Letting out a long, foggy sigh, William turned to face the jester. "Who, or what, is that thing? It’s clearly trying to use me for some end, right? Making me relive each moment of my past until it's time for war, then feeding me some slightly distorted reality where I win? Where my past never has to haunt me? Haven't I already done that enough, Zephar?"

  Zephar smiled and shook his head, making his bells ring. "Hardly. This cycle is self-created. You can't let the past go, and it’s holding you back from your future, yes? I can't have you falling apart when the games are just getting started!" Zephar ughed, but then his mask shifted into a more serious expression.

  "The visions can be controlled in a few ways, but getting over them is something only you can do. The being behind your blessing’s power is the owner of a divine tool called the Tear of Inferno. Not a horrible being, but if you give in to the visions too much, he will burn your existence away and take your body for his own."

  William tensed for a moment before forcing himself to rex. "I don’t like any of this, but you said there’s a way to control these visions?"

  "Ah! See, I knew you’d choose life in the end!" Zephar cheered, but William only shrugged, his arms still crossed.

  "I don’t feel like putting in a bunch of effort just for someone else to benefit, so I’m not about to let Voldemort steal my body. I am the worst person for this job, but I hate being constantly reminded of my past. Life was already pretty bleak before all of this, but the number of people I have to look after now can be counted on one hand." William uncrossed his arms and held his hand up. "This strange power feels like cheating, and Auracea should be able to stay hidden while I fight off any invasion."

  "Do you really believe that? Maybe a thousand? What about a hundred thousand? A million?" Zephar teased.

  "A million? All at once?!" William yelled, stiffening. "They just got here a week ago!"

  "Sure, but there are six billion of them. So many possibilities, and you don’t want any of them! You will have to find a way to control the visions, or they’ll drive you insane, and then you won’t be able to do anything at all."

  Zephar’s words barely reached William before he dropped into a fetal position on the frozen ground.

  "Yup, I tried, and now we’re all going to die. Some space demon is going to steal my body and send me into nothingness! All paths lead to nothingness!" William whined.

  Auracea, watching this dispy, finally decided that William wasn’t going to lose his mind—not entirely, at least. With a sigh, she cut through the frozen ndscape, her vine-covered form constantly regenerating as the bitter cold withered it away. By the time she reached the golden jester’s side, her burning footprints had already frozen over.

  "I was worried he had changed, but I see now that was only temporary," Auracea muttered, irritation clear in her voice. Her glowing eyes then flicked to Zephar with a pointed look. "That thing that took him over—it felt like you."

  "True, but not quite," Zephar replied. "Anyways, let’s get back to the sigil. I don’t know how long it’ll be before they attack again. You should really let me expin the whole thing."

  "I already told you—I don’t want to help someone who refuses to help themselves! That power he has is just as likely to kill me as any other threat in this universe! This is your fault, so you give him the sigil!" Auracea snapped.

  "That’s not how this works," Zephar groaned and turned to William—only to roll his eyes.

  "The only being left to protect me hates me. Can’t say I bme her. I don’t have any redeeming traits or even the ability to make a good first impression. I can’t believe you’re putting so much faith in me. If I were you, I’d just leave me here and let the darkness take me. It’s not like I’m worth all this trouble," William muttered, staring at the ground.

  "See?!" Auracea shouted, pointing at the miserable man curled up on the ice. "This is who you want me to trust?!"

  "This is only one version of him," Zephar said. "And, frankly, not a very good one." He sighed and looked down at William. "You are really pathetic, you know that?"

  "Tell me something I don’t know," William replied in a monotone voice.

  "Alright, I will," Zephar said, leaning closer. "You can become something more. All you have to do is believe in yourself and actually do something about it." His usual wide smile remained, but there was a strange tone of sincerity beneath it.

  "Can’t you see who you’re talking to?" William asked, sitting up. "I’m not worth all this trouble. I’ll never be the hero. I’d just get everyone killed."

  "Heroes don’t wipe out entire races," Zephar countered. "But your first real test against another race is going to force you to do exactly that. Nothing about this will be glorious. You’re going to see horrible things. You’ll probably do horrible things. That is the path you’re on, and the only way out is forward."

  "So, that’s all I have left, then?" William let out a small, bitter ugh. "Kill or be killed?"

  "Yes," Zephar said pinly. "That’s the choice, and there are no other options." His smile returned, and he chuckled, patting William on the shoulder as he got up. "We can fix the visions, but you have to accept all of this first. Make a contract with your world, and I promise we can get you somewhere warmer."

  William’s eyes widened. The idea of warmth—actual warmth, not something conjured from himself—finally sank in.

  "Warm… Not too hot, but warm. That… sounds nice," he admitted.

  "Then get a move on! We don’t have time for your pity party," Zephar said before turning to Auracea. "And you—don’t be obstinate. You can hate each other all you want, but if either of you want to survive, you’ll need each other."

  Auracea didn’t have an immediate comeback, but her shifting, rocky face betrayed her displeasure.

  William was still unsure, but he no longer resisted the idea. He knew what he needed. His old life was gone, and this was his st chance for something new.

  "What do we have to do?" he asked.

  "Are you serious about wanting to change?" Auracea growled, her form sliding to block his view of Zephar.

  William sighed and rubbed his beard, the strands glowing like iron wool. "I don’t want to die, but I still don’t have some grand pn," he admitted.

  Auracea’s form sank back into the ground. As she did, a mound of earth rose up before them, splitting open to reveal a dark cavern leading deep beneath the surface.