Calli had been tracking down and dissolving death cults for a long, long time, so she had plenty of methods for picking up a cold trail. But this group was something else.

It was like they didn't exist at all. The members blended seamlessly into the general public and their bases were definitely erected as part of the city's initial construction, making them impossible to spot at a glance. In the two weeks since they'd cleared out the last hideout, Calli had almost given up and decided that they'd actually finished the cult off already.

And then they picked up a scent. It was faint, easily missed if they hadn't been looking at exactly the right place at exactly the right time. A brief glimpse of a shady exchange led them to a large warehouse near the city center. They followed their lead through the front doors and were met with a familiar sight.

Almost immediately the warehouse became a maze of sharp hallways. Unlike the last hideout, though, these halls were filled with cultists that weren't too happy to see strangers in their midst.

"You think these guys will lead us to the main chamber?" Calli said, smirking at the panicking cultists.

Kiara snickered, "They all seem to be going the same way, so yeah." Every one of them froze like a deer in headlights before scrambling down the halls. It wasn't long before there was a stampede of people paving the way.

When they reached the end of the maze, they had to wait for the cultists to sift through the door before entering the wide open central chamber. And as expected, there was a shrine at the heart of it all. It was one of the small ones, no bigger than a person.

Calli looked around as the frightened pack scrambled towards a door on the far side of the chamber. It was a big empty warehouse alright. The only odd thing was the lack of windows. There had been windows on the outside, so maybe those had been camouflage. The only real ones were small and situated near the roof, likely to prevent anyone from peeking in.

She held out her hand, grabbing hold of her scythe as it appeared, and stalked towards the shrine and the cultists surrounding it. "Pretty sure you guys worship something else, but for what it's worth, I am death," she paused for effect. They looked more bewildered than scared, though. "You want to tell us where your headquarters is, or do I need to start reaping?"

"Calli, wait," Kiara rushed up beside her, sword and shield at the ready. "Look at what they have around their necks."

"Their necks?" Calli scrutinized the cultists, who were fanning out between them and the shrine. They were all wearing lanyards, like the boss of the last hideout.

Before she could start to feel uneasy, the cultists began to transform. Their limbs twisted, growing longer and girthier. The same change affected their heads, their features becoming less distinct as their mouths stretched over their faces. It was surely the same transformation they'd seen before, but somehow it felt more advanced and much more disturbing.

Kiara stepped back, her eyes wide, and Calli couldn't blame her. They'd both seen so much over the course of their existences, but this was new. It didn't feel real, seeing human beings take on these noodly forms. And it certainly wasn't right.

Calli took a step forward, holding her scythe ready. She shot Kiara a glance, "You can hang back."

Kiara looked back at her and pursed her lips. She took two steps forward, standing right there beside Calli like always. "I don't suppose we can try saving them, can we?"

Calli smiled. "I don't think there's a chance, but I'll give it a shot," she said and charged.

She reached the first creature in the blink of an eye, dragging her curved blade through a floppy limb. The appendage fell to the ground, wriggling. There was no blood. Before she could follow up, the monster shrieked and two others lunged at her. Kiara managed to intercept one, leaving Calli to deal with the other.

She stepped aside, narrowly avoiding a heavy tentacle-like arm. Her scythe found the creature's soul a moment later. Or, she thought it did. "Why isn't there–" The monster she'd disarmed slammed into her, knocking her across the chamber where three other monsters were waiting.

They all pounced at once, swinging their limbs like clubs. Calli rolled and managed to avoid one, but she had to block the other two with the haft of her scythe. The impact crushed the concrete beneath her and knocked the air out of her lungs. If she took a hit like that, she'd be in real trouble.

By the time she caught her breath, they were already swinging again. She had no choice. She swung her legs, spinning her body and blade, slicing the monsters in half. If they'd had souls, that would have been the end. But the halves still writhed and wriggled. Their nondescript limbs continued to lash out independently of each other.

These things lacked human souls, but there was something in there. She just didn't know what.

Calli leapt to her feet and rushed away from the bisected creatures. She turned to check on Kiara and cursed. Two more monsters had joined the other three. She was surrounded.

But she wasn't fighting back.

"It's no good, Kiara! There's nothing left to save!" She met Kiara's eyes and what she saw there hurt.

The monsters lunged at her, and Kiara's expression hardened. She could be too sentimental at times, but when push came to shove, she could be a warrior. She singled one of the monsters out and rushed it. She swung her sword, carving a burning gash in its torso while the other creatures destroyed the floor where she stood moments ago.

Calli positioned herself next to Kiara. "Sorry. Whatever they did to achieve this, it cost them their souls."

"I hate that. I really do."

"Yeah." There wasn't much point in explaining further. These things were monsters, plain and simple.

Calli took stock of the battlefield. Four whole monsters–minus one limb–and three halved monsters which essentially counted as six. Considering how powerful they'd proven to be, that was a problem.

"Hey, Calli," Kiara said, focusing on the monsters that nearly crushed her, "if these things don't have souls, will you be able to finish them?" Her voice sounded tight, but it was a good question. Reaping human souls was the same no matter who it was she was reaping. Most animals were the same. There was a central mass of spirit that could be excised.

In the case of these monsters, it was like their entire bodies were constructed of that spiritual matter. Cut them in half and there was still enough for them to keep going. "If they can't be reaped normally," Calli said, preparing to attack, "then I'll just have to dice them up until they're too small to do anything."

Kiara let out a long breath. "That's a relief." She prepared to attack as well.

They were prepared for a standoff, but the creatures took the initiative. Several noodly appendages shot towards them, grasping at weapons and limbs. Calli and Kiara rebuffed the barrage and launched a counterattack.

Calli danced between lunging half-monsters, spinning her scythe. She cut the halves in half, and those halves in half, and those halves in half. All the while she felt flashes of intense heat as Kiara burned the other creatures away.

In a matter of seconds, Calli was surrounded by little inert chunks and Kiara stood amidst several ashy piles. They held their breath, waiting for a new complication to spring up, but the warehouse remained quiet.

When a mysterious red mist started rising from the remains of the monsters, Kiara relaxed. Her weapons returned to their charm forms. "That was a big escalation. Are there going to be more and more of those things at every hideout?" she said.

"I hope not, but I wouldn't expect things to get easier going forward." Calli said, holding onto her scythe. She couldn't relax just yet.

While Kiara said some prayers for the deceased cultists, Calli circled the shrine. It was the same as the others they'd encountered, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. There were no cultists left in the warehouse, and there were no cameras attached to the walls that she could see, so why did it feel like they were being watched?

She considered the shrine itself being the source of her unease. She scrutinized it, looking past the obnoxious pseudo religious decorations to get a better picture of the structure underneath. She found a mixture of metal framework and carved wooden casing, but no evidence of hidden surveillance.

"Uhh, Calli? Do you see that too, or am I seeing things?" Kiara said. Calli looked at her and she pointed at a spot in the middle of the warehouse.

Calli didn't see anything there at first, but after a few seconds she noticed something moving. It was small and barely stood out against the light inside the warehouse–she almost mistook it for a piece of dust in her eye–but it was definitely there. A dim light floated through the air in a wavy circle, bobbing up and down.

Calli's grip tightened around her scythe. The little light wasn't giving off the same feeling as the red smoke that drifted off the dead monsters, but it was still very odd. It didn't mesh with the things around it, almost like it was on a layer above the warehouse interior.

She watched the mote of light, almost by accident, as it weaved between her and Kiara. If she focused too hard she lost track of it, but just when she thought she'd lost it, it appeared again, popping out from the background without becoming any easier to see. It circled the shrine, drifted down towards the ash piles that used to be monsters and jerked back into the air. Whatever it was, it was definitely not dust. Could it have been the source of that uneasy feeling?

The light rose higher and higher until it hit the ceiling and faded away. Calli stared at the spot where it vanished, unblinking, waiting for it to reappear. The feeling of being watched was still there. Then she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. There was a small window near the ceiling, and Calli was sure she saw someone peeking through. She didn't hesitate.

She jumped through limbo space, reaching the high window in a flash. She carved it out of the wall and leaped through, landing on a precariously stacked tower of trash. She looked down, scanning the alley she'd emerged into and caught the faintest glimpse of someone rounding the corner down a connecting alleyway.

Kiara called up to her, but Calli didn't register what she said. No time to think. If there was a cultist hanging back, they couldn't waste the chance to capture them. She dove off of the trash tower and into limbo space, pursuing the potential lead. She caught up right away and exited limbo space in the woman's path.

She leveled her scythe at the supposed cultist, "Not another step. You're going to answer some questions for me," she said, keeping her tone dark.

The woman stared at Calli's face, eyes wide. Her face paled and her breathing quickened. She bared her teeth, and Calli realized that she wasn't shocked. She was snarling. There was a resentment in those big blue eyes that was so intense Calli could feel it prickling her skin. This woman wasn't just afraid, she was terrified. Like a small animal cornered by a predator.

Calli lowered her scythe. This wasn't the reaction of a cultist who had just seen her storm a hideout. It was the reaction of someone who knew death. Knew her.

"Who are you? What exactly do you know of me?" She narrowed her eyes. Her memory wasn't so good that she could remember every person she'd ever met, but even limiting her recollection to living people, she didn't recognize this person.

The woman stepped back, prompting Calli to step forward. Whether or not they'd met before didn't change the fact that this woman was at the cult hideout. She probably knew something that Calli could use. She took another step, but that might have been one too many.

The woman's hands flicked to her waist and something shot out of her sleeves. A metallic lattice folded out onto her forearms. A similar lattice emerged from her shoes, clinging to her shins. She held her fists in front of her face and took a step.

She closed the gap between them in that single step. Calli tried to back away, but the woman moved too quickly. She swung her fist faster than any human eye could see, but Calli was not human. She caught the woman's punch, wincing at the weight behind the impact. The woman brought her knee up, but Calli dismissed her scythe and caught that too.

The idea that this woman was using a similar power to that of the cultists floated across Calli's mind. It would certainly explain her sudden burst of speed and power. It would also give her ample reason to be at the warehouse. But then, why hadn't she transformed?

If this woman really was part of the cult, wouldn't she have sacrificed her body and soul to gain this sort of physicality? No, it was far more likely that the lattice clinging to her arms and legs were the cause. That didn't track with the cult at all. Not to mention she'd been watching from outside the hideout.

But if she wasn't part of the cult, then who was she?

Calli tightened her grip and tried to spin the woman around. If she could restrain her, she might be able to get her to explain. When Calli tried to force the woman's arm behind her back, though, the woman brought her other foot off the ground. In one quick motion, she planted a kick in Calli's chest.

Calli tumbled back, hitting the ground hard. She slid to a stop face down. What were those metal lattices and how did they make that woman so powerful?! She started to rise, pushing herself onto one knee, and froze.

The woman was holding a gun, and she looked more than ready to use it.

+ Shift +

Amelia's hands shook. Her jaw was clenched so tight it hurt. Her ears were ringing. Her chest burned and the ragged breaths she was taking only seemed to make it worse. She'd always wondered what she would do if she ended up face to face with death. Sleepless nights spent planning for a disaster like this and all she could really do was panic.

She'd practiced quite a bit with the gun in her hands. She set her feet shoulder width apart and supported the weapon with both hands. But her vision was swimming and she couldn't hold the thing straight. Her target was right in front of her and she couldn't be sure if she would even hit it.

Could a gun even hurt death?

Only one way to find out. She couldn't let this opportunity pass her by. Inaction was death. She had to fight. That was always how things were.

Amelia wrapped her finger around the trigger. Squeeze, don't pull. Her grip tightened gradually, depressing the trigger bit by bit so as to not throw off her already shaky aim. She braced herself for the ear splitting crack.

A woman with fiery orange hair slid to a stop in between them. She faced Amelia and held her hands out to her sides, waving them about. "Wait! Hold on a second! No one needs to get shot!" She spoke quickly but quietly. Her tone was soothing, but the effect was ruined somewhat by her waving arms.

This woman was fighting alongside death in the warehouse, which gave Amelia reason enough not to listen. If she had to shoot her first to get to death, then so be it. She took a deep breath, but the woman introduced herself.

"My name is Kiara," she said. Then she pointed at the shadow of doom kneeling behind her, "My friend there is Calli. I'm sorry if she startled you. We only want to ask you a few questions."

Amelia froze as the ringing in her ears slowly resolved into those words. The reality that she knew started to feel less solid. Death had a name. Death had a friend. How could that be? The terror known as death couldn't have something as human as a name, much less a friend. This was the past, Amelia knew that, so it made some sense that the death she knew would be different here. But actually seeing it made her feel like her brain was splitting in two.

Her grip on the pistol weakened. Death . . . Calli hadn't killed any of the cultists that had fled from the warehouse. She'd threatened the ones that stayed behind, sure, but she hadn't attacked them until after they'd transformed into the monsters that Amelia was all too familiar with. This other woman, Kiara, had even knelt by their remains.

Amelia's blood ran cold. Kiara had also fought the monsters. She had weapons of her own and power enough to dispatch those creatures. If she'd wanted to, she could have ended Amelia's life before she even noticed she was there.

All of the strength in Amelia's arms vanished. Her hastily put together exosuit couldn't even keep them up. Traveling back in time, barely getting her bearings before starting to investigate the source of her future's ruin, running into death . . . The will to fight that had gotten her all this way was worn thin.

Her vision started to blur. "I'm . . . sorry," she managed to say before turning to leave. Her feet were heavier than lead, but she managed a good few steps before the world started spinning.

She heard someone call out as she fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

+ Shift +

Kiara brought a steaming mug to her lips and sipped lightly. It wasn't the best hot chocolate she'd ever had, but it always tickled her when Calli tried making things like this. Death's self proclaimed apprentice stood with her own mug, too high strung to sit. Kiara sighed. It was a familiar pattern.

She'd spent long swathes of time traveling with Calli throughout her lifetimes, and every time something unexpected happened she would fall back on those same coping mechanisms.

"I'm not saying you're wrong, okay?" Calli said, waving her free hand. "But she was there. Victim or not, we have to interrogate her."

Kiara nodded, watching her over the rim of her mug. "I'm not going to argue with you. However, we should take the fact that she suddenly passed out into account. If we are going to interrogate her, we need to do so gently. Make her feel at ease, you know?"

Calli paced, passing by the couch where the mystery woman slept. She regarded her, chewing on her lip. "They had more monsters, Kiara. There was nothing of the sort in the first few hideouts, then there was one, and now there's, like, ten!" She took a sip from her mug and grimaced. It was probably still too hot. "They're escalating. We don't even know how many human souls they need to turn themselves into monsters, and they're churning them out a handful at a time. We don't have time to be gentle."

It was easy to forget, sometimes, that Calli didn't have the connection to humanity that Kiara did. She was most often with them in their final moments, and most of her interactions with the living were either transactional or confrontational. She was always on. Always working. Kiara could temper that personal distance when they were together, but they weren't always together.

Most of Kiara's lives were spent seeing the world and meeting its people. She absorbed language and culture on a broad scale, and made an effort to understand individuals whenever she could. Her web of connections was so vast and complex that not even she herself knew the full scope of it.

The apartment they were currently using was a perfect example. Kiara had never been to Holiv city before, but there were people here who's lives she'd touched in one way or another. They'd gained this base of operations thanks in no small part to her understanding of people.

Kiara set down her mug and met Calli's eyes. "When it comes to meting out justice in regards to death, I rely on your experience. But in this case, when applying too much pressure could cost us a lead we desperately need, I need you to rely on my experience." She held the reaper's gaze until she stopped pacing.

Finally, Calli relented. "Fine," she said after a deep breath, "I'll leave the interrogation to you. But remember that the clock is ticking. Please." Calli took a seat across from Kiara. She looked at the steam rising from her drink and blew gently across its surface.

Kiara smiled. There was a time, in the far distant past, when Calli would have disregarded suggestions like that right away. She may not have had many connections to living people, but Kiara liked to think that their friendship had gone a long way in broadening her sense of empathy.

With that discussion resolved, a serious question remained. How exactly should Kiara approach the woman passed out on the couch? She could use Calli's approach and take a pragmatic stance, but that felt so impersonal. Empathy was going to be key, so she needed to understand the woman better.

Kiara leaned on her hand, watching the woman's chest rise and fall. At a glance, there was nothing extraordinary about her. She was a young woman who just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. But then, that in itself was an oddity. Perhaps, unlike what Calli thought, the woman was seeking information about the cult, same as them. But then she surely would have approached Calli and Kiara for answers, wouldn't she?

Or maybe not. She did seem particularly focused on Calli, rather than the transformed cultists. To say that she had been frightened when Kiara leapt in between them would be an understatement. Part of the cult or not, she seemed to be aware of Calli's nature. And yet, she still fought. She didn't beg for her life or try to flee when given the chance. No, she fought back and managed to take Calli by surprise.

Kiara's eyes drifted to the metallic sleeves sitting on the table beside the couch. They weren't much to look at, but their function astounded her. If what Calli told her was true, those hastily welded metal lattices greatly boosted the woman's physical abilities. Things like that existed in fiction and the minds of ambitious inventors, but she'd never seen anything like it in all her lives. It was dazzling.

Information regarding the cult was the priority, but Kiara found herself desperate to ask about those fantastical armaments. She wondered how they'd fit her, and, more importantly, if they'd look good on her. Sleeve jewelry wasn't currently in fashion, but maybe she could pull it off. Their cobbled together appearance might even kick start a trashcore revolution!

The woman stirred, pulling Kiara out of her fantasy. She held her breath as their mysterious guest slowly opened her eyes.

And then the woman yelped, nearly falling off the couch. She sat up, clutching first at the back of the couch, then at her waist–looking for her gun, most likely–and finally at her arms. Her eyes were wide and she started hyperventilating. Kiara leapt into action, sliding up to the couch before the woman could set eyes on Calli.

"Hey! Hey, It's alright. You're safe. It's okay." She held her hands up, fingers spread and spoke softly.

The woman looked at her, eyes wild. After a few seconds, her expression softened. She probably recognized Kiara, but their first meeting was so brief. She needed something more solid than a vague impression.

"Do you remember me? My name is Kiara. Takanashi Kiara. You're in an apartment I'm borrowing. You're safe." Kiara held the woman's gaze, coaxing her out of her panic. "Can you tell me your name?"

The woman's breathing settled and she opened her mouth as if to speak. But then she saw Calli. She breathed in sharply. It looked like she was about to lose her cool again. She didn't, though. "My name is . . . Amelia," she said after forcing her attention back to Kiara. "I'm Amelia Watson."

Excitement bloomed in Kiara's chest. She'd just learned something about this enigma of a woman! Her name, no less! She grabbed her guest's hands and leaned in. "Amelia, huh? That's such a pretty name! You made those, right?" She pointed to the sleeves on the end table.

"Huh? I, uhh . . . Yes?" Amelia said.

Kiara squealed. "How did you do it? I heard they made you faster and stronger. How do they work? Is it a special metal or something?"

Amelia's mouth opened and closed wordlessly. She looked as if she was about to find her voice and explain, but Calli butted in. "You can ask her about accessories later. There are more important questions you need to be asking first." Their guest shrank back and shot Calli a dark look.

"Sorry about her, Amelia," Kiara said, shooting Calli a cold look of her own. "She isn't really a people person. Why don't you have a seat over here so we can talk. At your pace, of course." She gestured to the small round table. There was a moment of tension that put Kiara on edge, but Amelia eventually nodded. Kiara helped her into a seat and shooed Calli away. "Can I get you something to drink? We can whip you up some hot chocolate if you like!"

"Hot . . . chocolate?" Amelia cocked an eyebrow. She stroked her chin, considering. "No, thank you."

A straightforward rejection. But Kiara wasn't fooled. "Never had chocolate before, huh? Don't worry, you'll love it." She looked at Calli and gestured towards the kitchen. Calli groaned, but went to make Amelia a cup anyways.

"You really don't have to," Amelia said. Her face looked a little green. Maybe she was worried about drinking something prepared by death herself. Either way, it was okay if she didn't drink it at all.

Kiara leaned over the table and lowered her voice. "Now that Ms. Killjoy is gone, tell me about those sleeves." She tried grinning in a conspiratorial way. Amelia's complexion returned to normal and the barest hints of a smile touched her lips.

The walls were coming down. Little by little.

"Okay . . . So, what do you want to know?" Amelia said, leaning in ever so slightly.

"How do they work?! Like, is it some kind of mystical metal?" Kiara gasped, questions blossoming in her mind, "They aren't magical, are they?"

"Magical? N-no, not all. Do you know the Rosenthal Principle?" Kiara shook her head. Amelia chewed her lip, "Okay . . . well, the idea is to make two points in space equal, allowing you to swap the properties of those two points. In practice, it was used to move resources from one location to another instantaneously."

"That sounds . . . unreal! Like teleportation, yeah? I've never heard anything like it!

"Really? Maybe it hasn't been discovered yet. But that's the basis for the exosuit. By interrupting the Rosenthal Principle using a device in my belt, I can change the equalization into a zero-sum." The words flowed out of Amelia's mouth like a waterfall. Kiara tried to listen and understand, but these were concepts she had no knowledge of. And what did she mean it hadn't been discovered yet?

"The result," she said, continuing, "is a distortion in space-time that repeats my movements, compounding them in the same instant to produce explosive force." Amelia paused. She probably noticed the lack of comprehension on Kiara's face. "I might be able to find you some papers that can explain it better. Although, now that I think about it, those papers might not have been written yet. Hmm . . ."

Kiara stared as Amelia fell into deep thought. Distortions in space-time? Papers that hadn't been written yet? Normally, hearing things like that, Kiara would write the speaker off as delusional. But Amelia didn't give off that vibe at all. Her words weren't just confident, they held the weight of informed knowledge backed by actual research.

But no, that would be crazy! She'd have to be some kind of–

"Now hold on a second," Calli said, slamming a mug on the table in front of Amelia who shrank back. Damn her supernaturally good hearing! "You're trying to say that the science that makes those sleeves work hasn't been invented yet?"

Kiara put her hand on Calli's arm, "Wait, Calli. I don't think she's ready to talk to you yet."

"Tough. She knew where that cult hideout was. You know me! That can't be a coincidence. Add those sleeves into the equation and it very much sounds like this woman can see the future." Calli crossed her arms and looked down at Amelia. Their guest was tense, but she seemed less afraid than before. It was more like she was working through something. "So tell me, Amelia Watson, who are you really? How do you know who I am? What are you after, and what does it have to do with that cult?"

Amelia's eyes lost focus and her skin became clammy. Kiara worried that this sort of interrogation might be too much at this early stage, but just as she was about to interject, Amelia took a deep breath. She forced herself to look into Calli's eyes.

"My name is Amelia Watson," she said, teeth almost chattering. "I know who you are because I've encountered you. Not in the past, but in the future."

+ Break +

Ina stepped carefully through the aisle between pews. A pair of bodyguards shadowed her closely in case she tripped. They couldn't have the priestess falling on her face in front of so many acolytes. Even if it was too dark to see clearly.

A chanting arose when she reached the dais, growing louder with each step as she took her place at the podium and looked out over the congregation. The chanting became a buzz, a soft white noise that made applying the desired suggestion easier. Ina tried to see their faces, but between the shadows of their hoods and the thick haze of incense she couldn't make out anything but ambiguous black blobs.

She could feel them focusing on her, though. It was a familiar feeling after so many years of sermons, but it never stopped being unsettling. At this point, they'd all be in a trance, eyes bloodshot, beady, and eager. When she was first made the priestess, she thought they were all looking at her, but that wasn't entirely true. Their focus was certainly on her, but what they were waiting for were the words she would speak. The holy words supposedly given to her by the Ancient Ones themselves.

Ina looked down at the thick tome sitting atop the podium. This was what they really wanted. The knowledge, the secrets, the answers contained within the pages of this book. Only she, as the priestess, was allowed to witness what was written, as far as the acolytes knew. The words of the Ancient Ones, unfiltered by the priestess's divine personage, would twist the minds of mortal beings. That much was true, at least.

Knowledge of the universe was a dangerous thing, more so than any of them knew. She'd seen the void first hand. She had felt its power. She had been lost in it. But she would not be lost in that maddening darkness again. Not after today.

The tips of Ina's fingers prickled with excitement. She wasn't free yet, but the conspiracy made her feel like she was far away from this dank, dimly lit chamber. It was just about time.

Somebody approached the podium from behind and Ina froze. Nobody else was supposed to take the stage while she was preparing for the sermon. She turned and all the warmth in her body vanished.

She was a child again, one of two standing before a gateway into darkness, and that man was watching her. He wanted to see which, if either of them, would return. There was a hunger in his eyes then, and that hadn't changed in the years since.

Castor Kaygill stood before the congregation with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked down at the acolytes with a condescending smirk. "Everyone gathered here, each and every one of us, has seen the color fading from our world. We have all been made to feel powerless, our color leached from us." He spoke confidently and the people chanting leaned in. "Well, we may have been powerless once, but no longer. The Ancient Ones grant us their blessings, and we in turn prepare for their arrival. Today, we have been given a great responsibility. A tremendous honor."

The eyes of the acolytes drifted to Castor and stayed fixated on him. It was a rare occasion that the current head of the Order would appear at a sermon. Rarer still for him to come anywhere near Ina. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and she shrunk back reflexively. Ever since she reemerged from the void he'd kept his distance. She thought it was disgust that kept him away. It certainly wasn't reverence.

"The Ancient Ones have deigned to speak with us! I and the other heralds feel that the time has come at last. The end is nigh, my friends." He gestured towards Ina, "This vessel granted to us by the Ancient Ones will soon serve its purpose. It will beckon forth the genesis of a new world! A world of color, vibrant and divine! All the priestess needs to do is read the revelation gifted to us, and our time will come."

The leader of the Order stepped aside and the acolytes returned their attention to Ina. She couldn't look at them and she certainly couldn't look at Castor, though she knew what she would see. A wicked smile oozing with self satisfaction.

She stared at the tome, trembling. Something wasn't right about this sermon. She'd read this grimoire many times–as far as a book filled with scribbled nonsense could be read–but looking at it now made her feel cold. It felt like she was staring into the void once again. A faint light drifted off of the bindings and Ina's heart nearly stopped

If she opened the book, she would be thrust back into the darkness. And this time, she would be lost as well.

The deafening chime of the prayer bell rang out. It was yet another facet of the order's manipulation. Within this room, the sheer volume would overload the congregation's senses, leaving them vulnerable. But it didn't end there. The ringing of the bell would be relayed throughout the compound to inform anyone not at the sermon to begin praying.

It was the signal she'd agreed upon with Gura.

With the ringing of the bell, their plan was in motion. Ina had expected Gura to arrive shortly after the sermon began, but she couldn't open the book. She couldn't begin the sermon. She stood in silence at the podium, ears ringing, while the congregation watched. They expected to be enthralled by her words.

So she spoke. For the first time in her life, she deviated from the script laid out for her by the order. "I don't usually say this, but I would like to thank everyone who has come to hear me speak today." Her voice shook and her throat felt so dry that she had to force most of the words out. "We've been . . . traveling . . . down this path for a long, long time. Longer, for some more than others.

"I think I speak for the order as a whole when I say that you all are the heart of . . . our faith. And the color you bring to the world is something beautiful." The acolytes seemed to be responding well to her floundering. She probably couldn't say the same about Castor.

No, she definitely couldn't. She could feel his gaze on her back. It burned. He wasn't smiling anymore, she would wager. The menacing pressure he was giving off made her sweat, but he wouldn't make a move here.

Ina wasn't proud of her part in the Order, but she couldn't deny the benefits of being the face of the heraldry. Castor's only options were to let her speak or damage his image before the acolytes. "I am . . . honored to stand here before you all. That I can deliver the Ancient Ones' revelations is the highest blessing one such as myself can achieve." The doors opened at the far end of the chamber and Ina's heart swelled with hope. Only for it to be crushed immediately.

Agents of the heraldry filed in and took up positions between the pews. They couldn't stop her right now, but if she deviated any further they could probably use her rambling as an excuse to convince the acolytes. She was running out of time. She couldn't open the book, no matter what, but who knew what the leaders of the Order would do to repay this insubordination.

Please hurry, Gura, she thought as the narrow opening she saw for escape quickly closed.

The doors opened once again, slamming against the walls and nearly coming off their hinges. As if in answer to her desperate prayer, Gura strolled into the chamber holding what appeared to be a large metal bar, heedless of the agents nervously surrounding her. Seeing her there was almost enough to make Ina cry, but she couldn't afford to waste time.

She took a deep breath and spoke as clearly as she could, "I think you should all duck!" As the words left her lips, Gura hefted the metal bar that she pulled from who knew where. Ina spun, ducking behind the podium and for a brief moment she met the leader's eyes. The sheer fury on his face could have burned the entire compound to the ground.

It was immensely satisfying.

+ Shift +

Gura hoisted the metal beam she tore out of the wall over her shoulder. She tightened her grip and breathed in slowly. It had been a real long time since she'd exerted herself like this, so she needed to try and not get carried away. She felt a rush as Ina ducked out of the way.

She threw the beam. It struck the wall, passing through like it was tissue paper. The wall exploded outward moments later. The one behind it burst too. And the one after that. And the one after that.

Maybe she didn't let off the gas enough.

Oh well!

Gura dashed between the pews, knocking aside order muscle as she went. When she reached the dais she scooped Ina up, flicked that jerk Castor the bird, and leapt through the gaping holes on the walls.

She touched down in a courtyard that was much smaller than the oasis. The walls weren't disguised and the grass was fake. It was one of many constructed earlier in the compound's life. Gura had seen many like it added each time the floor plan was updated over the years. She set Ina down and made for a door that she knew would lead them closer to the exit.

The sound of shouting reached her ears as they ducked out of the courtyard. The agents of the heraldry were coordinated, but most of their training was meant to keep control of the acolytes should they become unruly. They didn't stand a chance at stopping Gura, who could just make a new door if she needed one.

"How you doing, Ina?" she called as she sprinted through the maze-like corridors, friend in tow..

"I'm fine . . . I think!" Ina held onto Gura's hand tightly. It was a little awkward basically dragging her along, but with the height difference carrying her would have been even worse.

The corridors became sharper and more confusing, forcing them to stop. Gura didn't really want to punch a bunch of holes in the compound–she'd called this place home for some time now–but mazes weren't her thing. And when she thought about it, it wasn't like she was coming back here anytime soon. So she pushed on, clearing a path by knocking down wall after wall.

And eventually they burst out into the open air. The moon was shining brilliantly overhead so Gura stopped to greet it, old friend that it was. For millennia, that big rock in the sky had been her only companion, giving her someone to talk to on her travels. She took a long breath of crisp, nighttime air, savoring it.

She'd allowed the order to seclude her decades ago, thinking that it would help her forget. She hadn't realized how much she regretted that decision until now. At least it wasn't all bad. She silently bid the moon farewell and checked on her new friend. This one could actually talk back.

Ina breathed out, staring at the fog it created. "It's so . . . cold."

"Wanna borrow my hoodie?"

"No, no. That's alright." Ina said, rubbing her arms. "I don't think it would fit very well."

Gura pouted. Ina was only a little taller than her, so it should have been fine. They didn't have time to argue, though. The order would be scrambling from this sudden escape, but they'd find their footing quickly enough. Gura grabbed Ina's hand again and led her away from the compound and into the thick woods surrounding it.

The forest floor was mostly clean, but Ina still stumbled occasionally. She couldn't see in the darkness as well as Gura could even with the moonlight shining through the branches. That could become a problem, but for now, she was keeping up well enough.

Gura kept her eyes peeled as the ground began to slope. The order's compound was situated on a mountainside overlooking a valley. When she was first invited in, they were constructing a settlement to help fund their activities. If she could just remember what direction they needed to go . . .

There! She spotted lights in the distance. A lot of lights. Way more than she expected. She could see a glow above the city that used to be a glorified rest stop.

She slowed, fighting a tightness in her chest. Densely populated areas were sort of . . . problematic. But what other choice did they have? A place with a lot of people would make for good cover, and Ina was clearly feeling the cold in her ritual outfit no matter what she said. Gura fought back her anxiety and pushed on towards the lights.

But then Ina's hand slipped from hers. Gura spun, concerned, to find Ina with a hand on her knee and the other clutched close to her chest. "Ina? Are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah . . . just tired," she gasped, finding a place to sit beside a tree. Gura hovered around her as she caught her breath. Her arms and legs were completely exposed in that outfit the order had her wear, and her face was flushed. Leaving during a sermon wasn't a bad idea, but they couldn't have known what time of day it was outside. If they had chosen to escape when Ina was wearing something warmer, they could have avoided this issue.

Ina threw her head back, blowing foggy breathes into the air. She was holding something, Gura realized. It looked like a book. "What is that?"

"What?" Ina said, huffing. She held up the book, "You mean this? It's the . . . tome of the Ancient Ones. I was supposed to read scripture from it."

"You probably should have left that behind." Gura chuckled.

But Ina wasn't laughing. "No, I couldn't." She squinted at the book, huffing and puffing. Was she really that exhausted? "There's something wrong with it. I can feel a power from it that was never there before. It feels like . . . the void."

Gura drew back. That void was a touchy subject for Ina. On a similar level to Gura's own past, for sure, but one she didn't really understand.

"I couldn't leave it with them," Ina said. She grit her teeth. "And I definitely couldn't leave it with him." She pulled her knees close to her chest and rested her head between them, breathing hard.

"Alright, I get you," Gura said, peering back through the woods. There weren't any signs of pursuers just yet, but that didn't mean they weren't on the way. "I know you're tired, Ina, but we need to keep moving. The sooner we reach the city, the better." She knelt down and gave her a soft pat on the head. "Ina?" She touched her companion's shoulder and gasped.

Ina's skin was hot to the touch. Her breathing was still ragged and it wasn't getting better. Her eyes were shut tight and her face was even more flushed than before. Despite the cold, she was sweating.

"What do I . . ." Gura tried fanning Ina's face with her sleeves, but it couldn't have been doing any good. She was clearly sick and needed some kind of treatment. "W-we need to go!" She picked Ina up, throwing her over her shoulder, cursing Ina's relatively long legs.

Desperate to get her friend out of the cold, Gura dashed through the trees.

She sped down the mounting towards the city that used to be the Holiv Valley trading post.

+ Break +

Calli rubbed her eyes until she saw spots. The things Amelia told her bounced around in her brain in a jumbled mess. Time travel from a ruined future? A giant monster and an evil priestess? A creature wielding the power of death that happened to resemble her? She couldn't make sense of it at all.

Her hot chocolate wasn't even warm anymore, but she gulped it down anyway. She should have prepared coffee instead. She needed something to settle her nerves.

Things would have been simple if she could have just dismissed the story. It was ridiculous enough. But Calli had a wealth of experience handling people who lied like they breathed, and even more with people suffering from complex delusions. She could spot the fabrications in their stories easily. Nothing Amelia said sounded like a lie or figment.

It was frustrating. Frightening, even. Worse, she couldn't be sure she could trust Amelia even if she was being completely honest. The woman was a wild card in this already crazy game of cults and supernatural monsters. A lie was one thing, but omissions of the truth were virtually impossible to spot. If Amelia had ulterior motives, they might not find out until it was too late.

Calli leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, and watched Amelia closely. She sat at the side of the table, staring at her untouched lukewarm chocolate. She was disturbed by the things she'd lived through. At the same time, though, she was determined to accomplish her goal.

She wanted to change the future she was born into, and she thought the cult they'd been hunting was a key part in doing so. Calli hated to admit it, but Kiara was right. This woman was an asset they could use. Treating her with suspicion and draining her of information–using her up–would be a waste.

Kiara shot Calli a look, eyebrow cocked. The slight smile on her lips made it clear she knew what Calli was thinking. They'd known each other for way too long.

Calli cleared her throat. "To be frank, Amelia, what you've told us is hard to believe. It's so out there that I wouldn't feel bad laughing you out of the building. But, against my better judgment, I believe you."

"You do?!" Amelia slammed her hands down on the table, eyes wide. At least she understood how difficult it was to come to this conclusion. "Are you . . . sure?"

"No. But we need help. Things with this cult are escalating quickly and something needs to be done." Calli stood and rounded the table. Amelia scrambled to her feet and looked up at Calli, apprehensive. "You arrived here, in this time, only a short while ago, and yet you managed to identify and track down the cult that we've been pursuing for weeks. With a mind that can wrap itself around patterns that we've missed and potential knowledge of the future, we'd be fools not to ask for your help." She held out her hand, "Can we count on your assistance in taking down this cult, Amelia?"

The future girl stared at her hand in a daze. They stood there long enough that Calli started to feel awkward. Just as she was about to pull away, though, Amelia reached up and tentatively took her hand.

"I'll help," she said, her voice tight. "There are some things I'm going to need, though."

Calli shook Amelia's hand, tightening her grip ever so slightly so as not to scare her. "We'll get you whatever you need . . . within reason."

"Thank you." Amelia said while looking Calli in the eye. There was still fear there, and Calli couldn't blame her. Trauma had a way of following people to their graves and even beyond. She didn't trust Calli just yet.

But it was a start.