A willing sacrifice

Xander's eyes lit up with suppressed rage as he realized what had just happened. The Mystic Soul that his Chronica had absorbed belonged to none other than Riktor.

He watched helplessly as Riktor's lifeless body turned pale and his lips changed from peachy pink to cold blue.

"I don't want to take his soul!" Xander cried out in frustration with the Chronica pressed tightly between his fingers. "I never gonna use that altar. You hear me, Mordred?" he yelled, staring at the clear night sky.

"The night beckons the weary traveler to come home. One journey ends, and another begins. There is no good or evil, neither right nor wrong; only an undying thirst to live on the edge of terror," a familiar voice echoed inside his mind.

"I never agreed to this," Xander shouted back, recognizing it was Mordred speaking to him.

However, the reply never came. Xander was slowly starting to realize that by agreeing to become the dark deity's herald, he had unknowingly become a pawn in his hands.

It became adequately clear to the Dreamwalker that Mordred's only goal wasn't to stop Shamura. His plans went far beyond mere sibling rivalry.

There was no doubt in Xander's mind that the Lord of Terror wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. However, Mordred's true motives still remained a mystery to him.

"I'm not gonna give you what you want. You chose the wrong herald, Mordred."

With those last words, Xander shoved his Chronica back inside his jacket and turned to face the cops. Raising his right thumb, he signaled to the Chief of Police, indicating that the coast was clear.

On Chief Volgin's orders, a squad of patrol officers moved in to secure the park. Once they gave the green light, a team of medics rushed inside to check the bodies on the ground for signs of life.

Before a minute could pass, the corpses of the Ethereals disappeared, leaving behind heaps of powdery black ash.

"Is this normal?" Chief Volgin asked, approaching the Dreamwalker.

"Ethereals may look like they are made of flesh and bone, but they are just manifestations of our happiest dreams and darkest nightmares. When killed, their corporeal bodies cease to exist," Xander explained, still staring blankly into the darkness.

Detective Locksley understood what was going through Xander's mind. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, he whispered in a heavy voice, "I'm sorry for what happened to your friend. We'll return his body to his family."

Xander slowly turned around and looked the Detective in the eye. "I'm sorry for your losses as well. But this is only the beginning. I've seen what lies ahead."

"Are you referring to that vision?" Chief Volgin questioned.

"Yes," Xander replied with the same blank expression on his face.

"How do we stop it from happening?" the Chief asked.

"We have to find the cultists, but I feel it's already a bit too late for that," Xander sighed.

"What do you mean too late? It's just—"

Before the Chief could finish, a young officer came running in and blurted out, "The...radio has been...buzzing non-stop. There have been monster sightings all over Merantis. At least...five more portals have been confirmed in the neighboring cities."

Those were the last words he wanted to hear. Chief Volgin's eyes widened as he realized the situation was starting to spiral out of control. Any other cop would have pressed the panic button under such circumstances, but the Chief was a man of tremendous resolve.

"We have to call the Imperial Army. Maybe enlist the help of the different Mystic Guilds," Detective Locksley suggested. There was panic written all over his face, just like the rest of the cops.

Chief Volgin however, handled things as calmly as possible. "Tell the men to evacuate the civilians from the danger zones and set up defensive perimeters. These Ethereals might look scary, but they aren't invincible. We've already retaken Windbell Park within a couple of hours. There's no need to panic."

"Oh, this park isn't safe yet," Xander butted in.

"But you already killed all the Ethereals." Chief Volgin looked at the Dreamwalker with knitted eyebrows.

Xander pointed at the portal behind the birdwatching tower. "As long as that door remains open, the Ethereals can cross whenever they want. We have to close the portal to prevent that."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"Same as always," Xander huffed. "I have to enter the portal and set things right."

"You mean there's another Last Memory waiting on the other side?" Detective Locksley asked.

Xander nodded. "You catch on pretty quick, Detective. You're partially correct. What you see before you is a Nightmare Portal. But I have no idea how it was conjured. Although judging by the Ethereals that came out of it, I have a hunch it involves a tragedy."

"So, the cultists murdered someone else?" Detective Locksley questioned back.

At this, Xander pulled out his Chronica and raised it to the level of his eyes. "There's only one way to find out. I need to inspect the park."

"My men can help out with that. What are you looking for?" The Chief asked.

"Medallions, candles, bone dust, ceremonial daggers, dead bodies with runic symbols. Anything related to the cultists," Xander replied, still staring at his Chronica. "Ask your men to check all the bodies before sending them to the morgue. If they find any strange markings, they are to report to me."

With that, Xander walked away, and Chief Volgin ordered his men to spread out. Detective Locksley went back to his car to relay the Chief's orders to the rest of the cops in the city.

Though Xander usually preferred to keep a low profile and stay out of trouble, this time trouble had found him. Being a Dreamwalker came with its share of problems, but he had just made things a lot more complicated by becoming Mordred's herald.

Xander wasn't the type of person to play hero for the greater good, but now even if he wanted, he couldn't walk away from this. A Nightmare Portal this close to his apartment was the last thing he needed.

While the cops combed the rest of the park, Xander walked past the birdwatching tower and made his way to the portal. Suddenly, something dangling from the branch of an oak tree caught his attention.

As the moon peeped through the veil of clouds, Xander made out the naked figure of a skinny young man hanging from the tree. There was a gray noose around his neck, the same kind that he had seen in Esther's case.

Xander quickly walked up to the tree and started searching the ground. Before long, he found a black robe buried under a pile of leaves and a black crystal ball filled with red smoke. All the pieces fitted perfectly now.

"I found the body," Xander yelled out.

Chief Volgin and Detective Locksley came running to his location.

"Damn those bastards!" Chief Volgin muttered angrily. "These must be the same ones who murdered my Esther. They are not getting out of this city."

The Chief was about to radio his men to set up checkpoints on all major roads and highways when Xander stopped him.

"No one killed this guy. He committed suicide. A willing sacrifice," Xander revealed. "Normally a suicide would create a Death Dream, but it was different in his case. He didn't take his life to end his suffering, but happily offered himself as a sacrifice to the dark deity; hence the Nightmare Portal."

"And just how can you be so sure?"

Xander pointed at the guy's bare chest. "He's got the red feather tattooed on his body. It's a mark of submission to Shamura."

"A black feather isn't some rare tattoo. You will find plenty of normal people have it in Faros," the Chief retorted.

Xander shook his head. "This one's different. It's pointing downward and has a pair of black dots under it. Those two dots are the Eyes of Darkness. The cultists believe their deity watches over them at night."

Both the Chief and the Detective were surprised by Xander's knowledge of the subject. "How do you know all this?" Chief Volgin asked, with a note of suspicion in his voice.

Xander sensed the hostility in the senior cop's voice and read into his thoughts. "You know you'd be dead by now if I was one of the cultists. These little details were mentioned in my sister's diary. You have nothing to worry about."

Though Detective Locksley never had any doubts about Xander, Chief Volgin was still unsure about trusting him, especially since he knew so much about Shamura.

"I need to know that we can trust you," Chief Volgin said.

Xander turned around and frowned at him. "You're the one who's been hiding things. You never told me Esther wasn't your real niece. She was adopted."

"I've always treated her as my own blood," the Chief grumbled. "And I don't see how this information is helpful in this situation."

Xander looked the Chief in the eye and replied, "Your niece was a Harkin. She had noble blood running through her veins. Her ancestors were blessed by Mordred himself. That's why the cultists targeted her. They needed her to free Shamura from her binds."

Detective Locksley looked at the Chief, but he turned his eyes away. His voice turned feeble as he began his tale. "I adopted Esther when she was just three. The orphanage said they had no information about her background. I knew something was fishy, but I just wanted to bring her home. If only I had known...I could have been more careful. I could have saved her."

"I'm sorry for your loss, but there's nothing we can do for the dead," Xander said.

Chief Volgin nodded and wiped his foggy eyes with his handkerchief. "Let's try to save those who are still alive. What's your plan?"

Xander put his Chronica away and took out a black crystal ball. "I'm gonna enter the portal and deal with this cultist's Last Memory. If I don't return before dawn, send word to Leena. She'll know what to do."