CHAPTER 45: “ORGAN” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”

BY WILLIAM WARNER

CHAPTER 45: “ORGAN” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”

---

Our fleet cut through the upper layers of Vondrakka’s atmosphere in a unified descent, the armada moving with a precision that reflected both discipline and urgency. From the viewport of the Dropship, I watched as the darkness of the planet swallowed us gradually, the dim light from above fading into a deep, muted glow that barely illuminated the jagged terrain below. Clouds drifted in heavy layers, parting only briefly as our formation pierced through them, revealing glimpses of a world that existed in shadow by design rather than by circumstance.

The Dropship stabilized as it descended toward the surface, its engines adjusting to the dense atmosphere with a controlled hum. The landscape below was carved into steep mountain ranges, their surfaces shaped not just by nature, but by deliberate construction. As we approached the landing zone, the structure of the city became visible—Undergang. It wasn’t built atop the mountains, but within them, its architecture embedded into the rock itself. Towering entrances cut into the cliffs, and entire sections of the city extended inward, disappearing into the depths of the stone like veins in a living organism.

We touched down within one of the primary entry zones, the ramp lowering as the engines powered down to a steady idle. One by one, we stepped out onto Vondrakka’s surface—Cole, Hanna, Elizabeth, Mathew, Droid L-84, Beelzebub, Anisia, Serenity, Emily, and I—our presence forming a unified front as we entered unfamiliar territory that felt anything but unguarded.

The air here carried a faint metallic tang, mixed with something older, something organic. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was distinct, marking the environment as one shaped by beings who thrived in conditions far removed from typical human worlds. The lighting was dim, dominated by deep reds and muted golds that cast long shadows across the stone pathways and reinforced the city’s gothic character.

We didn’t have to wait long.

Vafri approached us from within the city gates, his posture calm and controlled, his presence reflecting a level of authority that matched the environment he belonged to. He stopped a short distance from us, his gaze settling on me without hesitation.

I stepped forward slightly. “Where's Yursa?”

Vafri responded without delay. “She’s safe, but the matriarch would like to see you first.”

The answer didn’t bring relief, but it did provide direction. I glanced back at the others, gauging their reactions. There was no resistance, no hesitation—only silent agreement. Whatever lay ahead, we would face it together, but the path forward had already been chosen for us.

We followed.

The gates of Undergang opened as we approached, revealing the interior of the city in full. The transition from the exterior to the interior was seamless, yet striking. The darkness did not lessen—it deepened, becoming something that felt intentional rather than environmental. The city thrived in it.

The architecture inside was expansive, layered, and intricately designed. Pathways carved into stone stretched outward in multiple directions, leading to structures that combined medieval form with advanced technology. Spires rose from within the mountain, their surfaces etched with patterns that glowed faintly in red and gold, while bridges connected different sections of the city across vast interior spaces.

The inhabitants moved through it with ease. Vampires.

Their presence was everywhere, yet nothing about their movements felt chaotic. They carried themselves with a sense of control, their interactions measured, their awareness sharp. The city itself reflected that same precision—it was not decayed or neglected, but maintained with care, its systems functioning as efficiently as any advanced world we had seen.

Sound filled the space, but it was unlike anything I had heard before. Music.

It carried the rhythm of modern electronic structure, but layered beneath it was something older, something rooted in tradition. The deep tones of an organ resonated through the city, blending seamlessly with the synthetic beats to create a sound that felt both ancient and futuristic. It echoed through the stone corridors, giving the entire environment a pulse that matched the movement of its inhabitants.

As we moved deeper into Undergang, my attention shifted between the architecture and the people within it. There was a strange harmony here, a balance between what should have felt unnatural and what instead felt established, refined.

Then I saw something that grounded that understanding in reality.

A group of vampires gathered near one of the side corridors, their focus directed downward. Fallen Templar Knights lay at their feet, their armor damaged, their bodies lifeless. The vampires fed without hesitation, their movements controlled rather than frenzied, as if this was not an act of desperation, but a necessity integrated into their existence.

Emily’s voice broke through my thoughts, low enough that it barely carried beyond us. “Too bad they're not sucking the blood from those soul sucking demons.”

I glanced at her briefly before responding, my tone even. “I think those faggot freaks are their equivalent.”

Emily didn’t react strongly, her expression remaining unchanged as she replied. “Woah language.”

We continued forward without slowing, the exchange passing as quickly as it had come. Despite everything around us, my focus began to shift inward, drawn toward something that had been lingering in my mind since we arrived in this timeline.

This world. This sequence of events. It still didn’t feel entirely real.

Not in the sense of illusion, but in the sense of structure—as though everything was unfolding according to something unseen, something guiding events in ways that didn’t always align with logic. The thought lingered long enough to take shape before I pushed it aside. There would be time to question it later.

Right now, there was something more immediate. Yursa. And the truth she had yet to explain.

We followed Vafri deeper into Undergang, the path ahead leading us toward the heart of the city—and whatever waited within it.

We continued deeper into Undergang, following Vafri as the city’s layered architecture gradually gave way to something more centralized, more imposing. The pathways narrowed into structured corridors carved directly into the mountain’s core, their surfaces reinforced with dark metal that reflected the red and gold glow of the city’s lighting. The music that once echoed through the open streets faded behind us, replaced by a quieter, more controlled atmosphere that carried the weight of authority. Every step forward made it clear that we were approaching the heart of power within this world.

Lilith’s castle revealed itself as an extension of the mountain itself, its structure seamlessly integrated into the surrounding stone while still maintaining a presence that distinguished it from the rest of the city. Towering gates stood before us, etched with intricate designs that seemed to pulse faintly under the dim lighting. The guards stationed there did not question our arrival; Vafri’s presence alone was enough to grant passage.

The gates opened. We stepped inside.

The interior of the castle was vast, its corridors lined with towering columns that stretched upward into shadow. The gothic aesthetic intensified here, with sharp arches, dark materials, and subtle technological enhancements woven into the structure in ways that didn’t disrupt its ancient appearance. It felt like a place that had existed long before our time, yet had adapted just enough to remain relevant in a universe driven by advancement.

We entered the throne room.

Lilith sat upon her throne once more, her presence unchanged, composed and deliberate as her gaze settled on me the moment I stepped forward. Yursa stood beside her, unharmed, her posture steady but her attention immediately shifting toward us as we approached.

Lilith spoke first. “Hello William, I've heard a lot about you. You're looking for your friend?”

She gestured toward Yursa without breaking her calm demeanor.

I met her gaze, my tone even but firm. “I see you kept her in one piece, I appreciate that, but I wish you'd done something about the two spies left in your dungeon.”

Yursa’s expression shifted immediately, confusion surfacing as she stepped slightly forward. “Will, what do you mean by that?”

Lilith’s eyes moved briefly between us before she responded, her tone measured. “I'm pretty sure he has a good reason.”

I didn’t hesitate. “We do. Lia & Samuel could be Shark people in disguise, and we need to draw their blood in order to test them.”

Lilith’s response was immediate and absolute. “No.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Why?”

Her answer came without pause. “Fresh blood can attract unwanted attention from my kind.”

I considered that for a moment, then adjusted the approach. “Then we'll do it behind locked doors.”

Lilith studied me briefly before giving a small nod of agreement. “I assume Yursa is free to go?”

She nodded again, her posture unchanged as she rose from the throne. Without another word, she turned and began leading us away from the throne room, back through the corridors and deeper into the castle’s lower levels. The transition from the throne room to the dungeon was immediate in tone. The refined authority of the upper halls gave way to something colder, more utilitarian. The walls here were reinforced with heavier materials, the lighting dimmer, the atmosphere heavier.

We reached the dungeon.

The door to the holding area opened with a mechanical release, revealing Samuel and Lia inside their cell. Samuel was the first to react, his expression shifting to relief the moment he saw us. “Guys, you're finally here to save us. Guys?”

Lilith unlocked the cell without hesitation, the barrier sliding open as I stepped inside. Samuel’s relief didn’t last long. He studied my expression, confusion replacing it almost immediately. “You don't look happy to see us?”

He started to rise, but I moved forward and placed a firm hand against his shoulder, guiding him back down onto the bed. “Take a seat, so we can begin testing.”

Lia’s reaction was immediate, her brow lifting in disbelief. “Testing?”

Behind me, Emily and Droid L-84 moved quickly, gathering the necessary equipment from the portable kits we had brought with us. Their movements were efficient, practiced, and without hesitation.

I kept my focus on Lia as I spoke. “We got to make sure you're not a part of the shark hive.”

Her expression hardened, frustration surfacing as she responded. “Are you fucking kidding me, that's fucking crazy.”

I didn’t give her room to push back further. “Spare me the bullshit. Your whole little invasion plan was hijacked by a savage Shark Frenzy. Oh, and your hot pocket dimension is no more.”

The weight of that statement lingered, cutting through whatever argument she might have made next.

Emily stepped forward, her movements precise as she restrained Samuel by the back of his neck, keeping him steady. The needle entered his skin with practiced efficiency, drawing the necessary sample without delay. Samuel winced but didn’t resist, his confusion now mixed with something closer to concern. Emily moved to Lia next.

Lia barely had time to react before Emily drove the needle into her neck, extracting the sample with the same level of precision. The tension in the room sharpened as the process completed, both of them now watching us with uncertainty rather than defiance.

Droid L-84 activated the endothermic scanner, its sensors sweeping over both of them in quick succession. The device emitted a faint hum as it processed the data, its readings displayed clearly on the interface. “Their body temperature seems normal,”

I crossed my arms slightly, considering the result. “Guess it's up to the blood tests. We should test run the results in a separate room.”

There was no argument. No resistance. We had what we needed.

Without another word, we turned and exited the cell, leaving Samuel and Lia behind as the door sealed shut once more. The dungeon’s atmosphere closed in again, the silence returning as we moved back into the corridors, carrying the samples with us toward whatever truth they would reveal.

The chamber Lilith led us into was set just beyond the dungeon corridors, separated from the holding cells by a reinforced partition that dampened sound and sealed the room from the rest of the castle. Unlike the oppressive darkness of the lower halls, this room carried a more clinical atmosphere. The gothic design still lingered in the architecture—the arched ceiling, the dark stone—but it was interrupted by modern equipment arranged with deliberate precision across metal worktables. Portable analyzers, microscopes, and diagnostic units had already been activated, their interfaces glowing faintly as they processed incoming data.

Serenity moved immediately to the center station, her posture focused as she prepared the samples. Emily and Droid L-84 positioned themselves on either side, ensuring the equipment remained calibrated while I stood slightly back, watching the process unfold. The vials of blood taken from Lia and Samuel rested within a sealed tray, their contents illuminated under sterile light as Serenity transferred them carefully onto the analysis platform.

The machines responded instantly.

Soft mechanical sounds filled the room as the analyzers began their work. Thin beams of light scanned the samples, breaking them down at a microscopic level while data streamed across the central display. Serenity leaned over the microscope, her attention fixed on what could not be seen by the naked eye, her expression tightening slightly as the seconds passed.

No one spoke. The weight of the moment didn’t allow for it.

This wasn’t just a test—it was confirmation, one way or the other, of something that would dictate our next move entirely.

The system completed its first phase of analysis, the results appearing on the display in structured sequences. Serenity remained focused, cross-checking the data manually through the microscope before lifting her head slightly, her voice cutting through the silence with clarity. “Samuel is one of them.”

The words settled heavily into the room, carrying a finality that left no room for interpretation. I kept my gaze on the display for a moment longer, watching as the irregular patterns in Samuel’s blood sample contrasted sharply with the stable structure of Lia’s.

I spoke without hesitation. “We should make him aware of what he is.”

Lilith, who had remained composed throughout the process, shifted her attention toward me, her expression marked by a subtle confusion. “How can he not be aware of what he is?”

I turned toward her, my tone steady but firm. “That's one of the Shark People's great tricks. Blending in as much as possible.”

The implication lingered between us. The idea that something could exist among us without even knowing its true nature was unsettling, but it aligned too closely with everything we had already encountered.

Emily stepped forward slightly, her stance decisive. “We should kill him.”

Her words came without hesitation, grounded in the reality of what we were facing rather than any sense of personal attachment. Lilith regarded her for a moment, her expression shifting into something more contemplative. “Is that an ethical thing to do?”

I exhaled slightly, my patience thinning as I met her gaze. “Are you kidding me? He's not a real person, and you have no idea how dangerous the xenos scum can be?”

The room fell silent again, the tension settling into place as Lilith considered the response. She did not argue further, but there was a weight behind her acceptance, a recognition that this decision was not one she took lightly.

She let out a quiet sigh before responding. “Fine, we can move him into a more durable enclosure and kill him there.”

The decision was made. No further debate.

Lilith’s attention shifted to Serenity, her tone returning to something more controlled. “Are you finished with those blood vials?”

Serenity nodded.

Without hesitation, Lilith stepped forward and took the vials into her hand. There was no ceremony for what she did next. She raised them and drank the contents in measured motions, her composure never breaking as she consumed what had just been analyzed.

I watched. I didn’t comment.

There was no point in addressing it. Whatever restraint she claimed to have, whatever control she practiced, it was clear that her nature remained tied to what she was. It wasn’t something she denied—it was something she managed.

And if that management kept her aligned with us, then it was something I could tolerate. For now.

The machines powered down gradually as the analysis concluded, their work complete, their purpose fulfilled. What remained was the outcome, and the actions that would follow it.

Samuel was not who he appeared to be. And whatever he truly was—We were about to confront it directly.

We moved together through the lower corridors of the dungeon with a unified purpose, the weight of our decision pressing down on every step as we approached Samuel and Lia’s cell. The reinforced walls around us absorbed sound, creating an oppressive silence that made even the smallest movement feel deliberate. When the cell door opened, the tension snapped into motion. Samuel looked up, confusion turning quickly into unease as we entered with intent rather than relief. There was no hesitation in our actions as we closed in on him, securing heavy restraints around his arms and torso before he could react. The chains locked with a mechanical certainty that left no room for resistance, anchoring him firmly in place.

“What the hell guys?”

Lia’s voice cut through the moment, sharp with disbelief, but I didn’t turn to face her immediately. My attention remained fixed on Samuel as the final restraints tightened, ensuring control before anything else. “I know you don't deserve it, but it's for your own safety. Las.”

The explanation did little to ease the situation, but we moved forward regardless, escorting Samuel out of the cell and deeper into the dungeon. The path led us past sealed chambers and reinforced barriers until we reached the interrogation room, a space designed not for containment, but for extraction. At its center stood the chair—an integrated system of restraints and mechanisms built to withstand both physical and internal resistance. We secured Samuel into it with precision, each fastening locking into place until his body was fully immobilized.

As soon as the restraints were confirmed, we exited the chamber without a word, the heavy doors sealing behind us with a finality that echoed through the corridor. Samuel’s voice followed us just before the seal completed. “Wait what is this, why are you doing this?”

We didn’t respond. Instead, we entered the adjacent control room, where layered shielding and reinforced glass separated us from the chamber while allowing full visibility. The consoles within the room illuminated as we took our positions, displaying Samuel’s restrained form at the center of the chamber. His breathing had become uneven, his eyes scanning the room in growing panic as he struggled to understand what was happening.

Before proceeding, I turned slightly toward Lilith, knowing her systems controlled the environment within the chamber. “Are there speakers in this chamber? Disguised Shark People show their true colors with certain frequencies.”

Lilith answered without hesitation, her composure unshaken. “Combined with hallucination gas and torture methods within the chair itself. We shouldn't have to pull any teeth to get answers.”

With that, she activated the system. A fine mist began to fill the chamber, seeping from hidden vents and quickly forming a dense fog that distorted the environment. Samuel’s movements slowed as the gas took effect, his perception unraveling as the world around him shifted into something unreal. He could no longer see us, but he could still hear.

“Samuel, we want to know why you are one of them?”

The question echoed through the chamber, carried by the speakers in a tone that felt distant and unnatural. The response came not in words at first, but in reaction. The sound system activated, releasing controlled bursts of frequency that tore through the chamber, striking Samuel’s senses with overwhelming force. His body jerked violently against the restraints, his voice breaking into a scream that quickly lost its human shape.

“What are you doing to him?” Lia’s voice rose again, sharper now, but I didn’t turn.

“I'm trying to separate the beast from what's left of Samuel.”

Inside the chamber, the transformation escalated. Samuel’s body convulsed violently, the restraints tightening automatically to counter the force of his movements. His muscles locked, then spasmed again, his eyes rolling back until only white remained. The sounds he made deepened, distorted, shifting into something that no longer resembled the person we had brought into the room.

“What! What do you want?”

The voice that emerged was no longer Samuel’s. I leaned closer to the console, speaking directly to whatever had taken control. “What is your bigger plan? Why do you need the Star Castle Pyramid, why did you attack Shungite Pillars, and left their worlds untouched? You're kind, didn't even take a nibble from Skaalandr, and I want to know why?”

The creature’s response came with a trace of defiance. “Why do you care?”

I increased the intensity of the frequencies, and the reaction was immediate. The creature thrashed violently, expelling a burst of green acid that splattered across the interior of the chamber, damaging parts of the communication system and distorting the audio feed. The speakers crackled and failed, leaving us without a clear channel to continue remotely. I didn’t hesitate. There was only one option left.

I stepped into the chamber.

The door sealed behind me as I moved through the dense fog, the hallucinogenic haze warping the edges of my vision. Samuel—or what remained of him—strained against the restraints, sensing my presence even before it could see me clearly. I closed the distance quickly, standing directly before the restrained form as I forced the question again.

“I need to know why you attacked those Shungite Pillars?”

The response was immediate and violent. Samuel’s body split open, forcing something outward from within. The creature that emerged resembled a Wobbegong Shark bioform, its structure unnatural as it attempted to tear free from its host. It thrashed against the restraints before realizing it could not escape, its movements slowing as it accepted its confinement.

“Bethany the Demon Queen, she wants to control the hive mind for herself. We couldn't have attacked Skaalander that day, and we needed Star Castle and the Monolithic city in order for us to flee back into Dark Dimension.”

The answer came clearly, without distortion. I pressed further, unwilling to let the moment pass without extracting everything possible. “What is the Dark Dimension?”

The creature did not answer. Instead, it turned inward, its body convulsing as it released a final surge of acid that consumed itself from within. The reaction was rapid and deliberate, leaving nothing behind but a dissolving mass that collapsed lifelessly into the restraints.

The chamber fell silent as the fog began to dissipate. I remained standing there for a moment, watching as the last remnants of the creature broke down into nothing. The answers we had gained lingered in my mind, heavy with implication. This was no longer just a war between factions. The demons were reaching beyond their own domain, seeking control over something far more dangerous.

And whatever the Dark Dimension was—It was the Shark People’s home.

The chamber door remained open behind me as the last remnants of the dissolved bioform settled into the reinforced restraints, the acrid scent of its self-inflicted end lingering in the air. The fog had thinned enough to reveal the full extent of what had been left behind—no longer Samuel, but the hollow aftermath of something that had worn his form convincingly enough to deceive us all. I stepped back toward the exit just as the rest of the group pushed through the doorway, their urgency breaking whatever silence had briefly reclaimed the room.

Emily reached me first, her eyes scanning the scene before settling on me, searching for answers. “What happened?”

I didn’t delay, knowing that clarity mattered more than easing the shock of what they were seeing. “The shark people took Star Castle and the monolithic city, because they plan on fleeing from Bethany & her demons.”

The explanation settled over the room, but it only raised more questions, the implications spreading outward faster than anyone could process them. Emily’s expression tightened slightly as she stepped closer, her mind already working through the logic of it.

“Then why attack the Shungite Pillar?”

I turned slightly, glancing back toward the chair where the remains still hung as if the answer was written into the ruin itself. “They were trying to create a distraction.”

The weight of that realization carried through the group. What we had interpreted as random or inconsistent attacks now aligned into something far more deliberate. The Shark People had not been striking blindly—they had been buying time, diverting attention, manipulating the battlefield in ways we had only begun to understand.

Lia moved past the others, her steps slower, more hesitant as she approached what remained of Samuel. She studied the remains closely, her expression shifting from disbelief to something more unsettled as she tried to reconcile what she had known with what now stood before her.

“I can't believe he was a part of the hive mind?”

Her voice carried a trace of shock that didn’t sit well with me. I turned toward her sharply, the tension that had been building since this began surfacing without restraint. “Shut up! Just because you're not a slug doesn't mean you don't act slippery. You people planned on imposing your will onto this timeline, and for what reason I may ask?”

The accusation hung heavily in the room, forcing her to meet it directly. Lia straightened slightly, her response coming with less hesitation than I expected. “Like Samuel told you, it was a precautionary measure to stop Bethany.”

I let out a controlled breath, the frustration still present but contained enough to keep the conversation moving. “Well you failed, and I still don't know why I was dragged into this timeline.”

The words came out harsher than intended, but they reflected the truth of what had been building in my mind. Too many events, too many coincidences, too many gaps that no one had fully explained. My attention shifted toward Yursa, who had remained quiet through the exchange. She avoided my gaze, her eyes lowered as if the weight of what she knew had finally become too much to carry in silence.

The room held in that moment, the tension stretching just enough for something to break—but it wasn’t Yursa who spoke.

Beelzebub stepped forward slightly, his presence calm but his tone direct as he cut through the uncertainty. “May I suggest trying to find the location of the Hive Mind before the bitch finds it?”

The suggestion redirected the focus immediately, pulling us away from internal conflict and back toward the larger threat that loomed over everything. Yursa lifted her head at that, her hesitation replaced by a quiet certainty as she finally spoke.

“He's right, and we must go to Crimmseed for answers. All of them. I think you're ready to know the truth William.”

Her words landed differently than anything else that had been said. There was no deflection in them, no attempt to delay or redirect. Whatever she had been holding back, she was no longer willing to keep it hidden.

Before I could respond, Lilith’s voice entered the conversation, her tone firm with a decision already made. “Guys, Vafri & I are coming with you. We're a part of Vikingnar now.”

I glanced toward her, measuring the statement not as a request, but as a declaration. There was no hesitation in her posture, no uncertainty in her commitment. Whether by necessity or choice, she had aligned herself with us, and that alignment carried weight.

I gave a slight nod, accepting it without resistance. “Sure, why not.”

The decision settled quickly, the group shifting from uncertainty into motion as the next step became clear. Crimmseed.

Answers. Truth.

Whatever waited there had been building toward this moment longer than I had realized, and for the first time since all of this began, it felt like we were finally moving toward something that would explain it.

Not just the war. Not just the enemies. But why was I here at all?

The Drakkar Dropship hummed with a steady, controlled vibration as it cut through the void toward Crimseed, its interior dimly lit by soft red instrumentation that reflected off the metallic surfaces of the cockpit and hull. Yursa stood at the bow, her posture composed as she piloted the craft with deliberate precision, her focus fixed on the expanding view of the artificial world ahead. I remained just behind her, watching as Crimseed grew larger in the viewport, its presence both unnatural and strangely beautiful—a constructed world that mimicked life while still carrying the signature of something engineered rather than born.

As we closed in, the planet’s red atmosphere shimmered faintly, its hue casting a glow that bled into the darkness of space like a wound that refused to close. I found myself studying it longer than necessary before breaking the silence that had settled inside the Dropship. “So if Crimseed is an artificial world, how many more artificial worlds are out there?”

Yursa didn’t turn, her hands steady on the controls as she guided us toward entry. “If you're referring to Vikingnar worlds, we only have two, including this one.”

The answer was simple, but it didn’t quiet the thought behind the question. Artificial worlds weren’t just structures—they were statements. If two existed under Vikingnar’s control, then others had to exist elsewhere, created by forces we hadn’t fully uncovered yet. That realization lingered as the Dropship breached the upper layer of Crimseed’s atmosphere.

The transition was immediate.

The red haze enveloped us, the exterior of the ship glowing faintly as the atmosphere resisted our entry before giving way. Below us, the terrain unfolded in stark contrast to anything natural. Black earth stretched across vast distances, broken only by rivers that cut through it like veins, their surfaces reflecting the red sky above. Vegetation thrived despite the alien conditions, its dark forms absorbing what little light filtered through the atmosphere, creating a landscape that felt alive in a way that was entirely unfamiliar.

We descended further, the Dropship stabilizing as Yursa guided it toward a suitable landing zone. The engines adjusted automatically, compensating for the atmospheric density as we touched down in a clearing that bordered both wilderness and settlement.

The ramp lowered. We stepped out.

The air felt different here—denser, heavier, but not hostile. It carried the faint hum of energy beneath it, a reminder that this world, while organic in appearance, was sustained by systems far beyond what nature alone could provide. In the distance, I could see villages integrated seamlessly into the terrain, their structures powered by fusion energy that pulsed quietly beneath the surface. The people who lived here had adapted fully to this environment, their presence blending into the artificial ecosystem as if it had always been theirs.

We began to move.

The path ahead led us through open wilderness first, the black soil firm beneath our boots as we passed clusters of vegetation that seemed to shift subtly in response to the faint currents of energy moving through the ground. The silence here wasn’t empty—it was controlled, deliberate, as if the world itself was maintaining a balance that could be disrupted if disturbed too carelessly.

Eventually, the wilderness gave way to a more structured area, where pathways had been carved into the terrain and small bridges connected different sections of the land. As we crossed one of these bridges, a narrow creek flowing beneath us, I turned my attention toward Lilith, who walked just slightly behind us, her gaze moving across the environment with quiet interest. “Is Vondrakka safe from attack?”

She answered without hesitation, her tone steady. “Yes, we have a planetary shield to keep my people safe from outside threats like the Demons, the Shark People, my brother, and Arthur.”

Her response caught my attention immediately, not because of the reassurance, but because of what she included in it. “Arthur? The guy with a crowned skull helm?”

She turned slightly, her expression sharpening as she looked at me. “How do you know Adam?”

I met her gaze evenly, recalling the encounter clearly. “I fought him in some backwater world, and I never asked you if he was your ex… If he's Adam, that makes you Lilith the first Vampire. You having a brother doesn't make any sense.”

There was a brief pause before she responded, her tone shifting into something more measured. “Not many people have heard of my brother Ambrogio.”

The name lingered, unfamiliar and out of place within everything else we had learned. It only deepened the questions already forming in my mind. “Who were your parents?”

Lilith’s expression didn’t change, but there was something in her voice when she answered that suggested uncertainty rather than control. “I don't know... One day I just existed...”

The response didn’t sit right with me. Nothing about this universe had proven simple, and origins like that rarely came without consequence. “The first people from Earth don't just show up out of thin air.”

I let the thought settle between us before stepping forward, closing the distance between myself and Emily as we continued walking. The conversation behind me didn’t stop, but it shifted into something quieter, something more reflective.

Yursa’s voice carried just enough for me to hear. “Sorry he's filled with so many questions.”

Lilith responded in kind, her tone no longer defensive, but understanding. “I understand, I too want to know where I came from.”

Their words lingered as we moved deeper into Crimseed, the path ahead leading us toward whatever answers this world held. For the first time since we set out, it felt like the questions weren’t just mine anymore. They were shared.

And whatever truth waited for us here—It wasn’t going to be simple.

The temple rose from the black terrain like a relic that had refused to decay, its structure both elegant and unsettling in equal measure. Tall glass windows stretched along its upper levels, reflecting the red sky of Crimseed in fractured panes of dim light. As we approached, I could feel something shift in the atmosphere—not physically, but perceptually—as though the space around the temple carried a different weight than the wilderness we had crossed. It wasn’t just a building; it was a repository, a place where knowledge had been gathered, protected, and perhaps misunderstood for longer than anyone could truly account for.

We entered without resistance, moving through the lower halls before ascending toward the upper levels where the library resided. The interior was vast and quiet, lined with shelves that held books of varying age and origin. Some appeared ancient, bound in materials that had long since disappeared from common use, while others carried more modern designs, their contents preserved through methods that blended tradition with advanced technology. The silence here was not empty—it was reverent, as if the knowledge contained within the walls demanded respect simply by existing.

We spread out, scanning through volumes, searching for something specific within an ocean of information that had no clear beginning or end. Time seemed to stretch as we worked, the act of searching becoming almost mechanical until, finally, something aligned. Yursa, Emily, and I converged on a single text, its title etched clearly across the cover.

“Shark Kin.”

The name alone carried weight, and as we opened the book, the pages revealed diagrams, records, and fragmented knowledge that connected directly to everything we had been facing. The text was dense, layered with information that required careful interpretation, but Yursa moved through it with familiarity, her eyes scanning quickly until something caught her attention. “I believe we can locate the Shark Hive in the outer rim, or outside of our galaxy.”

The statement shifted the scale of everything we had been dealing with. I leaned slightly closer, processing the implication before responding. “Groovy. How do we go in safely?”

Yursa turned a few more pages before answering. “It says to cover our ship in Shark guts, flesh, or skin.”

I paused, letting the absurdity of the method settle before questioning the source itself. “How in the hell do you people get all of this information?”

Her answer came without hesitation. “All of our info came after we abandoned Earth.”

I gave a slight nod, though the explanation only opened more questions than it closed. “Mmm hmm.”

The weight of everything we had uncovered lingered in my mind as I stepped away from the table, the density of the library beginning to feel suffocating. I moved toward the balcony, pushing open the doors and stepping outside into the open air. The red sky stretched above me, the distant landscape of Crimseed visible beyond the temple’s height. The air here felt lighter, though the thoughts pressing against my mind remained heavy.

Yursa followed.

She didn’t speak immediately, and neither did I. The silence between us held for a moment before she broke it, her tone quieter now, more deliberate. “So do you want to know why you're here?”

I nodded, my attention shifting fully to her as she continued. “I think you chose to come here.”

The statement caught me off guard, not because it didn’t make sense, but because it reframed everything I had been questioning. “Huh? What do you mean by that?”

She met my gaze steadily. “I'm saying you made an unconscious decision to be here. That's why you feel like you have no free will.”

I let that settle, turning it over in my mind as the implications began to take shape. “So I already made the choice, and I'm just trying to figure out why?”

She gave a slight nod. “Yes, actually.”

The tension that had been building inside me didn’t disappear, but it shifted into something more manageable. “So I'm not a prisoner here?”

Yursa shook her head gently. “No. You being here was always for you to decide.”

I exhaled slowly, the realization settling into place in a way that felt both unsettling and strangely grounding. “I guess I can live with that... But do you know how I got here?”

The answer didn’t come immediately, and before it could, the moment shifted as we moved forward into the next phase of what this place was meant to reveal.

The descent into the labyrinth was unlike anything like the first time. Yursa led us—Cole, Mathew, Elizabeth, Hanna, Anisia, Droid L-84, Emily, and I—down into a structure that extended far beneath the surface, its design blending natural elements with artificial constructs in a way that defied clear categorization. The space opened into a vast network of pathways, where towering structures rose from the ground like pillars of data, their surfaces alive with flowing information that pulsed faintly with energy.

Vegetation grew alongside these constructs, grass and plant life weaving through the metallic architecture as though the two had evolved together rather than being forced into coexistence. The air moved continuously, driven by unseen systems that kept the environment in motion, the gentle flow of wind passing through the labyrinth as if it were alive.

Yursa slowed as we entered deeper into the structure, her voice carrying through the space as she gestured around us. “If you look around, I believe this labyrinth is the cause of your appearance in this timeline. And I can assure you, you weren't from the Rus timeline, especially when they turned out to be conniving Shark People. I just needed to know for sure.”

Her words reframed everything once again, shifting the origin of my presence away from the assumptions we had been working with. Cole responded first, his tone edged with frustration. “So you left us to fend for ourselves?”

Hanna stepped in immediately, her voice cutting through the accusation. “Cole, she was captured?”

I stepped forward slightly, grounding the conversation before it could spiral. “I don't blame Yursa for not giving us a straight answer. I still can't believe that this beast is a time machine.”

Yursa nodded slightly, acknowledging both the doubt and the reality of what we were standing in. “If you think that's odd. Not many people come here. We keep a log for past, present, and even future visits. It showed that you were going to come & visit this place in the future with a stranger?”

She moved toward a console that stood at the center of the labyrinth, its design both ancient and alien, its surface responding to her touch as it activated. Data flickered across its interface, confirming what she had described. The idea that my presence here had been recorded before it happened settled into something deeper than unease.

I stepped closer, my curiosity cutting through the weight of it. “Dare I ask, do you know where the labyrinth came from?”

Yursa’s expression shifted slightly, her answer carrying the same uncertainty she had shown before. “No, and my people don't even know where Crimmseed came from. We actually evolved on Redwana, and one day this strange artificial world showed up in our solar system. We took an oath to protect this ancient world and the foreign technology that lied inside it... We're just as clueless as you.”

That answer lingered longer than any of the others. For all the knowledge contained within this place, for all the systems and records that extended beyond time itself, its origin remained unknown. That fact alone made it more dangerous than anything we had faced so far.

I gave a slight nod, the weight of the realization settling into something actionable. “Well, this was a nice field trip, but I think we should get back to work. This place is another reason to stop the demonic incursions.”

The labyrinth remained around us, vast and incomprehensible, but the path forward was clear. Whatever this place was, whatever role it had played in bringing me here, it had now become another reason to fight.

Not just for survival. But for understanding.

We emerged from the labyrinth with a renewed sense of urgency, the weight of what we had learned pressing forward into action rather than reflection. The path back to the landing site felt shorter this time, not because the distance had changed, but because our purpose had sharpened. When the Drakkar Dropship came into view, it no longer appeared as the pristine vessel we had arrived in. Androids surrounded it in coordinated motion, their mechanical precision on full display as they layered strips of leathery sharkhide across the hull. The material clung to the ship in overlapping segments, forming an organic sheath that transformed its sleek surface into something grotesquely alive, the texture uneven and slightly reflective under Crimseed’s red light.

I slowed as I approached, studying the transformation as it unfolded. The scent alone was enough to confirm its authenticity, a faint but unmistakable trace of biological decay mixed with something more alien. It wasn’t just a disguise—it was infiltration by imitation, a calculated mimicry of the very enemy we intended to deceive. “How do we know where to find the Shark Hivemind? There's miles of darkness outside the known galaxy.”

Yursa didn’t hesitate, her focus already aligned with the task ahead. “We can pinpoint the hive mind by utilizing her energy.”

She gestured toward Lia, who stood slightly apart from the rest of us, her presence now carrying a different significance. What had once been suspicion had become utility, her connection to the hive no longer a threat, but a tool. “The only fully intact human to be assimilated into the hive mind.”

The statement settled over the group with a quiet understanding. Lia didn’t resist, didn’t argue. Whatever she felt about being used this way, she kept it contained, her posture steady as she accepted her role in what was to come. The preparations concluded quickly after that. The androids completed their work, sealing the final layers of sharkhide into place as the Dropship systems recalibrated to account for the added mass and altered exterior. The transformation was complete. Where once stood a vessel of Vikingnar design, there now lingered something that could pass, at least at a distance, as part of the Shark People’s domain.

We boarded.

The interior remained unchanged, a stark contrast to the organic horror that now coated the exterior. Yursa returned to the bow, her hands settling into position as the ship lifted from Crimseed’s surface. The engines ignited with controlled force, and the artificial world fell away beneath us, its red atmosphere closing behind as we ascended back into the void.

Crimseed disappeared. Ahead lay only darkness.

The outer rim approached slowly at first, then all at once, as the familiar structure of our galaxy gave way to something less defined. Stars grew sparse, their distribution uneven, their light swallowed by vast stretches of empty space that seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction. Navigation systems adjusted constantly, compensating for the lack of reference points as we pushed further into territory that had not been mapped, not because it couldn’t be, but because there had been no reason to go there before.

Until now.

Yursa began the process as we crossed into that threshold, her focus narrowing as she reached outward with her mind. Lia stood near her, not restrained, but anchored in place by the invisible connection being drawn from her. The energy that tied her to the hive was subtle at first, almost imperceptible, but as Yursa engaged with it, it grew stronger, forming a bridge that extended far beyond the physical boundaries of the ship.

The air inside the Dropship shifted. Not physically, but perceptually. Something unseen was being pulled into alignment.

Time stretched as we followed that connection, the ship moving steadily forward while Yursa guided it not through coordinates, but through instinct sharpened by something far older than technology. The silence inside the vessel deepened, broken only by the low hum of the engines and the faint, rhythmic pulse that seemed to resonate through Lia as the link intensified.

Then it appeared.

At first, it was nothing more than a distortion in the darkness ahead, a subtle deviation in the void that grew clearer as we approached. The shape resolved slowly, its scale becoming apparent only when it began to block out what little starlight existed beyond it.

From the bow window, I saw it fully. The Hive Mind. It wasn’t metaphorical. It wasn’t symbolic.

It was exactly what it appeared to be—an immense, living structure shaped like a colossal shark brain, suspended in the vacuum of space. Its surface pulsed with faint bioluminescence, patterns of energy moving across it in slow, deliberate waves that suggested awareness on a scale far beyond individual thought. It didn’t drift. It existed, anchored in place with a presence that felt both ancient and immediate.

Extending from its base was a massive organic tether, an umbilical structure that stretched downward into a nearby rocky world. The connection pulsed in sync with the brain itself, transferring something between the two—energy, information, control. The planet below appeared lifeless at first glance, its surface barren and scarred, but the connection made it clear that it was anything but inactive.

We had found it. The source. The center of everything the Shark People were. I remained still, my gaze fixed on the structure as the realization settled fully into place. This wasn’t just a target. It was a nexus, a point of convergence that, if compromised, could reshape the entire balance of the war.

And worse— It wasn’t just us searching for it.

The thought came uninvited, but it was impossible to ignore. If we could find it, then so could the demons. Bethany’s interest in the hive mind was no longer theoretical. It was inevitable.

We hovered at the edge of its domain, the Dropship concealed beneath its grotesque disguise, unnoticed for now. But that wouldn’t last. We had reached the heart of the Shark People. And now—We had to make sure it never fell into the wrong hands.

---

CHAPTER 45: “ORGAN” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”