Hunter felt sick as the power from his grandparents rushed into his body. At that moment, he hated the Horde. He hated the Host. He hated the Archivist who threw him in the Rift. His rage was so intense that he had to push it deep within himself. He became the calm at the center of a maelstrom. Even the pain from the Keeper dragging his body toward the circle of candles became a muted, distant thing. The demon unceremoniously dropped Hunter to the ground. Hunter felt too numb to do anything more than sit up and look over at the captured angel.

The Sentinel’s deep blue eyes pored over him. There was concern writ on her face, but her words were anything but.

I know it’s hard, Hunter. But this is for the best. Remember, you need to wait for the Keeper to start the ritual. When he’s occupied, select your Mind of Will Path. You’ll know the moment when it happens.

Hunter snorted and ignored the angel. She didn’t care about him—she only cared about her Eternal War. He was just another piece on the chessboard. He was tired of being the pawn. He would follow through with the plan. It was the only hope he had of surviving. However, when this was all over, he would go his own way.

He needed to get back to Arizona and protect his sister and mother. He needed to tell them what happened to Blair and Hank. The objective part of him knew that there was nothing he could do. They signed their death warrants as soon as they signed on with the Horde. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel guilty over their deaths.

What would Aquila think about that?

Hunter knew the eagle would counsel him to be strong. He knew he needed to be the warrior and the predator. Their deaths were unfortunate, but they had no bearing on the hunt ahead. He should focus on that until he had the time to mourn their passing properly. He sighed heavily and watched the Keeper in morbid fascination.

The demon had taken his place in the center of the sigil. It raised both clawed hands and held them to the sky in supplication. Its wings were spread wide, and its tail lashed against the floor. Hunter could make out tiny chips of stone being upended from each errant brush. The Keeper started chanting in a language that Hunter’s ears refused to discern. His mind recoiled at the darkness hidden in their words. Hunter clasped his hands against his head in an effort to block out the foul chant.

A heaviness descended upon the room. It was like some elder god had flipped the switch on the gravity until every movement was strenuous, and each breath came like the last gasp of a drowning man.

Hunter watched through lidded eyes as there was a blur in the air. Two pilfer demons coalesced next to the first. They watched the proceedings with all three of their eyes. Despite the severity of the situation, Hunter wanted to laugh. He couldn’t see a single determinable difference between the pilfer demons. All three looked like clones of each other. Hunter still didn’t know if he had interacted with only one monster or all three of them throughout his time in the Rift.

He had to fight to turn his gaze back toward the Keeper. As soon as he did, the candle flame exploded into billows of emerald flame. Each one burned toward the ceiling with no sign of ceasing. The relatively cool room became hotter than the interior of a forge. Hunter immediately started sweating. In moments, his shirt was soaked through, and he could feel moisture dripping down his legs.

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Disgusted, Hunter shakily rose to his feet and searched for his staff. He had dropped it when the Keeper had descended upon him. He groaned as he realized he wouldn’t be able to reach it. The flames were so high that they were creating a physical barrier between him and the rest of the room. He could barely make out what was going on. It was like looking between the bars of a prison cell.

Hunter searched for the Keeper but realized that the demon was no longer in his previous position. He turned to find where the devil could go before recognizing that the Keeper had manifested in the same circle as the Sentinel.

It stood above the Sentinel with a mocking grin on its lizard-like face. It reached behind it and stuck its hands into the emerald flame. It looked like it was grabbing something, but Hunter was just impressed that it hadn’t turned its hand to cinders. The Keeper pulled his hand from the fire, and some of the flames followed him.

A gigantic sword made from living fire manifested in the demon’s hand. It looked over at Hunter, and its grin widened.

“Now, it’s time for the sacrifice.”

With one fell swoop, the Keeper lopped off the angel’s head. It rolled on the ground before stopping at the barrier of candles. The headless corpse of the angel slumped to the ground. Hunter shivered as the head tilted in his direction. The Sentinel looked at him with the same beautiful eyes. There was no shock, anger, or fear on her face. In her last moments, the angel seemed satisfied.

Like a curtain being dropped, the heaviness in the room increased tenfold. The chanting still went on the background even though the Keeper’s lips had long stopped moving. Beyond the chanting, Hunter could hear the clanging of church bells and the screaming of millions of tortured souls. They became a terrifying symphony that haunted the mind and shocked the senses.

Suddenly, a great ripping sound split the air. Hunter looked toward the center and saw a jagged red and orange gash in the fabric of reality. Malevolent light spilled from the crack as it slowly widened. Hunter couldn’t see beyond the break. It looked like a gradually widening pool of lava. Black specks left after images in his eyes that caused Hunter to clench his eyes tight.

“…and now, time for the Vessel.”

Hunter could hear the scraping of claws feet as the Keeper moved toward the widening portal.

“Lord, I have brought you a suitable Vessel to inhabit, and the soul of a Sentinel powers your transition to this Plane. Take your rightful place as ruler of Earth.”

Hunter felt a presence crash against his mind. It was so powerful that it made the maelstrom of his emotions look like a stray breeze in comparison. An alien presence invaded his mind. It poured through his memories and wrested control over his feelings.

Hunter felt a deadness inside his chest that started to grow. His heart was a chunk of permafrost that chilled the rest of his body. He started shivering as its influence began to grow. The cold that pervaded his flesh and bones grew painful. Every inch of his flesh felt like it was being stabbed with needles. He cried out in pain as the intensity of his agony was slowly increased.

After an indeterminable amount of time, his transformation paused. There was a hint of surprise from the evil presence that held sway in his thoughts.

You must’ve found my most recent memories, Hunter taunted the unseen Lord of Hell.

What is this?

The voice was deep and primal. It sounded like the movement of tectonic plates and the dying of stars. It was older than Hunter ever imagined, and yet, it was surprised.

Welcome to Earth!

Hunter mentally pulled his Path Points and threw them into Mind of Will.

Congratulations! You have completed the Mind of Will Path. Your mind has been forged in the fires of adversity. You have been granted immunity to mind persuasion of all kinds. Over time, your mental willpower will slowly increase until you can persuade the minds of others.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the Path: Heart of Will (0/100).