It wasn’t difficult to get the key. The difficult part was the journey to get here, and what would come after. But the key--that part was easy.

The floating, faceless little angel led Vre up a spiraling staircase made of marble and silver stone. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings of celestial beings and otherworldly landscapes, each telling a story of battles and triumphs, love and loss. Anka bobbed along soundlessly, her ethereal glow casting dancing shadows on the ornate steps.

Like Alice in Wonderland, Vre wondered if she was walking further into madness. Only time would tell.

She had no way to know if the path she was following was the correct one--if seeking this key and listening to Xerith would help her get out of this world or not. But it was the only clue she had. So she had to keep going.

At the top of the staircase was a narrow hall that had several heavy doors lining either side. The windows here were small and didn’t let in much of the gray light outside. The walls were covered in rich, dark tapestries depicting scenes of otherworldly grandeur and mystical battles. The air was thick with the scent of ancient incense, a blend of spices and something floral she couldn't quite place.

Anka pushed open one of the heavy doors and drifted inside. Vre hesitated for a moment before following her.

The room beyond was vast and awe-inspiring. It was a grand chamber with high, vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate mosaics of silver and gold. The walls were lined with ancient tomes and scrolls, each meticulously placed in carved wooden shelves. In the center of the room was a massive statue of a snake-like man, his body coiled and powerful, his scales shimmering like polished obsidian. In his hands, he held a trident wreathed in flames, the fire casting an eerie glow that danced across the stone floor.

Beneath the statue was an altar, a smooth slab of marble inlaid with glowing runes and symbols. The altar seemed to pulse with an inner light, casting a soft, ethereal glow that illuminated the room in an otherworldly hue.

Anka stopped before the altar and gestured for Vre to step forward. “This is where you will ask for the key,” she said, her voice echoing softly in the grand chamber. “The Vizier will hear your request.”

Vre took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She stepped up to the altar, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She glanced up at the statue, its serpentine eyes seeming to watch her every move. That was impossible, right? A statue couldn’t hear her request. But she had a feeling that whatever words she said next, that they would indeed be answered.

"Vizier," Vre began, her voice trembling slightly. "I come to seek the key to the Underbelly. I need it to help seal the taint that is spreading through this world and to find a way back to my own."

The flames on the trident flickered and flared, casting a brighter light across the room. For a moment, there was silence, and then a deep, resonant voice filled the chamber.

"Why do you seek this key, mortal? You are not the only to have asked for such a thing. I will grant this to you, but what do you hope to achieve?" The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, reverberating through the walls and the floor, shaking Vre to her core.

"I seek the key to find the light that can help cleanse this world of its corruption," Vre replied, finding strength in her purpose. "And to find a way back home."

There was a pause, and then the voice spoke again. "The path you seek is fraught with danger and uncertainty. The Underbelly is not a place for the faint of heart. Are you prepared to face the challenges that lie ahead?"

Vre swallowed hard, her resolve firm. "I will do whatever it takes."

The flames on the trident blazed brighter, and the runes on the altar glowed more intensely. "Very well," the voice intoned. "Place your hand upon the altar and accept the burden you ask for."

Vre stepped forward, her hand trembling as she reached out and placed it on the cool marble of the altar. The runes flared to life, and she felt a surge of energy course through her body. It was as if the very essence of the Cathedral was flowing into her.

When she finally withdrew her hand, the symbol of a key was engraved on her hand. It shimmered reflectively, but did not hurt at all.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you." the voice of the Vizier said, fading into the echoes of the chamber.

Anka hovered beside her, her glow gentle and reassuring. "You have the key now," she said softly. "Your journey is just beginning."

Vre shivered, looking at the mark on her hand. “I guess so. I hope this was a good idea. I can’t help but feel like it’s going to get worse from here.”

“Your friend will guide you, right?”

“Through the underbelly?” Vre wondered. “Perhaps. I hope so. I don’t know if I can do it alone. I don’t even know the first thing about getting there or what it is. There’s too much in this world. It’s overwhelming.”

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“That’s why many choose never to try to leave, I suppose.” Anka shrugged. “It’s easier to stay than to try.”

Vre sighed. She didn’t know if she had the resolve or stamina to try, either.

Slowly, she descended back down the stairs back to where she had left Xerith and Drake in the company of the woman, Margaretti. Anka had chosen to stay behind - her task of escorting her completed. Vre was alone finally and had a moment to think. She descended the stairs with her head in the clouds, the thick skirt falling on the stone floor.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” She whispered to herself. It was too weird--too wicked, here. She had the overwhelming sensation that she did not belong here, in this fantastical cruel in-between world of spirits and darkness. She just wanted to go home.

Her footsteps echoed in the vast, empty halls, the sound amplifying her sense of isolation. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the weight of her fears and doubts were pressing down on her. The mark on her hand seemed to burn with an invisible heat, a constant reminder of the perilous path ahead.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found Xerith and Drake waiting, their faces etched with concern. Xerith was searching her face intently, his eyes locked onto hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer, his voice a low, soothing murmur.

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know, Xerith. This world... It's too much. I feel like I'm drowning in it. How can I possibly navigate the Underbelly when I can barely keep my head above water here?"

Drake bristled, shuffling on his feet. “You know, no one says you have to go and do this. I know I for one am sick and tired of only knowing half of what this damn Annunaki is up to or why he led us on this stupid quest. I wouldn’t hold it against you one bit if you didn’t want to do any of this and just turn back around and go back to Demure together. You can keep staying with me, you know.”

Vre met his gray eyes, blinking back the tears that were forming. “I know you mean that. And I thank you. It’s been very kind of you to let me stay with you, but it is also kind of maddening to not be able to do anything and just be trapped here forever. It isn’t right. We don’t belong here, Drake.”

She turned to face Xerith, his tall form imposing before her. It was because of him that she’d been led on this path. He stood with his head slightly tilted, staring down his nose at her as she met his vibrant gaze.

“I don’t know if you are telling the truth, if you care for me, or if you’re leading me further into doom.” She extended her hand outward and showed him the mark of the key that was shimmering on the back of her hand. “But I have the key you told me to get now. Do you want to explain what’s next?” She held her head up high, despite the wavering in her voice.

His expression was so hard to read. He reached out to take her hand, holding it in his own, examining the mark that was made there. A strand of his dark ebony hair fell across his face, but then he looked at her again. “What’s next is traveling into the Underbelly, Vre. But before I show you how to get there, there’s something I’d like to do first. Would you be willing to come with me for a moment? I’d like to talk to you.”

Drake scoffed. “I don’t know if you need to be taking her anywhere alone.”

Margaretti, who was sitting in her chair nearby, was shaking her head in disbelief. “You travel all this way together, but you don’t trust each other at all, do you?”

“Of course not.” Drake frowned. “It would be foolish to trust a being whose entire existence lays that close to the taint.”

“What can I do to get you to trust me?” Xerith sighed. He glanced from Drake back to Vre. “Please, Vre? Just a moment of your time. We don’t have to leave the Cathedral, even. Will you just take a walk with me?”

She considered him carefully. Drake’s wariness rubbed off on her, but she couldn’t forget the secret moments she’d had with Xerith thus far, either. There was something magnetic about him, something that made her want to trust him despite the warnings.

“Alright,” she said finally. “I’ll walk with you.”

Drake opened his mouth to protest, but Margaretti held up a hand. “Let them go. She needs to decide for herself.”

Xerith’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, his touch reassuring. “Thank you, Vre. I promise, I just want to talk.”

He led her through a side corridor, the polished stone walls gleaming softly in the dim light. The air was cool and still, a stark contrast to the tumultuous thoughts swirling in Vre’s mind. They walked in silence for a few moments, the only sound the soft echo of their footsteps.

Finally, Xerith stopped in front of a large stained glass window depicting a serene landscape bathed in ethereal light. He turned to face her, his golden eyes searching hers.

“Vre,” he began, his voice gentle. “I know this world is overwhelming, and I know you have every reason to doubt me. But I need you to understand that I’m here to help you. I care about you more than you can imagine.”

She looked up at him, her heart aching with a mixture of fear and longing. “Why me, Xerith? Why do you care so much?”

Carefully, he reached out to gently cup her face in his long, skinny hands. “We don’t get to pick the ones we fall in love with, Vre. From the moment I first saw you, I have wanted nothing but to spend my days alongside you. You have a strength and a purity that is rare in any world, even though you never believe it in yourself. You are the kind of person who prays honestly for peace and goodness in the world. I hear you, and I know others hear you too. I wish I could get you to trust me. I know I’m leading you into the worst possible place to go. I know this, Vre. But I wouldn’t lead you there if I couldn’t protect you. If I didn’t know we could do this together.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in closer, his presence enveloping her. She could feel the heat of his body, the steady beat of his heart. His proximity both repelled and attracted her, but she chose to lean into him this time. “Xerith,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m so scared. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can,” he murmured, his lips just inches from hers. “You are stronger than you know. And I will be with you every step of the way. I would not have brought you here if I did not think you could do this.”

In that moment, the weight of the world suddenly crashed down on her as she replayed what he just said.

“Wait.” She tried to pull back from him, staring up at him. “You did what? You brought me here?”

He kept her gaze, his eyes steady. The pale light behind him coming through the stained glass made him look so terribly ethereal as he said, “Yes, Vre. I brought you here to the World Between.”