The room inside the mirror dimension had become far more unsettling since they had entered.

At first glance, it looked like a normal guest room, but the longer they stayed inside, the more obvious it became that something was terribly wrong.

Seraphine was examining one of the shelves packed with books.

Dorian stood beside her, flipping through another thick tome covered in dust.

"I don’t like this at all."

"What did you find?" Max asked.

Dorian held up the book.

"Notes."

"Notes?"

"Yeah. Experiment notes."

Seraphine snapped another book shut.

"And there aren’t just a few of them."

The mage pulled several volumes from the shelf and placed them on the bed.

"They all talk about the same thing."

"Summoning?" Max asked.

Seraphine nodded.

"Summoning, seal modifications, ritual combinations..."

Dorian grimaced.

"Some of these annotations are insane."

"How insane?" Don asked from the doorway.

"Enough that half of them are forbidden by magical law."

Max decided to leave the books to the experts.

While they investigated the magical side of things, he began searching the rest of the room.

He opened the massive wardrobe.

Empty.

He checked under the bed.

Nothing.

He inspected the walls.

Then he approached the chains bolted into the stone wall.

Now that he was looking more closely, there were disturbing details.

"Come take a look at this."

Seraphine and Dorian walked over.

Don followed as well.

Max pointed at the thick links.

"See this?"

Dorian crouched down.

The relaxed expression on his face disappeared.

"That’s blood."

Max nodded.

Dark, dried stains covered several of the links.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

"And look here."

He pointed to one of the joints.

Dorian’s eyes widened.

"They’re warped."

"Exactly."

The links hadn’t been opened with a key or cut apart.

They looked like they had been torn open by force.

As if something had pulled on them until they broke.

Dorian ran his fingers over the metal.

"This is recent."

"Recent?" Don asked.

"Yeah."

The elf studied the marks.

"Far too recent."

Seraphine frowned.

"Then whoever was chained here escaped not long ago."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Max stared at the chains.

"Do you think something broke them?"

"I’m sure of it."

"And was it strong?"

Dorian let out a nervous laugh.

"Max."

"Yeah?"

"Something capable of ripping these out of the wall with brute force could tear me in half."

Don paled.

"Please don’t say things like that."

"We need to be careful," Dorian continued. "Whatever was imprisoned here is extremely strong."

"And it’s probably still somewhere inside the mirror dimension," Seraphine added.

Don slowly raised a trembling hand.

"I think we already found whatever got loose."

Everyone turned toward him.

Then they froze.

Don was staring at something behind them.

Something enormous.

A chill ran down Max’s spine.

He slowly turned around.

And saw it.

A human figure.

Or at least something human-shaped.

It was completely naked.

Over two meters tall.

Maybe two and a half.

Its body was covered in absurdly developed muscles.

And it walked hunched over.

Like a beast.

Like it had never learned how to stand upright.

But the worst part was that it was holding one of Don’s legs.

The faun looked like a statue.

Completely motionless and pale.

His eyes were wide with terror.

"Seraphine..." he whispered.

"Yes."

"I think I’m going to die."

The creature tilted its head.

Studying them with curiosity.

Max blinked.

"That..."

The beast tilted its head again.

"That looks like it’s from my world."

Dorian looked at him.

"What?"

"I think it’s a caveman."

"A what?"

"A very ancient human."

Seraphine narrowed her eyes.

"Considering they summoned dinosaurs and cyborgs..."

Max nodded.

"I wouldn’t be surprised."

The creature opened its mouth and released a deep growl.

Don began trembling.

"Miss Seraphine..."

The mage raised a hand.

"Everyone."

"Yes?"

"Cover your ears."

"What?"

"Now."

Max barely had time to react.

Seraphine opened her grimoire.

The pages began turning by themselves.

And a moment later, a melody filled the room.

The Song of Sleep.

"Shit!"

Max tried to cover his ears.

But it was too late.

His eyelids became heavy.

He saw Dorian diving into his pockets searching for earplugs.

He saw Seraphine continue singing.

He saw the caveman stagger.

And then...

The massive creature collapsed to the floor.

The entire room shook.

Don fell too.

But since the caveman was still holding his leg, he ended up smashing his head against the floor.

"Ow!"

It was the last thing Max heard.

And then everything went black.

***

A green light shone before his eyes.

Max slowly opened them.

"Wake up."

Something cold tapped his forehead.

"Come on."

Max sat up.

"What happened?"

"Dorian woke you up."

Seraphine’s voice sounded tired.

Max rubbed his eyes.

Everything was still there.

The room.

The books.

The chains.

And the caveman, asleep on the floor.

"Did it work?"

"You could say that."

Max turned his head.

Dorian was standing nearby.

He was wearing earplugs.

"I managed to cover my ears right before the spell hit me."

"And Don?"

The three of them looked at the faun.

He was still asleep.

And still trapped.

The caveman’s enormous hand continued gripping one of his legs.

Even while sleeping.

"Seriously? He won’t let go?" Max asked.

"No."

Seraphine sighed.

A magical hand floated around the creature, trying to pry its fingers open.

Without success.

"It’s absurdly strong."

The hand of energy pulled again.

Nothing.

Not even a twitch.

Seraphine tried again.

Nothing.

"I’m tired of this."

Max stared at the scene.

One of the most powerful mages in the world wrestling with a sleeping caveman.

It was ridiculous.

And terrifying.

The mage closed her grimoire.

"Dorian."

"No."

"Dorian."

"No."

"Use the awakening spell."

The elf looked horrified.

"No way."

"I need him awake."

"He’s holding Don like a rag doll!"

"Precisely."

"That does not make the situation better!"

Seraphine crossed her arms.

"You’re waking him up."

"And then what?"

"I use Imperious Command."

Dorian fell silent.

Max knew that spell.

It was a magical order that was impossible to ignore.

For a few seconds.

If it worked.

"And if it doesn’t?" Dorian asked.

"It will."

"And if it doesn’t?"

Seraphine smiled.

"Then you run."

Dorian’s eyes widened.

"That is not a strategy!"

Max let out a small laugh.

He was still half asleep.

But he trusted Seraphine.

If she looked calm, it was because she had a plan.

"Do it."

Dorian pointed at him.

"Whose side are you on?"

"The side of the most powerful mage in the world."

Seraphine smiled, satisfied.

"See?"

Dorian grabbed his head.

"I’m going to die."

"You’re not going to die."

"That’s exactly what you said when you tried to turn a chicken into a dragon."

"And technically, you survived."

"Because I was three kilometers away!"

Max burst out laughing.

Even Seraphine laughed.

Dorian looked at them as if they were insane.

Then he looked at the sleeping caveman.

Then at Don.

Then back at the caveman.

Finally, he sighed.

"Fine."

He raised both hands.

And healing energy began to glow around his fingers.