CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN

{ ANOTHER GAMING UNIVERSE; ASH REALM}

The room was dim, the only light coming from the flickering embers of the fireplace. I slumped further into the cushion, staring at the ceiling, trying to drown out the memories of Thomas. His laughter, his wisdom, his unwavering support—it all haunts me now.

“Tell me, Shadow Blade,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need to know how to kill them.”

[THEY ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD, Frederick.] [To defeat them, you must venture into their reality.]

I sat up, the weight of those words sinking in. “Their realm? Are you saying we have to leave Earth?”

[YES. THEY COME FROM A PLACE BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING, A DIMENSION WHERE TIME AND SPACE ARE FLUID. YOU WILL NEED AN ANCHOR TO GUIDE YOU BACK.]

I took a deep breath, the weight of the task ahead of me sinking in. I looked at the picture of Thomas once more, his smiling face giving me a glimmer of hope and determination. "What kind of anchor?"

[A TOKEN OF GREAT PERSONAL VALUE, SOMETHING THAT TIES Y