—Chapter 10—

—The Illusionist—

Sen walked into the bizarre establishment through the silk curtain front door. The silk was a vibrant red, and shimmered when it moved, like playful scarlet water.

Kellan followed after, tense in every regard. The Nexus wasn’t a place of predictability, and he hated entering an unknown place without a reliable weapon or teammate. However, he wasn’t ready to fight the issue, either. Now was the time for answers, and Kellan suspected the Lady Mage Sun Xiang would at least have a few.

The building smelled like a hive of hippies.

With his breath held, Kellan glanced around. The front room was decorated with soft pillows and silk. A werewolf man stood at a desk, his claws around a glass of water. His white fur highlighted his dark eyes perfectly—though some of his fur poked through his butler uniform.

The wolf-man’s ears went straight when Sen and Kellan entered. “What can I do for you two?”

There weren’t any chairs or tables. Just pillows. Piles of pillows in the corners like the place was meant for a giant slumber party of stoners.

“Fool, we don’t have time for discussions!” Sen proclaimed as he hurried through the lobby and straight for a door marked with the stairs sign. “You will pack Sun Xiang’s things immediately.”

The white wolf snorted and laughed. “Oh. You’re with the Illusionist. Right.”

Then he didn’t move. He just sipped some of his water, like there was no rush in the world. The place could be on fire, and this guy would still be casually drinking.

Kellan walked by, giving the man a hard stare. His eyes told him nothing.

A non-mage, then.

Kellan went to the stairs and followed Sen up to the third story. Every door was a silk curtain, and from inside the building, Kellan heard the sounds of merriment and eating. The further he got away from the lobby, the more the place smelled like BBQ. Kellan breathed a bit easier.

With haste in his steps, Sen rushed into the third story corridor. He hurried to a curtain door at the very end and then gestured with his short arm. “Here.”

Kellan stopped at the precipice and hesitated. For some reason, he had an odd sensation flood him right before entering. Sen threw open the silk curtain and stepped inside—Kellan followed once the feeling had waned.

The small sitting room was drowning in a haze of incense.

Various plants filled the corners, stuffing an extreme amount of life into the tiny living space.

There were two more curtain doors—one to a balcony, and one to a bedroom. Kellan wondered if there was a bathroom nearby. Perhaps the Nexus was so twisted that it didn’t have those.

Kellan laughed to himself at his own joke.

“Sister?” Sen called out. “I’ve returned with our warrior. Come see.”

The curtain to the balcony rustled.

Sen turned on his heel and glared up at Kellan. His child-like face made him look like he was throwing a tiny tantrum.

“Kneel,” Sen commanded.

The worms in Kellan’s body writhed around at the command. The sensation of a hundred tiny creatures in his system made Kellan grimace. He could fight against them—and the command—but he decided to wait. He actually wanted to speak with Sen’s sister.

Without his control, Kellan knelt on one knee.

“Really?” Kellan hissed under his breath. “You could’ve asked.”

Sen didn’t even glance at him. “Silence. My sister deserves your respect.”

Before Kellan could offer up a retort, a woman opened the curtain to the balcony.

Sun Xiang was beautiful—not like a model, or an actress, but the kind of regal beauty found in an oil painting or statue. She wore a robe with sleeves too long to be practical. They fell all the way to the floor, covering her arms and hands. When she walked, her long black hair swayed with the movement, silky enough to rival her elegant robes.

The white of her outfit highlighted the inky wonder of her hair. Everything seemed thought out and perfect—the woman could’ve been photoshopped.

Name: Sun Xiang the Illusionist

Race: Human

Magics: Mind, Soul, Concealed

Rank: Concealed

Armor Rating: ---

Health: 7

Stats: Concealed

Abilities: Concealed

Xiang and Sen were related. Kellan could see it in their facial expressions.

But when her eyes landed on Kellan, she stopped mid-step.

“Sen,” she whispered. “What have you done?”

After clearing his throat, Sen stepped forward, almost tripping over his robes. “This is for the best, Sister. I told you I’d find a warrior worthy of us, and here he is! We just need to get him a weapon, some arcana, perhaps some armor… You’ll see.”

Xiang shook her head, her eyes glazing with water. Kellan stood, unsure of why tension in the room was rising.

With a quick turn, Xiang turned away. “I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

“Aren’t you pleased? I thought you’d enjoy this, truly.” Sen waved at Kellan with one arm. “You know we can build him up to be powerful enough to win.”

“You’re a fool.” She took a deep breath. “And we don’t even have the time required to fix this mistake.”

“It’s not a mistake.” Sen moved closer to his sister and offered a smile. “This is perfect. Trust me. Look! He has the Descended of Zenith ability. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Xiang said nothing. She kept her back to the room, her attention on the balcony that overlooked the road. A gentle breeze subtly played with her hair and kept the room cold.

“I have control of him,” Sen continued, his voice becoming shaky as he continued. “He won’t betray us. I used our father’s Tyranny Worms. See? He can’t leave us now.”

“Sen.”

He froze, obviously caught off guard by his sister’s icy tone. “Y-Yes?”

“Leave us.”

Sen rubbed at his arms. For a prolonged moment, he did nothing. Then he glanced up at Kellan, offered him a glower, and turned for the curtain door. He dragged his feet as he went, glancing at his sister like he might say something.

He never did.

Sen pushed his way out of the curtains and into the hall. After another few moments—where Kellan listened to Sen’s distant footfalls—Xiang finally turned back around.

“Kids, am I right?” Kellan quipped.

But then he caught his breath.

Xiang wiped a stream of tears from her elegant face, her sleeves soaking up all the water on her cheek. Once she had rubbed at her eyes, she walked further into the room, circling around Kellan. Along the way, she touched the leaves of the plants, her hands never emerging from her outfit

When Xiang stopped, she met Kellan’s gaze, her eyes still red, but no longer crying.

“I apologize,” Xiang said, her voice graceful and confident. “My brother can be insensitive. I think he’s flesh-crafted himself too many times. All that changing of his shape and appearance has messed with his thoughts, and affected his common sense.”

“I don’t think I know what’s going on,” Kellan said as he crossed his arms.

“Sen never should’ve brought you here.”

“We can agree on that.”

Xiang studied his facial expression. Her eyes became glassy a second time, but she looked away and took a deep breath. “I should… apologize once again. That emotional outburst earlier was unbecoming of me. You must be confused and frightened. This world is new to you. Allow me to introduce myself.”

“You’re Sun Xiang the Illusionist,” Kellan said. He sarcastically motioned to his face. “My eyeballs told me all about you.”

She nodded once. “You have a keen perception, and your personality ability allows you to know the details of magical people and objects.” Xiang held her wrist to her chin as she thought of something. “How has your stay in the Nexus been so far?”

Kellan couldn’t help but chuckle. “My experience? I feel like my default emotion has been, What the hell is going on? Followed closely by, Oh no, not again. A person can only take so much O-face before their jaw gets tired, if you catch my drift.”

“I see. And has my brother… Has he been good to you?”

Good to me? Kellan had to think over the question for a long moment.

“Your brother seems to have enslaved me for the purposes of playing a game,” Kellan said, unable to keep his sardonic tone out of his words. “I don’t know what messed up reality you come from, but where I’m from, that’s not appreciated.”

Xiang tightened her jaw and glanced away.

With a wave of her sleeve, the plants in the room vanished. All of them. And then the curtain over the balcony—and the curtain for the other door. The room was barren. Devoid of all furniture and welcoming warmth.

Kellan flinched and glanced around, taken aback by the sudden change in their surroundings.

“I will speak with my brother,” Xiang muttered, her gaze vacant as she stared at the distant wall. “Again, I apologize for what he’s done. He never should’ve dragged you into our affairs. I never wanted this.”

Kellan’s eyebrows went to his hairline as he examined the empty room. There was nothing around them. Nothing. “Let me guess. Everything was an illusion? That’s how you got that fancy title of yours?”

“In a word, yes.”

“Look, I don’t care about your brother’s common sense, or the games he wants to play, or how crazy this world is.” Kellan rubbed at the hole in his shirt. “I just want to go home. Send me and Mavis back, and I’ll chalk this all up to a fever dream and never think about it ever again.”

Xiang closed her eyes and exhaled.

When she didn’t say anything, Kellan lifted an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? I know you or your brother can do it. He said you had the capability.”

“I have the capability.” Xiang turned to him. “But please reconsider.”

Kellan half-smiled. “Reconsider staying?” He motioned to the balcony. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but there are murder-robots floating around the streets ready to beam a fool down just for existing. It’s not really my kind of place.”

“We need your help for the Nexus Games.”

“I’m sure you can find someone else.”

“I could find people,” Xiang said matter-of-factly. “But I need talented individuals if I’m to have any hope of winning the games.”

Kellan forced a quick sigh. “What’s the prize? Ten bajillion space-dollars? Or whatever you people use for currency? Arcana? A medal that cures cancer? It better goddamn blow my mind if it’s worth all this insanity.”

“The prize is access to Zenith.”

Kellan waited for her to follow it up with an explanation. When she didn’t, he rotated his hand around in a circle, urging her to continue.

“Zenith is a dimension unlike any other,” Xiang said with an amused smile. “Everyone who goes there is filled with magic beyond compare. It’s a wonderland of arcana, resources, longevity, technology, and prosperity. It literally is perfect.”

“So, you’re going to compete in the Nexus Games so you can win a weekend getaway to a resort dimension?” Kellan scoffed and then shrugged. “I’m not buying it.”

With a slight hint of anger, Xiang stepped up to Kellan, her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t about power or seeing Zenith with my own eyes. This is about the people who are there.”

Kellan held his breath, both angered and intrigued. “People?”

“Ten years ago, my mother won the Nexus Games,” Xiang stated. She took a breath, and then continued with, “She was supposed to send me magical resources from Zenith so that I could use them to fix our nation—a land being ravaged by corruption—but she never contacted me. I fear… Something is wrong. I must find my mother, and the only way to do that is to get to Zenith myself.”

“Your mom might be too busy enjoying herself,” Kellan said with a shrug.

Xiang moved away from him, her demeanor once again calm.

“My mother would never abandon her people. The only reason she entered the Nexus Games was to get to Zenith and find a solution for our suffering.” Xiang held a hand to her chest. “I have to find her. If I don’t… My homeland will crumble. It’s already on the verge of collapse. Not from politicians or mismanagement. It’s from a hex. A type of corrupted magic.” She shook her head and turned away. “I know… You know nothing of magic. But please believe me. Hexes are the worst form of magic. They’re a rot that festers from the inside and destroys everything you love.”

“There’s no way to deal with them?” Kellan asked.

Xiang shook her head. “No. Once they’ve formed, they’re like a cancer that will never relent. Husker understands. That’s why he agreed to help me.”

Kellan crossed his arms, and then uncrossed them, uncertain of what to do. Xiang was right—he didn’t know anything about hexes, or why they were so terrible. He didn’t know anything about Xiang’s homeland, either.

He understood patriotism, though. And wanting to protect things that mattered to him.

At least on those topics, he felt sympathy.

“Let me get everything straight,” Kellan said, one hand up. “You want to compete in these games so that you can find your mother and save your homeland.”

Xiang met his gaze and slowly nodded.

“You need my help because you’re out of time and options.”

Again, she nodded.

“And if you don’t succeed, your homeland will crumble, and you’ll never see your mother ever again?”

“Correct.” Before Kellan could say anything more, Xiang added, “And if you help me win, you’ll also gain access to Zenith. You’d become more powerful than you ever imagined. The magic of Zenith flows so freely, it empowers all who live there. They become immortal.”

Immortality?

The more Kellan heard, the more Kellan became suspicious. A perfect dimension where everyone lived forever as a powerful wizard? Seemed too good to be true. Then again, robots that stole the organs of dogs was never something Kellan thought would happen, so perhaps anything was possible.

“I don’t care about the immortality,” Kellan stated. “But I suppose power wouldn’t hurt in this situation.” Anything to avoid being rotted into the dust, like the truck.

“Then you’ll help me?” The hope in Xiang’s voice cut Kellan deep.

Kellan rubbed at his jaw. “Listen—what makes you think we’ll win? Mavis and I were dragged here against our will. We don’t know what’s going on. You want a team where 40% of the members are clueless?”

“That can be fixed with time and explanation. It’s your potential that…” Xiang shook her head. “It’s your potential that Sen thought would be an asset to us."

“Sen is trying to control us with worms.” Kellan tensed, trying to keep the conversation civil. “If he really wants us for potential, he wouldn’t have us in metaphorical chains.”

Forcing people into servitude was always a recipe for disaster. Drafting soldiers typically resulted in deserters, mutinies, and insubordination, but soldiers who freely joined were typically more loyal and resourceful.

“Tell Sen to remove the worms,” Kellan demanded.

Xiang frowned. “Sen is afraid you’ll betray us if he has no means to control you. And not just in the voluntary sense—there are several magical means to control someone, but if Sen maintains hooks, he can always bring you back.”

Nothing about that explanation eased Kellan’s worries—if anything, it made them worse. The enemy could control people? Were there other puppet masters?

“I will try to find a way to free you of the infestation,” Xiang said. “This, you have my word.”

Kellan sighed and nodded once. “All right.”

“In the meantime, your magics can be grown with more arcana, and with enough power, you can remove any obstacle in your way.”

“And that makes you think we have a chance to win the Nexus Games?” Kellan had no idea what was required of the games. Physical tasks? Magical ones? Getting a rose from a potential significant other? What were the obstacles of this hyper-magical reality show?

“I think we’ll win because you’re not the only one with potential.”

Xiang once again waved her hand.

But instead of flowers appearing around them, the entire room vanished. Kellan no longer stood into a dinky room of an opium den. He stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking a dozen waterfalls.

The rush of the water, the mist in the air, the scent of forest and pine—it all assaulted him at once.

Kellan stumbled backward and almost tripped on a rock. He glanced around, his heart racing. Where were they? Rainbows filled the waterfalls, a trick of the light. The brilliant sun, shining overhead, made everything vibrant and wonderful.

Birds… Herons, specifically…They flew overhead in beautiful V formations.

As far as Kellan was concerned, he and Xiang were out in the vast wilderness, all alone. When he glanced over to her, she smiled and laughed into her sleeve.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re always so tense,” she said, more jovial than she was before.

“Oh? You talk like you know me.”

Xiang’s smile dropped. In a serious tone, she said, “We’ve never met before. I’ve just… Known someone who is similar. I apologize. I shouldn’t act as though I’m familiar with your mannerisms.”

She held out her hand. “Let me show you something.”

Kellan brushed off his clothing. The water from the falls irritated his nose. He stepped over the rocks with careful precision, and then placed his hand on Xiang’s. Her palm was soft, and her fingers delicate.

“Okay,” Kellan muttered.

Xiang closed her eyes, and information was sent to Kellan’s thoughts, like when his eyes activated.

Sun Xiang’s Abilities:

Personal—[Descended from Zenith]—The mage has the raw magic of Zenith in their blood, and has no rank maximum. The mage can also develop one “unknowable” magic.

Personal—[Master Manipulator]—The mage is a master of manipulation and trickery. Their illusions are always considered 5 ranks higher (even beyond maximums) in order to avoid detection and divination.

Kellan ripped his hand away from her. For some reason, seeing her abilities… It made him feel slimy. Like he had touched something he shouldn’t have. Or that something was…

It wasn’t right.

“Well?” Xiang asked. “You saw it, didn’t you?” She waved her hands at their surroundings. “That’s why your Blitzkrieg Analysis didn’t activate when I created our false environment. My illusions are beyond compare.”

Kellan slowly nodded along with her words, his attention on the rainbows and birds. He really couldn’t see the difference. Even the scents seemed real.

He didn’t know how to compare this ability to normal illusions, but if Xiang—who was familiar with this world and rules—was confident, Kellan suspected she knew best.

“With my brother’s ability to alter flesh and control people, and Husker’s raw talent for destruction… I think we stand a good chance of acquiring the keys we need.” Xiang threw her hair over her shoulder and smiled. “Please. Help me.”

Her beauty seemed more suspect to Kellan now that he knew the truth. Was Xiang even showing her true self? It made him wonder.

But he didn’t really care.

If what she said about her mother and nation were true, Kellan wanted to help. It was his default setting, deep in his core.

And although he didn’t know all the aspects and rules of the Nexus Games, he did know a few harsh facts. First off, he needed Sen or Xiang to get back to his home dimension. Secondly, if he refused to help, they could just force him regardless due to the Tyranny Worms. And lastly, if he wanted any chance at all to gain their trust—and ultimately learn everything about this twisted dimension and its people—he couldn’t fight against them too hard now that he was neck-deep in their business.

He sighed. “All right. Fine. I’ll help you.”