Proise Lake!
Twenty kilometres east of the ruins of Wonka City, a pristine lake stretched 500 metres across, its surface reflecting the evening sky like polished glass. Ancient peepal trees lined its shore, their massive roots partially submerged in the crystal-clear water. Birds sang in their branches, nervous and aware of the catastrophe that had unfolded.
The tranquillity was shattered as a massive three-headed hound burst from the treeline, its midnight-black fur matted with dried blood and ichor. The Cerberus staggered forward, all three heads panting heavily, tongues lolling from exhaustion. Its massive paws left deep indentations in the soft soil as it approached the lakeshore.
Three passengers clung to its back—two conscious, one limp. With a final, heroic effort, the beast reached the largest peepal tree before its legs gave out. The Cerberus collapsed onto its side, whimpering softly as its strength finally failed.
Kalina slid from the creature's back, her robes torn and bloodied but her movements still precise. "Thank you, loyal guardian," she whispered, gently stroking the central head.
The Cerberus's form shimmered, its substantial mass dissolving into mana particles that scattered in the evening breeze. Within seconds, no trace remained of the massive hound that had carried them to safety. Kalina had undone her summoning.
Kalina turned immediately to Volmar, gently lifting the unconscious Elder from where he had fallen. With surprising strength for her slender frame, she propped him against the peepal tree's massive trunk, positioning him carefully to avoid aggravating his abdominal wound.
She then grabbed Willy by his tattered collar and unceremoniously dragged him several meters away, dropping him onto the grass beside the lakeshore. His legs, now fully regenerated but still weak, sprawled awkwardly beneath him.
"Stay put," she commanded, her voice hard with lingering distrust. "If you try anything, I'll drown you in that lake."
Without waiting for a response, she returned to Volmar, her hands already forming the familiar gestures to unleash her healing magic.
Wood Magic—Triple Vine Suture!
Three green circles materialised before her, each pulsing with verdant energy as translucent tendrils emerged and reached toward Volmar's body. The first focused on the catastrophic wound in his abdomen, the second on a deep gash across his shoulder, and the third on a puncture wound in his thigh.
The vine-like tendrils wove themselves into damaged tissue, glowing with life-giving energy as they reconnected severed blood vessels and regenerated damaged organs. Under their influence, the bleeding stopped, tissues knit together, and colour gradually returned to Volmar's ashen face.
Minutes passed in tense silence, broken only by Kalina's laboured breathing as she channelled her remaining mana into the healing magic. Finally, Volmar's eyes fluttered open, confusion evident in his gaze as he took in his surroundings.
"Kalina?" he croaked, voice hoarse. "Where—"
His question died in his throat as his vision focused on Willy sitting by the lakeshore. In an instant, confusion transformed into rage. Despite his freshly healed wounds, Volmar surged to his feet, pointing an accusing finger at the stranger.
"YOU!" he roared, his face contorting with fury. "Why is that monster still alive? The Titan should be dead! Our summons surrounded it, tore it apart!"
He staggered forward, only Kalina's restraining hand preventing him from launching himself at Willy. "I saw the creature being dismembered piece by piece! How are you still breathing?"
Willy met the Elder's gaze calmly, seemingly unperturbed by the outburst. "It's not so easy to kill a Titan Shifter," he said simply. "Particularly not the Warhammer."
"Titan Shifter?" Volmar spat the unfamiliar term like a curse. "What manner of abomination are you?"
"I've explained what I am to Kalina," Willy replied, his tone measured. "I see little benefit in repeating myself to someone who isn't listening."
Volmar wrenched himself free of Kalina's grasp, taking another step forward. His entire body trembled with rage and grief. "Do you comprehend what you've done?" he shouted, spittle flying from his lips. "You slaughtered hundreds of Summoners! You destroyed a tower that stood for a millennium! And because of you—BECAUSE OF YOU—every citizen of Wonka City has been butchered by the Zergs! They numbered a MILLION!"
He sank to his knees, strength draining from his body as the magnitude of the catastrophe overwhelmed him. "All dead," he whispered, voice breaking. "Everyone. Gone."
Willy's expression remained impassive, though something flickered behind his eyes—perhaps regret, perhaps resignation. "Actions have consequences," he said quietly. "I didn't want to kill anyone. But the situation unfolded as it did because of your summons, your ritual, your tower."
He straightened his spine, meeting Volmar's hateful glare directly. "You talk as if I am solely responsible, yet it was your Summoner Tower that tore me from my world, brought me here in a state of confusion and pain. You sought a weapon and received one, just not one you could control."
The accusation hung in the air between them, heavy as a physical weight. Volmar opened his mouth to retort, but no words came.
"We all share this sin," Willy continued, his voice gaining conviction. "You for summoning a power you didn't understand. Me for failing to control that power in a moment of crisis. And now, we must all work together to atone for it."
"Sophisticated bullshit," Volmar muttered, the fight draining from him. He turned away from Willy, looking instead at Kalina. Confusion and betrayal etched deep lines around his eyes. "Why did you bring him with us? You should have left him to the Zergs."
Kalina's shoulders slumped, the weight of the day's events visible in every line of her body. She stared out across the lake, its surface now turned blood-red by the setting sun.
"Desperation," she admitted softly. "What else remains for us? The Summoner Tower is gone. Our fellow Summoners are dead. The territories we protected for centuries have fallen to monsters in a single day."
She gestured toward Willy without looking at him. "He claims he can help. That his power can fight against the Zergs. And if there's even the slightest chance that's true..."
Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear. Without help—any help—the catastrophe of Wonka City would repeat itself across Encarta.
"Otherwise," she continued after a moment, "all those deaths would have been for nothing. The Summoners, the citizens, the children—all meaningless sacrifices in a war we're destined to lose."
Volmar stared at her as if she had grown a second head. Then, without warning, laughter bubbled from his throat—not joyful or amused, but the broken sound of a mind pushed beyond its limits.
"You've gone insane," he said between bursts of manic laughter. "You too, Kalina! All of us, insane! Trusting the very creature that destroyed us to save us!"
His laughter grew louder, echoing across the peaceful lake in stark contrast to the setting's tranquillity. Birds took flight, startled by the discordant sound. Fish dived deeper into the lake's depths, as if sensing the madness on its shore.
"We're DOOMED!" Volmar shrieked, tears streaming down his face as laughter transformed seamlessly into sobs. "DOOMED!"
Kalina and Willy watched in silence as the Elder Summoner's composure shattered completely, years of discipline and dignity swept away by trauma and grief. Neither moved to comfort him—what comfort could possibly suffice in the face of such catastrophic loss?
A broken mage consumed by despair, a desperate woman clinging to false hope, and a displaced warrior carrying a power that had already brought destruction to one world. That was who they were now.