The trident was gone.

  I stood in the bustling weapons shop, staring at the empty spot on the wall where it had hung, my stomach sinking. The black token Xelmir had given me felt heavy in my palm. It might have cut the price in half, maybe more.

  Now I'd never know.

  Flicking the coin upward with my thumb, I caught it and studied the symbol. Something about it seemed to pulse, a subtle vibration that didn't quite feel natural. “That's just your hand,” Cronia whispered. When I moved the coin away, the sensation remained.

  My eyes fell to the scar on my palm where Kor's dagger had cut deep. The familiar throb of pain was there, but underneath it was now something else—a deeper pulse that sent tingles racing up my arm. Frowning, I slipped the coin into my inventory and rubbed my hands together, trying to ignore the sensation, looking for something else I could afford.

  “Don't lose heart,” Cronia whispered. “Just buy it next time around.”

  I nodded, but a cold anxiety still churned in my gut. The shop was packed with Tidewalkers who barely spared me a glance, but that wasn't what had me on edge. I reached up to stroke Gripjaw, who hung over my shoulder like a sleepy scarf, still healing from Xelmir's blow. My fingers found the crack in the creature's forehead, and anger flared hot in my chest.

  Moving from counter to counter in a daze, I tried to focus on finding something else but my mind kept circling back to yesterday's fight. I'd held my own, barely, but if Xelmir hadn't called it when he did…

  I picked up a dagger with a short green blade, testing its weight. Even with a weapon, would I have won? My melee skill was mediocre at best.

  Which reminded me. When was I going to continue training?

  I glanced at my quests, noting Xelmir’s.

  The objective was clear: prepare for what was coming. That meant buying something to help in the inevitable fight ahead. When I completed that, would my training continue?

  I set the dagger down and drifted toward a wall of amulets, wondering might happen next. Would they eventually bring me to their leader? What would happen then? How would they initiate me into the cult? And how would I gather intel without arrousing suspicion?

  A shiver ran through me as I remembered his blade tearing through the council member, reducing him to dust. My fingers closed around a green amulet shaped like a turtle shell. Cronia materialized beside it, her silvery hair drifting as if underwater. Her eyes met mine, expression unusually somber.

  “I get where you're coming from,” she said, her voice echoing both in my mind and seemingly from everywhere. I glanced around, but the other shoppers remained absorbed in their own business, friends chatting and comparing weapons. “Gathering intellegence is the best plan of action.”

  Agreed, but…should I at least try and stop him? I thought back, weighing the shell-shaped amulet in my palm. I need to know what I'm up against—his moves, his skills. If I could challenge him every time, learn from my deaths… I grimaced at the thought, worry gnawing at my chest. I…um…will loop if I die, right?

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  Cronia nodded quickly, perching on the shell with a pensive expression. Before she could speak, pain flared in my palm. I clenched my fist with a wince, but it passed as quickly as it had come. Cronia pressed her tiny hands against the scar, shivered, then looked up at me.

  “I felt that too.” She frowned as she scanned the crowd. Without warning, she dissolved into mist and zipped away.

  Leaving her to…um…do whatever it is she was doing, I considered my options. Stockpiling money for the trident would be smart, but I needed something now. My defense mask had saved my life against Xelmir—without it, that quarterstaff strike would have cracked my shin and crushed my windpipe. But even the mask had been on its last leg.

  I studied the shell-shaped amulet in my hand:

  Amulet: Impenetrable Hide

  Effect: Creates a skin-tight, protective shell around the wielder, absorbing 60% of incoming damage.

  Bonus: Base Defense +40

  Cost: 5 MP per second, when active.

  My heart quickened. Not the stamina boost I'd hoped for, but maybe—just maybe—it could save me from a strike of the cult leader's sword. After a quick scan of the remaining merchandise, I approached the counter. The shopkeeper took my coins with a grunt, leaving my pockets empty. But there were ways to farm coins, and if all else failed…well, I could always steal for the greater good. Robin Hood was the perfect example of that, so if I resorted to theft, I’d think of him and hopefully not feel so guilty.

  The morning air hit me as I stepped outside, scanning the street for any sign of Cronia. Families of Tidewalkers meandered past, along with a few Beachstriders. Three young Gaians stood chatting with a silver-scaled Tidewalker by a nearby booth, and an unexpected ache gripped my chest.

  Rosamae… Was I really missing her that bad? I'd see her again next loop. But the feeling lingered. I wondered if she was okay, if her brother would survive, if—

  The pulse in my hand flared again.

  Silvery mist coalesced into Cronia.

  “You’re being followed,” she said. My heart skipped, but I kept my eyes forward, swallowing my panic. “Two men from the weapons shop. They kept watching you while pretending to browse.”

  “What do they look like?” I asked, picking up my pace.

  “One Tidewalker, one Beachstrider. Scarred, tattooed. Rough types.”

  My suspicions crystallized. “They're from the Underbelly,” I whispered. “Kor probably sent them.”

  “Another test,” Cronia whispered, watching over my shoulder with an angry frown. “Hopefully not another fight.” She sighed. “If it does devolve to that, please use the ability I gave you. In last night's fight, if you'd have rewinded after losing hold of his quarterstaff, you might have landed an even better hit than that kick of yours.”

  “It's the only real move I know”* I replied, glancing back to spot a tattooed Beachstrider stalking me. I turned down a side street, my heart hammering as essence coursed through my veins, making my turquoise tattoos shimmer.

  Still gripping the defense amulet, I pressed it to my chest. A window appeared:

  [Apply Amulet?]

  “Yes,” I whispered. It melted through my skin, lodging between my ribs before dissolving completely.

  New stats appeared in my vision:

  [Impenetrable Hide - Inactive]

  Base Defense: +40

  Damage Reduction: 60%

  MP Cost: 5 per second, when active

  I rounded another corner and slammed into what felt like a wall—but was actually a massive Tidewalker, his neck-fins flaring as he glared down at me. A quick look behind showed the Beachstrider approaching, his scarred lips face twisting into a smile.

  The nature of the test was clear: After fighting Xelmir one-on-one, they wanted to see how I'd handle two opponents.

  Dropping into the stance Kor had taught me, I pulled up my interface, focusing on Rewind—my only bond ability.

  I'd definitely need it soon. Very soon.