Chapter One: Delirium

"A fathomless and boundless deep,

There we wander, there we weep;

On the hungry craving wind

My Spectre follows thee behind.

'He scents thy footsteps in the snow

Wheresoever thou dost go,

Thro' the wintry hail and rain.

When wilt thou return again?"

-William Blake

It was winter.

The air held it's chill in silent occupation as the light breeze kissed the powdered snow below his feet. Between his eyes, his hair stuck to his face. How uncharacteristic of him to sweat in the snow, especially with no jacket. The tall cypress trees proved to be a lively contrast to the towering evergreens that the shared space with, gently scattering leaves in every direction. They had been falling, much like he would be soon enough. It would either be here or at the hands of his pursuers.

During the time preceding this waking nightmare, everything had been silent. Simplicity and serenity had been all that he had sought out in this place in the first place, and much to his elation, he'd found it. But after a brief honeymoon period during which he'd grown quite fond of this little hamlet, everything had come crashing down around him like it always did. In the place of silence, there had been a sudden rush of sound. He hadn't been able to hear it from where he'd been, but he had seen it, and the growing guilt that he now felt as he stood at the precipice of his likely demise consumed everything inside him. He had been spared their fates only to meet his at the bottom of the rocks.

He told himself that it was thin ice. It was rushing water, after all. Somewhere beneath the surface was a small glimmer of hope that perhaps if he only dared to take the plunge he would have his liberation. He had to for the rest of them. After all, that was why he was standing there in the first place. Their sacrifice had been profound and selfless, and now he had a responsibility as the only one left to bring justice to those who had paved the path before him with their very blood.

With a last tentative breath, he glanced back fearful, and then felt air rush past him. His descent had begun. As he approached the glowing white below him, everything went black. And then he opened his eyes.

Just a dream. The same dream. Would it ever just be a part of the past, something he could bury deep or burn and leave behind? Every dream found its way back to this place, and the rapture provided by the fact that his dreams were as infrequent as they were was enough in of its self to make him question his mental stability. It was nothing new, but it wasn't any less unpleasant. The viewpoints seemed to change as he lingered in his subconscious thoughts again, whatever message he had yet to glean haunting him; forever leaving him with the sensation that more had happened back then than he could recall between the brief intervals of sanity that peppered his mind whenever he dared sleep.

But the frequency of it all…

He'd dozed off again, the allure of sleep proving once again to be more than he was capable of overcoming at this juncture. It had only been for a moment, but it had been a terrible mistake. The ceaseless pressure relented for a moment, allowing him to come back to his senses and assess his surroundings. He felt as though he was being pulled back into some nameless abyss, the edges of his consciousness blackened and unclear. Everyone was where they had been the last time that he checked, though several gazes fell upon him, more than likely taking note of his less than desirable complexion and the thin layer of clammy precipitation that had formed on his skin. He seemed to take on an eerie glow in the dim light the train car provided, the implications of something none of them fathomed clearly present and unmistakable. Something had been wrong with all of them since they'd left on this trip, little things that nagged at the edges of their subconscious. It was something that they all actively took note of, but none of them seemed to comprehend precisely what was happening to V.

As the team sat in quiet contemplation, silently assessing their available options, the quiet and predictable rhythm of the train was the only sound to penetrate the void. There was a tension to the air around them as if the very space they occupied possessed a viscosity all it's own. Every breath felt heavy, every blink lingered; the sound of his pulse was all that he could hear. How long would they toil in this madness? How long had they already? Every second felt like an eternity at the mercy of a vengeful deity, and a part of V felt as though he was actively contributing to the nightmare that had become their natural habitat.

V tried to remember as he tried to forget.

Reality it's self was becoming a technicality, a fleeting thing that he failed most days to grasp. And much the same he failed to comprehend the reasons behind it all. The nameless dread had become all-consuming. Air. He needed to leave this room and breath the air outside of this locomotive, however urban and polluted it might be. It was more than an urge. It had become a necessity, something intrinsic to his very survival. It had been easier to breathe when he was submerged underneath the waters of the bay that day at the ocean side, his body refusing to obey him.

A short breath and a heavy blink were what it took to finally comprehend his surroundings. The sound of footsteps and muffled voices suddenly pulled away, and he found himself slowly coming to a stop, taking in his surroundings for what had to be the first time since they'd departed, the fog had lifted and he saw everything around him with the utmost clarity and precision. There was a certain vibrancy to his surroundings again, not the dull haze that he'd once occupied. Had they mistaken his distress as mere silence, something so typical of him that no fuss was made of it?

Eyes were deceptive things, much like memory. Fleeting like dreams themselves. He rooted himself to the spot, exhaling a breath that he hadn't noticed he'd been holding before that moment. He could see it, subconsciously noting that it wasn't natural to be able to view his breath in such a humid environment. There was no cool air here, only dense trees and vegetation. In fact, the environment they were in was practically tropical, much to his fascination and horror. V didn't remember coming here, but since he was standing there, that had to be the case, didn't it? What was going on?

His sudden sense of awareness drew the gaze of those that he was traveling with, the lot of them seemingly pausing for a moment to assess his condition. They spoke amongst themselves, but he didn't hear them, though this time it was due to the fact that he was more focused on trying to comprehend the existential horror that he felt towards his predicament, and not because of the situation itself. He felt his blood run cold as he realized that he genuinely had no comprehension as to where he was or how he had arrived here, and he didn't truly understand how much time had passed. He grasped at faint memories of what had happened last that he could remember clearly, and nothing specific came to mind. Once he'd boarded the train, it was as though he'd totally lost his place in reality for the foreseeable future. He'd blinked and opened his eyes only to find himself where he now stood, confused and barely hiding the growing sense of panic that he felt rising up from deep within him, ready and eager to overflow.

Could he make himself speak? Did he dare?

"... Where are we? What… what's going… on?"

Elation overflowed from Nero as he let out a sort of wispy wheeze, shrugging and allowing his arms to flop uselessly against his sides. He seemed to be in a state of disbelief while simultaneously expecting such a response. But in truth, the younger of the two was simply glad to hear him speak. It had been a while…

"Ya know, I was starting to think something was wrong with you. Looks like I was right."

V registered the sound of Dante's voice, but he couldn't make himself physically turn to face him like he wanted to. Instead, he managed to slowly turn his head in his general direction in a gesture that wasn't at all as benign as he'd hoped it would seem. His intention hadn't been to give him the impression that he was glaring, but he could practically feel the sideways look that his uncle had given him, even though he didn't fully comprehend why at that moment. His mind was working fast and slow at the same time in a strange hodgepodge of functions and fluidity that he found both exhausting and oddly calming all at once. But he got the impression that there was a darker reason for his seemingly placid demeanor.

Nero shared a look with Dante as they both gestured towards a small house that they were standing in the doorway of. It seemed to be some kind of stone and wooden cottage in a more rural area, though that was easily a mistake due to V's current cognitive capacity and his lack of experience on such topics. At the moment, everything was hazy, and his stomach churned unsteady as he attempted to force himself to move towards the doorway. With every perceived movement that he made, he physically felt himself move backward despite the fact that he was somewhat sure he was going forward. That sense of stasis that had once been there having returned with a brutal vengeance, and he was less than able to contend with it, try as he might.

He took another tentative step forward, and everything went black again much the same as it had once before that day. He felt a rush of movement as a sudden warmth enveloped him that he couldn't quite explain, voices encompassing him from every angle regardless of the fact that he couldn't place their precise owner or locations. For a moment, he felt as though he were floating.

And then he came crashing down.

With violent efficiency, the world around him suddenly became crystal clear again. He could hear, see, touch, and feel everything around him again in the manager that he was meant to, but that served more to disorient him than it did to bring him clarity. His breath grew heavy as he realized that his pulse was more than slightly elevated; the sound of his heartbeat a dull throb in his ears and chest. He'd felt this sensation before, the overwhelming panic of it all rendering his mind and body utterly useless as he was seized by mindless terror. The only difference was that this time it lasted longer before it wore off.

The moment he finally regained the ability to more, he glanced around the room in a blurry rush, not entirely sure what it was that he was trying to locate. But just as he lost his footing, something ceased him, steadying him as he teetered over the edge of something. Until that moment, he hadn't even noticed that he'd been standing. As his eyes came into focus, he realized that Vergil was there, steadying him with an expression somewhere firmly between irritated confusion and what seemed to be genuine concern, but he could have easily been mistaken. Had he always been there, or was this a new edition to his delirium? Considering the way that everything was spinning around him, there was no telling. And while there was no way of knowing just yet, he had the feeling that he'd find out shortly. One thing at a time.

"Oh, well that should do it. At least for now." An unfamiliar voice spoke slowly and clearly to someone behind him, drawing his attention as he attempted to stop shuddering and stead himself. V felt a powerful desire to sit down, even if it was on the floor." It is best that we keep this away from him. Such an unpleasant effect that it seems to have on him. I have never seen anything like this."

V turned to face the woman he heard speaking, only to discover that he wasn't hallucinating and it was indeed an unfamiliar face. Or if he was hallucinating, this particular aspect of his surroundings wasn't part of the equation. Before him stood an elderly woman of diminutive stature, at least when compared to him. They were almost at head height despite the fact that he now sat on the floor. Vergil stood only a few feet behind him, seeming watching his every move with silent trepidation. His agitation was only matched by his abject dismay towards the entire situation, though it hid it very well under a thick layer of what would appear to be apathy to the average person. That alone was enough to rattle V's already very fragile nerves.

"Yea, it didn't do that when I carried it around either. Maybe the cult that took it did something to it?" Dante gestured towards the box that sat on the mantle across the room, the small box now chained shut and locked with a small lock. The devil hunter then spared V a glance before turning his attention back towards her. He seemed sympathetic towards whatever had happened to him, at least from what the young summoner could tell." If we knew it was gonna do that, we wouldn't have asked him to carry it. Hell, it would be in a led lined box or somethin'."

"Of that, I have no doubt." She looked over at V, giving him a friendly and reassuringly warm smile." Still… such an odd reaction for an Arcana."

Dante looked between the older woman and the rest of the room, leaning back on the couch in an effort to make himself more comfortable." Well, it's over with now, at least. As long as we don't take it out of the box around him again, we should be fine, right?" She nodded slowly, seemingly unsure but willing to go with the assumption for the time being. Dante looked at his brother and younger nephew before turning to gesture towards her, clearly indicating that he would be referring to her as he spoke." Oh yea, almost forgot. Granny's got a name. Matier, meet my V and Nero. The one with the constipated look on his face is my brother, Vergil."

Nero waived in a friendly manner as he scooted off of the couch and onto the floor next to V. It wasn't every day that he got to meet someone who knew Dante, especially this far from home. V simply nodded, suddenly in need of a restful night's sleep. He didn't feel physically tired in the way that he was accustomed to. No, instead he felt utterly drained. It was as though something had siphoned the very essence from his body. Vergil gave her a neutral look but nodded quietly, regarding her silently. His mind was elsewhere, but he was not so lost in his thoughts that he couldn't acknowledge her. After all, they were in her home. Spending a lifetime in the underworld hadn't rendered him that uncivilized.

"It is wonderful to meet you all. Always nice to have guests. It's just my daughter and I most days." She smiled softly, taking a moment to look at the box again." It could be a form of corrupted sorcery, but I have no way of knowing for sure, Son of Sparda. You should all keep a close eye on him for now. These powers are beyond my understanding, at least for now."

The Youngest Son of Sparda nodded in agreement." Speaking of that daughter of yours, I might go see what's keeping her soon. Being late isn't really her style."

Nero turned his attention back to V giving him a more serious look than the eldest of the two was used to receiving from his normally lackadaisical sibling. It wasn't like Nero to seem so worried, at least from his experience. That being said, they seemed to have a soft spot for one another in that regard. V found himself thinking of Nero's wellbeing more than the rest of the people around him, and it was for no particular reason that he could truly pinpoint. He cared if the rest of their family was harmed. That was a no-contest stance… but when things got bleak, he just found himself instinctually turning to his younger sibling. They had been through an awful lot together, and their shared experiences had brought them closer together. Simply having him there at that moment helped put him at ease, even if only a little.

"So what's going on? And don't tell me it's nothing, because I can smell bullshit a mile away and you know it." Nero said quietly, not trying to cause a scene. It was hard enough to get V to open up as it was. The last thing he needed to do was cause his reclusive older sibling to clam up.

Much to his ire, the rest of the room fell silent and everyone present turned their attention towards V, clearly curious as to what he was planning to say. The white-haired summoner gave Nero a tired look and exhaled under his breath, internally cursing himself and his brother and unison. He knew that he'd eventually have to talk about this, but that didn't exactly make him eager to do so. Had no idea what time it was, but this had been a long day for him, and he got the feeling it was about to get a whole lot longer.

"I… recalled something that I had tried… very hard to forget. In vivid detail." He turned away for a moment, resisting the temptation to simply stop talking and find a way to escape. This wasn't the first time he'd had to talk about something personal, but this was easily one of the most unpleasant." I have no reason to believe it is relevant but I think it may be time to tell you something about my past."

Welcome back, everyone! It's so wonderful to see you all here again! Sorry again for the delay. I just needed that extra two weeks to take care of some things and breath a little. Were in 2021 now, and the word count has officially surpassed 200K! I can't put into words how much your support and kindness has meant to me over the last eight months. I hope this year turns out to be everything you want it to be. Stay safe and let's get through this together!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new fic and the series up until this point. It's been a blast hearing from you!