Nest is in a dark factory hallway, she’s currently lost and doesn’t know where she is
Nest: Hello? Who’s here
Nest looks around, the creaking of her surroundings turn into a cacophony of sounds and shadow
Nest: Hello??
Her cries for someone else are drowned out by mechanical whirring and the darkness of the factory, suddenly, the lights begin flickering on and off
Nest: Hello? Hello? Who’s there?
Nest’s frantic running stops as she turns a corner
???: Hello Nest, don’t worry…you’re no longer alone…
The shadow begins forward towards Nest, absorbing the surroundings
Nest: Whoever you are…please…please…have mercy
Nest begins running, she tries calling for her bird friends, but they are not responding to her cries for help
The sounds and sights of the room begin morphing into unfathomable shapes, suddenly she hears a scream
Juni: HELP ME, HELP ME
Nest: Juni??
The corridor she’s in finally wraps around, as she feels like she’s suffocating in her own malice
???: I’m afraid you can’t help her
Nest: Who even are you?
Nest begins to run, holding in her fear as dark shadows of her failures and regrets begin to appear mocking her, a green light appears briefly before being swallowed by the darkness
Nest: What’s the meaning of this
Juni: HELP ME, HELP ME
Nest: WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS
Juni: HELP ME, HELP ME
???: Oh Nest…you should know me well
Juni: NEST YOU NEED TO HELP ME, HE’S GOING TO KILL ME
The figure in the darkness steps forward
Nest: No..no…no…no…NO…NO…It can’t be you…
The dark shadowed figure reveals himself
The Buzzard: That’s right Nest…
Nest: But you died…
Juni: HE’S GOING TO KILL ME
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The Buzzard: Nest, darling, you left me to die but I survived because I am hate incarnate, I can never truly die as long as you hate somewhere in your heart
Nest: But…but…
Juni: NEST, YOU NEED TO RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN
Juni’s chanting of the word run compels Nest to run and run and run far away but the Buzzard begins soaring over her
The Buzzard: I’m going to kill you and tear out your soul
Nest keeps running, not looking back but she sees apparitions of all her failures continue to taunt and mock her
Juni: HELP ME, HELP ME
As the chorus of Juni’s screams grows to a fever pitch, Nest begins to cry, she runs across a familiar sight, those familiar corpses
Edera: Join us Nest
Zaylee: Join us Nest
Nest: NO…NO…NO…I REFUSE
The Buzzard: I’ll have all your heads
Nest begins to run faster and faster but she stops hitting the ground
The Buzzard: Aw..the little girl fell over
Nest: No please…no this can’t be how it ends
Nest begins to have the crest ripped off of her by The Buzzard
The Buzzard: I love tasting your fear
Nest moves away and continues running until Juni calls out for her again
Juni: NEST, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU NEED TO HELP ME, YOU NEED TO HELP ME
Nest: How…how
Nest breaks down as The Buzzard engulfs her and…
Nest wakes up in a cold sweat in her bed, screaming and crying, flailing, struggling to breathe due to the weight of her intense nightmare
12 Hours Later, Columbia, Maryland
Nest is sitting in an office with Hadane, Nest has just exited a guild mandated therapy session which happens whenever a veteran unit suffers from a post-traumatic stress event. The two have remained relatively silent until…
Hadane: Do you want to tell me about it?
Nest: About what?
Hadane: Your nightmare, do you want to tell me about it?
Nest: Why do you care?
Hadane: It’s still bothering you, and that’s bothering me
Nest: Alright…well do you remember the events that happened here in this city years ago
Hadane: Are you referring to your encounter with The Buzzard?
Nest: Yes, he was going to kill me if Falconer and The Century Corps did not intervene, they are the reason I am still alive but it didn’t come easy, quite a few people died but I survived. However, when I go to bed, I see their faces, I see them mocking me.
Hadane: I believe that is called Survivor’s Guilt
Nest: That’s what the therapist said
Hadane: I remember my own nightmares I had, I am also only here because of The Century Corps.
Nest: Really?
Hadane: Your previous grandmaster, Iseri, saved my life by fighting the Angel of Death, it’s a gesture that I can never repay
Nest: I see, and how did your nightmares stopped
Hadane: They just did, I made peace with the fact that everyone else had died and that I was now going to live my own life
Nest: Well I thought that I had gotten there too but then last night The Buzzard appeared in my dreams and I was brought back to the brink of death, he scared me, I felt trapped
Hadane: Listen, you killed him right, he’s gone
Nest: In my dream, he said he could never die as long as there was hate inside my heart
Hadane: Then you have to let go
Nest: Let go of what?
Hadane: Your fears and doubts, you’ve got to soar far above your worries
Nest: But there’s very little aether here, how am I gonna fly without it?
Hadane: Sometimes you need others to be your strength and you’ve got tons of feathered friends, don’t you?
Nest: My bird friends?
A bunch of birds sit perched outside the window
Hadane: They’re worried about you too
Nest: So, looks like I’ve got to trust my friends?
Hadane: You’ve got them and you’ve got me
Nest: But what if The Buzzard really does appear again, rear his ugly head and endanger our friends?
Hadane: We’ll fight him together
Nest: I’ll hold you to your promise
Hadane: I will uphold it
Nest: Still, I feel shaken
Hadane: That’s ok, remember Nest, let your feelings be your guide
Nest: I’m going to do my best, so there’s no ghosts left to haunt me
Nest leaves the room, reinvigorated with a spirit to do what’s right
Hadane turns to face the room, she’s not alone in there now
Hadane: You’ve been oddly quiet
Iseri: It’s your conversation, who am I to interfere in it
Hadane: You know for a standup guy you sure do a lot of haunting
Iseri: Listen I didn’t give your friend a nightmare, that was her own guilt and fears
Hadane: No I believe you
Iseri: Do you like your place here?
Hadane: I do
Iseri: Remember Hadane, if you ever need some ghastly advice, you can always talk to me, you’re friend’s going to need help to get through the trials ahead
Hadane: I appreciate your kindness Iseri, but you’ve done enough for a lifetime, enjoy your eternal rest
Iseri: Fair enough, my time on the mortal plane is limited anyway, good luck on the battles to come.