Rick flicked his wrist. He sent a tiny, sharp pulse of kinetic energy down the leather whip.The energy hit the handle. Kreel cried out in pain and dropped the whip. His hand went completely numb.The two guards backed away in fear. They raised their rifles, but their hands were shaking. They did not know what kind of monster had just walked out of the shadows.Rick dropped the dead whip into the mud. He knelt down in the filthy, freezing dirt, right beside the dying old man.The old man’s eyes were rolling back. His breathing was a wet, shallow rattle. He was seconds away from death. His blood was pooling heavily in the mud.Rick ignored the rain. He ignored the guards aiming guns at his back. He ignored the giant, roaring train. He focused entirely on the broken human being in front of him."I am here," Rick whispered gently to the old man. "You are not alone. I have you."Rick raised both of his bare hands. He pushed his sleeves back. He closed his eyes under his hood.He reached d

The heavy iron train rolled through the dark.Chug. Chug. Chug.The wheels screamed against the rusted metal tracks. The giant cargo car was completely dark. The air smelled of old coal, dirty rain, and burnt oil. The wind howled outside, blowing the toxic yellow smog against the cold metal walls.Rick sat in the corner of the shaking train car. He leaned against a large iron barrel. His dark brown cloak was wrapped tightly around his tired body. He held his smooth wooden staff in his hands.He looked across the dark car. Luna was sleeping. She lay on a pile of empty potato sacks. Her one strong arm held Ash close to her chest. The little white-haired girl with no shadow slept quietly. They were safe for now.Rick looked down at his own bare hands. His hands were trembling. He could not stop thinking about what had happened at the Incinerator Piles. He had unleashed a massive wave of pure, brilliant green magic. The magic had washed over the dead bodies in the mud. The dead bodies ha

Rick opened his eyes. He yanked his hands back from Garin’s face.Rick was shaking violently. He looked at his own green, glowing hands. He looked at them with absolute, pure disgust."I didn't know," Rick whispered. Tears of profound, crushing guilt poured down his face. "I thought I was saving you. I didn't know the cost."Garin looked up. His eyes were becoming blank and empty. He was losing the last pieces of his humanity."Doctor," Garin begged softly. "Please. Unchain me. Let me go to sleep. Let me go back to the dark."Rick stared at the crying man.To a doctor, the ultimate goal is to keep the patient alive. To fight death with every tool, every drop of sweat, and every ounce of magic.But true healing is not about fighting nature. It is about compassion.Rick slowly nodded. "I am sorry, Garin," Rick wept. "I will let you rest."Rick placed his hands back onto Garin’s chest. He did not push magic in. He pulled the green magic out.Rick commanded his own healing chains to break

The room was perfectly white. It was perfectly clean. It was located in the highest, most secure tower of the Pharmaceutical Guild in the City of Iron. There were no windows in this room. The walls were made of thick, polished white glass. The floor was shiny white marble. Bright, cold artificial lights shined down from the ceiling.There were absolutely no shadows in the room. The lights were designed to hit every single corner, every single inch, so no darkness could hide.In the center of the room sat a heavy metal chair. Ash sat in the chair. The little girl with pure white hair wore a clean, white hospital gown. Her skin was as pale as snow. She looked incredibly small. Her bare feet dangled above the cold floor. Her giant, endless black eyes stared straight ahead. She did not blink. She did not cry.Three scientists stood around her. They wore spotless white coats, thick rubber gloves, and dark goggles. They were Auditor Isaac’s best men. They were trying to understand the litt

The Shadow Lord gasped in shock. He could not stop the spear. He thrust it down with full force.The glowing, toxic silver tip of the spear plunged directly into Ash’s small chest."NO!" Rick roared. His heart shattered into a million pieces. "ASH!"Luna screamed in absolute horror.The terrible spear was buried deep in the little girl's body. It was a blow that should have ripped her in half. It should have turned her instantly into a statue of solid silver.But Ash did not fall down. She did not scream. She did not bleed red blood.The Shadow Lord stared in complete, utter disbelief.The glowing silver poison on the spear, the ultimate, apocalyptic plague of the Mother Seed, flared brightly as it touched her flesh. The poison tried to infect her. It tried to eat her life energy.But Ash had no life energy. She had no magical pathways. She had no soul imprint for the magic to corrupt. She was a void. She was a blank space in the universe.The apocalyptic silver poison rushed into her