The Undernet was like the NET in its most stripped-down version. It was a whole different layout, arranged in panels with everything sort of just there, messy and disorganized. Most of the sites didn't have a name, only links that were dots and numbers. Opening one of them sent her to a forum, which sent information streaming down the screen, with no one moderating any of it.

It seemed that people were bidding for a type of alien hardware and simultaneously having an argument about its efficacy as well. One of the links on the sidebar led her to a different website, where there was another sale going on.

There was also a healthy dose of conspiracy theories there, including one that said the monarchs of Districts 2, 3, and 6 were all lizard people in human masks.

A named group of people also thought that at least half the population was being mind-controlled at any given time.

It was hard to know which of those theories to take seriously because all of them were given the same legitimacy, with no fact-checking involved. Fact-checking or referring to the regular NET for evidence was looked down upon and symbolized that you were a 'sheep'.

In the forums themselves, people typically voted for whatever statement they agreed or disagreed with most, and that rose to the top, fuelling more arguments. The most active links also rose to the top, and most were password-protected. Others were simply blocked, which Lexie assumed was thanks to Isaac. Of course, he'd targeted certain words too, and Lexie browsed a forum and realized entire phrases were blacked out.

From the context, she guessed some of those were swear words, which Lexie found funny considering how many she'd learned from her Uncle Max. But other things he'd blacked out and blocked were probably drugs or illicit material.

Just spending a few minutes exploring was already overwhelming. It would have been impossible to navigate had Isaac not added a trusty guide in his message, telling her what each string of numbers was code for.

Using that, she found a site that was a black market for books and articles, on just about any topic she wanted.

Lexie went to the search bar and narrowed down the forums to only include what she was looking for. The first thing she wanted to know was any information she could find about dungeons and Eldritch. Of course, most of it was bound to be conspiracy theories, but she figured she could sort out the truth from the nonsense later, simply by asking Naem or Aiden about it.

If she went to them first for the information, both were bound to hide stuff from her, Aiden because he wanted to look out for her, and Naem because he was Naem. But if she found out the information herself and only went to them for confirmation, well, Naem couldn't lie to her, and she could tell from Aiden's reactions what side of the truth it fell out on.

Lexie took out her newly acquired journal and created a list as she searched. Lexie had bought the notebook on the way back from Old Moulding and decided to keep a physical diary starting from today. It took her about thirty minutes to write down everything she'd discovered about this world so far and all the questions she still had. She would keep it in her inventory, just so that if she ever lost her memory, she could refer back to it.

She didn't want to forget who she was and who Aiden was. She also never wanted to forget anything she'd been through, the friends she'd made, the found family.

She didn't ever want to forget Max, just in case he never…

No. Don't even go down that road.

She swallowed and got back to work, writing it all down.

After she was done, she began to scroll through the articles.

Lexie discovered that there were multiple theories about where dungeons came from. Some people thought it was the magic of the old guardians manifested as some kind of hidden access point to them. Others thought the dungeons were formerly tests for the Guardian's champions to prove themselves before being bestowed powers.

A few believed that the Fae were using dungeons to somehow siphon power from humans.

That last one was derived from a considerably widespread sentiment in the Undernet that humans had hidden power that they didn't know about, and that was the only reason the Fae were interested in them.

That didn't make sense to Lexie, although it did strike her as curious that the Fae had shown up right as humankind was on the verge of destruction, and they'd seemed to have the answer for their problems. The Fae also reportedly had the power to take over Earth whenever they wanted, yet they continued to play political diplomacy games with humans. Lexie never figured out why that was.

She would go deeper into Fae stuff later, but focused her search on discovering more about dungeons for now.

After hours of scouring, she eventually stumbled upon something that made sense.

It was a forum with only about three active participants, and it was titled, Dungeons and the Eldritch Condition.

When she clicked into it, she found someone having a one-way conversation with themself. It was a man, based on his avatar. He'd dominated most of the thread, with paragraph after paragraph of barely comprehensible theories, mixed in with angry diatribes about how he hated being locked up all day and wished the world would burn for what they'd done.

Lexie assumed from his ranting that he might be locked up in an asylum for the clinically insane, but piecing together some of the things he wrote showed he had a fair understanding of how dungeons were Eldritch creations.

Lexie wanted to talk to him about it, so she typed up, "Hello."

She didn't get a response, and his avatar didn't indicate whether he was online or not.

Maybe her greeting was too vague.

She added, "I'd like to learn more about what you think Dungeons are."

There was still no response, so Lexie assumed that the person wasn't online. She sighed in disappointment and exited the forum to continue scrolling.

***

The next morning, her father knocked on her door, looking weary and wearing a suit.

"Hey Lex," he said. "I'm going to the funeral. I made breakfast, but you'll have to heat it."

She nodded but didn't respond.

He stared at her and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

Lexie shook her head. Going there would be like admitting that Max was dead and she didn't want to.

At the same time, she thought about it and realized that maybe it wasn't about her. She wasn't the only one who'd lost Max. So had Luke and Emma, and plenty of other people in this town. She hadn't even extended her condolences to Luke yet, now she was gonna miss the funeral too? Wasn't she being a bit selfish about it?

An uncomfortable guilt grew in her gut. Aiden waited as she visibly struggled with her choice.

"Alright," she resigned. "I'll go."

He didn't gloat, simply nodded.

The funeral was held at the cathedral on the hill. The building wasn't typically used much, although last year, it had hosted bingo night while they'd fixed up the Green Fox conference hall that had been destroyed by the Eldritch Eye attack.

Entering the cathedral, it felt like practically everyone in town was there, sitting somberly in pews while depressing organ music played. Max's team was there too. Lexie recognized Bane seated next to an extremely large woman who could only be Samira, a shorter man who eventually introduced himself as Haney, twins Rupert and Roland, and finally Gurney.

Lexie and her dad sat in the row in front of them, with Luke and Emma. Emma looked like she'd been crying all morning.

Lexie refused to cry in protest. She stared stonily, not meeting any pitying gazes. She held it together even with Emma sobbing, but she almost cracked when she saw Luke.

She didn't know how to describe the expression on his face, somewhere between violent rage and pure devastation. Lexie didn't know much about their family situation, but she knew that, at some point, they left their old home behind to start over in Hovelton. According to her father, Max was the only family Luke had left.

When their eyes met, neither of them tried to fake a smile for the other. She simply tried to transmit her feelings through her gaze while he nodded his greeting and looked away.

Then Lexie turned to Xena, who was seated beside Emma. Luckily, she'd gotten an exeat from school to attend the funeral just for the morning. She'd have to go back in the afternoon, though.

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Pretty soon, the speeches began.

It started with Bane, who barely got through his without bursting into tears. Samira was the same way, but pulled herself together much better. Rupert and Roland tried to crack jokes that didn't quite hide their grief. Haney was the quietest of them all and wore his guilt like a cloak.

Other people gave speeches too. Terry spoke about her training with Max and how she wanted to kill him sometimes for being such a hardass, but he ultimately brought out the best in her and showed her how strong she really was.

"I never realized what I was capable of, until him," she whispered, and that got her waterworks going too.

Following that, Frank also gave a short speech, speaking about their days gambling and drinking. Ernie, the sheriff, spoke fondly about how many arguments he'd had with Max concerning his explosives testing and noise pollution. Emma made it halfway through her speech about how he became like family to her before she burst into tears again.

Oddly enough, when it came to Luke's turn, he didn't give a speech.

He simply shook his head and remained seated. Emma took his hand and he squeezed hers, but he didn't otherwise acknowledge her or anyone else, for that matter.

In the silence that ensued, Aiden finally got up and headed to the podium.

"The first time I met Max," he began when he got there. "I didn't think we would be friends. In fact, I was pretty sure he was the type of person I would end up apprehending in the future for doing something foolish and dangerous. Even as our friendship eventually grew, there was so much about him I didn't understand. To this day, I still don't. But I will tell you what I do know about Max: I know Max is one of the bravest, most kindhearted men I've ever met." He flashed the audience a watery smile. "Everyone in here can attest to that, and can probably remember how he stayed in the shadows, working tirelessly to stop unstable dungeons from spawning and wrecking Hovelton. He ensured several Hero reports were consistently filed, and though I can't prove it, I'm quite sure he's part of the reason our priority rating was raised. He'd done all this, protected everyone, and never asked for anything in return."

Emma let out a quiet hiccup. Someone else sniffled into a handkerchief. It might have been Merryweather seated at the back.

"Though he'll hate me for saying this, Max is the epitome of everything a [Hero] should be. He's far more of a [Hero] than anyone I know and an inspiration I can only hope to be. And I hope that wherever you are, Max, you find your way to paradise or find your way home."

That set several people off again, and even Xena was getting teary-eyed as she patted her mother's back.

A few people clapped at the end of Aiden's speech, but it seemed only Lexie and Luke got the true implication of what he'd said. Especially Luke, whose head jerked up, his eyes flaring open as he watched Aiden take his seat. Now, it was Aiden's turn to avoid his gaze.

After it was over, people began coming over to talk to Luke and Aiden, and Lexie went outside for some fresh air. She found a quiet corner and leaned against the wall, inhaling.

"Hey," Xena came up around the corner, looking worried. "You okay?"

She nodded. "You?"

"Yeah," she responded. "It's just really freaking sad."

"It is." Though Xena may not have been close to Max, this couldn't be easy for her either, especially seeing her mother so broken up about it. She had to be a rock for Emma, and she was probably worried Lexie would break down too.

Lexie was determined not to, but she was also a mess of emotions, the primary one right now being guilt. What would have happened if she'd told Uncle what she knew about dungeons? Would that have stopped him? Max was a daredevil, but he was also cautious. Maybe if he knew he was entering an Eldritch concoction, instead of a naturally occurring phenomenon, he would have thought twice.

This might be all her fault.

Xena opened her mouth and closed it, uncertainty in her expression. She didn't seem to know what to say next. Instead, she took Lexie's hand, squeezing it, and Lexie squeezed back. Thankfully, she also let Lexie have her silence and just stood there, comfortingly.

After a few minutes, though, she went back in to check on her mom, leaving Lexie alone again.

At some point, Lexie heard footsteps and caught Frank walking out with a rolled-up cigar in his hand. He paused when he saw her watching, and Lexie said, "I don't think you're supposed to be smoking that."

She'd seen Emma get on his case more than once for it.

"Yeah, well, this is a special occasion," he said almost defensively. "This has been an exceptionally shit day."

Lexie couldn't argue with that.

"You're not going to narc, are you?"

She shook her head, and he gave her a salute of thanks, leaning against the railing.

"I heard you're some kind of [Hero] now saving all those people in Hartville."

She stiffened, and he shrugged.

"I saw it coming. Given your dad and your mom too, there was no way you were not going down that heroic path, whether you wanted to or not."

He took a drag of his cigar, blowing the smoke into the air. Luckily, Lexie was far enough away that she didn't inhale second-hand fumes.

"I hated change for a long time," he said. "I still do. It's why I especially hate it when shit like this happens. But we can't fight it, only weather through it, you know?"

Lexie wasn't sure what he was talking about, but before she could ask, her father was calling for her to return. It was time to leave.

They said goodbye to everyone, she hugged Luke, and they went back home.

Once there, Lexie felt unsettled. She opened her system screen and decided to send Max a message. It likely wouldn't go through, either because he was lost in time and space or gone, but she wanted to send it anyway.

Lexie: We had a funeral for you today, Uncle Max. You would have hated it. It was super depressing, and Dad called you a hero.

She hesitated, then added something else.

Lexie: Also, I'm going to be a [Hero]. You would have hated that too, but luckily, you're not around to see it.

The dark joke didn't quite land, and pressure squeezed Lexie's chest tight. She wouldn't cry. She distracted herself by grabbing her new cell phone from her inventory and opening it up.

She went back to the forum and noticed she had a reply.

It was simply, Why do you want to know?

Anticipation thrummed through her nerves. She thought about it and wrote Because you sound like you know what you're talking about.

She figured that she would stroke his ego, so he would be more likely to talk freely with her.

Instead, he said, Are you a snitch?

No.

You sound like a snitch.

I'm not. She didn't know how to prove it, so she typed, I'm eleven. Almost twelve. Her birthday was quickly approaching again.

Hmm. I don't buy it.

I don't know how to convince you.

Sign a soul contract stating explicitly that you're not law enforcement and won't repeat anything I tell you.

What? Lexie sputtered. Absolutely not. Was he messing with her, or did he actually have the ability to sign a soul contract with her?

That's not happening.

It took him a few minutes to type. Fine. Then tell me your name.

Will you tell me yours?

Of course. My name isn't important.

Lexie thought about it, and it still seemed like a bad idea.

I don't think so. Why do you need to know who I am before you give me information?

Because what I know is dangerous. I don't want that information falling into the wrong hands.

Lexie sighed, getting frustrated. Maybe this was a mistake.

Never mind. It's fine, you don't have to tell me.

No, I want to tell you. Trust me. I'm dying to tell someone everything I've discovered. I just don't want to get in trouble for it.

Yet he was sharing it freely on a forum? That didn't make sense.

Alright fine, I'll tell you. He finally relented. But you have to play a game of virtual chess with me first.

Why?

Because I like chess and I haven't had anyone to play with for years.

Lexie thought about it, and it sounded harmless. Still, she searched on the NET and the Undernet to see whether chess was a code for anything suspicious or illegal.

Nothing came up, so she wrote back, Fine.

Great. Black or White?

Black.

I make the first move. Pawn E4. What do you want to know?

Um… she used her normal system screen to pull up a chessboard to figure out what to play next. Pawn E5. I want to know more about your theories on dungeons and Eldritch.

Ah, the classic Relonian defense. Nice. Dungeons are Eldritch essence. They are created from Eldritch drives. Knight F3.

You mean like their dreams?

In a sense. What do you think the Eldritch dream about? Also, it's your play.

Oh sorry. Um...Pawn D5. I'm not sure what the Eldritch dream about. I'm guessing bad stuff?

Chaos. Their entire purpose is chaos; they're chaos personified. Many think that means that they're evil, but it's not quite that simple. Chaos is not evil; it's simply primordial. It's the beginning of everything. The source of everything, including magic. Pawn D5 to capture your pawn.

Wait. Lexie was totally shocked. You're saying that Eldritch is the source of all magic everywhere?

No, I'm saying Chaos is the source of magic, and the Eldritch are chaos personified.

Lexie was failing to see the difference between what he said and her summary.

Chaos came before everything, before Fae or Eldritch or Orc or humans.

So we're all…children of chaos?

In a way, but the Eldritch more than others. Our chaos is mixed with all the other things that make us civilized. Eldritch are nothing except chaos. It's your turn again.

Lexie took some time to think about it, and she said, Knight F6. So, hypothetically, to become more Eldritch, does that mean that one is becoming chaos?

That's a strange question because a human cannot become an Eldritch. They can only make deals with the Eldritch to borrow some of their power. But you must be careful when signing such a deal.

What do you mean?

When dealing with an Eldritch, you must constantly examine yourself to ensure you're the one still in charge. Eldritch are chaos. And chaos, like fire, is a great servant but a terrible master.

Lexie heard her father calling her from downstairs.

"Coming," she called and typed, I have to go now. I'll be back.

I'm sure you will Lexie Sparrowfoot.

Lexie froze, jaw dropping as she squeaked her surprise. Did he just type her name? How the heck did he know? What did you just call me?

Lexie waited for two heart-pounding minutes, but he didn't respond.

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