MEMELAND

The sewer exit eventually led them outside the walls of Asphyxia.

Fresh air greeted them.

Kai hated it.

A part of him kept looking behind.

Toward the ground.

Toward the tunnels.

Toward where Andre had been left behind.

The image refused to leave his mind.

Andre grinning.

Andre fighting.

Andre shouting stupid things.

Then disappearing behind falling stone.

Eric noticed.

Of course he did.

"You know."

Kai remained silent.

Eric continued.

"If it was me down there."

Kai glanced at him.

The architect adjusted his glasses.

"I'd be dead."

"That's reassuring."

"I'm serious."

Eric pointed toward the city walls.

"Andre isn't normal."

"Neither is Fais."

"Exactly."

Kai frowned.

"That doesn't help."

Eric shrugged.

"It helps me."

They continued walking.

Several moments passed.

Then Eric spoke again.

"You know what he'd say."

Kai already knew.

Unfortunately.

Eric grinned.

"'Stop crying and go do something useful.'"

Kai snorted despite himself.

"Sounds like him."

"Or maybe he'd say something dumber."

"Dumber?"

"'If I die, take my wallet.'"

Kai sighed.

"That definitely sounds like him."

For the first time since the collapse—

He smiled.

Only a little.

But it helped.

Eventually the massive gates of Asphyxia came into view.

The guards immediately noticed them.

Mostly because they looked terrible.

Covered in dirt.

Blood.

Dust.

And exhaustion.

One guard stepped forward.

"What happened to you two?"

Kai answered immediately.

"We found a cult hideout beneath the city."

The guard stared.

Silence.

Then he laughed.

Several other guards laughed too.

Eric looked offended.

"We're serious."

The guard nodded.

"Of course."

"Very serious."

"There was a giant bald man."

The guard laughed harder.

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose.

This was going exactly how he expected.

Another guard stepped forward.

"What proof do you have?"

Kai froze.

That was actually a fair question.

The hideout had collapsed.

The evidence was underground.

The cultists were gone.

Fais was gone.

Andre was gone.

Then—

Kai remembered.

"Oh."

He reached into his pocket.

The plaque.

Alice's plaque.

The one with her face making a rude gesture.

The guards immediately stopped laughing.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

One of them swallowed.

Another looked away.

A third muttered something about requesting retirement.

Kai held it up.

The guard captain stared at it.

Then immediately straightened his posture.

"Why didn't you show that first?"

Kai looked at the plaque.

Then at the guard.

Then back at the plaque.

"...Seriously?"

"Very seriously."

The captain's expression became professional.

Painfully professional.

"As you were saying, sir."

Sir.

Kai wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"We found a cult hideout beneath the city."

The guard nodded.

Taking notes.

"No laughing?"

"No laughing."

"There was a giant bald guy."

The guard wrote it down.

"No questions?"

"No questions."

Kai pointed at the plaque.

"This thing is ridiculous."

"You have no idea."

Within minutes the report was sent upward through official channels.

The captain personally escorted them through the gates.

Eric leaned toward Kai.

"I think that plaque might be more powerful than the Queen."

"Don't let Alice hear that."

The architect nodded.

"Good point."

"She'd probably agree."

They entered the city.

The colorful lights were beginning to illuminate the streets once more.

Citizens wandered between markets.

Restaurants opened for the evening.

Music echoed from distant districts.

Life continued as normal.

Nobody knew what had happened beneath their feet.

Nobody knew how close danger had been.

Kai looked around.

For the first time since entering Asphyxia—

The city felt different.

Larger.

More fragile.

More real.

A place worth protecting.

A place people actually lived in.

Then Eric suddenly spoke.

"You know."

Kai sighed.

"What now?"

The architect smiled.

"If Andre survives."

"He survived."

"If."

"He survived."

Eric rolled his eyes.

"Fine."

"When Andre survives."

Kai nodded.

"Much better."

"He's going to complain that nobody came back for him."

Kai laughed.

"Definitely."

"And he'll ask for food."

"Definitely."

"And somehow blame us."

"Absolutely."

The two continued toward the palace.