We sprinted toward the other block where we’d seen Shawn and Siva fly in, but we stopped just short of the stairwell. Shawn landed on the concrete in front of the building with a perfect superhero landing, his entire body glowing purple. He stood slowly, and I immediately sensed the difference. He wasn’t just pissed; he was fuming. The [Soul Gem] around his neck pulsed ominously, glowing black, and wispy tendrils floated from it, feeding into him.

  He floated back into the air, rising slowly, his body glowing a deeper purple, shifting to a bruised, purplish-black hue. My stomach tightened. This wasn’t good.

  “Chris, this is not good. Not good at all,” Jess said, her voice thick with worry as she grabbed my arm.

  “I know.” I gritted my teeth, but the knot in my gut only tightened.

  Siva appeared from the stairwell, joining us as we all looked up at Shawn, who now hovered six stories above the ground. A message from him pinged into our HUDs.

  Shawn: You need to step into the void deck.

  His command was clear, and we quickly sprinted toward the open area on the ground floor. I didn’t like where this was going, but we had no choice.

  As we reached the void deck and ducked for cover, Shawn was no longer visible. That’s when the bodies started falling.

  Mobs and Temple fighters alike rained down from above, slamming into the concrete with sickening thuds. Blood and bone sprayed in every direction as bodies continued to fall, one after another. It quickly became clear which ones died instantly, their bodies released black wisps that floated upwards, as if pulled by some unseen force.

  The ones who didn’t die immediately were left writhing on the ground, and I didn’t hesitate. From the safety of the void deck, I picked them off, shooting them in the head to end their misery.

  I glanced at Siva and Jess. Their faces had gone ashen, their eyes wide with horror. Jess started to move toward the stairs, but Siva grabbed her hand and shook his head.

  “Don’t.” His voice was quiet but firm.

  “What happened?” I asked, still sniping from the cover of the void deck.

  Siva’s gaze never left the chaos coming from above. “I don’t know. I was on another floor. I think someone mentioned his family. All I heard was Shawn shouting, ‘That was you? Or you?’ And then... then he just lost it.”

  The bodies continued to fall for another minute. Shawn was pulling them out of the block by their skeletons, using his [Bone Shaker III] skill and dropping them to the ground. Though I suspected at the rate and length of time he’s been doing it, the skill probably leveled up.

  Jess and Siva couldn’t take it anymore. They turned and walked away, heading toward the back of the block. They couldn’t watch this, but I suspected they couldn’t stomach witnessing Shawn’s rampage more than the breaking bodies.

  I stayed behind, focusing on the almost-dead, putting them out of their misery one by one until the bodies stopped falling. Shawn floated back down to the ground, landing heavily and immediately dropping to his knees, panting with exertion.

  I called Jess and Siva back. As they ran over to Shawn, I opened my Eva chat.

  Chris: Eva, can Shawn change classes? Can any of us?

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Eva: No, Chris. But he could multiclass. Some classes may not be available to him.

  Chris: Meaning?

  Eva: He can’t take any cleric or healing classes. Would you like me to provide a list of classes he could take?

  Chris: Not right now but keep the list handy.

  I closed the chat and walked over to Shawn, meeting Jess halfway as she rushed to me.

  “I can’t heal him. He’s still reading as Evil,” she panted, frustration and worry clear in her voice. I told her it was okay, we’d been through this before, back at Causeway Point shopping center. He just needed time to heal.

  “What if he doesn’t turn back? What if we lose him?” Jess grabbed my arm, her voice tight with fear.

  I didn’t have an answer, so I simply patted her hand before pulling away and kneeling next to Shawn. Siva had one hand on his back, supporting him as he caught his breath.

  “You going to be okay?” I asked, glancing at the carnage around us. I felt a pang of revulsion when I saw how many bodies had arrows embedded in their heads. That was my doing. Who’s to say I’m not as culpable as Shawn?

  Shawn took a few deep breaths and looked up at us. The hardness in his eyes faded slowly, and the blackish glow around him shifted back to a soft purple before dissipating completely.

  He stood up and brushed past us, heading straight for Jess. He said something to her that we couldn’t hear, and she stepped up on tiptoe to hug him. His arms circled around her back, pulling her close.

  “Is he going to be okay?” Siva asked, his voice quiet as we both stood there, watching the scene unfold.

  “I have no fucking idea,” I replied, still standing there to give Jess and Shawn space. “But he’s strong. That gem around his neck is a problem. It’s supposed to keep the darkness away, but it seems to be feeding it instead.”

  I knew they weren’t romantically involved, but there was something sacred in the way they interacted. The bond between them felt deeply rooted in shared trauma, their families lost to the Temple. Whatever it was, it seemed to ground Shawn, and I could see that it was good for him.

  “How are you holding up?” I asked Siva, turning to face him.

  He shrugged, glancing down at the ground before meeting my gaze. “The necklace you gave me... it’s helping. A lot.”

  He scanned our surroundings, taking in the dead bodies scattered around us. His face tightened, and he shivered.

  “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he muttered.

  We walked back to Shawn and Jess, carefully picking our way through the dead bodies, mindful not to slip in the gore. Once we regrouped at the void deck, we sank onto the floor, taking a moment to breathe and rest. It wasn’t long before we cracked open some drinks, though none of us had the stomach to eat with so many bodies around.

  I took the chance to catch up on missed chats. The same kind of chaos was happening at multiple locations, with backup arriving in waves. Prema had taken over the coordination, directing traffic and resources, ensuring manpower was allocated where it was needed most. She kept track of where the fighting had ended, quickly redistributing forces to other hotspots.

  It was exactly what we needed. I hadn’t even thought about setting up a control center, but Prema had stepped up, handling the logistics like she always did.

  I was about to close the chats when I noticed a private message from Farah. Clicking on it, my blood ran cold.

  Farah: Chris. This message is not from Farah. I have her, and I have control of her. I know about your deal with the Rebels, and I think it’s time we spoke properly. The Temple has much more to offer you. Why continue all these senseless deaths?

  I felt a lump in my throat and quickly replied.

  Chris: Who are you? What do you want from me? Don’t you dare hurt Farah.

  Farah: 7pm. Jurong East Library. Top floor. You and your team have safe passage. Don’t be late.

  The finality in her words sent a chill down my spine. There were a million more questions I wanted to ask, but I knew I wouldn’t get the answers. Not this time.

  I quickly informed the team, watching as their faces shifted from tense to worried. We discussed the message briefly, but there wasn’t much to talk about. They had one of ours. We were going, no matter what.

  We had four hours.

  I opened a different chat.

  Chris: Eric, playtime’s over. I need it done.

  Eric: I need more time. I still can’t get through.

  Chris: Brute force it.

  Eric: Dude, I don’t even know if that can be done.

  Eva: It can. But once we do it, the system will know, and it will start running countermeasures.

  Eric: What the fuck? You talk? Why didn’t you say so?

  Chris: Okay. Hold.

  I turned to the team, laying out the new plan.

  We were moving into Phase Two.