… Avery tried to listen to what these two at the Gate were saying.

  His hearing was exceptionally good, enhanced by practice with energy. But. They were not speaking loudly. He could recognize only some words and fragments; some of them didn’t make sense.

  To kill the projection? Other versions?

  Rain?

  They stopped talking. Avery opened his eyes to observe.

  The one in black disappeared—he went to the Gate. Interestingly, it wasn’t activated.

  Luna’s husband stayed—he didn’t do anything.

  Then someone arrived through the Gate. Again, it was inactive.

  How? No clue.

  A new person appeared and immediately slumped down the Gate’s wall, didn’t even take a step, and almost fell.

  Luna’s husband ran up—he was surprised. It didn’t look like he was expecting it.

  Did something go wrong somewhere?

  Avery wondered.

  The person who appeared wore a light white dress. Long, black hair was covering the face. A woman? It had to be a woman.

  Luna’s husband supported her, sat her down by the Gate, and they talked very quietly.

  Avery concentrated. He was sitting in the same place for all this time, still in the tree. He tried not to make any sounds or movements; he didn’t want to be spotted. It looked like he had succeeded; at least he hoped he had remained unnoticed.

  He closed his eyes and tried to listen to them again.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Luna’s husband was speaking.

  “You didn’t tell me it would… what… no, don’t say anything, later you will… this version, I even guessed. Luna told me once what was your state, how sick you were… so, I am not happy—don’t shush me, you… you both are the same, true troublemakers… now? Should I do a shield again? Wait, who?”

  Avery didn’t hear everything, but some sentences he could distinguish.

  Then, he realized he had been noticed. He detected energy—something surrounding him, like a barrier. Avery glanced at them—to notice that Luna’s husband was looking in his direction.

  Shit.

  But. It looked like a shield, as he had overheard. Not that it was created to hurt him.

  He didn’t have an opportunity to think about it or try to get out of it because something started happening.

  Steam.

  Something started steaming everywhere. Very intensely, becoming stronger, until Avery couldn’t see anything clearly, as if everything was shrouded in fog.

  He closed his eyes.

  Sounds. The hiss of steam, water vapor, as if water were boiling, and the steam hissed from under the lid. Nothing more.

  In the distance, from the Gate, he heard Luna’s husband asking the woman how she was, but there was no sound. Silence, except for that hiss in the air.

  Eight. Eleven. Seventeen… twenty-two minutes.

  The fog began to disperse.

  Something could be seen. It was quiet—naturally quiet. Night animals, Avery only now realized that for two days the animals had been silent, as if they were afraid, hiding.

  Did that mean they were not afraid anymore?

  … And then something more extraordinary happened.

  The rain started to fall.

  Instantly it was pouring.

  Avery again couldn’t see clearly. Then, the Gate activated. It lasted a second and was inactive again.

  This energy barrier around him disappeared.

  Avery tried to overhear; were they there? He couldn’t see anyone near the Gate.

  He decided to go and check.

  These monsters were dead either way. The worst could be an uncomfortable talk with Luna’s husband. Avery wanted to see this woman, who she was.

  He came down from the tree and ran. He wondered… along the route and into the distance; he couldn’t see far, but.

  There were no bodies, nothing.

  Avery ran to the Gate—no one. He ran to the side; that man in black threw his sword there and didn’t take it. Nothing; there was nothing.

  It was raining.

  What happened here?

  Luna’s husband will know. Shadows, it was their energy; it had to be.

  Incredible. Like magic.

  The one in black, Avery understood why, but still—he ruthlessly killed them all.

  But. That woman—if it was her, somehow, with her energy, she made all those unfortunate bodies turn into water, into the rain.

  Pure rain, Avery could say.

  Like a respectful funeral. Respect for the victims, a farewell.

  … Families! The families won’t see those battered bodies.

  That woman. Like magic.

  Avery decided. He didn’t know how, but he needed to work with Shadows.

  They were extraordinary.