One of the uncomfortable edges my brain rested upon and tried to ignore was the question of why Pearl had given me her true name, even knowing that she was unable to uphold her side of our deal. Perhaps she wanted me to trust her, to put us on even footing. Perhaps she was that desperate to gain a foothold over those who had wronged her. She was willing to risk it all on me. Perhaps she was just fallible after all, and not everything had to make sense.

I passed her the knife, the blade end cool in my fingers.

She took it by the handle, her fingers wrapping around it, pulling it close. Pearl wavered slightly as if the pull of the cliche almost wanted her to betray me at this junction, but she just exhaled. Leaned in for one more brief kiss. Then, as she shut those radiant eyes, she was gone in a blur of pink energy.

I stood alone in the hallway. We probably could have spent hours saying our goodbyes, but it had been brief, barely a word spoken. Things were left unsaid but understood. Once again, worlds apart. For a handful of moments, I let the absence of her sink into me before I joined the other two once more.

[The problem with this area, the Rodney, is there is a density to it.]

“Uh-huh.” The Blank nodded and watched me as I entered the room. “That’s what it says in the briefing, but what does it mean?”

[It’s a bit like a multiplier. For example, Eric usually takes three seconds to return home when activating his vessel. In this area, it would be more like twelve to twenty seconds.]

Rodney nodded again, and I grunted, sitting at the end of the table and exhaling. It sounded like something to lure me into getting into trouble with no easy escape. “What sort of demons are there?”

I had underlings for fighting pigmen now. As much as those gross demons had colored my life in the Lowers up til this point, I had outgrown them. I was sure there were a lot worse things that I could get beaten up by.

“They’re… they’re like imps? But they don’t fly - they’re more like dogs. But meaner.”

“Great.” I sunk into the chair further. Vague recollections of them tried to form in my mind. Squat monsters that were basically a mouth with legs - small beady eyes affixed to their tough bodies like those of a shark. They mostly kept to themselves, or singular ones were taken as pets for demons who were overcompensating and wanted to see their lessers eaten up at the risk of falling into the jaws themselves.

Packs of them were a danger, sometimes able to take down a Titan with significant losses. If the Org wanted me to go into their actual den…

[You do not seem keen, Eric.]

“I wouldn’t mind a few easy wins to boost the ego back up.” I shrugged. “Focus my clouded mind.”

“Didn’t you just take out a temple and almost kill a patron?” Rodney smiled, knowing that I did - as he was watching.

“Eh, that’s simple stuff. Give me some real challenge.” I sat up and grinned. “We can get into a little more trouble now that Pearl is gone.” They looked even less convinced than I felt.

[Neither of us are well designed to care for you in the same manner.]

“Just… let’s get a bed set up in the basement. Strap me in and fill me with meds whenever I come back broken and crazy?”

“I’m not sure how assured I feel with you being so casual about your well-being, Eric.” Rodney sighed and put his device away. “I think I’ll give the Org my decision tomorrow; currently I’m exhausted.”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

[I will need to massage the Org into allowing our Promotion.]

Wight nodded at me, put the caps back on his markers, and slotted them into the plastic case. I had no doubt that he would try to wrangle more than that out of the Org if they weren’t precise enough with however they made the contracts.

[You need to work on your own power too, Eric. Do not rely on the Org.]

I tilted my head. “How do I build on my own power? I’m… quite the catalog of different influences now. There’s my own demonic power, your demonic power, the Rat God’s eldritch power, and apparently some divine power, too.”

The demon shrugged.

[I have no control over your own development.]

Rodney had no support for me as I looked over at him. What more could a man want, really? My own power seemed to strengthen the closer I stumbled towards death’s door. Somehow, throwing myself into danger in the hopes that it would be a long-term improvement to my life sounded… painful. No doubt that was where the Org was leading me.

“Alright - it’s… evening somehow. I don’t know how time works anymore. Shall we call the meeting adjourned and come back tomorrow to watch me court ruin in Hell once more?”

“Not quite my ideal morning, but sure.” Rodney rubbed the back of his neck.

[Acceptable.]

Wight began to fade away, his misty form rolling around into my wrist so that he could transfer back to the Org.

“You can stay in the spare room still, if you’d like?” I yawned as the Blank started packing his bag up.

“Yeah? I might do that, honestly. I… don’t want to go back home tonight.” He slunk back into the recliner and looked out of the window.

My tongue rolled around in my mouth, a pause as awkwardness clogged my throat. “How are you holding up?”

“It’s been okay.” He continued to stare out into the evening sky. “I spend most of my time at home cleaning, crying, or meditating. So having this bit of madness is… a nice distraction.”

I nodded, even though he may not be able to see the action. He had busied himself, kept his mind distracted or empty. We allowed the silence to settle and just be as we were.

“Sometimes I still wonder if the Org did it.” His voice seemed distant now, as if just whispering out his thoughts to his own mind. “But I don’t see the motivation. They don’t want us getting too chummy, right? The only effect was bringing the four of us closer. Could demons have done it? Again, it’s possible… but to what end? Maybe there doesn’t have to be a reason for it. Could have been bad luck and normal people. Everyday evil. But I…”

He sighed and wiped his eyes. “Sorry, it’s much easier to ramble when nobody is around.”

“It’s fine. You should have seen me trying to process things. Org is the only reason I didn’t end up dead or in a cell, no doubt.” I gave him a glum smile. “You don’t have to do the patron thing if you don’t want to, though - I know I went from totally against to totally for - but it’s your own choice. Your life.”

“I know.” His fingers idly drummed on the armrests. “I read the whole thing three times over before mentioning it. I feel it’s a big step, but I can… it feels like the right thing to do, too.”

“They give you a timeline?”

“After our Quest tomorrow, they’d like me to go in. Lots of things they need to check, compatibility and all that?”

I tried to remember if they bothered with such consideration when they assigned Wight to me. Everything from back at the start was a blur of angered desperation. Pain and… alcohol. I had hit the bottle right before they picked me up, and now that my mind was reviewing the fractured memories of my past, I started to wonder if the no-drink policy my patron enforced was something added on purpose.

Most likely - I can only imagine how quickly I’d be dead going into a Quest half-cut. It would do little well for my mental stability. Or liver. With a sigh and another yawn, I pushed these thoughts from my mind. Deal with the days ahead; reflection was a mirror of sharp edges.

“Room should be ready for you - the only thing is our sole bathroom is the en-suite.” I shrugged, wondering what the architects had been thinking when designing these houses.

“That’s fine - let me get washed up for sleep first, then.” He stood and walked towards the door to the hall. He stopped briefly. “Just wanted to say… thanks for everything, Eric.”

And then he was gone, his footsteps going up the staircase.

Eric Redd sat morosely at the head of an empty dining room table. Pages of childish drawings on one side, the initial of his demonic lover scratched into the other. The darkness of night flooded through the room, scant illumination washing through from the streetlight outside.

I stared at the emptiness. The void in my heart. Even though their absences were all temporary, I could almost taste the day when this would be my forever. A knot that tied in my stomach at the thought of losing it all. Freed of all my curses and power, my loved ones moved on or dead.

Just me, alone to endure the cold of the night, praying for even a hint that there was just one more dawn to follow - if only I could wait that little bit longer.

Ahh, welcome back, noir.