Chapter 163: Inn Inside the Tides

“Are you going to answer?” Aether said, frowning, annoyed by the attitude of the Fool shadow, he acted so childish, even trying to act like a mime; it was getting on his nerves.

And it wasn’t just him; every shadow in here. The Knight stood his ground, not saying a word or moving an inch; he acted as if he was resting on his sword, which was stuck in the ground. Like, how delusional could you be?

The magician was even worse. The moment he said his first word, it backed away, catching him off guard, then he started to try and… cast spells… nothing came out. Of course, he just waved his staff around, trying to act as if spells were coming out and he was saying the chant to summon them.

And it wasn’t just them.

After these two failed him, he decided not to go straight to the Fool, but rather to ask some others around. Like an archer. Who tried to shoot him with some invisible arrow, and also, to steal from him, fixing the hat on his head as if he were a good person doing something good by stealing from him.

There was also a miner here, or at least his shadow, who with his pickaxe tried to dig down inside the earth, and he did; he actually dug down a hole about two or three meters deep. Before the ground before him disappeared, as he somehow met one of those infinite holes that led to by his guess, an endless void.

It did make him question what it meant to fall inside an infinite void. Do you just continue to fall endlessly, just like the name suggests? Well, not really, since you would die of hunger or thirst, and let’s say you didn’t need food or water to survive, if you don’t sleep, you’ll die of exhaustion, and with the wind blowing in your head, or the back of your head, you’re bound to catch a cold or something.

But even if you were immortal, could you do it, could you fall for eternity… well, probably yeah. But would a hole like that even exist? Would it be possible? For it to be endless, in the meaning of falling inside the void, which is really just whatever is outside their planet, if there is something that is, wouldn’t that mean that it would have to fall through the whole planet, and in the end get through the other side?

Was that possible?

Well, maybe these holes were connected to each other, but even then, wouldn’t he get fried by the high temperature at the center of the planet? After all, for a hole to be endless, it has to go through those layers of the planet.

…

Wait, but why was he even thinking of this… either way, the miner fell inside the hole, and he was never to be seen ever again, that’s his story.

After seeing that it wasn’t getting him anywhere, he just decided not to ask any more shadows, but for his last, to be the Fool.

Yet, as I had said, he too wasn’t responding.

“Tell me, how do I get out of this place?” Aether gripped his collar, looking him right in the face with a serious expression. He was mad, but that was pretty evident, to the point you probably guessed a while ago.

The Fool shrugged, making Aether even more annoyed. Did no shadow in this place actually know how to get out? Well, I guess it did make sense…

After all, they are Lost for a reason.

Aether let go, realizing his mistake, and he rested his face inside his palms, feeling the guilt.

’Of course they don’t know how to get out, if they did their owners wouldn’t have died.’

He sighed. As the Abyss started to laugh, his chuckle was so infuriating to hear, even more so when it was inside his head.

The Abyss spoke to him in two ways, through his mind, like a second voice, yet it sounded the same as his, a voice he had gotten from him. It was annoying, because sometimes, even though it had only been there for a short while, he thought that what the second voice was saying was him.

But it also spoke to him in person; it was when it took his form, even if in his eyes he could be clearly seen, that to the others, he was invisible. If he had to say, even if it was annoying to hear it inside his mind, especially now, he really didn’t enjoy seeing himself follow… himself?

Aether looked back at the Fool, who tried mimicking a fall, then went back and waved his finger and denial. He repeated this three times, then he tried to become a fighter, and then he was knocked out, and then he… ascended.

Aether stared bewildered, but a small, confused puff of laughter came out of him. He didn’t understand one thing the Fool had said; he didn’t even know if it had any meaning.

…

Aether paused right as he was about to clap for the Fool in a joking manner. He was taken by surprise by the Abyss, who appeared behind him, but more importantly, for his sudden and strange appearance, was his words.

“It’s a message, it’s trying to tell you something.”

Aether looked up at the Fool, trying to see if it was going to say or do anything, but he just repeated the bad joke from yesterday.

“Denying a fall, fight, and a knockout, and then waking up. Was that what you were trying to say?” The Fool didn’t respond, leaving him alone in his own world, but really, he couldn’t find any meaning to it. It was infuriating, after all, it was the same as in Frozen Crown, but even the,n he was able to find the hidden meaning, but didn’t even know he did it.

Well, if he just sat here all day trying to get over a puzzle, he didn’t even know if it really had a meaning. After all, it was the Abyss that had told him about it; could he really place his trust in him?

Either way, knowing that he had to do something, he sighed and asked the shadow another question.

“Do you have any idea where I can find humans… and maybe even a place to sleep?”

He didn’t actually expect to get an answer, but he did; the Fool had answered him.

…

…

Aether stopped at the edge of the street, staring up at the building the Fool had somehow directed him toward. And for once, finally, something in this place looked properly built.

The inn rose three full stories, each level cleanly stacked atop the last without any crooked angles, sagging beams, or mismatched stonework. The walls were crafted from smooth, pale stone blocks fitted together with precise lines, almost seamless. Each block was the same shape and cut, giving the whole façade a kind of quiet symmetry that immediately stood out in a world full of chaotic, twitching shadows. The stone reflected the lantern light softly, making the building look warmer than it had any right to in this strange place.

The roof was steep and dark, made of flat tiles arranged in tight, uniform rows. No cracked pieces. No strange dips. No half-broken tiles shifting in the wind. Just a clean, solid structure that looked like it could take a storm without losing a single piece. Small, well-crafted wooden brackets supported the roof’s edge, each carved with the same simple pattern, a curved line looping into itself. Not detailed enough to be ornate, but neat enough to show someone cared.

The windows were equally consistent. Three on the ground floor, evenly spaced and perfectly rectangular, framed by polished wood stained a deep brown. Clear glass panes sat behind them, actual glass, letting him see silhouettes moving naturally inside, not those blurred looping motions from the Lost shadows. Warm orange light spilled through them, the kind you’d expect from lanterns or candles well-tended by someone who knew how to maintain a hearth.

The second floor had four windows, evenly lined up, each with a small balcony rail beneath it. The rails were made from dark metal, clean and unbent, twisted gently into a wave-like pattern. Not flashy, just elegant. The third floor had two larger windows, placed symmetrically, shutters folded neatly back against the walls. Everything about it felt intentional, orderly.

The sign above the door was a polished wooden plaque hung from iron hooks. The carving was crisp, letters engraved with steady hands: INN INSIDE THE TIDES Beneath the name was a simple emblem, a flat, smooth stone etched with a small ripple beneath it. The carving was shallow but clean, no splinters, no uneven cuts.

Even the lantern hanging over the entrance looked maintained. A sturdy iron cage with a glass enclosure inside, holding a warm white flame that glowed with a steady brightness. No unnatural colors. No flickering like something was breathing on it. Just a regular, dependable light.

The door itself was a heavy oak slab, polished smooth, reinforced with neat iron bands that had been hammered in straight lines. The handle was brass, uncorroded, shaped comfortably for a human hand. A small welcome mat lay in front of it, woven tightly from dark fibers, completely intact, no fraying edges, no dust, no signs of decay.

The stones leading to the entrance were evenly laid, cut into identical rectangles forming a clean path. Not a single one was cracked or sinking. The ground around the inn was swept, tidy, almost suspiciously perfect compared to everything else he’d seen.

Aether stood there a moment longer, taking it in.

Then he stepped forward, opening the door to the INN.

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