The lower pathways of the Sunken Demon Island twisted endlessly beneath the jungle like veins through a living body.
Not dead ruins.
Not abandoned caverns.
Alive.
Everywhere Measly looked now, something moved.
Echidnas hauling glowing crystal batteries through suspended marketplaces. Children sprinting across hanging rope bridges with the kind of suicidal confidence only children possessed. Strange lanterns humming softly with green-blue light while water thundered far below through channels carved directly into the island itself centuries ago.
It felt impossible.
Like they had somehow fallen through reality and landed somewhere older than the rest of the world.
Raymond looked openly overwhelmed by all of it.
Which honestly helped Measly feel a little better about also being overwhelmed.
The group continued deeper through one of the larger lower-city pathways while morning gradually brightened the glowing cavern skyline overhead. Tillie remained perfectly content in Julia-Su's arms now, occasionally grabbing handfuls of her dreadlocks while the pink echidna muttered increasingly fake complaints.
"I've known her less than a day and she's already emotionally manipulating me."
"Aye," O'Nux said solemnly beside her. "Babies do that."
"That should not be legal."
Tillie sneezed.
Julia-Su immediately adjusted the blanket around her more securely without even thinking about it.
Raymond pointed dramatically.
"Exhibit B."
Julia-Su glared.
"You hush."
"You're doin' the voice now too."
"I AM NOT."
"You absolutely are."
Lein-Da walked slightly ahead of them with her arms folded inside the sleeves of her dark robes, ocean-blue eyes focused forward.
Despite the calm—
Something about her posture had changed.
Subtle.
But there.
Sharper.
More deliberate.
Elijah noticed too.
The chipmunk quietly closed the book he'd been reading while walking and looked toward her.
"…You've decided something."
Lein-Da didn't look back.
"Yes."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Even O'Nux stopped joking for nearly four entire seconds.
Raymond tilted his head.
"…About what?"
Lein-Da finally slowed near another branching stone pathway illuminated by hanging crystal lanterns.
Then she turned toward them.
"We are meeting someone."
Measly frowned slightly.
"…Who?"
Lein-Da was silent briefly before answering.
"Finn."
Julia-Su immediately groaned.
"Oho no."
O'Nux physically recoiled.
"Aye, absolutely not."
Raymond pointed between them rapidly.
"YOU PEOPLE EXPLAIN NOTHING."
"Doctor Finitevus," Lein-Da clarified calmly. "An echidna scientist from Prettanikē."
That got Elijah's attention instantly.
His expression sharpened.
"You called Finn here?"
"Yes."
"...That's either extremely dangerous or extremely stupid."
"Usually both," Julia-Su muttered.
Measly blinked.
"…What's Prettanikē?"
"It's a giant island west of Merkia," Julia-Su explained while adjusting Tillie slightly. "Full of scholars, scientists, politicians, military theorists—"
"And narcissists," O'Nux added.
"Those too."
Raymond frowned.
"...So why's this Finn guy comin' here?"
Lein-Da answered immediately.
"Because the two of you are abnormal."
Raymond pointed at Measly.
"I KEEP SAYING THAT."
"You are also abnormal."
"Rude."
"It was not intended as an insult."
"Still rude."
Elijah quietly spoke next.
"...You think whatever happened to them may be biological?"
"Possibly."
"Magical?" Julia-Su asked.
"Possibly."
"Both?" O'Nux added.
Lein-Da looked exhausted already.
"Almost certainly."
That shut everyone up briefly.
Because unfortunately—
That sounded believable.
Measly looked down slightly while walking again.
His hands tightened a little.
"...We ain't dangerous."
Lein-Da looked toward him.
Not suspicious.
Not cold.
Just honest.
"I do not think either of you wishes to hurt anyone."
That wasn't the same thing.
Measly noticed.
Apparently Raymond did too because his ears lowered slightly.
O'Nux noticed the mood shift instantly and nudged Raymond lightly.
"Could be worse."
"How?"
"We could be dead."
"...That is your answer to EVERYTHING."
"Aye."
"You are deeply concerning."
"Thank ye."
Ahead of them, the pathways widened into a massive lower district carved directly into the cavern walls surrounding an underground lake.
Raymond stopped dead.
"...Anarchy Below."
The underground lake stretched outward farther than Measly could properly see beneath the glowing cavern ceiling. Buildings wrapped around the cliffsides while massive glowing crystals reflected across the water like trapped stars.
And near the center—
A giant metal ship floated beside one of the docks.
Not wood.
Metal.
Ancient metal.
Covered in pipes, strange machinery, and scorch marks.
Raymond pointed immediately.
"...WHY IS THERE A BOAT DOWN HERE."
"It's technically an airship," Julia-Su corrected.
"THAT ANSWERS NOTHING."
"It crashed."
"HOW."
"Finn was driving."
"...THAT SOMEHOW EXPLAINS EVERYTHING."
Lein-Da continued walking calmly toward the docks.
"The doctor arrived this morning."
Elijah frowned slightly.
"That was fast."
"He owes me several favors."
O'Nux winced.
"Oh that's terrifying."
Julia-Su nodded immediately.
"Aye."
Raymond looked between them.
"...Why are you all scared of a scientist?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Which honestly felt much worse.
Eventually Julia-Su sighed.
"Finn's... brilliant."
"That's it?"
"No," O'Nux muttered darkly. "It's the way he's brilliant."
That somehow explained absolutely nothing while also making perfect sense.
They finally reached the docks.
Several echidnas nearby immediately moved out of the way when Lein-Da approached.
Then Measly noticed someone standing near the strange metal airship.
An echidna.
Red fur.
Purple eyes behind pince-nez glasses.
Yellow robes.
Orange boots.
Average-looking.
Completely average-looking.
And somehow—
More unsettling because of it.
The echidna was arguing loudly with three dockworkers while holding several loose papers under one arm.
"No, you illiterate amphibians, if the engine explodes AFTER I leave the vessel then it is no longer my engineering problem."
One of the dockworkers looked horrified.
"Doctor Finitevus—"
"Don't Doctor Finitevus me. You're the ones who tied a dimensional stabilizer to a SUPPORT BEAM."
"...You said it needed support!"
"METAPHYSICAL SUPPORT."
The echidna spun around sharply after noticing Lein-Da approaching.
"Oh thank the Ancients, someone intelligent arrived."
His voice came out fast.
Sharp.
Smug.
And vaguely unstable.
"Finn," Lein-Da greeted flatly.
"Lein-Da," he replied immediately before pointing toward the dockworkers behind him. "Your people are idiots."
"They are not my people."
"They can still be idiots independently."
Raymond blinked slowly.
"...Oh this guy's insane."
"Scientifically speaking," Finn corrected while rapidly adjusting his glasses, "I am only mildly unhinged."
Then he noticed the children.
And stopped completely.
Purple eyes narrowed.
"...Oh no."
Raymond pointed immediately.
"THAT IS A TERRIBLE REACTION."
Finn gestured vaguely.
"I expected experiments."
Silence.
"...WHAT."
"I mean test subjects. That sounded worse out loud."
"It sounded HORRIBLE out loud."
Finn adjusted his glasses again.
"You are the flying squirrel."
"...Why does everybody here introduce themselves like serial killers?"
"And you're the armadillo with physically disproportionate muscular density."
Measly stiffened slightly.
Finn noticed instantly.
Then rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Oh don't do that. If I were going to dissect you I wouldn't announce it beforehand."
Complete silence.
Julia-Su pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Finn."
"What? Honesty builds trust."
"No it DOESN'T," Raymond shouted.
Finn blinked.
"...Children are exhausting."
"You threatened to dissect us!"
"I said IF."
"THAT ISN'T BETTER."
O'Nux looked toward Measly sympathetically.
"Aye. Sorry about him."
Finn pointed toward O'Nux immediately.
"You once tried to fistfight a ghost."
"The ghost started it."
"THAT IS NOT A SENTENCE NORMAL PEOPLE SAY."
Elijah quietly folded his arms.
"...You called him because he's the best."
"Unfortunately," Lein-Da admitted.
Finn straightened smugly at that.
"I appreciate the honesty."
"Do not let it inflate your ego further."
"Impossible."
Tillie suddenly reached toward Finn from Julia-Su's arms.
The echidna froze immediately.
"...No."
Julia-Su grinned.
"She likes you."
"I have neither the qualifications nor emotional stability for that."
Tillie made another tiny happy noise anyway.
Finn stared at her cautiously for several seconds.
Then slowly offered one gloved finger.
Tillie grabbed it instantly.
Finn visibly malfunctioned.
"...Oh dear."
Raymond pointed dramatically.
"IT HAPPENED AGAIN."
Julia-Su looked delighted.
"They always fall for it."
"She's biologically weaponized," Finn muttered while Tillie happily held onto his finger. "Honestly very efficient design."
Lein-Da looked exhausted already.
"I regret calling you here."
"No you don't," Finn replied instantly. "You need me."
"...Unfortunately."
Finn smirked victoriously.
Then slowly—
The humor faded.
Because he finally looked properly at Measly and Raymond.
Really looked at them.
His expression sharpened instantly behind the smugness.
The manic energy didn't disappear.
It focused.
Which honestly felt worse.
"...Interesting," he murmured.
Raymond immediately took a step backward.
"WHY DID YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT."
Finn ignored him completely now.
He circled Measly once.
Then Raymond.
Purple eyes narrowing further.
"...Residual instability," he muttered to himself. "Adaptive responses. Anarchy resonance saturation maybe? No... no that's wrong..."
He abruptly grabbed Raymond's arm.
Raymond yelped.
"HEY."
Finn lifted the flying squirrel's hand slightly.
"...Hm."
Then immediately looked at Measly.
"...Punch O'Nux."
O'Nux blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
Measly looked horrified.
"I ain't punchin' him!"
Finn waved dismissively.
"Fine. Punch the wall. Same structural integrity probably."
"HEY."
Lein-Da finally stepped in.
"Finn."
"What? I'm working."
"You are antagonizing children."
Finn looked genuinely confused.
"...Yes?"
Raymond stared at him.
"You're like if a science book got possessed."
Finn pointed immediately.
"Thank you."
"THAT WAS NOT A COMPLIMENT."
Finn ignored him again.
Then finally adjusted his glasses one last time.
And for the first time since meeting them—
His voice lost most of its humor.
"...You've both been exposed to something significant."
Silence settled afterward.
Measly felt his stomach tighten.
Raymond's ears lowered.
Finn looked between them carefully now.
Still unhinged.
Still arrogant.
But suddenly very serious beneath it all.
"...Tell me everything you remember before you woke up here."
-------
Finn listened without interrupting.
Which, judging by the reactions from literally everyone else present, was apparently unusual enough to qualify as a historical event.
The echidna stood near the edge of the dock with his arms folded behind his back while Measly and Raymond explained everything they could remember.
Which unfortunately—
Wasn't much.
"...We buried them," Measly said quietly.
The humor from earlier had vanished entirely now.
His voice sounded smaller.
Not childish.
Just tired.
"We remember that part real clear."
Raymond sat on one of the nearby cargo crates with his tail twitching anxiously behind him.
"It was rainin'," he added after a moment. "Or... I think it was."
Measly frowned.
"...No. It wasn't."
Raymond blinked.
Then hesitated.
"...Wasn't it?"
Silence.
Both boys looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Because the harder they tried to remember—
The less stable the memories felt.
"We buried my ma and pa," Measly said slowly. "And Raymond's parents too."
Raymond nodded immediately.
"Yeah."
Another pause.
Then his ears lowered slightly.
"...I think."
Finn's eyes sharpened behind his glasses.
"Interesting."
Raymond pointed weakly.
"Y'see, when YOU say interesting, it feels threatening."
Finn ignored him completely.
"What happened immediately afterward?"
Both boys froze.
Measly's face tightened slightly.
Raymond pressed a hand against the side of his head.
And almost immediately—
They both winced.
Hard.
Like something sharp had suddenly pushed behind their eyes.
"Ow—"
"Anarchy Below—"
Julia-Su immediately stepped forward.
"Hey, stop pushing yourselves."
"We're tryin'," Raymond muttered through clenched teeth.
Finn crouched down in front of them instantly now.
Not comforting.
Clinical.
Focused.
"What kind of pain?"
Raymond blinked at him.
"...What kinda doctor ARE you?"
"Several kinds depending on records I've falsified. Describe it."
"It's just—" Measly stopped abruptly, squeezing his eyes shut harder. "It hurts."
"Where?"
"My head."
"Sharp or dull?"
"Both!"
Finn nodded rapidly to himself like that answer made perfect sense.
"Hm."
O'Nux frowned nearby.
"Ye sound way too happy about this."
"I am making progress."
"Ye say that like a villain."
Finn pointed at him without looking away from the boys.
"Science is villainous to only stupid people."
"THAT'S STILL EVIL SOUNDIN'."
Finn ignored him.
Lein-Da watched silently from nearby with Tillie resting calmly against her shoulder now. The baby had fallen mostly asleep again despite the tension around her.
Which honestly felt impressive.
Finn adjusted his glasses.
"Do either of you remember traveling to the island?"
"No," Raymond answered immediately.
Measly shook his head too.
"We just..."
He stopped again.
His breathing hitched faintly.
"...We were there."
Finn's eyes narrowed further.
"You simply appeared."
"...Yeah."
"Without transition."
"...Yeah."
"Hm."
That sound again.
That horrible little thinking sound.
Elijah finally spoke from nearby.
"...You have a theory."
Finn looked upward thoughtfully toward the cavern ceiling.
Then exhaled slowly.
"...Possibly."
Raymond immediately pointed.
"Okay I don't like that word from YOU either."
Finn ignored him again.
"The memory degradation is inconsistent."
Julia-Su folded her arms.
"Meaning?"
"They remember emotionally significant anchors."
He gestured toward Measly and Raymond.
"The deaths. The burial. Each other. The baby."
He pointed lightly toward Tillie.
"But transitional memory after the traumatic event appears fractured."
Measly frowned slightly.
"...In normal people words?"
Finn sighed dramatically.
"Something broke your memories."
"THAT'S not better."
"No, it's significantly better. There are many things that could've caused this that are much worse."
Nobody looked reassured by that.
Finn began pacing now.
Fast.
Energetic.
Completely locked into his own thoughts.
"Memory fragmentation paired with biological abnormalities..." he muttered. "Enhanced muscular adaptation in one subject. Atmospheric response manipulation in the other..."
Raymond blinked.
"...Atmospheric what now?"
Finn pointed at him sharply.
"You control wind."
Silence.
Raymond stared.
"...Oh."
Finn continued pacing.
"The abilities manifested after severe emotional trauma..."
He adjusted his glasses again.
"Possible Anarchy exposure event."
Lein-Da's ocean-blue eyes narrowed faintly.
"You think they encountered raw Anarchy energy?"
"Possibly."
O'Nux grimaced immediately.
"...Children surviving that sounds bad."
"It IS bad."
Finn pointed dramatically.
"Exposure to unfiltered Anarchy energy resonance should've killed them outright."
That was not comforting information.
Raymond looked alarmed.
"Can everyone stop casually sayin' stuff that implies we should be dead?!"
Finn pointed toward him again.
"Precisely why this is fascinating."
"There it is again!"
The doctor ignored him completely.
"But survival combined with such impressive adaptation..." Finn muttered. "No visible Anarchy energy corruption. No mental instability beyond memory fragmentation..."
He stopped pacing.
Then looked slowly toward Measly.
"...When you fought O'Nux."
Measly blinked.
"...What about it?"
"You matched him physically."
O'Nux scratched one dreadlock awkwardly.
"...Aye."
Finn immediately pointed at the older echidna.
"You are six years old and capable of denting steel."
"Aye."
"And the armadillo child matched your strength."
"...Aye."
Finn turned slowly back toward Measly.
"...That should not be biologically possible given his lack of Overseer bloodline."
Measly looked uncomfortable immediately.
"I ain't tryin' to."
"I know."
And strangely—
Finn sounded honest about that.
The echidna scientist adjusted his glasses again.
Then looked toward Raymond.
The dock area grew quieter around them.
Even the nearby workers had gradually stopped pretending not to listen.
Lein-Da finally spoke again.
"...Your hypothesis, Finn."
The scientist exhaled slowly through his nose.
Then finally stopped pacing.
"...I believe the boys were exposed to an Anarchy energy nexus of some kind, possibly even an unfiltered Anarchy Beryl immediately following severe emotional trauma."
Raymond raised his hand weakly.
"I understood like... half of that."
Finn sighed.
"I think something nearly impossible happened to you."
"...Oh."
"The emotional shock of losing their families likely created ideal conditions for resonance bonding."
Julia-Su frowned.
"...People don't just absorb Anarchy energy."
"No," Finn agreed quietly.
"They don't."
That answer settled badly.
Very badly.
Finn continued anyway.
"I believe the exposure altered them physically and neurologically."
Measly looked uneasy.
"...Altered us how?"
Finn gestured toward them both.
"Enhanced adaptation. Accelerated reflexive response. Biological reinforcement. Possible environmental attunement."
Raymond stared blankly.
"...That sounded fake."
"It means you became stronger."
"Oh."
A pause.
"...Wait that's still bad."
"Correct."
Finn resumed pacing again.
"However..." he muttered. "The memory damage complicates things."
Lein-Da watched him carefully.
"You think they're suppressing the event."
Finn nodded immediately.
"Not intentionally."
He tapped lightly against his own head.
"The mind protects itself. Especially in children."
His gaze shifted toward Measly and Raymond again.
"I believe whatever happened after the burial was traumatic enough that your brains fragmented portions of the memory entirely."
Measly looked downward.
"...Can we get it back?"
Finn hesitated.
Which immediately scared everybody more than any dramatic answer would've.
"...Possibly."
Raymond groaned.
"That is SUCH a doctor answer."
"Because it is the correct one."
"But you don't KNOW."
"No scientist worth respecting ever truly knows anything."
"...You are deeply annoying."
"Thank you."
Elijah quietly folded his arms tighter.
"...And the other possibility?"
That made Finn go still briefly.
Not dramatic.
Just thoughtful.
Then he sighed.
"...The other possibility is that something intentionally damaged or altered their memories."
Silence.
Cold silence.
Measly felt his stomach twist.
Raymond's tail puffed slightly behind him.
Julia-Su frowned immediately.
"You think someone did this to them?"
Finn adjusted his glasses again.
"I think there are gaps too clean to entirely trust natural trauma."
Lein-Da's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...So there is conditioning."
"Possibly."
O'Nux immediately looked uncomfortable again.
"...That's bad."
"Extremely."
Raymond stared at Finn.
"...Can y'not say horrifying things so casually?"
"No."
The answer came instantly.
Finn finally crouched again in front of the two boys.
And for the first time since meeting him only half an hour ago—
His voice softened slightly.
Not really warm.
Not really comforting.
But less sharp.
At least by his very own and very biased standards.
Which definitely was NOT noticeable to Raymond and Measly.
"...I do not believe either of you are dangerous by choice, that would simply be irrational paranoia."
Measly swallowed slightly.
"...But?"
Finn sighed.
"...But I think something happened to you that should not have been possible."
That settled heavily over everyone present.
Because deep down—
They all already knew that part was true.
Tillie stirred sleepily against Lein-Da's shoulder.
The tiny baby armadillo made a small sleepy noise.
And somehow—
That little sound cut through the tension enough to let everyone breathe again.
Slightly.
Finn looked toward the baby briefly.
Then back toward Measly and Raymond.
Purple eyes narrowing thoughtfully again.
"...There's another inconsistency."
Raymond immediately looked mentally exhausted already at the somewhat mad echidna doctor's antics.
"Oh COME ON. WHAT COULD IT POSSIBLY BE NOW?"
Finn pointed lightly toward Tillie.
"The infant armadillo."
Measly blinked.
"Her name is Tillie, but ...what about her?"
Finn frowned.
"...By all logic, if the two of you were clearly exposed to unstable Anarchy resonance..."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"...She should've been affected too by that very same Anarchy energy nexus point."
Silence.
Then slowly—
Everyone turned their heads towards Tillie.
The baby blinked sleepily back at them from Lein-Da's shoulder.
Completely unaware she had just become scientifically suspicious, much like her big brother and his best friend...