Welcome to the Void

“He’s coming. I need help. Please”

That was the last message Sandra had gotten from her dear compatriot. This job was dangerous. Losing a partner or two was pretty routine at this point. She’d send down her journal, contact whoever found it, and work out their deal from there. The lucky finder of the Annexed Journal would be hired on to carry out tasks in the mortal realm, and in return Sandra would grant them favourable conditions when they finally entered the Afterlife; usually in the form of a favourable reincarnation. If they happened to get killed on the job it was their fault. Sandra simply didn’t have the time to rescue every mortal that happens to find themself in danger.

Mau, however, was an exception to this rule. She’d never intended to hire Mau on as an assistant. Children weren’t usually trustworthy enough to keep their dealings a secret. They simply couldn’t comprehend the true gravity of the situation. Carrying out a gods will while simultaneously keeping it secret from both mortals and the other gods was difficult. Most children weren’t up to the task. Not Mau, though. She was different.

Perhaps it was just a sentiment. The journal Mau had found in order to contact Sandra had belonged to a past partner; a partner who’d served her well, but had unfortunately come to a grisly end. He was a human named Chase. A human who’d given her access to magic and ideas that’d changed her entire path in life. He’d helped her crack the code to leave the afterlife; the thing Sandra had been wanting to do since the day she’d ascended. She wasn’t meant for this realm, and she resented her adversary for causing this situation. Still, she was a god like it or not.

Her partnership with Chase unfortunately made both of them targets. When DC had learned of her plans to exit the afterlife he did everything in his power to steal these plans and use them for himself. That involved sending his drones after Chase and stealing his half of the Annexed Journal. Once he had these plans, he’d be able to carry them out himself. He’d been trapped up there for decades, so when he learned there was a way out, he jumped on the opportunity. The pair proved to be too smart for him, though. Sandra aided Chase in escaping his hivemind and her book remained in safe hands.

At least, it did for a time. The biggest problem with mortals is that they’re, well, mortal. He needed to eat, sleep, and tend to injuries. DC’s army didn’t have to do any of the like. Chase evaded him for long, but he couldn’t keep it up forever. Eventually he was found, and eventually he was caught.

The last message Chase had ever sent to Sandra was to tell her he was destroying his journal. Taking out the stone in the center stopped the link between the two, and destroying it would break it for good. All that’d be left of the journal would be an unintelligible mess of writing with no discernible meaning. She bid him a final goodbye, and her journal lost all contact with it’s counterpart. She’d kept that journal over the years as a memento, so one day when it began receiving messages again she was quite surprised.

That’s how she met Mau. Both her and Mau had kept their identities a secret for the first year or so of their partnership, so Sandra had no idea her new partner was a child. Still, Mau had proved herself useful in more ways than one. Not only did she get everything Sandra asked for in a timely matter, but she also had inside information on DC and his plans. Mau was part of the Order of the Third eye; a cult that followed DC and his teachings. The Order caused the Afterlife problems in the past, but Mau was different. Seeing proof of another god’s existence was enough for her to want to continue working with Sandra and learn more about who the gods really were.

Nothing lasts forever, though. Mau was in trouble now, and Sandra was racing to get her out of it. Much like Chase, Mau had vital information about the afterlife that could destroy both Sandra and Oasis if it ever got out. She’d been inside. She’d seen the Afterlife firsthand, and she knew how to navigate the place. Not only that, but Mau had access to powerful relics that’d give DC all the information he needed in order to regain entry and weak havok. The portal her and Chase had created, the annexed journal. Both of those things together could cause the end of the world if they got into the wrong hands. There was information in that journal that simply couldn’t get out.

Sandra’s feet barely touched the ground as she ran through town and towards Mau. Normally she would have teleported, but the influx of magic that that’d cause would raise suspicion. With everything going on, she couldn’t risk it. The last thing she needed was the Order or the city guards getting involved with this on top of DC and his army. As much as she hated it, running was the only option. She just had to run fast enough.

Mau had told her she was in the cathedral. She’d often hide out in a church or a temple in order to contact Sandra. Churches tended to have a considerable amount of magic, and Mau’s damaged journal needed the extra boost in order to ensure it worked correctly. They were also the perfect place to do things like this. If anyone asked, Mau could simply tell them the truth; that she was contacting her god. No one would question it. Even if they didn’t believe her, no one would get upset at a child for being devoted to their god.

Sandra burst through the doors of the cathedral. Immediately a wave of red magic hit her, causing her to lose her composure temporarily. It was immensely powerful. Far too powerful to be coming from one of DC’s drones. It couldn’t be DC, though. Could it? Would he really do something like this himself? Usually he’d send a drone or two to abduct someone. That’s what he’d done with Chase, but perhaps he’d learned his lesson from that.

It didn’t matter who it was. What mattered was getting Mau. Sandra shook off the effects of his magic and snuck her way into the back, her knife drawn. As she got closer, she could hear someone talking. It was DC’s voice. There was no mistaking it; his sing-song tone and playful taunts made it painfully obvious.

“Come on now, child. Don’t be like this. You aren’t scared of your dear lord Lykan, are you?”

He sang his taunts out for everyone in the area to hear as he slowly made his way around the church; looking between each pew and under each table for the young Kodin. Mau was hidden inside somewhere. It seemed she’d been able to evade DC, at least for the time being. She didn’t have much longer though. Much like Sandra, Mau exuded a powerful magical aura. An aura that DC could definitely sense. Sandra, being a god, could hide her aura from most beings. Mau could not. She didn’t have full control over the power’s she’d been gifted.

DC was preoccupied with his hunt. So much so that Sandra was easily able to fly under his radar as she too began to look for Mau. Fighting DC directly wasn’t an option. She was far weaker than both of the other gods. Sandra wouldn’t stand a chance against him 1v1. Instead, her plan was to find Mau and retreat back to the safety of the Afterlife. No one would be able to follow them there, god or not. Mau would be safe there whild Sandra figured out what to do next. As long as she could find her before he did.

The stone in the middle of the Annexed Journal began to glow softly; a sign of a new message. Mau was trying to contact her again. She needed help. As soon as the stone began to glow, Sandra opened the book and flipped to the most recent page.

“I can see you. I’m hiding in the confession booth. Please hurry”

The booth was all the way on the opposite side of the room. Peeking out of the bottom of the booth was a familiar white and orange face. Mau. Sandra gestured for her to hide again. If she could see her, so could DC. He was more or less standing in the center of the room, looking up and down the pews as he walked closer and closer to Mau.

Sandra had several options from here. She could teleport over to Mau, but then she’d have to race to open and close the portal to the Afterlife before DC got to them. He could also teleport, so it’d have to be a split second reaction. Mau may not be able to keep up. Her other option was to continue to sneak over and use that extra time to open the portal. They’d go unnoticed until after the portal was open, at which point DC wouldn’t have enough time to react. Fast or safe. It was a tough decision.

Sandra didn’t get to make a choice, though. A small object clattered to the floor and rolled out of the booth, echoing throughout the entire cathedral. It was Mau’s pencil; the pencil she’d been using to write in her journal. DC’s eyes shifted towards the booths, and an evil grin spread across his face.

“Do I hear the sounds of a lost little kitten?” He sang, sauntering towards the booths. “Or perhaps it’s nothing more than a dirty rat in need of extermination”

His wings extended, making himself look much larger and more intimidating. A bright red glow began emanating from his hands as a thick red fog slowly began filling the cathedral. He was playing into Mau’s fear. Relishing in it. Time was running out. If she didn’t do something now there’s no telling what he’d do.

With a quick flick of DC’s hand the doors of the booth flew open, causing Mau to scream in terror. Time had run out. Before DC got the chance to say anything else, Sandra jumped out of hiding and ambushed him. The goal now wasn’t to take him down, it was to disorient him enough to get away. He hadn’t seen the attack coming. Sandra jumped on his back and slashed her knife at his wings.

DC yelled in surprise before whipping around and hitting Sandra with whatever attack he’d had ready for Mau. A blast of red magic shot through the cathedral, knocking Sandra several paces back. Her body immediately absorbed the magic from the blast, and she could feel herself losing control of her actions. The red magic was beginning to eat away at her body. Still, Sandra was able to push on. She quickly got up from the ground and lunged at DC once again. DC didn’t appear to have a weapon on him, but he didn’t need one. His power alone was enough to carry him through this battle.

It was no secret that DC was surprised to see her. Out of all the people to face in the living realm, a god wasn’t high on his list. He almost seemed scared. That is, until he realised that she’d come alone. If Oasis was here it’d be a different story. DC wouldn’t stand a chance against the two of them. On her own, though, she didn’t stand a chance.

“Well well, what a surprise. I came here looking for my lost little kitten, and instead I find a lowly mutt” DC said. “You’re far from home, Sandra dear.”

Sandra didn’t respond to his taunt. Instead, she threw down a bright flash of magical energy; temporarily blinding everyone in the area. She’d gotten a pretty good idea of where Mau was, so she made her way over to her while the flash was still in effect. Unfortunately she didn’t make it in time. Normally a spell like this would linger for several moments, giving Sandra time to flee. DC’s magic heavily dampened its effects, so the flash only lasted a few seconds. Enough time to make some distance, but not enough to get away. The flash had thrown DC off guard, but he quickly shook the effects.

DC, in another flash of red magic, produced a set of bolas. The weights on either end had thin spiked around the perimeter and the whole thing glowed a soft red. He hurled the bola at Sandra as she ran, catching her abdomen and wrapping around her legs and causing her to fall over. The red magic inside seemed to burn at her skin. It began to bubble and welt where the ropes touched her.

While his adversary was still down, DC began making his was towards Mau. There was nowhere for her to go without running past him. She’d been cornered. DC used this to his advantage; taking the opportunity to distort and warp his appearance in order to scare the child even more. His skin seemed to tear open, revealing orifices filled with sharp pointed teeth or glowing red eyes. Some of them simply revealed standard flesh and muscle. It was all an illusion, but it terrified Mau.

The young Kodin let out a scream as DC readied another attack. Sandra had yet to get up at this point. DC’s magic caused the bola to almost fuse to her skin. It was painful to tear off, but she wouldn’t be able to get up otherwise. If she didn’t get up Mau would surely be killed. Despite the pain, Sandra tore at the ropes until they pried away from her skin. Once free, she dashed to get between Mau and DC before he unleashed his attack.

As Sandra got up, she produced the small dreamcatcher from her pocket and began to ready it. She’d have to make this quick. Neither of the two could take another one of DC’s attacks, magical or not. Once she’d gotten close enough she threw the dreamcatcher at the wall where it stuck in place, before glowing bright green and twirling in place. As the wooden hoop spun faster and faster it began to expand until it was about six feet in diameter.

Once it was done a large ornate magic circle was left in place of the dreamcatcher. The center of the portal was a window to another world; the Afterlife. It was filled with beautiful white trees and lined with pathways of blue cobblestone. The whole atmosphere was calm and serene, unlike the horrorshow going down in the cathedral. Sandra ran past DC and shoved Mau through the portal with all her might. It may have been a bit rough, but Mau seemed completely frozen in place. She had to be sure the child made it to the other side.

Before Sandra could join Mau in the safety of her Domain a bright red blast of magic shot past Sandra and into the portal, destroying it completely. It sparked and sputtered as the strings of the dreamcatcher snapped. Its beads spilled to the ground and scattered every which way. There was nothing left of the dreamcatcher, but it didn’t matter. Mau was safe.

Mau was safe, but Sandra was not. The relief of seeing her friend escape paired with the shock of the blast almost made her forget she was still stuck in the mortal realm with DC. DC, who was quite angry at the fact his victim had gotten away.

“Did you really think it’d be that easy, darling? Oh no, I’m not finished with you yet.” DC hissed. “The game isn’t over until I say it is”

Sandra turned to face him as he said this. His whole body was radiating a red aura that pulsated throughout the room. Streaks of red light were leaking from his eyes, and his face was seething with anger. The playfully evil expression he’d had twisted into a white hot rage. A flail appeared in a flash of red. He began to twirl the heads of the flail around in a menacing manner.

Before she had a chance to draw her own weapon, DC brought the flail down on her. The three spiked ends bludgeoned her chest and knocked her back to the ground. They hit her again, and again, and again; each hit more forceful than the last. Sandra had been aware she was the weakest of the three gods, but she’d never known just how much until now. She was getting destroyed.

Finally, DC stopped his attack. Blood was pouring from Sandra’s chest and mouth where she’d been hit, as well as the lacerations from earlier. It was also dripping from the spiked ends of the flail which DC now held at his side. The beating had hurt at first, but shock had taken over Sandra’s body. Everything had gone numb, and her vision had gone blurry. The only thing she could make out was DC’s silhouette bending down to her level.

“But if you’re really so eager to end this, I’d be happy to oblige. There’s no sense in dragging this out any longer. You’ve clearly lost”

DC laughed to himself as he rose to his feet and once again began twirling his mace. The ends of it began to glow as he spun in faster and faster. Finally, he brought it down with incredible force, hitting Sandra dead on and breaking through her body to the ground below. A shockwave of red magic shot through the cathedral, causing many of its windows to shatter. The second the mace made contact with the concrete Sandra lost consciousness. Her injuries were too much.

How long she was out was a mystery. Everything that happened since the attack was a complete blur. Hell, even memories of the attack were cloudy. She could remember throwing the dreamcatcher, and she could remember DC smashing the portal, but everything afterwards was fuzzy. Had Mau made it to safety? It was hard to remember for sure, but Sandra managed to convince herself that she did indeed push her through the portal before it was destroyed. There was no way she hadn’t. Mau wasn’t there when the portal shattered, right? She couldn’t have been.

It took several minutes for Sandra to sit upright. Her body still ached from the attack and the coolness of the ground felt good on her bruises. There was no rush for her to get on her feet. Sure, she’d like to return home as soon as possible. Oasis had no doubt noticed her absence by now. She’d get an earful from her superior, but that she could handle. Oasis’ anger didn’t scare her. If anything, it was welcomed. At least when Oasis was angry it was warranted. DC’s anger was unpredictable.

Sandra opened her eyes to an unknown landscape. It was a dark and endless plane filled with nothing but rocks. Dull, throbbing pain was still emanating from where she’d been hit, although it seemed to have lessened by now. That, or she was still in shock. It didn’t matter though. She was still alive, at least for the time being. She was alive, and Mau was safe.

Eventually Sandra gathered enough strength to get up. Wherever she was had a vast amount of magic. Magic that her body naturally began to absorb. She still had a large amount of red magic in her system, but the neural energy of this place dampened its effects. After enough time had passed, Sandra couldn’t feel the effects of his power at all. She'd completely lost contact.

Sandra felt around her pockets. The dreamcatcher she had before was long gone by now, but her knife and journal were still on her person. She quickly pulled out the journal and flipped to the most recent page. There hadn’ been any new messages since the attack, which lead Sandra to believe it hadn’t been that long ago. Surely Mau would have attempted contact if she’d been stuck in the afterlife for any meaningful amount of time. While she’d managed to convince herself Mau was ok, it didn’t hurt to check. Once she’d opened her journal she grabbed her pencil and began to write a message.

“I’ve found myself in an unknown place, but I seem to be alright. Did you make it through the portal ok? Please respond soon”

A minute or so later the stone on her journal glowed, signifying a response.

“Yeah, I’m ok. You’ve been gone for three hours. What happened?”

Sandra detailed the little information she could remember and the two chatted for a while longer. Mau was fine, albeit a bit shaken up. She had no way to exit the Afterlife without Sandra, but at least she’d be safe there for the time being. She’d even be able to buy Sandra some more time if Oasis started asking too many questions. The only thing left to do was figure out where she was and how to get back home.

Teleportation was a wonderful thing, but even that had its limits. Sandra’s powers only allowed her to teleport to other places within the realm she found herself in. Getting to another domain was impossible without outside influence; like a dreamcatcher. Her powers wouldn’t even allow her to return to the cathedral, which led Sandra to assume she was no longer in the mortal realm.

If she wasn’t in the mortal realm, and she wasn’t in the Afterlife, where was she? There was no way this was DC’s domain. His realm was his safe haven; he’d never bring an enemy there. Not while they were still alive anyway. She was still alive, wasn’t she? Last time she’d been trapped in DC’s hivemind she couldn’t recall anything about it. Everything that happened while her body was under his control was lost. Given that information, it was safe to assume she was free from his grasp.

Still, he could be unpredictable. There was a chance he’d dragged her down to the underworld and was keeping her prisoner there. Even then, though, Sandra wasn’t convinced. His domain was created by his magic. If that were the case, she’d no doubt sense it in the area. His magic was nowhere to be seen here. The only power here was her own.

After about an hour of walking Sandra needed to take a break. Her body was still recovering. DC’s magic had damaged her greatly, and there was no blue magic to counteract its effects. No one seemed to be around and even if they were, Sandra could easily take them. She may be the weakest of the gods, but she's still a god. No lesser creatures stood a chance.

Sandra sat down in a small outcove and began assessing the full extent of her injuries. She hasn't thought to do this before, but that's mainly due to the fact that she fully expected to be home by now. These unforeseen circumstances had really thrown a wrench into things. There was no real plan anymore.

All of her wounds had stopped bleeding at this point, leaving behind deep and ugly gashes in her abdomen and legs. The fur around the wounds had all but fallen out, which only made them look worse. The lacerations weren't the worst of it, though. They may have been deep, but their location was trivial. It was her chest that was the real issue.

Right in the center of her chest were three fist-sized holes where the mace had struck. There were many other cuts and welts, as she'd been hit several times, but those three were the worst. If it weren't for her godhood, she'd surely be dead. Come to think of it, it was hard to figure out how she was alive even with her powers. It was a complete mystery; one Sandra didn't have time to solve.

She didn't want to sit around and do nothing, but there wasn't really anything she could do. Contacting Mau again seemed like the only viable option. She could tell Oasis what was going on and, well, and then nothing. Oasis had no means of exiting the Afterlife. Even if she did, neither of them knew where Sandra was. If this truly was the Underworld then Oasis wouldn't be able to do anything regardless. So, Sandra was forced to sit and lick her wounds.

A good night's sleep always helped clear the mind. As a god, Sandra didn't require sleep to survive, but it was still highly beneficial. She rarely got sleep in the Afterlife. There was always things to do and people to talk to. It was a never-ending stream of work up there. Here, however, there wasn't any work. If she was going to be stuck here for god knows how long, she might as well try to look on the bright side. Sleep was a good start. The stone flooring wasn't comfortable, but it didn't matter. As long as she could sleep.

Sandra woke up several hours later to two things. The first was the bright green glow of her journal, a sign of a new message. This glow was far brighter than anything she'd ever seen before, though. It was almost blindingly bright. That could very well be an effect of her dark surroundings, but it was hard to tell for sure. It was odd to see it glow with such intensity.

While it may have woken her up initially, the journal wasn’t Sandra’s main concern. What she was more concerned about was the person holding it. Standing above her was a tall humanoid creature. His skin was an ashy grey and he had long clawed hands and feet, as well as a short stubby tail that tapered at the end. His body looked monstrous, but his face appeared very human. Human, besides his forehead which had jagged and curved horns that rounded behind his head and curled back to his cheeks. It was very obvious that this creature was a demon. Immediately Sandra jumped to her feet and drew her weapon.

“Hey! You’d better give that back, unless you’re lookin’ to lose that hand of yours” She yelled.

The creature immediately dropped the book and took a few steps back. He didn’t look scared of Sandra, more startled if anything. Instead of running he took a more submissive stance while Sandra scooped the book off the ground and tucked it back into her pocket.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to steal anything…” He whispered. His voice sounded hoarse and raspy.

“Uh huh, right. A demon such as yourself not stealing. Likely story” She growled in response

“You.. You don’t know where you are, do you.”

“What in the hell kinda question is that? Of course I know where I am” Sandra gripped the handle of her blade tighter.

“I don’t think you do,” He said, glancing down at the knife, before turning back to Sandra. “Otherwise you wouldn’t dare say such a thing”

“Is that a threat, demon?”

“Ah! No! I didn’t mean it like that” He took another step back. “Look, most new arrivals don’t last long down here. I’m just trying to help”

The term “new arrivals” sounded very familiar. Her and Oasis often used the label when describing a soul who’d just entered the afterlife. It seemed the demon was using the label in a similar context, although she didn’t quite understand why. This place obviously wasn’t the Afterlife. It was a desolate wasteland.

“New arrival? What in the world is that supposed to mean?” she asked

“This place you’re in. We call it the Void. It’s the birthplace of our kind. Demons, I mean. The fact you’re here means, well…”

Sandra stared at him incredulously. In all her years, she’d never heard of any place called “the Void”. Every day for the past two hundred years she’d been documenting the happenings of the mortal realm and filing it away in the proper order. She’d spent weeks helping people locate documents related to an event or a family member. The Hall of Records had every soul’s life documented dating back to four thousand years ago. Yet even with access to four thousand year’s worth of information day in and day out, she’d never once heard of “the Void”

“Our kind? I think you mean your kind, hun” Sandra muttered.

The demon stared at her blankly for a moment before responding. “I still don’t think you understand. The Void, it’s home to warped and damaged souls. Souls that have been ravaged by red magic. It mutilates us; warping us into monstrous and demonic beings. If you’re here, it means you’re a demon. Other beings can’t enter this plane…” His voice was still very raspy, and it sounded as if he was struggling to get these words out. Still, he managed to finish his explanation with little issue.

“Warped by red magic… But that’s not possible. Souls infected with red magic get eaten away completely. There’s no way for them to “recover”, they’re just gone…”

“Some are, yes, but most souls end up here. As demons. Much like yourself”

“I’m not a demon!” Sandra yelled, a few sparks of green shooting from her mouth. “This is one of his tricks. He’s messing with my head. I’m not listening to you; I’m above his games.”

The demon stared at her blankly for a moment. “Look, I know it’s hard to come to terms with, but that’s the reality of the situation.”

“You don’t understand. I’m not a demon. I’ve been to the afterlife! I’m-”

Sandra cut herself off briefly. Unlike Oasis, she’d never been shy about using her position as god to put herself above mortals. It’s how she ran her whole operation with the annexed journals, using her powers to grant benefits to the people who aid her. Now, however, that didn’t seem like the greatest idea. She may be a god, but she’s also been heavily weakened by DC’s attack. Telling this to this demon may put a target on her back. If this place truly was the birthplace of all demons, there’d surely be a lot of them here. Too many to fight off on her own, at least in her current state.

“You’ve been to the Afterlife?” the demon asked, his voice filled with wonder. “And you can remember it?”

“Uh, yeah I have. Why” Sandra asked in response.

“So you know the gods, right? I mean, you at least know of them. The real ones.”

Sandra held up her knife a bit more. “I answered your question. Now you answer mine. Why do you care about my stint in the Afterlife?”

“Well,” He began, a bit sheepishly. “I used to have a friend up there. My contact with her was cut a bit… Abruptly. I’ve been wondering about her ever since.”

“Most folk have friends up there. Hell, I’d say everyone does. There ain’t a soul in Mirror Domain that doesn’t have at least one ally”

“Right, but. Uh.. Well, this friend was a bit different. I had contact with her while I was still in the mortal realm.”

That statement took Sandra by surprise. To her knowledge she was the only person in the Afterlife who had any sort of contact with mortals. She knew for sure that she’d never worked with a demon before. It was one of the rules she’d made for herself. A demon wouldn’t benefit from working for her, so they’d have nothing binding them to her contract. It was too risky. What this demon was saying was deeply concerning. If he really did have contact with the Afterlife, that meant there was a breach somewhere. A breach that DC could take advantage of. She had to get more information out of him.

“You did, huh? How exactly?” She prodded

“Well, that book of yours. You do know what it is, don’t you?”

“My book…” Her voice trailed off

“Yes. It’s a relic. An annexed journal. It was made by one of the gods up there. That’s, heh. That’s the friend I was talking about…”

“The gods don’t make deals with lowly demons!” Sandra yelled, her voice seething with anger.

It was true. She didn’t make deals with demons, and this monster accusing her of doing so made her angry. None of the gods cared for these creatures. Oasis would most likely put them out of their misery if she ever encountered one, and DC only used them for his own benefit. Sandra shared Oasis’ viewpoint. These soulless creatures deserved nothing but death. They didn’t contribute to the natural order of things. They disrupted the balance. The demon seemed taken aback by her sudden bout of anger. He stepped back several more paces, but still remained face to face with Sandra.

“I-I wasn’t always a demon. As I said before, the Void is the birthplace for us. I was killed by red magic, and my damaged soul was sent here.

I didn’t mean to “steal” your journal, I just wanted to borrow it. Me and her were working on something important. Really important, and I died trying to keep it away from our adversary. I just wanted to, uh, catch up...

Sandra glared at him for a moment or two. “Why should I believe you? You have no proof of your claims. Anyone can make up a story like that, you know”

“Please,” his voice shifted to a more desperate tone. “You have a pencil. Let me write her a letter. She’ll know who I am. Please..”

“You’ve yet to tell me who you are, hun. I have no reason to trust you with my book”

“I don’t think my name would mean anything to you, but if it’ll help my name is Chase Fletcher”

“C-Chase…”

Chase. This couldn’t be Chase. This wasn’t Chase. Chase was a human. A mortal. He wasn’t a lowly demon. Then again, Sandra had never seen him in person before. What if he’d always been this way and he’d been hiding it the entire time? Or what if he’d been telling her the truth from the beginning. What if the Void really was where DC’s victim's souls ended up. He was killed by one of his drones, after all. His story lined up.

There was only one way to tell for sure. If this really was Chase, she’d be able to tell by his writing. She could compare what he’d written in the past to whatever he wrote now. She just had to ensure that this demon didn’t steal her book. It was the only contact she had with Mau, and by association the Afterlife. Any hope of getting out of this place would be lost if the book was taken from her.

With a snap of her fingers, both the journal and the pencil became tethered to her being by a string of green magic. Her power was weakened, but it was still that of a god. This demon would have no means of breaking it. Once she’d done this, she handed the book over to him.

Immediately he took both the pencil and journal and began writing a letter on the most recent page. He didn’t even take a step back, despite the fact that Sandra was still holding firmly on to her knife. That didn’t seem to bother him. All he cared about was writing this letter; and he did so with great care. His clawed fingers got in the way at first, but after a short while he appeared to get the hang of it. The letter itself was finished after a minute or so.

“My Dear Daydream,

I’d like to start this off by saying I’m not the current owner of this book. I’ve been searching for another holder of the annexed journals for several years now, and I believe I’ve finally found one. They’ve been gracious enough to let me borrow their journal, and it will be returned to them promptly. I do hope you remember me. It’s been so long, and I disappeared so abruptly. For that I truly am sorry.

I see you’ve since restored my half of our journals and it’s made its way to a new owner. Our partnership has come to an end, I understand that. I’d just like some peace of mind is all. The last time we spoke I was being hunted by Lykan and his army, and I destroyed my half of the journals in order to keep our research safe.

The dreamcatcher, did you ever finish it? Did I succeed in keeping it out of Lykan’s grasp? Or did I fail and send your domain into turmoil? I’ve been dreading the thought of my own failure ever since I got cast into this realm. Dreading the thought that my actions may have destroyed the Afterlife all together, or that I may have caused you harm in some way. Sometimes I wish I would have ceased to exist all together, instead of being cast into this Void for all eternity. But maybe this is my punishment. Maybe this is hell. Maybe my failure really did cause the end of the world, and I was sent here as punishment. I’ll have no way of knowing, not until you respond.

I hope you’re safe. I hope you and your mentor are safe. I wish the both of you luck, and I eagerly await your response.

Regards,

Chase Fletcher”

The moment he was done writing he closed the journal and handed it back to Sandra. Then he took a few more steps back, giving her room and getting away from the knife. Sandra had yet to see what he’d written, but it didn’t matter. She had to let Mau know what was going on, otherwise this letter may cause unwanted confusion. Before reading the note Sandra opened the book once again and wrote a letter to her partner.

“Mau,

Please disregard that last message. I’ve run into someone who claims to be an old colleague of mine, and I wanted proof of his identity before letting him know mine. I hope you understand.

Sandra”

Once she’d finished her note she began to read over the demon’s letter. Right away she noticed something alarming. He’d addressed the letter to “Daydream”. That was a nickname Chase had given her during their time working together. Mostly to prevent knowledge of the gods from getting into the wrong hands, but it was also an inside joke between the two of them. They’d been researching ways for Sandra to exit the afterlife, and they’d decided on using dreamcatchers as a means of accomplishing this. Most portals were made by using magic circles, and a dreamcatcher already resembled one. Using these items brought on many jokes about Sandra being overworked or tired, mostly harping on the irony of the situation.

Sandra had never told another soul, living or dead, about their research. Looking through the previous pages of her journal, there didn’t seem to be any mention of research or dreamcatchers. Yes, there was mention of a portal, but that could mean anything. Mortals used portals all the time. There was no reason to believe mention of one meant a dreamcatcher was involved.

All of this pointed to this demon being Chase, but that still seemed impossible. No, it didn’t seem impossible. Everything he’d mentioned lined up with the world they found themselves in. Sandra couldn’t teleport out of a plane without outside assistance. This “Void” seemed to be made up of green magic, which lined up with his story completely. A soul is made of blue magic. Mixing red and blue doesn’t destroy that magic, it wraps it into something else. Green. A soul infected with red magic being turned into a monstrous demon didn’t sound all that far-fetched, she just didn’t want to believe it. Didn’t want to, but she did.

If what he said was true, did that mean he really was who he said? That too Sandra believed, even if she didn’t want to. There was no way this random demon would have any idea about their research. All of this cut deep. Too deep. Everything going on, everything that’d happened over the short day and a half Sandra had been gone. It was all too much to take in. Her whole life had just been thrown into turmoil in a matter of seconds.

A stream of tears began to well up in Sandra’s eyes, and she could feel slowly beginning to run down her face. Crying wasn’t something she did often, but she’d reached her breaking point. It didn’t matter that her dear old friend was watching; she didn’t care anymore. Chase seemed a bit concerned about this sudden shift in mood. Moments before he was being held at knifepoint by this woman, and now he was standing awkwardly as she began to break down.

“Hey, everything will be okay” Chace muttered awkwardly. “Uhh, think about it this way. You still have your journal. We can contact Sandra and she can-”

“No. We can’t.” Sandra squeaked out through her sobs

Chase gave her a confused look. “But I saw the gemstone glowing. That means you’ve gotten a reply, doesn’t it?”

“Sandra can’t help us because she’s…” She paused for a bit, trying her best to keep herself composed. “Because she’s right here. Stuck… Just like you.”

He continued to stare, obviously confused by everything going on. What she’d told him didn’t register at first. When it hit, though, his look of confusion turned to a mix of dread, excitement, and relief.

“S-Sandra?” He asked in astonishment. “Is that really you?”

“Yes… Pathetic, huh? Out of all the places to meet a god…”

Before Sandra could say another word he ran over and embraced her. The hug hurt, as her injuries hadn’t yet healed, but she didn’t care. It didn’t matter anymore. She hugged him back tightly and continued to sob. After several minutes of silence the two began talking once again. Sandra had better composed herself by this point, so the conversation could continue more naturally.

“I don’t understand. How in the world did you get here? Last time we spoke you couldn’t even leave the Afterlife. Lykan didn’t…” His voice drifted off.

“He never got a hold of our research. What you did worked, in more ways than one. Not only did he not get your book, but our project worked. The dreamcatcher, I mean.” Sandra replied.

“It did? Really? That’s amazing! But that still doesn’t answer my question. The dreamcatcher would only allow travel between the Afterlife and the mortal realm. We didn’t even know about the Void until now.”

Sandra sighed and began to explain everything that’d happened over the past day or so. She explained who Mau was, and how she’d been using the dreamcatchers in her work. She also explained everything that was going on with DC. How the Order had caught wind of his whereabouts and how they’d broken him out of his prison. Chase just sat and listened idly. He saw no reason to interrupt. Once she’d finished her explanation he finally responded.

“So, you were killed by DC… Shit…”

“Now, hold on just a minute. I wasn’t killed by anyone. I’m still here, aren’t I?” She said, a bit angrily.

“Yes, you are. In the equivalent of the demon Afterlife. Which means…”

“I’m not dead, and I’m sure as hell not a demon!” Sandra yelled. “Think about it. If I were really dead, would I still have all this stuff with me?”

It was true. Neither mortals or demons kept any of their belongings upon reaching the Afterlife. Souls were usually given clothing after the fact, although that didn’t seem to be the case here. Regardless, if she truly had entered this realm via the intended method, she wouldn’t have her journal or her knife with her. This only raised more questions.

“Well, you are a god. No one’s ever killed a god before, so there’s really no telling what can and can’t happen.” He replied

“I suppose that’s true, but I find it hard to believe I’m actually dead.”

“I don’t think “dead” is the right word in this situation. You were already dead, weren’t you? From what I understand, none of the three gods ascended until after they died. You didn’t ascend until after you’d gotten to the Afterlife”

“That’s true, but it still doesn’t explain why I’m here.”

Chase sighed once again. “I wish I knew. Maybe you really are a demon. It’d make sense seeing as your soul has been damaged, but that doesn’t explain why you were able to get into the Afterlife to begin with… Or maybe…”

Chase’s voice trailed off, and Sandra could see a very slight glint in his eyes. It seemed as if he’d just had a realisation of some sort. He sat and mulled over whatever he was thinking for quite some time before finally continuing his thought.

“What if there’s a reason you're here. Think about it. The Afterlife used to be a vast and empty void before Oasis took charge, at least from what you’ve told me. I’m sure DC’s domain was relatively the same before he did… Whatever he’s done with the place.”

“Uh huh?” Sandra responded, still unsure where Chase was going with this. “What’s your point?”

“Each realm has a god. Each realm created by magic anyway. The blue domain has Oasis, the red has DC, but the green doesn’t have anyone. What if this world is yours, and the reason it’s so desolate is because you’ve yet to claim it as your own?”

“There’s one thing you’re forgetting, hun. Oasis and DC created their respective planes. I didn’t make this place. Demons existed far before I was born and then some”

“No, you didn’t make it, but you also didn’t ascend the same way as they did. Both of their powers created this place, and both of their powers created you. It’s never made sense to me why there were two gods in the Afterlife and only one in the Underworld. It’s also never made sense to me why you don’t have all the same powers as Oasis if you’re supposed to be the Afterlife’s second in command. If you two were meant to run the place together, wouldn’t you share the same abilities? Or at least have ones that compliment each other?”

If this domain really is mine, then why can’t I get out? I’ve been trying to leave since I got here!”

“Well, you are pretty injured. I’d imagine your powers are more focused on keeping you “alive” above anything else.”

“This… This doesn’t make sense. Even if I am “supposed” to be the god here, I can’t just abandon the Afterlife. I need to get back. Even if I wasn’t meant to be second in command, I still am. I can’t just abandon my responsibilities to do god knows what down here.”

“I think I have an idea, if you’re up for it anyway.” Chase said

“I’m willing to listen”

“This may be a bit of a long shot, but it’s worth a try. Your partner, Mau, she’s still in the Afterlife, right?”

“She should be, yes”

“Well, as I’m sure you know, the only way to pull a creature from this place is to summon them. What if she could summon you?”

“Summon me? But I’m not a demon” Sandra muttered.

“That’s not important right now. Since coming to this place I’ve learned a great deal about how summoning works. It’s all the other demons ever talk about. We could draw an outline of the magic circle in your book and Mau could carry out the ritual to get you out.”

It made sense. Demon or not, the only way to leave this place was with the aid of a magic circle. If there was a chance that this would get her home, it’d be worth trying. As long as everyone involved took the proper precautions and played it safe, anyway. The last thing Sandra needed was a demon infestation in the Afterlife as well.

“I suppose it’s worth a shot. What do we need to do?”

So, the two began working out a plan. In order to create a proper summoning circle they needed the location of the target and the target’s name. Both of those were easy, as Sandra was already in the Void. Her and Chase more or less knew exactly where they were since, well, they were there.

It’d also be easier for them to restrict this portal to only Sandra. Usually when summoning a demon you don’t know what you’re going to get. You can’t summon a specific individual because you don’t know of any. In this case they knew the individual Mau was going to summon, making it much easier to restrict the portal to just Sandra. That way they wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally summoning a real demon to the Afterlife.

Creating a new summoning circle from scratch took a lot of work. They were down there discussing things for hours, and even then they still had a lot of work to do. Sandra’s injuries were really taking a toll on her. It was becoming increasingly harder to stay awake and alert. Eventually her body just couldn’t take it anymore, and she passed out altogether.

Sandra woke up to a gentle nudge. It wasn’t clear how much time had passed, but she didn’t care anymore. There was no use stressing about it, it’d just make things worse. Opening her eyes, she could see Chase sitting next to her. He smiled.

“Hey, you’ve got a message” He said

It was true. Sandra could see the familiar green glow of her journal emanating from inside her pocket. Opening it up, she could see that Mau had written her a new message. How long ago she’d written it Sandra didn’t know, but she couldn’t have been asleep for that long. It had to be recent.

“Sandra,

Are you okay? It’s been over a day since I last heard from you and I’m starting to get worried. Oasis is starting to get suspicious too and I don’t know what to do anymore. You will be back soon, right?

Mau”

“How long ago did I get this?” Sandra asked Chase, closing the book and putting it back in her pocket.

“A few minutes. It hasn’t been long. I just figured it was important so I woke you up” He replied. “Anyway, I think I’ve figured out the rest of the circle. If we send this to your friend we may be able to get you home”

“You’ve finished it already? How long was I asleep?”

“Quite awhile. I couldn’t tell you for sure…”

“I see. Well, I suppose I should get in touch with Mau and get this whole “summoning” process started”

“Before you do that, I actually have one last question. If you don’t mind”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Well,” Chase began. “Whether this world belongs to you or not, I really think it’d be beneficial to everyone if someone was here to study it. Reclaiming this realm, or claiming it to begin with, could really aid your cause. It’d give both you and Oasis all of your lost souls back. Hell, we may even be able to find a way to restore them. That’d solve the demon problem, and it could potentially help bring down DC once and for all.

I don’t think I’d be able to come with you to your realm. I think all the blue magic there would destroy what’s left of my soul for good. If I stayed here, I could send you more information about this place. We could study it. Together. I guess what I’m asking is, would it be ok if you left your journal with me when you leave? We can start up our old partnership. That is, if it’s ok with you.”

“That… I get where you’re coming from, but it seems a bit too risky. How can I guarantee this book won’t get stolen by anybody else? I know how demons can get, hun. Believe me”

“I don’t know how much is too much to ask for when it comes to a god, but can’t you tether the book to me? Or is that something you can only do to yourself?”

“I can tether it to you,” Sandra said. “but it’d make you a target. If you died the spell would be broken, and all of our and mau’s work collectively would be in the hands of some… Monster”

“If that happens I can do what I did before. I can destroy the connection. Your work is more important than my life, I understand that, but I really think I could help you. Please…”

“You’re absolutely sure you’re willing to deal with the consequences? Do you promise that this book will stay in good hands?”

“Yes, Sandra. I swear on my life. Just like before, I’m willing to sacrifice myself to keep this information between us. I’ve already proved that once, and I’m willing to prove it again”

She kept quiet for a bit, thinking over the possible consequences of letting a demon have access to this book. When Chase had gotten the book originally it was brand new. No one had written in it yet. Now, however, it not only had their old messages inside of it, but Sandra and Mau’s as well. If anyone else got ahold of it, they’d get ahold of information that’d allow them to break into the Afterlife and DC’s plans. It’d be chaos.

Sandra silently opened the book and began to write a letter to Mau. It detailed the entirety of her situation. Being trapped in the void, meeting Chase, and what she needed to do in order to free her. She wrote instructions for her partner in great detail, as well as an illustration of exactly what the summoning circle needed to look like. Once she was done, she closed the book and looked back to Chase.

“I’m trusting you with this, hun. Please don’t make me regret it”

With another snap of her fingers, both the book and her pencil became tethered to Chace. He immediately picked both up and tucked them away safely.

“T-thank you. Really, I won’t let you down” He said gleefully

Sandra smiled wearily in return. “How long do you think it’ll take? Mau should’ve gotten my message by now”

“It shouldn’t be long, assuming she has everything she needs”

“She does. Believe me”

“If that’s the case, it should be any minute now. It’s only a matter of time”

The two sat in silence for a while, waiting for the moment Sandra would be torn from this realm and returned home. They both knew this would likely be the last time either saw each other, at least for a long while. Despite this, neither one gave a formal goodbye. Neither of them wanted to.

Several minutes after sending the letter to Mau, a bright red flash of light appeared at Sandra’s feet. The pattern beneath her appeared to be that of the summoning circle she and Chase had created, with a few insignificant differences. A line or two was missing in a few areas, but it didn’t matter. The circle opened up into a portal, and Sandra was promptly dragged inside. Another flash of red light later, and she was gone; leaving Chase all alone once more.

Sandra found herself sitting on the ground of the afterlife. It’s healing properties immediately kicked in, and her wounds began closing up. Looking around, she could see the familiar blue pathways and brilliant white trees, as well as Mau standing in front of her. She looked weary, but otherwise unharmed. The second she saw Sandra, she ran over and hugged her tightly.

“Sandra! It worked!” Mau sobbed. “You scared me! Where have you been?”

“I… I don’t know… I can’t recall.”

It was true. The last thing Sandra could remember was DC bringing his flail down on her chest. Everything after that was completely gone. She could tell that a considerable amount of time had passed, but it was almost as if her memories had been locked away by a mysterious force. She didn’t know how she got here, but she’d gotten back. That’s all that mattered.

Mau’s journal began to glow a bright green. Odd, considering Sandra had the other one. Or at least, she did. Checking through her pockets, the book seemed to be missing. A feeling of dread washed over Sandra at the thought of who might have her book. The last person she remembered seeing was DC. If he had her book. There’s no telling what would happen.

Sandra grabbed the book away from Mau and flipped it open to the most recent page. There was no telling what DC’s magic could do with the book if he had it. For all Sandra knew, he could have inscribed a rune or a glyph that could be harmful. If there was a chance this message could be harmful, she was going to be the one to take the blow.

“My Dear Daydream,

Have you found your way back to the Afterlife safely? Is your little friend ok? I’m able to start my research promptly, but it’d be easier if I had some peace of mind. Most people that leave this place are never heard from again, so I thought I’d check in.

Write back soon,

Chase Fletcher”

Chase. That name, that was the name of her old partner. Someone who she’d worked with long ago, but had lost contact after he was presumably killed by DC’s army. Was this really him, or was this DC playing a trick on her? This pair of journals did belong to him before he disappeared. If DC had gotten ahold of the other one, he’d have access to all of their old messages.

There was one problem, though. Mau’s book had several other messages inside of it; ones that Sandra had written, but that she couldn’t recall writing. One of these messages detailed pretty much everything she’d gone through during the time she’d forgotten. Being sent to a place called the Void, reuniting with her old friend, creating the summoning circle. Lastly, and most importantly, the fact that she was leaving her half of the journal down there with him, and that she’d make sure to create a new set for Mau. She couldn’t remember any of it, but she knew this was no trick. There was no way it was.

Sandra had a lot of questions. Too many, but they’d have to wait. Another wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she stumbled to the ground. Her injuries were healing now, but it took a lot out of her. Injuries like this could still take several days to fully recover, even in the Afterlife. All that was left to do now was to get Mau back home and get some much needed rest. Oasis would no doubt have questions, but all of that could wait.

There was one last thing Sandra wanted to do, though. Her dear old friend needed peace of mind. He needed to know she was ok. She wouldn’t feel right not responding. A short message would suffice. One simple message, and then she could tend to other matters. She owed him that much.

“Chase,

I’ve returned safely, my dear. Both me and Mau are alright. I have important matters to attend to, but after those are taken care of we can further discuss our plans. Until then, I wish you good luck.

Sandra”