*nervous laughs* Hey again, it's Master Lique, after a hella long time of major sacking! Here is December's journal entries.

–Master L

Jackal's Diary: December

December 1, X791 7:23p.m.

I think I have insomnia. I haven't been able to sleep in days. It's not scary thoughts or anything, it's just... I keep seeing that BUNNY GIRL! It's all Lamy's fault I'm not sleeping! She doesn't know my feelings, I doubt she even feels things aside from anger. The brat looks more aged and tired than Silver.

I'm body tired as fuck and brain active as hell. Tempesta offered to punch my gut to put me to sleep, and Minerva wanted to make me take some medicine, (looked like fuckin' poison) and Angelic? Haven't spoken to her in a bit. I haven't been eating a lot. Same for Kyôka; her sickness got worse. She coughs a lot. Nobody is allowed to visit her without masks and hairnets and "protection" or whatever. (oh my GOD the hair nets). She's freakishly pale. I don't know how to help her. No one can. We've tried all the medicines, but they said they'd have to kill her. Put her down like a fucking animal. I didn't cry. Crying wastes energy. Why isn't she healing fast like the rest of us?

I'm tired. I'm about to give my journal to Sayla. She talks to Kyôka through the door.

Jackal please don't tell anyone else this just yet. They plan to execute Kyôka tomorrow morning, 10:00 sharp. They executed the others who went missing. Do not be fooled by the incurable sickness. There is a plant that grows in the human unit 2301. Silver can fetch it for us. I want you to mix it in my orange juice tomorrow. I will take it to Kyôka. It will taste nasty and it smells like sulfur.

Kyôka will have one hour of unsupervised freedom tonight. Do not tell anyone but Tempesta, Lamy, Minerva, you know the rest.

December 2, X791, 9:40a.m.

Sayla's message sent chills up my spine. 2301 was the same cell I was locked in. Truthfully, I'm nervous around the few humans that live here. But I have to. For Kyôka. I'll bring Mollison. Angelic is ignoring everyone, like she's blind or deaf. Minerva is missing again and so is Lamy :(

Sucks what happens to Keyes, Fran, Ezel and Tora. I'd kick all their asses for dying like that. I bet we'll meet again. I gotta go.

Jackal only let Tempesta join in his plan to track down the abandoned cell in the humans unit. Every trusted person knew enough.

"We will take what we need and nothing more," Tempesta said. Jackal nodded in agreement. "If she's suddenly better, they have to let her live," Jackal replied. Tempesta was uncertain of that. But I know she will be spared if they succeed.

And so, they set off to execute their plan. Nobody thought to ask how anyone found about this herb, much less why it was easily accessible. Jackal hissed a human boysomewhere along the way. He ran away, no surprise. The halls of the one little human unit were quite empty, and much more neglected than the demon units. Cell two-three-zero-one was on the second floor, easy to find.

The sulfuric odor wafted from the cell.

"Jackpot," Jackal whispered. "We should get some for everyone so we're all safe!"

"But how do we know there's enough?" he questioned, peering inside. Vibes traveled across the walls in naturally formed patterns. The floor was covered in leaves in varying stages of decay. The odor was overwhelming inside. Jackal was surprised by the sheer size of the plant. Every inch of the walls were covered in greenish pink vines and leaves. Jackal began plucking stems and shoving them in his pockets. Tempesta plucked a leaf, then ate it. His face scrunched up from the bitter taste.

"It's so bad!" he coughed, spitting the half chewed leaves out. Jackal tried one. It was very bitter, but he did not feel a need to spit it out.

"Eat it, stop being a bitch," Jackal glared. "We are doing this for Kyôka."

"Yeah, yeah," Tempesta muttered. He swallowed the leaf whole instead, cringing. The bitterness still clung to his tongue. Jackal laughed at his expense. Tempesta shushed him with a finger to his lips. Jackal smacked his hand, growing with teeth bared. Tempesta rolled his eyes. Jackal was cute when he tried to act tough.

The two demons departed from the human unit. Other inmates avoided the stench they carried, all the way to the block where Sayla stayed. After presenting their treasure, Sayla hugged them both.

"Let's save Kyôka."

December 4, X791 midnight

I'm in a huge tunnel right now. We're going COAL MINING! This is so fucking awesome I wish I could take pictures! Kyôka was spared, thank god. I guess the herbs really did work.

We're walking in an emerald cave. It's glowing bright green! Lamy showed up covered in less marks than before. She isn't smiling today either, and her eyes are dull as usual.

She just keeps telling everyone she's fine. Liar... Minerva is with us. All her hair was cut into a short bob. Sayla did it for her. It looked good. Nobody wanted to say her stomach was growling. Sometimes Minerva rubbed it. It's so obvious it's a fetus. We all lost weight since the Feast passed. Thanks shitty prison food. :P I'm worried about Angelic the most. She keeps ignoring me! idk what I did to her

Silver seems to be alright with everyone. He's shoving emeralds in his pocket, that bastard better give me one! I don't know why they took us down here.

December 18, X791 10:32p.m.

We've been exploring the mine so much, I don't have the energy to write everyday. We found fossils, old boots, books, chests and DEAD BODIES! Skeletons, whatever.

I had a blast, but we got trapped a lot. Lamy is smiling more. Angelic keeps kicking my knee and I'm wearing a damn brace after a fall in a pit! What the hell did I do!? Somehow, Silver was allowed to take a bigger rock out of the mines! He started carving the moment he went to bed. It was for Keyes, Fran, Tora, and Ezel.

KEYES. FRANMALTH. TORAFUSA. EZEL.

REST IN PUTRIDNESS

Honestly, understandable. Angelica wants to use my journal again...

Jackal, I know thou hath feelings for her. I struggle each day with secrets. Put down your cowardice shield and tell her! I am telepathic, do not forget. I am not angrily, but impatient. You must tell her, or she might choose another. Choose a subpar mate. Do you want the love of your life to leave you so early. If not, STOP BEING A LITTLE BOY!

Timeskip

I'm sick of this weird energy. I LIKE LAMY! SHIT! I think of her all the time. Her smile put me under a spell. She isn't the annoying brat she used to be. Or maybe I'm the one changing. She's so strong and beautiful now. Her eyes shine in the dullest light, even if they try to take her light. Her hair looks smooth as snow. It's long since lost its black color, but that's okay. I love that she doesn't like worrying us, it means to cares. I WANT HER TO NEED ME. It scares me. I'll tell her. I'll do it.

December 19, X791 midnight

Lamy was being burned and cut by a female officer. She hated my Lamy. She hates wearing clothes because they rub on her wounds. I don't care if the marks fade. I wanted to kill that officer. I wanted to pummel her face like clay and run away from here. Lamy would be free if I did that, right? I'm so sick of this place.

(A note fell out of the book as a page was flipped. The handwriting was neat and small)

Note:

I want to hold your hand and braid your hair. It looks so pretty. If these cold walls didn't keep us apart, you'd know who I am by now.

I wish I was aware someone had a crush on me. Big deal. Lamy has me now, fucking loser.

4:32a.m.

Her name is Nina Cortez Delgradó. Apparently, she was being a "jealous bitch" and hurt my friend. I'm so pissed at her. Kyôka and Silver had to pull me from beating her face in. Kyôka's right arm popped off. I think someone sedated me. I clawed that bitch up, then I was out cold.

Nobody likes her now. Good. I hope she learned from my fists! I had another weird dream. We were in a bright room filled with pretty flowers and vines going up the wall. It looked like cell 2301, but it smelled flowery and clean. Lamy and I were in the nude, lying on a bed of moss. It was uncomfortable and super embarrassing, even in my dream!

Suddenly, she ate my face and burned everything. 0_O yes. It happened. I got all shaken up and woke up, sweating. It was just a dream though. I'm used to those now... Kyôka can at least move her arms again, and can hold heavier things like big rocks from the mines! Kyôka might get mechanical arms, unsure when or where. I've seen those things. They're fucking cool, like part robots! Damn it. I lost my pinky toe in that fall! Does that count at least!?

December 24, X791

We've been super busy putting up decorations. There's this celebration, Christian was it? Christmas! It's this holiday where we spend time with people and exchange small gifts! Who the fuck is making gifts in this dump?

I've never heard of such a weird bargain holiday! Someone said it's for the humans' worship. They have a God as in God Slayer? Dragon God?? I don't know. I heard some "religion freaks" talking about it and spreading the "faith".

Weird.

Anyway, the humans built a tree using a rusty pole with spikes and covered it with little trinkets and shit. And you know what? It wasn't bad for a trash kabob. Silver came up with a small top for this thing. It was crossed little hammers that had even smaller wings. It was cool. Whichever guard chose to make that was a real one. He called it "Night Fairy Hammers" I just know that's a Fairy Tail thing. It's so unoriginal and dumb. Old fart.

But that got me thinking. We were a guild once. Dark guild, sure. We're still mostly together now. We could give ourselves a new name.

Night Fairies

Tartaros Seven

Black Deeath Devil

Night Elves

Something better will come. Those names suck.

11:24

Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child; holy infant, so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, Holy night, son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Silent night, Holy night, shepherds quake, at the sight

Glories stream from heaven above, Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah.

Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior s born.

Angelic here. We are singing carols, but the so-called "Night Fairies" refused to join. Their confused expressions are amusing. Only Silver could read the few sheets of music the humans passed around. I enjoy the carols every year. Lamy guessed the notes to the words. She sounds like a dying lamb being eaten my a zombie. At least her throat limited her volume. No, it was insecurity. Jackal was giggling like a child at Lamy and her awful vocal cords. I think he just made her sound worse. Good grief!

Minerva, Mollison, Sayla and Kyôka have just returned. Jackal started crying again, wailing about his failures in Earthland. Silver kept the carols going until the end and Lamy eventually left. No one has seen Tempesta, assuming he just didn't care for festivities. I guess she has things to do. I'm following her now. She's just entered a dark room. I go inside and hide somewhere they won't see me, under this bed. That Cortez woman is here too. She is internally angry about Jackal injuring her. Now she's thinking of... oh no.

"Strip." Lamy is taking her clothes off? I'll be sure to tell on her to Jackal, but something tells me I shouldn't interfere just yet. Lamy is really shy.

Her thoughts aren't right. Why does she keep coming back to this person? Why does she crave this horrible treatment?

Nina hugs her.

"Your body is so much better ugly and bruised."

Nina kisses her arms and the nearly faded on her face and neck. She kisses Lamy's bare chest, stomach and legs. Nina smiled, I hate her smile. She must be crazy. Abuse isn't pretty at all. Lamy was frozen in her spot, and silent. Nina tells her to redress. Lamy gets dressed again and leaves.

Once outside, Angelic felt the demon's humiliation and anger. "I want her to myself," Nina growled. "Jackal needs to go." Nina left the room, going in the opposite direction.

I kept my mouth shut as I snuck out of that rock . I have to tell Jackal. That woman is bad, very bad.

December 25, a little past midnight

It's Christmas! We all were forced to go to sleep like a bunch of bratty kids and guess what! There was a tree and mountain loads of pretty boxes! I don't trust a single thing in those gifts, we Tartaros got littler boxes. Kyôka said she was skeptical as well. There are lots desserts, turkeys and milk made of sweet eggs! I forget the name.

Minerva said it tasted like cinnamon. But then she got drunk, like a lot of happy bastards here, and we sang and dance to music. I saw flutes, little drums, these very ugly looking horns, and banjos? I couldn't tell. I ate lots. I ate myself into a paralysis from the fullness. Is jail supposed to be this uplifting? I thought we were going to die??

I think the shithead workers are disappearing. Minerva isn't scared of her shadow anymore. These guards are so different. Oh... Angelic saw Lamy and wants to narrate again. T_T you needy toddler.

I'm far from a toddler, you twat.

Lamy had been sitting down the whole time. She was certain she didn't have any gifts. Sighing, she walks over to Jackal, frowning.

"Yo, Lamy! Where is your little box?"

"Oh, I didn't get any," she shrugged. Jackal looked puzzled. "Did you look for it? I saw one with your name on a tag. It's still there."

Jackal got down on the floor and practically dove under the tree. Lamy chuckled a little watching his tail nearly know an ornament to the floor. The "star"—whoever decorated kept Silver's Tartaros symbol with the wings—glowed bright on it, sparkling the ornaments as well. That was the main light in the serving room.

He eventually pulled out a perfectly cubed box. A gold tag read 'L A M Y' on it. Lamy's eyes light up and she took the box. She tore it open without much effort. Peering inside, her joy turned to mere content. "Uh, what's in it?"

Lamy smiled softly. Jackal couldn't help but stare at her face. "It's a letter, I think." Lamy drops the box, holding an envelope. Minerva burps and drinks water and wine. Kyoka grins. "Aren't you gonna open it?

"Uh-huh..." Lamy tears it open it glows. She yelps in surprise as a hologram warped above the paper.

"Friends, hear me now!" a deep, familiar voice announced. Keyes' face came to life. At least it looked like his skeleton. His face was real flesh like a person, covered in tattoos of a decorative skull. Eyes were empty sockets, of course. Sayla and Minerva joined Jack and Lamy. Then Kyôka and Silver. Silver frowned with disappointment.

"How is this possible?" the humanoid grunted.

"I, I dunno," Jackal replied truthfully. They began to notice how tired he looked. But a calmness was shown. He looked somewhere, then ducked at the sound of an explosion and the hologram warped again, nearly vanishing. Suddenly, Mard entered the hologram with Keyes, zooming it out.

"Don't worry about us," Mard said, grinning before the hologram finally vanished. The music still continued quietly over their puzzled murmurs. I glanced at the paper from where I sat. "They're in trouble, I think. But aren't they gone?" I asked.

"Apparently not, and they managed to sent a message," Kyôka replied. Sayla looked at Silver with a smirk. "You'll get your wish of kicking Keyes in the jaw after all, Silver."

Jackal looked over the paper, reading aloud.

"Everyone,

We're alive and as well anyone would be while stuck in another dimension. I found Keyes, but nobody else who came with us. We're in a massive labyrinth with these lightbulb shaped creatures intent on eliminating us. We have no abilities or Curses, no hunger or fear. Be not afraid for us, we're fine."

Nobody but Mard and Keyes? Perhaps they were just separated from Ezel and Franmalth in this dimension. I'm worried for them, but the others were relieved to find out they are alive, in a way. I closed my eyes, looking for Mard. It wasn't hard, as long as I had an object they touched or altered. I hope he did not go to this place too.

.

I finally found them. The makes wore thick metal helmets and distinctive jumpsuits, possibly lab rat uniforms. Mard wore roller skates and black gloves on his hands. For the short time I could observe, He threw a dynamite at a purple fuzzy beast. It lit up in green light and exploded. Interesting.

"This had to be some kind of experiment! Their adaptability, survival skills, and reflexes are tested here as they search for the exit, wherever it was. I can hear limited information as they created the message for Lamy. If subjects fail to cleanse specified locations of those beasts, they are left this maze for a very long time, until their souls perish or take over a beast form. Alas, it is just another prison they're meant to fail"

As I grounded myself again, I looked up to see Jackal standing close to me with a stern look in his eyes.

"What did you write, Lamy? What's this you said about a labyrinth?" Before answering, I turned to look around. I beckoned him closer so I could whisper. They cannot find out what I can do.

"I am a Veer, and I temporarily veered into Mard and Keyes' vision," I said in a whisper. Jackal's eyes widened. "It's true that they art in a maze that the dead are sent to, the dead people that did terrible and were never redeemed. The Forgotten is what I call them. They are meant to cleanse the labyrinth of an infinite population of beasts in a test of their abilities without magic or curse."

Surprisingly, none of the Tartaros group here seemed all that surprised. Considering the circumstances of their journey here, anything was possible.

"Is there a way out of this labyrinth?" Sayla whispered. I shook my head. "There are multiple exits, but only one was discovered. Unfortunately, that's all I could ever into."

"Well how did they manage to send a letter if they are in an experiment?" Jackal muttered.

"The labyrinth probably has a unique system of passing messages, which allow the "Subjects" to send letters out to their own world. Mard managed to find one of these systems, which eventually led back to here." I looked around, ensuring no one else was listening. Minerva sat down, covering her mouth as she burped. Jackal sat next to her. She neither flinched nor moved away.

"What are we talking about?" the Neo-demon asked. All eyes fall on me. Here goes nothing.

"As I said, I'm a Veer. I can see very far into a person based on an object they touch or alter. Also, my father was a doctor in that dimension." I swear it is true. I just don't bring it up since most don't even know that place exists. Of course they look shocked.

"Why you here, then?" Lamy asked. That look of pity is so annoying, I'm not a helpless child. That dimension is not a place anybody would ever dream of raising a child in.

"My father is dead and that dimension is not safe," I replied. Sayla was still processing this information. Kyôka wrapped her arm around Sayla's waist.

"You're a lot stronger than you seem," Jackal said. "How long have you been in this world?"

"A long time, I really know. Fathered used to send letters to my mother. She read them to me, and during the time that I was a few months old, I learned how to read and understand her. After her death, the letters came less. I read them out loud so I could pronounce the words, and eventually I gave responses, stating that I was sending the letters."

By now, the six of them had sat at the round table. Mollison eventually joined, sitting between Silver and me.

"It was about six months ago that he stopped sending letters," I concluded. "I either burned, flushed, or ate the evidence to protect myself. I didn't want to go back there." Lamy patted my head.

"You've got lots of maturity and wisdom, Angelic. You have us now, and we're not going anywhere without you," the bunny girl assured her.

"You're one of us now," Minerva said.

"I concur, you're the little sister we'll protect," Sayla grinned. I should probably tell them my Veer age...

"I beat up anyone who touched you," Jackal smirked, punching his fist into his other palm.

"What're we talking about?" Mollison questioned. I showed her the letter. She covered her gasp. She already knew, so there was nothing else to add.

"By the way," I said at last. "I'm not little, age wise. Veers age faster mentally. I'm probably as old as you." I pointed at Kyôka. "I could read and write at age two, but that was a very long time ago now."

December 27, X792

It's Jackal. I've been in a good mood lately. People were executed two days ago though. Apparently, they've been sexually harassing inmates, especially kids! We won't have to deal with them anymore, I hope. Hopefully Hell swallows them instead of that labyrinth. I hung out with Lamy, Sayla, Kyôka and other people today. I think Tempesta is avoiding us. I'd better go grab lunch before those other pigs for Demons eat it all.

(=;;;;) yeah... it's been a while... well, it IS December, and these are entries over DECEMBER. So yeah... (I started this damn chapter before August shame on me.)

27 July 2024: I changed names in places and certain details I was no longer pleased with. :) Tempesta is still around, just aloof.

- ML