“What the bloody hell?” I shout, stepping back in shock. Completely failing to realize that the fist went through my jaw. “Who are you three?”

The one who threw the punch looks down at their hand in confusion while another steps forward. Their features are completely hidden in the dark, yet something feels… strangely familiar with this one.

“Spectre, I see the fate I had foretold has failed to come to fruition,” they say with an almost monotone cadence combined with strange clacking sounds as they speak.

“Spectre? I’m Esri,” I mutter confused, barely taking another step away from them.

“I… see…” the figure says slowly. “It seems tonight is going to be a strange night indeed for you, Esri.”

I bolt, it feels like I’m moving through molasses, but I have no choice. I run as fast as I can away from these lunatics. There is no telling what they want with me, but I know one thing. I’m not going to let them catch me.

I hear them shout behind me as I dash towards the fence. If I can get over it, I can circle around and slip into the shed. As I’m running, one of them just appears in front of me. No running past me, no blurs, just there suddenly with their arms raised in front of them.

“Stop!” they shout right as I barrel through them… wait. Through them?

I skid across the grass, spinning around to stare in shock. They drop their hands and the others catch up to us. None of them are winded, yet I feel like my lungs are about to burst. I can’t run, but maybe I don’t have to.

“Okay, what is going on here?” I demand, stepping forward. My hands clenching into fists.

“We can explain everything,” the one from earlier clacks. “I know this is confusing, but you are not going insane. We are real, just not able to fully manifest in this realm.”

“Realm?” I ask befuddled. “Do you mean there are other universes?”

“Oh dozens,” the one who I ran through says. “Unfortunately, your realm is the only physical realm remaining, and the one in charge of it has gone mad. Banning all non-humans from entering it.”

“Not only that,” the third one interjects. “The mad god also stripped this world of all magic, it is why your ritual failed. Why they all fail, magic is no more… or at least in your realm that is.”

“Yet,” I say slowly. “You are able to talk to me?”

“The mad god’s control over this world has weakened,” the first one says. “We were trying to find a way in when we discovered you. Or at least, what Void had done to you.”

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

“Void?” I can’t help but ask.

“Yes, Void,” the third one says ominously. “The reason all of our homes are gone. The reason this realm is all that remains… this realm and your home that is.”

“My home?”

“Yes,” the first one says. “Although I suspect you might have lost your memories when you intervened with this body’s fate.”

“My ‘body’s’ fate?” I interrupt.

“Yes, I don’t have a lot of time to explain everything right now, plus it seems there is still a lot I don’t know-,”

“Oh my, the mighty Phoenix doesn’t know something?” the third interjects. “I thought I’d never see the day.”

“Shut up Anarchy,” the first, Phoenix, retorts angrily. “I’m trying to explain to the human how their soul is going to devour them whole if they don’t figure out a way to strengthen the shard Spectre sacrificed for them.”

“I’m sorry, my soul is going to do what?”

“I swear you two,” the second one finally speaks up again. “It is like you’ve never dealt with mortals before. Much less, ones who have never even heard of real magic.”

The second one steps forward and extends… a hand? Paw? Claws? I’m not sure what exactly it is cause it seems to change every few seconds. Regardless, I hesitantly try to grab it only for my hand to pass right through it.

“My name is Ender,” they say happily, pretending to shake my hand. “And my companions here are Phoenix and Anarchy. We each have a vested interest in keeping you alive for different reasons. So I ask kindly that you do not kill yourself anytime soon.”

“I’m not going to kill myself,” I say angrily, fully aware of the scars hidden with makeup on my neck. “I would say nice to meet you, but right now I’m pretty sure I’ve had another psychotic episode and am expecting to wake up any minute now in the hospital.”

“I think,” the third one, who Ender said was called Anarchy, says quietly. “That it might be time we leave him alone to process this all.”

“Agreed,” Phoenix and Ender say together.

“If you have need of us,” Phoenix says while the other two seemingly fade out of existence. “Merely form the thought and cast it in our direction. We will answer as quickly as possible… mainly cause we’re all bonded to you now that you are of age. Okay, bye!”

The last few words rush out of them before they simple cease to exist like the other two.

“Okayyyy,” I say to myself out loud. “I need to up my meds.”