“The undead are the newest race here on Tenith. They lack many things that the well-established ones do. In fact, as it stands, I am the only true entity they can worship.” Her mask gazed at me and seas of emerald fire roared like a hurricane. “The rest just use them as if they were nothing more than pawns.” My curiosity faded, and I felt a connection form between us. It was the fires of defiance that seemed to reach out and intertwine our souls, and with it knowledge.

Not all the undead are Asterian, and this wasn’t about just them. This was about every undead that was born since the time of the calamity. Every zombie, every skeleton, everything spirit and everything else in between. They all lacked a true divinity to guide and protect them. In turn, they were used as slaves or even as walking target practice for the other races.

More and more information flooded into my mind about the undead. They were much like the other mortal species. They had lives, feelings, and they could even reproduce. Yet they were treated as no different from common farm stock. Thoughts pressed into my mind, and I could hear the begging pleas of salvation once more.. My heart twisted in my chest as my mind was opened. For the briefest of seconds, I could feel everything. Every single connection between me and the undead. There were countless strands and thoughts. Some were empty, almost as if they were in chains, while others floated past listlessly, as if life had lost all meaning to them.

Then, just as suddenly as it came, it all fell away, and I knew what had to be done. While I was not the goddess, I still was. I was stuck in a strange limbo. But I could use that positioning to act as a herald of a goddess returned. An avatar of sorts. With that power, I could bring the teeming masses of undead under my wing and protect them.

The visions cleared from my eyes, and I saw myself standing before my other half. “Now, you know what you must do. Not only will Asteria rise once more, but all the undead will one day fall under our purview. It was us that gave our lives to stop the cataclysm, and it is our fault they exist the way they do. It is now our job to guide and usher the undead into a new era in return”

I pursed my lips and nodded. Everything was falling into place, and the cracks in my soul were slowly mending. I was becoming myself again. “It will be done. Now, how do I use this pill?” I asked as I pulled away and settled into my chair. My mind was still rushing around as the lingering thoughts of the undead swam through my mind. With each passing second, I could feel more and more of my doubts falling away, but it left me with a strange chill that clung to my soul.

“It has to be inserted into the heart, and then cycled around to the gate. It’s a risky process by itself, but with me here, it should be smooth sailing.” A flicker of amusement danced in her eyes as she stood up and walked towards me.

I backed away slightly as fear bubbled in my chest. “That sounds dangerous. Are you trying to kill me?”

“No. Not in the slightest, but this pill is too valuable. It’s once in a lifetime, so why not? Besides, I’m right here with you, so it’s not like you can actually die.” I could feel the smirk under the mask become more evil as she took another step closer to me.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“That didn’t really do much to make me feel any better. After all, this is my life on the line.” I eyed her warily as I pushed away from the table and took a step back.

“Don’t worry. Just breathe, and cycle the energy to the middle of your clavicle. There, you will find a gate closed by shackles. When you are there, use the energy from the pill to slam into them.” She closed the distance between the two of us, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. In an instant it felt like a mountain had descended onto my shoulder and I felt my body press into the ground. “But I’ll be there to help you and make sure that nothing bad happens.”

My heart thrummed in my chest as my fear grew to new heights. “But..” As I spoke, her hand shot out, and my breath was stolen from me. No matter how hard I tried to suck in a breath, my body refused to listen to me. I felt my heart clench and my vision faded around the corners.

“Relax, focus on the energy in your heart and cycle it. Guide it to the chains that shroud your inner gate and shatter it.” My other half’s voice graced my mind, yet I fell into a strange fog that tried to consume me. It beckoned to me, telling me to relax and let it all go.

But I refused. I won’t die here. I had far too much to live for. Seconds passed agonizingly slowly, and a warmth grew in my chest. At first, it was like a small ember, but it quickly became a raging conflagration. My heart stuttered a handful of times before it beat once more. This time, each heart beat roared and slammed into my ribs like an angry horse.

I pulled my attention inwards and focused on the energy that grew hotter with each passing second. An outline of my interior body appeared, and carefully, I guided the stream of energy along the pathways to my clavicle. Every pathway that it took lit on fire, causing me to feel pain beyond my wildest imagination.

But I pushed through it and guided it to the spot where the gate of healing stood. Without a second thought, I let it crash into the gate. My entire body trembled as small arcs of power danced through my veins.

Rage bubbled to the surface as I grit my teeth, and used my mental will to help slam the coursing power into the chains. My entire body trembled and more power arced through my veins like electricity. The chains that bound the inner gate trembled and a crimson mist seeped from the cracks.

A roar stretched from the depths of my being, and I compacted the ball of energy with my mental power. My vision cleared once more and a large metal gate stood in front of me. Chains were draped across its length, and a strange crimson light pulsed with unearthly light. A fine mist dripped from each crack in the metal and concentrated in small clouds that hung close to the ground.

“You will break for me.” I whispered as I threw everything I had into the last wave. The small ball of golden power crashed into the metal gate. The chains that bound it trembled, and the cracks grew even larger

For a few seconds, time seemed to come a crawl, and then the entire gate shattered. The searing pain that racked my body instantly faded, and the heat mingled with the last bit of medicinal energy. I staggered as my real eyes snapped open. “Hey now, I got you.” A voice I recognized as clearly my own graced my ears. My vision blurred as I gazed upwards into the azure sky. My mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, all I felt was a weakness that seemed to sink into my very bones.

“Just close your eyes. When you wake up, it will all be better.” Once again, my voice softly caressed my ears, and I nodded my head weakly. Why did I agree to this again? As I mentally lambasted my choices, darkness crept into the corners of my vision. The heat from the medicine faded into that of a gentle candle that rushed through the rest of my body, pulling me into the warmest sleep I’ve ever had.