Silent Guardian
"What the hell am I even doing here?" Sam thought as he crept through the old secluded manor, following the crowd into one of the small bedrooms.
The leader of the group looked the rest over from behind his thick black shades, running his fingers though his jet black hair as he began to speak.
"Listen up maggots! You're made it this far, but don't think you're in the clear. The last challenge of your pledge is to stay the night in this place. Doesn't sound too hard, does it? Did I mention it's haunted, or did you already hear the rumors? Don't go pissin yourselves boys, I'll see you in the morning... if you make it that long..."
On that note, he started making his way towards the door. Noting the droll expression on Sam's face, he stopped.
"Having second thoughts, pansy? Don't tell me you're wussing out now."
"Not a chance, Paul. I'm just not looking forward to associating with asses like you first thing tomorrow morning." Sam replied with a grin.
Lost for words, Paul stormed out of the room. The group unrolled their sleeping bags and unpacked their things.
"You know Paul's up to something. Thinks he can scare us, y'kno?" one of the guys said.
"Yea, can't scare me!" another replied.
Sam just kept quiet, listening in as usual while he set up his floodlight. No sooner did he set it up, it flickered and died within seconds. Within minutes, all but one or two lights had gone out.
"Damnit! I shoulda known Paul would give us all shitty lights. Good thing I packed my own." Sam thought as he pulled out his mag light.
"Hey, wanna go explore a bit? I gotta find the bathroom anyway." someone asked.
Sam decided to tag along out of boredom. He turned his head down the hall as he left the room, noticing what looked like a dress waving in the breeze in the open window.
"My eyes must be playing tricks on me. Just the freaking curtains." Sam grumbled as he shined his light on the window.
Suddenly, a loud shriek pierced the silent air. The group stopped, frozen in fear.
"What the fuck was that!?" one yelled.
"That was a girl's voice, this place must really be haunted!" another cried.
"Calm down. Kyle's a soprano, he could hit that pitch no problem. Wouldn't be surprised if he went as far as to dress the part. Hell, prolly gets off on that kind of shit." Sam grumbled, continuing on.
"That can't be, Kyle's sick. I just saw him the other day at the infirmary. He can barely speak let alone get his voice that high up." one of the others replied.
"So if it's not Kyle... maybe we're not the only ones here. Shit, I gotta find out what's going on, else it'll bug me all night. I'll catch up later." Sam said as he ran towards the direction of the scream. He made his way through the dark halls, trying to pinpoint where the scream came from. He slowly came to a stop, noticing one of the doors slightly ajar. Peering inside, Sam saw a young woman crying in the corner.
"Definitely not Kyle..." he thought as he shakily gave the door a soft knock.
The girl looked up, her pale hair falling over her face, red from tears. Her grey eyes immediately shot towards Sam, barely visible from behind the door.
"I-I'm sorry to intrude, but I heard a scream. I wanted to make sure everything with alright." he said, still hiding behind the door.
The girl quickly hid her face again, saying not a word. After a moment, she looked up shyly, only to notice Sam was gone.
Sam started to walk back the way he came, but stopped dead in his tracks, petrified with fear as he turned the corner. In front of him stood Paul, dressed in a black cloak and donning a cheap rubber mask. Behind Paul stood the shadowy figure of a gargantuan nine-foot tall, muscle bound behemoth.
"Damn, did I really scare ya that bad. What a little shit! All talk back there huh?" Paul squealed with laughter.
Sam shined his light up at the figure behind Paul. Though not nearly as grotesque as Sam imagined he would be, the man's stature alone was enough to make Sam shake with trepidation. He was dressed in a jet black suit that fit surprisingly well, considering his stature. His blond hair was slicked back, and his goatee was gelled to a point. He looked down at Paul with an angry glare, picking him up by the collar.
"So you think scaring my little sister is funny? I don't take kindly to that, not to mention you're trespassing. Time to go!" He said, his deep booming voice echoing through the hallway.
With that, he simply flung Paul out the open window a good twenty feet away.
"Next." he said, turning his attention towards Sam.
"I didn't do anything to your sister, I swear!" Sam pleaded, backing away.
"Oh, I know that. But still, you are trespassing." the man said calmly, lifting Sam into the air.
He closed his eyes, anticipating the worst. He could imagine himself flying out the window, crashing into god knows what on the way down.
"Julius, put him down!" a voice yelled.
"But Elise, he..." Julius protested.
"Down, now!" she said firmly.
Sam felt his feet once again come to rest on solid ground. Opening his eye, he was face to face with the young woman from before. As their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze.
"Why is it you're sparing this one? He's trespassing like the others." Julius grunted.
"Because he heard my scream and came to see if I was safe, unlike a certain someone..." she replied, shooting Julius a malicious glare.
"But I was chasing the one responsible!" he protested.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but who are you? I thought this place was abandoned." Sam interjected.
"I'm Elise, and this is my brother Julius. I can see why people have thought this house was abandoned, since we really don't get out much." Elise replied.
"And this would explain the so called ghosts..." Sam thought.
"Julius, please evict our other unwelcome guests. I'd like to have a word with Sam alone if you don't mind." Elise said, taking Sam by the hand.
"But Elise..." Julius protested.
"I'm a big girl, I can handle myself. That and I don't think Sam is the type you should be worried about." she replied, leading Sam into her room.
"Why is it she never listens to me..." Julius grumbled as he went looking for the other pledge members.
Elise closed the door behind her and had a seat on the bed, motioning for Sam to join her. He took a seat at the far end of the bed, an uncomfortable silence in the air.
"You look scared. Is it because of Julius? Don't worry about him, I'll keep him in check. Now, what brings you here exactly?" she asked, inching closer.
"My last challenge to get into this fraternity was to spend the night here. I really don't care about the frat much though. I just want to see it through to the end." Sam replied.
"But if you don't care about the frat then why bother?" Elise asked.
"I want to prove to myself I can do this."
"So you're unsure of yourself then." Elise replied with a grin.
"No, I know I can do whatever they challenged me to do."
"If you really are as secure as you say, then why do you have to prove it to yourself? I can certainly see you're not insecure about your abilities, but you really don't know why you're still here, do you?" Elise asked, her grin turning into a smile.
Sam gave her a blank stare, practically confirming her assertions.
"I'll let you figure that one out on your own." she said, giving him a wink.
"How do you know so much about me?" Sam asked, slightly irritated by her mind games.
"Well, lets just say I've had my eye on you for a while. I pulled a few strings so I could finally meet you in person..." she whispered in his ear.
"Fine, I've told you about me, now what about you?" he replied.
Elise looked away, a sullen look on her face.
"All I can say is I'm not like other girls. Perhaps you will see what I mean in the future, but I can say no more." she sighed.
"But there must be something you can tell me." Sam pleaded.
Julius poked his head through the door, looking over at Elise.
"Time to go, we've got a job to do." he said.
"We'll, I have to go. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to stay in the room across from mine. I'll be back in the evening, but you'll probably be asleep by then. Good night for now." she said with a wink as she walked out the door.
Sam went to follow, but by the time he reached the doorway they had both vanished. He felt a cold breeze blow through the open window at the end of the hall. He went back to his room to grab his belongings, and a few things his pledge mates left behind in their rush to get out, and walked back to the room Elise assigned to him. He flipped on the light switch, not surprised at the lack of light, seeing as the electricity had been shut off for years. He felt his way to the bed and changed into his flannel pants. Climbing under the covers, he fell asleep.
Elise and Julius walked the streets of the nearby university, donning black hooded cloaks. Elise noticed a young man hunched over the garbage can. He was obviously ill, holding his blond hair out of his face as his body convulsed, forcing him to revisit the dinner he had only minutes earlier. Julius took out a small phone and looked at it, then at the boy, then back at the phone.
"Kyle Arinneas, time's up." he murmured as he approached.
Sam slowly opened his eyes, still unsure of the time. Checking his watch, he saw it was still only five in the morning. He heard the door close downstairs as Julius and Elise returned. He looked up as his door creaked open.
"Oh, did I wake you?" Elise asked, poking her head inside.
"No, I've been up for a while. How was the job?" Sam asked.
"Smoother than I expected. Anything I can do to help you sleep?" she asked in reply.
"Not really. By the way, what's with the cloak?"
Elise looked down, embarrassed realizing she forgot to take it off before seeing Sam.
"It was for the rain..." she stammered.
"What rain? It's a perfectly clear night." Sam replied.
"Well if it did rain, I'd be ready for it!" she said, looking away.
"What are you hiding, Elise...." Sam thought.
Julius gave a light knock on the door, motioning for Elise to step outside. She gave Sam a smile as she walked out, closing the door behind her.
"Syndicate isn't going to like this. I'm with you if this is what you really want, but Syndicate is going to see him as an outsider, maybe even a threat." Julius said coldly.
"It's only natural they would, I'll just prove otherwise." Elise replied.
"Granted they give you the chance. You know how Dracina is. She's the shoot first, then shoot them again to make sure they're dead type. There's no way you're going to convince her this is a good idea."
"Then I'll just keep him out of the loop." Elise said grumpily.
"And when he inevitably finds out? Then what do you plan on doing?" Julius replied.
Elise was silent, but she gave Julius a look as if to say she would give anything for this.
"Fine, looks like I can't talk you out of this one. Just remember, I can't protect you from everything." Julius replied.
Elise gave him a smile as she walked back into Sam's room.
"Sorry about that, now where were...."
Elise's voice trailed off as she noticed a shadow in the window.
"Sam, could you excuse me for a moment. Wait in the hall." she continued, her voice slightly hushed.
"Is something wrong?" Sam asked.
"Just wait in the hall, I'll only be a minute." she replied coldly.
Sam got out of bed and walked out the door, worried and confused. Elise undid the latch on the window and pushed it open. A cloaked figure made its way inside and had a seat on the bed.
"Corrine, what are you doing here? You know this is my section." Elise hissed.
"Who's the kid?" Corrine asked.
"Just answer the damn question." Elise snapped, getting even more agitated.
"Just making sure you don't get too attached. Dracina wouldn't like that, but I'm sure you already knew as much." Corrine replied.
"I can take care of myself. Now if you don't mind I need some sleep." Elise groaned.
"How long is he staying?"
"Just for tonight."
"You'd better be telling the truth."
"And if I wasn't? If you're worried about him finding out, there's nothing to worry about." Elise sighed.
"Good luck with that. I don't have to remind you of that incident the last time a member of Syndicate fell for a mortal do I? Corrine said with a sneer.
"Yes, I know, we're not going to have another incident like that. Speaking of which, hasn't the Triangle been sealed off long enough?" Elise sighed.
"Dracina doesn't seem to think so. If word did get out because we lifted the rift, there would be complete pandemonium. What's a few disappearing ships anyway." Corrine said with a laugh.
"Those people shouldn't have to die." Elise snapped.
"It's unfortunate our jobs can cause so much collateral, oh well." Corrine replied.
"How can you be so casual about this?"
"Simple, because the human race has expanded beyond the limits it is able to facilitate. I just see this collateral as speeding up the shrinkage." Corrine replied.
"I think it's time you left." Elise growled.
"Fine, but if the kid's here next time I come around, it'll be Dracina paying you a visit next time, not me." Corrine said, turning her back and stepping out the window, vanishing into thin air.
Agitated, Elise stepped back outside the room.
"Good night, Sam. I'll see you in the morning." she groaned.
"Did something happen?" Sam asked.
"No, just let me be." she replied as she walked off to her room.
Sam crawled back into bed and passed out.
When he awoke the next morning, he grabbed his bags and stumbled into the hall. Elise was leaning against the wall waiting for him.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked.
"Yea, early class." Sam mumbled sleepily.
"I was hoping you could stay a little while longer." she replied, looking down.
"I'll be sure to come visit." Sam said with a smile, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Okay then, I'll see you around." Elise sighed as she watched him walk out the door.
As he walked outside, he saw Paul waiting for him across the street. As Sam approached, he could tell something was wrong. Paul said not a word to him, no snide remark, nothing. Sam looked over Paul, noticing his hand twitch as he tried to keep his composure. After a dreadfully long silence, Paul spoke.
"Kyle's dead. " He said bluntly.
"What? How did he..." Sam began.
"He was sick with something, and I guess whatever it was killed him. They found his body in the courtyard late last night. Most of the guys are taking the day off. For once the dean is allowing us to cut." Paul replied with a forced chuckle.
"I can't believe it." Sam sighed.
"Oh, you're in by the way." Paul said.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think frat life is for me." Sam replied.
"Well feel free to drop by the frat house any time, even if you're not going to be an official member. Oh, before I forget, could you do me a favor?" Paul asked.
"What is it?"
"Apologize to that girl for me will ya? I took things a bit too far the other night with everybody, and she didn't deserve that. Been thinking bout it all night." Paul sighed.
"Sure, I'll tell her for you." Sam replied.
"I'll see you around." Paul groaned as he walked back towards the campus.
Sam hesitated for a moment, looking back up at the old house.
"What a strange pair..." he thought to himself, turning back towards the campus.
He walked down the block to the university and made his way to the dorms. Not wanting to talk to anyone, he took the back alleys between the buildings and entered the dorms through the lesser used side entrance. He walked to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. As the doors opened, he saw a young woman inside leaning against the wall. It was Maria, one of Sam's childhood friends. She stood at eye level with him, but only because of her heels. Her red hair was braided into a long ponytail that hung down to her hips. She wore a small blue dress and a white blouse freshly stained with tomato sauce.
"Hey Sam, I heard about what happened to Kyle..."
"I'd rather not talk about it." Sam grumbled.
"Okay then... how was last night? See any ghosts?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Actually, I found out what's really haunting the house. It's not abandoned, this girl and her brother live there."
"Sure they're not ghosts?" she prodded.
"Yea, just really odd. Thinking of going back there to get to know them a little better. Something just doesn't seem right about them."
"You don't have a crush on her do you?" Maria teased.
"Of course not, and even if I did, her brother scares the shit out of me." he replied with a nervous laugh.
"Oh, there's something going around about Kyle's death... I just thought I'd tell you rather than having you hear it from someone else."
"I don't want to talk about it." Sam said firmly.
"But I saw someone in the courtyard last night, and it was around the time of Kyle's death. Some people suspect it was murder..."
"What did they look like? Do you know who it was?" Sam urged, grabbing her shoulders.
"N-no... it was dark... and they were wearing black..." she stammered.
"They... you mean there was more than one?" Sam asked, his eyes widening with anticipation.
"Yea... two people. One looked really tall..."
"Dammit, I need some time to think." Sam groaned as he got off the elevator.
"Could Elise and Julius have something to do with this?" he thought as he walked to his room.
He grabbed some Easy-Mac out of his fridge and put it in the microwave. Looking out the window, he noticed he had a clear view of Elise's house. Taking a closer look, Sam saw Elise looking out the window towards the campus. She was watching him.
He jumped as a loud buzz broke the silence. Sam grabbed the hot bowl of macaroni and cheese from the microwave and put it on the table by the couch. Returning to the window, he noticed Elise was gone.
Needing to take his mind off things, he turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't get Kyle's death out of his head, and more importantly, the strange circumstances surrounding it. After hours of thought, a knock at the door finally roused him from his trance. He looked at the clock and noticed it was almost 7:00 PM. Maria stood at the door dressed in her flannel pajamas holding a plate of freshly cooked steak and corn.
"Thought you could use some cheering up, so I cooked you dinner." she said with a smile.
Sam invited her in and put the dish on the table next to the now cold and untouched Easy-Mac.
"So, tell me more about this girl. You've been thinking about her a lot since you left haven't you?" Maria said as she took a seat.
"Yea... what you said before has been bothering me. I think she may have played a role in Kyle's death." Sam said.
"What? But Kyle's illness killed him! The autopsy proved it!"
"But she left late last night on some job with her brother, and they fit the description of the two people you saw last night."
"You should eat something, give your mind a rest." She said shakily.
He put his hands on her shoulders, looking her dead in the eye.
"I know they're responsible... but how!" he groaned.
"I don't even know what I saw that night. There was a lot of activity going on."
"You're so called sixth sense going wild again?" Sam asked.
Maria gave him a nod, her eyes welling up with tears. She wrapped her arms around him and started to cry into his shoulder. A grin slowly crept across her face as she put her lips to his ear.
"Do you love me?" she whispered.
"You know I don't have those kind of feelings for you Maria... You're like a sister to me." Sam replied.
She pulled away from him, a wide smile on her face. As she opened her eyes, Sam started to tremble. Her pupils had narrowed into thin, vertical strips staring blankly into his soul. She palmed a steak knife from the tray at her side, tilting her head.
"You know if I can't have you, no one will." she said with a smile, taking a step towards Sam, who had been shakily backing away.
"What the hell is going on!?" Sam yelled in a panic.
She lunged in at Sam, but he hopped back, barely evading the strike.
"You're not Maria! You can't be!" He yelled, frantically trying to escape.
Suddenly, a massive scythe slammed into the ground in front of Maria. A hooded figure dressed in black stood in the window, skeletal wings protruding from its back. Quickly lifting the scythe, the figure looked over at Sam.
"You're right, it's not the Maria you know."
With that, the scythe swung towards Maria.
"Stop!" Sam yelled, pulling the attacker away.
The hood fell as the scythe grazed Maria's top.
"She's possessed. The spirit of a serial murderer escaped, and this must be where she fled to." Elise said coldly.
"What are you doing here? And what's with that scythe? Are those wings!?" Sam began to ramble, completely dumbfounded.
"I'll explain when I collect their souls." she replied.
"Their... you don't plan on taking Maria's too... No!" Sam protested.
"Forcing a possessing spirit out of its host can be fatal, and the spirit might flee."
"I don't care, I just don't want to lose Maria!"
"Fine, but I must ask one thing. Do you love her?"
"No, but I don't see..." Sam began.
"That is all I wanted to know." Elise interrupted.
Maria started to giggle, looking over at Elise.
"A reaper protecting a human? That's a first. I'm sure his soul would fetch a nice price on the undercurrent. Why not just make him collateral damage?" Maria laughed.
Elise ignored her, lifting the butt of her scythe. With a quick thrust, she delivered a strong blow to Maria's chest. As Maria collapsed on the floor, Elise tilted the scythe toward herself. She plucked a small blood-red pearl from the tip, examining it closely.
"Is she going to be alright?" Sam asked, running to Maria's side.
"Yes, she just needs a minute to recover." Elise replied.
"So what just happened, and what the hell are you?" Sam asked, still shaking.
"Julius and I are reapers. We collect the souls of the living when they pass, and guide them to wherever their final destination may be. As you saw, sometimes they're determined to find a way back." she replied.
"So when Kyle passed, you..."
"Yes, we were the ones who guided him." she sighed.
"You and Julius are spirits as well?" Sam continued.
"No, we are neither living nor dead. We are immortal by human understanding, but are not without our weaknesses." she replied.
"And what was that undercurrent Maria mentioned?" Sam asked.
"I'm getting tired of all these questions. It's like the black market of souls. Viath usually pay a high price for them." Elise groaned.
"Viath?"
"Soul eaters. Now enough questions. You're friend will awake soon. Sam, no one must know about Julius and I, so please keep quiet about all this." she pleaded.
"Sure." he replied, still a bit confused.
Maria slowly started to open her eyes. She rolled her head to the side, looking over at Elise.
"You... I know you..." she muttered, eyes wide.
Elise turned towards the window to leave.
"Wait, you helped my father move on... when I was little... thank you." she whispered, still too weak to talk.
Slinging her scythe over her shoulder, Elise walked out the window, vanishing into the sky.
"So that's the girl... I approve." Maria said with a giggle.
"I have to find her. I still have more questions to ask." Sam sighed.
"Too late now, the gate she went through just closed." Maria replied.
"I'll wait for her back home." Sam said as he ran out the door.
He ran down the stairs and out the door. He cut across the lawn as he made a break for the edge of the campus. Hopping the fence in a single bound, he ran towards the old house Elise and Julius lived in. Catching his breath, he walked up the steps of the old house, grabbing the door knocker. Before he could even knock, Julius opened the door.
"Is Elise back yet?" Sam panted anxiously.
"You know about us, don't you. Damn that girl, can't even keep her mouth shut for a minute." Julius groaned.
"Well it was that or watch me die." Sam sighed.
"Fair enough, have a seat." Julius replied, motioning towards the couch.
Sam walked inside and took a seat on the large couch facing the fireplace. The front door slowly creaked open, a hooded figure entering the room. Sam sprung to his feet, mind racing with questions.
"Down boy, you got the wrong girl."
The figure lowered the hood. Beneath it was a blue eyed beauty, her blond hair rolling down her back. She stared at him, a coy smile on her face.
"Corrine, what are you doing here? You know full well this isn't your territory." Julius bellowed.
"Oh I'm just paying the love birds a visit, but it looks like Elise isn't here. What a shame..." Corrine sighed.
"I suggest you leave before I'm forced to throw you out." Julius growled.
"Don't even kid, Julius. You know as well as I that you're no match for me. I can take you in seconds flat." Corrine giggled.
"Very funny, now go."
"I don't think so. Last time I was here, I told Elise to get rid of the boy, and whadda you know, here he is." she said, giving Sam a chilling glare.
"He's simply visiting, now leave us alone." Julius said as he walked towards her.
"Tsk, looks like I'm going to have to get my hands dirty." Corrine sighed.
"That's enough! I don't care what you say to Dracina about me and Sam, the paranoid lunatic won't show her face anyway!" Elise yelled from the door.
Corrine turned her head, giving Elise a grin.
"In your case, I'm sure she'll make an exception." she sighed.
"Just get out!" Elise groaned.
"As you wish." Corrine said as she faded out of view.
Julius walked over and closed the front door, while Elise took a seat next to Sam.
"Elise, what the hell was that all about?" Sam asked.
"It's work related." she replied.
"So why was my name mentioned."
"Well... my boss is under the impression that I've fallen for you, and she's not to fond of the idea." Elise sighed.
"But you haven't, so we're in the clear."
"Well... not really..." Elise said, starting to blush.
"That was unexpected..." Sam muttered.
"I already know it won't work though. You have your heart set on Maria..." Elise sighed.
"What? No, oh God no. She's more like a sister than anything else!" Sam said with a laugh.
"Oh, that's a relief, but that doesn't solve our problem with my boss..." Elise groaned.
"So that Corrine girl is your boss?" Sam asked.
"No, my boss has never actually been seen in person. People only know her by name." Elise replied.
"Must be tough to run things like that." Sam replied.
"Yea, she uses a complex network of notes to send messages and orders. She apparently has eyes everywhere too...."
"Which would explain Corrine." Julius sighed.
"Okay, so she doesn't approve of you liking me, what can she do about it?" Sam asked.
"She can easily make this whole country disappear if she wanted. Then again, that would be the least of our worries..."
"Is there any way to reason with her?" Sam asked.
"From what I hear, there's no difference between the innocent and the guilty, both get punished just the same." Elise replied.
"Sounds like we're in deep." Sam said.
"Understatement of the century." Julius replied.
"Maybe we could try to run." Sam suggested.
"Not going to help, she'll just track us down before we have the chance."
"We can't reason with her, we cant run from her, and she's too dangerous to confront. What the hell are we supposed to do!" Sam yelled, frustrated.
A grin slowly crept across Elise's face. Sam looked at her nervously, deathly afraid of whatever scheme she was formulating in her head.
"This is just the excuse I've been looking for. Julius, go get those files for me." Elise commanded.
While Julius went to find the file, Elise continued thinking.
"I should probably explain a few things to you Sam, you look lost. I've come to suspect that Dracina's practices might not be entirely legal..." Elise began.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Well, not unlike this realm, ours has laws much like this, and Dracina has been turning a blind eye to them."
Julius returned with the file and handed it to Elise. She flipped it open and started rummaging through papers.
"It's a numbers game at this point. I've noticed a discrepancy between the Syndicate leader's files and Dracina's, assumed to be from illegal sales in the undercurrent within the district. Though she claims to be hunting down and stopping the ones responsible, the difference in numbers each cycle is fairly predictable. Either she's covering for the undercurrent traders, or she's directly involved." Elise began to trail on.
"Okay, I think I get it..." Sam replied, still a bit confused.
"Good, I need you to come with me in case something goes wrong." Elise said, her eyes brimming with excitement.
"Can't Julius go instead?" Sam protested.
"I agree, it would be the safer choice." Julius chimed in.
"No, I need you to inform the head council of what's going on." Elise replied.
"Fine, just don't do anything stupid." Julius sighed.
"Don't worry, I'll be alright." Elise replied with a smile, taking Sam's hand.
She opened a dimensional rift with her scythe and pulled Sam through. After a blinding flash, his eyes began to readjust to the light. He looked around him, amazed at the towering skyscrapers around him stretching towards the violet sky. He noticed a cerulean moon hiding amongst the tips of the buildings.
"Where are we?" Sam asked, a little nervous.
"These are the district headquarters. Each building handles a different district." Elise replied, leading Sam by the hand through the streets.
"So where are we going?" Sam continued.
Elise stopped in front of a large building with the numbers '2479' above the archway in the front door. She started walking, pushing open the door. Sam hesitated, unsure if following was a good idea. He mustered up his courage and opened the door. No sooner had he opened the door, someone plowed into him, nearly knocking him over. She was a girl of about 15, wearing a short green dress that trailed behind her as she ran.
"Sorry!" she yelled, in too much of a hurry to bother looking back.
"Be a bit more careful Umi!" Elise called to her.
Sam regained his balance as he continued inside.
"So, how're we going to find Dracina exactly?" Sam asked.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice..." Elise sighed.
"Notice what?" Sam replied.
Elise reached in his pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
"So Umi's one of her messengers..." she thought out loud.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
"I'm beginning to figure this out. I think I've been overlooking something all this time..." Elise began.
"Would you at least read the note before you start theorizing?" Sam pleaded.
"You noticed the groups of kids wandering around every so often when we got here right? Umi grew up around those kids, and they were hanging around all over the place..." Elise continued.
"I don't follow..."
"I'm thinking they're how Dracina gets her notes around. No one takes them seriously because they're all just children, I should have thought of this sooner! I think Vie was the head of the group, or the self proclaimed leader anyway. I bet she has some kind of contact with Dracina..."
"If we just read the note, maybe we'll find Dracina a lot faster." Sam groaned as he snatched the note out of Elise's hand.
"Meet me in the park in the central district." Sam read aloud.
"Sounds like a trap." Elise replied.
"I know, but with Julius seeking a higher power, we could have backup in no time. If we bait her into revealing herself, it'll make things that much easier for us later." Sam replied.
"That's pretty daring, but ingenious. Let's go Sam!" Elise said, grabbing his hand and dragging him along.
They walked down a few blocks and found a small park with a playground at its center. A girl was gently swaying on the swings in the distance. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, her long raven hair tied into a ponytail, which blended perfectly with her ink-black silk dress. Her cold eyes stared at Sam. As he drew closer, he noticed they were different colors, and an odd combination at that. One was a brownish hazel, the other a fiery red.
"Vie, where's Dracina?" Elise demanded.
"Is that all the welcome I get? It's been ages since we've seen each other." Vie replied with a pout.
"I'm sorry but I really don't have the time." Elise groaned.
"Okay, so what makes you think I know Dracina, or where she is for that matter." Vie replied with an innocent smile.
"First of all, you've been eying Sam ever since we got here, and only a few people seem to know about what's going on between us. Secondly, you're not only one of her messengers, you organize them." Elise replied.
"I knew I should have sent the new kid, someone you wouldn't recognize. I can't help but say I'm impressed." Vie sighed as she stood up.
"Now, where is she?"
"Right here, just like the note said she'd be. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Dracina."
Elise's jaw nearly dropped off in shock. Dracina tilted her head to the side with a smirk.
"And you must be the young mortal I've heard so much about. You don't plan on telling anyone about us do you?" she asked sweetly.
Sam shook his head nervously, unable to say a word.
"That's nice, but I'm not very trusting..." she replied.
She took a step towards him, drawing her scythe.
"It would be safer to just kill you, end the knowledge of us with your feeble life." she said, her red eye starting to glow.
Elise grabbed her scythe and stepped in front of Sam.
"I was going to deal with you later, but I'll do that now if you insist on it." Dracina sighed.
"Sam, I'm going to send you home, you have to get out of here." Elise whispered as she created a dimensional rift.
"But what about you?" he asked.
"I'll live, now go!" she yelled, pushing him through.
"Sacrificing yourself for the one you love, how sweet. I hate to tell you it's pointless though, I'll just send someone after him." Dracina sighed.
"I know you've been up to something, the records..." Elise began.
"I know you've been doing your homework, and sent Julius to tell the tribunal about me. Corrine should have intercepted him by now, and don't think I plan on letting you leave here either. No one will believe the boy, so he's not really much of a concern, though I'll probably have him killed anyway. No need to take unnecessary risks." Dracina said with a yawn.
"No! I won't let you lay a hand on him!" Elise yelled, charging at Dracina.
"You underestimate me, child."
Elise suddenly found herself unable to move, as though she was suspended in time. She looked down to find a crimson red portal opening below her. Bloody hands started reaching up through it, pulling at her legs.
"Looks like they're hungry..." Dracina said with a laugh.
Elise went into a panic, desperately trying to move, hoping she could just let her scythe fall to close the portal. Her mind raced as she watched the hands slowly dragging her down. Every muscle in her body was numb to everything... but pain. She could feel the hands digging into her as they pulled.
"Just give it up, you're doomed. You and your friends are dead, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Dracina laughed as she watched Elise sink.
"Damnit! She's right..." Elise thought, wincing in pain as the hands started clawing into her back.
Despair soon set in. All was lost, and Elise was both helpless, and hopeless. The hands started grabbing onto her shoulders as they continued to force her down, her body almost completely submerged.
"Get off of her!" a voice boomed from behind her.
A small sickle flew through the air, just barely missing Dracina. Julius hauled Elise out of the pool of blood and back on solid ground.
"Elise!" Julius cried.
"I'm fine... just get me out of here..." she whispered.
"This isn't over!" Julius growled, picking up his blood soaked sister and carrying her through a rift leading back home.
"I'm sure it isn't..." Dracina muttered as he left.
When they stepped through the other side, they were standing in the middle of the living room. Sam jumped up from the couch, in shock at Elise's condition.
"What the hell happened to you? Are you alright?" Sam yelled, running to her side.
"I'll live, just need to rest." she wheezed.
"Dracina nearly killed her. Opened a rift to the badlands right under her." Julius replied.
"The badlands?" Sam asked.
"The viath's realm, and the most deprived part of it. Things are so bad they've resorted to eating each other for survival. I should probably mention, most of this blood isn't Elise's." Julius said reassuringly as he carried her into the bathroom.
Julius started filling the bath with warm water while grabbing some gauze bandages from the cabinet. He took off her cloak and started undoing the back of her dress.
"Hey Sam, give me a hand." He said, slipping off Elise's dress.
"O-okay... what do you need?" Sam asked, a bit flustered.
"Grab her legs for me, we need to clean her off. Hold on tight though, she might start kicking." Julius replied.
Sam wrapped his arms around her calves as Julius lifted her from under her shoulders. They picked her up and held her over the bath.
"Elise, this could sting a bit, but we have to clean your wounds." Julius whispered to her.
As they lowered her into the water, it immediately became tainted with blood. Elise started screaming in pain, thrashing about as the hot water seeped into her open wounds. After a minute, Julius lifted her out and laid her face down on the floor mat.
"I'm going to get some surgical thread and sterilize a needle. Dry her off, will you?" Julius said, throwing Sam a towel.
Sam started massaging her legs with the towel to dry her off, working his way up. She started to blush as she felt his hands make their way across her body. Julius walked in carrying a sewing needle and surgical thread. He took the towel from Sam and blotted up the excess blood still on Elise's back.
"Looks like they really got you good." Julius sighed as he threaded the needle.
Elise squeezed Sam's hand, wincing in pain as Julius started stitching her up. She started whining as the needle weaved in and out of her wound, pulling her flesh back together.
"Damnit Julius, would it kill you to be a little more gentle!" She snapped.
"I'm a little confused... didn't you say you were immortal?" Sam asked.
"By your standards, not mine! Anything that can harm a soul can harm me. Nothing in the human realm, nor anything formerly from the human realm like spirits, can do that. I can rest up here for a while without having to worry too much." Elise replied, agitated from the pain.
"Almost done, just hold out a bit longer." Julius said.
"Thank God!" Elise groaned.
Julius pulled the thread tight, tying the end and closing up the wound completely.
"Damn, my chest is killing me. I think they might have done more than scratch me up a bit." Elise wheezed.
Julius started feeling her sides, testing each rib. As he pressed against her left side just under her arm, Elise suddenly let out a pain filled shriek.
"You're right. Looks like they cracked a rib." Julius said, grabbing a splint and some bandages.
"Sam, could you step outside for a minute..." Julius continued.
"No, I want him to stay." Elise interrupted.
"Elise, your bra's in the way of the cracked rib." Julius explained.
"I... I don't care..." Elise replied bashfully, starting to blush.
"Fine, Sam could you turn around then?" Julius asked as he sat Elise up.
Sam turned away, still holding on to Elise's hand. Julius took out a small splint and held it against Elise's side. Undoing her bra, he slid it out of the way as he grabbed the roll of bandages. He tightly wound the bandage around Elise's body, securing the splint.
"Almost done, just have to secure the bandage." Julius said as he took out a few pins.
He slid the pins into the back of the bandage, tucking the loose ends in the back.
"I'm going to go put this stuff away. Would you mind carrying Elise back to her room for me?" he asked as he slipped her bra back into place.
"Sure thing." Sam replied, scooping Elise up into his arms.
"Just let me know if I hurt you." Sam whispered in her ear.
"If you are, you'll know." she replied with a giggle.
He made his way down the hall and carried her into the bedroom. Struggling to see in the dark, he carefully made his way to the bed, laying Elise down on her back.
"Thanks Sam, I owe you one." she sighed.
"Don't mention it. I still had to repay you for saving my life, so we're even." Sam replied.
"I'll be back on my feet in a week or two. There's no need to worry about me." Elise groaned as she tried to get comfortable.
"Would you mind if I stay here for a while?" Sam asked.
"I'd prefer it!" Elise replied with a smile.
"You have a visitor." Julius called from the doorway.
A young man walked inside standing at about 5'4". His long blond hair was brushed to the side, out of the way of his shimmering blue eyes. He wore white robes so bright they almost seemed to glow.
"Julius told me what happened, how are you feeling?" He asked as he approached.
"How do you think?" Elise replied sarcastically.
The man let out a soft laugh as he knelt down next to the bed. He looked over at Sam and smiled.
"You must be Sam, right? Elise is lucky to have someone as caring as yourself. If not for you, she might not even be alive right now. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said, extending his hand to Sam.
"Okay Malaki, I know you're not just here on a social call. What do you want?" Elise asked.
"You know me too well. Master Sol wants a report on your investigation. You said you were going to drop it off today, but when you didn't show started to worry." Malaki replied.
"Julius, get him the file." Elise sighed.
Julius walked out of the room to go fetch the file.
"Julius filled me in on what Dracina tried to do to you both. That alone should be enough to send out disciplinary force to put her away...but..." Malaki said nervously.
"But what?" Sam asked.
"Do you know much about viath mythology?" Malaki asked.
Elise and Sam shook their heads.
"I'm not surprised, not many reapers do. It is a culture and mythology centered on battle and conquest. They have a horde mentality, serving the so-called overbeing. Every century, they believe the seed of the overbeing is planted somewhere in one of the many planes of existence. Some have even been in the human realm. Once the seed has fully grown, it will overcome the host and the overbeing will take over. From there, it will lead the viath on a destructive rampage to destroy the other planes of existence." Malaki replied.
"So you think Dracina is the next overbeing?" Elise asked.
"Even the most prominent undercurrent traders don't take nearly this many souls. It either means she's shooting for some serious profits, or her cravings are getting the best of her." Malaki replied.
Julius returned with the file and handed it to Elise. She took out a pen and scribbled a few notes in it, closed it, and then handed it to Malaki.
"So now what should we do?" Elise replied.
"You're going to stay in bed, and Sam is going to take care of you until you heal up. You guys need some bonding time anyway." Malaki said with a sly grin.
Sam started to blush, looking away in an attempt to hide it.
"No need to be embarrassed, Sam." Elise giggled.
"I should get going, Sol can be pretty impatient." Malaki sighed.
"Well, it was a pleasure seeing you again. Give Sol my regards." Elise replied with a smile.
"I will. Have fun you two." Malaki said with a smile as he walked out the door.
"Sam, go check and see if he's gone." Elise whispered, after waiting a few minutes.
He walked into the hall and looked around. After seeing no sign of Malaki, he returned to Elise's room.
"He's gone." Sam replied.
"Good..." Elise sighed, her face contorting from pain.
"So who..." Sam began.
Elise suddenly let out a painful shriek.
"Fuck, this damn rib is freaking killing me!" she screamed.
"You've been holding that in for how long?" Sam asked.
"Since Malaki showed up. It's impolite to swear in front of an angel, you know." Elise sighed.
"Anything I can do to help with that pain?" Sam asked.
"These sheets are too heavy, could you help take them off my chest?" she asked.
He gently pulled the sheets down to her waist, nervously trying not to look at her chest.
"Why are you so jittery Sam? Does seeing me like this make you uncomfortable?" Elise asked.
"A little..." Sam sighed, starting to blush.
"How cute, you're turning all red!" she teased.
"It just feels... I don't know... rude..." Sam replied.
"Sorry, but you're going to have to get used to it." Elise giggled.
"Guess so..." Sam said nervously.
"Oh, sorry in advance, but I'm going to have to make you a bit more uncomfortable. This bra is putting too much pressure on the splint and it hurts like a bitch." Elise groaned, pulling at her bra straps.
Sam's face went beet red by the time Elise finally managed to get her bra off. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted off her chest. As she looked over at Sam, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Wow, you really are bashful. I'm almost tempted to take off the rest just to see if you can get any redder." she giggled.
"No need to go that far. If you did, I'm afraid my head might explode." Sam groaned.
"What's the matter? I'm just playing around." Elise pouted.
"It's not that, you just seem so different. Not used to you being so carefree."
"Almost dying made me see things in a whole new light. I need to enjoy myself more, let loose, that and I need something to do to keep my mind off the pain, and I'd rather it be you than anything else." Elise said with a smile.
"I'm flattered." Sam replied.
Elise put her hand on his cheek, guiding his head closer to her. She stared into his eyes wistfully, blushing as she gently pressed her her lips against his. Their moment of intimacy was abruptly interrupted by a loud crash coming from the hallway. Elise instinctively sat up, instantly becoming frozen from pain. She slowly eased herself back down, her chest feeling as though it was on fire. Sam looked outside to see what was happening. He saw Julius stumbling backwards, a small table smashed to pieces at his feet. Corrine stood across from him, scythe in hand.
"All you had to do was let me kill you, but no, you had to go and complicate things. Now I have to go through the trouble of finishing Elise and the boy as well." she growled.
Sam shut the door and locked it, running back to Elise's side. He looked at her, trying to think of a plan.
"I heard. Don't worry, I'll protect you." Elise said, trying to sit up.
"No, you're in no condition to fight. Give me a weapon, I'll handle it." Sam replied.
"Even Julius doesn't stand a chance against her Sam, so what good do you think you'll be?" Elise snapped.
"And with that rib you're no better!" Sam protested.
Corrine kicked in the door, dragging her scythe behind her. She glared at Elise, who was slowly trying to rise to her feet. She immediately noticed Elise's lack of clothes and the bandages.
"I see you two have gotten a lot closer than I expected. At least you can die as a couple." Corrine laughed, slinging her scythe up on her shoulder.
"Over my dead body!" Elise groaned, using all of her strength just to lift her scythe.
"If you say so." Corrine sighed, taking a step forward.
Julius watched helplessly from the hallway as Corrine lashed out at Elise, knocking her to the floor.
"Elise, you've been a constant pain in my ass for so long. I'm glad I'll finally be rid of you." Corrine sighed as she lifted her scythe.
"No! Get away from her!" Sam yelled as he charged forward.
A bolt of lightning struck the center of the room, sending Sam flying across the room. A winged figure comprised of light stood where the lighting struck, gripping a sword and shield.
"Stay back." the figure said, turning his head towards Sam and Elise.
Corrine took the opportunity to strike, but was shocked when the figure effortlessly dodged her scythe. She began a relentless assault of swings and thrusts, striking from all angles. The figure nimbly ducked and weaved, hardly breaking a sweat as he parried her scythe.
"My promotion rides on killing these two! I won't let you take this from me!" she screamed.
He simply pointed his sword at Corrine and released a powerful burst of electricity. The surge coursed through Corrine, stunning her for a moment. The figure charged forward to strike, but Corrine recovered sooner than he expected. She quickly opened a portal and slipped away. The figure walked over to Elise, kneeling next to her.
"Such language isn't befitting of a girl as pure and innocent as yourself." he said with a smirk, scooping her up in his arms.
"I'm not as innocent as you would expect, Malaki." she grinned.
"Whatever you say, Elise." he said, laying her down on the bed.
"Thanks again Malaki." Elise sighed.
"I'll let you two get back to your moment of passion." he replied with a laugh.
"You were watching?" Elise snapped, starting to blush.
"Of course, didn't want you getting too into it, especially with that rib." Malaki replied.
"You just like to watch, don't you?" Elise teased.
"I do not!" Malaki protested.
"Sure you don't. Do me a favor and make sure Corrine doesn't come back here again." Elise sighed.
"Sure thing. I'll let you two get back to what you were doing." Malaki said as he wandered off.
"Now, where were we..." Elise sighed, pulling Sam close to her.
She looked into Sam's eyes, taking him by the hand.
"It's late, you should probably get some sleep." Sam said.
"You should too, why don't you climb in here with me?" Elise teased, secretly hoping he'd say yes.
"If that's what it takes to make you rest up, fine by me." Sam replied, blushing as he climbed into bed next to her.
Elise quickly fell asleep, clutching him in her arms. He watched over her as she slept, smiling. He gently kissed her on the forehead as he closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep.
They slept through the morning and into the late afternoon, until Julius came charging into the room.
"Elise, we've got trouble!" He yelled, jarring Sam and Elise from sleep.
"What is it..." she groaned.
"The house is swarming with viath. Malaki and myself have been holding them off best we can, but there's too many. I just hope help comes soon." Julius sighed.
"Get back out here, Julius!" Malaki yelled from the hall.
"Dracina must really want us dead..." Elise groaned.
Julius and Malaki backed into the doorway. Sam watched as they hacked away at the hundreds of bodies trying to force their way inside. They stared at Sam and Elise hungrily with their vacant soulless eyes.
"You two shouldn't be having such a hard time with this. They're still in their host form." Elise sighed.
"In that case I invite you to give us a hand, Elise. That way you can see just how many of these bastards can cram themselves in a hallway." Julius yelled.
"Did we mention there's a brood mother out here?" Malaki yelled.
"Fuck..." Elise groaned.
"Language Elise..." Malaki sighed.
A loud roar echoed from the hall, nearly shaking the foundations of the house.
"Julius, go grab your sister. We need to get out of here!" Malaki yelled.
Julius ran into Elise's room, grabbed his sister and slung her over his shoulder.
"C'mon Sam!" He said, nearly dragging Sam behind him as he ran out the door.
Malaki was shining brightly as Julius ran out of the room. With lightning speed, Malaki barreled down the hall, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Sam turned his head, looking behind him to see an army of shambling humanoid creatures following them. Behind the army was an eleven-foot serpentine monstrosity. Smooth metallic plates armored its head, back, and razor sharp claws. Its head melded seamlessly with its body, coming to a point at the tip of its mouth. Its dark black hide seemed to meld with the shadows at the end of the hall. What appeared to be gills opened up in the sides of its neck, large eggs gradually being forced out of them. The eggs burst as they hit the ground, releasing hundreds of tiny spined offspring. They swarmed around the other viath, effortlessly overtaking them as they went. Not even a tooth was left untouched in their merciless feast.
"Faster Julius!" Elise yelled, watching the viath swarm gaining on them.
"I'm trying, but that dainty little body of yours is heavier than it looks!" Julius said in complaint.
Lightning suddenly began striking all over the mansion, angels riding the bolts to the ground. More and more bolts fell from the sky as the reinforcements arrived.
"We'll handle things from here. Get out of here, now. The tribune has some news for you." one of the angels yelled as he opened a portal.
Julius dragged the group through, a bright light enveloping them as they ran through. When they emerged on the other side, a massive golden door loomed in front of them. They were floating high in the sky, able to stand as though on solid ground, but all that could be seen below were clouds. Julius slowly opened the massive doors, carrying Elise inside with him as Sam followed from behind.
On the other side of the door was an elaborate room made entirely from silver, gold, and light itself. At the head of the room sat three gargantuan figures. The leftmost figure was quite short compared to the rest, only about thirteen feet tall while sitting. He looked quite old, his long gray locks flowing down his shoulders. The rightmost figure was a little taller, and looked quite young. She looked over the group with her blue eyes, running her hand through her light brown hair. The middle figure was the tallest, easily measuring at over twenty feet. His golden hair seemed to form a majestic mane around his face, his cold eyes scanning the room.
"Master Sol, I hear you wanted to see us." Julius said, bowing his head.
The center figure rose to his feet, standing at about forty feet tall. He gave Julius a nod, a smile finally breaking his stern expression.
"We have Corrine here with us, and time is running short. If the over being were to surface, it will be soon. We've been trying to get her to tell us Dracina's location, but she just won't talk. I was hoping maybe you could get it out of her." Sol replied.
A small portal opened and Corrine fell through it, shackled and chained.
"Where the hell is she, Corrine!" Julius yelled.
Corrine didn't reply.
"Answer me dammit! Where's the bitch who did this to my sister!" Julius growled.
"Right here..." a voice replied.
Julius turned around to see Dracina standing in the large doorway at the end of the room.
"I'm afraid to say you're too late, the over being is about to awaken." Dracina sighed.
Julius tackled her to the ground, ready to beat her to death.
"Before you kill me, I'd just like to point out something. You've got the wrong girl. The over being isn't in me. I was getting the souls for someone else." Dracina whispered.
"What!? Who?" Sol bellowed, furious.
"Her." Dracina said with a smile, pointing a finger at Corrine, who was now writhing in pain on the floor.
Corrine's eyes started to glaze over, body convulsing erratically. Blood started running down from the top of her head, bony fingers burrowing through from the inside of her skull. He body was slowly torn in half, blood spilling all over the floor.
Sickened, Sam looked away, ready to vomit. By the time it was all over, a bony armored creature knelt at the center of Corrine's remains. Rising to its feet, the creature had a fairly lanky build, and stood at seven feet tall. Its head was skull shaped, but had no mouth, and its jaw was extended much longer than a human skull. Its body also was human like in structure, but had many subtle differences. Its ribs, rather than being in separate parts, were melded into one large plate wrapping around its body. Its fingers were far longer than a humans, reaching at around three times the size of its palm. The creature looked over at Sol with its glowing red eyes.
"How long has it been, a few million years?" it said, looking Sol dead in the eyes.
"After seven million years in suffering, you're surprisingly calm Alticena." Sol replied.
"In your case, that would be a bad thing." she replied.
The other two members of the tribune rose to their feet.
"So you think you can stop the inevitable..." she continued.
Alticena moved with lightning speed, appearing as though she were teleporting. She appeared at the back of the room as Sol and the others drew their swords. They charged at her, attacking, but Alticena proved too fast for them. She nimbly dodged their strikes, working her way up towards Sol.
"You're finished." she whispered, sitting on Sol's shoulder.
She forced her claws through his temple, piercing his brain. Blood ran down the side of his head, Aticena teleporting away as he fell to the ground. She charged through the neck of the eldest tribune member, and tore out the heart of the final one. She lowered herself to the ground, her body now soaked in blood.
"Now which of you wants to be next?"
As Dracina went to speak, she impaled her in an instant. Sam watched in horror, fearing for his life.
"Sam, take Elise and get out of here. We're finished, but there's still hope for you two." Julius said, opening a portal and shoving them through, but not before Alticena noticed him.
Elise watched in horror through the closing portal something she would never be able to forget. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart nearly stopped as Alticena appeared behind Julius, swiftly beheading him in one nimble swing.
Holding Elise in his arms as the gate finally closed, he looked around at the blankness of his new surroundings. Elise sobbed endlessly, her brother's death tearing her apart.
"It's over, the world is over! We've failed!" she sobbed.
"There has to be something..." Sam began.
"No, there isn't! That's why Julius sent us here." she interrupted.
"And here is..."
"Where the new world is going to be. After Alticena is finished, there will be nothing left." Elise continued, starting to calm down.
"Okay, so how is hiding here going to help?"
"It's our job to start recreating the world..." Elise replied.
Sam looked around as gritty dirt started forming under his feet.
"... and repopulating it..." she continued, starting to blush.
"Okay then, we'll build a paradise for us to live in." Sam replied, watching the new sun slowly growing from the vast emptiness ahead of them.