Thank you for everyone's patience. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Only one more chapter to go.
~ The Wandering Piney
Warning: Chapter containers Major Character Death(s), Suicide, and Violent Imagery
The reddish glow of the healing tablets intensified around her waist, causing searing pain in her gut. Whatever internal damage she had must've been brutal since none of Thorn's previous experiences with the healing tablets caused this much pain. Thorn screamed and lurched upward. Her legs and arms shifted and cracked as various cuts and bruises faded.
Smack!
The sudden cries of her friends caught Thorn's attention, and her gaze shifted to the source of all the commotion. She gasped, and her eyes widened in terror.
"Fre…AHHH!"
She fell back down, writhing in agony as the pain in her abdomen worsened. Yet her mind couldn't shake the image of Fred's body slumped against the blood-stained wall. Fred, you didn't deserve that. I asked for your help, and I got you killed. She sobbed. I'm so sorry.
A few tablets shattered, and the pain clouded her mind as her body writhed on the floor. Gunfire, growls, and screams drowned out the voices of her friends, and Thorn had no idea where anyone was.
CRASH!
A shower of wooden splinters rained down upon her. Someone screamed next to her, and Thorn tried to roll onto her side so she could identify the person. But the pain intensified, and Thorn couldn't move.
DAMNIT!
More gunfire. More screams. Several people fell while something crashed into the floor. And then there was silence.
No! They must be okay!
She struggled to sit up, but the healing tablets hadn't finished, and the pain prevented her from rising.
Get Up!
A quiet sob caught her attention, and Thorn shifted her body so she could see who was crying. She could hear people talking.
"...something hit Luna. She tripped and sprained or broke her ankle," Brian explained.
Luna.
Thorn tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side sent her back down. A few more healing tablets shattered, and the pain in her upper body subsided.
Luna! I'll get you out of here…somehow.
A low growl startled Thorn, and she watched as Dusk and Ray ran in front of Luna and Brian with firearms raised at the approaching monster.
Shit! They can't fight it. Gritting her teeth, Thorn slowly sat up, though her abdomen painfully protested.
"Run…" Thorn managed to say.
Dusk, Luna, and Brian looked at her like it was the first time she'd ever spoken to a person.
"Get out of here," Thorn muttered through clenched teeth. Her body trembled as she fully sat up.
Her friends looked at her in awe and shock, though Thorn's attention quickly shifted to the approaching figure. The net did little to cover the malevolent, yellow eyes of the monster, and Thorn and the entity glared at each other.
Thorn clenched her fist, and flashes of green energy flickered around her hand.
"Brian, walk Luna back to the barrier," Thorn ordered, her gaze never leaving the monster. "Dusk and Ray, cover them."
Brian nodded, and he and Luna hobbled out of sight while Dusk and Ray took their positions. Several healing tablets shattered, and the pain remained exclusively around her abdomen. That was good enough for her.
Thorn raised her hand and fired a green lightning bolt at the monster. Thorn gasped as the force of the bolt knocked her down. She lay in the pile of rubble panting and staring at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling in quick succession with each rapid breath.
Gunfire erupted from beyond her sight, followed by the angry growls of the monster.
Get up! They need me!
Thorn managed to partially sit up, but the pain in her abdomen made sitting up difficult; her core ached, her body trembled, and she felt that she'd fall at any second.
Why is this healing taking so long? Was I that injured? Damnit! I can't do anything–
Thorn gasped when she heard the screams. Two distinct human screams louder and more blood-curdling than what should be humanly possible.
The pain in her abdomen faded away with the rest of the world, bar the terrible sight before her, and time itself seemed to crawl to a stop. Her eyes widened while her mouth opened as if to scream, but only silence left her lips.
The acid dissolved the upper half of Ray's body, silencing his screams. He fell forward and hit the ground with a sickening splat, most of his body reduced to a pool of blood and liquified flesh. And yet as disturbing and undeserved as it was, Thorn's heart almost stopped when her attention shifted to Dusk.
Jane…
The acid had hit Dusk from her left. Her scream echoed in Thorn's head, gradually morphing into an unending ring.
Jane…
Dusk dropped the gun, and her arm hung limply from her shoulder. Her jacket did nothing to protect her, and even from a distance, Thorn heard her friend's flesh burn and sizzle.
Jane!
A trail of blood and flesh followed Dusk as she hobbled to the barrier.
Jane…I promised…
Thorn ran her shaky fingers through her hair, pulling fistfuls of hair.
I…promised.
Her eyes were teary.
I…prom…ised…
Her body trembled, and the ringing intensified. Her mind seemed clouded, and her thoughts became jumbled.
I'd…ke…p…ou…saf…
She felt her magic surging within her as if it were a flood pushing a dam to its limit, a dam on the verge of breaking. Or, more accurately, the mental vines breaking apart.
I…fa…iled…you…
I…fai…
The monster stepped into view, smirking as it watched Dusk limp away.
Thorn grimaced.
IT CAUSED THIS.
The voice from behind the vines spoke, her voice malevolent yet seductive.
IT MUST BE DESTROYED. IT MUST SUFFER.
YES!
She could practically see the vines falling and the witch within clawing her way out. Her magic swelled, shattering the mental dam. The remaining healing tablets shattered; her magic, amplified by the collapse of her mental restraints, finished healing the internal damage.
She watched the world fade into nothingness while only the cloaked monster remained. No more fear, no more pain. Only the destruction of the entity that killed Dusk remained. Thorn stepped aside and gave the instinctual witch she once feared the reins.
KILL IT.
It inhaled the delectable scent of fresh, mortal blood as it looked upon its handiwork: two mortals dead, a third fatally wounded, another injured, and of course, the incapacitated witch. So sloppy; it should've killed them hours ago. But that was to be expected when one plays their food. The witch refusing to fight made the job boring, so it decided to spice things up. It let its prey run around the hotel searching for the treasure like caged animals unknowingly being prepared for the slaughterhouse. Knowing that every "victory" they had meant nothing brought a smile to its horrid face.
After all, one of the greatest comedies was the pointlessness of mortal existence.
But it let the entertainment go on for too long and got sloppy. Much to its surprise, the witch managed to decapitate it, which was such a dumbfounding event it needed some time to process how the hell it let that happen. Plus, the electrical shock the one human delivered was something it'd rather not encounter again. So, once it remade its body, it was time to take things seriously. The humans stood no chance. Now all that was left to do was put the witch out of her misery and then return to the Fallen for its reward.
It tore off a chunk of netting, and one wing flapped freely, though the others remained bound. It tossed aside a piece of netting and glanced at the barrier. Someone was crying behind the magical shield. While screams were pleasant, something about the sound of soft crying disgusted it. It should silence the cries first.
The basement violently shook, causing the entity to stumble. It snarled upon sensing the eruption of magic, yet the magic piqued its interest. It seemed like the witch still had some fight left in her.
As it turned to face the witch, an immense pressure suddenly enveloped it, and it let out a surprised hiss when it couldn't move. It struggled against the unseen force, but even with its immense strength, it couldn't turn its head.
It let out an angry hiss when its feet forcibly left the floor, and it slammed into the ceiling with enough force to crack the concrete. It hissed and got sent careening into the floor with as much force as before. It barely caught a glimpse of the witch flick her wrist before the entity was violently tossed into the wall, cratering it. A portion of the wall collapsed and buried the entity with rubble.
The creature snarled from beneath the wreckage. The pressure vanished, and the entity pushed the debris off itself. But as it rose from the rubble, the witch was already upon it, her arm outstretched, and a fiery orb of blue magic manifested around her hand.
It observed the witch. Dilated eyes. No speech. Vacant expression. Hyper-aggression. Was she in–
SPLAT!
Its head burst into a mist of green hemolymph and a few pieces of chitin when the blue fireball hit its target. Its body convulsed, yet its left hand curled into a fist. It struck the witch, sending her flying into the pile of boxes.
Like watching a film in reverse, bits of chitin reassembled themselves. The shape of its head quickly reformed. Hemolymph filled its veins, muscle reattached, and soon, those yellow eyes glared at the world.
No more sloppiness. No more playing.
With its head reformed, it kicked away the rubble and ran toward where the witch landed. It wasn't hard to spot the witch; she already recovered from the punch with no visible damage. Many boxes and furniture shook, and with a simple flick of her wrist, everything not attached to the floor within ten feet of the witch floated into the air and flew at the entity.
It snarled, swiping at the first box that approached and destroying it. It continued its charge, dodging projectiles where it could and smacking away boxes and a few chairs when it couldn't avoid them. But there were many projectiles. One crate hit its shoulder, staggering it. It couldn't recover quickly enough, and another box crashed into its chest. It stumbled backward, managing to smash an incoming chair with a punch but failing to avoid the box that hit its knee. It tripped, though it caught itself before it faceplanted into the floor.
However, it could do nothing to stop the easily five-hundred-pound dresser from hitting it at speeds rivaling a freight train. It screamed as its limbs and back snapped, bending in ways they shouldn't be.
It snarled, and with a loud crunch, its limbs snapped back into position. Before it even got up, the entity grabbed the dresser and threw it at the witch. There was a flash of green light, and the dresser exploded into a cloud of dust and smoke.
The entity smirked. With its injuries healed, it jumped up. The entity charged, taking advantage of the cloud blocking the witch's sight. Its fist pierced the cloud, but instead of the warm flesh of the witch, it struck the cold, concrete floor.
It snarled. But before bits of smoke and debris could clear, it glimpsed a streak of black and red. It narrowed its eyes, tracking the colors despite their inhuman speed, and the colors became clearer. Long black hair with red highlights. Red and black clothes.
The entity's smirk returned with malicious glee. Its arm crossed its chest, and it waited.
Any regular human watching would've only seen a blur. It swung its arm back, hitting the witch's arm as she attempted to fire another energy bolt from behind. There was a loud crack, and the witch slammed into the floor, cratering it.
But the entity's glee was short-lived; a bolt of green lightning struck the monster with a thunderous crack. The creature hissed as it fell and hit the floor. It glanced at its chest. The burnt chitin flaked off its body, completing its recovery. It snarled and shot back up. The witch was already back on her feet, though her left arm was bent inward, and her shoulder seemed lower than it should be. Despite the injury, the witch retained her emotionless gaze; the entity questioned if the witch even recognized her injury. It was doubtful given her instinctual state.
But as the monster charged its prey, the same unseen force from before stopped it in its tracks. The force concentrated around its waist. The witch flicked her wrist, and with a gut-wrenching crunch, the creature's torso twisted and split in two.
It snarled as its upper torso lifted into the air leaving behind a trail of hemolymph across the ground. It jerked to the side and slammed into a cabinet.
It shook its head, hissing and snarling as it watched its legs collapse. It grabbed the cabinet and threw it at the witch. Everything not bolted down to the floor and within arm's reach of the entity became a projectile thrown at the witch. When the furniture was gone, it tore through the floor and ripped out chunks of concrete which it lobbed at the witch. Despite her speed and magic, a few objects struck her, giving the entity a few moments of respite.
It raised itself with arms. More pieces of the net had broken off when the witch ripped its body in half, freeing a third wing. It flapped its wings, and its right side lifted into the air while its left side dragged along the floor. It landed with a soft thud next to the bottom half of its body. It grabbed its lower torso and reattached it to its upper half. A few seconds later, it moved its legs and stood up.
But as it rose, a dark red light illuminated the basement. The entity glanced at the witch and hissed. It flapped its three wings, and with its enhanced speed, narrowly dodged the beam of crimson energy. The beam continued, vaporizing adjacent boxes with its presence alone before hitting the far wall. The creature covered its eyes as the wall exploded in a brilliant flash of red light, shaking the entire hotel. Had the hotel's magical nature not obscured it, any human within a few city blocks would've felt the tremor.
The creature stumbled. It reached behind and touched its back. It withdrew its arm, and hemolymph covered its hand. It snarled and glared at the witch. She raised her arm, and a red light enveloped her hand.
It narrowed its eyes as the light grew brighter and magic stronger. With one swift movement, it plunged its fist into the floor and tore out baseball-sized pieces of concrete. Sparks of magic crackled like electricity around her hands as her gaze remained locked on the entity.
As the witch went to fire the energy beam, the entity lobbed the concrete at its enemy, curving the slab with the skill of a professional pitcher. It struck the witch's head, and she stumbled backward, the red light and energy dissipating.
The entity charged and reached the witch in seconds. It smirked. With supernatural swiftness, it delivered a volley of punches against the witch. Each strike struck its target. Had she not been a witch, it would've reduced her to a bloody paste. The creature gave a laugh-like hiss and struck the witch on the side of her head, sending her crashing into the floor.
What happened?
Her head pounded, and pain radiated across her left arm, which she couldn't move. Dust obscured her view, worsening her already blurry vision. A sharp, stinging pain radiated from just above her eye. She felt her forehead. It was sticky.
Did I… Crying. Pained crying filled her ears. Her attention quickly shifted to her left. Through the flickering barrier, Thorn watched Luna cradle Dusk in her arms.
No…She can't be… She's just knocked out.
Luna's sobs intensified.
"Jane! Please don't go!"
No… No, no, no, no! No!
Thorn shook, and for a second, the world disappeared into the darkness.
Dusk is dead.
No!
Dusk is dead.
No!
Dusk is dead.
A shadow grew over her, and the creature lunged at her.
The enemy remains. Destroy it.
Thorn screamed. As the instinctual witch resumed control, the image of Luna cradling Dusk burned into her mind. Her magic surged, though she felt its limit, just enough for one final fight. The pain faded, and again, the world disappeared except for the monster.
END IT. END IT. END IT.
The sudden telekinetic blast sent the entity crashing through the piles of boxes and furniture, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Nothing stopped it until it slammed into the wall behind the piles of stored items. It shook its head, brushing debris off itself as it rose.
The blood-red light of the witch pierced the darkness of the basement. It sensed an immense amount of magic emanating from the witch. Yet there was something off. Its eyes narrowed, and a smirk grew across its monster.
"You're running on empty."
It licked its lips as the witch engulfed herself in crimson energy. It stretched its arms and crouched yet kept its calculative focus on the witch.
It needed an upward strike toward the spine. Beneath the sternum would be ideal, but with its strength, it could pierce the sternum itself. It focused on that tiny portion of the witch's chest. It vibrated its wings and pulled its arm back while its claws straightened out to a point.
One more strike.
The entity charged, and the witch fired the beam. It was a blur, even to the witch. It felt the energy beam's heat, yet it smiled, even as half its face vaporized. The basement shook with tremendous force, yet it focused on the crunch of bone and the splatter of crimson flecks onto the remainder of its face.
Thorn gasped as the world violently returned, and a sharp pain struck her lungs as she failed to inhale.
What? No! I thought I–ah!
Her body begged for air, and each gasp failed to deliver any.
No!
The monster stood inches from her. Half its face was gone, and its left side was gone from the waist up, its yellow eyes now vacant. Behind it, the basement was in ruins, and the floor above had collapsed.
An immensely painful tightness in her chest caused her to look down. She saw the monster's remaining arm. It was at a slight upward angle, nestled between her breasts and straight through her chest cavity.
Her body begged for air, and each gasp failed to deliver any.
My heart–
Her head throbbed, and a crippling numbness silently overtook her body.
No!
Her vision rapidly deteriorated. She weakly grabbed the entity's arm, but her hand fell away as her strength left her.
She turned her head away from the monster. She looked at the barrier. She heard Luna sob but didn't see her; she was unsure if that was because her vision was all but gone or if Luna had fled farther into the treasure room.
Thorn whimpered, and a few tears fell down her face. Dusk and June stood by the barrier, clear as day. They simply watched her gasp for breath.
I'm sorry.
The darkness took the world. Perhaps it was a hallucination brought on by the chemical cocktail her brain produced in a vain attempt to keep itself functioning, but Dusk, June, and Luna's sobs remained.
I'm sorry.
Dusk and June blurred together, and the darkness consumed them. Luna's sobs stopped, and Thorn's mind began to fade.
I'm sorry.
And then there was nothing.
The world around her had once again become numb as Luna stared in horror at the sight before her. The monster twitched its damaged shoulder, and strips of flesh grew from the wound, and within seconds, it regrew the arm Thorn had vaporized. And like a ball inflating, missing portions of its head reformed. In just a few short moments, it undid all the damage Thorn dealt to it.
Luna wanted to shout to her friend, but only a weak whimper left her quaking lips. Thorn. No. She wasn't much for praying, but Luna found herself clasping her trembling hands together. Please don't let it be so.
Luna flinched upon hearing a sickening squelch as the monster pulled its now blood-covered arm from Thorn. Thorn's body crumpled and hit the floor with a soft thud. Luna could see her face, and Thorn's once bright emerald eyes were dull and empty.
And with that, Luna collapsed to her knees. A few tears fell to the concrete floor, and Luna sobbed. "Thorn…" Her words came out garbled and weak. "Thorn…"
More tears fell to the floor, and her sobs grew louder. If Dusk's death shattered her heart into pieces, then Thorn's death took those pieces and pulverized them into dust, leaving nothing but a hollow husk of a person behind.
Nothing.
That's what the Regal Hotel left her. No friendship or love. No faith or hope. No motivation or goals. Nothing. Even survival felt pointless. The creature survived everything they threw at it, and Luna knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. And if the monster decided not to kill her, what was there to return to? The Hex Girls were over, and Luna was uncertain if she could bear the pain and trauma of losing the two people she cared most about in the world.
"Thorn…Dusk," she sobbed. She couldn't take staring at the corpses of friends and allies that surrounded her. She buried her face in her shaking hands and cried. Girls… I can't. I'm sorry.
The sound of approaching footsteps instinctively caused Luna to look up. The creature stopped in front of the barrier and smirked. A forked tongue slithered across its clawed fingers, pleasurably licking up Thorn's blood from its hand. Its smile widened, and its piercing yellow eyes shifted their attention to Luna.
Under different circumstances, Luna would've screamed in terror as the monster clawed the barrier, causing it to flash and flicker and for the alarm to blare.
FAILURE IMMINENT! PoWeR LEve…Be-LO… TEN-
The barrier shattered, and the alarm shut off.
"Thorn…Dusk…" Luna sobbed, not caring that the monster stepped into the treasure room.
The creature licked its lips. "There's my little snack," it hissed. "I won't be interrupted like last time."
Luna grimaced. Her fingers slowly curled into a fist. She looked around and spotted the rifle Dusk and Brian had a few feet from her. It must've slid toward her when Brian got hit with the dresser.
It should still be loaded.
She lunged for the rifle and grabbed the barrel, her ankle twinging in pain. The cloaked figure seemed unfazed as Luna pulled the rifle toward her. She raised it and pointed it at the monster, the barrel shaking in her shaking arms.
The creature barred its teeth with a laugh-like hiss.
I'm not going to be your fucking snack!
She turned the rifle toward herself, nestling the top of the barrel underneath her chin at an angle to ensure it would be quick and painless. The metal was cold yet welcoming.
Luna closed her teary eyes as she placed her finger on the trigger. Her entire body shook in protest, but Luna knew it was a far better outcome than getting devoured alive by the abomination that killed her friends.
I'll see you, girls, soon.
She squeezed the trigger, and then there was nothing.
Huh? What? How am I? I…I shouldn't be. There's nothing. No place. Just…me. Is this–wait! I feel someone! It's not them. Oh! It's you! What do you mean by take form?
Thorn sat up and gasped as all her physical senses returned, and she frantically patted herself down, confirming she had a physical body, still dressed in the attire she wore to the Regal Hotel, and that she had no wounds. Though more surprisingly, the Fallen's mark had disappeared from her shoulder.
"How?" she mumbled.
Was it all a dream? A hallucination? Was she still tripping on the Woodrose in the bathtub at their hotel? Did anything over the past day occur? Past week? Year? Did she even exist? Before she gasped, there was nothing: no dark voids, no empty whiteness, no memories, or sense of being. Just nothing.
Until she thought and was.
She paused, her hand trembling on the center of her chest. She shivered.
No heartbeat.
No heart.
"Then it all happened," Thorn sighed in resignation, lowering her head as the memories of her fight against the cloaked figure returned. "I lost. I couldn't save them."
She bolted up. "Dusk! Luna! Where are you two!" she exclaimed.
Thorn looked around as she stood up and assessed her surroundings. It was night. She was in a field surrounded by many towering trees, their leaves deep shades of red, orange, and yellow that seemed to glow in the moonlight. There was no underbrush of any kind, just an endless expanse of trees in all directions.
There was no sign of her friends or anyone else for that matter. Just the empty woods in the night.
She pulled her rain jacket tightly against herself in a vain attempt to fight against the cold, almost wintery air, yet she couldn't see her breath. She glanced at the sky. The full moon was massive, greater than any supermoon she'd ever seen and had a slight blueish hue. Her eyes widened as she noticed the rest of the sky. Millions, billions, or even trillions– far more than there should be visible from Earth– of stars twinkled, danced, and bobbed in the strange, dark bluish-gray sky, which seemed to ripple and pulse as if it were alive.
"This isn't Earth," Thorn stammered.
She pulled her hair, and her eyes became teary. How am I supposed to find Dusk and Luna? How am I supposed to know if they're even alive? I need to see them. I need to tell them I'm sorry. And I can't. She cried. I can't do anything. I failed them.
Something was watching her. She looked toward where she felt the presence, her mind temporarily distracted by the new arrival.
A familiar blue light hovered a few yards from her, but more surprisingly, it floated above the start of a cobblestone path that most assuredly wasn't there a few seconds ago. The path was flanked on both sides by an iron fence covered in ivy, while black light posts reminiscent of something from the Victorian era stood like grizzled sentinels against the night and illuminated the path with an ethereal, white light.
"What do you want?" Thorn called out to the sphere of light.
The blue light flew in a circle and flickered before slowly gliding down the path. It stopped after a few feet and repeated in movement, beckoning Thorn to follow. Without any other options, Thorn followed the light.
"Where are you taking me?" Thorn grumbled.
The light made no sudden movements, nor did it change its size or brightness; it simply remained steady in its course while Thorn followed.
Thorn sighed and continued to walk in silence.
She didn't know how long it took or how far she walked, but Thorn stopped when she caught the scent of saltwater and could hear what sounded like waves crashing against rocks.
"There's an ocean?" Thorn thought aloud.
The light suddenly turned to their right, and much to Thorn's surprise, the path shifted and twisted as if it were a great stone rope being pulled by an unseen hand, and it turned with the light. A large patch of trees disappeared, and as Thorn made the turn, a cool sea breeze passed over her and blew her hair back.
And there It sat on a bench made of blackened coils so dark that it could've been made from the night sky, overlooking a vast sea that mirrored the otherworldly heavens above. A blue-gray shadow taking only the most basic human shape sat on one side of the bench while the blue light hovered around the entity. The presence she felt when she was nothing, the entity that sent her to the Regal Hotel. It raised a fingerless, arm-like appendage and tapped the empty spot next to It.
"Please," It spoke, Its voice calm and soothing yet authoritative. "Have a seat."
Thorn nodded. She took her seat and looked at the ocean. Silvery whitecaps crashed against jagged rocks, yet the rest of the water seemed to ripple in conjunction with the sky's rhythmic beats.
"What do you think of it?" It asked, gesturing at their surroundings with a shadowy arm.
"It's, um, beautiful," Thorn managed to stutter.
"Your mind is elsewhere," It said. Thorn could almost sense an assuring and friendly smile hiding in Its shadowy features. "I understand. You've gone through a lot, and now you have questions. Ask them."
"Am I…"
"Yes."
Thorn simply nodded. It wasn't the reaction she expected to have, but deep down, Thorn already knew the truth, and maybe that was why she felt nothing. It was like the Broken had told her the sky was blue or some other mundane fact. It simply was.
"Dusk and Luna!" Thorn exclaimed. "Are they…"
"I'm sorry."
Thorn trembled. She lurched downward as if someone sucker-punched her and left her breathless.
"I…couldn't save them," she whimpered. She buried her tear-covered face in her arms. "I couldn't save them!" she cried.
"There was nothing you could do for them," the Broken said.
"No, I could've protected them better. I could've used my magic when we first got to the hotel and then found the treasure quickly, but I was too afraid of myself," she cried. "I couldn't keep my promise to my friends, and now they're dead." She grimaced. "I failed them."
"You did what you could given the circumstances," the Broken said.
"And it wasn't enough," Thorn grunted. "They're dead."
Thorn raised her head in realization. "Hold on. If this is the afterlife, and we're dead, maybe Dusk and Luna are here somewhere!" She wiped her eyes. "I could find them and tell them I'm sorry."
The Broken sighed. "This isn't the Afterlife."
Thorn raised an eyebrow. "It isn't?"
"Well, not the true one," the Broken clarified. "Though it could function as one for you."
"Then what is this place?" Thorn asked. "And are Dusk and Luna here?"
"Upon your death, I brought you to this reality I created so we could have a place to talk in safety and without interruption. I used your mind as a template for its design," the Broken explained. "Dusk and Luna, or anything else for that matter, aren't here at the moment."
"Oh," Thorn stammered, lowering her head. "Then they're…gone."
The Broken didn't speak.
Thorn grimaced. She raised her head and faced the Broken with teary eyes. "What was the point of it all? Why'd you send me to the Regal Hotel?"
The Broken sighed. "I sent you to the hotel to die."
"What the fuck!" Thorn shouted, jumping from the bench with her arms raised. Green magic formed around her hands, which she clenched into fists.
"Sit down," It commanded.
Thorn had no intention of obeying, but she suddenly found herself back on the bench with her hands clasped on her lap without any magic.
"You fucking monster! " Thorn shouted, her face red with fury.
"You had to die. The Fallen willed it," It explained. "Your demise was imminent; the Fallen's mark ensured it. Anyone who got in the way would also die. No force in Creation could prevent it; not even I could stop it due to our deal." While It lacked a face, Thorn could sense It looking her in the eye. "I'm sorry. Death was the only way to remove the mark. I just had to ensure it happened on my terms."
"You're a lying sack of shit!" Thorn screamed. "You made a deal with the Fallen!? My friends and I are dead because of a shady deal!" She glared at the Broken. "You could've prevented all of this, but instead, you let it happen! What the fuck is wrong with you!"
"That deal is the only reason you can even yell at me!" The Broken snarled. The ground trembled, the sea swelled with the fury of a hurricane, and the stars threatened to fall from the quaking sky. The Broken's form darkened and grew, dwarfing Thorn. Thorn moved to the far side of the bench. She braced herself for the divine wrath that surely befell her. But after a few seconds, everything stopped, and a sense of calmness washed over everything.
The Broken retook Its initial form. "Had I not intervened and struck a deal with the Fallen, you wouldn't exist, and Dusk and Luna would be in the hands of the Fallen." It looked at her. "Is that really your preferred outcome?"
Thorn hesitated and turned away from the Broken. Memories of the Fallen possessing her resurfaced, and Thorn recoiled. "What did your deal entail?" Thorn asked after a few moments of silence. "I deserve to know."
"In exchange for your eventual death and limiting my intervention in Its plans, the Fallen would stop possessing you and would not directly intervene with my…agenda," the Broken answered.
Thorn raised an eyebrow. "Agenda?"
"You have potential, Thorn," the Broken said. "I'd hate to see it wasted."
"Potential for what?" Thorn asked, her voice slightly raised.
"That's to be determined," the Broken replied. The entity remained silent for a few seconds, and It seemed to gaze at the stars. It sighed. "As with any deal between devils, there was rigging and cheating." It looked at Thorn. "There was no mention of Dusk, Luna, or anyone else in our deal. So, to inflict as much emotional pain as possible before you died, the Fallen sent an entity that would kill everyone you brought along or met."
"The cloaked figure?' Thorn asked, slightly trembling. "It was meant to kill Dusk and Luna?"
"And anyone else that got in the way before killing you," the Broken clarified. "Despite your and your friend's efforts, there was nothing you could do to permanently kill or defeat it for its true existence transcends your reality; you fought an avatar, which, if defeated, it'd casually recreate. You were meant to fail and suffer."
Thorn lowered her head as her eyes teared up. Images of Dusk and Luna, Brian and Fred, and even Ray and his workers flooded her mind.
"They died just so I could suffer," she sobbed. "And I couldn't save them."
Thorn clenched her fists as a few tears fell onto her lap. She grimaced. They could've been saved.
She glared at the Broken. "Why didn't you help them? Your deal with the Fallen only applied to me; you could've saved them."
"Why should I clean up your mess?" the Broken bluntly stated. "Were you not the witch who dragged her friends into her tragic fate? It's not my fault you went to the Fallen's temple and received Its wraith."
Thorn frowned and kicked the ground. "Then why didn't you cheat like the Fallen and help me?" Her face was red. "If I was so important, you could've done something other than sit up here and do nothing!"
"Oh, Thorn, don't think so highly of yourself," the Broken warned. "That said, I was guiding you the entire time." The blue orb of light materialized above the Broken and swirled around the bench before stopping in front of Thorn. It blinked and pranced about as if it were dancing for a few seconds before perching itself on the tip of the Broken's outstretched arm.
"You're that light!" Thorn exclaimed.
"Among other forms," the Broken replied as the light sunk into the shadowy form of the entity. "Some more significant than others."
Thorn thought about what other forms the Broken could've taken, but the Broken continued before she could reach any conclusion, and the entity dashed her hopes of It revealing those forms when It spoke.
"But more importantly, I brought you to my temple, which as an extension of my domain, I retain several rights and abilities I would otherwise be unable to use without drawing unwanted attention," the Broken explained. "Notably, I retain the right to claim all souls that enter my dominion."
"What do you mean?" Thorn asked.
"Well, I own all souls not bound to their bodies, whether through death or other means, which come into my dominion," the Broken clarified. "The souls are mine to do with as I please. I can send them to the Afterlife or anywhere I want. I can consume, destroy, exchange, trade, or transfigure them." It paused and looked at Thorn. "I can also resurrect them."
Thorn perked up, and a small smile formed across her face. "You're gonna resurrect us?"
"I said I can, not that will," It stated.
Thorn's smile faded. "Oh." She sighed. "Then why tell me this?"
"Because what happens next depends on you," the Broken answered. "I've been assessing strengths, weaknesses, and character since you arrived at the Regal Hotel, and the final task you'll complete will involve answering some questions. Your answers to my questions will determine what I do to you and everyone else that died today at the Regal Hotel."
Like plucking fruit from a great tree, a tendril reached into the night sky and plucked seven stars from the otherworldly sky, causing it to shake and ripple. Thorn sat in awe as the Broken brought the "stars" to them, and the lights were no larger than they were in the sky. The Broken released two lights, and they floated to Thorn.
Thorn held her hands open, and the lights drifted into her palms. She smiled and closed her eyes as a few joyful tears slid down her face. Thorn cradled the lights and held them close to her chest.
"Sisters," she cried. "I miss you." She sniffled. "I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. But even if you can't, I swear to you that I will give you both a second chance at life."
"Think carefully about your answers and do not lie," the Broken said. "Seven souls plus yourself are at stake."
The two souls fidgeted, and Thorn opened her eyes. The souls left her hands and returned to the Broken. "Are you ready?" the Broken asked.
Thorn wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. I will free you. She looked at the seven souls. I will free you all. She exhaled. "Yes."
The Broken nodded, and there was a brief silence between them.
Thorn swallowed and adjusted her jacket's collar. I can do this.
"What did you accomplish at the Regal Hotel?"
Thorn's immediate thought was that her only accomplishment was getting herself and everyone else killed, and she almost blurted it out. She thought for a moment and then answered. "I found the treasure of the Regal Hotel as instructed."
"Is that all?"
"I helped foil the plans of some crooks," she added. She reexamined the day's events, scouring them for anything she could claim as a victory. "I fought for my friends and defeated a monster on my own, albeit temporarily. I gave Brian the evidence he'd been searching for to support his father's claims, and Dusk and I amicably ended our argument." She paused one last time and remembered her encounter with her mother. "I overcame my fears, self-doubt, and trauma to protect my friends and heal myself."
"And what were your failures of the day?"
Thorn sighed but quickly regained her composure. "I couldn't keep my promise to the two most important people in my life, and I got them killed along with several innocent people. And then I died." She paused to recollect her thoughts and wiped away a tear slowly trickling down her face. "I also didn't believe Luna about Brian, and I let my fears about myself control me for too long, jeopardizing everyone's safety."
"Are you a monster?"
Thorn shook her head. "No, but the potential for me to become one will always exist as long as I can feel fear and doubt myself. But I choose not to let those emotions dictate my life, and I will use my magic to help and protect others instead of fearing it."
"Then what are you?"
Thorn smiled. "I'm a Hex Girl."
"Final question: Do you deserve a miracle?"
"The people whose lives I robbed deserve a second chance at life, and if it means I must remain dead, then I'm content with my fate."
The Broken did not speak. It looked at the seven souls before gazing at the vast sea in silence.
Thorn felt beads of sweat on her forehead, yet she remained where she sat, confident in her answers.
The Broken turned to Thorn. "I think you'll do well with your interview this evening."
Thorn let out a joyful sigh, and the largest smile she had ever made spread across her face as she jumped to her feet. "Thank you!"
"There are caveats," the Broken stated, causing Thorn's smile to shrink. The Broken waved Its arm, and three souls separated from the group. "I'm only resurrecting those I deem useful for reaching your potential." It glanced at the other four. "There is innocent blood on your hands, Thorn, and I will not clean them." It looked at her. They will serve as a reminder of what happens when you fear yourself."
Thorn sighed and shed a tear. "I understand." She looked at the souls. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry I brought this upon you and that your loved ones will suffer from your losses; none of you deserved this." She turned back to the Broken. "Can you ensure their loved ones will be well-off without them, and their souls will rest in peace?"
"Very well. I will send them to the Afterlife," the Broken agreed. It released the souls from Its tendril, and the four souls shot into the sky. They flew toward the moon which now swirled like a whirlpool in the dark sky. The souls reached the silvery vortex and disappeared within the spirals. The swirling stopped, and the moon returned to normal.
"Their loved ones will heal in time, and I'll bless them with fortune, though the scars you inflected will remain," the Broken added.
Thorn smiled and nodded as the Broken turned its attention to the remaining souls.
"Now, not only will I resurrect these three, but I will erase their deaths so that they never died," the Broken explained. "They'll have no recollection of their deaths, and it will be as if the monster knocked them out. However, they will remember the deaths of those I sent to the afterlife." It looked at Thorn. "You will remember their deaths. It'll be your burden to bear; I recommend never telling them about their deaths."
Thorn nodded. She didn't like keeping a secret from Dusk and Luna, but if it meant sparing them the pain and trauma, then it was worth keeping the secret. "Thank you."
The three remaining souls glowed brightly before fading away. "They're alive, albeit unconscious," the Broken said. "They'll wake when you return, safe and healed."
"Thank you," Thorn reiterated. "But I still don't understand why you're doing this for me?'
The Broken chuckled for a moment before gazing back at the sea. "As I said, you have much potential, Thorn, and I'd hate to see it wasted."
"Potential for what?" Thorn asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot I should destroy that monster," The Broken said. It paused for a moment before speaking. "But on second thought, I think you should do it; it's more symbolic that way, and it sends a message to the Fallen."
"But you said I can't permanently kill it," Thorn countered.
"Normally, yes, but I'll temporarily give you the ability to strike beyond this reality and end that vile creature's existence forever."
"How will I do that?" Thorn asked for clarification.
"When you're ready, it'll be as simple as thinking," It answered.
Thorn nodded. She wasn't sure what that entailed, but she accepted it. "Thank you."
"Now go see your friends," the Broken said, and Thorn could sense a smile somewhere in Its shadowy features.
To her surprise, Thorn began to glow a bright white like the souls did before the Broken resurrected them. She looked at herself as her form disappeared into the light. "Wait! You didn't answer my question!"
"Oh, Thorn, don't get killed again," the Broken warned. "There won't be a third chance at life."
The glowing intensified, and in a matter of seconds, the light consumed all.
Thorn blinked and inhaled a lungful of stale air. The concrete against her face was cold and rough. A puddle of her own blood pooled a few inches from her face, and its metallic scent filled her nostrils.
Thump!
Her eyes widened. She placed her hand against her chest.
Thump!
She smiled at the thump of her heartbeat. She examined her body and found no wounds or the Fallen's mark; even her clothes got repaired. Without hesitation, Thorn scrambled to her feet and assessed her surroundings. Ray remained a half-dissolved torso laying in a pool of his liquified remains while Fred was still slumped against the wall, though his eyes were now closed, and there was no blood against the wall.
A low growl caught her attention, and she shifted her focus to the treasure room.
The cloaked figure stepped out of the treasure room, looking no worse for wear. It looked at Fred, then back into the treasure room before finally glaring at Thorn, who met it with a glare of her own.
"Interesting," it said, its voice garbled and hoarse. It looked upward and closed its eyes. "So be it," it sighed.
The creature opened its eyes and let out an ear-piercing shriek, its lower jaw split in two and teeth drenched in acid and blood. Its wings vibrated, and the monster leaped from the ground, lunging at Thorn.
Thorn remained where she stood. She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. I'm ready.
She couldn't even begin to describe the surge of power she felt. So immense, but she sensed that it was less than nothing compared to the Broken's full power, though she doubted the concept of fullness even applied to the Broken.
A blue-gray aura swiftly enveloped her, and then the dull concrete of the basement and all its contents peeled away, allowing her to glimpse somewhere beyond the mundane world she knew. Swirls of incomprehensible shapes and forms danced in an unnatural rhythm to a timeless and unknowable tune, beckoning her into the uncountable infinities that lay beyond the shapes. Staring too long at them gave her a mild headache, and Thorn would've lost herself had her attention not shifted back to the target at hand.
She gazed at where the creature had been and gasped. An immeasurable swarm of flies vaguely in the shape of an inhuman face descended upon Thorn as the deafening drone of infinite wings vibrating bore a striking resemblance to an infuriated hiss. The more she looked at the entity, the more insects she saw stretching farther back than the eye could see. Yet Thorn found that the least disturbing aspect of this entity. Within each ravenous fly existed an entire swarm ready to crawl out of the fly; infinite swarms within infinite flies, all seeking nothing more to devour whatever was in its path.
Never-ending and undefeatable; indeed, her previous fight against the swarm was futile, just as the Broken stated.
Though, that had changed.
They moved as one, each insect in perfect harmony with the others, and the "jaw" of the swarm lowered to consume Thorn. Yet Thorn remained unfazed by the entity, and she did not so much as flinch as the entity came down upon her, and she remained where she stood. For all the power that this entity held, it was nothing compared to the infinitesimal scrap of the Broken's power Thorn yielded.
Thorn flicked her wrist and said nothing, for what does one say to a gnat when swatting it away?
The entity let out an agonizing screech as the infinite swarm instantly disintegrated into a shower of blue embers that quickly faded away. Then like someone slamming a door shut, the concrete walls and floors of the hotel basement folded over the higher reality, leaving Thorn back in the mundane world. The aura disappeared, taking away the incredible power it provided her.
Thorn sighed, and her lips curled into a small smile. A single dead fly lying in a small pile of ash surrounded by a few pieces of netting was all that remained of the monster.
"It's over."
A few groans emanated from the treasure room, and Thorn's smile grew wider. She ran to the treasure room as fast as her feet could carry her.