This is the story of how a simple girl with an insatiable curiosity wound up in another world. Like Alice in Wonderland, her journey began by delving too deeply into the unknown. However, unlike Alice, she did not find herself in a whimsical land of fairy tales. Instead, she stumbled upon the World Between—a dying realm caught between life and death.

The World Between is a strange and somber place, akin to purgatory. It shares many of the same axioms and rules as the material world: there is gravity, and its inhabitants need to breathe, eat, and sleep. They possess no magical abilities and cannot defy the laws of nature. Yet, the stark difference lies in its atmosphere. The World Between is perpetually gray, overcast, and rain-soaked, shrouded in a cold mist that clings to everything. It is a mere shell of what it could have been, a once vibrant world now slowly decaying.

On a cloudy, still day, within an overgrown, old gray-stone mansion that had long seen better days, Vre stood in a large room cluttered with sketches, books, and advanced technology. Her pale blonde hair framed her green eyes, which were fixed intently on the documents spread out before her. She wore a high-collared white jacket over a black bodysuit, complemented by black boots and gloves, her attire blending practicality with a hint of mystique. As she stared at the materials on the table, the dilapidated mansion around her seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what would come next.

She took a brief moment to tear her eyes away from the papers and books and look out the window. The trees in the courtyard, with their pale leaves, were motionless and quiet, though she could hear the faint songs of small birds outside. Vre took a deep breath, her brow furrowing. Her research on the Abyssal Taint was not progressing as quickly as she had hoped, and she felt at a loss for what else to explore to gain a deeper understanding.

In the beginning, when she had first arrived, she was drawn to learn everything she could about this enigmatic World Between. She remembered that day vividly, though it was not unlike any other. Her previous life was a distant memory, overshadowed by her new identity and purpose. She was Vre now, tasked with understanding and saving this dying world from the corruption that threatened to consume it—a daunting mission, but not one she faced alone.

The day she had arrived was marked by a wrong turn. She had been on her way home from work, having stayed late to resolve a technical issue for a high-ranking official. The main road to her home was closed, forcing her to take an unfamiliar route that led over a bridge. It was raining, and her car radio was malfunctioning. As she fumbled with the controls, a bright light suddenly pierced through her windshield, accompanied by a loud static from the speakers. She closed her eyes against the blinding light and, when she opened them, she found herself standing on a dirt road in a forest, her car and belongings nowhere in sight.

She was disoriented but relieved to find she still had the clothes on her back, as it was cold and the rain was relentless. There was enough light for her to see her surroundings. Fighting off panic, she quickly assessed her situation. Two paths lay before her: one led deeper into the shadowy forest, offering no light, while the other led towards distant streetlights, glowing orange in the gloom. She checked herself over and, satisfied she was unharmed, pinched her arm to confirm she wasn't dreaming. The pain assured her she was very much awake.

"Alright," she whispered to herself, scanning the forest once more before setting off towards the streetlights.

This was how she had come to the World Between. Reaching the streetlights, she found a tired-looking village comprised mostly of brick, wood, and stone houses. There were perhaps twenty houses in total, along with a larger building that appeared to be a church, and a bar from which she could hear the sounds of people.

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This was how she met the people of Demure. She remembered the looks she received as she first entered the Bellisade, the local bar. Tired, gaunt-faced men had gone silent, and a few frazzled women also caught her eye. It was here she met Jonah, who quickly approached her when he realized she was new and in need of help. Jonah was a volunteer militia member for Demure and also the local preacher. He was a tawny-skinned man with broad arms and curly brown hair that lay like a shelf on his head.

Jonah introduced her to many things, and she confided in him completely. It turned out that all the people in Demure had once led normal lives on Earth. They hailed from various backgrounds but now found themselves in the World Between, where everything was different. The population was sparse, with people living in scattered villages throughout the forest. The world outside was largely unexplored and fraught with danger, hence the need for a militia.

Demure's militia primarily focused on protecting against what the villagers called "the rain men." This phenomenon occurred when the rain no longer fell from the sky but instead began to rise from the ground, signaling the arrival of the rain men. These beings, phased in from another world, had half-rotted skin and lifeless gray eyes. They couldn't be killed but could be slowed down—dismembering them allowed others to escape. The first time Vre saw them, she was terrified.

But the rain men were not the only danger. Legends spoke of passages between worlds, explaining how this place came to be known as the World Between. Initially blessed by gods, the world was corrupted by something known as the Abyssal Taint. The "taint," as it was commonly referred to, infected not only the world but also everyone living in it. Jonah told her that because she was here, she was tainted too. It meant there was something wrong with her and that she wasn’t supposed to be here—none of them were—but they couldn't leave. No one had found a way back, even though it was the World Between. Other beings came, but humans could not leave. At least, not that anyone had figured out yet.

“So if these other beings come here, why don’t they help us?” she had asked Jonah. “Why don’t they help us leave?”

“It’s actually beneficial for them if we’re here. We seem to keep this world from crumbling apart even more. So I don’t think they want us to leave. Not like they’d tell us that, though. They don’t really talk much that I’ve seen. They just pass through.”

“Weird,” she thought. “And then, why a church? Are people here religious?”

“More or less,” Jonah nodded. “Belief in God goes a long way when you’re stranded in a strange, dark place. The beings that come here—they believe too. Sometimes I see them standing outside the chapel doors. The church is the only thing that seems to make them stop for a while and stay.”

“And you? Are you religious? Do you believe in God?”

“I do.” Jonah said firmly, though there was a darkness in his eyes. “I didn’t before I came here, though. There was a man who convinced me years ago, who built the church before I got here. Saxon, was his name. He told me this world was built by the gods a long time ago and was meant to be a thoroughfare. As a way to travel. But I guess they got carried away, and one of the beings that came through brought with him the taint. They ain’t supposed to let those kinds of beings in. There’s all sorts, you see. Some of them seem like wardens, patrolling the place. The darker kinds need to be kept out, lest they spread the taint even more.”

“‘Tis the same with what happened on earth, you know. People talk about the beginning of man, the original sin, right? The serpent in the garden. Are you familiar?”

“I am.” Vre nodded, wondering where he was going with this. “The one who tricked Eve into eating the fruit, right?”

“Yeah. You remember what the fruit was?”

“The fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.”

“Right. He said humans would become like gods. And then we ate, and then the gods said, man is like us now. He can never come back to this garden nor eat of the tree of life, lest he live forever. So when we tasted that fruit, the one that taught us of evil, was when we opened our hearts to the taint. Corruption was able to spread in us, and now it takes root in our heart. The only place that doesn’t have that corruption is that garden of the gods. Elysium.”

“I don’t remember hearing any of that when I went to church, Jonah.”

She wasn’t sure if she believed him, but seeing no other way out and realizing she couldn’t escape even if she tried, Vre offered to help. Technology was not a foreign concept here, and that was her area of expertise. They had electricity and gadgets that controlled running water and devices that measured ionic particles and weather anomalies. She offered to help maintain the technology in Demure, initially staying at the Bellisade. There were a few women who stayed there, too, so she didn’t feel so out of place. But then she met Drake.