The cold of the Nordic winds ripped through my sheer fabric, but I felt nothing. I pushed my hand through my hair, and my brown hair shimmered to blond. My blue gown trailed behind me as I neared the remnants of Ash and Snow. Kallan was there, still, walking among the dead.

Rune, ever watchful behind her. Bergen, oh, he chose to stay away. He knew not to get involved with this. Nine years ago, he would have charged me, fought to the death to defend Kallan and Rune. But now he knew I meant no harm.

“Hello, Kallan,” I said.

The shell of a woman looked up at me. I was no longer her. I could feel it. But this was a loose end I had to tie up. I couldn’t leave things as they were.

“Who are you?” she asked, her sword out. Fire cradled in her hand.

I just couldn’t feel it anymore, but I couldn’t leave her here. Not like this. Not one day more.

“I’m here to ask you to come with me,” I said. Wow, that was something I never thought I would say to her. I imagined this scene going a million different ways…  My forcing her, capturing her, killing Rune… I never thought to just ask her.

“Why should I?” she snarled back.

Ah, yes. I did leave her bitter and hateful. I remember well.

“You want answers?”

She went pale white. I knew she wanted answers. I put the questions in her head. I was about to send her on an Epic Quest into the Mountains of Jotunheim, down into the Mines of the Dvergar at the Roots of Yggdrasil all to face off with Hel herself and to consult for Mimir’s Well…

I can hear the groans from the Fantasy Fans all screaming that they want that story instead. Accept… there now was an Ethical Dilemma.

In my pondering, she looked at Rune. He looked back. I knew they were having their inner “secret” dialogue.

“Who are you?” she asked.

I’m the one who burned Lorlenalin, I thought about saying… Then studied the fire she cradled in her palm. Hm.

“I’m the one with all the answers,” I settled on and said it. I wanted out of this place. The winds off the Kattegat were cold today.

She looked at Rune. She looked at me.

“We’re going to Under Earth,” I said. “Bergen is already there. Waiting for you.”

They both blinked, they were not expecting that. In the original plan, Bergen was away at Gunir. That never felt right to me. Now I know why.

I was to break the 4th Wall. Right here. Right now. It all was to come down. And I was to rip it apart, one brick at a time.

“Look,” I said, out of patience. “You have no reason to follow me. No incentive. No guarantee. Right now, you’re trying to figure out if you can trust me. If you can believe me. If you are at the Disadvantage, and you are, then how can you possible know if any conversation with me in Under Earth would leave you at the Advantage, and logic says, “No. The Risk is too high. You are walking into this at the Disadvantage, which means, you’ll only lose.” So why should you follow me? Because you don’t have any other choice at this point.

Either follow me, or stay here for another nine years, grieving the loss of Lorlenalin. Or you can come with me now for answers.”

“Nine…” Kallan gasped. “How…”

“Yeah, sweetheart. You’ve got a lot to learn. So… Are you coming?”

A pause. They looked at each other. A nod.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

I snapped my fingers and the carnage of Lorlenalin on the cliffs of the Kattegat vanished. A second later we were in Under Earth.