Then the dream shifted again, the tide came rolling in slow and steady at first, then the wind picked up stars and threw them with water into the void. Once the fabric settled, and the two recovered from their travel through realities, Adre and Selia shot a glance toward one another —— not an _‘are you alright?’ _sort_ _of glance, but an ‘_are you ready?_’ sort.

The two nodded, pushed down the retching that always came by moving on, and took a few steps into the river.

Adre noticed the being first, and with the observation came an awful realization.

“It’s a trap!”

He’d barely managed to let the words out when the roaring river morphed, swirling and hissing its way into the twisted form of a Fell God, accompanied by a cocaphany of snapping, like fresh leaves into a pit of flame.

The being roared in agony, as they all did, having been summoned forth from the Realms Beyond Minds, that profane place — the very reason the pair had come for the summoner, who’d taken refuge far behind the horrid mass he’d called forward.

As the horror began to recover from its new place, with screams and squels that would deafen mortal men, Selia sought for an easy victory.

“What is your name? You poor sou—“

A realm-bolt stopped her, striking mid center and sending her spiraling away from the putrid mass of foul reality.

“You _really_ thought I’d make it that easy? As if I’d pull this damned thing here, and put a _name tag_ on him? Hello! My name is…. _Idiot_!!! Ha! I hope you’re ready for death. Well, you must be, having come all this way for it!”

Jusil cackled as he prepared to collapse another universe in his palm, taking sharp aim at Adre next.

Adre didn’t have to look at Selia to know she would be fine, the two had dealt with far more difficult issues in their service to the Reality Intervention Program. This wouldn’t be an easy shift, but a doable one nonetheless.

The soldier gathered energy is his palms, weaving an orb from the Lifeless Realms and charged past the Fell God and straight to the summoner. He moved like a dream, flickering and shifting, never truly in a single place at once.

The collision between his hand and Jusil’s jaw shook reality, the sound indescribable by human understanding. Space and time folded and warped, bowing to the strength of the blow.

The summoner stood there,

**To be continued**