We had to take a boat back to the Dark Realm. It was a long, slow journey, and it felt like it took twice as long as the last time we traveled by boat.

I paced back and forth along the deck, rubbing my hands on my thighs. There were so many possibilities of what had gone wrong.

The sun set over the bow of the boat, making the sky bleed with oranges, pinks, and deep purples that all ran together. Waves lapped gently against the boat. It was all very serene, but ...