The Abyss, August 23rd 1888

“One day, we’ll all be dead, that’s just how life is. Well, all of us except for you, you’ll still be here. Too full of hate to face death. Too full of loss to do anything about what you’ve become. Alone, you’ll sit upon your throne, wondering just how things could have been a bit different. You’re the Apex, it’s in your nature to survive. To outlive all those around you until you’re the last thing standing. Long after everything else has faded to dust. That’s what it’s been like, what it’ll always be like, for now and long after the rest of us have passed on.” ~ Silas Mori.

Those were the last words that James wrote in his own eulogy. Or at least those were the last ones that she could find, seeing as the contents kept shifting with no rhyme or reason. Bethyinine groaned and exited the cathedral, the revolver gripped tightly in her hands. She made her way towards the spire, hoping to find someone, anyone. Desperate to pour out her grief to them so that she could free herself from this burden.

Yet even as she walked towards the structure, she could see that the brazier wasn’t lit. Ice cold fear shot through her chest before quickly spreading throughout the rest of her body. She couldn’t move, her legs were seemingly rooted to the ground. Beth gave a nervous chuckle as the fear took hold of her.

”Just what have I done?” She whispered.

“[Nothing.]” A voice responded.

”Who said that?” She asked.

”[You/I/We did.]” The voice answered.

”Great, now I’m going insane.” Bethyinine growled.

”[No, you’re perfectly sane.]” The voice cooed.

”So says the voice in my head.” Bethyinine chuckled.

”[Touché.]” The voice responded.

Bethyinine simply smiled as she entered the spire and began to climb its spiral steps. Only, this time the steps were well beyond any attempts to repair them. The oak wood banister was completely rotten and was falling apart n some places. Nonetheless, Bethyinine made her way into the foyer, or at least what’s left of it anyways. The fireplace was gone, its ashes spread all about the room.

Bethyinine glanced around the room for any signs of life, only to find none. Yet where her eyes had failed her, her ears hadn’t, as a faint whimper could be heard in a nearby corner. Bethyinine’s ears perked up as she prowled over to the source of the disturbance.

Once the sound had gotten loud enough, she leapt towards its source. Only to be met with a faint scream as she pressed her weight onto the frail corpse of Aliyas.

”Mercy! Mercy!” He wheezed.

”[Mercy?]” The voice in Bethyinine’s head asked.

”Yes. Mercy.” Aliyas sputtered.

”You… you can hear it?” Bethyinine whispered.

Aliyas’s bright orange eyes stared back at her and blinked twice so as to answer her question with what seemed to be a “yes”. Bethyinine simply groaned and pressed more of her weight onto his frame. The poor man wheezed as he struggled to breathe in his current condition.

”What exactly has happened here?” Bethyinine asked.

”You, you happened, that’s what.” Aliyas chuckled.

”That doesn’t answer my question!” Bethyinine snarled.

“I just did, what else do you want? A detailed account of how you brought my home to ruins!” Aliyas yelled.

Bethyinine growled, got up, and began to make her way downstairs. Yet before she had even started to descend the first step, Aliyas rushed over to her.

”Your husband… he’s been looking for you.” He stated.

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Bethyinine simply glanced at Aliyas and nodded. Though she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on at all. Last thing she remembered doing was making her way to the spire. Yet somewhere along the way she went back to the cathedral. And now this happened, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of any of this.

”Just how long did I lose control for? And since when did I have a husband?” Bethyinine muttered to herself as she opened up a portal back to her domain.

She stepped through it only to be met with a pitch black sky, devoid of any stars. The bartender sat by the shore, silently watching the tide roll in. Bethyinine walked over to her companion and sat down next to him. The bartender picked his head up and turned to face her. He could see the look of abject horror on her face, along with a mix of confusion.

”What happened to you?” He asked with a touch of concern in his voice.

”I… I killed my brother.” Bethyinine stated.

”You’re serious right? You didn’t kill your brother now did you? Right?” The bartender replied.

”I couldn’t save him, he died because I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t regain control over myself. And now he’s dead because of my weakness.” Bethyinine sighed.

”Hey, take it easy, no need to be so hard on yourself.” The bartender sighed as he placed his hand on her back.

”It’s just… I loved him, that’s all. He was the only person that I ever knew who truly understood me. He treated me like I was… human, like I actually mattered.” Bethyinine cried.

“Well, he definitely sounded like a nice guy. How exactly did he die though?” The bartender asked.

“Took himself out, used this thing to do it.” Beth growled as she handed the revolver over to the bartender.

”Ouch, I’m so very sorry that that happened.” The bartender apologized.

”Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault that he died, James could have planned this whole thing out for all I know.” Bethyinine chuckled.

“Mind if I keep this?” The bartender asked.

Bethyinine didn’t answer for a little while and just stared at the bartender.

”I’m sorry, but that’s the only thing that I can remember him with. Even with everything that just happened.” Bethyinine sighed.

The bartender nodded in acknowledgment and handed the revolver back to Bethyinine. She placed it on the ground beside her and began to cry.

”Take it easy, everything’s going to be all right.” The bartender whispered.

”Thank you…. Say I haven’t asked you for your name yet.” Bethyinine smiled.

”It’s Aurelius, well, Thomas Aurelius Kennedy to be precise .” Aurelius chuckled.

”Well then, now I can finally start working on a nickname for you [darling].” Bethyinine cooed.

“Yes, yes you can indeed start working on that. Perhaps I’ll leave you to it then.” Aurelius smiled.

“Oh, if you want to leave, you can just walk into the sea. It’ll take you back to dry land, usually wherever you last were. So, you’ll be in Wales if my memory serves me correctly. And don’t worry about getting back here, you’ll manage it.” Bethyinine stated.

“Thanks.” Aurelius waved as he walked into the waves.

Bethyinine sighed and decided that it would be in her best interest to check in with Luxcious.

”I hope he’s okay, Nadahr knows what happened to him after I left.” Bethyinine muttered to herself as she opened up a portal.

She stepped through it only to arrive in the foyer of Luxcious’s house. Looking around she noticed that the fireplace was still burning with its emerald green flame. Bethyinine didn’t bother herself to sit down and instead made her way upstairs towards Luxcious’s office. She gently gripped the door handle and pulled it towards her, only for the door to remain shut.

”Hello? Who’s there?” Luxcious stuttered from behind the door.

”Why’d you lock the door?” Bethyinine asked.

Luxcious didn’t answer for a while as Bethyinine heard the door click as it slid open. She blinked upon seeing Luxcious, his robes were a complete mess, the sleeves were torn to shreds and the rest of it wasn’t faring any better. He stepped aside so as to let her enter his office which Bethyinine obliged. Once inside she saw that the walls were peeling off. The four-poster bed was completely unmade and sheets were stained. The desk, alongside the chair and nearby bookshelf, were covered in ash and dust.

“Normally you’re so neat, when did you let yourself go?” Bethyinine smirked.

”I didn’t, I just had to survive, something broke into my house last week. About a day or so after you had left to be precise.” Luxcious answered.

”What exactly broke in?” Bethyinine frowned as she looked down at her claws.

”Some creature, it looked just like you, but its voice. It’s voice was something different, something that I haven’t heard in quite a while. Not since we first met James if I recall correctly.” Luxcious stated.

Bethyinine looked up at him as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

”Is something the matter?” He asked.

”James… James is dead. And I… I killed him!” Bethyinine sobbed.

“How did that happen?” Luxcious inquired as he walked towards her.

”Shot himself with his own revolver after I lost control of myself. Something took over me, and it wasn’t my feral urges. Some beast that called itself an ouroboros if I recall correctly.” Bethyinine mused.

”Wait a minute… one of those things is still alive? I thought we killed them all.” Luxcious exclaimed.

”Not all of them, apparently there’s one left. Silas managed to blind it somehow before he took himself out to pasture.” Bethyinine cried.

”He went beyond death didn’t he? That bastard managed to fight one of them on their own terms! Yet now he’s wiped himself from history, and we’re the only ones who’ll remember him.” Luxcious mused.

”Well, he did use an Auynx bullet to take himself out, so there’s no second chances for him.” Bethyinine declared.

Luxcious reached out and hugged Bethyinine as she began to wipe the tears from her eyes.

”Aliyas told me that my husband was looking for me.” Bethyinine whispered.

”Since when did that old fool think we were married?” Luxcious chuckled.

”Well? Would you like to?” Bethyinine asked.

Luxcious simply looked into her eyes and didn’t respond as the rain began to fall outside.