Billy the Deathless sat in the darkest corner of the tavern, his back straight and one hand resting on the table. He had no skin or flesh, only dry bones, draped in a tattered blue cloak. His skull was marked with strands of long, gray hair. He had no eyes, yet he seemed to see them all.
In front of him sat a glass filled with red liquid. He didn't drink, but kept it there. The nearest candle flickered with each of his movements, casting his shadow across the wall.
"This is your home," Billy said in a deep but calm voice. "You can sleep and recover here. No one can harm you… unless you let them."
Shay frowned.
"What do you mean 'let them?"
Billy turned his head slightly toward him.
"Some visitors don't show their true face at first," he explained. "They're servants of Bhael. They pretend to be allies, earn your trust along the way… and once they get here, they strike from within. They kill the innocent, steal what they can, and sabotage supplies."
The woman crossed her arms, as if the solution were obvious.
"That's easy to fix. We just don't let any strangers in."
Billy slowly shook his head.
"That would be a mistake," he said. "You won't survive alone. You'll need others. Medics, builders, scouts… even someone who knows how to cook. Everything counts here. And not everyone who comes will be an enemy."
Milo looked down, thoughtful. He reached for the medallion hanging from his neck.
Billy watched him silently. Then he gestured for him to come closer.
The halfling walked up to him. Billy carefully took the medallion, opened it… and both stared at the portrait inside.
It was a small, black-and-white image. It showed a halfling woman with tied-back hair, a simple dress, and a calm smile. Next to her, a young girl with braids held a flower. Her cheeks were round, and her expression was cheerful.
Milo frowned.
"Who are they?"
Billy didn't look away from the picture.
"Your wife and daughter," he replied calmly. "It's one of the first things you always choose to remember."
"Wife and daughter?" Milo repeated, his voice cracking. "Shit… this place made me forget my own family."
"Several times," said Billy, without raising his voice.
There was a short silence. Galigan broke it.
"How many times have we been here?" he asked, looking around. "Does anyone know?"
Billy looked at him for a moment. Then spoke with a certain calm.
"I've seen all of you here before. But you… this is your first time here."
The room fell silent again. Billy's words, about Bhael's minions disguised as allies, still hung heavily in the air.
Milo carefully closed the medallion. The woman stood silently, arms crossed, glancing sideways at Galigan. Shay didn't take his hand off his weapon. Even Anthony, who knew Billy, looked tense.
Galigan noticed the heavy atmosphere and couldn't stay quiet.
"Hey, I'm not one of Bhael's servants," he said, raising his hands.
No one answered. Only silence.
Shay looked at Billy.
"Is there any way to know who is?"
Billy nodded slowly.
"Yes. Many ways. I can tell just by looking at them."
Shay narrowed his eyes.
"Is there one among us?"
Billy smiled, almost mockingly.
"Oh, Broken Bridge, I'd never tell you that. That wouldn't be any fun."
Shay eyed him warily, then glanced at the others. His gaze lingered for a few seconds on the woman.
She noticed and spoke up at once, her tone dry.
"What? What do you want?"
Shay didn't respond. He turned back to Billy.
"And if we start suspecting someone's a visitor… what are we supposed to do?"
"You can put it to a vote," Billy replied with a shrug. "If the majority agrees, I'll throw them out myself."
Milo jumped in immediately.
"You're not actually thinking of kicking someone out, are you?"
Shay didn't take his eyes off the woman.
"We don't even know her name," he said firmly. "When she fought the undead, it looked like she was enjoying it. Her arm wound vanished with no explanation. The red mist didn't affect her. Not even Bhael's Lotus. What if she's a visitor?"
The woman stepped forward, brows furrowed.
"You're an idiot," she snapped. "I'm not some spy for Bhael."
"Then explain it," Shay insisted. "If you're going to stay, there has to be trust."
The woman scoffed, irritated, and crossed her arms tightly.
"Dana," she finally said. "My name is Dana. And from what little I remember… I'm Ordycan."
Shay looked at her with even more suspicion.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Billy stepped in, his voice emotionless.
"Ordycans are humans… whose ancestors mated with demons."
Shay immediately turned to Billy.
" is she telling the truth?"
Billy shrugged.
Shay turned back to Dana, frowning.
"Then why hide it?"
Dana stared back, hard.
"Because I didn't trust any of you."
Shay stepped toward her.
"How convenient. Now we don't trust you."
"Calm down, Human Bridge," said Galigan with a mocking smile. "We're just starting to remember who we are. We don't know everything yet."
Shay gritted his teeth.
"It's Broken Bridge!" he shouted.
Milo stepped forward, his voice calmer.
"Shay, this won't help. We're in a place that already killed us. Let's not make things worse between us."
But Shay didn't back down. He kept his eyes on Dana.
"I say we throw her out. Who's with me?"
Dana let out a sharp laugh.
"You son of a bitch," she spat, stepping forward as if to strike him.
Before she could take another step, Billy raised a hand. A dark aura enveloped Dana, suspending her completely in midair. She couldn't move an inch.
"Wait until the vote is settled," Billy said calmly.
Anthony raised his hand.
"I vote in favor," he said without hesitation.
Dana clenched her teeth and glared at both of them with hate.
"I'll kill you both."
"Easy, Crazy Bridge," said Galigan, raising his hands. "This won't solve anything. I'm not kicking out the only lady here just because you're paranoid."
Milo stepped forward.
"I vote against too," he said. "She deserves the benefit of the doubt."
Billy nodded slowly.
"Two votes in favor, two against. No majority."
With a simple gesture, the energy holding Dana vanished. She dropped to her feet.
She turned to Shay and Anthony, her eyes burning with rage.
"You'll regret this."
Billy clapped once, slow and dry.
"Good. Vote, argue, yell… but in the end, everyone needs sleep. Rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.
Galigan, Anthony, and Dana headed to their rooms. Each door creaked as it opened. Inside, there was barely enough space for a rickety bed, a broken bench, and a bucket of murky water in the corner. The walls were cracked, and the ceiling had holes where the breeze slipped through.
The blankets smelled of dampness. The floor creaked with every step. It wasn't comfortable, or safe… but at least it was a place to close their eyes without danger.
Or so they thought.