"Wyatt! Wyatt! C'mere!"

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as Dakota raises his ears, I stand from the bed. Even if I didn't recognize the voice, the fact that the fox with me didn't seem to really care would let me know that it was safe. He's fallen behind in his own strength, but the big guy is mighty protective nonetheless. Grumbling, I walk to the door of the tiny house that I have been allowed to stay in until leaving for the Underworld.

"The hell you want this late at night, Earl? It's... three in the morning. We're leaving today, remember?"

Earl simply knocks on the door again with his knuckles, prompting me to move a little faster and hold onto the grip of Lily. I rarely take the holster off at this point, even to sleep. She doesn't like to be alone.

"Please? I came up with something huge!"

I begin to sigh but throttle it. Even if I'm frustrated, if he says it's something huge, then I believe him. I open the door as the man comes striding in, his hands full of objects that would only shimmer to my sight.

Artifacts. Of varying Sigils as well. A 1st, 4th, 5th, and even a 6th.

Interesting. I see why he didn't just open the door himself now. Earl huffs and puffs with effort as he releases the body parts of past creatures: a human hand, a demon's horn, a Nahullo's pale liver, and the last being a literal skull, likely from some kind of cat.

The instant his hands are free, he waves them at me, spouting out ideas that I could never have thought of.

"So, I've been thinking for the past several weeks. Your trip to The Cabin spoke about how to advance; you'd have to bring someone to your level, right? Or something along those lines?"

I nod, not entirely understanding where he's going with this. Dakota grumbles and crawls underneath the bed to keep the noise down as I close the door to the single-room house. Earl, however, doesn't seem to care. He continues rambling without care, first grabbing the 1st Sigiled hand.

"And... your Sigil gives you enhanced Ether saturation, right? Compared to others? That's what lets you advance faster; the only limit is Metaphors and Proofs. I had an idea. What if your chains, your Living Manacles could... share that trait? What if—"

I finish his words as I catch onto his idea.

"I could help others skip the periods where their bodies settle into the Ether. But... isn't that risky? What if you get got by the Mother Below because of it? Remember what happened to Vernon? I know you had a negative experience when you used the Concoction way back then to advance."

Earl nods quickly before sitting at the table, motioning for me to join him. I do so, and the genius holds the freshly decayed hand in his palms as he presents the final part of his out-of-this-world idea.

"Yes. It is risky. When I went there... I left as soon as I could, and it was beyond creepy. But... she can't just corrupt you. She has to... actually touch you. I don't see that rule changing, even in The Cabin. And you can join me with Insight. Your skills are uniquely capable of helping others break their limits. I can already feel it. It's going to take... years for my Ether saturation to rise, even though I've completed my Metaphor, thanks to my previous leaps and my own lack of talent."

I brew in the silence after his words as I contemplate them. Instinctively, I brace my chin with my metallic hand, considering this idea of going to The Cabin with him. That's if this whole thing even works how he imagines it to.

I can see it, though. My chains do increase the saturation that settles into someone's body when I tighten their fetters, but the opposite is also true. Using them slows my own saturation growth. Though, simply using them counteracts part of that effect toward myself. But on another... they wouldn't have that issue. Is that really what it was asking?

For me to help others ascend?

That doesn't... make much sense. Why would helping others help me? I thought Sigils were all about yourself? Why would... hmm...

He's probably right, though.

"So, what? Can we get you to the 5th Sigil tonight? What are all these other artifacts for?"

Earl twists his hand as he tosses two of the artifacts to me, the hand and the horn. They land on the table as I grasp them awkwardly, but the man soon explains.

"For later. If someone needs that boost in the future. Like Elizabeth or whoever. The hand and horn have zero negatives as long as you do not manually flow Ether into them, so they can be carried long distances. These two, however, are for me. I'll try to get the 5th Sigil right now, and then I'll attempt to solve my Metaphor before your departure."

I sink a tooth into the inside of my mouth as I worry for my friend. His eyes are practically lit ablaze with determination and fire. Is he being too hasty? I know things are going to get rough soon, but...

"Do you really need another Sigil? I mean, aren't you—"

Earl tilts his head as he groans at me in frustration, not banging the table but tapping it in indignation.

"Of course, I need another Sigil! I'm making weapons to fight Angels while being limited to Steel Strand! I'm not as talented as you in Ether. I can't figure it out without my Sigil helping. I have so many ideas, but I'm restricted in what I can do as I tire myself out constantly. Plus, who knows what Sigil skills I'll get to help. And... I don't want to be defenseless. Eli showed us all how I could be mighty. A combination of tricks, feints, and tools at the right time and place could change it all."

I nod slowly as I finally agree. He's right. As he is now... a single unlucky bullet can kill him. He's too vital to die like that. While I am gone, I want him to not only be safe but helpful. I want him to be himself, to put his mind to work.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Okay. Wanna start now, then?"

Earl inhales a deep, hearty breath before relaxing his frame. The man sinks into his chains as he closes his eyes into a kind of meditation.

"Yes. Use your chains."

With shut eyes, he speaks, clasping his hands around the artifact shaped as a liver like a prayer. I extend a hand toward him as I funnel my Ether outward, my soul reacting to the attempt as it shifts into outreaching chains. Living Manacles graces Earl's flesh as he flinches before returning to the relaxed state.

Now it's my turn to breathe in profoundly as I mentally pull at Earl's chains, lightening the load he must bear. I watch as Earl's head bobs up and down as if feeling the change, but it's not enough.

"More. Almost there."

Tightening my jaw, I heave with more effort, the Ether flowing out of me as I approach my limit for how much I can aid another. With this, Earl's hands clench. Taking a dagger, he prods the liver before opening his eyes.

"Use Insight now."

I do as he says, gaining another pair of eyes that stare right back at me. With this, I can feel Earl's general emotions. The excitement is laced with dubious confidence. Underneath it all, however, swims a profound curiosity for... everything.

Additionally, I gain some of Earl's many Gamblers' sensitivity to fate. I feel... many threads connecting everything as Earl breaks open the artifact by ripping out the Sigil into himself. Simply to open the artifact, he stabbed it with a 5th Flamme dagger.

I see a bright light for a fraction of a second before I'm no longer sitting. Now, I stand in a dark cabin, only a single foot from Earl. I turn to look at him just as I feel a shiver cross over my spine.

Something is here. It's watching us.

Earl, however, doesn't seem to notice. He smiles and boasts to me.

"It worked! Yes! Hmm... I wonder how this would go if the Lighthouses didn't exist. I know the cost will be having far lower saturation than others as I've already dealt with it, which is probably why it's taking so long to advance at this point. I might be stuck with advancing behind you, Wyatt. So... uh, lead the way? I haven't been here since it—"

"Shut the fuck up."

I let him ramble just a little too long as I'm far more invested in the creeping sensation along my skin. Earl raises an eyebrow at me, noticing my alarm. I immediately grab his hand and pull him toward the broken section of the cabin.

"Something is here. Watching. The Lighthouses are reaching the very end of their lifespan for being with us, and we did this, attracting even more attention with this experiment. I knew something was wrong. I can probably handle whatever happens, but this place is always an unknown."

Earl apologizes as we step onto the road made of light, only this time, the road is constructed of multiple layers, not just one. It must be based on the person with the Sigil. Nonetheless, I don't spare any attention for all that.

Instead, I trudge forward with Earl in my grasp, watching for any threats.

"Well, it's not all bad! Your soul is strong, remember! And if it's Her, then she couldn't convert you before! It should be fine."

I can only admire Earl's confidence as he was never put in that position. Bonfire was... corrupted because he took the step too early. His Ether saturation wasn't up to the task. Even with his connection to fire, the pyro would need a few more weeks to acclimate, but he didn't wait.

This? It's worse. Or maybe not. Angelic things change so much.

"Maybe."

I fall into a silent focus as Earl's breathing is the only sound in the air other than my own. The ethereal pathway seems to glow with a surreal radiance beneath our feet as the emptiness of the void around us is both captivating and unsettling, but I forge ahead.

Minutes pass as the feeling in the back of my neck only grows. And just as it reaches a new height, a flicker of shadow in the corner of my eye alerts me to a series of phantasmal figures that emerge within the void. Squinting to discern their forms, I'm taken aback as I realize they are spiders—strange and otherworldly, with twelve eyes each, twelve legs, too.

Adrenaline courses through my veins, urging me to quicken my pace along the luminous bridge as I pull Earl with me.

The spiders, dozens in number, move with a spectral grace as they advance toward me. They traverse the void with webs of Darklight as if they have never needed ground. And despite my best efforts, they quickly catch up; as they do so, though, the twelve eyes, centered on the absurdly large forms, open into mouths.

"Earl Garner. She has been waiting for you."

I can visibly see Earl's spine crinkle in a shiver as I step in the dog-sized spider's way as it lunges toward him. I slam it horizontally with my fist, and it literally explodes into a crackling light that spreads out in every direction.

"Get back!"

Earl listens without hesitation as the light settles into darkness on the road. More Darklight, of course. Yet, screams of pain fill the void as the spiders open and howl.

"Strong! Strong! Angel? Angel!? How!? How!?"

They repeat themselves as I take the opportunity to go on the offensive. My movements are swift, a desperate attempt to remove the spectral creatures before any more appear or they recover.

Each punch from me breaks one into pure Darklight that falls onto me, but I don't cease for a moment. I push ahead, even as the spiders lunge at me. The air crackles with tension as the spiders converge, their multiple eyes fixated on me with an unsettling intensity.

As I kill the tenth, though, I feel a weight finally show itself in my flesh. My movements slow as my thoughts do as well. The arachnids laugh with their eyes and eye-mouths at my plight.

"Yes! Yes! Fall! Fall! Fall! Fall!"

The bridge beneath me pulsates with the rhythm of my hurried steps as I finish them off as quickly as possible. It's not hard to do so, but the implications of my slurred motions when I kill the thirtieth one are plain and clear.

The Darklight is invading me.

But... I don't hear any voices yet.

I stride back to Earl and explain the situation. The brainiac quickly presents an idea as we continue toward the tome.

"I think because you are an Angel, your soul is more robust, so it can't invade as effortlessly it would be, plus your enhancements to your soul. Those spiders... I think I've heard of them before. Soul-Eyes, said to be able to read anyone's true name at a glance. They went extinct hundreds of years ago. She must have a stock of them somewhere to throw them at an ascender like that."

Nodding along with him, we continue as I feel my fingers gradually regain their whole motion. It's going to take hours at this rate, though. Maybe days in this place. We continue onward, even as Earl spouts more thoughts.

"It is interesting how She sends creatures here, though. She must only be able to send souls, which is probably why She uses those spiders. They have more powerful souls than most humanoids, including humans. This lets Her easily overpower non-Angels. You, however, heh."

"Maybe. Let's just get to the tome. I want to get you out of this. Way too fucking lethal for you."

Earl brandishes a grin as he bops me with his shoulder.

"It's okay. Sure, I could easily get converted, but you'd never let that happen. I trust you. More than myself. Plus, I'll still have to do this at least one more time."

I shake my head at him vehemently just as the bridge rounds to an abrupt end, like that of a collapsed road. Before the edge, however, is a raised platform with a book atop it.

"No way. We aren't doing this again."

Earl shrugs and heads toward the book while I stick to him like flies on shit. His hand extends to the tome, and it opens to him with a flurry of pages. Only the sound of flipping pages is not the only noise in the void.

"Not much choice. After this... I think I'll be stuck with your method."

I sigh and turn away from Earl, focusing on protecting my helpless friend. And in the void, clattering footsteps resound from the broken side of the bridge. Shifting around to face it, I raise my hand, prepared for the threat. With squinted eyes and braced knees, I watch a human, one dressed in a silky-smooth robe, walk upon nothing but darkness.

It is a woman with heels, a tiara above a silver veil, and more jewelry than I could ever imagine on a person. Yet, despite being a true and pure human like Earl and I, this person's eyes are nothing but swirling mists of Darklight.

"What a pleasant surprise. Ma's been searching for you, Graves. You are one tough pickle to find. Most others she can just pluck out, even asleep, but you? Something is hiding you. Hmm... You are... interesting indeed. Even with a damaged soul... you can banish those little ones away with ease."

I shove Earl with my hand, forcing him to hurry up reading, but as I do so, I realize he's staring dead at the woman, entranced. No. Fuck. I step toward her, cracking a knuckle as my eyes flash with mightnight purple. It's only partially there, the fetters upon this woman, but they are, indeed, there.

The distance must be weakening her. Nonetheless, this is a Demigod.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The stunning woman smiles underneath the veil, the grin extensive enough for me to see. She points at herself before directing her attention to me.

"Oh, me? I'm Gorgeous—Mother's favorite. But don't let Eldest know that. He's always so grumpy. What I want... well, I desire what Mother desires. You. She oh so desperately desires you. There are many she likes, and you are near the top."

My foot shuffles backward as I feel that smile tug on my very will. It's like an invisible nudge, shifting me toward nicety and amiability. This must be the peak of Conman. This must be charisma so beguiling that nigh no one can resist.

"Why does she want me so much?"

I ask another question, as she's not attacking me yet or doing anything worse than freezing Earl. Gorgeous's lips grow fuller, their color diving to a blood red as she laughs slightly, tilting her bead to the side. My heart skips a beat before I slap my chest, keeping it stable. The hit doesn't do much other than feel like it's helping, though.

"Oh... you... that's amusing. Isn't it obvious? Your soul is... gorgeous. I can't even see it despite traveling this far away, but from its power I know it must be. That's not all. She adores those with potential. It's... oh, look at me running my mouth. That's enough information spat out. Come here, child. Don't you want to be a man?"

Gorgeous calls for me to approach her with an open palm, grasping sensually at the air. A flash of pain in my skull brings me back to reason as I find myself four steps closer to her. The Fallen Demigod pouts her lip in disappointment.

"Let him go. Then we can settle this."

Beyond the veil, Gorgeous squints her flawless eyes, bearing the swirling pupils toward Earl. She tilts her head in the other direction playfully before nodding in agreement.

"That... that is a worthy trade. No, running now, you hear?"