I wasn’t surprised when Theresa brought Briar Rose with her to the Demon Door the next morning. I’d already anticipated this, so I’d hidden my Grey Cowl gear inside a locked chest, just in case.

“Who’s this?” Brom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Scarlett was walking over, so I pulled her aside and whispered in her ear, “Be accepting, Mother. I don’t know how Father will take this.”

A frown crossed her face. “What do you mean?”

“Theresa doesn’t like boys. And I can assure you, they’re meant for each other,” I murmured.

Her expression shifted as realization dawned, followed by a sigh. “I should have known. I thought she was just boyish because she was acting like me.”

“It shouldn’t matter to any of us, as long as she’s happy.”

“True,” Scarlett said softly, though there was a hint of concern in her voice. “But you’re right about Brom. He won’t like the idea that she won’t give him grandchildren. I’ll handle it when we’re alone. He might make a scene.”

I shrugged. “At least it’s outrage out of love, not fear or hatred.”

Scarlett nodded in agreement, her expression softening. She walked over to Brom, leading him toward the Demon Door.

“Hey, Arn!” Theresa called out, waving me over to her and Briar Rose.

“Hi, Briar Rose, is it?” I asked, extending my hand.

She took it firmly. “Yeah, nice to meet you, Arn,” she said, squeezing my hand a little harder than I expected. I couldn’t help but grin.

“So, what brings such a special introduction?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

Briar Rose glanced at Theresa, who smiled proudly. “Briar is my girlfriend,” Theresa declared with a grin.

“Babe!” Briar Rose exclaimed, shocked by the boldness of it.

I chuckled. “She’s so confident because she knows I don’t care about things like that.”

Briar blushed slightly, turning away with an embarrassed smile. “She teases me so meanly.”

“And you’re bringing her to the Void, right?” I asked, smoothly changing the subject.

“That’s right,” Theresa confirmed with a nod.

“I hope you helped her pick out some good skill-related magic,” I said. “You know, she is this generation’s Hero of Skill.”

Theresa smiled, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes. “I know. But she loves swords.”

“Well, then we’ll have to create something special for her,” I mused. “Something akin to ninjutsu or samurai-related, maybe?”

“What’s that?” Theresa asked, intrigued.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. “A nation’s famously skilled warriors.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“What the heck are you both on about?” Briar Rose suddenly shouted, her face flushed with embarrassment. “And why are you talking about me like I’m not here?”

Theresa flashed her a teasing smile. “Honey, no need to raise your voice. Arn possesses great knowledge of this world and others. You can call it his greatest power.”

Briar Rose sighed in exasperation but smiled back, clearly charmed. “Fine, but next time, can we include me in the conversation?”

I chuckled. “Of course, Briar. But you know how it is when you have someone as brilliant as me around.”

Theresa rolled her eyes with a fond smile. “You’re incorrigible.”

With the introductions complete, I guided Briar Rose into the Demon Door, where Theresa began another introduction to our parents—one that had clearly been planned ahead of time. Brom had a big smile on his face, despite the unexpected news. Perhaps it wasn't as hard for him to grasp as I had worried it might be.

Maze was already inside, deep in conversation with Naia about her people's culture and magic, quill and paper in hand. The old mage never missed an opportunity to acquire more knowledge.

The last of our group to arrive was Elvira, whom I had invited for multiple reasons. One, if she wanted to keep up with me in strength, she would need to come with me. Two, I needed to speak with the angel of death.

Taking a seat next to the girl I had started developing feelings for, I turned to her and asked the question that had been on my mind.

"Can I speak with Death?"

She nodded, folding her hands together. With a hum and a drop in temperature, Elvira's modified voice filled the air. "I am here, my love."

I reached out and held her hand, my voice softening. "Tell me, Lady of Death... What happened to Cain?"

Her hand jerked away from mine in shock, her eyes wide. "You remember him?!!!"

"My memories are slowly coming back. He may have wronged me in the worst way, twice, but he’s still my brother. Part of me worries deeply," I explained, the weight of the past pressing heavily on me.

"I honestly don’t know all the details... but I do know that after he destroyed you, the Creator cast him into a place he called the Abyss," Death replied, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"After an eternity of helping people, I've learned something. Corruption is born from madness, and madness is born from pain. There’s something so familiar about Jack that’s been gnawing at me. So tell me, Death... Why does the Void sound so much like the Abyss?"

Lady Grey's form looked horrified as her hands flew to her mouth, her expression one of disbelief. "No... it can't be! It can't!"

I paused, feeling a heavy sense of dread in my chest. "At first, I thought it wasn't possible. That I couldn't have been dead that long... but I was, wasn't I?"

Her face lowered, saddened. "Yes... You have been gone long enough for worlds to be created and crumble away."

"But do you really think it could be... him?" she asked.

"I hope not," I whispered, though a gnawing feeling of dread settled in my gut. "But why does it feel like this unkillable monster might be MY unkillable monster? The other half of the coin from which I was made—broken into many pieces..."

"Let me... Let me try and find out! I'll reach out to someone I know and find out if he could possibly be related to him," Death assured, disappearing as if she were never there, leaving Elvira sitting before me. Her form was no longer possessed by the angel of death.

With Death gone, I went over and took my seat in the center of the space, beginning to manipulate time and space. But the moment I started, I heard a gasp.

"Whispy, what are you doing here?"

I looked up to see that Whisper had run into the Demon Door right before we went to close it. She must have slipped in just before I started channeling my magic with my eyes closed. Now, we had already moved partway toward the Void.

"Damn it, stupid girl. What do you think you're doing?" Maze berated.

"I... if she can be here, I should too," Whisper argued, pointing at Elvira.

"Whispy, no! You shouldn't be here," Elvira reasoned.

"I thought we were supposed to be friends?" Whisper scoffed.

"We are, Whispy. That's why I told you where I was going," Elvira replied.

I cringed both at the nickname for Whisper and at Elvira being foolish enough to tell her about our trip to the Void.

"You should have asked me to come. I want to be strong," Whisper demanded.

"It wasn't my place, it's..." Elvira began, looking my way before realizing she shouldn't reveal that information and pointing at Maze.

Scarlett interrupted the conversation. "We should head back now and return her to the dormitory."

"No!" Maze said with authority. "Jack would have heard the rumors of the experiment with the disappearing door. Now that it's confirmed, once we go back, he won’t risk losing track of us again. He would know the moment we left and be waiting there for us, ready to storm the door the moment it opens. The girl stays, whether we like it or not."