The "workshop" wasn't really a room. It was a hollowed-out space beneath the roots of a giant, mechanical tree that had long since died. Cables as thick as Joshua's waist hung from the ceiling like frozen snakes, and the air tasted like copper and old grease. Sharla scrambled ahead, her boots clattering against the metal floorboards, while Kairyn trailed behind, keeping his eyes on the entrance they had just slipped through.
"Welcome to my 'Office of Forbidden Science,'" Sharla announced, waving her arms dramatically. "It's not much, but since the Myth doesn't approve of people building things that aren't 'happy toys,' I have to keep it low-key."
Roselia whistled, her eyes darting around the room. "Low-key? This place looks like a junkyard exploded, Sharla. I legit can't tell what's a tool and what's trash."
"Hey! That's rude," Sharla pouted, though she was already busy clearing a mountain of rusty gears off a central table. "Everything here has a purpose. See this?" She pointed to a pile of glowing glass shards—leftovers from the Tavern Mimics. "I use those for batteries. And this?" She held up a twisted piece of copper. "That's... well, okay, that actually is trash. But everything else is vital!"
Joshua stood in the center of the room, his head tilted. Even without sight, he could feel the chaotic energy of the place. The hum of small machines, the smell of ozone, and the frantic, nervous heartbeat of the young girl in front of him.
"Kairyn mentioned you were building something," Joshua said, his voice calm and steady. "Something that can help us."
"The Reality Stabilizer," Sharla said, her tone suddenly turning serious. She reached under the table and pulled out a heavy, metallic box. It was about the size of a toaster, covered in glowing blue wires and small, flickering screens. It looked like it had been cobbled together from parts of a spaceship and a clock. "I call it 'The Anchor' for short. Because that's exactly what it does. It anchors your mind to reality."
Kairyn crossed his arms, leaning against a damp wall. "Most of the people in the slums can stay awake because the light doesn't reach us down here. But if we ever want to get to the Middle Ring or the Myth's palace without turning into mindless, smiling puppets, we need a way to block the signal. The Myth broadcasts his 'Peace and Love' frequency through the light itself."
"The Anchor creates a bubble of 'Real Space,'" Sharla explained, tapping one of the screens. "Inside this bubble, the hypnosis doesn't work. You see the world exactly as it is. No illusions, no fake smells, no brainwashing. It's a total game-changer for the resistance."
"So, what's the catch?" Roselia asked, leaning over the device. "In these kinds of stories, there's always a catch. Let me guess... it's missing a part?"
Sharla sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Yeah. It's missing the core. A standard battery isn't enough to power a reality-warper. I need something with high-concentrate 'Aetheric Fluid.' And there's only one place to get it around here."
"The Bubbly Monsters," Joshua guessed.
"Bingo," Sharla said. "But not just any bubble. I need a Soporific Prime. They're the giant ones that patrol the 'Fall-Off' zone—the very edge of the island where the atmosphere meets the void. They're basically the border patrol for Narakka. They swallow anyone trying to escape and dissolve their memories into fluid. That fluid is exactly what I need to jumpstart the Anchor."
Joshua felt a light pressure on his arm. It was Roselia. "The edge of the island," she whispered. "That's a long walk, Josh. And if we get spotted out in the open, we're toast. The Guardians don't play nice near the borders."
"The Book said to seek the heart that beats in the rust," Joshua reminded her. He reached into his robes, feeling the warmth of the Old Book. It was still pulsing, a rhythmic thump-thump that felt like a living heart. "If this device is the key to reaching the Myth, then we have to go. Besides, I think the Book wants us to see the edge."
"Then we'd better move while the 'Gilded Sun' is at its peak," Kairyn said, pushing off the wall. "Everyone is usually at the festivals during the peak hours. The guards are lazier then. But be warned—the edge isn't like the slums. It's beautiful, but it's lethal."
The journey to the edge of Narakka took hours. They navigated through the "under-belly" of the nation, walking along massive, swaying pipes and narrow catwalks that hung over a bottomless abyss of swirling white clouds. Joshua led the way, his cane tapping rhythmically, while Kage flew ahead, serving as his eyes in the sky.
As they climbed higher toward the perimeter, the scenery began to change. The rusted metal of the slums gave way to lush, emerald-green grass and trees with leaves that shimmered like silver coins. The air grew thinner and colder, carrying the scent of ozone and distant starlight.
"Whoa," Roselia breathed as they reached the final ridge. "Okay, I hate the Myth, but he's got a great eye for landscaping."
They were standing on a cliffside that overlooked the Void. Beyond the edge of the grass, there was nothing but a shimmering purple nebula and millions of distant stars. Narakka wasn't just a country; it was a giant, floating garden drifting through space.
"Don't get distracted by the view," Sharla whispered, pointing toward the horizon.
Floating along the coastline of the island were the Soporific Primes. They were massive, iridescent spheres, at least twenty feet wide. They looked like giant pearls drifting in the wind, trailing long, translucent ribbons behind them. They moved with a slow, ghostly grace, glowing with a soft, hypnotic light.
"They look so... peaceful," Sharla muttered, her eyes glazing over for a second.
Kairyn immediately slapped a hand over her eyes. "Don't look directly at the glow, kid! That's how they get you. They lure you in with the pretty colors, and before you know it, you're walking straight into their membrane."
Joshua stepped to the very edge of the cliff. The wind whipped his purple robes around his legs, and his white blindfold fluttered in the breeze. He could 'feel' the monster in front of him—a massive, hollow void of hunger dressed in beautiful light.
"How do we get the fluid out?" Joshua asked.
"You have to pop it," Kairyn said, gripping his serrated blade. "But it's not like a normal bubble. The skin is as tough as leather, and if you pierce it, the gas inside leaks out. If you breathe it in, you're out for a hundred years. You have to kill it instantly, then drain the core before the fluid evaporates."
"Instantly, huh?" Roselia said, her hands glowing with a dark, shadowy mist. "I think we can manage that. Joshua, you want to do the honors, or should I?"
"We do it together," Joshua said. "Kage, find me the center."
The raven let out a sharp cry and dived toward the nearest Prime. It circled a specific spot on the iridescent surface—a small, swirling vortex of color that looked like a 'pupil.'
"That's the core," Sharla shouted. "Hit it there!"
Suddenly, the Soporific Prime stopped drifting. Its long ribbons began to lash out like whips, sensing the presence of the intruders. The soft humming sound it made turned into a high-pitched, vibrating shriek that made the ground beneath their feet tremble.
"It's hostile!" Kairyn yelled, stepping in front of Sharla. "Get ready, it's coming in!"
The giant bubble accelerated with surprising speed, roaring toward the cliffside like a falling moon.
Joshua didn't flinch. He reached for the hilt of his black blade. "Roselia, now!"
Roselia didn't hesitate. She threw herself off the cliff, her body turning into a streak of crimson shadow mid-air. "Shadow Snare!" she cried.
Tendrils of darkness erupted from her hands, wrapping around the giant bubble and anchoring it to the cliffside. The monster thrashed, its ribbons tearing through the grass and rocks, but the shadows held firm.
Joshua stepped forward, his boots right on the edge of the abyss. He drew his sword in a slow, deliberate motion. The black steel seemed to drink in the starlight, glowing with a faint, violet aura.
"One strike is all I need," Joshua whispered.
He didn't swing. He lunged.
The black blade pierced the air, creating a ripple in reality itself. Joshua channeled his energy through the sword, focusing all his "Void" power into a single point.
SHATTER!
The sound wasn't a pop—it was like a giant window breaking. The Soporific Prime stiffened, the colors on its surface turning grey and dull. A second later, the entire creature collapsed inward, exploding into a cloud of sparkling, silver dust.
In the center of the dust, a single, glowing orb of thick, blue liquid hovered in the air.
"I got it!" Sharla screamed, running forward with a specialized glass container. She caught the fluid just before it hit the ground. "Yes! Legit! We actually got it!"
But the celebration was short-lived.
From the depths of the Void below the island, a massive, golden light began to rise. It wasn't a bubble. It was something much larger, much more powerful. A booming voice, like a thousand bells ringing at once, echoed across the sky.
"WHO DARES TO STAIN THE DREAM WITH SHADOWS?"
"Oh, crap," Kairyn whispered, his face turning ghostly white. "That's not a Guardian. That's a Herald of the Myth."
A giant, winged figure made of solid gold and white marble rose from the clouds, holding a spear that looked like a bolt of lightning.
"Joshua," Roselia said, landing back on the cliffside, her chest heaving. "Tell me you've got another 'one-shot' left in that sword, because I think we just started a war."
Joshua didn't answer. He reached for his blindfold.
"Not yet," he muttered. "We have to get the Anchor back to the slums. Go! I'll hold him off."
"No cap? You're going to fight that thing alone?" Sharla asked, her eyes wide.
"I'm not alone," Joshua said, 'looking' at Roselia. "We're never alone."