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You exhale sharply and take the rune stone from Elias’s outstretched hand. “I think Baider is at the heart of this,” you say without complete confidence. “Find Baider, and we will probably find the Minister of Trade and Jorsh.”

“You better be right,” Hawthorn says with regal authority.

“Put your hands under my hand,” you say, narrowing your eyes at Hawthorn.

She sneers at you slightly, but she does what you ask. Her fingertips caress the bottom of your hand, and you’re sure she’s toying with you. Thankfully, Elias slaps his hand under hers and almost jars the rune stone out of your grip. You’re grateful at the distraction, but you scowl at him anyway.

“Sorry,” he says, clearing his throat.

You read the ancient rune aloud and it glows with brief but shocking intensity. The world around you warps, causing your stomach to churn as you hurtle through time and space. In a flash, the three of you are in another place. A dark place.

The cold darkness of the Realm of Shadows wraps around you like a shroud as you and your companions move cautiously through the twisted landscape. The air is heavy, each breath tasting of decay and forgotten nightmares. The rune Elias found led you here, to this forsaken place, in search of Baider, the half-orc blacksmith who raised you. You can only hope you're not too late.

Ahead, Elias signals for you to stop. His keen ranger instincts have kept you alive this far, and you trust his judgment. You crouch behind a crumbling stone pillar, peering ahead into the dim light. Your heart skips a beat when you see him—Baider, bound and bloodied, slumped against a cold, jagged rock. Mercenaries, dark elves in Varis’s employ, guard him, their cruel laughter filling the air.

“We’ll need a distraction,” Hawthorn whispers beside you. She’s been oddly quiet since Elias’s declaration of love, and you can feel the tension between them, though there’s no time to address it now.

You nod, gripping the hilt of your dagger. “I’ll take the lead,” you say, determination tightening your voice. “Elias, cover me with your bow. Hawthorn, take the one on the left. We’ll move on my signal.”

It’s a dangerous plan, but you don’t have a choice. Baider’s life depends on you.

You spring into action.

The fight is swift but brutal. Arrows fly from Elias’s bow, striking true as you and Hawthorn move in with deadly precision. The dark elves are skilled, but their overconfidence is their downfall. You take down the final guard, your dagger slipping between the elf’s ribs as he crumples to the ground.

Panting, you rush to Baider’s side, cutting his bonds with trembling hands. He looks up at you, his once-imposing figure now frail and battered. His dark eyes soften when he meets your gaze.

“Kira...” His voice is rough, but there’s relief in it. “I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”

“You’re safe now,” you say, trying to steady the emotions roiling inside you. You’ve never seen him like this—vulnerable, weakened. It’s almost too much to bear. You help him stand, and he winces, clutching his side.

“There’s something... I have to tell you,” Baider says, leaning heavily on you. “Varis... he has a relic. Something powerful. From Hemlock Falls.”

Your heart sinks. You knew Varis was dangerous, but this? A relic from Hemlock Falls could only mean one thing—he’s planning something far worse than you imagined.

“A relic?” you ask, your voice low. “What does it do?”

Baider’s eyes darken. “It can open a portal—a permanent gateway between our world and the Realm of Shadows. He’s planning to invade Belladonna and the Kingdom of Yew through Hemlock Caverns. The dark elves... their armies.”

The weight of his words settles heavily on your shoulders. If Varis succeeds, Belladonna and everything you hold dear will fall into chaos. The realization is almost too much to process.

“He has to be stopped,” you whisper. The words feel hollow in the face of such an overwhelming threat, but you have no other choice. You glance at Elias and Hawthorn, both looking grim. This mission just became far more dangerous.

But before you can say more, Baider reaches out, his hand resting on your arm. “Kira,” he says quietly, his voice thick with regret. “I... I wasn’t a good father to you. I was harsh, distant... I wanted to protect you, but I didn’t know how. I see now that I pushed you away. And for that, I’m sorry.”

His words hit you like a blow. You’ve spent so long resenting him for the way he raised you, for the distance he put between you. But now, seeing him like this, you realize that beneath his rough exterior, there was always love, however misguided.

“I didn’t understand,” you say, your voice trembling. “I thought you didn’t care. That you didn’t want me.”

Baider shakes his head, his grip tightening. “I always cared. More than you’ll ever know. You were... you are... the only family I have.”

You take a deep breath, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. “I know now,” you say softly. “I’m sorry too.”

For a moment, the world feels still. The weight of the past lifts, if only slightly, as you and Baider share a long-overdue moment of understanding. But there’s no time to dwell on it. Not here. Not in this cursed realm.

“I have other bad news,” Baider says. He doesn’t wait for your reply. “I think they might have taken Onyx, too.”

Onyx the village elder? Baider’s long-estranged companion from years ago? “Why?” you ask.

“I have my suspicions,” Baider says. “There’s too much to tell now, but I owe it to him to try to save him.”

Your mind races with questions about Onyx and his possible involvement in this interdimensional plot. You are vaguely aware that once upon a time, Baider and Onyx were adventuring partners. You know something happened on one of their adventures that scared them both. They stopped adventuring, and Baider and Onyx grew apart. You help Baider to his feet, and the four of you move quickly, seeking refuge in an abandoned temple you spotted earlier. It’s a crumbling ruin, its stone walls etched with ancient symbols, but it will have to do.

The reality of what lies ahead presses in on you. Varis is closer to his goal than you’d hoped, and stopping him will mean risking everything.

You feel a pull inside you, a flicker of doubt. Jorsh’s offer, whispered in the dreamlike vision, comes back to you. If you use the word “Vyrethane,” you could be by his side, powerful enough to challenge Varis with him. But can you trust him? Or should you stay the course with Elias, Hawthorn, and Baider, relying on your own strength to stop the dark elves?