Winter 2045

Ezrael

Sarah turned and conjured up a keyboard and typed with a frenzied pace. A rectangular display appeared in front of her face and she sent the signal out.

“What is it?” The gruff voice answered from the other end—transmitted directly to her brain.

“You’re not going to believe this. I think we have an end goal in sight for the bridge,” Sarah said.

“Do tell.”

“I think Ormus had a trump card up his sleeve. And I believe it just walked into my lab.”

“...send the results over.”

Sarah made a motion with her hands and she waited for the voice on the other end to respond. It seemed like an eternity as she awaited the response.

“Interesting developments are sure to come, indeed. I think I should come and greet our guest personally.”

“No, I’ve got it under control. It’s a delicate situation. Her memories imply she’s very prone to resisting against the mission. We need to handle this carefully.”

“Fine. I’ll leave it to you, then. Do not fail. We only have one shot at this.”

“I understand…”

“Is there more?” The voice asked, expectant.

“It’s just...how have things been...recently?”

“I told you. Everything is fine. There is nothing to worry about.”

Sarah sighed. “Things haven’t been fine for years, Samael. I’ve been searching for the others since…”

“Enough. Clearly you have too much time on your hands to worry about such trivial things. Report back only when you have substantial progress or if something goes wrong.”

The other line cut out and the display faded, causing Sarah to let loose a breath. She hated checking in with Samael—pieces of her still remembered the person he used to be—the things he used to do, but other parts of her felt surgically grafted to remember the way he had held them together upon reaching the new world. He, Ormus, and she were the glue that held the Children of the Night together when so much uncertainty had flooded their minds since coming into being in Noctem.

It felt like what had happened then mattered less—because of what had since happened. The big blowout at the gorge was still as fresh a wound as any would be—and she dreamt frequently about having the chance to re-live that event again—to be able to do it over.

Unfortunately, the closest chance she’s had at reaching out to any of them were fleeting fragments where she was able to reach out to Thagirion or Galgaliel—but never at the same time. She figured if she could round them up she could talk some sense into them at reforming some sort of union—but it’s been so hard to confirm anything else of the outside world.

She gripped the edge of the table and sighed. There was so much she was expected to do—and so much she sought out to do in this world—work that Samael wouldn’t have understood. He scoffed at her work at preparing those with magical abilities here—considering it a waste of time and resources.

She knew more than most the harshness of the world they lived in—much of it echoed the world of before, and she remembers the fragments of powerlessness she had felt in those old times. She felt powerlessness here and now having half of her existence carved out of her—since first coming to this world it wasn’t that bad. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

But since the days of the Collapse, her dreams have long since been flooded with fragments and pieces of her past life—the existence she used to hold and the pain that used to encapsulate.

She shook her head—now was not a time to get lost in those thoughts. She needed to keep working. She needed to solve the mystery of these locked away abilities of this strange new addition to their cosmic equation—and she needed to find out more about the demon she came across that night.

That...was most important of all.

2022

Ezrael’s eyes fluttered open as the world shifted around her. She had passed out after falling into the void—she didn’t know how much time had passed since the battle at the gorge, but her mind was spinning and her head was aching something fierce. She slowly started to piece together the recent memory of how everything came to be where she is now—but so much of it felt like a disjointed mess. It felt like she was trying to assemble a puzzle and all the pieces were from different puzzles altogether, but something about them was just close enough where she could almost piece them together.

“You’re finally awake.”

She jolted upright and saw a figure she didn’t recognize off to the side—he looked like a man in his middle ages, but she couldn’t see his face—it looked obscured by a mask that hung close to his face.

They were sitting in a cave—a small campfire crackled in the distance and she saw its embers flicker up to the roof of the cave—stalactites hung precariously that looked sharpened like swords. Even though she didn’t recognize the man, his voice was familiar enough.

“Samael...who...is that?” she asked, her voice was hoarse—she found her throat was scratched all to hell.

“Easy, you took quite a tumble going through that portal there. You’re going to need to recover if we’re going to get started.”

Her head pounded—it felt like her headache had turned sentient and worked its way through her brain—finding and tunneling through every nook and cranny. “S...Started?”

“We’ve got to complete our mission, do we not? And we have to protect ourselves.”

“Protect ourselves…” she repeated, the words repeating in her brain like an echo.

“Well, yes. Of course. We need to protect ourselves from those who would harm us. You know who that is, right?”

Images started returning to her—she remembered Ormus—he was firing a blast out to Samael—Thagirion and Galgaliel were there too...so many people were upset. So many were fighting for their lives.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Ormus lied to us all,” Samael said. He leaned back and stretched his arms out, “I tried to let everyone know...but he got the better of us, remember?”

“I…” She said, having difficulty remembering the totality of the event. Everything was so hazy. “I remember the fighting.”

He sighed. “It’s a shame, you know. We were just trying to help—what with Father passing...you remember that, right?”

“...oh god,” her hand went to her mouth and tears started to well up in her eyes as she started to remember. “Yes...it was...Sakonna, right?”

“Unfortunately,” Samael confirmed. “Partnered by Issachar, and it seems Ormus knew about the whole thing. All to keep quiet those dreams of yours you’ve been having.”

“How did you know about the dreams?” Ezrael asked, taken aback.

“You mentioned them—you and Thagirion,” Samael nodded. He looked at her and saw his eyes through the slits of the mask, they were a very vibrant purple.

“Oh...I think I remember something like that. I...I don’t remember you getting a vessel, Samael. I think I remember you hating the idea of it…”

“Things changed—I needed to adapt with the new situation, which brings me back to…” He sat forward, “our plan. You’re still interested?”

“I…” she began. “I need some time to get a hold on things...I hope that’s okay.”

He made a motion for her to come up and sit by the fire. “Of course, just like I said, we’re both going to need to recover. Lot of energy spent—and I can’t imagine how things have been in your ballpark—this is the perfect opportunity for us to take command—you and I.”

“Take…command,” she repeated, the words flowed in her brain again, echoing and bouncing off her mind.

“Exactly,” he pointed at her and made a motion of agreement. “We can only count on those who we trust. And that means we have to return back to square one—fulfilling the wishes of our goal. You still have the preparations set to begin your phase?”

“I have...the blueprint set.” She said, and blinked. She started feeling a little too cold so she got up—the haziness of her mind was clearing and she sat across from him by the fire. The heat was an instantaneous relief and she sighed a long sound. “I am going to need time to set up a station to pull energy from the planet. If I recall correctly my predictions set the completion time somewhere between forty and forty-two years. The range got less accurate the further it went out.”

“Those numbers are acceptable for now,” Samael said, “But I’m sure with more conduits we’ll be able to lessen it.”

“It would all depend on the strength and scope. I can’t make any promises...especially now.”

“Okay, we’ll take all the time we’ll need,” Samael said.

“And...when the bridge is complete, you think you have it in you to take on Ormus’ role in it? I’m afraid I have no inkling as to his part…”

“Always was a secretive git, wasn’t he?” Samael asked.

“…”

“Fortunately for us, I’ve got the knowledge we need. I found Father’s plans.”

“You what?” Ezrael asked.

“It was at the crime scene—you know how Father writes things down—I didn’t have the original, of course. I assume Sakonna made off with that after she did the deed...but I saw it in the waves.”

“You...said something about recording the whole scene to the waves.”

“Yes, and provided nobody else went back to disturb the scene you should be able to confirm the scene for yourself.”

Ezrael shook her head. “No...I don’t think I can handle seeing it right now...everything is...it’s just a lot.”

“I completely understand,” Samael said. “It will remain there as long as I can muster it, so should you change your mind the option will be available.”

“Thank you, Samael.”

“Now, you continue to rest here, and when you feel up to it, I suggest heading out and try finding a suitable place to set up.” Samael stood and stretched, his body cracked and it was an uncomfortable sound.

“What of you? Where will you go?”

“I am going to see if I can find some of the others—see if we can’t unite some of our lost family back to our cause. I have a feeling Ormus will be trying to do the same, and we can’t let him disturb the cause.”

“I couldn’t even imagine why he would be against the plan…” Ezrael said.

“No clue...he works in mysterious ways. Can’t say I understand him—can’t say I ever did.”

Ezrael felt awful about it, she felt like the puzzle pieces were starting to line up clearer...but some pieces still felt...wrong. She shook her head and turned back to the fire—the embers crackling in their patterns as they highlighted the exhaustion on her face—and she felt her eyes close to sleep.

Shapes filled her unconscious mind as Samael vanished from the spot where he stood, and as soon as he did those puzzle pieces shifted—her memory returned, and she remembered the full course of events of the night—and a terrifying smile haunted her dreams.

She felt a shudder as the truth rained upon her as her full thoughts returned—and she knew in her deepest heart that it was his presence that locked away those thoughts that would threaten the plan he set out.

Samael was a danger—he had organized the battle at the Gorge—he had used her to send them far away—and then used her to send them both far away after the seeds of discord had borne fruit. She knew that Ormus had kept secrets, but felt like in a better situation he would have revealed the truth—that she would have understood.

Yet, it was blocked from her mind—it was so easy to say yes and to not rock the boat when Samael was leading the meeting. It was so easy to be tangled up in his words even when her deepest thoughts would struggle against them—in reality that was the truth of the dreams that she had.

She remembered a time long ago when she fought against Samael—fought against the person he used to be. She had hated him—hated what he had done to not just her, but her friends. She had friends. She had more than friends, but she had lost them, too. So much of it was still missing pieces...she yearned for the truth above all else. And yet, there still stuck a name in her mind that felt like it had been torn from her very existence.

Nairè.

She had no clue what the name had meant, but something inside her was screaming that it was important—that she had to reunite...with Nairè.

Through everything, the sight that she hung on the longest in her dreams was the look on Samael’s face as he vanished. He thought she was fully asleep—so he had taken the mask off—for just a moment. His face looked—broken...cracked. It did not look human—and it did not look like Samael. It spoke in his voice, but something about it sent chills down her spine. It housed the crooked smile she saw in her darkest dreams.

It was a demon, and she knew if it knew that she had seen it, it would have devoured her then and there. She was terrified.

She still desired to see her world return—but she did not want to help Samael—to help the demon. Yet...there was no other choice. She had no clue where any of the other Children of the Night had gone after…the end of the twelve.

She would recover her senses, and then she would think on things in the morning. She needed to do something.

Winter 2045

Ezrael’s eyes stared out at the lab she had spent so much time building up. She hated what it had become—what she had become. She yearned for freedom...to break away, but Samael—that demon—had regular check ups. Each time he called—each time he visited, her control was rested away from her just as easily as it had any previous time. He had gotten stronger in the time since then—his influence had lasted longer after he left. She caught herself reporting to him too late—she gave him vital information on how to further whatever agenda he had planned, and she hated herself for it more and more.

The girl was something she hadn’t planned for, and hated that she brought such progress to her doorstep, because now Samael was going to be checking in more regularly—he was going to be heavily invested in the development. He was going to seek for her death after her use was over...why couldn’t she just stay hidden?

Why couldn’t she just live the rest of her life without revealing herself now...stupid. Stupid. STUPID!

She sighed. She clenched her fists tight and knew the insults were for her. She knew the girl had only been trying to fight against an unjust fate. I wonder if she even knew I got to see those memories too...probably did with how stupidly I blurted that out.

The truth was...she saw the perfect opportunity to make her move against Samael and now she’s blown it. This could have been the thing to take him down—a factor he hadn’t known about...if that were even possible, but now...she went and ruined that surprise.

She sighed again, and looked off to the side.

Enjoy your moments with that unrequited love, I fear your opportunities for happiness are shrinking by the day...unless…

She stood up.

Wait...that could be it. She conjured up a keyboard and began searching through her database and began typing with a fury. If this works...we might still have a chance. Oh god...please let it be here.

After a few minutes she smiled, and she immediately got to work—sleep was going to be foreign to her tonight. This night was for redemption. This was a night...for reclamation. This was the night the demon’s death was first penned.

That damned smile...it would die with that smile.