The rest of Terzo and Mary's trip through the desolate landscape of Limbo passed quickly, with no more visions coming to Mary. It wasn't long before their surroundings began to change, with Mary informing Terzo that they were passing into the next circle.
"Welcome to Lust, the second circle of Hell." Mary motioned to the area in front of him and Terzo, "We might actually see some other souls here," Mary commented as they looked behind them, to the landscape of Limbo that was gradually transitioning to a more sparsely vegetated one. At Terzo's interested look he continued, "Limbo is more of a waiting room, let's say, everyone that ends up in Hell gets deposited in Limbo until a guide picks them up. All the other circles, like Lust here for example, are the ones where the souls of the damned will stay for the rest of eternity."
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew across the landscape, shrieking like a wraith and pulling at Terzo and Mary with a force that rivaled a hurricane.
"Anyways, this circle has its fair amount of souls." Mary motioned ahead of them, and Terzo realized that there were shapes on the horizon, other souls that were wandering the desolate landscape, being blown around by the strong winds like they were made of paper, "Many people are driven by lust in their lives. Many end up in Hell because of their actions that were influenced by their lust, so it's not too uncommon for souls to feel themselves called to this circle."
"It doesn't look like there's much here," Terzo squinted at the horizon, finding nothing but a desolate expanse of flat ground, any present vegetation being blown sideways as powerful wind howled across the land. Souls were dotted across the landscape, seemingly searching for something if their swiveling heads and darting eyes were anything to go by. "What do souls do here?"
"They search," Mary smirked, finding humor in a joke which Terzo wasn't privy to, "They search for what they desire, what they lust for, but they never find it, they're never satisfied. There's nicer sections of Lust, this is where the people the Dark One doesn't like go. Perhaps you'll see them after you meet with the Dark One, we won't pass through them on our journey to the next circle, I'm afraid." Mary tilted his head, turning to look at Terzo as they walked, "Were you driven by lust in life? Did you indulge in what you desired?"
"I..." Terzo paused as he pondered the question, "Well, I did indulge - it was rather encouraged at the Ministry, but I wouldn't say lust was what drove me."
"Well, we'll find ya somewhere." Mary nodded with a smirk - Terzo still wasn't quite used to seeing his pink and bloody teeth.
Speaking of...
"Oh, Mary, may I ask you something?" Terzo asked, having to raise his voice over the howling wind that whipped around them, pulling at their hair and clothes, "You don't need to answer, of course."
"Sure." Mary nodded at Terzo, an indication for him to continue.
"The blood on your face," Terzo motioned to the red trails that dripped down Mary's face, "why are they...?"
Mary chuckled at Terzo's question, raising a hand to trail across the streams of blood, his fingertips coming away bloody.
"It's how I died." Mary sighed, pulling his fingers away from his forehead to look at the blood that now lay under his nails, "I was in a band, as a singer. Death metal, you know." Mary snorted, "Guess all the singing about death caught up to me. We had a show get out of hand, the crowd started throwing shit. I caught something to the head, hit me hard enough to make me fall and I hit my head, hard, against a sharp corner of our equipment." Mary curled their fingers into a fist, hiding the blood from his sight, "I never got up again. The wound never stopped bleeding, so I'm stuck with it. Nothing I've tried has ever gotten it to stop."
Mary looked young, definitely no older than their late twenties, and Terzo felt his heart pang with sadness at the thought of someone losing their life so young doing something they loved. At least Terzo had lived a fair amount before he was murdered.
Although, of course, he would prefer both of them to still be alive.
Before Terzo could apologize for bringing up Mary's death, the guide suddenly stopped in his tracks, the ex-Papa almost not noticing as he almost continued to trek on past.
"Terzo, hold up." Mary reached out and grabbed Terzo's arm to stop him, before motioning up to his bloodied head, "Another vision."
"Ah," Terzo turned to face his guide, beginning to get used to their routine, "alright. I'm ready."
Mary quickly spoke the words that were now becoming familiar to Terzo's ears, his eyes opening as they shone pure white and his cold hand rising to gently touch Terzo's forehead, carrying them away from Lust, away from Hell.
As the surroundings of Lust swirled away, Terzo found himself and Mary in a room that took a few moments to recognize, Cardinal Copia's bedroom.
The Cardinal himself was standing to Terzo and Mary's right, Sister Imperator standing across from the Cardinal to their left.
"What did you want to tell me, Sister?" Copia was speaking, "Is it news about the tour?"
Right. A tour.
Terzo frowned, a sour taste in his mouth. He knew Copia was innocent when it came to his death, but the fact that the Cardinal was being given so much still rubbed the ex-Papa the wrong way.
"No," Sister shook her head, "this is more of a... personal type of news."
"...personal?" Copia tilted his head, "What kind of news?"
"The Emeritus brothers did not die in an accident, Copia." Sister said bluntly, Copia gasping in shock.
Terzo jerked to look at Sister with wide eyes. She was admitting it? Why?!
"Papa Nihil and I had them executed." Sister continued plainly, showing no emotion at the mention of how she had Terzo and his brothers efficiently murdered, "It was necessary."
Copia took a step back, his mismatched eyes wide, a hint of fear present in them.
"But-" the Cardinal gaped, his mouth moving like a fish, "Why would you-?"
Sister grinned, a malicious and wicked smile that bared her gleaming teeth.
"Because we needed you, Copia." Sister laughed, and Terzo felt his chest fill with rage at how she treated the topic of his death, his brothers' deaths, "We orchestrated the deaths of the Emeritus brothers, I have been planning your ride to Papa since you were nothing more than a mere babe squirming and crying in my arms."
"I-" Copia looked shocked, at a loss for what to say, "Isn't that heresy Sister..? To try to put a non-Emeritus at the head of the band?"
"Yes, yes it is." Terzo gritted out, not caring that Sister or Copia couldn't hear him.
"We aren't putting a non-Emeritus at the head of the band," Sister spoke gleefully.
"...what?" Copia and Terzo spoke in unison.
"You've been told your whole life that you were left at the steps of the Clergy, abandoned by some unknown mother, left for us to mold and care for." Sister grinned, a wicked smile that told more of her love of what Copia could become rather than her love for the man himself, "But that isn't true. You are an Emeritus, Copia."
"No..." Terzo gaped, feeling as if he has been dumped in a bucket full of ice.
Copia? An Emeritus?
"Plot twist!" Mary whistled, watching the conversation with glee, his reaction the polar opposite of Terzo's.
"What?" Copia stumbled back with a gasp, "but... Nihil? I'm Nihil's son?" At Sister's answering nod, Copia drew in a shaky breath. "But, if I'm his son, who's my mother?"
"Who has always been there for you, Copia?" Sister took a step towards the Cardinal, "Who's been the one who raised you, taught you everything you needed to know?"
Terzo grimaced as the dots connected in his mind.
"Sister, you..." Copia blinked hard, looking lost and confused, "you're my-?"
"I'm your mother, Copia." Sister held her arms wide, taking another step towards her son, "I've wanted to tell you for so long."
Terzo watched as Copia - as his brother (half, he supposed, but it was no different than Secundo and himself) fell into the hug, his eyes shiny and wet, his arms searching for the comfort of his mother. While Copia looked happy, albeit a little overwhelmed at the reveal of his lineage, Terzo had a great view of the expression on Sister's face - which was one of evil. It was obvious she had more plans for Copia, nefarious plans he wasn't aware of and ones he couldn't warn his new brother of.
They were brothers.
All these years, it had been Primo, Secundo, and Terzo. All these years, it could have been Primo, Secundo, Terzo, and Copia. They could have been brothers, been family, but Sister and Nihil stole that experience away from them.
Primo and Secundo died without ever knowing they had a fourth brother, one that they passed almost every single day in the halls of the ministry.
Terzo died without knowing that he had a fourth brother, and Copia lived without knowing that Terzo was currently beside him, that Terzo now knew of the blood that tied them.
"Sister, does that mean I was related to..." Copia trailed off, but it was obvious where his question was going.
Terzo felt saddened that Copia had been alone all these years, with his brothers just out of reach.
"We will have time to discuss the details later, C," Sister laid her hands on Copia's shoulder, beginning to guide him from the room, "now we must meet with Nihil and discuss the tour. There are many things to get done!"
Copia stumbled as they walked away, obviously still affected by the news. Terzo felt the same.
"It's time we head back," Mary quietly spoke from Terzo's side, "I imagine you have much to think over."
As the world began to swirl around them as they began to return to Hell, Terzo couldn't tear his gaze from Copia - from his brother's - retreating back.
Terzo whirled to face Mary as soon as they were solidified back in Lust, the guide looking like he was already anticipating Terzo's question.
"Is there any way one of us, spirits, can speak to the living?" Terzo asked desperately, "I need to speak with him, with Copia."
"Only if they reach out first," Mary gently reached out to pat Terzo on the shoulder, "I get it, you just found out he's your brother, but you'll have to wait and see. If he conducts the ritual needed to commune with spirits and reaches out for you, then you'll be able to talk to him."
The howling wind swirled around them, seemingly colder and sharper than Terzo remembered.
"Alright..." Terzo sighed, wishing there was a way for him to initiate contact instead of hoping that Copia would, "alright."
"Let's keep moving," Mary motioned towards the horizon, towards the next circle, "the quicker we get to the Dark One the better."
As they continued moving, Terzo dwelled on what Mary had told him. Copia was a smart man, and a curious one, with the knowledge of his relation to the Emeritus brothers, Terzo would bet there was a good chance he would try to reach out to one of them.
Terzo hoped he would.
He had a brother, a brother that he wanted to talk to, wanted to officially welcome to the family.