Spirit Game

When Rain woke up, he found himself lying in a room within the battered remains of Clockwork City.

His body felt heavy, his injuries a dull ache under his skin, but he forced himself to sit up. All around him, gnomes and even some dwarves were rushing about, tending to the injured, their small hands working tirelessly.

It was strange — almost unbelievable. As far as he knew, there was no dwarf settlement here, and the gnomes should have been sacrificed during Gorm's rituals. His mind struggled to comprehend the scene before him.

~CrAaAsSH!~

"Rain!" Hana gasped, letting go of a bowl of water she had been holding as soon as she saw him awake. "You're alive! Thank goodness!"

In a flash, Hana was at his side, wrapping him in a tight hug. Rain winced as pain shot through his body. Though most of his injuries had healed, the soreness lingered, making him feel like every muscle was bruised.

"Ah! Sorry!" Hana quickly pulled back, straightening herself and wiping at her teary eyes. "Are you okay?"

Rain managed a faint smile. "Y-yeah. I'm just glad to see you're alright. How are the others?"

Hana's face softened, a mix of relief and exhaustion in her expression as she wiped her tears. "They're fine too — still resting in bed, but they made it. Helliana's already up and helping. Santi's still resting. Chi and the others are outside, doing what they can. #4 is with Golly, and Thraigar . . . well, he's fine, but he's still heartbroken over what happened."

Rain's chest tightened. The memories of the battle came rushing back — the losses, the close calls. So many had been lost in the fight.

Then, a sudden thought struck him. "What about Ri?!"

A voice from the shadows spoke. "I am here, my lord."

Ri stepped forward, his usual serious expression fixed on his face. His clothes were disheveled, a testament to his refusal to leave Rain's side.

"He wouldn't budge, no matter what I told him," Hana said softly, shaking her head. "He wouldn't rest."

Rain chuckled weakly. "It's fine."

Without hesitation, Ri took his place beside Rain, as loyal and steadfast as ever, like a bodyguard eternally on watch.

"I need to go out and check on the situation," Rain said, attempting to stand.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked, immediately moving to support him. "You still need rest."

"I'm fine now." Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

"At least eat something first," she insisted, worry lacing her voice.

Rain laughed, though it came out as more of a dry chuckle. "Hana, you worry like a mother sometimes."

With Hana's help, Rain made his way outside, Ri following closely behind.

As they stepped into the open, the first thing Rain noticed was the devastation that had befallen Clockwork City. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the streets were littered with debris. But what truly surprised him were the gnomes and dwarves bustling around — helping those trapped in the rubble, offering water to the injured, and doing everything they could to heal the broken city.

"W-what . . .?" Rain murmured, eyes wide with disbelief. "I thought the gnomes were sacrificed, and where did all these dwarves come from?"

Hana stood beside him, her voice gentle as she explained, "Not all of the gnomes were lost. Some of them managed to hide during Gorm's reign of terror."

"That's . . . that's good news," Rain said, his heart lifting slightly. He was relieved for Golly — the master artificer wouldn't have to endure his losses alone after all.

"As for the dwarves," Hana continued, "they were held captive, forced to serve Balaur. When the dragon fell, they found themselves free for the first time."

Rain let out a long breath, a small but genuine smile forming on his face. "It seems some good has come out of this nightmare after all."

"

Rain

!"

A sudden shout pulled him from his thoughts.

~Chirp!~

~Chi!~

Rain's heart surged with joy as he saw Chi, #4, Chick, Chill, Thraigar, General Varlox and the others running toward him. Their faces were filled with relief, their smiles infectious as they rushed to his side.

"

Everyone

!" Rain's voice cracked with emotion, unable to contain the happiness swelling in his chest. "You're all okay!"

Chi leaped into his arms, nearly knocking him off balance as she hugged him tightly. Thraigar, tears in his eyes, gave him a firm pat on the back, while #4 and the others gathered around, chattering excitedly, all of them relieved to see Rain standing.

For a moment, all the devastation around them was forgotten, and in the middle of Clockwork City's ruins, they found solace in each other.

They had survived. Despite everything, they had made it through, and that was all that mattered.

That night, the air was thick with both sorrow and hope, as they held a celebration to honor the fallen and to mark the birth of new life — of freedom — from the sacrifices that had been made.

Rain sat beside Golly, watching the firelight dance across the tired faces of survivors. The city was broken, but the people were alive, and that was something worth celebrating.

"What will you do now?" Rain asked, his voice low, barely rising above the crackling fire.

Golly took a long swig from a bottle of booze, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well . . . it's not wise to rebuild here, not anymore. The magic circle Gorm used to open the Underworld might be destroyed, but someone could reactivate it by accident. It's too dangerous to live over it. Someone could stumble upon it and . . . well, you get the idea. I think it's best we move elsewhere. Demolish everything here, leave nothing behind."

Rain's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? Where would you go?"

Golly glanced at him, a mischievous grin breaking through his serious expression. "I heard you're in need of workers. What do you say? Want to take us in?"

Rain's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really? You'd want to join me?"

"What, you don't want us?" Golly chuckled.

"Of course I do!" Rain exclaimed, excitement bubbling up. "A master artificer and your people are more than welcome in my territory! You have no idea how much that would help."