Both Dinn and Fallen had woken up the next day to the distant sound of bells. They had started to get used to the ominous void of silence that The Infinity held, but these bells were so light and beautiful. It didn’t sound like a coherent song, more like a simple melody being played on repeat. Slowly both men had crept out of their rooms tiptoeing towards the sound.

Stepping out into the expanse of the abyss the men saw Creed, standing straight with his back turned to them in the middle of the living room. Floating just above his eye level were several varieties of crystals. Creed held his hands up as if he was commanding the beads to move using only his thoughts. The crystals were clicking together humming with their light melodies that echoed down the hallways. Larger crystals gave deep rumbling sounds and smaller ones were high-pitched whistles.

“Creed?”

Dinn called out. Creed turned to him with a small smile gracing his lips.

“It’s like music, yes?”

He said, before turning back to his work. Fallen chuckled a bit at the sight. Couldn’t Creed have just made a radio or record player if he wanted music? But seeing how much he enjoyed working with his little jewels, he wondered if this was more because he was bored rather than just the music.

Dinn stepped forward, smiling.

“It is! Did you make these yourself?”

He asked, watching the crystals jump and bump together. Their faces shone pink, peach, and blue, giving The Infinity its first bit of color.

“Actually, I just found them here.”

Creed said gesturing down at the table before lifting his hands back up to repeat his motions never breaking eye contact with his crystals.

“Ah…wait, what?”

Dinn reeled. Nothing was in The Infinity except for the stuff they made with their minds. You don’t find things in The Infinity.

“I assumed one of you guys made it.”

Creed responded only turning slightly towards Dinn and Fallen. The small harmonies persisted despite the men’s apprehension.

“I didn’t make these.”

Fallen said.

“Neither did I.”

Dinn repeated. The two Dinn’s looked at each other utterly confused, but Creed persisted in his playing, seemingly not concerned with this new information, almost like he wasn’t all there. Fallen found this a bit unnerving. Creed stood just in front of them, responding to their questions, but he felt so distant.

Fallen stepped forward and grabbed at Creed’s arm.

“You sure you didn’t—”

Fallen cut off abruptly as all of the crystals fell to the floor, clattering with a loud ugly symphony of cracked glass. Creed stare back at him with shock horror. Fallen could feel him trembling in his arms.

Quickly he released him, realizing his mistake.

“Sorry! I forgot, I’m sorry!”

Dinn was almost immediately at Creed’s side, guiding him back as to not step on the now broken shards that littered the floor.

“I’m fine. I’m fine!”

Creed shouted, stepping away from the two men to collect himself.

Dinn took a moment to breathe as well, as if he was steadying his anger as to not blow up at Fallen.

“I’m sorry Creed, but we need to find out where these things came from!”

He called out to the man now huddled in on himself in the corner of the couch.

“If there’s some fourth person walking around here, we need to find them!”

Fallen thought for a moment. A fourth person? The idea that another Dinn with an attitude problem could be stalking these halls leaving crystals behind as some sort of bait was oddly terrifying and expected for what they know of The Infinity. But then there was another thought. What if this was another Creed? The thought of yet another Creed entering his life almost made him dizzy. Would this Creed be so welcoming and warm? He hoped so. Well, it they were a Creed.

With a few haphazard gulps of air Creed turned back to the two men, still a bit shaken but seeming to calm down.

“Is it possible that it’s not a fourth person? What if it’s those Beings looking over us?”

Creed asked gesturing to the ceiling as if implying the Beings were some kind of gods. Fallen remembered meeting that odd individual just before he came to The Infinity. A large unknowable entity that spoke to him through a myriad of voices. It wasn’t a dream he’d like to revisit.

“Why would they give us crystals?”

Dinn asked incredulously.

“To give us something to do?”

Fallen tried to interject, but he had not bite to his words. He honestly didn’t believe it himself; there had to be someone else here. But, why were they hiding? What would they gain from coming all the way here and not even showing themselves?

The three men fell into a deep silence, all contemplating what their next move should be. Suddenly Dinn stepped forward and kneeled down to pick up one of the shattered pieces of crystal.

“So, you were just clinking these pieces together?”

He asked holding two pieces and attempting to tap them together. However, the small shards made no noise when he did it. Creed motioned to step forward but opted to stay where he was at.

“Yes, it only works if they’re in the air, so they can vibrate.”

He said softly.

“Though I don’t think they’d be making much noise now.”

Solemnly Creed held his arms together, looking down at the small crystals that were once producing a beautiful noise. He was saddened that he’d dropped them all and broken the melody he was concocting. Then Dinn stood up holding his arms out like Creed had been doing just moments ago.

“I think they’ll still work. They’ll just sound different.”

He said optimistically. The small shards rose from their spots on the ground and once again filled the air with their twinkling lights.

“I don’t think—”

Creed tried to interrupt, but Dinn moved to clink two pieces together again. They did make a sound this time, but it was far off from the former bass of the large ones or the light bell of the small ones. Though it wasn’t ugly. Dinn’s movements were a bit more rushed and haphazard then Creed’s, but the sounds he produced were not terrible. The melody was a bit faster and the sounds were more akin to a xylophone that someone was playing for the first time.

Creed chuckled.

“I think you might need a little bit more practice before you’re allowed in the band.”

He said smiling up at the crystals strewn through the air, stumbling and shuffling their way next to each other.

“Well then, teach me oh great one!”

Dinn called back jokingly. The men shared a good chuckle before Creed stepped closer and actually did move to help Dinn create a steadier melody. The two men working together were like two students at a piano. Perhaps they weren’t always in sync, but the harmonies they produced were more than the sum of their parts.

Fallen stood back and watched the two men at work. He was happy to know Creed was coming down from the fright he gave him a bit earlier. He didn’t know if he should apologize again for his haste or simply leave it be as Creed was now enjoying himself.

He may not be fond of this Dinn, but if he knew how to make Creed smile, then he was all for it. Looking at the way his face would light up as the duo somehow made complimentary harmonies, excited Fallen.

Even if this new fourth person was another Creed, he didn’t think he would take his eyes off of this one anytime soon.

------------

“You’re going to give him a heart attack.”

Fallen snapped up from his place at the table, turning to see Dinn leaning against the wall glaring at him with his arms crossed.

“You know that, right?”

“And somehow making him cry his eyes out will calm him down?”

Fallen shot back, equally irritated by the other man’s presence. Was he really going to get on him for making one mistake with Creed after knowing him for only a few days?

“You’ve got more to make up for than I do.”

Fallen said turning his head away as if Dinn wasn’t worth his time. Dinn snarled at the comeback. He marched up to Fallen grabbing the back of his chair and spinning him around.

“Maybe I do, but that doesn’t change the fact that you could seriously injure him if you keep going down this road!”

He spat. Fallen was taken aback by how upfront he was being. Getting so close to his face and roaring with a fervor he hadn’t heard before. So now he suddenly cared about Creed’s well-being? What changed?

Standing straight Dinn continued.

“I don’t need your advice about my Creed. Keep yourself away from him.”

Fallen chuckled bitterly. So Dinn wasn’t as blind as he thought. He actually noticed that Fallen hadn’t been stepping back from his attraction to this Creed. In fact, that feeling only grew the longer he stayed. Was Dinn just scared of a little competition?

Fallen stood to his full height, easily hovering over Dinn.

“Scared he could do better?”

Fallen chuckled. The way Dinn stepped back as he stood was enough to confirm that in his mind.

“Don’t you dare you second-rate failure!”

Dinn’s screams were manic and were accompanied by an electrical buzz that permeated the air and sent shocks up Fallen’s spine. His anger finally fully taking over. It was truly so easy to make him lose his mind.

“Creed and I have much more history than you ever will! Even if we can’t find love in each other again, there’s no way he’d ever go looking for you!”

“Do you really think you’d ever be able to rebuild a relationship when you can’t even control yourself?!”

Fallen sneered. As fun as it was to rile the smaller man up, Fallen couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen if Creed was stuck with a man like this. Would they get into one argument and Dinn would tell him he didn’t deserve his life again? Or worse? By the gods Fallen did not want to think about that.

“You’d end up hurting him much more than I ever could.”

Fallen spoke through gritted teeth. His blood was boiling at the thought of this man and Creed together. He didn’t know what the Beings were talking about, there was no way these two would ever be meant to be.

Dinn’s breaths were sharp and uneven. His teeth still bared and his eyes full of hatred for his adversary. What could he possibly know about what they were going through?

“Do you love him? Or do you just hate being alone?”

Fallen asked, suddenly calmer. His hatred almost melted away at the thought of who Dinn really was. Was he really a ball of vitriol who was looking to destroy anyone in his wake? Or was he just a pathetic lonely man with nowhere else to turn?

“Dinn? Fallen?”

Just then Creed rounded the corner into the kitchen, catching both men as they stood mere inches from each other. Their glares fixated on one another till Creed showed up pulling them from their stare off.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Creed asked suddenly apprehensive. Taking a cautious step back at seeing the two men with their emotions heightened to the point of breaking that physical bubble. What were they talking about?

“No, it’s alright. Do you need something?”

Fallen asked, the only one out of the two who seemed to be able to form coherent thoughts again. Dinn was still so evidently irritated but Fallen calmed down at the sight of Creed looking apprehensive. He didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

“Actually, I think there’s someone you two should meet.”

Creed said now relaxed and almost perking up a bit. Stepping back Creed gestured around the corner for someone to come closer. The two men heard heavy footsteps steadily growing.

Slowly a figure emerged from behind the wall. A massive figure, bigger than all three men, shrouded in dark cloaks that hung heavy from its shoulders. Its face was completely obscured, and its posture was very sunken in. However, Creed looked up at the figure with some sort of fondness.

“Dinn. Fallen. Meet Daemon!”

-------------

Creed had been staring at the portal for who knows how long; holding a cup of what he wanted to be coffee in his hands. He was still a bit unsettled by the idea that someone else was here, but they weren’t showing their face. He had enough to deal with when it came to Dinn and Fallen already, he didn’t need some fourth person coming in just to upset things again! Was it another Dinn? Or was it their first other Creed?

Creed held his mug tightly, shivering at the thought. It was weird enough to see two Dinn’s walking around, but he had found himself wondering how Dinn felt about meeting his doppelganger. Creed had enough problems just trying to focus on his own life and himself, what could he possibly do to help someone who shared his fate?

He’d found some type of solace in Dinn and Fallen being the only two other beings in the Infinity. He didn’t want to come face to face with another him that brought up things he didn’t want to say nor feel.

With a deep sigh Creed turned from the portal and almost immediately dropped his mug.

Standing just on the corner of the doorway to the portal room was a large ominous figure completely shrouded in black cloaks. Their stringy hair hung heavily over their face, and their form stood looming over the doorway. Creed had been surprised when he first met Fallen and seen how tall he was, but this person was far taller. Tall enough to reach over the top of the doorway.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“W-who’s there?!”

Creed called out terrified. He’d been to war but had never seen someone so large and intimidating in his life. However, to his surprise, the figure stepped backwards from the doorway as if afraid of Creed’s yelling. They began to shift back and forth on their feet like they weren’t sure if they should step forward or run far far away. Stepping carefully around his broken mug Creed called out again.

“Hello?”

A bit softer this time Creed attempted to coax the figure out of their hiding spot.

“Who are you?”

The figure still shifted around uncomfortable, looking back and forth between the hallway and Creed as he steadily stepped closer.

“My name is Creed. And you are?”

Still a little bit shaken, Creed tried to reach out his hands to beckon the being closer. However, the figure shook their head violently while taking two large steps backwards.

“Wait!”

Creed shouted trying to match the beings’ large strides.

“I’m not going to hurt you! I just want to know who you are.”

The figure stopped moving holding their arms together tightly while staring directly at Creed.

“Dinn…”

The figure whispered.

“I’m sorry? Say again.”

“My name…is Dinn…”

Creed was surprised to hear the figures voice. Though they were still frustratingly quiet their voice was light and airy with a touch of rasp. It didn’t sound anything like Dinn or Fallen, despite this figure apparently being another Dinn. How was that possible? As far as Creed saw this figure didn’t represent Dinn at all.

“You’re…Dinn?”

The being nodded slightly, still refusing to look up through the hair that hung over their face.

“Well, that makes three of you.”

Creed offered trying to lighten the mood. Suddenly the figures head snapped up. Their eyes were large and bright vivid yellow.

“Us? What?”

The figure said sharply in utter disbelief. Creed cringed. Had his joke freaked the figure out too much?

“Well, yes. There are two other alternate versions of Dinn—you, here already. A man we call Fallen and…the Dinn from my world.”

Creed said carefully. Dinn isn’t his; the thought made him think of them being sown together. They are just from the same world.

The figure bowed their head again.

“You already have a Dinn?”

They asked softly. Creed’s mouth formed a thin line as he breathed deeply. Was this the only way the other alternate Dinn’s knew how to speak?

“Yes.”

Creed succumbed to the idea. As long as others thought he already had a partner, they wouldn’t feel the need to hit on him. He certainly isn’t available.

“Of course you do, you’re…beautiful.”

The figure almost sounded ashamed at the compliment. Creed doesn’t know how to respond; he’d never been called “beautiful.” In fact, he’d never been complimented on his looks since he first joined the army. Even then it was just a light ribbing about his hair being a “magical rainbow.”

“I…uh…”

He stammered. With a sigh Creed slowly inched closer to the figure. They were tall enough that if he just got a bit closer, he’d be able to see their face under their hood. However, as Creed grew closer the figure turned their head away still trying to hide themselves.

“Are you okay? Do you not want me to—”

“No one should see.”

The figure said rapidly, desperate to get Creed to back off and not have to look at their face.

“I’m…I’m not…”

The figure sighed heavily.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to show me. I’d just like to know a bit about you.”

Creed offered. He was still worried about scaring this Dinn away and though he did want to see who he’s talking to; he didn’t want to make them uncomfortable.

“I’m Creed. I come from a world that was heavily affected by war and is still trying to rebuild itself years later. Dinn and I were the first ones who were sent to The Infinity to help others.”

Creed tried to only talk about what literally happened, but he still didn’t fully believe the last part himself.

The figure rubbed their arms together and shuffled their feet back and forth.

“I…”

Creed stood patiently, waiting for them to answer.

“My name is Dinn…I…come from a world where humans and…monsters exist. And they…we…fight often.”

Creed cringed; he’d hoped that his world was the only one that faced war. He didn’t want to believe anyone else had to go through such atrocities.

“Your people are at war?”

“Not necessarily.”

It was Creed’s turn to look shocked. What did fighting between people mean if not war?

“In my world…monsters…aren’t people. W—They don’t interact with humanity. Our fights are small instances of monsters and humans stepping onto each other’s territory. We don’t interact long enough for there to be a war.”

The figure’s voice was saddened and faraway. These “interactions” between humans and monsters must’ve really affected them.

“Monsters aren’t people…maybe, they’re not human, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy…”

Creed had a hard time articulating his thoughts as they jumbled together.

“Fighting constantly…without any desire for a resolution?”

“You are…kind. But people in my world are not so kind.”

The figure interrupted, almost as if they could see where Creed’s train of thought was headed.

“Even peace would bring no guarantee of respect. Or a change in the way we interact.”

“I know what you mean.”

Creed bowed his head, as if mourning for the men they lost during the war.

“Both sides lost many lives, and neither one could really ever look at each other the same. Our shame keeps us from interacting.”

“You are at peace?”

“Yes?”

“Then why do you not try to start a conversation with them?”

Creed looked aghast at the statement.

“With the army we fought against?!”

“No, with your neighbor.”

Creed froze as the sentiment. It was true, they were at peace. Both sides had decided that the lives lost hadn’t been worth it, and their enemies had decided to surrender. Back then Creed couldn’t understand why their enemies were not punished en masse for their transgressions, but now?

“I guess I never thought of that.”

Creed chuckled. He’d spent so many years hiding away, ashamed of himself and not willing to face those he fought so vehemently when he was younger. Had they been feeling the same way? There were many men he knew that joined the army because of an obligation to provide for their family or as a duty forced upon them by their people. Very few men were there because they craved destruction. Was that what it was like for their enemies?

“Perhaps, we have more in common than you think?”

Creed smiled.

Creed had spent a lot longer than he originally intended just sitting and talking to this new Dinn outside of the portal that led them both here. They had only just scratched the surface of their world’s differences and similarities, but the more they spoke the more they felt connected.

“I have a question.”

The figure said in a lull in their conversation.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Those men you talked about, what did you call them?”

Creed thought for a second, almost having forgotten the other two he shared his space with.

“Oh, you mean Dinn and Fallen?”

He suddenly perked up.

“Fallen?”

“Yeah, we can’t really call every Dinn we meet Dinn without confusing ourselves, so we opted for giving him a nickname.”

Creed laughed again at their predicament. To him Fallen had just become that, Fallen. As opposed to Dinn who he knew in spades.

“Do…do I need a nickname as well?”

The figure asked apprehensively. Creed chuckled.

“It would help. What do you want to be called?”

Looking down at their hands as they twiddled their thumbs together the figure thought carefully. A nickname should be something they recognized, something they could respond to, and something they wouldn’t soon forget.

With a deep sigh, they responded.

“Daemon.”

---------------

Dinn and Fallen shuffled backwards as Creed and Daemon entered the kitchen. Fallen’s first instinct was to reach out and pull Creed towards him, but the sheer magnitude of the figure behind him caused him to shudder and cringe away. Dinn was merely astounded by the mass of this individual. Sure, Fallen was taller than both him and Creed, but this person was broader, wider than he thought possible. Their face was completely obscured by dark raggedy locks and a large hood folded over their head.

However, Creed simply walked past the two stunned men and over to the fridge. Pulling out a small bottle of what he wanted to be water, Creed hopped up onto the counter and made himself comfortable, as if enjoying the scene that would play out before him.

Having not taken their eyes off of Creed as he moved, Daemon walked steadily over, their steps making large thudding sounds on the pristine floor, as they took a seat at the dining table that was closest to the counter. Creed smiled warmly back at them, but admitted he still wasn’t fond of the idea of another lost puppy following him around. He had enough of that with Dinn and Fallen.

“Who…who are you?”

Finally able to break his silence, Fallen asked the figure that now loomed so closely to Creed as if they were old friends. Daemon turned slightly in the two men’s direction but chose to remain silent.

“Creed, who is this?”

Choosing to speak up as well, Dinn directed his question at Creed, seeing how their new guest wasn’t going to talk to them anytime soon.

“This is Daemon, she’s another Dinn from another world.”

Daemon’s head immediately snapped back to attention; their gaze focused directly on Creed. Their mouth gaped like a fish and their breath quickened. Creed looked back at them seemingly unsure of what had shaken Daemon. He gave them a quizzical look as he spoke.

“Something wrong?”

“She?”

Dinn had been the one to speak up and ask what him and Fallen had surely been thinking. The hooded figure that sat before them was shrouded in cloaks to the point that they couldn’t even see their eyes. How could he be sure that Daemon was a woman?

“Oh! Am I wrong?”

Concerned, Creed looked back towards Daemon apologetically, thinking he’d upset them. He looked almost ready to get down on his knees and apologize.

Daemon shook her head.

“No, I just…wasn’t expecting anyone to notice…”

Daemon’s voice was raspy with a touch of airiness. Still, there seemed to be no indication that Daemon was a woman hidden underneath all of those furs.

“How could you have known that?”

Dinn asked a bit harsher than he meant to.

“Well, when Daemon and I were talking she mentioned something about how her mother used to keep her and her brother’s separate because of some old witch’s tale about…what was it…? Goblins who come to take your children—”

“If they see them sleeping in the same cot. Yes.”

Daemon finished still looking up at Creed with wide-eyed surprise.

“In our world, single men and women sleeping together is seen as taboo for one reason or another. So, I just assumed…from my own experience…”

Daemon chuckled at Creed’s apprehensiveness. Her voice shook the table she sat it and tremors went through the floor. She was glad to have that out of the way. As apprehensive as she was to discuss it, she was glad they at least knew that, despite her size and stature, she was indeed a woman.

“You’re…a good listener…”

Daemon bowed her head shyly after once again meeting Creed’s gaze and seeing him smile. Fallen scowled a bit at the intimidating woman. Those small interactions just made him want to redo his first impression on Creed. If he could redo it to where just a few minutes after meeting he’d be smiling at him, he’d consider it a success.

However, Dinn had a different thought in mind.

“Well, this is…unexpected…”

Dinn sounded confused and rather apprehensive as he stepped closer to Creed and Daemon.

“That we’d meet another Dinn so soon?”

Creed offered. Dinn shook his head.

“No, that…”

He paused.

“I guess when the Being told us we’d meet alternate versions of ourselves, I started thinking about aliens with multiple eyes, long limbs, green skin, or with a desire for human flesh….It never crossed my mind that….For some reason I didn’t think I’d meet an alternate version of myself that’s a woman.”

Dinn laughed loudly at his admission. He’d been somewhat excited to see the crazy masterful people that would come out of other worlds, but he didn’t stop to think of the simplest possibilities. Were there more women? Elderly versions? Younger versions? Were they blind? Mute? Deaf? Were they rich? Poor? Somewhere in between? All of these and more came rushing at Dinn in an instant. And for a moment his mood soured as he thought of something that almost had him trembling.

Creed took notice of this, jumping off the countertop he walked over to Dinn and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“You okay?”

He asked, in that tone so soft that it almost made Dinn want to crumble.

He took a deep breath.

“How many alternate versions are we supposed to meet? If there are infinite universes…how long are we meant to stay here?”

Creed’s mood soon turned serious as well. He hadn’t exactly thought that far ahead. He’d simply thought that they’d help a few lost souls and then be able to go home. But if it was true, and the universes were never-ending, then when will their predicament end? Would it go on forever? Would they ever get to see there homes again? Their friends and families?

Daemon, who had been watching Dinn and Creed as the magnitude of their responsibility hit them full force, now finally looked over at Fallen. Fallen shared her concerned gaze. They weren’t only concerned for Dinn and Creed, but also for themselves. Both alters had come here in search of happiness and a fateful love that was promised to them, but how long would it be before they found the one? Would they be forced to live a cycle of meeting and saying goodbye to couples who found happiness and fled to their homes? Was the one made for them even still alive? How long would they be forced to pretend that the silence of the Infinity wasn’t suffocating?

How many times would they have to retell their stories to complete strangers until they found their one and only?

Daemon’s mouth formed a thin line and Fallen matched it with an intense scowl. He was determined to stay as long as he could if only to help Creed grow stronger and find love. Daemon was the opposite. Though her world was not too kind to her, she didn’t want to remain in a place where she felt like she was walking on eggshells around everyone. And she certainly didn’t want to be forced into giving away her life again and again to curious alters who insisted on it. It wasn’t something she’d want to relive for an eternity.

------------

“Dinn? Do you want to talk about it?”

Creed had found himself at Dinn’s door this time. Their first meeting with Daemon had been cut short as Dinn had quickly fled the room soon after realizing how strenuous their situation truly was. Creed himself felt uneasy with this new information presented to him, but his own feelings were put away for the moment. Dinn had locked himself in his makeshift room hours ago and no one had seen hide or tail of him since. Despite their previous interactions Creed was starting to grow concerned.

Knocking again he called out.

“Dinn? Are you in there?”

If he told him he’d want to be left alone Creed would oblige despite himself. The last thing he wanted was to start another fight.

Creed knocked again a bit harder this time.

“Please Dinn…we…we need to be in this together, right? Even…even if everyone leaves…aren’t we still meant to have each other?”

Ringing his hands together Creed spoke desperately. He had to admit, even though he didn’t love Dinn like he once did, he needed that reassurance. That promise that they’d stick together even when things get rough. He couldn’t do this on his own.

Creed heard a sudden pounding of footsteps behind the door. With shaking hands, the door locks were taken off and the door swung open. Dinn stepped out throwing his arms around Creed’s shoulders and holding him close. Creed accepted the embrace fully, wrapping his arms around the shorter man.

“Dinn…”

Creed was trembling. He hated how he was reacting to all of this. It was Dinn who needed his help, but he couldn’t keep himself in check and just stop shaking.

“Shhh, Creed. I’m here. We’re both here.”

Dinn spoke softly as he held Creed closer. He couldn’t decide if this situation was a blessing or a curse. Dinn still wanted to reconcile with Creed; he wanted to find what went wrong; he wanted to fix things. Having Creed so close at all times now made him question if this is what they needed. They wouldn’t have even met if they weren’t forced into a group together initially. If you count the army as a “group.”

“We can help each other.”

Dinn said, feeling Creed shake in his embrace.

“What are we going to see? Will it all be bad? Worse than anything we’ve ever done?”

Creed asked, his eyes shut tightly against the tears threatening to form. Dinn stepped back a bit, still holding Creed, but moving to be face to face.

“Listen to me. They aren’t us. They may share our faces, our voices, and even our names, but they are not us! Whoever they end up being, wherever they come from, it doesn’t change who we are!”

Creed laughed lightly. Dinn looked surprised; that wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting.

“Didn’t I come here to comfort you?”

Dinn paused for a moment, then chuckled as well.

“You do Creed. This is how you’ve always comforted me.”

Creed looked at Dinn quizzically.

“There it is! Don’t you remember?”

Creed leaned back a little still looking a bit confused. Dinn just chuckled again.

“I…I don’t…. want to see you sad. If I can, I want to make you feel better. If that can be…my purpose in this moment…then I…it makes me feel better too.”

Creed began to laugh again. They both did. They both stood there crying, laughing, and holding each other. It had been a long while since Creed felt okay being touched, and an even longer time since he felt okay crying. He wasn’t sure for how long they stood there in silence, just enjoying the other’s embrace. He began to wonder if Dinn too had not felt an embrace in a long time. Did he isolate himself in the same ways as Creed did? Even if he was living in the city, that didn’t have to mean he ever interacted with anyone in a meaningful way. Was it possible that they were still more alike than he thought?

Had they really changed all that much?

-----------

“So, you’re going by Daemon?”

Daemon looked up towards Fallen. The two had been frustratingly quiet since Dinn and Creed had left the room. Creed asked them not to follow him.

“Yes?”

“Daemon? As in demon?”

Fallen pressed walking over to the fridge and pulling out a small bowl of what he wanted to be cereal. Daemon merely nodded. Taking a large spoonful of the desired corn flakes he spoke again.

“There a reason for that?”

Meeting his gaze Daemon wondered if Fallen was trying to test her. Trying to see what her purpose was for being here.

“That’s what they call us.”

“Who?”

“The humans.”

Daemon didn’t know if Creed, Dinn, and Fallen were considered humans in their own worlds. To her they weren’t exactly monstrous, but their images would still be taken harshly. What with their horns, Dinn’s tail, Creed’s markings, and Fallen’s fangs; they weren’t exactly “normal.”

But to say they were in any way equivalent to Daemon or her kind would be a farce. Daemon hid much more underneath her cloaks than any of them would be able to understand.

“So, do you have some special powers to go along with that title? Or is it just a species thing?”

Talking through chewing Fallen waved his arms in the air as if to summon some great unknown force with a wave of his hand. Daemon chuckled.

“I’m a Stone Golem.”

“I thought you said you were a Demon?”

Fallen was quick to respond. He was definitely interrogating her.

“Demon is more of a general term. Like monster. It’s a creature that is neither human nor animal.”

Daemon explained, shaking her head at Fallen’s ignorance. Demon’s weren’t real! At least, in her would they weren’t.

“So, Fairies—”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Fallen froze, caught off guard by the request. Daemon may be a Demon, but she wasn’t uncouth! She knew what was rude to do in front of others! At least in her world.

Taking a moment to swallow his food, Fallen continued.

“So, Fairies and Minotaur’s are both under the same category of Demon?”

“Yes.”

Fallen looked perplexed.

“But they’re so—”

“Different? Trust me I know. But it was never up to us to decide what we’d be called.”

It’s not that Daemon hated being called a Demon; over the years she’d become used to it and just accepted that as a title. The problems arose when she, as a Stone Golem, was put in the same category as Goblins, Nymphs, Trolls, or what have you. She had next to nothing in common with any of those tribes of people, and yet they were considered to be the same?

“So, you’re a Stone Golem?”

She nodded.

“What does that mean?”

Fallen asked taking extra measures to only eat after he asked his question. Daemon thought for a moment. It was hard to describe her people without leaving out important details about their existence. Many humans would mistake her as some sort of haunted statue, which was grossly naïve.

“We…are souls that inhabit different…Earthly materials. Some clay, some mud, and for me it’s stone…Our souls are our existence. Our hearts, minds, wants, desires, needs, are all connected to our souls—and eventually…are souls link to those Earthly materials we inhabit. We become one in the same.”

Daemon sighed. She felt that that was a good way of explaining what she is and how her people functioned. It’s hard convincing people that she isn’t an inanimate object, or that she isn’t inhabiting an inanimate object. She is stone, but she is animate. She is alive.

Fallen still stared at her, but his look was faraway. She assumed he was just trying to process what he’d been told. It’s hard enough convincing humans in her own world that she’s alive, let alone someone from a different world who never even heard the term Stone Golem.

“So…does that come with any special powers?”

Daemon laughed. She could tell Fallen is still trying to comprehend what she said but didn’t want to leave the silence hanging. He didn’t want her to feel bad.

“No. I’m afraid us Golems aren’t all mystical and magical.”

She said flipping her hands around in the air as if to mimic the gesture of Fairies or Wizards with their wands. Fallen laughed along with her, now calm as the ice had been broken.