The beast is in there? Justin asked, even though they knew the answer.

Mari dipped her head in reply. Justin inhaled and nodded. How do we get in? How... how do we get past that?

A distraction, replied Mari.

A scream pierced the air from below. It sounded like a person in trouble. Justin stood back up and looked through the gap again. Below, the intimidating woman stepped farther away from the tunnel and scanned the boulders. She gripped the wolverine creature's chain as it lunged into the air and flung spit at the trees and rocks. From behind those rocks appeared a tiger. The wolverine creature went wild. It jumped up and down, slashed at the air with sharp claws, and snarled and growled. The woman clutched the chain with both hands to keep the creature from getting away.

Opening its mouth, the tiger screamed again. The woman jumped in surprise and the creature yanked the chain out of her hands. Snarling once, it lunged for the tiger. The tiger turned and lunged back over the rocks, followed closely by the creature.

"No!" shouted the woman. "Come back!"

That is my cue, said Mari, and she pounced up onto the boulder above Justin's head. They looked up to see that she was peering down at them.

Once the woman and I have disappeared, you can enter the tunnel.

Justin's heart sped up. The wizard inside him shattered.

"Alone?" he asked out loud, forgetting to use his mind. "What am I supposed to do?"

Mari's golden eyes bore into Justin's as she spoke. I am no longer a great wizard. I do not know.

The tiger disappeared down the other side of the boulder.

The woman below yelped, and Justin peered through the gap. She had her eyes on Mari and was backing quickly away.

Once Mari's front paws hit the rock floor, she spoke into Justin's head. Did you see a tiger? It belongs to Jahan. If I lose it, I am done.

The woman blinked, surprise forming on her face, but then she straightened and composed herself.

"Who are you? You can take animal form? That has to be potent magic."

I am a highly revered magician, unlike some who simply hold on to chains. Did you see which way the tiger went? Quickly, perhaps we can both keep our jobs.

The woman's eyes narrowed at Mari, and she leaned down, reaching for her right leg. Justin inhaled sharply. Strapped to the woman's right leg was a small black gun. The woman pulled the gun out of its holster and pointed it at the rocks where the tiger and creature had disappeared.

"They went that way," informed the woman.

Mari purred. I will follow you.

The woman nodded and ran for the rocks, Mari right on her heels.

Justin scrambled up and over the boulder above him. On the other side, he slid partially on his bottom and partially on his feet down the slope to the rock floor. Fear clenched his muscles taut. The cavern rose out of the rock. An entire pirate ship could fit inside of it. Darkness loomed inside, the kind of darkness Justin thought of when he imagines outer space.

He gazed up into the sky. A thick swirling mass of black clouds hovered above him, but no lightning flashed and no rain fell.

"For Niraj," he said, striding forward to the tunnel.

He took one step into the darkness and paused, letting his eyes adjust. When they did, he could only see twenty feet in front of him. Water dripped from every surface. The rocks under his feet were slick with it. It fell from the ceiling and a stream of it flowed through the center of the ground.

Keeping to the right side of the stream, Justin stepped farther in. A deep vibrating boom shook the tunnel, sending water droplets pouring onto his head. Loose pebbles plopped into the stream from the rock above.

What was that? he asked in his head.

Mari did not respond.

He walked deeper into the darkness. The farther he went from the entrance, the less he could see ahead. Another boom shook the tunnel. Justin slipped on a rock and fell feet first into the stream. The freezing water came up to his knees.

"Great," he whispered as he scrambled out of the water. "I was just starting to feel slightly dry."

Ahead, a faint glowing light pierced the darkness. His teeth chattered, but not from the cold water.

I am not a great wizard.

He forced himself to take a step towards the light anyway, and then another. Keeping his back pressed against the tunnel wall, he inched slowly along. He fervently wished whoever or whatever was ahead would not notice him. The light turned bright, dissipating the darkness. A few more steps and there would be no hiding. He placed his left hand into his pocket and imagined the knife Kali had gifted him. The smooth jade handle formed in his hand.

Before he had too much time to overthink things, Justin stepped forward and into the light. Briefly blinded, the scene before him slowly came into focus.

A golden wall of energy spread across the entire tunnel a hundred feet ahead. This energy emanated from four large metal torches placed evenly across the tunnel floor. From the torches, the energy streamed upwards, like an upside-down waterfall, before it reached the ceiling and arched back down, flowing back into the torches.

In front of the wall of energy stood a person outlined in glowing light, but otherwise, the darkness hid their features.

The light from the wall of energy flickered and then went dark for a fraction of a second. Another boom shook the tunnel walls.

"Stop that!" yelled the person at the wall. They bowed their head and chanted in Kannada. Something in their hands glowed red.

A low whining sound seeped through from the other side of the light, and Justin's mouth fell open. The wall of light was see-through and on the other side, a black shape hunched against the ceiling of the tunnel. The beast. It was more massive than Justin remembered. He took a step closer, trying to get a better look at the creature. Its eyes were very human, so full of rage as it gazed down at the person on the other side of the light. The light sparkled across white sharp fangs that protruded out of a long black snout. Long shaggy black hair fell down its neck, becoming short and furry along its back. Its entire body reminded Justin of a massive wolf, except for its front paws. The five strange long fingers of the front paws gripped the rock beneath it, just like human hands.

The beast crouched and sprang forward, slamming headfirst into the wall of light. The light blinked out again, and the beast howled. Larger chunks of rock fell from the ceiling as vibrations shook the tunnel. One sharp rock sliced across Justin's cheek and he yelled out in pain.

The person standing in front of the wall of energy whirled around. It was a woman. Justin recognized her from the dark alley in Bengaluru. She had been the one to hold out a bright red crystal before Justin had blacked out and woken up in Yuktvaa's office. Ramya had called her Ksamisi.

Ksamisi's eyes narrowed. "You," she said.

Behind her, the beast stopped howling. It sat still, nostrils flaring as if trying to take in Justin's scent.

Ksamisi raised her right hand, which gripped something glowing red. Justin lunged at a torch in front of him. He reached his right hand out and as he fell into the stream of water; he felt his hand touch cool metal. The torch toppled into the water after him.

"No!" shouted Ksamisi.

Justin pulled himself from the water and aimed the jade dagger at the woman.

Ksamisi took a step back. The glowing wall of energy flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.

"What have you done?" Ksamisi asked. Turning away, she sprinted down the tunnel toward the entrance.

Behind Justin, the beast howled.

The water rippled around him. He looked up into glowing golden eyes hovering just above his head. A puff of warm, moist air hit Justin in the face. If he reached his hand out, he could touch the beast's snout.

Justin staggered to his feet and ran. Still clutching the jade dagger, he slipped and slid on the wet stones. He imagined the wide gaping mouth of the beast that Nitara had described swallowing him and ran faster.

Behind him, the beast bellowed, vibrating the walls and sending more pebbles raining down upon Justin. He ran on, willing sunlight to appear ahead, promising the end of the tunnel and hopefully safety. Splashes and loud echoed behind him. His wet Vans came into contact with an exceptionally slippery rock, and Justin went crashing into the water.

He knew the beast would be on top of him in a second. He still had the dagger, but he didn't think the small weapon would work against such a gigantic beast.

At that moment, laying face down in the water, feeling he was at the edge of death, the memory of his brother spoke to him.

"When a pirate is facing combat, it is best to look your enemy in the eyes, growl, and slash your sword through the air in an 'x' formation. This will intimidate your enemy just long enough for you to strike."

Justin rolled in the water, sat up, and looked the beast directly in the eyes. The beast stood only feet away with one large paw raised, about to strike. Justin growled his best pirate growl and slashed the jade dagger in the air in an 'x' formation. The beast sat down on its hindquarters and a high-pitched whine escaped its lips. It lowered its furry chin to its furry chest, its ears drooping.

In shock that his brother's pirate trick actually worked, Justin slowly stood. He lowered the dagger, and the beast did not charge.

I cannot kill this beast on my own.

Feeling defeated, Justin backed away. He placed the dagger in his left pocket. His heart clenched. How would he save Niraj now? If only he had the jack-in-the-box.

Smooth wood formed beneath Justin's fingers inside the robe's left pocket. Eyes widening, Justin pulled his hand out to find he clutched the jack-in-the-box. He grinned, thinking of Satvi placing the robe onto his back. Of course she stole it, he should have realized. He brought one hand to the metal handle of the jack-in-the-box and hesitated.

The beast was opening its jaws wider than was physically possible. Justin stared in horror at the pure darkness that swirled out of the beast's wide mouth. Darkness replaced the tongue and sharp white fangs. Leaning over, the beast's sides heaved, and it gagged as if coughing up a fur ball. Justin's own mouth slowly opened as first, a human head appeared from the beast's mouth, then a neck, shoulders, torso, and finally, legs and feet.

An unconscious, naked Niraj floated from the beast's mouth to the tunnel floor.

Justin could not believe his eyes.

"Niraj?" he asked.

The beast howled, its mouth normal again. It charged at Justin. Reflexively, Justin stepped to the side, and the hulking form of the beast brushed past him. It charged toward the entrance of the tunnel.

Justin stepped into the center of the tunnel and turned the handle of the jack-in-the-box. He held it out to the retreating beast. As he turned the handle, the box glowed. A sad and lost voice amplified out from it and chased after the beast.

"Please come home," the voice cried out.

The beast skidded to a halt, spraying water in all directions. The sound of that voice felt like a dagger to Justin's heart. He stopped turning the handle, but the handle continued to move on its own.

"I can't live any longer without my son," cried the voice.

"Mom!" Justin yelled at the box.

The beast turned back around and a sorrow-filled whine emanated from deep within its chest. It took two steps toward the box and Justin.

"I love you so much. Come home to me," the voice pleaded.

The lid of the Jack-in-the-box popped open, but no Jack popped out. Instead, a howling, sucking noise came from within. The beast ran at the box and Justin. Black wispy clouds whirled around the beast. The clouds swirled towards the box, spiraling down into the opening as if being sucked by a vacuum. The beast froze, only feet in front of Justin, gazing fearfully at the swirling clouds disappearing into the box.

"Simon," the voice cried out, "please come home!"

The beast looked Justin in the eyes. They looked just as lost as the voice sounded. Then they leaped at the box, their body quickly evaporating into a mist. The mist spiraled down, following the clouds into the box. When the last bit of mist disappeared into the box, the lid snapped shut.

Everything became silent and still.

Justin gaped at the glowing box in their hands. One word played on repeat in their head to the beat of their throbbing temple. 

Simon. Simon. Simon. Simon.