preview

Chapter 1

An explosion and fear, those are all I remember. Pieces of brick and glass are flying at me, cutting my arms, my face, and my legs. I am afraid. I am not ready to die. I have not saved him yet. The question is, who am I supposed to save? I wake up to a cold, wet feeling on my skin, and I open my eyes to see clusters of white flakes falling from a light-gray sky.

As I sit up to examine my surroundings, I feel my soaked shirt sticking to my back, and it sends a shiver throughout me. My back burns, and my shoulders and head feel like they have been hit repeatedly. A warm substance is dripping from my face onto my cold, dry hands, and when I look down, I see blood. Rubbing my sore neck, I look around, and all I see are trees—tall trees, small trees, bare trees, and evergreen trees, all covered in a blanket of untouched snow.

A twig snapping catches my attention and makes me painfully flinch. I look over to see two deer jumping over a snow-covered bush and chasing each other through the forest, dodging trees as if they are an obstacle course. This place has a strange feeling of recognition, a feeling of home, as if this is a place that holds memories I cannot remember.

A sparrow flies over my head with a loud cry as if to grab my attention and lands next to something on the ground, someone, to be exact. A girl of about five foot six, who seems to be in her midtwenties with long black hair, which is covering her pale face, is unconscious in the snow. Her arms are also covered in cuts and dark bruises. I get sick to my stomach when I see what is sticking out of her leg. A large piece of glass replaces half of her shin, and her blood pours onto the snow, turning it a dark red, a red that seems unnatural.

I stand up stiffly and place my torn sneaker on something metallic. When I look down, I see a dagger with a golden hilt with a single gem in the middle. I pick it up, and the weight of the dagger, for some reason, makes me feel relaxed. I push away the feeling I begin to question and cut off the hem of my forest-green shirt as I limp to the girl, my left foot dragging snow along with me. I get back on my knees and stare at the wound. What am I supposed to do?

I decide to cut away the girl’s black pants surrounding the glass so I can see all the damage, and I back my hands away when I see it. The glass is thicker than I thought and has crushed pieces of the bone in her leg. I move my hair away from my face with my nonbloody hand and sit back on my feet.

Meanwhile, the sparrow stares at me and watches my every move with its dark, black eyes. I try to shoo it away, but it pecks at my hand, then moves closer to the girl. I ignore it and use the part of my shirt that I cut off to create a bandage. I can slow down the bleeding long enough to get help.

The bird steps onto her leg and seems to adjust the cloth. I shoo it away again, but all it does is step off. Before I have a chance to even move, the sparrow transforms. Its body expands to a larger size, and the feathers begin to shrink. As if on instinct, I grab the dagger and stand. The sparrow is now about five foot ten with human hands and legs growing out from its sides like plants growing in the sun. Black slippers replace the bird’s feet, and the feathers transform into a black robe. The beak disappears and is replaced by a human nose and mouth.

I stand and point the dagger at it as it turns into an old man with a thick gray-and-white beard and long hair of the same color that reaches his lower back. I examine his wrinkly, freckled face. His chocolate-brown eyes and kind face seem oddly familiar. When he sees the dagger, he puts up his pale hands slowly but not in fear.

I’m not going to hurt you, he says in a calm voice. I just want to help her.

Who are you? I ask. He looks at me with a confused look, then nods as if he realizes something.

Right, you lost your memories. My name is Albin, an old friend of yours. Put the dagger down so I can help her, he replies. I slowly lower the dagger, but I don’t loosen my grip on it. He puts his hands down and gets on his knees. He looks at me expectantly, and I get to my knees as well. I watch as he places his hands on the now bloody piece of my shirt, and his hands begin to glow. I flinch back and stare at the sight.

Hold her down. This will hurt, he instructs, and I remain in my spot. Now, or she’ll bleed out. I crawl back over to her and hover over her stomach and pin her legs down. Albin’s hands glow a nice gold and grow brighter and brighter. He slowly lifts his hands off the glass but keeps them near it. Light rays shine off the glass and bounce off the trees, making everything glow beautifully. The glass moves slightly when Albin motions it upward. The girl groans, and I continue to stare at the confusing but awesome sight. The glass begins to move upward, and the girl hisses and grabs my arms and tries to move her legs.

Almost done, Albin says. He turns his palms upward and raises them slightly to the sky. The glass follows, and the girl screams. Albin grabs the glass hanging in the air and places it to the side. The girl’s blood flows faster, and Albin moves the light rays toward the large, deep wound that makes my stomach flip. Her blood on the snow slides toward her and crawls up her leg like a spider and back into the wound. The light rays move in a sewing motion, and the wound closes up. The smell of burning skin makes me hold my breath while the girl screams. Albin puts his hands together as the light rays finish, and as he places his hands on the girl’s leg, the light disappears, and the forest falls back to its gloomy, snowy state. The girl stops fighting against me, and I move away from her.

What was that? I ask Albin.

Magic, obviously. I look at the girl, and her ocean-blue eyes are shooting back and forth between me and Albin.

What happened? she asks with an obvious amount of panic in her voice. Who are you both? I look at Albin, and he stands.

I’m Albin, he answers. He turns his back to us and moves his hands in a circle repeatedly, and his hands begin to glow again, but this time, it was red.

Who are you? she asks me again. I continue to watch Albin as I answer.

I don’t know. The red on Albin’s hands move from his hands to a few feet away from him. The red light creates a spinning circle of red and sparks. In the center is the forest behind it but with a sheet of foggy cloth. He lowers his hands and turns to us. With a snap of his fingers, our torn clothes and boots begin to stitch themselves back together.

Through here is what gave you those cuts and bruises. As he says that, he waves his right hand, and our minor wounds heal. Follow me. He turns back to the portal and walks through the middle. It ripples as he disappears. The girl stands next to me and walks around the other side of the portal. She comes back with a raised eyebrow and touches the middle of it and watches it ripple at her touch like water. She nervously sticks her hand through it and quickly pulls her hand back when it disappears. I shrug when she looks at me, then she turns back to the portal.

She takes a few hesitant steps into it, then disappears, leaving small ripples behind. The middle of the portal straightens back out after it sucks her in, and I walk up to it. I touch the red, and it sparks under my hand, but it doesn’t burn me. Instead, it feels hot but cold at the same time. I slide my hand against the middle of the portal, and it feels as soft as expensive silk. I look over my shoulder at the forest, then step in.

I appear on the other side and find a house—well, what resembles a house. The roof is missing, and holes replace where I think the windows used to be. The door is hanging on its hinges. Half of the house has tumbled in on itself. The remnants are scorched or turned to ash.

Albin moves his hands still in a circular motion but in the opposite direction. The portal begins to fade, then disappears, leaving a few sparks that fall to the ground and sizzle out. Albin walks to the house and waves his hand at us to follow. The girl follows, and I slide the dagger into my boot, then do the same. Albin walks through the door as if it’s a hologram, but when the girl touches it, it’s solid. She squeezes her fit body through the crack, and I do the same.

We follow him into the burnt home, and the first room seems to look like a living room. A turned-over, burnt couch lies next to a few shattered picture frames and a broken lamp. The carpet under my feet crunches as I step over the picture frames and pick one up. The picture inside seems to be somewhat damaged, just a little bit of singed paper here and there, but the people printed on the paper are still visible.

I slide the picture out and wipe away some ash carefully. An old man with white hair and large round glasses is barely visible. A large fish hangs between him and…wait… Albin? I stand and turn to him. He takes the picture and smiles.

We won this a year ago, first place. Martin did most of the work. I didn’t even know how to work a fishing rod. He laughs quietly, then hands it back to me.

Who’s Martin? the girl asks.

A great friend of mine and yours. You just don’t remember. I pick up another picture frame and slide the picture out. We’ll find a way to restore your memories, I promise. The picture is of me and the girl standing next to Martin as he blows out candles on a terribly decorated cake.

This was his house? I ask as I put the picture back on the couch. Albin nods and waves his hand at us to follow. We walk into what I guess is a bedroom, but it’s hard to tell with a large hole in the ceiling and random widows missing. I step on random piece of glass as I walk farther into the room, and what I think is a bed lies completely burnt on the floor. Based on the damage in this room, this seems to be where the fire started, and the smell is much stronger here, strong enough to make me cover my nose with my sleeve.

Albin waves his hand, and the bed levitates loudly to the ceiling, leaving a pile of ash and broken pieces in its place. Wipe away the ash right there, he instructs, and the girl sits on her toes and wipes away the ash with a piece of a blanket. A handle appears, and as she wipes away more, a trapdoor becomes visible, and she pulls it open. Albin closes his hand, and when he opens it, a small flame appears. It grows larger until it brightens up the whole room, and I can feel the heat generating off it.

Take this please. I open my hands when he throws the fire into the air, and I expect it to burn me, but it floats a few inches above my hands. After you, he says. I look down the hole and see an undamaged metal ladder. With my one hand held down so I can see the rungs, I descend the ladder. I begin to feel cold as I enter the room, and I jump off the last rung. The fire seems to notice it as if it can detect feeling because it sends warmth throughout my body.

I raise the fire up and look around. The entire room has been untouched by the previous fire that destroyed this building. All the crates and papers scattered on the floor are perfectly fine, but the place looks trashed as if before the fire, someone was searching for something. I walk up to a wooden door as the girl climbs off the ladder. The door has strange but familiar symbols etched into it. A key, two swords crossing each other, a circle with a flame in the middle, and a skull—those symbols repeat along the border of the door.

Albin walks over and waves his hands like he did for the portal. The symbols begin to glow blue, and the doorknob turns creakily. The door squeaks open, and we follow Albin inside. He takes the flame from me, then throws it onto a candle, and more light up unanimously. A small chandelier covered in wax illuminates most of the small, dusty room.

A wooden desk covered in books stacked almost to the ceiling stands in front of the far wall. Books are scattered across the floor right now, but they seem to be in a pattern. The smallest book is near me, and the largest is three books away. The pattern continues in a circle around the room. I move a wooden chair and grab a book. A Land of Kings and Queens was the title, written in beautiful cursive and gold lettering.

I call this place Martin’s library, but it’s more like a study. He was in here almost all the time, visiting friends from other worlds, Albin says. He grabs the chair next to me and sits.

Other worlds? the girl asks.

"Yes. He traveled to each world by these books. Here, let me start from the beginning. First, my kind is called Ehlodies, basically another name for gifted. Some people are born with it while some inherit it at a later age. I know what you’re thinking. No, I am not a wizard. Wizards are completely different. They are ruthless and merciless. They kill anything and anyone that gets in their way. For example, they destroyed a whole orphanage just because they wanted to be feared, and fear gives them power. They called it mercy killing because the kids weren’t wanted anyway.

"One day, Martin came to my house. He said that someone had been following him. The police said they needed physical proof before acting on it, so he stayed with me. A few days later, I went to the store, and Martin was still sleeping. I made sure to lock the door and the extra lock I put on it, but that didn’t keep them from coming in somehow. My house got trashed, and Martin was missing. I drove to his house and found it on fire. Before I could run in and save him, it exploded and knocked me out.

I woke up probably about an hour or two later, and it was snowing, and the fire was gone. I ran inside and thankfully didn’t find a charred body. When I went to his study, I found this note on the table. He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to me. In there told me that he was kidnapped by a group of assassins called the Dragon, named after a ruthless dragon called Argos. I’m not certain if Martin is still alive, but they would have killed him here, not kidnap him, which means they need him for something. I open the paper and read it aloud.

‘To my dearest Rose and Samantha, I am using your code names just in case this gets intercepted. I have been taken by a group called the Dragon. They want me for information about the location of the Key of Power. Once they find it, they will kill me and give it to the King. I need you both to retrieve the Key before they do. Albin will help you. The Key is in Chron. Find the book entitled that and decipher the words. I know you can do it. I believe in you. Sincerely, Martin Jaicken. PS: Do not bring anyone from Chron back with you.’ I fold the paper and hand it back to Albin.

So you want us to save Martin? the girl asks.

No, I want you to retrieve the Key before they do. I’ll work on saving Martin. Once you have the Key, I will give it to someone I trust until we find the others.

Who?

I’m not at liberty to say. Sam, can you find Chron, please? Albin asks me. I turn back to the desk and search the pile of books. Once I find it, I pull it out carefully and hand it to Albin, who places it on the floor. He opens to a random page, and gold letters appear.

First, how do we know Martin? How do we know you? the girl, who I now assume is Rose, asks.

You’ll find out soon enough. Now decipher it. I get on my knees and read the letters.

Time is in order. I look up at Albin, who sits back in his seat.

What does it mean? he asks in a Come on, this is easy tone of voice.

So the title is Chron. Does the title have anything to do with it? I ask, and he nods. So time is in order. Chron…chronological order? I guess. He smiles and stands. The chair he was sitting on disappears, and he moves away from the book.

Remember, be smart. Be careful whom you trust, and do not bring anyone from that world back with you. The book begins to shake and glow. I stand and step back as the pages flip back and forth. I walk over to Rose, and Albin hands her an already lit lantern.

You’ll need this. Good luck. At the last word, he vanishes, and the door shuts behind us. The book levitates, then faces us. All of a sudden, the book closes, then opens, and a portal like the one Albin created appears, gold and bright.

We’re supposed to go in there? To a world we don’t even know? I ask. Rose shrugs.

I guess so. Ready? she says. She grabs my hand as I nod, and we jump through.

Chapter 2

The other side of the portal is cold and dark, and a moist feeling floats in the air. Rose lifts the lantern, and it illuminates wet gray stone walls. We seem to be in a cave. I walk to the wall, and an iron smell soars up my nose, making me nauseous. When Rose brings the lantern, what I think is water turns to red liquid. Blood. We both walk from the wall and look around. A tiny light is visible in the distance. I point to it, but Rose is already walking toward it, pulling me with her.

I continue to hold her hand so I don’t lose her as we walk to the light. The cave seems to go on forever. The only sound is of our footsteps splashing in what I hope is just water. The iron smell worsens as we continue to walk, and nausea soars up my throat as we pass a horrid sight: a half-eaten body lying against the wall. A scream is plastered on her face, and blood is splattered all over the wall behind her.

I plug my nose and close my eyes as we walk past. This is a good way to start our adventure. I open my eyes when a sound sends a chill down my spine, and I listen closer. What is it? When it gets a little nearer, I realize it’s something being dragged on the floor, maybe something metal, but it doesn’t sound right. I hear breathing behind me and something scraping against the wall. When I look over my shoulder, I see a large pair of yellow eyes staring right at me in the distance.

My heart quickens, and my breathing becomes harsher. I push Rose a little, and she moves faster. She glances behind her, and her eyes widen. I put my finger on my lips to silence her, and she looks away and moves faster. Grabbing the lantern from her hand, I blow the candle out and hope that the light in front of us is closer than it looks.

The creature seems to know that we know it’s there, because it moves faster, its claws scraping the floor. I refuse to look back as I nudge Rose to go into a quiet jog. It hisses, and I look back against my better judgment. My eyes have slowly grown used to the dark, and I see a spiked back, shiny black scales, razor-sharp large yellow teeth, and demon eyes. A forked tongue pops out, then back in as it hisses again.

It stops moving and stands on its hind legs as a human with its head barely touching the tall, narrow ceiling. I shudder at how tall and muscular it is. Its vicious, hungry eyes stare into my soul, making me shudder. It seems to smile at me, then roar, an ear-piercing roar that makes me plug my ears. I push Rose forward, and we break into a sprint toward the light.

The creature stomps after us, and I run faster, pulling Rose with me. The light grows brighter, but it’s too far. We’re not fast enough. I remember the lantern in my hand and hold it up in front of me. I let go of Rose’s hand and snap my fingers. Maybe I can create flame like Albin did, but nothing happens. I try again, and still nothing. I repeatedly try it and imagine a flame sitting on the candle, and finally, it appears. I imagine it growing bigger, and it slowly grows to the size of the lantern.

Get ready, I say. I look behind me and throw the lantern. I imagine it exploding, and just as it hits the creature, it bursts into a wall of flames and pieces of metal from the lantern, stopping the creature in its spot. It roars in agony as the flames burn its scales. Rose grabs my hand again, and we run as fast as possible as the fire follows a good distance behind us.

The exit is now close enough to see. A blue sky and white clouds give me a welcoming feeling that keeps me going even though my legs shake and my throat is completely dry. The fire is now right on our tails. We reach the edge of the cave and realize that the exit is a long distance from the ground. A lake sits about fifty feet below us, maybe more. I glance back at the fire that is making its way toward us, then turn back to our only way of surviving. Before Rose can say anything, I pull her out of the cave, and we fall to the lake. My hair blows into my face, blocking my vision as we fall for what feels like forever.

I hear the dragon roar as we painfully land in the water, and every noise disappears. The fall takes the air right out of me, and I swim to the top as fast as possible, bubbles surrounding me. It takes me longer than expected, but eventually, air fills my lungs. When I see Rose swimming to shore, I follow her. Each tread feels heavy, and my arms feel weak, but eventually, I make it. I lie on my back on the sand.

I already hate this place, she says. She wrings out her hair and her shirt, and after I catch my breath, I do the same. As I look around, I realize that this world looks familiar. The tall mountains and dozens of trees are like the ones from our world. I glance at the setting sun, then turn to Rose.

Your arm, I say, and she looks at where I am pointing. Blood slightly seeps from a large burn that already begins to blister. She dabs at the blood with her sleeve, then lightly touches the wound.

I can’t feel it right now. I’ll be fine, she says as she stands. We need to find somewhere to sit before it gets dark.

There could be a cave in the mountains. We can sleep there, then figure things out in the morning, I reply, and she helps me to my feet. We drag ourselves toward the mountain in our heavy, wet clothes, which have become extremely cold in the harsh wind. The forest we are walking through seems to go on for ages, but the sound of a waterfall indicates that we must be close.

We exit the forest a few minutes after sunset. Crickets chirp loudly, and fireflies decorate a pond in front of the mountain like billions of stars. The sight is beautiful, like I’m in space and I can take whatever star I want as my own. I catch a firefly in my hand and peek through my fingers. The firefly isn’t actually a firefly at all. It’s a little ball of light with no wings or head or legs, just a gentle ball of light that gives life to the mountain.

I let it go and follow it as it floats toward the waterfall. More of the little balls of light can be seen through the water and seem to illuminate some kind of cave. I place my hand in the water thinking that we can just walk through it, but the water harshly pushes my hand down. It’s moving too fast. I look around. Maybe there’s something that can help us get past.

The same ball of light I followed to the waterfall floats toward a section of rock and bumps against it. I place my hand there as the light floats to the side and the rocks push into the mountain. I step back as water splashes at me, and a rumbling sound appears from the waterfall.

The water splashes more as a metal hood comes out of the mountain and catches the water. The balls of light cluster to the side of the two walls, and I slide my dagger out from my boot. After we enter, the waterfall begins to fall behind us again, blocking our way out, and the hood disappears with a quiet groan. I walk in between the balls of light.

The end of the entrance opens into a large room. The lights rest on candles decorating almost each part of the cave’s walls and turn into flames. The whole room is illuminated and reveals dozens of crates, wood, a balcony a good distance from the ground, and a large map that takes up a whole wall on my right.

I walk to the map and examine the skillful drawing. Each mark is perfect and beautiful. Little red Xs are drawn randomly and add a mysterious look to it. My eyes land on a large blue circle, and I trace it with my finger. The paint is dry, but random spots feel damp, as if someone keeps tracing it. The circle surrounds a town called Promonium. I peel my eyes away from it and move on.

A large red drawing is painted on the floor in the middle of the room, too big to see up close. I look up at the balcony and walk to the stairs. Each step creaks as I climb, and when I reach the top, I walk past a small wooden table with five chairs around it. One chair looks like it was broken then repaired sloppily, but it is well enough to still sit on. I peer over the balcony wall and stare at the painting that Rose stands in the middle of. A large red dragon covers the floor like a carpet. A circle surrounds the skillful drawing, and lifelike steam comes out of its nose. Its eyes, its familiar eyes. I have a flashback to the cave, and I shudder.

Rose walks to somewhere under the balcony, and I walk down the stairs to find that she has walked into a hallway. The hallway has symbols carved into it, and I run my hand along them as I near a door that Rose has walked through. The door leads to an armory where beautiful shields, swords, and bows rest on racks along the walls. Rose picks up a bow from a rack and runs her fingers gently along the design as if it’s fragile.

I grab a sword with beautiful designs on the hilt off the rack next to Rose. The weight is heavy but perfectly balanced, light enough to wield yet heavy enough to feel the weight. I place it back on the rack with a loud clinking noise, and Rose does the same.

Maybe there are rooms around here, Rose says. I lead the way back through the hallway and walk through another one that passes a vast kitchen. Two doors across from each other come into view, and I open the one on the right. The room has only a small bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a candle on it.

All the fruit is rotten, she says as she opens the other door and finds the same.

We’ll figure out what to do in the morning, I say. She nods and closes the door behind her. Before I walk into the room I am now borrowing, I look down the hall. Two more doors are visible. I open the one also to the right, and it has the same boring look, except it looks recently used and has a strange smell of citrus. I look at the bed to see that the blankets are neatly pulled under a pillow and hang gracefully over the sides. More wax has poured over the sides of a candlestick and decorates the holder and a small section of the nightstand.

I open a drawer to see clothes neatly folded and stacked on each other perfectly. Someone must be a neat freak. I exit the room, shutting the door quietly behind me, and cross the hall. The other room is the same as the others: vacant. A yawn escapes my mouth as I walk back to my room and plop onto my bed and fall asleep just as my head hits the pillow.

*****

A loud groan startles me awake, and I fly out of my bed. With my heart pounding in my head, I walk past my shoes and quietly open the door. Grabbing my dagger, I sneak out of the room and peek around the corner of the hallway that leads to the main room of the cave. A tall, muscular man with a strange-looking deer being dragged across the floor enters the cave. A sword swings on his hip as he drops the deer’s legs next to a firepit and walks to a crate.

Rose appears beside me, and we sneak behind a pile of crates far behind him. The man chugs a bottle of water and walks our direction. He walks into the kitchen and reappears with an apple as he walks over to the map and grabs a paintbrush covered in red paint. He paints an X over a small town, throws the apple in a crate realizing it’s bad, and lights a candle.

The light shows off his strikingly handsome features. His sea-green eyes search the cave room as if expecting an attacker. He combs his brown hair from his perfectly tanned face with his fingers and walks back our direction. I note his every movement. Each stride is easy and powerful. Each footstep is soundless as if he’s not walking at all.

The sword on his hip is about two inches above my head, perfectly reachable if I want to. Rose notices my urge and places her hand on my shoulder. I look at her, and she shakes her head. I shake her hand off my shoulder and look back at him. I’m fast enough to unsheathe his sword and put it on his neck without him even noticing it. Just a few more soundless steps toward us.

I sit on my toes, the cold floor sending goose bumps all over me, and just as he is a step away from us, I slide out from behind the crates, unsheathe his sword, and almost place the blade on his neck, but he grabs my wrist, twists it back, and throws me onto the floor. I slide my dagger from my pocket and spin around, but he has his blade on my neck before I can react. The smell of sweat and citrus flies up my nose as he steps closer and grabs my shoulder to keep me on the ground.

Who are you? he asks, his voice low and stern.

I can ask the same thing about you, I reply.

This is my headquarters. You’re the intruder. Now who are you? He pushes the blade harder against my neck, and I wince, dots of blood trickling down my skin.

Sam.

Where are you from?

I don’t know, I answer. He bends my wrist behind my back, and I hiss. I said I don’t know. I lost my memories, okay? At that moment, his grip weakens, and I kick him in between the legs, and he falls to the floor. Rose comes up behind him and places his fallen sword against his neck.

Do you know Albin? he asks as I sit on my toes to be level with his face.

Who’s he to you?

He sent me here two years ago to retrieve the Key, he answers. I look up at Rose, who removes the blade from his neck but keeps it pointed at him. He stands and places his hands on his knees. Did you have to kick me?

What else was I supposed to do? I ask. He releases a long breath through his nose and looks at me.

Albin sent you two here to what? Help me because I haven’t returned for two years?

A man named Martin Jaicken has been kidnapped by a group called the Dragon, and they want the Key. We’re here to get it before they— Rose starts.

Wait, how do we know if he’s telling the truth? I interrupt.

He didn’t tell you I was here? I shake my head. Then ask me a question only someone who was sent by Albin would know.

What was Albin’s relationship with Martin Jaicken? I ask.

They were best friends, he answers.

Do you know what happened to him? Rose asks.

To Martin? No. The last time I saw him was when I was sent here. Why? Rose lowers her blade and looks at me for the answer.

He was kidnapped by the Dragon. The man’s eyes grow wide, then he looks at the floor as he stands.

He takes his sword back from Rose and says, I’m Chris, by the way. Don’t know my real name, though. Lost my memories too. He puts his hand out, and Rose shakes it, confused by his random change of emotion.

Rose, she says. I cross my arms and continue to stare at him.

Questions will be answered on the balcony. He walks by me, and I watch him carefully. Rose walks onto the balcony, and I continue to stare at where he went.

Albin already sent someone here? And he didn’t even bother telling us. Chris has been here for two years, a rough-looking two years based on all the scars I counted on his hand as Rose shook it—seven scars, some old, some new. And the Xs on the map—places he’s discovered? places he searched for the Key?

I follow Rose up to the balcony and plop onto a chair beside her, pulling my legs against my chest. Rose has her head down, and I can tell she fell back asleep. Footsteps sound on the metal stairs, and I shake her awake. She gives me a dazed look, then leans back in her chair. Chris takes a chair across from me and leans his forearms on the table. Light bags under his eyes tell me he feels the same as Rose.

"I’m guessing you’ve already noticed the Xs. Those are the places I’ve searched for the Key, and it wasn’t there. And the large triangle in the middle of the map is the capital. I look back at the map and note a triangle the size of the map that I didn’t pay any attention to. That’s where the Key is. The problem is, there is no way of getting in there without a team. That’s what I’ve been working on, but no one will rebel against the Triangle. If we fail, they will kill us and possibly come after our family, which we don’t have to worry about but others do."

Did you make this place? Rose asks, completely off track from the conversation.

No, I found it the night I came through. After escaping Argos, I came to the waterfall to clean my wounds.

Who?

A dragon in a cave not too far from here.

Oh, that dragon, Rose says in an annoyed tone.

You came from there too? he asks. Rose nods and closes her eyes.

Albin sent you here by yourself? With no help at all? I ask. Chris leans back in his chair and stares at the table with a distant look. What happened?

All you need to know is, if I see that traitor ever again, I will not hesitate cutting off his head, he says loudly, making Rose flinch. He rises from his chair and storms down the stairs. I look over the balcony wall, and Chris is dragging the deer by its leg and disappears under the balcony. Rose rises to her feet and crosses her arms.

Do you trust him? she asks.

I don’t know.

Keep an eye on him at all times. Lock your door at night too, she instructs as if I don’t plan on doing that already. I nod and rise to my feet. I’m going back to bed, she adds. She disappears down the stairs, and I lean on the balcony wall.

What did the other person do? Betray Chris, obviously, but it must have been deep if Chris wants to cut his head off. And Albin sent only two people to break into the Triangle? Two people are not enough against possibly a whole army. Maybe Chris has found some teammates, and if he has, what has happened to them?

Chapter 3

The waterfall falls elegantly into the pond, and crowds of strange fish peek their head out of the water and stare at the bread in my hand. Their scales sway in the water like weird hair, and their eyes are almost the size of their heads. One jumps out of the water and lands next to me. I almost pick it up and throw it back in, but it begins to transform, making me stand out of surprise.

The fish grows a snout, and its fins turn into paws. The hairlike scales turn into fur, and a tail sprouts out the back slowly. It looks up at me, and as I look closer, I see that it resembles a fox. It wags its tail at me and places its two front paws on my leg. I tear off a piece of the bread and throw it on the floor. The fox excitedly devours it and looks at me for more.

If you keep feeding them, we’ll lose food. I look over my shoulder to see Chris walking out of the woods. He walks in my direction and stops a few inches away from me. I stand and look up at him.

Need something? I ask.

If you’re going to help me steal the Key, then you need to learn how to fight. Training is in five minutes. He holds eye contact for a few seconds longer, then looks away and walks back to the cave.

Yes, sir, I mumble sarcastically. Chris ignores my remark and walks back inside. I follow him through the waterfall and make my way toward Rose’s room.

Wake your friend while you’re at it, he says.

I’m already on it, I respond and disappear around the corner. I walk to Rose’s room and pound on her door. I hear a shuffle and bare feet slamming on the floor, then a click from the lock and the hinges squeaking as the door opens. Chris wants to train us in five minutes. Rose groans and falls back onto her bed. I throw her boots on the floor below her, and she grabs them and shoves them on, flopping her body with each move.

I walk out into the main room of the cave with Rose a small distance behind me. Chris drops two swords and a bow with a pile of arrows onto a crate. He unsheathes his own and throws me a sword, which I catch with ease. I look at my hand with a confused look. Is it always that easy to catch? He walks to the dragon painting and indicates with his sword for me to stand on the other end of it.

You seem to know how to hold a sword, so let’s move on. First, you always want to keep an eye on where your opponent steps and the way they are facing. He steps toward me, and I watch his left hip turn to me. If I swing at you, I would swing more likely on your right side, but still watch out for the sword. Your opponent may try to trick you. Chris takes another step toward me, and with his hips turning left, he swings his sword, and I block it just in time. My wrist burns on impact, but I push against him, and he releases his weight against me.

Good. He twirls his sword in his hand and continues. The best place to aim for is the abdomen. It ensures your opponent will bleed out quickly, so always keep that area blocked. He takes another lightning-fast step toward me and jabs at my stomach. I step away and hit his sword with mine. This time, he pushes back, and my foot slips a little, the sound echoing through the cave. I catch my balance in time to block his sword from slicing my hand.

Now if you lose your sword during battle, you need to learn how to defend yourself without a weapon. He throws his sword to the side, and I do the same. He puts his fists up to his face and waits for me