“Just do it!”

We dove behind the tree. The voices and footsteps grew closer. One by one, my friends wrapped a hand around my arm.

Then all four of us disappeared.

Part Two

Savage Dark

Savage Wild is the darkness

It burns the light of youth

Fumble frightened past the

Fool's gold

Through the door to reap the Truth

Chapter Seven

Crackle and Scar

My mother once told me fear stalks in the night, hidden away from the sunlight. It lives in endless darkness, and despite your courage, you can never escape it.

I didn’t expect it to be so effortless to make three other people disappear with me into the Unseen Dimension. Could it be because our lives were in danger, and I was able to push past my limit? Or had I simply never thought to try?

“It worked,” I said. I saw their real bodies, and the surrounding trees were brighter in color. “Do you feel alright?”

Sharp clasped her free hand to my mouth, terror boiling in her eyes. The deep blue souls of the two sisters slithered into sight.

“I lost sight of them,” said the voice of the fanged woman.

“Come out, little creatures,” the other one said with an unearthly croon. She must be Melodia, I thought. Friend to no one.

My friends were alight with momentary amazement at seeing a human soul for the first time. The two lights searched for another moment, then sprinted in the opposite direction.

After a second of grim silence, I peeled Sharp's hand from my face. “They can’t hear our voices in this dimension. We need to stay calm.”

The three of them looked at me with a fearful intensity. I didn’t realize it at the time, but in this dimension, my eyes were glowing lava red.

“Are you…sure?” Piranha stuttered, the nervous tips of their claws grazing the surface of my skin.

“Yes,” I reassured them, “but be still. Voices can’t be heard, but I don’t know about footsteps. Let’s make sure there’s some distance between us before we go back.” I looked over my shoulder, unable to see anything through the trees. “I hope he’s okay.”

Once Sharp’s acute ears could not hear the enemy, we huddled together and treaded back. We only made it a few feet before she stopped us again. “Stay still,” she urged. “They’re heading back this way.”

I held my breath and clenched my fists. Sure enough, the blue figures returned, moving with silent purpose in our direction. Back to Pyrite.

“What should we do?” I slurred. My energy was draining fast, and I barely got the words out.

Sharp didn’t notice. “Follow them. We should go back to the horses and try to get out of here.”

The color shifted back to the real dimension.

“Ba-Badger!” Willow touched his chest and looked around. “What happened? Are we not invisible anymore?”

I stumbled, and my friends stopped me from falling. With labored breath I said, “It's hard to do that with all of you. I don’t want to leave Pyrite behind.”

“Of course not,” Sharp asserted, supporting me, “but we’ll have to be smart about this. Are you unable to use you power now?”

I took a few more deep breaths, which did little to subdue the dizziness. “I don’t know. If I have to take the three of you, I’m going to pass out.”

She looked over her shoulder, considering this. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. “Don’t pull that move unless there’s no other choice. The three of us can distract them and save Pyrite, while you get the horses so we can make a hasty getaway. Got it?”

It took some effort to swallow my fear, but I agreed with her plan of action. By myself, the strain in the Unseen was barely noticeable, and I was the least capable fighter anyway.

The house was just in sight when I realized the Sapphire Clan had a different plan. The unmistakable sound of galloping hooves headed our way, but I couldn’t see their riders. My instincts forced me back to my friends, and I wrapped my arms around their necks with enough momentum to knock them backwards, disappearing a second time.

To our luck, we weren’t seen, but to our dismay, Pyrite’s patchwork soul was slumped over the back of one of the horses, unconscious. All we could do was watch. There was no way we could catch up now.

Willow tried to wriggle free of my grip. “We can’t just let them go! I can catch up to them!”

“And then what?” growled Piranha. “Are you going to capture two powerful adults by yourself?”

Willow didn’t argue, because he saw the look on my face, pale as death. “B-Badger? You should really stop.” He shook me. “Come on, we need to get out of this creepy place before you collapse.”

This request made no difference. My body would not allow us to stay another second. When we left the Unseen, it was like taking a big breath after being underwater.

“Badger?” My friends didn’t take their hands off me as I started to cough and convulse.

“P-Pyrite!” I gagged, pointing into the forest. “We have to save him.”

But it wasn’t enough. Blackness closed in around my eyes, until it was the only thing left to see.

I woke up in a house with a ceiling the texture of driftwood, a wet rag draped over my forehead. The image of dark blue souls on black horses came to mind, and I bolted upright.

“He’s up!” exclaimed Sharp, seated next to me on a fat red cushion by the wall. She had removed the plates of armor from her arms, revealing purple leather underneath. The bags under her eyes were profound.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I rubbed my pounding head. “Did my power knock me out again?”

“Unfortunately.”

“What…where are we?” I tried to stand, but she pushed me back down.