Something was coming through the forest. Luthra could feel it getting closer, and the feeling made him tired in a way that had nothing to do with his broken arms. He stood at the cave mouth watching the trees, waiting for whatever new problem was heading his way. ’Lilith, I’m so sick of this. Ever since those goblins showed up, it’s been one thing after another. Why does this keep happening to me?’ [I’ve been thinking about that. I have two theories. First, you’re basically a walking error in reality. Your soul shouldn’t exist the way it does, and that might be attracting other weird things to you, like you’re some kind of magnet for chaos.] [The second thing is definitely true though. That white fox was right about your soul having a scent. Anything that can sense mana is going to notice you, especially the smarter or stranger creatures. They smell the void in you.] Before he could think about what that meant, something stepped out of the shadows into their firelight. It was a rabbit. Or it had a rabbit’s head and long white ears, but the body was human-shaped, tall and thin. The thing wore a black vest over a white shirt, with little wire glasses on its nose. It held a silver pocket watch, checking the time with a small frown. It looked like something from a kid’s book, completely harmless. But Luthra’s whole body was screaming at him to run. This wasn’t just another monster. This was something that could end him without trying. [WARNING: ENTITY DETECTED. RANK... UNCLASSIFIABLE.] ’What do you mean unclassifiable?’ [Classification: Conceptual Anomaly. Threat Level: Absolute. Recommendation: Do not engage. Do not provoke. Do not breathe too loudly.] The rabbit-man clicked his watch shut and put it in his vest pocket, then adjusted his glasses while his pink nose twitched. He looked at the cave, the fire, Rebecca sleeping in the cart, and finally at Luthra. "Good evening," the creature’s voice was soft, cultured, and utterly calm. "I do apologize for the intrusion. I was simply drawn by the most delightful aroma." His gaze settled on Luthra, and a polite, almost friendly smile touched his lips. "That scent... the delightful aroma of a broken rule. The delicious fragrance of a paradox given flesh. It’s been ages since I’ve encountered one as potent as you." Luthra didn’t move. His splinted arms hung useless at his sides. The serpent tattoo on his right arm had gone completely still. "A fair question," the rabbit-man nodded. "You may consider me a consequence. A rule given form. When the laws of reality are bent, I am the one who comes to observe. And sometimes, to correct." He took one silent step forward, moving too smoothly. "The Shriekers are a simple, predictable system. They scream, things die. But you... you are not simple. You absorb their death-song and spit it back out as madness. You are a bug in the code, an error in the grand design. And I find errors to be endlessly fascinating." He stopped about ten feet away. "I could, of course, simply erase you. It would be the most efficient solution. But where is the fun in that? The universe has enough efficiency. It is the beautiful, chaotic exceptions that make existence worthwhile." He pulled a silver coin from his pocket. "So, let’s play a game." Rebecca mumbled something in her sleep, shifting in the cart. Luthra glanced at her for half a second. "A simple game of chance," the rabbit-man continued, his smile never wavering. He held the coin between his thumb and finger. "I will flip this coin. You will call it in the air. If you win, I will depart and leave you to your little adventure. I will even consider your existence a feature, not a bug, and will not trouble you again." The rabbit-man’s smile got wider, showing long sharp teeth. "If I win... I will take a small taste of that wonderful paradox you call a soul. Just a sliver. Enough to understand its flavor. I assure you, you will most likely survive. Probably." Luthra knew he was trapped. He couldn’t fight with broken arms. Running was pointless when this thing could probably catch him without effort. Refusing the game would probably get him erased right now. ’This is such bullshit. A coin flip for my soul? What kind of sick joke is this?’ [The probability of survival through compliance is higher than resistance. I calculate refusing has a zero percent chance of positive outcome.] ’Thanks for the pep talk.’ "Time is a factor here," the rabbit-man said pleasantly. "The Shriekers’ death-energy is still settling in this area. Other things will be drawn to it soon. Lesser things than me, but still troublesome for someone in your condition." ’He’s right. If more monsters show up while my arms are , Rebecca and I are dead.’ "Fine. Let’s get this over with." The rabbit-man’s thumb flicked up, sending the coin spinning high into the darkness above them. It caught the firelight as it turned, flashing silver and shadow, silver and shadow. "Heads or tails, little anomaly?" The coin kept rising, and Luthra watched it spin. His whole existence might end based on which side landed up. All because he’d survived something that should have killed him, because his soul was wrong somehow, because the universe had rules and he was breaking them just by being alive. ’Well, at least if I die, I won’t have to deal with any more of this crap.’ [That’s not helpful thinking, Luthra.] ’Got any better ideas? Can you calculate which side is more likely?’ [No. This isn’t normal probability. The coin itself is part of the anomaly.] The coin reached its peak and started falling. Time felt slow, each rotation clear and distinct. The rabbit-man watched him with those dark eyes behind the little glasses, waiting. The coin fell toward the rabbit-man’s white-gloved hand, still spinning, still catching the light. Luthra’s chest felt tight. Rebecca was still asleep, not knowing her traveling companion might be about to get his soul eaten by a well-dressed rabbit. The coin landed in the rabbit-man’s palm with a soft sound. He caught it and slapped it onto the back of his other hand, keeping it covered. The rabbit-man lifted his hand. The coin showed tails. "Oh dear. How unfortunate for you." The rabbit-man’s smile hadn’t changed at all. "Don’t worry. This will only hurt tremendously." He stepped forward, and Luthra tried to move back but his body wouldn’t respond. The rabbit-man reached out with one gloved finger toward Luthra’s chest, right where his heart was. ’Lilith, any last-minute saves here?’ [I... I cannot interfere with this entity. Its nature supersedes my functions.] ’Fucking hell. Why do I suffer so much.’