Simon Petrikov
The Morning After
For several minutes, Simon Petrikov simply stood in the middle of the frozen street, holding Marceline against him while snow drifted from the grey sky.
He couldn't stop shivering.
The cold was strange. It didn't feel as though it came from the weather or even from the crown itself. It seemed to come from somewhere inside his bones, spreading through his body with every breath.
Yet he wasn't freezing to death.
Quite the opposite.
Despite the thin coat he wore, Simon felt almost comfortable in the frigid air. The snow beneath his boots seemed to respond to his presence, shifting whenever he moved his feet. Small crystals of ice formed along his fingertips whenever he clenched his hands.
He stared at them in disbelief.
"What have I done?"
Marceline pulled away enough to look up at him.
"You saved me."
Simon blinked.
The girl's voice was quiet, but there was no hesitation in it.
"You saved me from those things."
He looked toward the frozen street.
The oozers had been buried beneath a thick layer of ice. Some were little more than distorted shapes beneath the snow, while others had been frozen in the middle of their movements, their elongated arms reaching toward the places where Simon and Marceline had stood.
The blast had also destroyed much of the remaining town.
An entire storefront had collapsed. The upper floor of a nearby building had fallen into the street, and several abandoned vehicles were now little more than snow-covered mounds.
Simon swallowed.
"I didn't mean to do all this."
"I know."
"I was trying to stop them, Marceline. I wasn't trying to"
"I know."
She hugged him again.
Simon closed his eyes.
For a moment, he allowed himself to believe that things would be all right.
Then he felt the crown tighten around his forehead.
His eyes snapped open.
A faint blue light pulsed through the jewel embedded in its golden frame.
Simon raised his hands and tried to remove it.
The moment his fingers touched the crown, a sharp pain shot through his skull.
He gasped and stumbled backwards.
Marceline immediately caught his coat.
"Simon!"
"I'm fine!" he blurted out.
He wasn't.
The pain faded after several seconds, leaving behind a dull pressure that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.
Simon stared at the crown.
He had studied ancient artefacts for years. He had examined objects whose origins were lost to history, read about civilizations whose names no longer existed, and collected strange curiosities from places most people would never dare visit.
But this object was different.
He had found it among the ruins, and ever since then, it had seemed to possess an almost impossible ability to attract his attention. He had convinced himself that it was an ancient device, perhaps some kind of technological or magical relic from before the war.
He had never considered that it might be alive.
Simon looked at Marceline.
"We need to leave."
She glanced at the frozen town.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere away from here."
He hesitated.
"Somewhere the things that attacked us won't follow."
Marceline nodded, accepting the explanation.
Simon gathered their supplies. Most of their food had been scattered during the attack, and one of their bags had frozen solid. He salvaged what he could, then wrapped Marceline in an extra blanket.
As they walked away from the town, Simon tried to ignore the whispers.
They were faint at first.
A murmur at the edge of his thoughts.
Then a voice.
You are cold.
Simon stopped.
Marceline looked back at him.
"What's wrong?"
He stared at the empty road.
"Nothing."
You are frightened.
Simon clenched his jaw.
But you need not be.
The voice was calm and reassuring, like an old friend offering advice.
You have power now. Power enough to protect the girl.
Simon resumed walking.
He told himself that the voice was a consequence of exhaustion, trauma, and whatever strange energies had awakened when he put on the crown.
He was a rational man.
He believed in evidence.
And he would find a way to understand what had happened.
But as he walked through the ruined countryside with Marceline at his side, the snow followed them.
Not a blizzard.
Not a storm.
Just a thin trail of frost that formed beneath Simon's footsteps and vanished behind him.
The crown was learning how to use him.
And Simon, desperately determined to protect the only family he had left, was beginning to learn how to use the crown.
Neither understood the price that would eventually be paid.
Two Days Later
The Central Grasslands
Sam had begun to appreciate the value of having a travelling cart.
By the second morning, Daniel had complained about walking exactly six times, his sister had fallen asleep twice during the journey, and Elena had informed Sam that she was perfectly capable of walking on her own at least three times.
Sam had listened politely.
Then he had continued pushing the cart whenever the ground became difficult.
The central grasslands stretched around them in vast waves of green and gold. Here and there, the earth rose into low hills, with scattered trees breaking up the otherwise open landscape.
Occasionally, they passed the remains of buildings from the old world.
A crumbling farmhouse.
A rusted vehicle half-buried in the earth.
The skeletal remains of a roadside shop, its faded sign still hanging from a broken metal frame.
Sam examined each location from a distance before deciding whether it was worth investigating.
Most were empty.
Some contained nothing more dangerous than old furniture and rusted tools.
One building had been occupied by a family of unusually large rabbits that had apparently decided the humans were trespassing on their property.
Sam had retreated after the largest rabbit charged him.
Daniel had laughed about that for nearly an hour.
"They were rabbits," the boy insisted.
"They were rabbits the size of small dogs."
"So?"
"So I wasn't interested in finding out whether they were vegetarian."
Elena shook her head from the cart.
"You fought a vampire swarm, but you're afraid of rabbits?"
"I'm not afraid of rabbits."
"Of course not."
"I'm afraid of rabbits that have clearly decided to become wolves."
Daniel nearly fell off the cart laughing.
Sam pointed at him.
"Keep laughing. I'll make your room in the fortress face the mountains so the wind blows through your window all night."
The boy immediately stopped.
"That's cruel."
"That's architecture."
For a while, the conversation continued in that direction, and Sam found himself enjoying the journey more than he had expected.
There was something comforting about the ordinary problems.
Food.
Water.
Tired children.
Finding a place to sleep.
These were problems he understood.
They were a welcome change from fighting creatures that could steal pieces of his soul.
Unfortunately, the system had not forgotten that encounter.
Every so often, Sam found himself thinking about the missing fragments.
He had checked his status several times since leaving the ruined shelter.
The result remained unchanged.
Soul integrity: 93.8%.
No recovery.
No explanation.
No indication that the creature had been destroyed.
He hated the uncertainty, but there was nothing he could do about it yet.
So he focused on what he could control.
His family.
Their journey.
And the fortress he intended to build.
_
By the afternoon of the second day, the mountains had grown considerably larger.
Their slopes rose above the grasslands, dark stone contrasting against the pale sky. Some peaks were rounded and weathered, while others had jagged ridges that looked as though enormous claws had torn through the earth.
Sam stopped the cart on a low hill.
He studied the landscape.
"That's promising."
Elena shaded her eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
"The terrain. See that ridge on the left?"
She followed his gaze.
Beyond a broad valley stood a long stretch of rising ground. Near its highest point, a natural shelf of stone extended from the mountainside, overlooking the surrounding grasslands.
Below it lay a shallow basin with a narrow stream running through its lower end.
Sam's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"That could work."
Daniel climbed down from the cart.
"What could work?"
"Our home."
The boy looked toward the ridge.
"That's where you're building the fortress?"
"Possibly. I need to get closer before I decide."
Sam opened his system map.
The interface displayed a crude but useful survey of the surrounding terrain. The mountain shelf offered excellent visibility, while the stream provided a potential water source. The stone beneath the ridge appeared stable, and the surrounding slopes would make a direct approach difficult for large groups.
There were disadvantages, of course.
The nearest dense forest was several kilometres away. They would need to establish a reliable source of firewood, and the elevation could make the weather harsh during storms.
But the location was defensible.
More importantly, Sam could build the fortress into the mountain itself.
He wouldn't need to rely entirely on exposed walls. He could create several chambers inside the stone, allowing the mountain to protect the family from wind and extreme weather.
He could construct a courtyard, a watchtower, a workshop, a kitchen, and underground storage.
He could even create a concealed escape tunnel leading into the valley.
The possibilities made him smile.
"Yes," he murmured. "This might actually work."
Elena watched him.
"You look like you've already built the whole thing in your head."
"Only the first few floors."
"Only?"
Sam grinned.
Daniel ran down the hill and began pretending to defend the ridge from imaginary enemies.
His sister joined him, waving a stick like a sword.
For a few minutes, they were simply children playing in the grass.
Sam watched them with a quiet warmth in his chest.
He wanted them to have more moments like this.
A great many more.
He turned toward Elena.
"We'll reach the foothills tomorrow. I'll scout the area first, then start preparing the foundations."
"And if you find something dangerous?"
"Then I'll deal with it."
She gave him a pointed look.
"Without getting yourself nearly killed, preferably."
Sam sighed.
"I'll do my best."
"Your best had better improve."
He laughed, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Come on. Let's find somewhere to camp before the sun goes down."
They continued toward the mountains.
Behind them, the grasslands stretched toward the horizon, hiding the ruins of the old world beneath a blanket of green.
Ahead lay a place that might become their home.
And somewhere far beyond their immediate concerns, the consequences of the Mushroom War continued to unfold.
That evening, after the children had fallen asleep, Sam sat near the campfire and examined the information his system had gathered.
The central grasslands were relatively quiet.
The system had detected scattered mutant life, minor magical disturbances, and occasional traces of old-world contamination. Compared with the coastal regions, where vampires and magical predators had gathered in alarming numbers, the interior appeared almost peaceful.
But the data also showed something else.
A large region farther north had unusually low biological activity.
Not zero.
Low.
The system couldn't determine whether the absence of life was caused by environmental conditions, contamination, or some other phenomenon.
Sam studied the map for a while.
He knew that the Mushroom War had left behind places where life had been twisted beyond recognition. He also knew that the Lich was connected to the devastation that had transformed the world.
He didn't know where the Lich currently was.
He didn't know whether it had fully emerged.
And he certainly didn't know how much his own presence had changed the events that would eventually lead to the future he remembered.
That uncertainty troubled him.
I can't build a fortress around the entire world.
He closed the map.
I can only make sure my family survives long enough for me to deal with whatever comes.
He glanced at Elena, who was sleeping beneath a blanket.
Then he looked at the children.
Daniel had fallen asleep with one hand resting on the Demon Eye Sword's scabbard, which Sam had allowed him to keep nearby while they travelled.
Sam's expression softened.
He would build the fortress.
He would improve his magic.
He would investigate the Nightosphere creature and the missing pieces of his soul when he had the opportunity.
But for now, he would let his family rest.
The mountains were waiting.
And tomorrow, he would begin building a future.
Elsewhere
A Strange Cold Spreads
Simon had not slept properly in two nights.
He and Marceline had found temporary shelter inside the remains of a small roadside house. Its roof was damaged, and one wall had partially collapsed, but it was better than sleeping beneath the open sky.
Simon had covered the windows with scraps of wood and gathered enough dry material to start a fire.
He had also spent nearly an hour trying to remove the crown.
A knife had failed.
A piece of broken metal had failed.
Even when he used both hands and pulled until his forehead hurt, the crown refused to come free.
He had finally stopped when Marceline begged him not to hurt himself.
Now he sat beside the fire, staring into the flames.
They were blue.
Not entirely blue, there were still orange and yellow patches among them but the centre of the fire burned with a cold, unnatural light.
Simon held his hands near it.
The flames bent toward his fingers.
He pulled away.
"That's enough," he whispered.
The fire settled.
Marceline was sitting on the other side of the room, drawing shapes in the dust with a small piece of charcoal. She had found a few scraps of paper in the house, but she preferred the floor because she could make her drawings larger.
Simon watched her for a moment.
"What are you drawing?"
"A house."
He smiled faintly.
"That looks more like a castle."
"It's a house with really big walls."
"Ah. Sensible."
She added a tower.
Then a gate.
Then a little figure standing on the roof.
"Who's that?" Simon asked.
"Me."
"Of course."
She drew another figure beside the first.
"And that's you."
Simon leaned forward.
His drawing looked like a tall, thin man with a crown and a very long nose.
He frowned.
"Do I really look like that?"
Marceline nodded seriously.
"Pretty much."
He laughed.
It was the first time he had laughed since putting on the crown.
For a moment, the room felt normal.
Then the fire turned completely blue.
Simon froze.
The flames stretched toward him, forming thin, wavering shapes that resembled fingers.
A whisper passed through his mind.
You are wasting your potential.
Simon stood abruptly.
"No."
Marceline looked up.
"Simon?"
He pressed both hands against his temples.
"Not now."
You have seen what you can do.
"I don't want to hear it."
You can protect her.
Simon looked at Marceline.
The girl had stopped drawing.
She was watching him with growing concern.
The voice continued.
You can make the world safe for her. No creature will ever threaten her again.
Simon swallowed.
He wanted that.
He wanted it more than he could explain.
He had watched the world collapse. He had lost the life he once knew. He had spent the last several years wandering through ruins, trying to keep himself and Marceline alive in a world that seemed determined to destroy them.
If the crown could help him protect her, then perhaps it was worth the risk.
Perhaps he could learn to control it.
Perhaps he could use its power without allowing it to change who he was.
Simon looked down at his hands.
Ice formed across his knuckles.
He closed his fists.
The ice disappeared.
"I will protect her," he whispered.
The crown's jewel pulsed.
Yes.
Simon looked toward the fire.
"But I will not let you control me."
For several seconds, the room was silent.
Then the voice answered.
Of course not, Simon.
It sounded almost amused.
We shall see.
Simon slowly sat back down.
Marceline returned to her drawing, though she continued glancing at him whenever she thought he wasn't looking.
He watched the fire for a long time.
Outside, snow began to fall.
It spread across the roof and covered the ground around the house, even though the surrounding countryside was not cold enough to support it.
Simon didn't notice.
He was already thinking about how to understand the crown.
He would study it.
He would learn its rules.
He would master its power.
And he would make certain that Marceline never had to face the horrors of the world alone.
He didn't know that the crown had already begun altering his thoughts.
He didn't know that the voice inside his mind was slowly learning how to use his love for Marceline against him.
For now, he only knew that he had power.
And that power might be enough to keep the girl safe.
Outside, the snow continued to fall.
Far away, the mountains waited for Sam and his family.
Two journeys were moving forward through the broken world.
One man was building a home to protect the people he loved.
Another was taking the first steps toward becoming something he would one day struggle to recognize.
And neither man knew how closely their futures would eventually become connected.