Jackie and Phineas wake up bound next to each other in a dark, stony room.
"Where are we? What happened?" Asks Phineas.
"I don't... remember. I think... he took us. He killed Paul!" Jackie and Phineas tug at their chains, to no avail. Jackie tries to melt the chains, but finds she can't conjure her fire.
"I can't use my powers," she says.
"Oh ho. Welcome to the club," says a voice at the end of the room. A hideous, noseless figure leans out of the darkness.
"What the holy hell happened to you!?" Shouts Jackie.
"Nothing here, I assume you. My name is Horus. Hey, bonebag!" He shouts. A skeleton in the corner Jackie and Phineas had assumed was dead turns its head towards him.
"What do you want?" It grumbles in a low voice.
"Tell them how long you've been here."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"A few months. I can't be sure."
Horus laughs. "You two shouldn't get too comfortable. I'm not sure what that psycho is planning but whatever it is can't be good. While we wait for him to come greet you, why don't you meet the family!" He gestures to a lifeless man in the corner. "This is Ian. Say hi, Ian." The man does not move, and drools onto his chest. "Heh. And that over there is Fikre." He points into a dark corner of the room. They can't see what's in it, but something absolutely enormous stirred when he said that. "He's shy. Oh, footsteps! Perhaps he'll finally kill us!"
Leviticus opens the prison door. "What did you do to Paul!?" Jackie shouts.
"I think it would hurt you the most to not tell you what I did to him. I will tell you what I did to your friend Demos, though. I gutted him like a fish. Little bitch sung like a songbird as to where you were. Gods are all the same. Regardless, I have finally gathered you, Jackie, Faith, and you Phineas, Pride."
"I'm not prideful," whispers Phineas.
"Your grief may have instigated the kidnapping of Paul, but your pride lead you to believe that you could bend reality to your will in order to achieve your ends. Do not tell lies. I digress. Now that you are all here, we can begin. Sleep well. Tomorrow, none of you will ever sleep again." Leviticus slams the door shut.
Jackie and Phineas talk, with Horus and the skeleton butting in every few minutes. And finally, with all the pieces of the soul assembled, although minimally, I can finally think.
[END OF BOOK 4]