Chad walked out of the bar with Kayden, staring at the sword in his hand. It felt a bit strange.

The sword faintly glows with a golden shimmer, sending gentle radiance around Chad.

Kayden looked at Chad, "You don't look good. Should I carry you back?" He asked, seeing Chad's pale face.

Chad's eyes rolled back as he fell on his face after wobbling for a second.

Thud! Blood seeped from his nose and ears as his skin started turning a shade of pale blue.

"Hey? Are you still alive?" Kayde rushed to poke Chad. When he got no response, he carried Chad on his back and ran to the ship.

"Hey! Alice, are you here?" Kayden shouted.

Alice and Ariel came rushing out, "What happened?"

"I don't know. Chad just dropped after we left the bar." Kayden replied, putting Chad on the ground for Alice to inspect him.

Ariel rushed in, pushing Alice to the side, "He looks poisoned, but his divine energy should make him immune to such things." She tried healing him, but the spell failed.

Alice rushed in to support her, but no matter what they did, nothing worked on Chad.

Eilistraee walked out of the mansion after hearing the noise, "What happened?"

"Chad is sick and probably poisoned." Alice replied, worried, "Cain won't like this, and he's coming." She just called him for Eilistraee.

"What? How did it happen?"

"I don't know, but you better find us a cure." Alice sighed, "Ariel, carry him inside."

"Hold up, I will look for some antidots, but with nothing to work off, I can't promise to find anything useful," Eilistraee replied.

"Then at least find who poisoned him. Because Cain might blow the whole place if he saw this." Alice glared at her, and Eilistraee realized the big problem.

Cain is calm, but if his father got hurt, there was no telling how he would react.

"Kayden, lead me to where he got hurt." Eilistraee stared at him, "He fell after we left a bar. I will lead you to it."

The two rushed out as fast as they could, leaping from one house to another. "Wait for us!"

When Eilistraee looked back, she saw Ariel and Farryn chasing them. "I will go with you to look for a cure, and Farryn also knows a lot about herbs," Ariel shouted as they reached Eilistraee and Kayden.

The four landed before the bar, and Kayden kicked the door open, "Bartender, you bastard!"

But upon looking, the high elf bartender was nowhere to be seen. A drow old man stood in his place, "Where Core?"

The bartender curled back, "Who's Core?"

"That blond elf!"

"I don't know any blond elf. What are you talking about?" The bartender cried.

Ariel stared at them, worried, "He isn't lying, and neither are you." She stared at them, "There was a high elf bartender here, but that man doesn't know him."

Farryn scratched her chin, "I have a familiar feeling about this place," She mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Eilistraee stared at her.

Ariel walked around the bar, "I do feel the same. This place has a holy sense to it."

"Let's explore the place," Eilistraee walked toward the bartender, "This bar is under inspection. No one is to leave."

Everyone froze in place as Eilistraee pulled her sword, walked toward the counter, and looked around.

The bartender walked back and stared at her, "Can I help in any way?" His eyes were quivering, "I assure you nothing happened here."

Kayden walked toward him with a stern face, "A dwarf and annoying blond woman and a skinny elf. Where did those three go?"

The bartender gasped, "I swear, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kayden, calm down. We will find out what happened here." Farryn assured him.

***

Alice watched Chad asleep, "Cain won't like to see you like this. Please wake up." She turned away to leave. "I will ask Zaleria, Bela, and Olivia if they could brew something to help you."

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! She heard Chad's heart beating, BA-dump! BA-dump!

It got louder and louder!

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

The heartbeat rapidly accelerated, and Chad's divine energy started amplifying.

Alice turned around, panicking.

Chad's body flushed red. A hole burst in the side of his chest, sending one of his ribs flying across the room in a bloody splash. "What is happening?"

Alice rushed to heal him, but to no avail. No matter how much magic she used, his divine energy would delete it.

CRACK! When Alice scrambled to stop Chad's bleeding, she heard something pop behind her. His broken rib started to rumble, growing veins and a small heart in a blop of blood and flesh.

SWOOSH! As if ordered by a divine will, the rib absorbed Chad's energy like a sink. The rib immediately grew to what resembled a mess of organs and bones.

Those organs got squashed together, coated in a layer of skin around the bones as a vaguely humanoid figure emerged, with long white hair and pale white skin.

As Alice watched, the bloody mess quickly turned to resemble the figure of a woman. "GRWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The woman screamed in agony as her eyes opened. Her screech caused Alice to shudder.

Thud! The woman fell on her knees, tearing up from the pain, "Fuck you, Chauntea. You said this wouldn't be painful." Her arms shook as she gasped for air.historical

The woman struggled to stand, approaching Chad.

"Who are you? Stop!" Alice screamed, creating her holy sword.

The woman stared at her, "As you can see, I'm his rib." She forced a smile, the pain still bothering her.

"I know that. I asked who are you?" The woman's answer seemed as strange as a person responding with I'm a human to a question.

"The story is long. But can you understand if I saw I'm Cain's mother?" The woman replied, lifting her hand and pointing at Chad, stopping his bleeding at once.

"Cain's mother died long. You can't be her." Alice pointed her sword at the woman,

"I did die, as all high humans are weak to diseases unless protected by a divine blessing." The woman tried stretching her arms, "Each of the three high gods granted Chad power. Chauntea's gift was resurrecting me from him."

When Alice stared at Chad, his body seemed to look better. "Evelyn whiterose, or you can call me Evelyn Lisworth from now on." The woman smiled.

"I need a better explanation, but wait till Cain arrives." Alice said, staring at her, "One wrong mistake, and you'll be dead."

The woman smiled, "Oh, my sweet child! I can't wait to see him." She approached Chad, attempting to touch him.

As she reached with her hand to Chad's head, CRACK! Ariel emerged from above him, swinging her sword at Evelyn.

CLANG! Evelyn caught Ariel's sword with her bare hand, not that she was wearing anything. "You're Ariel. Thanks for taking care of my husband in my absence."

As Evelyn said that, six white wings emerged from her back, and her eyes flashed blue.

Ariel gasped, "An Archon?"

Evelyn smiled, "Nice to meet you."