Quietly they moved away from the residential buildings. Michael followed a step behind Giselle as she let her raven guide her towards the strip of shops on the main streets. Blind, Michael did not know what troubles they had avoided, but was grateful none the less. Any detour away from violence was preferred as that ever-present itch kept Michael on edge.

The scenery changed as they passed through the empty streets. Even the slightest movement drew his attention. In such a hyper focused state he noticed something. The silence. Save for their muffled breath and light tap of their feet, the night air was deathly still.

It wasn’t the lack of people that shocked him. No, it was the lack of any sound. No chirp of birds or chitter of insects. Nothing. Just a pressing silence that reinforced the oppressive magical presence. The thing was suffocating as it pressed down on them with each step. Still they could not stop as they finally moved into the heart of town.

They had just passed by the first set of shops when an ear-piercing howl shattered the silence.  Michael’s heart leapt and pounced in his throat; he could barely choke it back. Giselle fared no better as she stumbled and barely caught herself.

For a moment she stuttered unsure of where to head before she pulled him into a tight alleyway between the buildings.

Even as the world returned to its silence, Michael’s heart refused calm. A cold sweat covered his back as his heartbeat pressed against his chest. The pendent seemed to dance with each rapid beat. At first, he thought it was just fear, his human body reacting to frightful stimulus, but the longer they stayed in the shadows the less simple it became. It wasn’t fear. He didn’t have a name for it, but it was an emotion he had experienced many times before.

With trembling fingers, he quickly pulled out a lighter as shadows slowly swirled and darkened along the alley walls. They slide from beneath boxes and trash, ready to grab his feet when the lighter sparked and came to life. The light source forced them back as they sat on the edge. It was like they were waiting, never fully retreating as Michael used his other hand to fiddle with his bracelet. He needed to get this under control. However, before he could do much the light vanished.

“What are you doing?” Giselle hissed as she snuffed out the flame. She couldn’t say much more as a few figures raced by moments later. A near blur in the night, she couldn’t even tell if they were those greyhounds or some other creature. Either way, now was not the time to light up as she glared at him again and motioned to stay still.

With no light he could only pull at his bracelet and hope it was enough to last. In the dark she couldn’t see the fluctuations in his eyes as she returned to her raven connection.

“We need to find an exit.” His jaw was tight as he finally managed to get the energy surge under control. Whether this was a plane, a realm or bad lay line, he needed to leave. The sooner, the better.

“No shit.” After a quick examination by her raven, they dodged into the back of one of the shops. During the day Michael remembered that it had been a card shop filled with knick knacks and souvenirs. Under light of the moon, it was empty. No, it wasn’t just empty, it was abandoned. Only broken stands and the tattered remnants of cards filled the space as they took cover behind a built-in counter.

“What the fuck is going on here?” The store’s front glass display gave them sight of the street and neighboring shops. This wasn’t the only abandoned shop. Each of the well-maintained store fronts had become worn and empty. Their signs chipped, broken, or completely missing as fragments of displays and items could be seen scattered around. A few had broken windows or even burnt doors.

The entire street was a ghost town in the stagnant night.

“Fae realm?” This couldn’t just be a lay line. And planes were rare to come by on accident. It was the only answer Michael had for the moment.

Some higher fae could set up their own domains. Normally it would lead to distortions in the region and could potentially trap people. Though that didn’t explain the agitation he was feeling. On top of that how could a new fae that powerful set up shop without one of the governments noticing?

“Maybe. I’ve never been in one.” Giselle shrugged as she began to dig through her bag. While she hunted for something, Michael pulled out his phone. The time was still 10:45 as he opened the Hunter Organization’s Archive.  It was a shot in the dark, but if there was any information on identifying a fae realm it would be there. However even as the app open, nothing loaded in. The connection proved to be completely dead.

“No reception.”

“Wow, really?” Sarcasm dripped off her words as Giselle sighed. “Let’s operate under the assumption this is a realm.” She pulled out her own two guns and handed Hunter’s back to him. “From what I’ve read about them, it’s not impossible to escape one. But I’m not sure how.” Her ranking in the Organization kept her restricted to mid-tier bounties. A creature who could build a realm was way above her approved pay grade.

“Probably killing the main fae or destroying the cornerstone of the realm.” Michael offered what he remembered from other lives. Well, it was more Boss’ ramblings when he had to deal with fae problems in the office. That man did not like fae at all. His preferred solution was to just kill the creature. Something easy for an elder like Boss to do. In his current situation Michael did not know even know if the fae of this fragmented world were like the ones found in the In Between. Let alone if he could just kill it in one on one while in Hunter’s body.

“Cornerstone it is.” Giselle grabbed additional ammo and strapped it onto her waist. “Like hell I’m going to fight against a fae able to set up its own realm.”

For a few minutes they laid out a plan, however the discussion was cut short by the sound of movement outside. The noise set their teeth on edge as Michael prepared his shotgun and Giselle started to channel a spell. Neither wanted to attack. Everything was too quiet. A gunshot or explosion would immediately give away their position to everything in the area.

Softening their breath, they just waited for the creatures to pass by when the crisp ring of the shop bell alerted them to an intruder. Soft feet padded against the wood floors as the light tinkle of claws told them that what had entered wasn’t human. Sniffing echoed and filled the empty space. Slowly it moved closer and closer to their hiding spot in the back.

Giselle shook slightly as she prepared to fire, but Michael took hold of her hand to stop. A slight snarl came from the creature before it fell quiet. Michael had a theory as he kept a firm hand on Giselle. She wanted to push him away but did not dare to make any careless movements.

The seconds dragged out as Michael looked through a crack in the counter and saw one of the skinned greyhound beasts. On all fours its gangly limbs stretched as its head turned around trying to recapture the trail. There was nothing though as it eventually gave up and left.

When the door closed, they let out a sigh of relief. Giselle still went to push him away, but Michael held firm.

“I don’t think they can sense me.” He whispered. Even if the words seemed silly, Giselle stopped her struggle.

“Why not?”

“I’m anti-magic. Most spells don’t work on me. Those beasts didn’t have any eyes I could see. They are most likely using magic to track us. So, when we are in contact, you drop off their radar.” It was a theory, but it worked this time around. Giselle looked at him for a solid second before she moved his hold from her arm to her hand.

“Then you better not let go.” It wasn’t the most convenient as her own spell had been killed when Michael touched her, but at least her familiar stayed active.

Giselle quickly connected to see the streets from above. A number of greyhounds prowled, joined by other vaguely humanoid animals. She only saw two human figures move about as they headed towards the town hall in O’Mara’s golf cart.

“I’d say it’s best we head towards the residential area. Find a house to hold up in until things calm down.” Even if they wanted too, they didn’t have the ammo to handle all these monsters. On the same thought though, would there be a time when things calmed down? Time was frozen here. They didn’t know how much time had actually passed. Could it be everything had only moved fractions of a second in the outside world? Would anyone notice them missing? It was all unknown.

“I don’t think holding out is an option.” On top of their lack understanding of how this realm worked, Michael had a personal set of concerns. This realm had done nothing for his stability as he felt like it poked and taunted him anytime he wasn’t paying attention. With his restrains not at their normal level, he didn’t want to test himself much longer. “The faster we get out the better.” Even as he said that he had no idea how to get out.

Lost in thought, the two of them were at an impasse when Michael remembered something.

The Banyan.

“We should head to the big Banyan.” It was a World Root, even if he couldn’t connect to the Overworld for help, it was still stronger than any magic in a fragmented world. Unless this was a wandering fae, which he highly doubted, nothing would be able to overtake the root. There he might even be able to use the energy to supplement his own in order to pry apart the realm.

Still, Giselle couldn’t read Michael’s mind as she just raised an eyebrow. “Why?” The center of town was the worst place in her opinion. Between the monsters and the humans, she wasn’t sure which was more dangerous, either way they had swarmed that area.

“It’s not normal. There’s a chance it’s connected to this realm. We might be able to find an exit there.”

“How do you know?” Her questions were valid, but Michael was in no mood for this. He couldn’t say because he knew and she should listen, so he kept finding round about ways to answer.

“Because of my ability.” He would make it up for now, luckily anti-magic wasn’t well defined in the world. “As much as I negate magic, I can also sense it. That tree is filled with it. If we’re looking for an energy source, there is a high chance that is part of it.” True, false it didn’t matter as they continued a stare off until Giselle finally gave in and agreed.

“Fine, let’s go.” Like a pair of kindergarteners, they held hands and began their race towards the tree.

Giselle’s raven continued to act as their eyes as they avoided detection. From where they had been in town, the tree was around 20 minutes by foot. But in a realm, it wasn’t guaranteed that everything was laid out the same, so they could only keep their gaze on the massive trunk to guide the way.

As they got closer, an obstacle finally appeared in the form of a wide-open strip of sidewalk. No cover and still hunted, Giselle couldn’t find any alternatives than to walk it. Any other path would take longer and there were creatures in all other directions.

“Let’s just run it.” Giselle hissed and Michael nodded.

They sprinted. At full speed, the crossing would take less than a minute. But halfway there, Michael was yanked back.

It was so abrupt he made no sound. It was only the sudden emptiness of her hand that stopped Giselle.

10 feet separated them, but neither could see anything as Michael tried to go forward against only to be tossed back.

The whole charade only lasted a second, but it felt like forever as they tried to figure out what going on before they heard the approaching howls.

“Go.” Michael commanded as he readied himself. The beasts would be on them in moments.

Giselle weighed her options. A decision made, wind swirled around her as her timber wolf slide out of the air and stood next to her. The spiritual form glimmered under the faint moonlight as she looked between her master and Michael.

While Giselle debated what to do, Michael had already pulled out his jar of salt and iron. He knew something was there even if he couldn’t see it. If it was fae, the mixture would at least reveal the form as he tossed it in the air and moved toward Giselle. The powder scatter and floated before it caught on something. An outline became visible as a hiss emanated from it. While the burning wasn’t as bad as the Boggart, it was enough for Michael to make out the creature. The invisibility couldn’t be magical or else he would have seen it. But with new visibility, Giselle commanded her wolf to attack the creature to cover Michael’s approach.

Once they were shoulder to shoulder, they ran, but pack of beasts had appeared beside them. Michael saw a few new skulls but didn’t have time to recognize their base animal as one tried to grapple him.

On instinct Giselle raised her gun and fired.

The gun shot broke the forced silence as the air seemed to ripple. The stagnant night came alive with a cacophony of calls. Each resonated until it was a deafening pressure that threatened to burst Michael’s eardrums.

More were coming. Michael could feel it. But before he could get too far ahead, his legs were caught. Once more he was yanked back as he hit the pavement with a hard thud. A bolt of pain shot through him as he held back a groan. His ribs were nowhere near recovered enough for this as Giselle to turned to help him. But they had no time as more monsters broke through the bushes. 

He waved her away. “Giselle, get to the tree, I’ll meet you there.” The more they hung around the worse it would get. The creatures for the most part focused on Giselle. She needed to get out before they swarmed. “I’ll be fine.”

For all her harsh attitude, Giselle couldn’t abandon her partner. But she wasn’t given the choice as her wolf grabbed her. Giselle tried to command her to stop, but while the beast did serve her, her main concern would always be the survival of herself and her master. If Giselle stayed out there, she wouldn’t win. So, the choice was made for her as the wolf ran off with a trail of abominations behind them.  

As the pack gave chase, Michael hopped up and fired off a shotgun blast into the horde. A barrage of salt and iron cut through the collective bodies as it caught two. They stumbled and shuttered before they released a sharp howl. Quarter sized holes sizzled as they tore through muscles and revealed bone, but that didn’t slow the beasts. Their attention successful diverted the two turned towards him.

With one enemy he couldn’t see and another two he could, Michael decided to deal with the visible threats as they rushed at him. Their attacks were simplistic as they swiped at his face with blacked claws. It was easy to dodge with a slight back step as he based the butt of his shotgun into one of their heads. As it staggered, he pushed off and landed a solid close range shot on the other. The anti-fae shells didn’t kill them, but most thing couldn’t survive as point-blank shot from a shotgun as he punched another softball sized hole through the chest of the beast.

However, just as he was getting in rhythm, a sharp yank threw off his footing as he stumbled and crashed into one of them. It grabbed him, sinking it’s claws deep into his side as he let out an angered hiss.

Slamming back, he tried to loosen the grip as his side became bloody. Finally, he lifted the barrel of the gun up and shot where he thought the head was. The boom reverberated in his ear as the hand on his side went slack, allowing him to move away before the other could catch him.

His shot gun handling was far from acceptable, but it was all he had as he swung around. Any desire to play was gone as he blew off the skull. Shredded into pieces, skull fragments flew every which way as the body shook and then fell limp.

With those two gone, he took a moment to assess his side. The claws had easily cut through his jacket and shirt, leaving the clothing in tatters as his blood began to dye the fabric. It wasn’t life threatening yet, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. He had a first aid kit in his bag, but before he could take any actions his feet were pulled from beneath him.

“Fuck-“ His yelp turned into a hiss of pain as he hit the ground hard with his side. He swore he heard a muffled crack. But before he could do anything, he was yanked away from his two kills by invisible strings

Dragged across the concrete and underbrush, Michael struggled against the pull as he looked for the attacker. Dirt pelted him in the face as the wind blew against him. He had thought for a moment to toss his powder again to get an outline, but the conditions were poor. Instead he had to make use of his abs to pull up and cut at his binds with his knife.

A sharp twang filled the air as the wires cut. His momentum couldn’t be stopped through as he kept rolling forward until he landed in front of the old Millhouse.

Wait, that wasn’t right.

While he hadn’t paid a ton of attention to the town’s lay out, he knew that the mill was farther away from where they were. At most he had been dragged for a minute, there was no way he would have reached it. But as he stood up, he could tell that the Mill was plainly right there.

It must be the realm; it was beginning to distort as it folded and pulled the town into a mangled mess of architecture. Buildings that had once been far apart were now neighbors while neighbors might end up on the other side of town.

At least he kept a hold on his shotgun and bag as he looked around at his surroundings. Even if he couldn’t see them, he knew that creature was still there stalking him.

“Bastard.” A small grin pulled at his lips as he looked around a bit more. There was nothing but trees and the mill. This was an interesting stale mate as he weighed his options. One thing was clear, to stand out in the open was suicide as he quickly ducked into the building.

In a smaller space he had more control as he closed the door.

The inside of the mill was a simplistic affair. It was only comprised of two rooms, one of which was dedicated to a simple thematic display of local history. This was only a small section though as Michael entered into the main room where a massive mill stone sat still among bags of flour. A sudden memory flashed into his head as he examined the bags. As he moved them clouds of dust filled the air. The saturated space became illuminated by small moon beams that snuck in through cracks in the wall. There was a lot of dust in the air. At the same time, the front door slowly creaked open.

His guest had arrived.

When he heard a soft hiss he struck, tossing a bag of flour in the direction of the doorway. The bag hit something as it exploded in a cloud of white powder that revealed a humanoid figure. A lithe body twitched on impact as detailed muscles were covered in flour. It was clear this creature also lacked skin as the head was only partially revealed. The under jaw looked lizardish, but Michael did not care as he lifted his shotgun.

Right before he pulled the trigger, he managed to stop himself. The Flour incident. He could not forget the Flour Incident!

The room was filled with flour dust and the spark from his gun was all that was needed to send this place up in flames. He had done so once before in one of his early World Developer missions. It had been set in a large industrial flour mill. A place he had foolishly lit a match in. The mission did not end well.

Turning his gun, he could only dodge out of the way of the creature’s lunge. The beast was nimble as it quickly made up for the miss by twisting around and slashing at his back.

He let out a pained hiss before he struck back with a heavy sack of flour. It burst open on impact, coating the two of them farther as it saturated the air. His nose burnt with the flour, but it was in this moment that he realized this wasn’t flour. Small fragments of bone cut into his palm, left over pieces not fully ground by the windmill.

That was…quaint. He didn’t have time thought to focus on this unique horror as he quickly pulled back to avoid being pinned by his opponent.

They wrestled back and forth, but Michael was nowhere close to winning. For every slash he got in, he took a few hits himself as his clothes were crossed with deep claw marks.

He needed a solution to this stalemate, and it presented itself in the dust filled air. With a flick of his wrist he pulled his iron chain from his belt. By this point he was pretty sure this creature wasn’t fae. His iron dagger had no effect on it. So he wasn’t holding his breath on the effectiveness of his chain. What he needed was a temporary leash.

With bold movements, he whipped the chain around the creature’s neck and torso before he returned the yank. It stumbled forward and crashed into another bed of flour as Michael booked it out the door. As soon as he felt he was far enough anyway, he flicked on his lighter and chucked it into the Milhouse’s open door.

The building went up in a ball of flames. It was in this moment Michael realized he might not have thought this threw as the explosion sent him flying. It was sheer dumb luck he didn’t smack directly into another tree as the building burned behind him.

Over the crackle of flames, a high-pitched screaming cut through as the monster escaped the flames through a new hole in the side of the building. It was clearly alive but injured.

This was his chance. He could reunite with Giselle under the Banyan tree. But even as the thought crossed his mind, his feet did not turn.

He should leave the area after all. The explosion wasn’t small, others would soon be upon him. This was dangerous. But these words were useless on him as his grip tightened on his shotgun.

A dangerous feral instinct rose as the cording of his bracelet smoldered.

He should leave.

That was the logical thing to do, but as he caught a glimpse of the invisible beast in the distance, he couldn’t give it up.

He quickly followed deeper into the forest.