Mercury stepped closer to his mother. I saw the resemblance in their sharp jawlines and thin noses. “Maybe it’s still hard to trust us, but we're desperate to protect our home. We’re afraid of Wyvern, just like Melodia, but her plans are creating mistrust and fear. My mother must assume the throne.”

Something dawned on me, a wave of cold realization. “Wait… if Melodia can prevent people from returning to the Wilds, does that mean…we’re trapped too?”

Olivine cringed and gripped a handful of her hair. Panic washed over our faces, Willow especially.

“That’s not for certain,” Ivory claimed, but I could feel what she felt. Not fear, but something else. A determination to make things right. “There’s bound to be weaknesses, and we’re working to find them. Pyrite escaped, after all.”

Eye contact with Ivory was overwhelming, like looking into a blazing fire. Trapped. We were trapped here.

“Badger,” she said. “I didn’t want to frighten you, but… we can’t do this without you. We can’t even return to our clan. Your great power has come at the opportune moment.”

“It’s not that great,” I said, mouth dry.

She perked up like a dog catching a scent and whipped around to face Gold-and-Silver. “Doctor? Keeping secrets?”

He blanched, like a child caught in a lie. Ivory’s emotions could be sensed by all of us, and I started to realize it went both ways. Something about what I said made the doctor react, and Ivory noticed.

“It's…not important right now,” he stuttered, then flinched, unable hide his true feelings from her.

“Out with it,” she commanded.

Always quick to make connections, Sharp gasped and yanked the reference book from Willow.

“Out with what?” I asked, even though I had already connected the dots. I still hoped my hunch might be wrong.

Gold-and-Silver closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Alright. Badger…I apologize. I didn’t tell you everything I learned.” He closed his mouth tight, like the rest of the words didn’t want to come out.

“What page is that?” I stepped closer, trying to look over Willow’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”

Sharp looked me in the eye with a deadly serious expression before reading, “While it has taken different forms over time, certain skills are consistently associated with Reaper, including full immersion in the Unseen Dimension, directly interfacing with complex strings of light, and the ability to perceive soulburn. Most notably, wielders have the capacity to summon or dispel the Reaper, allowing them to remove souls from the material dimension.”

“Reaper…” The word was dust in my mouth. I didn’t understand everything she had read, but the doctor’s face said enough. “You mean…”

Both of Willow’s hands were on the sides of his face. “You’re in the Divine Pantheon… Holy frozen hell. You’re Divine Three.”

Everyone’s glowing eyes were on me, and all I wanted to do was hide. The excerpt echoed in my head in distorted pieces. Summon or dispel. Remove souls. I didn’t want this. I didn’t even want to think about what the words implied.

Mercury had a smarmy glint in his eyes as he lounged in the thick grass. “I already figured. ‘Reap the Truth’ is the final line in the second stanza.”

Marrow was visibly horrified, and the piercing gaze of his foggy eyes bore into me. “This means Badger is eligible for the throne after all.”

I was sweating, suddenly acutely afraid of my place in the world, of my place at the top of that tree. “I don’t want it. Ever. Never ever.” I shook my head and stomped my feet, a childlike protest taking over. “My power is Lucent...”

“It was foolish to try and protect you from the truth,” the doctor admitted, solidly gripping my shoulder. His eyes were so hypnotic, I had to look at my feet. “Reaper is your power. There’s a responsibility that comes with–”

“Responsibility?!” I could hear the edge to my voice. “I’m responsible for myself, and for my friends and family. Not you.”

“Badger,” Sharp said my name with soft patience. Pir and Willow were staring, not knowing what to say.

I had only a harsh look in return. “I don’t want to hear anything about ‘responsibility’ from you either. You might have taken the Warrior’s oath, but I sure as hell didn’t.” I didn’t like to raise my voice, or get emotional, but fear had clouded me. The word Reaper buzzed repeatedly in my head.

Sharp was undaunted. “Listen, would you? If you want to save Pyrite, we’re going to have to do something about it. Don’t you get it? He lost contact with your family because Melodia is infecting his mind!”

Every inch of her body radiated resolve. Sharp always had a knack for giving me perspective. My fear petered away, but not completely. I seethed in silence.

“He’s entitled to that frustration,” Ivory said, giving the doctor an aggressive look, “and I am not entitled to any throne. If you took it right from under me, I wouldn’t be upset. Your friend is right, Badger. You cannot put back the cards you are dealt in this life. I only speak the truth.”

The words she said next had a different quality. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it trembled deep in my bones. I wasn’t sure if she was the one speaking, or something else. “We are in dire need of your help.”

I looked to my friends, overcome by this Divine energy. Sharp stood by my side. “We must decide together. I want to do whatever it takes.”

Piranha flashed their impressive set of fangs. “If we run, who's to say it won't catch up to us later?”

“Fine,” I conceded. Even if I wanted to leave, I had nowhere to go. Even if I had somewhere to go, the Reaper would still be there. “But Pyrite is my priority. What do you think, Willow?”

He ran his hands through his scarf, eyes flashing to the book in Sharp’s hand.

“Anything for you, Badger.”

Chapter Eleven

Magic Meadow Blue

The sun rose after our first night there, dappling through the black leaves. The air was cool but not biting, and the thick branches created an immersive quiet. The Topaz Clan’s hideout had enough room to house us inside, but Willow insisted we camp in the Meadow. Like always, we gave in.

“Hey, are you awake?” Piranha was perched on a low branch, a forest green blanket draped around their shoulders. Out of all of us, the wildcat had the most balanced mind, and more sense than other people. Animals, after all, did not experience the world the same way, and my friend was not quite human.

The cushion muffled my voice. “I am now.”

Their voice cracked a little, still fighting sleep. “How are you feeling after yesterday?”

With significant effort, I pulled to a sitting position. “Like I've been mentally trampled by a horse. How ‘bout you?”

“I should apologize,” Piranha said seriously, pulling the blanket tighter. “Maybe I jinxed us after all. After the thing with the rabbit…”

“This isn’t your fault,” I mumbled, resting my chin on my pillow. “I should have known not to touch that damn Fruit. I wonder if this what my mom had in mind when she warned against it.”

They landed on the grass with a silent tread. “Maybe this is one of those things where it’s nobody’s fault, eh? Divine forces at work and all that.”

From a twisted pile of blankets and cushions, Willow grumbled and tossed a handful of grass. "Shut it, little monster, I'm trying to sleep.”

“Oh no, that's not starting.” Pir’s blanket fluttered to the ground as they jumped on his back. “Don’t call me that, featherbird.”

“Agh! Get off! I’m sorry!”

Sharp rose with impeccable elegance to the sound of this ruckus, yawning and stretching her arms to the sky. She pulled a polished wooden comb from her leather pouch and ran it through her silken hair. “Save your energy. I’m finally going to get a chance to train you weaklings.”