Author's Note: Hello all! As a general caution for this chapter, past trauma is mentioned along with the brief mentions of dead bodies, skeletons, torture, and general horror themes. Please read at your discretion and take care of yourself!

On a happier note, the translation I use for Calix Animi (Chalice of Courage) is sourced directly from the Cuphead Artbook written by Studio MDHR. For more information, see the pages on the level: Rugged Ridge, in the Cuphead Artbook.

Thank you again to everyone reading! I am so blessed to have you guys and I hope you enjoy!

Part Two: "Calix Animi, Da Mihi Vires"

"Mea pocula pressa tenent in armis'.
Per mortem et per noctem.
Donec mortem diaboli decernimus:
Calix Animi vivat."

Our Rough Translation:

"My cups in arms hold me tight.
Through the death and through the night.
Till Devil's death do we decree:
Long live the Calix Animi."

"Calix Animi, Da Mihi Vires was a liturgical prayer taught to every member of the Calix Animi order. Records show their warriors were known to chant said prayer multiple times a day. Especially in times of great suffering, confusion, and hopelessness.

Such themes are sadly common in our research of the Calix Animi. Their order appears to have been doomed from the start with their impossible goal. Killing a divine being: The Devil."

- Excerpt from The Long Lost History of the Calix Animi

- Chapter 13: The Sins of the Devil -

"The Sight has awoken. It's even worse than I feared."

The Legendary Chalice had seen the blast from the remains of a Calix Animi watchtower. Blue magic surging out from the epicenter of the Third Isle, passing through buildings and beings like waves of water. Chalice watched in horror as she watched citizens fleeing in mass. Screaming. Wailing. Their eyes glowing a bright blue.

Unlike the rest of the isles, Chalice did not have to wait long to know what had caused such commotion. By nightfall, she'd snuck into the Devil's Casino to hear the full story from Elder Kettle. The news made her sick. If she were still alive, she surely would've thrown up.

Standing in the staff commons, Chalice covered her mouth, trying to reign in her emotions. The Sight had awoken. She was running out of time.

Elder Kettle met her eyes, his gaze full of worry. "This isn't your fault, Chalice. There's nothing more you could've done to stop this. Not even the Devil expected it. All we can keep doing is press on. You'll find a way, I'm sure of it."

Chalice shook her head, gritting her teeth. "If I hadn't left you and the boys alone back then, this wouldn't have happened in the first place. Nothing you tell me can change that damned fact. This is my fault, and everything I've tried to do to help has only made it worse."

"You can't blame yourself. What if the Devil had caught you too?" Elder Kettle insisted, putting his hand on her spectral shoulder. "Maybe you being away was for the best. Without your help, Mugman would've died. I would've as well. You are helping, Chalice. Even if you don't see it just yet. And, most importantly, you're staying under the Devil's radar. If he knew you were here, under his nose? I don't even want to imagine what he'd order my boys to do as a punishment, let alone what they'd have to do to catch you. Things aren't looking good. We both know this. But I really do believe that good will prevail in the end. One day."

"Maybe. I just hope you'll all still be alive when it does." Chalice replied bitterly.

Crack!

Chalice was in the forest. Punching the trunk of a sturdy oak tree. Again and again. She'd cracked and broken off a sizeable chunk of the bark, but she just kept going.

It had been three months. Three. Whole. Months. And Chalice was still nowhere near saving the boys. All she'd done was chase stupid loose ends. Investigate Baroness von Bon Bon and Djimmi's disappearances. A fat lot of good that'd done her.

None of it made sense. Chalice had done everything the Sight had told her to.

"Help those the Devil hunts."

She'd watched over the debtors like a hawk. Nothing.

"Stifle his progress."

She'd tried to find what remained of her home. Searching through the wreckage for clues, leads, anything. Nothing. All while the Devil's plan proceeded at a neck-breaking place.

Cuphead was well on his way to being forcibly transformed into a killing machine. Mugman, the Devil's new favorite, would be ordered to ruin thousands upon thousands of people's lives. Forced to read their minds. Control them.

That didn't even take into account what the Devil'd been doing to isolate the brothers. The boys barely had time to rest, let alone see their Elder Kettle. And Ginette, the mysterious scientist? The Devil had imprisoned her, or so he said. Chalice wondered if she'd been killed behind closed doors. No one knew for certain.

But, without anyone else to care for the boys, all they had left was the Devil. How long would it be before they'd give in to his twisted love? Losing their humanity? Or, would they end up like Chalice? Dead and gone?

Chalice punched the tree one final time for good measure. It didn't work half as well as it had when she was alive. Hundreds of years ago, Chalice would run away into the forest, punching the trees when she was angry. Not stopping till her knuckles were bruised and bleeding. The pain expressed her anger in ways no words could. But now, as a ghost, it was nothing more than a hollow reminder of her mortal life.

All she needed was a lead. One measly lead. Something to point her in the right direction. Or at least show her where not to go.

Slumping down onto the ground, Chalice leaned up against the now splintering trunk of the tree. She needed to calm down. Quadratus always told her that anger was a blinding force, but how could she not be angry? Everything was falling apart, and she had no idea how to fight against it.

Birds were chirping overhead. Chalice could hear them now that she'd stopped punching the trees. The ghost was trying to brood, but it was hard to do so without getting distracted by the birdsong. It was pleasant... Chalice tried to snap back into her angry state, but it was becoming harder and harder. Her body was relaxing. Taking deep breaths. Maybe this rest thing did work after all.

Wind rustled through the trees. A warm breeze glided through. Chalice could hear the sounds of a river a few miles away. The sounds were calming. It reminded her of the lazy summer days back when she was young. Chalice would spend her mornings training, then she was off picking berries for the friars to help make supper. They'd always been so kind to her.

The Legendary Chalice's anger began to dissipate. Calmed by the soothing sounds of the forest and her memories. She'd been taught as a little girl to seek this out when she was angered. What did they call it? The Serenity of Solitude. It had been a very long time since she'd last practiced the discipline.

Now calmed, Chalice let out a long sigh, getting up. As usual, Quadratus was right. Brooding wasn't going to make anything better. The most she could do right now was press on like Elder Kettle said. As much as she despised not knowing what her next move was, it was just an aggravation she'd have to accept.

The girl began her trek back through the woods, phasing through bramble and underbrush along the way. She'd been walking for some time when she came to a clearing, nestled away in the heart of the mountains. Before her stood the dilapidated ruins of her home. Castellum Cylix. A large portion of the fortress had crumbled beyond repair, but the western side had somehow remained strong. While the fort showed signs of significant wear and tear, Chalice could work with that. She could rebuild it. And that's exactly what the ghost had set her mind to.

It had been three days of nonstop work. The Legendary Chalice had been busy casting spells, clearing away the large chunks of rubble, and trying to salvage portions of the debris and turn them into new buildings. It was much harder than she expected, but it was good work. It got Chalice out of her own head.

Boom!

A large piece of debris was slammed into the ground. The beginnings of a wall. Chalice glanced up to see a giant cyclops, looking down at her for a sign of approval.

Chalice grinned. "It looks splendid, Miss Cyclops! Lemme know if you find any more pieces of rubble that are sturdy. I'm sure we can put 'em to use."

The giant smiled, trudging off to find more suitable pieces of rubble.

Their first meeting had been unexpected, to say the least. At first, Chalice had been horrified to find the seemingly monstrous cyclops living in her old home and almost killed the poor thing. But, it didn't take long for her to realize the creature was not what she seemed. 'Miss Cyclops' -as Chalice called her- was a kind and friendly soul, but sadly, misunderstood by many.

Miss Cyclops had been eager to help Chalice in rebuilding her home, working night and day alongside the ghost. While Miss Cyclops never spoke, Chalice could sense that the cyclops was happy to finally not be all alone.

The pair had made quite an impressive amount of headway on cleaning up the ruins of the fortress, unearthing giant portions of the ruin that had assumedly been lost to time. While many of the discoveries were emotional to Chalice, none were as emotional as the discovery of the courtyard.

Chalice recognized it immediately.

So many memories. She'd spent most of her time in this very place. It had been the Calix Animi's training grounds as well as a crucial spot to hold during battles. There'd been a garden. Fruit trees. The children would play hide and seek amongst the training dummies. An ornately carved well in the centermost point. Now all gone. Turned to dust.

Miss Cyclops noticed Chalice's sudden change in demeanor, tilting her head worriedly. She sat down next to Chalice, holding out her hand as if to say: "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" Chalice snapped back to reality. "O-oh! I'm alright, Miss Cyclops. Just a little tired." She said, forcing a smile. "Phew! I didn't know a ghost could get tired, did you?"

Miss Cyclops shook her head, not buying the act, but not pushing the point any further.

"Exactly! It's odd, isn't it?" Chalice continued in a cheerful tone. "Well! I, uh, think I'm gonna go rest, okay? Get some of that ghost rest, if ya know what I mean. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow. That sound good?"

Miss Cyclops sighed, nodding. Her mind was full to the brim with concern for the girl, but there wasn't much she could do. She watched as Chalice hurried off into the western tower, wondering what could've possibly spooked the girl so suddenly.

It was only when she continued to clear away rubble that she got her answer.

Lying beneath fragments of the ruins were the broken remains of hundreds of skeletons. Many were dishes, kettles, forks, and spoons, but the one that terrified Miss Cyclops the most was a skeleton that looked as if it had once been hung from the fort's ramparts: The skeleton of a chalice.

Chalice had holed herself up in the ruins of the western tower. As a squire, she'd been assigned to the dormitories in this tower. It only felt right to return. The room that was once hers was still intact by some miracle. Now, with her return home, she had covered it with letters, newspapers, and other scrawlings as Chalice tried to make sense of the Devil's plan.

Presently, Chalice was trying to look the documents over after she returned thanks to her sudden incident in the courtyard, but her mind refused to focus. Chalice thought it would be better to see her home again, but instead, it just made it more painful. So many good memories. Tainted by one terrible day. There'd been so many bodies.

NO.

Chalice punched the floor. Anything to distract her wandering mind.

The children. The boats. The Devil. The dungeon. The duel.

STOP.

Chalice wished she was still mortal so she could bash her head against the floor till she couldn't think straight. She despised her mind. Her memory. Why couldn't she just forget?

No. Forgetting wouldn't do her any good. Her memories were why she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Devil had to die. Without them, her life was worthless. Empty. Instead of forgetting, she needed to think of something else. Think of something positive, like Quadratus always told her to. A good memory to honor the fallen, not just them in their last grizzly moments. Chalice forced herself up and over to her room's window. It overlooked the courtyard.

For a split second, she could see the bodies. Men. Women. Children.

No.

Chalice squeezed her eyes shut, fighting for a happy memory. She would overcome this. She would not let the Devil win. She refused to let him.

The sound of clashing steel filled the courtyard of Castellum Cylix. A young warrior, not more than nine, let out a primal war cry as she attacked a knight in full armor.

Darting around her gargantuan opponent like he was her partner in a dance, the girl sported a giant smile, hitting his abdomen with the broadside of her iron sword.

Other squires watched the match with bated breath, entranced by the girl's movements. The knight lunged forward, swinging his morningstar down toward her. Still, the girl was undeterred, gracefully rolling out of the way at the last possible second.

With a grin to her mesmerized audience, the girl dramatically raised her sword in the air and threw it across the arena and out of reach. The squires began screaming, yelling at her to hurry and grab it. An older knight standing behind ordered them to be quiet.

"Your yowling dishonors us. This is training. Not a drunken brawl. There is no need to get so excited."

Despite his admonishing, the knight couldn't help but feel his heart pounding as he watched, filled with fear and uncertainty. Who would've anticipated this level of talent from his youngest squire? Her only flaw was her growing ego, now on full display.

"Stop playing around." He muttered under his breath. "Remember what we practiced. You can do it, Chalice."

Then, just as the girl dodged another swing, she murmured a spell under her breath, and a shimmering golden spear materialized in her hand. Flipping the spear around, she jabbed the blunt end directly into the knight's neck, slipping past his armor.

Gasping out for air, the knight fell to his knees, coughing violently. The girl quickly knelt down beside him, dropping the spear and yanking off the knight's helmet -helping him recuperate. She'd won.

The squires began to cheer wildly, sprinting over with goblets of water for the sparring warriors. Standing on the fortress's walls above, the grand knights of the order applauded, shouting out praises to their talented winner.

Chalice's good friend, a fellow squire dashed up, grabbing ahold of Chalice's arm, grinning widely. "Chalice! Chalice! You're amazin'! How'd you do that? All my hits bounce right off when I'm trainin' with armored dummies, but you hit 'im right where it counts!"

Wiping the sweat off her brow, Chalice grinned and pointed to a small gap in the knight's armor. "You see that?"

"Uh-huh!"

"That's what I call a weak link. A lil' gap in a knight's armor. Everyone's got 'em, from them dragons up on Mount Eruptus to the Devil himself. You wanna know how to beat anyone, no matter how big or small? Find their weak link, simple as that."

The Legendary Chalice woke with a start. What happened? She seemed to have fallen asleep sitting on the windowsill. What was once afternoon had turned into the dead of night. While ghosts didn't need sleep, Chalice found it comforting. Until she accidentally fell asleep when she didn't plan on it.

Rubbing her eyes vigorously, Chalice got up. That was certainly unexpected. It wasn't often she relived such a vivid memory. Especially a happy one. She was subconsciously smiling. A part of her was still that little nine-year-old, giddy as can be that she'd impressed the grand knights. Now, the older Chalice was the only one left who remembered them.

With a long exhale, Chalice glanced back at her mess of papers. What would they think of her now? Would she still be their golden child? The reincarnation of a divine? She hoped so. Even now, she still longed for their approval.

Deep down, she knew they were proud of her. Even though she felt that she didn't deserve it. They'd admonish her for feeling so sorry for herself. She chuckled at that thought.

They'd say, "Focus, Chalice. You're working on borrowed time. Don't waste it."

"I won't." Chalice responded as if her memories of them could somehow hear her. "I'll make you proud."

Settling down on the floor, Chalice began to lay out her late-night project.

Dozens of papers covered the floor. Newspaper clippings. Notes from conversations with Elder Kettle. Rumors. Pictures. Books on the teachings and beliefs of the Calix Animi. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to work with.

Luckily for her, the dream had put Chalice in a good mood. It had been nice to feel alive again. Perhaps looking at everything again from a new angle would help. Just like she'd once sized up a suit of armor, Chalice studied the documents. Looking for any small gaps. Weak spots she could use. There had to be something. No one's defense was perfect. Not even the Devil's. At least, she hoped not.

For starters, there were some key figures she might be able to exploit:

The martini glass, Ginette, intrigued her. From her description in notes from conversations with Elder Kettle, she seemed kind and caring. That was uncommon, especially in the Devil's Casino. What made her different? How did she retain her good heart while living under the Devil's influence?

Then there was the subject of her love for the boys. Chalice had seen pictures and heard firsthand from Elder Kettle how loving and motherly she was. Ginette loved those boys as if they were her own flesh and blood. If this was genuine, would Chalice be able to use it? Get someone working for her on the inside. In the Devil's inner circle.

Chalice longed to have a conversation with this woman, to size her up. Was this all an act or was it real?

Elder Kettle used to believe it was an act. But that all changed when Ginette was imprisoned for defending Mugman. That was weeks ago and still no news. Apparently the boys asked about her every day, but the Devil never said a word concerning her. Although Kettle never said it, Chalice could tell he felt immense regret for suspecting Ginette the way he did. And now he may never be able to apologize. For all they knew, she could be dead. Killed for trying to protect Mugman, the boy she loved as her own son.

Then there was this King Dice. Clearly a loose cannon, the Devil seemed to care for him. He'd been the Devil's right-hand man for fifteen years without getting obliterated to smithereens. Not a small feat. But now the power dynamic was shifting, and Dice was becoming reckless. Could he be jealous? Afraid of being replaced by the Cup Brothers? Could Chalice work with him without Dice just up and running to the Devil to offer her up as a gift? Unlikely.

Maybe the people weren't the Devil's weakness. What if it was a place instead? There was the lab. With Ginette gone, would it be empty? What about the Baroness and Djimmi? Would anyone be guarding them?

Chalice bit her lip. The last thing she wanted was to return to that godforsaken lab. The place she'd been held prisoner so many years ago. But, if any place had notes on the Devil's plan, it would be there. Ginette had been his appointed scientist. She must have taken extensive notes. What if they were still filed away down there? Long forgotten by the Devil in his obsession over the brothers' power.

Chalice needed that information, and she wasn't going to get it from just sitting here. Some reconnaissance would be good for her. Even if it was going to the one place she hated more than anything, at least she'd be making some progress.

Ginette's Laboratory was quiet. Far too quiet.

Chalice had arrived at the lab to find it vacant. As if no one had been in here for some time. Had the Devil really abandoned this place? What of the prisoners?

Hurrying through the lab, Chalice entered the connected cell block. Nothing but empty cells. Where were Djimmi and Bon Bon? Please don't let them be dead... The Devil hated loose ends, but he wouldn't just kill them, would he? Chalice needed more information.

Re-entering the main chamber, Chalice began her search. Scouring desperately for any scrap of news. No cabinet or drawer was safe from her rampage. There were dozens of documents detailing the boys' personalities. Their strengths and weaknesses. Notebooks filled with scientific calculations that made Chalice's brain hurt. Reports from early experiments.

Chalice stuffed the papers into bags, preparing them for transportation back to Castellum Cylix. There had to be something in these bits and bobs. There had to be.

She was looting the last row of cabinets when she spotted an anomaly. One cabinet that moved about far too easily. Glancing down at the floor, Chalice saw scrape marks. As if it had been moved back and forth repeatedly.

"You sly devil." She thought, grinning. A secret door. Now she'd hit the jackpot. Phasing through, Chalice found herself in a dark hallway leading deeper underground. That was new. The Devil had certainly been busy.

Turning invisible, Chalice soared down the long hallway, her nonexistent heart beating in anticipation. Was this secret chamber what she was looking for? The gap in the Devil's armor? His weakness? Chalice knew better than to get her hopes up, but its very existence intrigued her. What was the Devil hiding?

The end of the hallway was in sight. An ominous red glow emitting from the room beyond. Could this be a trap? It was impossible to know. But it was too late for second-guessing. Chalice refused to turn back matter the danger, she'd face whatever awaited her with her head held high.

Preparing herself, Chalice stepped into the chamber, ready to fight at a moment's notice. But, instead of armored enemies prepared to capture the ghost, Chalice came upon something much more diabolical.

The Legendary Chalice found herself in a giant arena, illuminated by dim torches spread throughout. Spiked cages hung from the ceiling. They swayed back and forth, creaking ever so slightly as they did. Dried blood stained the floor and walls. There was an obstacle course armed to the teeth with deadly obstacles to avoid. Countless weapons. Bubbling potions and poisons. This was a training arena. Cuphead's training arena.

How could the Devil subject a child to this?

It took all the bravery Chalice could muster not to turn tail and run. She was well aware of the Devil's love for torture, and seeing it on such a grandiose scale? It made her sick.

Advancing slowly, Chalice scanned the room. Looking for anything of note. Then, she saw them. There were two cages toward the back of the room, with people inside. Chalice's breath hitched. She hurried forward. Suspended in their midair cages were the shabby forms of Djimmi and Baroness von Bon Bon. Chalice needed to get them out of here. But how? If the Devil saw them missing, he'd know she was here. Then it was only a matter of time before he sent out the brothers after her.

Was it even safe to reveal herself to them? Elder Kettle had told her of strange poisons the Devil used to send them into an attacking frenzy. That way, they'd attack Cuphead until they dropped. Either from exhaustion or death. What if they resisted her help and proceeded to mention her to the Devil while in their frenzied state? Could she take that risk?

Cautiously floating upward, Chalice approached one of the cages. There was Djimmi, the once cocky and self-important genie, now battered nearly beyond recognition. He didn't appear to be in a frenzied state. Chalice was sure he'd listen to her. She would've if she were in his place. She had once been in his place. Chalice knew exactly what they were going through. How could she, in good conscience, leave them here?

Gritting her teeth, Chalice surveyed the arena. She didn't see anyone besides Djimmi and Bon Bon. Could she make it look like they escape on their own? It was possible. Turning back to the two prisoners, Chalice took a deep breath. She wasn't rushing into trouble, right? She had a plan. Sort of. She'd improvise. What mattered most was getting these two out of here. It was the least she could do.

Casting a spell, Chalice slowly became visible, shimmering in the low light. The Baroness and Djimmi shrank back at the sudden light, preparing for more suffering. Chalice quickly floated a few feet back, dimming herself, watching them nervously.

Djimmi leaned forward, his eyes adjusting to the light. As he came closer, rays of light illuminated his face, revealing blank yellow eyes. He cocked his head curiously, looking the ghostly figure up and down. Chalice was frozen in terror, staring at the horrific caricature of who the genie once was.

"D-Djimmi?" She whispered, trembling. "Are you in there?"

His mouth frothed, saliva dripping down his chest in large globules. "Closer..." He croaked, reaching out through the bars in his cage. "Please. Closer..."

Chalice could barely breathe but forced herself to move closer. She shouldn't judge Djimmi by his horrific appearance alone. She remembered how she'd looked so long ago when she'd been allowed out of the dungeons for the first time in months. Villagers had run in terror at the mere sight of her.

The Devil had grinned, holding her back, digging his nails into her injured arm. "See? What did I tell you? They hate you, Chalice. Without your order, you're nothing to them."

Steeling herself, Chalice approached the cage, taking Djimmi's hand. "Djimmi? It's gonna be okay. I-I'm here to help you, alright? Now I'm gonna need you-"

Suddenly, Djimmi yanked her forward, brandishing yellowed teeth. "Hugh-Hungry!" With lightning speed, he pulled her arm into the cage and took a bite. His teeth phased through her arm, biting into nothingness, and Chalice yanked her hand away. Djimmi howled out in agony, trying to reach her, but Chalice moved just out of his grasp.

"COME BACK!" He screamed, trying again and again to grab her. "PLEASE! SO HUNGRY! PLEASE!"

Chalice's mind was racing. She couldn't think straight. What did the Devil do to them?

She heard something from behind. The Baroness threw herself against the cage bars, swiping at Chalice.

"Stop!" Chalice cried out, dodging the Baroness. "Please! I'm here to help you!"

"HUNGRY!" She lamented, tears pouring down her cheeks, her anguished cries echoing out throughout the arena. "SO. SO. HUNGRY!"

Chalice backed away as the two screamed out after her, their cages swinging back and forth as they bashed themselves against the bars over and over again.

No. No. No. This was bad. Very bad. Chalice could hear footsteps in the distance. Shit! The Devil's imps were coming. She had to get out of here. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of leaving Djimmi and Bon Bon here, but she had no other choice.

Darting away from the howling prisoners, Chalice frantically tried to cast a teleportation spell. She had to get out. Back into the astral plane. She'd be safe there. Making a few hand motions, the portal to the astral plane began to take shape. Then it sputtered. Fizzling out as quickly as it had appeared. What the hell?

Chalice tried again, but the portal refused to form. Something was wrong. Her magic. It was fading. Like someone was attempting to stifle it.

The Devil.

Panicking, Chalice turned invisible, and if she'd done so a moment later, the Legendary Chalice would have been caught. Just as she disappeared from view, the Devil appeared in a puff of smoke, pitchfork at the ready. His imps came crashing through the door moments after, weapons at the ready. Chalice was frozen stiff. There he was. The Devil. After all this time, he looked no different. She wanted to throw up at the very sight of him.

The Devil glanced up at the screaming Djimmi and Bon Bon. With a snap of his fingers, their mouths were sealed shut. He breathed a sigh of relief. Finally peace and quiet.

"What happened here?" He said to the pair, face contorted into a threatening smile. "If you two are obedient little lambs, I'll make it worth your while. Perhaps give you some food. What do you say?"

As he spoke, Chalice began floating backward. Although she knew she wouldn't make a sound, a part of her ordered her to be careful and quiet. She wasn't ready to face him again. Not yet.

"It was a ghost!" The Baroness croaked, finding herself able to speak once again. "A ghost girl! A chalice!"

"Shit." Chalice held her breath, passing through the wall. Escaping this place just got a million times harder.

"Henchman? Summon the boys. The rest of you? Spread out. Our little fugitive couldn't have gone far. Find her or suffer the consequences."

The moment Chalice heard his orders, she took off soaring, searching for somewhere safe to cast her spell. She had so little time. She had to hurry. No room for error. Gliding through walls and countless rooms, Chalice scrambled deeper and deeper into the dungeons. She had to get as far away from that arena as possible. Somewhere where the Devil was far enough away that he wouldn't be able to dispel her magic. Or at least, he'd have a hell of a hard time doing it. One of these cells could work. As long as it was far enough away...

Slipping into the backmost corner of the dungeons, Chalice snuck into a small cell towards the back. It was isolated, quiet, the furthest point from the arena. This was her best shot.

Hands shaking, she tried to cast once again. She could still feel that same pull, something trying to stifle her, but it was much easier to overcome out here. The portal opened, greeting her with the familiar sight of a blue sky spattered with bright little stars—the astral plane. Chalice was moments away from getting back to safety when she heard a ragged gasp. Oh no.

Someone was in this cell with her.

Turning slowly, Chalice prepared a spell. She'd have to deal with this and quickly. The Devil had to be able to sense her magic. He had to be on his way right now. She could vaguely chains running along the floor. Toward the back. It was so dark that Chalice could barely see, but she could hear something. Ragged breathing. The rustling of chains. A shadowy figure was curled up in the back of the room. Each breath they took sounded painful. Labored.

The light of her portal had woken them up.

Chalice drew closer. Holding her breath. She was terrified, but her curiosity begged her to see who this could be. Who would the Devil imprison all the way back here? All alone?

The figure coughed, ever so slightly leaning into the light of the still-open portal. A shimmer of glass reflected in the low light. Not much. But enough for Chalice to see.

Curled up on the floor before the Legendary Chalice was a mortally injured martini glass. Ginette.