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“Good luck!” she called as her vine looped around a soldier’s leg, lifting him off the ground. Her gaze met mine, holding it. “Remember! If you’re ever in need, go to the shattered tree where the moon resides in the seas.”

I nodded, unsure if now was the time for riddles, but I recited it in my head multiple times anyway. Shattered tree, moon, sea. Shattered tree, moon, sea.

“Noah!” Kayden shouted and I raced after the others, leaving the recreation of my home, the grass turning to sand at our feet and the lake stretching out to our right. And up ahead, standing smug and proud, was Victrus Auger.

The heat disappeared from my body, a cool rage filling me to the brim as Ace, Zane, and Kayden launched their attacks.

Victrus’ soldiers formed a human shield, blocking the shots with their bodies and firing their own weapons at us.

I quickly began to strip, tearing my clothes in my haste to become invisible.

I didn’t have my powers, but my invisibility worked differently.

If the others could distract him, then maybe I could get close enough to do some real damage and take the man down once and for all.

Ace threw his weapon, his fingertips lighting up as electricity danced in his hands.

He let out a roar, hurling bolts at the soldiers.

Sand burst into the air as though landmines were going off, soldiers flying in every direction.

They kept coming. Droves and droves of these soldiers kept marching in from behind Victrus.

Where did he find so many people willing to throw their lives away for him?

Zane darted to the side, clutching his arm as he landed on the ground. I detoured towards him, inspecting his arm and scaring the shit out of him in the process as I was invisible.

“Let me tie it,” I insisted, tearing his shirt and tying it above the wound.

It looked raw but not deep and thankfully the blood was already clotting, likely a remnant from when I healed his leg. I hated that my magic was fully depleted. It wouldn’t be long now until my invisibility would run out.

Ahead of us, Kayden had shifted into his rocky form and was barrelling towards the soldiers like some morbid game of ten-pin bowling. I left Zane’s side and raced after him on the clear path he was forging.

Victrus was in my sights, and, in a matter of moments, I would slit his throat and make him bleed out on the sand.

Veering to my right, I left Kayden and his ball of destruction, slicing and stabbing soldiers as I went.

Surprised gasps filled the air around me until they figured out what was going on.

Unfortunately for them, I was already moving on before they could do anything about it.

Some idiotic soldier attempted to stop me, shooting wildly around him. The problem was, he shot everyone but me. His allies fell to the ground, circling him, and once he lowered his gun, I lunged for him, embedding my knife in his gut.

“Missed me,” I hissed, pulling my blade out. The man gurgled an incoherent reply before falling to his knees.

I refocused my attention on Victrus as the guys drew closer at my back, culling the soldiers. More still streamed in and I had a sick feeling we’d never finish them all. I ran towards Victrus, his oily smile standing out as he stared at the destruction around him.

He was a disgusting excuse for a human–the worst of the worst. The world would be a better place without him, and I was about to set Terrulia free.

As I drew close, sure victory was near, I was suddenly thrown off my feet, the ground beneath me rolling like a wave.

The grains shifted and a giant worm burst from the sand, gnashing its teeth.

It was at least two storeys tall and as wide as four trees. It was also as wriggly as the ones found in a vegetable patch.

“Oh, fuck,” I gasped, staring up at it towering over me.

The thing lunged for me, apparently all too aware of where I was despite my being invisible.

Then again, worms couldn’t see anyway, so maybe this guy was the same.

I dodged the thing’s attacks, running back towards the guys who were retreating.

The sand trembled beneath my feet, but I managed to stay upright as I ran, the beast’s mouth slamming over and over again into the ground around me.

“It’s her!” Zane shouted, pointing behind me. I chanced looking to see a woman stepping out before Victrus. Her brow was furrowed as she focused, her hands outstretched towards the worm. “She’s controlling it!”

“How do we kill the thing?” I called, reaching Ace. Kayden rolled over and soon Zane had joined us too.

Kayden kept his rocky skin, blocking the gunshots as we continued to back away.

“It’s a sandworm,” he told us, grimacing at the beasts. “I thought they were the thing of legends. Something parents told their kids in the Steppes to get us to behave.”

“Turns out your parents weren’t fibbing, Kitty Kayden,” Zane said, shooting his gun at the creature. The pulse bounced off its skin, shooting into the sand where it simmered. “I wish they had been.”

“It can sense me,” I said, halting my steps. “It knows when I move. Everyone stay put.”

“And what?” Ace asked, raising a brow. “Use Boulder Boy as a shield until we kill all the soldiers, the worm bitch and the power-hungry maniac?”

The ground trembled again beneath us, and I readied myself to run, only to see that the beast hadn’t moved closer. Shots flew far too close to us, but I was too busy trying to figure out why the ground was rumbling again.

“Please, no more worms,” Zane begged, shooting a soldier before darting behind Kayden and shouting. “I promise, the next time I see someone use your family as bait, I’ll set them free! I’ll no longer be a bystander to their murder!”

“I don’t think it gives a shit,” Kayden rumbled as he blocked a shot from taking Ace’s head off. “Plan, guys, we need a fucking plan.”

“Right.” I nodded, only for the sand to tremble once more. “Wait, what is causing that?”

A movement had caught my eye, and I looked over to the lake, or at least what was left of it. The water was being pulled into the sky where a giant orb was floating. Liquid rushed around the sphere, reminding me of gas surrounding planets in space.

And then, walking towards us, came Celeste.