“What’s wrong?” Tristan said immediately, hopping to his feet. He stepped over to Eila, alarmed.

She shook her head and brushed the tears away with the palm of her hand. “Sorry,” she said, voice thick. She laughed harshly. “I told myself I was done crying. I’m stupid.”

“Please,” he said, taking her by the arm and sitting them down on the edge of the bed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

She breathed deep then straightened, looking Tristan in the eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, but no more tears came.

“I’m not ready to forge your Expert card,” she said. “I’ve been forging nonstop these past two days, and I forged on the airship for the pirates, but I still only have three of my Perks unlocked.”

“Oh.” Tristan sat back. He realized he never even asked Eila if she was ready to forge for him.

“Yup,” Eila breathed. She dropped backwards on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s all right,” Tristan said after a moment. “Are you close to your fourth? I can wait until you have them all unlocked. The raid doesn’t start until three days from now.”

She smiled up at the ceiling, though it was more a sad, melancholic twist of the lips. “You’re sweet, Tristan. Thank you. But you shouldn’t have to wait.” She dropped her head to her shoulder to look at him. “Besides, even if you did, I just don’t think I’m ready for my Expert Advancement Trial.”

Tristan frowned. “Forgers have those? I didn’t get one when I made my Apprentice cards.”

“The act of making a [Blueprint] successfully enough to put in the core is the forger’s trial.”

He stood up and started pacing, summoning his deck and dismissing it over and over. He was trying to think of a way maybe he could help Eila, either with funding chips or monster loot, but he knew it wasn’t a matter of resources but time. He was simply progressing too quickly for her.

“Yeah,” Tristan said softly. He turned to Eila who’d sat up with her knees tucked against her chest, arms clasped around them. “All right, then. I’ll find another forger to make my Expert card.”

Eila nodded softly. “I’ll help you find someone good.”

The two of them stood there in an awkward silence. Tristan felt like he needed to say something but didn’t know what. Words bubbled up inside of him before he discarded them, thinking they weren’t right.

Damn it, he thought. I know what I have to say.

“Eila, I have something—” Tristan began.

“Tristan, I need to—” Eila said at the same moment.

They both stared at each other then burst out laughing. Tristan was remembering how they’d done the same thing back on Sol, when she came to help him shop after Aidas’ funeral, and he thought Eila was too.

“You go first,” Tristan said when the moment passed. He pulled a chair from the desk and sat down in front of Eila on the bed. She propped her head up on her arms and sighed.

“I met up with some of the other survivors today at an inn,” Eila began. “Only four of us but still. It’s good to talk with others about what we experienced. Helps it get out of our heads faster. It was me, Aduan, Mashi, and… Forgemaster Gerund.”

Tristan could vaguely remember who the first two were from his brief interactions with them, but Forgemaster Gerund was much more familiar. He and Eila met frequently with each other on the Justice Alight to talk about forging.

“When we were on the Justice,” Eila continued, “Gerund offered to take me on as his student.”

“Eila, that’s great!” Tristan exclaimed, grinning. “You must have really impressed him.”

She smiled sadly. “He said he saw great promise in me and wanted to help stoke that fire. The thing is, well, I have to go with him to the Forging Academy in his home town. In Eruption, the Province of Cinders.”

Tristan’s elation fell. “Oh.”

“Mhm.” She dropped her forehead against her arms, making her next words a little muffled. “I don’t want to leave you, Tristan. But I have to. I accepted his offer, and we’re leaving on the day of your raid.”

“Oh,” he repeated.

It was strange how sad he felt right now. Realistically, they barely knew each other. Only a couple of weeks. And yet during that time, they’ve been through more adversities and challenges than friendships a decade long.

But no matter what, he had to move on. He needed to reach Divine; it was like a burning impulse within him that lately has been a little subdued. That wasn’t good. He needed to refuel it and progress as fast as he could, no matter what.

If it meant he and Eila had to separate, then so be it.

“How about this?” Tristan said suddenly, making her start. “The Elemental Cup starts in 20 days. Meet me at Waves’ End then, and we'll reunite as two Masters of our craft.”

She blinked, then slowly grinned. “Two Masters of our craft… that has a nice ring to it. All right!”

She practically threw herself off the bed, and Tristan scrambled to his feet. Eila marched over and stuck her hand out, lifting her chin imperiously. Tristan rolled his eyes at the theatrics but clasped her hand with his own.

“I solemnly swear to meet Tristan Ford on the day of the Elemental Cup at Waves’ End,” Eila intoned in a deep baritone. “I will arrive a hardened Master forger, and Tristan will still be an adorable Expert cardbearer waiting for his forger to come make his card for him.”

“I object to the wording, but the spirit is solid.” They shook, and Eila let loose a loud sigh of relief before plopping back down on the bed.

“You were nervous, huh?” Tristan said, amused.

“No. You were nervous. Shut up. Didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me?” She yawned and stretched like a cat.

He did. He was going to tell her everything. The whole truth about him and why he was able to progress so quickly, faster than anyone else could. But he didn’t want to ruin this feeling of happiness and peace between them right now, and news that her world was a construct of a game that somehow turned real would definitely do it.

So, he obscured the truth a bit.

“Yeah, I did,” Tristan said, getting serious. “As I’m sure you’re aware, I’m not exactly an ordinary cardbearer.”

She scoffed loudly at that. “Oh really?”

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“That’s because,” he continued, ignoring her outburst, “I have this special Perk called [Double Drop Rate]. I got it from the System when I first summoned my deck. I don’t know why, but it doubles every monster drop I get, including [Perkshards].”

That got her attention. She sat up ram-rod straight and frowned down at him. “Are you being serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious. It’s why I’m able to advance so quickly. And my skill with casting…” He shrugged, feeling terrible inside for lying. “I don’t know, it was just one of those things I was born with I guess.”

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Eila said slowly, “but it would explain a lot. Doubling the amount of loot you get…” She shook her head. “How about the fact that you didn’t even know what year it was, Tristan?”

Tristan winced. “That’s harder to explain. All I can really say is I’m not… from here.”

Eila frowned. “What does that mean? Unless you grew up under the ocean, it shouldn't matter where you’re from. Knowing what year it is is pretty basic information.”

“That’s all I can really say,” Tristan said, knowing how unsatisfactory it sounded. “I’m sorry, but…yeah. That’s it,” he finished lamely.

“That’s it,” Eila repeated dryly. “To sum up, you have this all-powerful, godlike Perk that grants you double loot, you’re a once-in-a-generation natural cardcasting prodigy, and the reason you don’t know about anything other than cards is because you’re ‘not from here.’”

Tristan thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right.”

She stared at him deadpan for an uncomfortable amount of seconds. Then, she shrugged and flopped unceremoniously back on her bed. He blinked in surprise.

“All right,” Eila said up to the ceiling. “I believe you. Or rather, I believe that you’re trying to tell me the truth as best you can.” She lifted her head a little and smiled at him. “I know you’re a good man, Tristan, and more than that you’re my friend.” She dropped her head back on the bed and yawned again. “I trust you.”

Tristan smiled, though he still felt guilty. “I trust you too.”

They continued chatting for a bit longer, but Eila was falling asleep mid-sentence so Tristan said his goodnights and left.

Back in his room, he got ready for bed and then curled under the sheets. He laid there awake for a time, eyes bent in thought, replaying his conversation with Eila. The lies and the truth intertwining.

Wind rustled the drapes through the open window. It sounded like whispers.

Tristan fell asleep.

***

At [King Sunder’s Dominion] - Throne Room…

King Sunder waited atop his throne for the Enemy to come. He knew it would be soon; Corruption had told him so itself.

Circling the waters in front of Sunder was Majin, his trusty mount. Every turn of its armored body or thrash of its tail reverberated through the water.

The [Draconian Delphin] was unusually agitated. Perhaps the beast could also sense the time was coming. The System-made walls surrounding his Dominion would soon crack, unleashing him onto the mortal lands, but the mortals were sure to come before then.

The claw of the [Emperor Crab] he’d fused with clacked angrily, the massive pincers snapping together with so much force air boomed in a ring around it. Sunder reined it in; he was still unused to controlling more than one body. The body of the [Abyssean Dragoon] he occupied was thankfully more subservient to his will.

Sunder still remembered the moment everything changed. He had just been a lowly [Dreameater Jellyfish], a low Expert monster drifting mindlessly through the ocean. No ambition, no thoughts—just the basic impulses of Water energy controlling his every action.

And then, Corruption changed him. Awoken him. The tiniest seed of Corruption energy planted into his being transformed the latent Water energy he was made of, turning him iridescent.

He could think. He could plan. He heard the directive from Corruption itself; Consume everything.

He traveled through the ocean with purpose now, searching for the right prey. In the far reaches of the ocean, he encountered the dying body of an [Abyssean Dragoon] being slain by a human cardbearer. He swooped in and latched onto its brain, sending his tendrils deep within its body.

Controlling it. Consuming it. Corrupting it.

Killing the stunned cardbearer had been easy enough after with his new body.

For his reward, the System tried to unmake him.

You have slain Adept cardbearer Sunder Varish. Progress made to establishing Dominion: 1/80.

*ERROR* Corrupted data identified. Recalibrating…

The Corruption energy inside him shrieked as some unseen force began unravelling it. Sunder felt his brief, tenuous grasp on consciousness immediately deteriorate, and for the first time since his awakening fear took hold of him.

A foreign presence suddenly took over his body, puppeting him like he had puppeted the dragoon.

“You overstep, System,” he said with the voice of Corruption. A distorted, uneven voice that oddly crackled. “I act within the Laws of Canon. Cease your interference or face the consequences.”

*ERROR* System overwrite permissions inapplicable.

The feeling of unravelling vanished abruptly.

“Go, my child,” Corruption said through him. “Kill the mortals. Establish your Dominion. Do as I command.”

He took the cardbearer’s name and Corruption’s directive. Sunder travelled the oceans, slaying cardbearers every chance he got. He tamed the mighty [Draconian Delphin], Corrupted it to his will, and battled an [Emperor Crab] to add its strength to his arsenal. Years passed this way.

And then, Corruption spoke to him again.

Head to the coast of Advance, the distorted, uneven voice whispered softly.

Sunder listened. He sped for the coast as quickly as he could, though he was still far from completing the Dominion summon requirement.

When he arrived, Corruption and the System engaged once more, using his mind as the battlefield. His body froze in place.

Initializing Dominion summoning sequence.

*ERROR* Target [Corrupted King Sunder] is ineligible to summon Dominion. 47/80 cardbearers slain.

Manual overwrite. Canon adherence directive activated.

*ERROR* Insufficient Canon established.

Manual reassessment. Canon development procedures underway.

There was a long silence. Sunder remained frozen, his newly awakened mind struggling to understand what was happening. In the recesses of his consciousness, he could feel Corruption and the System battling, a war not of skills and force but through some incomprehensible energy called data.

Sunder realized he was wrong. He was not the battlefield but a mere solider; there were others like him touched by Corruption, every single one being controlled by the energy and attacking the System at once.

He felt the moment the System broke. An odd sound like a shell cracking reverberated in his ears.

You have successfully completed the Dominion summoning requirements. 47/80 cardbearers have been slain.

Summoning Dominion…

A bubble of invisible energy poured out from Sunder. It expanded rapidly around him, transforming the surroundings into a Dominion. A castle, a courtyard, walls, and a killing field. His soldiers formed from Water energy, populating his new territory. The edges of the Dominion locked into place, becoming an impenetrable wall of blurred water.

A timer appeared in Sunder’s vision.

Time left until Dominion Invasion: 32 days.

Sunder felt Corruption’s cold pleasure rippling through his energy. But then, it chilled as a message appeared in front of Sunder’s eyes.

*ERROR* Corrupted data nearing critical status. Initializing [Emergency Canon Defense Procedure ISK-133]…

Manual overwrite, Corruption snarled.

*ERROR* Manual overwrite denied. Identifying highest rank player in [Seed] — The Eight Elements…

Player identified. Transferring Transcendent Tristan Ford now.

Corruption’s presence abruptly left him then, leaving Sunder dazed and befuddled. He didn’t understand the significance of what had just occurred, but he knew it was important.

He was now stuck in this Dominion until the time ran out or the mortals came to defeat him. He prepared a battle plan, assigning his soldiers ranks according to the System standard and readying them for war.

Then, just a few days ago, Corruption spoke again.

The Enemy comes, the energy thundered, its voice noticeably louder than before. Prove your value by defeating him, and I will elevate you to heights beyond your comprehension.

Now, it was time. Sunder looked at the ever-present timer in his eyes.

Time left until Dominion Invasion: 3 days.