Catherine Reed settled into the chair beside Evelyn's bed, crossing one leg over the other. For a moment, she simply studied her.
Evelyn sat against the headboard, her hands resting awkwardly in her lap. The short chains connecting her wrists to the bedframe shifted whenever she moved.
Catherine's gaze followed the movement. Then she looked at the guard.
"For God's sake, get her some proper clothes. She looks miserable."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And food. Has she eaten?"
"No, ma'am."
Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"She's been here for hours."
"We were waiting for instructions."
"Well, here's one. Feed her."
The guard nodded and left.
Catherine turned back to Evelyn.
"Apologies. Sometimes people become so focused on following orders that they forget to think."
Evelyn blinked.
She hadn't expected that.
Since the World Quest appeared, almost everyone who'd approached her had wanted something. Most of them had wanted her dead. Even the people who'd taken her off the street had knocked her unconscious and chained her to a bed.
But this woman had walked into the room and immediately ordered someone to bring her food.
And clothes.
Proper clothes.
"Thank you," Evelyn whispered.
"You're welcome."
Catherine smiled.
It was a small, pleasant smile. Nothing like the expressions Evelyn remembered from the people chasing her through Manchester.
For the first time in what felt like forever, someone was speaking to her like a person.
Evelyn glanced at her wrists.
"Um... could you maybe take these off?"
Catherine followed her gaze.
"Ah. Yes. I imagine they're uncomfortable."
Evelyn nodded.
"They hurt a little."
"I understand. Unfortunately, my people don't know quite what to expect from you yet. You've had a rather extraordinary day, and everyone's being a little cautious."
"Oh."
"Let's get a few things sorted out first, shall we?"
Evelyn looked at the cuffs again.
It wasn't really an answer.
But Catherine hadn't said no, either.
And she hadn't threatened her.
"Okay," Evelyn said.
"Good."
Catherine settled back into her chair.
"Now. Evelyn Holloway. Twenty-one years old. Psychology student at the University of Manchester. Novice Scholar."
Evelyn looked up.
"How do you know all that?"
"You're currently the most wanted person on the planet. I'm afraid your university records were never going to remain private."
"Oh."
"Your family has attracted quite a bit of attention as well."
Evelyn's stomach tightened.
"My family?"
Catherine nodded.
"Your parents, your brother, your sister Lucy. People have been looking into all of them."
"Are they okay?"
"I don't know."
Evelyn stared at her.
"You don't know?"
"I haven't received any verified information about their current condition."
"But there were people at our house. Lucy told me they were fighting, and my dad—"
She stopped.
Catherine leaned forward slightly.
"What about your father?"
"Someone pushed him. Lucy said he was okay, but then everything got worse. There were people everywhere, and I don't know what happened after that."
Her voice trembled.
"Can you find out? Please?"
Catherine considered her for a moment.
"Of course. I can ask someone to look into it."
Evelyn leaned forward.
"Really?"
"Yes. Although I don't want to give you false assurances. It may take some time."
"That's okay. I just..."
Evelyn swallowed.
"I just need to know they're safe."
"I understand."
Catherine's voice was gentle.
"There were casualties in that neighborhood, I'm afraid. The reports are still coming in."
Evelyn went cold.
"Casualties?"
"Adventurers. Civilians as well."
"My family?"
"I don't know, Evelyn. That's why I'd rather have someone check than tell you something that might not be true."
Evelyn stared at her.
That made sense.
It was horrible, not knowing. But Catherine was being honest with her.
She wasn't pretending everything was fine.
And she was actually going to do something.
"Thank you," Evelyn whispered again.
Catherine gave a small nod.
"You're welcome. Now, while my people look into that, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?"
Evelyn hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"Okay."
Catherine smiled.
"Excellent."
Catherine Reed had conducted enough interviews to recognize desperation when she saw it.
Evelyn Holloway was exhausted. Frightened. Isolated.
And, perhaps most importantly, she was looking for someone to trust.
Catherine had noticed the change almost immediately. The girl had relaxed when she'd ordered food. She'd looked positively relieved when Catherine offered to check on her family.
The restraints were still there. The locked door was still there.
But Evelyn had stopped looking at them quite so often.
Interesting.
Catherine had expected someone more difficult.
The reports from Manchester had described an impossible resurrection, an encounter with Idris Al-Nasir, and a girl who had somehow survived the attention of half the city's adventurers.
She'd imagined someone with considerable power. Perhaps a hidden class. Perhaps an experienced adventurer concealing her capabilities.
Instead, she had a frightened university student who looked as though she might burst into tears if someone raised their voice.
That didn't make her harmless.
It did make her easier to talk to.
Catherine picked up her tablet.
"Let's start at the beginning."
For the next several minutes, Catherine asked questions.
Where had Evelyn been when the World Quest appeared?
Had she received the same notification as everyone else?
Had the System given her any additional information?
Did she know why she had been selected?
Evelyn answered as best she could.
She'd been at university.
She'd seen the quest.
No, she hadn't received anything else.
No, she didn't know why the System wanted her dead.
Catherine listened without interrupting, occasionally making a note.
"And Daniel Mercer?" she asked.
Evelyn stiffened.
Catherine noticed.
"Your childhood friend. We know he was with you shortly after the announcement."
Evelyn looked down.
"He found me."
"What happened?"
"He said he wanted to help."
"And?"
Evelyn's fingers curled against the blanket.
"He killed me."
Catherine's pen stopped.
"Daniel Mercer killed you?"
Evelyn nodded.
"How?"
"A knife."
"Where?"
Evelyn touched her abdomen without thinking.
"Here."
Catherine glanced at the movement.
"And you survived?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"No."
Catherine waited.
"I died."
The room was quiet.
Then Catherine set her tablet aside.
"I see."
Evelyn looked up uncertainly.
"Do you believe me?"
"I believe you're telling me what you experienced."
Evelyn wasn't sure what that meant.
Catherine's expression softened slightly.
"I know you've been through something terrible, Evelyn. I'm not going to dismiss that."
Something in Evelyn's chest loosened.
She'd been expecting disbelief.
Or anger.
Or another demand to explain something she didn't understand herself.
Instead, Catherine was listening.
Maybe this really was different.
A knock came at the door.
The guard returned carrying a tray with a sandwich, a small bowl of fruit, and another bottle of water. Folded clothes rested over his arm.
Catherine glanced at them.
"Better."
He placed the tray on the bedside table and the clothes at the foot of the bed.
"Anything else, ma'am?"
"Not for the moment."
The guard left.
Evelyn looked at the food.
She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she saw it.
"Go ahead," Catherine said.
Evelyn hesitated.
"Is it okay?"
"Of course. It's yours."
Evelyn picked up the sandwich.
Her hands were still trembling, and the chains made it awkward to bring the food to her mouth. She took a small bite.
It was just a sandwich.
Cheese, lettuce, tomato.
Nothing special.
But after everything that had happened, the simple act of eating something normal almost made her cry.
Catherine waited while she ate.
"Better?"
Evelyn nodded.
"Yes. Thank you."
"Good."
Catherine glanced toward the folded clothes.
"We'll get you changed once we're finished here. Those should fit a little better."
Evelyn looked at the navy shirt she was wearing.
It hung awkwardly from her shoulders.
"That would be nice."
Catherine smiled.
"Small comforts matter."
Evelyn managed a faint smile of her own.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled at someone.
Maybe Northstar really could protect her.
They were one of the largest guilds in the country. They had powerful adventurers, resources, people who understood the System.
If anyone could keep the others away from her, surely it was them.
And Catherine Reed was their leader.
Evelyn looked at her.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Are you going to help me?"
Catherine tilted her head.
"Well, Evelyn, I'd certainly prefer to see you somewhere safer than the middle of Manchester with half the country's adventurers chasing you."
Evelyn nodded quickly.
"Right."
"And Northstar has considerably better security than most places you could find on your own."
"So..."
She hesitated.
"So I can stay here? Until things calm down?"
Catherine considered her.
"Let's see what we can arrange."
Evelyn felt an unexpected rush of relief.
"Okay."
It wasn't a promise.
But it sounded like there might be a way forward.
A place to sleep.
Food.
People who could keep the adventurers away.
Maybe even a chance to see Lucy again.
For the first time since the World Quest appeared, Evelyn allowed herself to imagine that things might get better.
"Now," Catherine said, "I'd like to ask about Idris Al-Nasir."
Evelyn's smile disappeared.
Catherine noticed immediately.
"The Living Flame," she continued. "My people witnessed what happened in Manchester."
Evelyn lowered the sandwich.
"I understand."
Catherine paused.
"But I do need to understand what happened. Especially if we're going to work out how to keep you safe."
Evelyn stared at the food in her hands.
She could still remember the heat.
The white fire.
The moment she'd understood there was nowhere left to run.
"He burned me."
"Yes. My people saw that."
Evelyn put the sandwich down.
Catherine leaned forward slightly.
"According to their reports, there was nothing left of you."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
She wished Catherine wouldn't describe it like that.
"And yet," Catherine continued, "you appeared again shortly afterward."
Evelyn nodded.
"How?"
"I don't know."
Catherine studied her.
"Did someone resurrect you?"
"I don't think so."
"Did you use an item?"
"No."
"A consumable? A resurrection token? Some form of stored revival?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"Then how did you return?"
"I just did."
Catherine paused.
"All right. Let's approach this differently."
She set the tablet aside.
"Do you have a resurrection skill?"
Evelyn looked at her.
She'd been avoiding that question since Catherine entered the room.
The skill was the only reason she was still alive.
It was also the reason everyone wanted to kill her.
Or at least, it seemed connected somehow.
She didn't know what would happen if other people learned about it.
But Catherine wasn't like the others.
She'd listened. She'd brought food. She'd offered to help her family.
And if Northstar was going to protect her, wouldn't they need to know what they were dealing with?
"Yes," Evelyn said quietly.
Catherine nodded.
"What's it called?"
Evelyn hesitated.
"Undying."
Catherine's expression changed.
Only slightly.
"Undying?"
Evelyn nodded.
"That's the exact name?"
"Yes."
"Unique?"
"Yes."
Catherine was silent for several seconds.
Then she said, "Would you mind sharing the skill description with me?"
Evelyn blinked.
"My actual skill window?"
"Just the description. Nothing else."
Evelyn looked uncertain.
"Isn't that... private?"
"Of course it is."
Catherine smiled reassuringly.
"And I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it might help us understand how to keep you safe."
Evelyn looked down.
She'd never shared a skill window with anyone before.
Her classmates sometimes talked about their skills, of course. Some even showed off their descriptions.
But a unique skill was different.
Especially this one.
Catherine seemed to sense her hesitation.
"You don't have to decide immediately," she said. "But the more I understand, the better equipped I'll be to advise you."
Evelyn thought about Lucy.
About her parents.
About the people still searching for her.
She couldn't keep running forever.
She needed help.
And Catherine had been kind to her.
"Okay," Evelyn whispered.
Catherine nodded.
"Thank you."
Evelyn opened her status.
The familiar window appeared in front of her.
She selected Undying.
[Undying — Unique]
You cannot remain dead.
Upon death, your body will be restored. Repeated exposure to lethal conditions may trigger adaptive progression.
She stared at the description.
Then she concentrated on sharing it.
[Share Skill Information?]
Recipient: Catherine Reed
Confirm / Cancel
Her finger hovered over the options.
For a moment, she felt strangely nervous.
Then she looked at Catherine.
The woman waited patiently, her hands folded in her lap.
Evelyn selected Confirm.
Catherine's eyes shifted toward the shared window.
She read silently.
Then she read it again.
"Hm."
Evelyn waited.
Catherine leaned back.
"Well, that's certainly an unusual description."
Evelyn nodded.
"Yeah."
"'You cannot remain dead,'" Catherine read aloud.
She looked at Evelyn.
"Do you understand what that implies?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"It implies that death itself is temporary for you."
"That's what keeps happening."
"Perhaps."
Catherine examined the window again.
Evelyn watched her.
She hoped there would be an answer.
Some explanation.
Maybe Catherine would know why the System had chosen her.
Maybe she would know how to stop the World Quest.
"Does it tell you anything?" Evelyn asked.
Catherine glanced at her.
"It tells me we have quite a few questions to answer."
Evelyn nodded.
That was okay.
Questions were better than knives.
Catherine kept her expression thoughtful.
The girl had shared it.
A unique skill.
Voluntarily.
That was considerably more than Catherine had expected to obtain from a first conversation.
She studied the description again.
You cannot remain dead.
An extraordinary statement.
Potentially misleading, of course. System descriptions could be imprecise, and abilities with seemingly absolute wording frequently concealed restrictions.
But if the reports from Manchester were accurate, Evelyn Holloway possessed something remarkable.
Catherine dismissed the shared window.
"Thank you, Evelyn. That was helpful."
Evelyn visibly relaxed.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Catherine meant it.
She also had no intention of telling the girl how valuable the information might be.
Not yet.
"Resurrection skills don't normally work without restrictions," Catherine explained.
Evelyn listened.
"There are abilities with substantial cooldowns. Others require rare materials, stored charges, enormous amounts of mana, or intervention from another person. Some only function under very specific conditions."
"Okay."
"Even the most powerful revival abilities have costs. Sometimes the cost is paid by the person being revived. Sometimes by someone else."
Catherine gestured toward the place where the window had been.
"And yours apparently has none?"
"I don't know."
Catherine frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I don't know if there's a cost."
"Have you noticed one?"
"No."
"A cooldown?"
"I don't think so."
"A limited number of uses?"
"I don't know."
"Does it consume mana?"
"I don't know."
"Does it require your body to remain intact?"
Evelyn's stomach twisted.
"I was burned."
"Yes, but that doesn't necessarily answer the question. Some revival mechanisms reconstruct a body from a preserved fragment. Others restore a previously recorded state."
Evelyn looked at her helplessly.
"I don't know how it works."
Catherine tapped her tablet.
"How did you acquire the skill?"
"I don't know."
"You must have received some notification."
"No."
"A quest reward?"
"No."
"An item? A dungeon event? An encounter with an unusual entity?"
"No."
Catherine paused.
"Try to think carefully. Unique skills don't generally appear without a reason."
Evelyn swallowed.
"I am thinking."
"Was there anything unusual that happened before the World Quest?"
"No. I was just going to university."
"Anything in the previous days? Weeks?"
"I don't think so."
Catherine watched her.
Evelyn felt herself becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
She wanted to help.
She really did.
But she couldn't answer questions about things she didn't understand.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Catherine sighed.
"Don't apologize. I'm simply trying to establish the facts."
"I know."
"Then let's consider what you do know. You've died twice?"
Evelyn nodded.
"Daniel Mercer and Idris Al-Nasir?"
"Yes."
"And both times you returned."
"Yes."
"Do you remember anything between death and resurrection?"
Evelyn hesitated.
"There's... somewhere I go."
Catherine's attention sharpened.
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"What does it look like?"
"Dark. There's nothing there."
"Nothing at all?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"And then?"
"I come back."
"Immediately?"
"I don't know how long it takes."
Catherine considered that.
"Interesting."
Evelyn looked at her hopefully.
"Does that mean something?"
"Not yet."
"Oh."
Catherine set her tablet aside.
"You're familiar with the scientific method, I assume?"
Evelyn nodded.
"You're a university student. Good."
Catherine gestured toward the empty space where the skill window had been.
"Then you should understand why I'm having difficulty accepting this at face value."
"They witnessed an event. That doesn't mean they correctly understood its cause."
"I died."
"So you've told me."
"And I came back."
"Apparently."
Evelyn stared at her.
"What else do you want me to say?"
Catherine regarded her calmly.
"Have you ever heard the phrase 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'?"
Evelyn blinked.
"Yes."
"Carl Sagan. A useful principle."
Catherine folded her hands.
"You're claiming to possess an ability that apparently disregards every known limitation of resurrection. That's an extraordinary claim."
"It's not a claim. It happened."
"Something happened," Catherine corrected. "My people observed you return after an attack that should have killed you. That is significant evidence, certainly. But it doesn't establish that you can return indefinitely, or that there aren't conditions we haven't identified."
Evelyn shook her head.
"I never said there weren't conditions."
Catherine paused.
"No?"
"I said I don't know."
Her voice cracked.
"I don't know what it costs. I don't know how many times it'll work. I don't even know why the System wants everyone to kill me."
Tears blurred her vision.
"Everyone keeps asking me questions, and I don't have any answers."
Catherine let her finish.
Then she nodded.
"I can see how frustrating that must be."
Evelyn wiped at her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"There's no need."
Catherine's voice remained gentle.
"We've covered quite a lot. And you've been very cooperative."
Evelyn looked up.
"Have I?"
"Yes. Thank you."
A small warmth spread through Evelyn's chest.
At least she'd done something right.
Maybe now Catherine could help.
"Can I see my family?" Evelyn asked quietly.
Catherine regarded her.
"Let's find out where they are first."
"Okay."
"And make sure they're somewhere safe."
Evelyn nodded.
That made sense.
It was what she'd been hoping someone would say.
"Thank you."
Catherine smiled.
"You're welcome."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Evelyn looked at the tray beside her.
There was still half a sandwich left.
She wondered whether she'd be allowed to finish it later.
Maybe they'd move her to a proper room. One with a window.
Maybe someone would bring her a phone so she could call Lucy.
Catherine stood and smoothed her blouse.
"Well. I think we've established as much as we can through conversation."
Evelyn felt a small rush of relief.
"Okay."
Catherine picked up her tablet.
"We'll need to verify your ability under controlled conditions."
Evelyn blinked.
"Verify it?"
"Yes. Properly."
Evelyn frowned.
"But... you believe me, don't you?"
Catherine looked at her.
"I believe you've experienced something extraordinary."
"Then what do you need to verify?"
"Whether your resurrection is repeatable, and under what circumstances."
Evelyn stared at her.
She didn't understand.
Or perhaps she did, and some part of her refused to accept it.
"What do you mean?"
"A controlled test would allow us to observe the activation process without interference."
A cold feeling spread through Evelyn's stomach.
"Test?"
Catherine nodded.
"We'd need to establish a baseline before proceeding with anything more complicated."
Evelyn looked at her.
The woman was still speaking in the same calm, pleasant voice.
Nothing about her expression had changed.
"You mean..."
Evelyn swallowed.
"You mean kill me?"
"If your explanation is correct, only temporarily."
For a moment, Evelyn couldn't breathe.
She stared at Catherine, waiting for her to explain.
Waiting for the woman to smile and tell her she'd misunderstood.
That wasn't what happened.
Catherine simply watched her.
"No," Evelyn whispered.
"Evelyn—"
"No."
She shook her head.
"You can't mean that."
"We need to understand how your ability functions."
"But..."
Evelyn looked at the food.
The folded clothes.
The woman who'd promised to look into her family.
"I thought you were going to help me."
Catherine frowned slightly.
"I am trying to help you, Evelyn."
"By killing me?"
"By understanding what we're dealing with."
Evelyn stared at her.
"No."
Her voice was barely audible.
"No, please. I told you because I thought..."
She couldn't finish.
She'd shown Catherine everything.
Her skill.
The description.
The only thing that had kept her alive.
Because she'd thought—
"I thought you were different."
Catherine's expression softened.
"Evelyn, I understand that this is frightening."
Something inside Evelyn seemed to give way.
"No, you don't."
She scrambled backward against the headboard.
The chains pulled tight.
"You don't understand!"
"Evelyn, calm down."
"No!"
Her voice rose into a scream.
"I've already died twice!"
She pulled against the restraints.
The cuffs dug into her wrists.
"Twice! Do you know what that's like?"
Catherine didn't answer.
"It hurts! I feel everything!"
Evelyn's breathing came faster.
"The fire—he burned me! I could feel it! I could feel everything, and I couldn't make it stop!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Please. Please don't make me do it again."
Catherine watched her quietly.
"If your skill functions as you've described, you'll recover."
Evelyn stared at her.
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT OKAY!"
Her voice echoed through the small room.
Catherine's expression tightened slightly.
"No one is suggesting that this will be pleasant."
"Then don't do it!"
"Evelyn, I cannot make decisions of this magnitude based on an unverified assumption."
"But you saw what happened!"
"I have reports of what happened."
"Then ask them! Ask the people who saw me!"
"I have."
Evelyn shook her head desperately.
"Please. I'll tell you anything. I'll show you my skills again. I'll—"
"We've already established that you don't know how your ability works."
Catherine's voice was still calm.
"That's why we need to investigate."
"No!"
Evelyn lunged forward.
The chains snapped taut, stopping her before she could reach the edge of the bed.
Pain shot through her wrists.
She barely noticed.
"PLEASE!"
Catherine turned toward the door.
"Prepare the testing room," she told the guard outside.
"Yes, ma'am."
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
"No, wait!"
Catherine paused.
"Please," Evelyn whispered. "I'm begging you."
For a moment, Catherine simply looked at her.
Then she said, "We'll do everything we can to minimize your discomfort."
Evelyn stared at her in disbelief.
"You can't minimize dying!"
Catherine said nothing.
"You can't make it hurt less just because I come back!"
Evelyn pulled against the chains again.
"I trusted you!"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Catherine's expression changed.
Only for an instant.
Then it settled back into that same composed calm.
"I appreciate your cooperation, Evelyn. Truly."
Evelyn shook her head.
"No..."
"But we have a responsibility to understand an ability of this significance."
Catherine stepped toward the door.
"Catherine!"
The woman stopped at the threshold.
Evelyn was crying openly now.
"I don't want to die again."
Catherine looked back.
"I know."
Then she left.
The door closed.
The lock clicked.
Evelyn stared at it.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
Then she began pulling at the chains.
Harder.
Again.
Again.
The metal scraped against her skin.
She didn't care.
"Please!"
She didn't know whether anyone could hear her.
"Please, don't!"
She pulled until her wrists burned.
Until her shoulders ached.
Until she couldn't keep going.
Finally, she collapsed against the mattress, sobbing.
She'd thought Northstar might protect her.
She'd thought Catherine might help.
She'd told her everything.
She'd even shared her skill.
And Catherine had thanked her.
Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut.
She could still see the confirmation window.
Confirm / Cancel
She'd chosen Confirm.
Because she'd trusted her.
Now they were going to kill her.
Again.
And this time, the person who'd ordered it had smiled at her first.