Kingdom of the Nine: The Bridge (IV)

Chapter 12

———Hail———
I want to tell him. I want to tell Red that Vermidia has Domnik. But how do I even begin to explain that? How do I admit that I killed him? That his death was my choice?

I grip the edge of the table, my knuckles white. No. This has to stay buried, at least until I figure out what the hell kind of game the Court is playing. The weight of it sits heavy in my chest, threatening to crush me with every passing second.

"Hail?" Claire's voice cuts through my thoughts, soft but sharp, like a blade slipping between armor. I glance back as she steps into the small, dimly lit side room where I've hidden myself away. Her gaze meets mine, bright with concern.

Her eyes sparkle in a way that unsettles me. She actually cares—cares why I walked off on my own.

"I'm fine," I mutter, trying to sound convincing. "Just a lot on my mind, that's all."

Claire tilts her head, unconvinced. "Is it about... being in another universe?"

I hesitate before answering. "Partially."

She moves closer, her steps deliberate. "You're not alone in this, you know. The others are overwhelmed too. Hell, Kylen and I didn't know what to think when we first got here. I promise—it'll make sense eventually."

I grunt in response, turning away to face the wall. The tension in my chest only tightens.

Claire hesitates behind me. "I'm sorry if I—"

I cut her off, unable to keep it in any longer. "We failed."

Her breath catches, and I feel her watching me closely as the words pour out.

"We failed Naurus and all of Amerei," I continue, my voice low and strained. "By leaving, we gave the Daem exactly what they wanted—a universe free of gods. Free for them to do whatever the hell they want. And now, we're stuck here. Powerless."

There's a long pause, but Claire doesn't flinch. She doesn't walk away. Instead, she steps closer, her voice steady. "We haven't failed yet, Hail. Not while we're still breathing. As long as we're alive, there's still a way to fix this."

Her conviction cuts through some of the fog in my mind, but it's not enough to dull the guilt. "And if we don't? If we're too late? If—"

She interrupts me this time, her tone firm. "We will find a way back. And when we do, we'll stop whatever chaos they've unleashed. All of us. Together."

Her words hang in the air, heavy with promise. I don't respond immediately. I can't. Instead, I let out a slow, shaky breath, staring at the wall as if it might offer answers.

"I hope you're right," I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Because I don't know if I can stand to fail again."

Claire doesn't respond right away. When she does, her voice is quieter, softer. "You won't. Not this time."

But even as she speaks, the weight in my chest doesn't lift. It won't. Not until I face what I've done—and what I've kept from them, about Domnik and about what I did to Zenot.

———Alyse———
Kylen pushes away from the wall, his expression sharp. "We're not screwed, but we are in the dark. That means our priority is gathering intel. We need to figure out who or what 'M.V.' is, how the Court operates, and why they care about us."

Dylan crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair. "So we're detectives now? Should we be expecting trench coats and magnifying glasses?"

"Not quite," Kylen replies, ignoring the sarcasm. "We'll start by analyzing the orb. Kat claimed to have information about it, so she'll be helping me. You all—" he gestures to the rest of us, "—need to focus on staying off the radar and preparing for another attack. The Wraith wasn't just a warning; it was a test. Hail says it's not dead, so we have to assume it'll come back and it will come back stronger."