The path to the lower levels of Kaer Morhen was cold and silent. The air grew increasingly frigid, and a thin layer of ice began to creep along the stone walls, emitting a faint, unnatural blue light. Geralt walked in front, his silver sword already in hand, his Witcher senses on full alert. Yennefer followed behind him, her hands glowing with magical energy, ready to be unleashed.
Tom Jacker strolled along at the very back, whistling softly.
"This place could use a bit of furniture," Tom commented, his voice echoing in the empty corridor. "A few rugs, maybe some bright landscape paintings."
"Quiet," Geralt and Yennefer hissed in unison, without looking back.
Tom just grinned.
They finally arrived in a vast ice cavern beneath the fortress. In the center of the cavern, a portal throbbed with vicious energy. It was a tear in reality, dark purple and surrounded by flashes of lightning. Through the portal, they could catch glimpses of a frozen otherworld and a sky filled with strange stars.
In front of the portal stood several Wild Hunt soldiers, their horrific skeletal armor gleaming in the portal's light. Among them was a taller figure, a navigator who seemed to be trying to stabilize the portal. A few Hounds of the Wild Hunt, resembling giant ice dogs, snarled at their sides.
"I'll draw the dogs' attention," Geralt said, preparing to charge. "Yen, focus on the navigator and the portal."
"And you?" Yennefer asked Tom.
"Me? I'll watch the show," Tom replied casually, leaning against an ice wall. "I made popcorn, but I think I left it in another dimension."
Without waiting any longer, Geralt charged forward. The battle erupted. Geralt moved like a whirlwind of steel and silver, slashing and dodging the icy claws of the Hounds. He used the Igni sign to spew fire at them and Quen to protect himself.
Yennefer unleashed a devastating barrage of magic. Lightning struck from her hands, hitting the Wild Hunt soldiers. She created a protective shield while continuing to cast more complex spells to disrupt the portal's energy flow.
It was an epic sight. A master fighter and a powerful sorceress working in tandem against an enemy from another world.
Tom watched with great interest, like a theater critic. "Nice moves, but a bit stiff," he commented as Geralt dodged a pounce. "Ooh, a beautiful explosion! Spectacular!" he praised as Yennefer disintegrated a soldier into ice dust.
However, the enemies were too numerous. As Yennefer focused on the portal, the Wild Hunt navigator managed to launch a counter-attack, a spear-sized projectile of ice that shattered Yennefer's shield and sent her flying. At the same time, Geralt was cornered by two giant Hounds.
"Hmm, looks like the show's about to end if the main cast is defeated," Tom muttered. With a lazy sigh, he decided it was time to join in.
He didn't even move from where he was leaning. He just lifted a single finger.
The Hound that was about to pounce on Geralt suddenly stopped in mid-air, then was forcefully pulled backward as if by an invisible hand. The other Hound was abruptly lifted high to the cavern ceiling, then dropped hard, shattering into pieces on the ice floor.
The Wild Hunt navigator, who was about to launch a second attack on Yennefer, found his own armor beginning to crumple inward, crushing the body within with a horrific cracking sound, controlled by Tom's Telekinesis.
The remaining Wild Hunt soldiers turned towards Tom in horror. Tom just smiled and waved. "Hello."
While Tom casually "cleaned up" the rest of the Wild Hunt soldiers, using them as bowling balls or freezing them in place with their own ice, Geralt and Yennefer got the opening they needed.
"Now, Yen!" Geralt shouted.
Yennefer, having recovered, nodded. She stood before the portal while Geralt drew a large, glowing Yrden sign on the ground to try and contain the portal's unstable energy. Yennefer began to chant a closing spell, a complex and powerful string of ancient words.
The portal roared, fighting them. Dark purple energy flared out, pushing Yennefer to her limits. "I... can't... hold it!" she cried out.
Just as the portal was about to explode in a final wave of energy, Tom walked over, strolling past Geralt and Yennefer.
"So much trouble," he said.
He walked straight up to the tear in reality. He didn't cast a spell. He didn't use an artifact. He just reached out with both hands to the turbulent edges of the portal, as if they were fabric curtains.
Then, with pure Telekinesis, he pulled the two sides of the portal together.
The sight was absurd. He was "sewing" the torn reality shut with the force of his will. The portal struggled and screamed at a frequency that pained the ears, but it couldn't fight Tom's telekinetic grip. With one final motion, Tom "pinched" it closed.
Plop.
With a strangely anticlimactic sound, the portal vanished. Total silence enveloped the ice cavern.
Geralt and Yennefer stared at the empty space where the portal had been, then at Tom, who was dusting off his hands as if he'd just finished a chore.
Geralt swallowed hard. He had fought monsters, kings, and sorcerers. But this... this was something else. His suspicion had turned into something deeper. Something approaching fear. He no longer saw Tom as a strange "associate."
He saw him as a force of nature that wore fine shoes and an annoying smile. And he didn't know if that force was a friend, or the greatest threat his world had ever faced.
The ice cavern was now deathly silent. No more roars from the portal or clashes of steel. All that remained were three figures standing in the cold silence, and the ever-widening chasm of understanding between them.
Geralt was the first to break the silence. He sheathed his silver sword, his every movement controlled, but his eyes never left Tom. He walked past Tom, approaching Yennefer, who was catching her breath.
"Yen, I need an explanation," Geralt said, his voice low and demanding.
"Geralt, now is not the time," Yennefer answered, looking exhausted.
"Now is the perfect time," Geralt retorted, now looking directly at Tom. "That," he said, gesturing to Tom with his chin, "is not an 'associate'. I don't know what it is. It closed a tear in reality like it was closing a coin purse. I want to know what we're dealing with."
Tom, who had been observing an icicle with great interest, turned his head. "You two are so tense. We just saved the world, or at least this smelly old fortress. We should be celebrating."
"I'm not celebrating anything until I know who you are," Geralt said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Tom sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. You want to know my secret?" He moved closer to Geralt, lowering his voice as if about to whisper a great conspiracy. "I... am a collector. I collect interesting experiences. And you two, with all your drama and magic, are my main exhibit at the moment."
The answer was so absurd that Geralt didn't know how to respond. It was an insult to the gravity of their situation. He looked at Yennefer, searching for a more sensible answer, but the sorceress just looked away.
"Enough," Yennefer said finally. "Our mission is complete. The portal is closed. We need to get out of here."
The journey out of Kaer Morhen felt far more tense than the way in. There was no more awkward teamwork, only wariness. Geralt intentionally kept his distance from Tom, while Yennefer walked between them, trying to be an invisible mediator.
That evening, they were forced to camp in the forest. Geralt, with his Witcher instincts, prepared to hunt for dinner. "I'll find a rabbit or a deer," he said curtly.
"Don't bother," Tom said. He concentrated for a moment, then vanished. A second later, he reappeared. With a soft 'PLOP', a small table laden with food materialized in front of the campfire. There was a still-hot roasted chicken, warm bread, cheese, fruits, and a bottle of what looked like very expensive wine. "I took it from a duke's kitchen in Toussaint. I doubt he'll mind."
Geralt stared at the suddenly appeared feast, then at Tom, then back at the table. He said nothing. He just turned and walked into the forest to hunt his rabbit anyway.
Yennefer could only sigh in resignation. She took the wine bottle and poured herself a goblet. "You really can't help yourself, can you?"
"He looked hungry," Tom answered innocently. "I was just helping."
That night, the atmosphere around the campfire was incredibly tense. Geralt returned with two rabbits and roasted them in silence. He ate his own food, ignoring the feast on the table. Yennefer enjoyed her wine in silence. Tom, on the other hand, ate heartily while occasionally trying to start a conversation that was always met with a grunt from Geralt.
Tom knew his game in this world was almost over. The "entertainment" from Geralt was seeing him confused and frustrated, and that had reached its peak. Yennefer, while still interesting, was now more preoccupied with calming her moody lover. It was all starting to feel boring again.
He looked at Yennefer as she stared into the fire, her face illuminated by the dancing light. He had fulfilled his promise. He had helped Yennefer. And as per their agreement, there was one last thing remaining. One final "prize" from this adventure.
"Almost time to collect my prize," Tom thought to himself, a faint smile on his face.
He decided to let them enjoy this one last awkward night. Tomorrow, he would begin the final act of his game with Yennefer.
The next morning, the tension between the three of them could be cut with a knife. Geralt had already packed his few belongings. He approached Yennefer, while Tom watched from a distance, intentionally giving them space as if respecting their privacy, when in reality he was enjoying the drama.
"I have to go," Geralt said to Yennefer, his voice low. "There's another monster contract I have to handle." It was an excuse, and they both knew it. The real reason was that he couldn't stand to be near Tom any longer.
"Be careful, Geralt," Yennefer replied, a genuine note of concern in her voice.
Geralt nodded. He then looked directly at Tom, his cat-like eyes narrowing into two dangerous slits. It was a warning look that needed no words. If anything happened to Yennefer, he would be back. Tom just returned it with a wide smile and a cheerful wave.
With one last nod to Yennefer, the Witcher turned and disappeared among the trees, continuing on his endless path.
Geralt's departure left a different kind of silence. The buffer between Tom and Yennefer was gone. Now it was just the two of them, and their unfinished agreement.
"Well, the moody white-haired guy is gone," Tom said, breaking the silence as he walked toward Yennefer. "Which means... it's just the two of us."
Yennefer straightened her back, looking at Tom with an expression that was a mixture of resignation and stubborn defiance. "I know."
"Our mission to help your lover is complete," Tom continued. "And frankly, I'm getting bored of this world of mud and monsters." He stopped directly in front of Yennefer. "You know what that means, right?"
Yennefer didn't answer, but her eyes said everything. She knew. The time for collection had come.
"But," Tom said, his smile changing into something softer, more considerate. "It doesn't feel right to have our 'final battle' in such a miserable place." He looked around at the dark, damp forest. "You deserve a better stage than this. Consider it a tribute from a collector to his finest collection."
Before Yennefer could ask what he meant, Tom took her hand. "Think of the most beautiful place you've ever imagined. A place that's quiet, peaceful, and far from all this chaos."
Yennefer, confused by Tom's change of tone, instinctively imagined a place from ancient legends she had once read about: a hidden garden at the peak of the highest mountain in the Blue Mountains, a place said to be untouched by time, where eternal flowers bloomed under the starlight.
The sensation of teleportation felt gentler this time.
In an instant, the scenery of the dark forest changed. They were now standing in a breathtakingly beautiful garden. The air was warm and fragrant, filled with the scent of glowing flowers blooming everywhere. A small waterfall flowed into a clear pond, and above them, the night sky was studded with millions of stars that seemed so close they could be touched. There was no sound other than the gentle trickle of water and the soft whisper of the wind.
Yennefer gasped, completely mesmerized by the beauty of the place.
"Better, right?" Tom said, his voice calm.
He let go of Yennefer's hand and walked to the edge of the garden, looking out at the sea of clouds below them. "I kept my promise," he said without turning around. "You got everything you wanted. Your enemies defeated, your goals achieved. You even got your lover back, at least for a little while."
He finally turned to face Yennefer. "And now, I've come to collect my payment. As per our agreement."
There was no longer a playful tone in his voice. There was only a cold and absolute sincerity. This was no longer a game for him. This was the conclusion.
Yennefer stood there, in the middle of the most beautiful garden she had ever seen, facing her strangest destiny. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. All she could do was face the anomaly before her in her own way.
Their final battle would not involve swords or sorcery. The stage was set for something far more personal.