I appeared in a forest with overcast skies and its morning dew still intact. The portal that I had jumped down into had deposited me onto a black stone road surrounded by evergreens that led to a clearing. From here, I could see that the path made a wide circle in front of a large, rustic log cabin.

  Catching the details, I squinted at the structure. It wasn’t actually a log cabin, it was just built to appear as if it were one. I could make out glimpses of metal between the wood. The building would be a lot more sturdy than it appeared, which made sense considering the thousands of red strings coming out of the roof.

  That was a sure sign that the Dungeon Nexus was here. So not only was the building going to be stronger than anticipated, but it was also where Alexis was probably standing guard. She was nowhere to be seen now, though, and I took this time to survey the rest of the area.

  Several colorful objects ranging from white to blue to red were set aside on the road. They each had glass elements built into their highest, somewhat bulbous sections, leading me to believe that people were meant to sit inside of them like a carriage. All of them had four thick, black wheels in a fashion I’d never seen before.

  There were a few that were bigger than the others by a wide margin, and the glass only enveloped the front of the object. The back had nothing, and I wasn’t nearly tall enough to see if it was used for storage or something else. They were strange, but I put them out of my mind to look around some more.

  I startled slightly when I turned around to see a much larger, yellow and black metal object behind me. It was taller and longer than the others, and there was a door to stairs leading inside. Taking a moment to regard it, it seemed as though this odd contraption was our starting point in Camp Lexi.

  The portal opened in front of the door, and Moose stepped through it. He immediately took in our surroundings, and I saw his eyes turn to everything mine did in turn. The massive yellow thing did not spook him, however, though he did gaze upon it with caution.

  “This is a strange environment,” he finally said. “I haven’t seen anything like these objects before.”

  “Some kind of camp, apparently,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I think it’s safe to assume that this might be a glimpse of his home world, considering the oddities.”

  “You would be correct, Inspector,” Himia said as she appeared beside me. “In fact, simply asking what this place is will trigger another recording, if you would like to see it.”

  I hesitated for a moment. There was still no sign of Alexis, and that was a problem. Was this not the location of the Dungeon Nexus? Or was it misleading in some way?

  The last guardian had martial arts and gravity on his side, and if the dream was right then she would be wielding a sword and lightning. Perhaps Alexis was some kind of stealth based combatant instead. Like she was already here with us, and we just couldn’t spot her.

  That didn’t feel right, though. My gut still told me to trust what the spiders showed us when we were asleep, even if it didn’t make sense to my mind.

  It was still strange that the dream had been modeled so much after reality, but honestly the truth probably made it easier to get trapped than lies. Before I had a chance to ask what this place was, the silver woman appeared from inside the building as if I had manifested her with my thoughts.

  She wore the same outfit she had on in the statue, which went from her neck to her feet, though it was the same color as the rest of her. Her hair was up in a messy bun and a hand was placed firmly on the pommel of the sword sheathed at her hip. We locked eyes, and I matched the stern look on her face.

  For a brief moment, I felt myself scrutinized by an almost divine pressure. As if a deity was looking at me without any of the normal filters they would use when interacting with mortals. My body itched as it felt as though Alexis was looking through me, into my mind and soul. Preparing for an attack, I retrieved my Hilt of Holding and thumbed the rune for Cheroske’s blade.

  Then, the pressure faded away completely and a serene smile appeared on Alexis’ face. I heard Moose release a breath beside me as the silver woman took her hand off of the pommel of her sword and set it on her hip. Instead of walking towards us, she gave us a gentle nod and headed back inside.

  We stood there in silence, not quite sure what was going on. It didn’t seem like a trick, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t one.

  “Who is Alexis?” I asked, though my question wasn’t directed at Himia. I took a shot in the dark.

  And it was immediately answered. “Lexi, or Alexis Campbell if you’re some kind of prude, was one of the few survivors of the world I got dragged to, Rundathier,” Keith Carr answered as he appeared next to the giant yellow vehicle. I had to turn around to see him. “She was the best of us, really. Not, like, combat-wise. That would be me. Logan would be up there. I mean she was the best of us in heart or some shit.”

  Frowning, I took a moment to analyze the hologram. When I had seen him in the Logan Dome, he had seemed well rested. Not happy, but content. Here, the otherworlder had deep bags under his eyes. His posture was suffering as he hunched forward. He had been so animated when talking about his invention back then, but now his voice was tired and wary.

  “She started off as a paladin,” he continued, not looking at anyone in particular. “No god, obviously. Just a sort of righteous morality that, honestly, every world could use more of. Not as naive and optimistic as I had been, but up there. Definitely better than Carlisle, but who wasn’t?”

  Keith looked like he was about to say something derisive, but stopped himself. He looked away, towards the odd vehicles, before returning his gaze to the building. “When we unlocked our second classes, she became an Elementalist. Still had all the staying power of a paladin, but gained control over the four elements. Air, water, earth, fire. Loved lightning, though. Then again, who wouldn’t?”

  The hologram disappeared, leaving us alone. “Paladin, huh?” I asked.

  “And godless, to boot,” Moose mused. “That’s fairly rare, though I can’t say I know enough about how things operated in this other world.”

  “Not like here,” I agreed, looking up at the healer. “You’re an oddity in that regard, but you kind of are all around. You don’t venerate any gods or goddesses to gain your power, right?”

  “That’s right, Inspector,” he confirmed with a nod and a stomp. “Though, based on Mr. Carr’s words, it seemed as though that was natural to be without a deity where he came from.”

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  “Maybe,” I said, shrugging. “Himia, do you have any insight?”

  “Deities in both worlds were silent and invisible, unlike here,” she answered immediately.

  “Huh, alright. And what did she do before going back inside?”

  “Lexi Campbell searched your soul to see if you were good or evil, and did not find anything worth starting a fight over,” Himia explained. I noticed that the Information Elemental was still looking towards where Keith Carr had just been. “Logan was a combat test, while she was one for purity. This place is not supposed to be one of violence.”

  I nodded. “So if you come with good intentions and aren’t evil, you just get to walk right in. That’s what you meant when you said we wouldn’t have to fight all of them.”

  “Correct, Inspector.”

  “Good to know. I’d like to save my energy for round two against CC, anyway,” I said as I returned my blade to the hilt. “Are you ready to go inside, Moose?”

  “I am.”

  “It is called the Chuckwagon,” Himia stated.

  I looked from her, then to the building. “You have some weird wagons in your world.”

  “It is not an actual wagon, that is just what it was named,” she explained. “It is a gathering place for campers. Most often it is used for meals, but it was also used to stage plays and skits, games, and other events when the weather was bad.”

  “Alright, then,” I said before glancing back at her. She was still staring. Pursing my lips, I asked the question. “What is this place?”

  Himia’s head turned before Keith Carr had a chance to reappear, and I followed her gaze towards the entrance to the Chuckwagon. The man materialized there with a small, nostalgic smile on his face. He still looked terrible, though, as he beckoned us forward. I did as the hologram commanded with Moose and Himia in tow.

  “Welcome, friends, to Camp Lexi!” he said, raising his hands in the air. Confetti fluttered down from nowhere, disappearing before it hit the ground. “This is my little home away from home, and a place modeled after the Alabie Department Summer Camp. I have a lot of history here. Not only did I come for a week almost every year since I was nine, but I also worked here for four summers in a row after I was old enough to do so. Come on in.”

  He turned to walk into the building, and we followed him. The inside was spacious even though it was filled with furniture. There were six sets of four tables placed in a square with chairs lining the outside. A podium was set on one side in front of a fireplace. Above it was a tapestry that had been embroidered with the picture of some kind of knot.

  Alexis was sitting in one of the chairs and staring up at it. She made no moves when we appeared, and generally disregarded our existence entirely. I kept my hand on my Hilt of Holding anyway, just to be sure. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Himia at this point; I would just rather be safe than sorry.

  “I could say that’s all the significance it holds for me, but that wouldn’t be honest,” Carr continued as he stopped before the tables, putting his hands on his hips as he surveyed his kingdom. “I met my wife here. First year as a camp counselor, in fact. She came in as the lead for the girl’s side at the same time, and we hit it off.”

  A warm smile appeared on his face, and Himia’s expression changed to match it. “Abigail was everything I ever wanted. That’s why we had our shotgun marriage the moment I was selected to go fight evil in magic land for corporate profit. Didn’t want anyone else taking her, and I figured she’d get a nice paycheck if I didn’t come back.”

  The smile disappeared from his face. “Well, when I didn’t come back.”

  There was a moment of silence. I was just about to say something when he continued.

  “But that’s a story for a different time,” Carr claimed with obviously forced enthusiasm. “Camp Lexi is based on my world, and that’s what you get. This is also the only area that isn’t locked to only two visitors, though anyone extra does need a pass. Drive some cars, bike some bikes, arch some archery, swim in the lake, whatever activities you want, we got. There’s also a spa, because I wasn’t about to have a vacation home without one. Our own silver protector will meet any healing needs so long as you’re not an evil bastard.”

  His gaze suddenly became very intense as he looked, literally, over my head at nothing. “And only if you’re respectful. Don’t be uncouth. The woman is a saint and I won’t have anyone treating her as anything less.” As sudden as it came, the expression disappeared. “So, yeah. Have fun at Camp Lexi, everyone.”

  “Abigail,” I muttered as I crossed my arms. “And is that who CC is based off of? His wife from his original world?”

  “No,” Himia answered. “Her appearance was based on someone from Rundathier, not Earth.”

  I blinked as she gave me a straight answer. For some reason, I thought she wouldn’t be able to. “Can you tell me more about that?”

  “I could speak about it at length, Inspector,” she said. “But I sense that you would get tired of it quickly, especially with your mission ahead of you.”

  “It is a little surprising that you, of all people, are asking,” Moose admitted. “I, too, am curious, but I did not expect that from you.”

  “What? I can become invested in this guy’s story,” I snapped, scowling at the room in front of us. “He put us all in this mess after all. It’s only natural to be a little curious about him and how things ended up this way. There’s a lot of knowledge here.”

  “That there is,” Himia agreed.

  “That is fair,” Moose said. “I apologize for questioning you.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for,” I replied before sighing and running a hand down my face. “Himia, just tell me where the Dungeon Nexus is.”

  “In the kitchen, Inspector,” she answered, gesturing towards a door in the wall.

  It was next to a large, shuttered gate with a wide lip sticking out of the bottom, which looked like it was there to help serve food. I walked through the door, watching Alexis for any sign of movement, before stepping into the kitchen when she didn’t so much as twitch.

  The kitchen was covered in dull gray metal and looked like it was made to cook for at least a hundred people. It was immaculately clean from top to bottom with utensils on a cart, ready to be rolled out, and plates beside the gate were stacked high. Those were all the details I cared to make out before my eyes landed on the prize.

  At Camp Logan, the Dungeon Nexus was sitting in a flower pot. Here, it was coming out of a cooking pot. There seemed to be a theme.

  The red strings came out of the lid and through the ventilation above the stove. Not that they would need it; the ones back in the Logan Dome just seemed to disappear. Then again, I hadn’t been able to see the strings from outside, so maybe something else was going on there.

  Once again I was reminded of how little I knew about this whole process, and it put a frown on my face. Regardless, I headed towards it.

  “The last time I did this, I was flung across the room when I was done,” I told Moose before looking at all of the sharp edges in the room. “As much as I hate to ask, could you stand behind me? I’d much rather it not happen again.”

  “I can do that for you, Inspector,” the healer said, though it sounded like he was amused just imagining it.

  We’d see how he’d like it when it happened to his side. I kept that thought to myself, though.

  Pulling out a stool so I could better reach the Dungeon Nexus, I took a breath. The last time I had done this had been an experience. A lot of diving into my past, dredging up memories long dormant and the feelings attached to them.

  I only hesitated for a moment before reaching out to grab the red strings, trying to regain an inkling of the tyranny I felt the last time I did this. The moment I did, I was transported again to that pitch black void of nothing. The only things here were the red strings, the cooking pot, myself…

  And CC, sitting across from me.

  That was different from last time, and I immediately steeled myself.