I jolted awake, gasping for breath. Kage shifted, looking at me with large blue eyes, as if wondering what was wrong. “I’m fine, just a bad dream,” I muttered, pressing closer to his warmth. We had taken refuge in a barn not far off from the tavern, surrounded by bales of hay and assorted tools. Several horses were shifting about in the morning light, poking their heads from their stalls and snorting quietly.

My hair was a tangled mess, but in the light, I noticed that it was not blonde as I remembered it, but a pale silver. I shifted, leaning my back against Kage. This world was so new to me, yet it felt old, as if I had been there before. “What should we do next, huh?”

Kage’s wet nose met my cheek as he looked at me, any other shadow beast would have eaten me whole by then, but Kage was different.

“Kage’s not your real name, is it? It doesn’t seem to fit.” I placed my hand on his cheek, petting his soft fur. “It’s just the name that we gave to you. What’s your name?”

He blinked, licking my cheek and making me smile softly. Kage.

“You aren’t a dog you know, you’re a wolf, where is your pack?” I sniffled, looking around the barn. “Who’s your alpha?”

His large tail thumped against the hard ground happily. May.

I shook my head, sitting up a little, “That other guy said he was your master, is that true?” My hand went to my left shoulder, eyes stuck on the large white scar that wrapped neatly around where my arm attached.

Kage’s ears twitched, runes flashing red for a moment. No.

I had obviously come upon a touchy subject, “I’m sorry, Kage, I wish I could remember more.” My nose was cold, but a single image flashed in my mind. The person walking away from me in the ash and soot. A shadow picking me up and running through the forests before I died.

My heart hammered, “You came back for me?” I looked the wolf in the eye, studying him.

Always come back. May good. He licked my nose, making me laugh a little.

“Kage you’re good too,” Why hadn’t I tried to communicate with him before whatever happened? Was this something new that I could do? “We should leave soon. I think you know your way around a lot better than I do, so you can lead the way.”

Kage stood up and shook the dirt from his pelt, lowering his head to let me on.

I opened the barn door and nearly fell off of Kage’s back at the sight. It was one of the men from the night before, Travis.

“Okay I know this looks bad but-” He stopped as soon as Kage’s runes shifted color. “I-I just wanted to take you to the capital, you need to know what’s going on,” He shifted uncomfortably.

I looked down at him, gripping Kage’s fur tighter. “Why do I need to go to the capital? Can’t you explain right here and right now?” I growled lowly, watching his every move.

“Because if you show up, the power struggle is over,” He snapped, face red. “Brendle and I have been fighting over this for generations, and now I have proof that the bastard chickened out halfway through and-” Travis paused, looking at me with bright blue eyes. “Oh, sorry, it’s a long story,” He cleared his throat, pulling his hood closer to him.

I narrowed my eyes at him, gently patting my companion’s head. “Why should I care about your struggles?” My lips formed a subtle frown, but I couldn’t hide the fact that I was yet again freezing.

Travis stood silently for a moment, astonished at my reaction, “You really don’t remember.” His voice was hardly above a whisper, but I could hear him clearly. “You reset the world, I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but ’Brendle’ and I were the only ones we thought survived, but I had a hunch that you were still alive, what with the ice dome and such.”

My heart thudded against my ribs, “Why is it winter when it should be mid spring?” I shook slightly, but I already knew the answer.

“You don’t know your effect on the world yet, I doubt you even know about your Shifter abilities,” Travis’ sand colored hair danced in the strong breeze. “I need to catch you up to speed, and the library is a good place to start.”

I bit my lip, thinking about it for a moment before looking down at Kage’s face with question. “Should we do it, Kage?” He didn’t respond, so I had to assume that meant proceed with caution. “Alright, I’ll come with you, under one condition, Kage goes where I go,” I cleared my throat, scratching behind his ear.

Travis didn’t respond, but instead heaved a sigh and called on his mount. “You never change, May,” He laughed, “Eventually ’Brendle’ will see the truth.”

A large cart full of potatoes darted out in front of us, causing Kage to halt and growl lowly. I pat his head, assuring it was alright, there was people everywhere. The mob of people barely noticed us until Travis pulled off his hood in slight frustration. “I leave for a few days and this is what happens,” He muttered, looking over the rippling crowd.

Buildings a few stories high towered around every street, only shadowed by the massive walls around the city, I felt claustrophobic suddenly. People began staring at us, murmuring to each other until the crowd was silent.

“Well then, that’s more like it,” Travis’s steed pulled forward, trotting through the parted crowd with ease. “You all know that there is an order to this place, please see it through, or our guards will have to sort it out.”

Kage and I stood there, watching the sturdy man among the people. “It’s alright, we can do this,” I shivered, cold wind catching me wrong. My heel nudged Kage’s side, making him walk forward.

“She looks like the statues,” Someone said slightly louder than they intended. Another person followed up, “Could it be true? Is she here?”

My cheeks flushed, making me nudge Kage harder; he ran quickly to catch up to Travis, weary at the sounds of all of the people.

“What’s going on here?” I shook wildly under my silvery cloak, “Everyone’s so quiet.”

Travis sat taller on his horse, nose to the castle ahead, “That’s because no one can believe their eyes. After you reset the world, you were considered a hero by people and AI alike.” He reached out his hand taking mine in a gentle fist before raising it up. “Your Savior,” He shouted, “Has come to take her rightful place on the throne!”

“What?!” I gasped, unable to pull my hand away. “I’m not some ruler, if what you say is true, I’m just someone who knew how to work the system!” My words were quick, but quiet.

The crowd seemed ecstatic as Travis lowered my hand, “We need someone who cares about the people and the game. You don’t remember it, but you and I were on very opposite sides once upon a time ago, yet when I came to you for help, you agreed without question.”

I swallowed hard, lips parted in confusion. Nothing made much sense, but I knew, deep down, that it must be true. “What do I need to do? Just stand there and look pretty? That’s not exactly my thing,” The air stung my eyes as we finally passed the crowd.

Travis assured me that was not the case, “We need to be sure certain glitches never happen again, and, if I remember correctly, we used to be a great team.”

“With Brendle,” I corrected. “We were a great team with Brendle.”

He paused, looking down for a long moment, “Things have changed quite a bit since then, May, and not for the better.” He cleared his throat, dismounting his steed before packing it back in his inventory like some magic trick at a party. “Brendle can’t grasp the fact that you’re not dead because he doesn’t want to believe that he left you there.”

My heart stopped; the face, searing heat, incredible pain, he had left me pinned under the wreckage of the virus. “The virus,” I cooed quietly, brows angled down in concentration. A moment later, my shoes gently touched the cobblestone stairs, hand still gripping Kage’s thick neck fur. The unease of a thousand eyes burning into the back of my head weighed down on my shoulders, making my arm ache.

“Ah, yes, the virus,” Travis walked slowly, allowing me to trail behind him. “It’s so far back in my memory now, it’s a bit hard to remember,” He scratched the back of his head, walking through the massive wooden doors.

A wave of heat hit my face, making my eyes water slightly, “What was the virus?” I pulled my long hair over my shoulder, running my fingers through it, letting my memory take control as I braided.

Big blue eyes watched me with curiosity, “You and a friend of yours used to hack the game, but a glitch from overly changed coding turned your friend into an AI, a virus that plagued the world,” He cleared his throat, motioning for the guards to close the doors. “She corrupted the whole population, including my fiance, but you gave me hope when all else failed,” He smiled to me, nose red from the cold.

I looked at him, quietly walking down the hall. “I failed,” I muttered, unclasping my cloak and throwing it over my shoulder. “You trusted me to bring her back but...” My voice trailed off at the sight of the throne room.

Massive stone pillars spiraled in exquisite designs, reaching for the ceiling high above. Glowing stones lined the ceiling in a glittering display of power. The castle had been built into the side of a mountain, there was no telling how far back it went, or how deep the chambers were. A large tree, the leafs a brilliant green, wrapped its roots around a stone chair, brilliant blue flowers illuminating the room.

Travis walked toward the throne, obviously disturbed by the colors surrounding it. Quickly, he drew his sword, unlatching his shield from behind him. “Brendle! I know you’re here, the tree only wilts when you sit on the throne!” He shouted down the cavernous room.

From out of the shadows came a bolt of lightning, splintering and spitting through the stone corridor. “The tree wilts because you have brought the end to us, Travis!” Brendle walked from his spot in the corner, crown fixed atop his head. “We both know that this girl is nothing but an omen,” He spat.

I felt my teeth grit as he spoke, every word hitting my ears like grated glass. Every bone in my body rattled as the electricity zipped passed my head. Rage boiled to the surface, releasing itself through my finger tips in an explosive flame that engulfed the pillars on either side of me. “Shut up, both of you!” I growled, feeling suddenly shorter, more angry. “It’s easy to tell neither of you know what’s going on! That’s not how you lead people!” I felt myself shift, bones crunching easily into place, black fur coating my pail skin. In an instant, I leaped across the hall, pinning Brendle under my massive paws. Roaring loudly, it seemed that he was shocked.

“A shifter,” He gasped, eyes glowing in sudden fear. “There aren’t any shifters left besides Travis,” He choked on his words as I saw my reflection in his blue eyes.

Slick, black fur, large teeth, I looked like a cat, but, bigger. I swallowed, taking a paw off of his chest, “You’re mistaken, I am a shifter, the shifter, don’t anger me again.”

Brendle pulled himself away from me, breathing heavily. “It can’t be, you’re dead, y-your arm was severed, so how?” His eyes watered as he sat, looking me in the eye. “How are you May?”

I growled lowly, eyes moving to the tree in the middle of the court. My paws pulled me toward the chair, looking up at the tree curiously. As soon as I touched the entangled roots with my paw, it vibrated with life, startling me back to my human state.

“The tree,” Travis barely uttered the words before the bark began to glow, spreading through the branches and leafs. “It knows.”

I looked up at it, watching the branches become sturdy and strong, like the tree was supposed to be. “It knows what?” My lip quivered, lungs quaking. “That I was supposed to die? That I’ve been trapped for who knows how long? That I was left, pinned and mangled after I tried to save everyone? Kage came for me, he pulled me out and brought me home,” I spat at Brendle, feeling my anger perkilate again. My hands made fists as tears flowed from my eyes. “I wish this darkness would go away,” I bent over, palms on the ground, sobbing.

No one spoke, no one moved, for fear I would explode again, and I knew it. My gut wrenched as I lay on the cold stone, crying softly. I felt a warm tongue meet my cheek, making me turn to face it. “Kage?”

May good. Always come back. He rest his big head on my back, curling himself around me. May good.

I sniffled and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his shadowy fur. A hand met the back of my head gently, soothing my aching head. “May, this is why I brought you to the capital. You’re so new to this world, yet wise beyond words, we need you to rule.”

I looked up at Travis, eyes red, tears steaming, “I don’t know if I can do it alone.” My arms trembled, I was exhausted from a long day of riding.

“I’m here for you, forever and always,” He vowed, pulling words from my lips.

“Always and forever.”

“And longer than that,” He cooed quietly, calming my mind for just a moment. “Let’s get you to bed.”

I looked up at the night sky with round eyes. So many wonders in the new world, so many things to learn. Heaving a sigh, I rolled over, facing the darkness of the room and feeling only more awake. Something was keeping my senses heightened, preventing me from sleeping. The sound of arguing just outside my door.

“You broke her heart!” One of them growled, “She doesn’t need that burden right now.”

The other sounded far more angry, “You stole my saying!” He shouted, a loud crash sounding just after.

The first one tapped his foot, “I calmed her down, she needs some grounding right now. It’s been several hundred years since she saved us, show some bloody respect, man!”

I swallowed, listening with concerned brows. Did they know I could hear them?

“I am showing some respect, I’m trying not to kick a dead horse, meanwhile, you’re going off pretending to be the knight in shinning armor.” The second one was shoved to the wall, suddenly attentive.

“I lost everything because I thought that you were trustworthy, Blane, I’m lucky you didn’t leave me to die too, but that wouldn’t have been so easy.” The first spat. “You left her because you didn’t want baggage! That’s how you saw her in the end!”

Blane shoved the other back, growling lowly, “You have no clue Travis, I cared once, but she was not for me.” He paused for a moment, tone changing completely, “But you think she’s for you.”

Travis and Blane were quiet, only to shuffle off in separate directions.

I sighed, pulling my blanket over my face, they had always fought, I remembered that, but this was different, Blane was far more hurt this time.

I jolted awake, patting the spot where Kage had laid down only to find he was gone. My heart hammered, where did he go? I sat up, looking around the room and seeing a looming shadow. All of my senses were on edge as I pulled out a dagger from under the bed.

The figure bolted at me, pinning me to the bed behind me. Fearful blue eyes peered at me under a black fringe. “She’s here!” He shook, “She’s coming!”

I rose a brow, startled by the look of the stranger. “Kage? How are you-?”

“The darkness is coming!” He growled, looking at the door for just a moment before disappearing into a black mist.

I slowly opened my eyes, a dream, it had been a dream. Clearing my throat, I pulled the covers off and looked around the room. “Kage?” I called out, expecting him to come to me, despite the room being empty. At the end of the bed was an outfit, obviously for me. I quickly changed, lacing up the corset with ease, this just felt right.

Loud barking sounded from somewhere down below, probably Kage at the entrance of the castle. Quickly, I wound my way through the halls, clasping my cloak as I went. He sounded angry, or disturbed, perhaps my dream had frightened me.

Travis caught me and pulled me into his hiding spot, covering my mouth to prevent me from yelping. “Don’t go down there. It’s a trap,” He whispered behind me, unwilling to let me go. “I need you to promise, no matter what you hear, you won’t go down there.”

I nodded slowly, trying to grasp what was going on. As soon as he released me, the barrage of questions began. “Were you talking to someone by my door last night?” I began, trying to remember if that, too was a dream.

“It was not by your door, it was near the staircase, I apologize, but this is not the time for-” I cut him off.

“Kage told me something was coming in a dream,” I spoke quietly. “The darkness, what is it?”

Travis clinched his jaw, searching the shadows for an answer. “You don’t need to worry about it. Right now, I need you to stay put, I’ll send Kage to you as soon as possible,” He moved to continue downward, only to have me grab his sleeve.

“You’re making me worry, if you need my help, don’t hesitate to ask, I have a pretty high HP, remember?” I cleared my throat, letting him go before glancing toward the balcony above the throne room. I couldn’t help but watch.

Down below, Kage stood, growling at the massive doors. His runes burned a bright red, something was clearly not right.

Travis hurried toward the throne, sitting on it casually before calling to Kage. “Leave us, beast, we have business,” He motioned for Kage to run along before having the doors opened for the visitor.

Kage faced Travis a moment then looked up at me and knowing what he meant. As he scurried away, the doors swung open.

A slim young woman walked into the hall, illuminated by the mid-day sun. Her hair was like gold as she came, sheltered by her cloak. “Travis, my dear, what are you doing back so early? Have you found anything?”

Travis’ posture seemed to change completely, anger taking hold, “Tell me, Angel, why I would tell you? You have left us alone for some time, why have you returned?” He spoke loudly, obviously trying to hold his tongue.

“I assume that you found her, so why don’t you hand her over?” She smiled lightly, shaking me to my core, this woman, where had I seen her before?

Travis sat straight up, eyeing her menacingly, “Don’t you see, she’s dead, Angel, she’s gone!” He stood with a start, face turning red. “She’s never coming back, and I should have known!” He stepped toward her. “Brendle was right.”

A gust of wind whisked through the court, hitting my face and drying my eyes. The woman was cloaked no more, exposing a single feathered wing. “You dare defy me?” She shouted, voice echoing in the cavernous room. “Must I bring Blane out and get the truth?”

I swallowed, turning to see Kage behind me, quietly sitting with his runes blazing. I gently pat him, watching events unfold.

“Your envy has consumed you, you have forgotten yourself, SERN,” He growled, brushing the dust from his shoulder. “You are nothing but a withered angel.”

She breathed, anger burning, “Then I’ll torture it out of you, I know how the season is off, I know what it means, you fool!” Sern charged at him, shoving him to the ground with her palm over his throat. “Give her to me or face the consequences!”

Travis choked, but still kept his head, “Never.” He spat in her face, only to feel a heavy fist meet his temple. As the blows came, I couldn’t watch. He told me to stay put no mater what, but this was because of me, I had to do something.

I tiptoed through the halls, finding the spiral staircase and following it down. Despite my distance from them, I could hear the thuds of the winged girl’s assault and the faint smell of blood. My eyes peered into the court, worry written on my face.

Brendle grabbed my arm, startling me as he gave a look that spoke of my idiocy, but I didn’t care.

“She’s more powerful than you could imagine,” Travis coughed through clinched teeth. “You’re mistaken if you think you can take her now, or-” He gasped, feeling a dagger slip between his ribs.

My eyes widened as I shook Brendle off of me and darted into the hall. “Travis!” I felt the tears flowing as a chilled wind whipped around the hall. The number above his head was low, incredibly low. I saw Sern turn to me, and froze instantly. “You,” I breathed, feeling ice crawling through my veins. “I killed you.” I took another step forward, noticing the sporadic temperature change. “Leave!” I shouted, completing the tornado that had been forming around me in the heat of anger and the chill of fear. With the will of my mind, I unleashed it upon the one winged girl, sending her in a flurry of anger out the door.

Travis lay, choking on his own blood on the floor. He couldn’t speak, but I could see he was scared, scared of dying.

I knelt beside him, panting from the sudden burst of energy. “Wh-what can I do?” I looked around the room, trying to find an answer. Nothing.

Travis’ HP was trickling away as his blood filled lung could no longer function, until he lay still.

I picked him up by his shoulders, pulling him into my lap as I wept. “No- Nonono,” I sniffled, tears falling onto his lightly tanned face. “Travis, no,” I choked, feeling warmth well within my chest, vibrating through my fingers. Pink light spilled through my fingertips, wrapping its tendrils around his still body, leafs sprouting from the energy, buds forming around him until it reached the puncture wound. A brilliant flower opened atop the wound, brightly glowing. My mind cleared, and I knew. “Bloom,” I whispered, and the pink light shattered into a million pieces on the floor, disappearing moments later.

Travis gasped to life in my arms, panting quickly. He touched the place his wound had been and looked at me with big blue eyes. “Y-you,” His words came between breaths. “You saved me.”

I nodded, wiping my face of any signs of tears before letting him sit on his own. “I used Bloom, just like I did to heal the world.”