KIAN WAS FALLING, AND THE GROUND WAS APPROACHING FAST.

  The wind rushed past his face, blowing his hair in every direction.

  He could feel something slipping from his arms.

  Wait—a pack?

  When did he get a pack?!

  GODS.

  He was falling really, really fast now. And, as you probably know, falling from this height and at this speed is more than enough to kill the average person.

  The possibility of death was enough to snap Kian out of his shock.

  “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!” he screamed, but it was no use. No one was going to hear him.

  Then he remembered the ring.

  It was still on his finger—somehow. It hadn’t flown off.

  He pointed the ring downward and closed his eyes.

  He focused completely on the ring and what he wanted it to do.

  A warmth started to flow through him.

  It spread across his body—rejuvenating, comforting.

  And then… nothing.

  He waited.

  And waited.

  Still nothing?

  His brain decided now was the perfect time to panic.

  AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

  The ground was getting closer.

  And closer.

  And closer.

  And then—

  BOOM.

  He slammed into the ground.

  His mind went blank.

  When he finally opened his eyes, there was no pain.

  None at all.

  “I’m alive!!!”

  He jumped to his feet and danced like a madman around the small crater he’d created.

  Once he was completely exhausted, he flopped down onto a nearby rock.

  “Am I invincible?” he muttered.

  To test the theory, he walked up to a nearby tree and banged his head against it.

  Pain instantly shot through his skull.

  “OW! Alright… so, not invincible. One-time thing.”

  He walked back to the rock and noticed the pack lying next to it.

  “What did the gods bless me with?” he asked himself, crouching down to check the contents.

  It was packed with a few days’ worth of food, a blanket, a water flask, and a tiny sword—

  No, a dagger.

  He gingerly picked up the weapon and unsheathed it.

  The blade was smooth, shiny, and sharp.

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  The handle was etched with golden designs—or at least Kian hoped it was gold.

  The only problem?

  He had no clue how to use a dagger.

  And he wasn’t about to risk losing fingers to figure it out.

  So, he packed everything back into the bag and stood up, trying to get a better look at his surroundings.

  Time to plan the next move.

  At least that’s what they did in the books.

  Wait a minute.

  The gods had sent him here…

  But what was he supposed to do?

  OH COME ON!!

  He hadn’t asked them what the quest was.

  Before he could start berating himself, a shrill scream cut through the air.

  Something crashed into the bush behind him.

  Kian jumped to his feet, holding the ring out in front of him as he slowly crept toward the bush.

  The bush rustled again.

  A groan came from inside the bush.

  Then—with a loud thump—someone tumbled out of it.

  “Zeyk?!”

  The boy groaned again, brushing leaves out of his hair. “That… sucked.”

  Kian stared. “How are you here?”

  Zeyk sat up, wincing. “The gods. They pulled me in right after you vanished. Told me you’d mess things up if I wasn’t there.”

  They sat for a good five minutes before either of them spoke again.

  Kian was the first to break the silence.

  “Okay—explain. Properly.”

  Zeyk squinted. “I—I don’t even know, man. I just woke up in some weird glowy space, the gods were like, ‘go help him,’ and then BAM—sky-diving into a bush.”

  Kian blinked. “Wait. So you don’t know what’s going on either?”

  “Nope!” Zeyk said, throwing his hands up. “All I got was: ‘He’s looking for a cult that worships the guy trying to end the universe. Go help.’ That’s it!”

  Kian's mind stopped in it’s tracks.

  “A cult. That worships the big bad.”

  He blinked slowly. “That’s what I’m doing?”

  Zeyk stopped too. “I guess?”

  They both just sat there for a second. Processing.

  “...Why didn’t they tell me that?” Kian finally asked.

  “You didn’t know that?” Zeyk said in disbelief.

  “We’re so screwed,” they said at the same time.

  They started walking in a random direction, hoping for the best.

  Neither of them said a word.

  Both were deep in thought—thinking about how messed up their lives were.

  A thought came to Kian’s mind.

  “Did they give you a pack?” he turned toward Zeyk.

  “Yeah, I didn’t check it yet.” Zeyk took the pack in his hand.

  “You should. It probably has something important.” Kian gestured for him to open it.

  They stopped.

  Out came some gold coins. Another blanket. And rations.

  “They gave you a dagger, and I get money? Seriously!!” Zeyk looked up at the sky like he was waiting for an answer.

  Kian snorted. “Maybe they think you’re the responsible one.”

  They walked for a good fifteen minutes.

  The trees started to thin until…

  WOW.

  Enormous stone walls rose toward the skies, stretching in both directions.

  People came and went through an equally massive gate, and soldiers patrolled the walls with practiced ease.

  Kian let out a low whistle. “Looks like we found what we were supposed to find.”

  Zeyk just stared. “Either that… or we’re about to walk into something way above our pay grade.”

  They glanced at each other.

  Then—without another word—they walked toward the gate.