Will you halt this eclipse in me?

König:

Silent Night- Krampus! König x reader

Bah humbug- Krampus! König x reader

Simon “Ghost” Riley:

Phantom! Simon x reader

One Last Time- Simon Riley x Reader (ANGST)

Taskforce 141:

So Much For a Safe House | ch.1 | ch.2 | ch.3 | ch.4 -platonic!141 x reader

Sleep Token:

You look up from where you’re sitting, eyeing him carefully, suspicion in your gaze. “I will admit, I am a little nervous about what your definition of fun is.” 

A snort of laughter comes from the direction of the couch, causing iii to whip his head around looking to see which of the two men made the noise. ii and iv both look away, feigning innocence. Letting out an exasperated sigh, iii turns, his eyes scanning the room, looking at everyone’s faces.

iii rubs his temple, the hard plastic of his mask making the small act difficult. He clicks his tongue in thought, “Well, I thought they might enjoy a trip to the Gethsemane for some relaxation and fun, but since you all seem to think otherwise…” his voice trails off, a teasing tone evident. 

At the mention of the Gethsemane, iv stands up immediately, causing ii’s body, which was previously leaning against him, to be shoved unceremoniously into the side of the couch, which let out a soft groan in protest at the sudden added weight. 

iv innocently throws his hands up in apology before turning back and rushing over to where iii stands, grabbing his arm while nodding furiously, his opposite hand clenched in a fist, moving up and down in rhythm with his head. 

The sight of iii and iv back to acting like their playful selves after such a heart-wrenching journey and tale feels like a light in the darkness. The heavy atmosphere of the room slowly lifted and allowed you to breathe fully once again. You didn’t realize until just then how much everything had been weighing on you, especially with your newfound knowledge of Vessel. 

You knew from what all you have seen and experienced in this place that Sleep was a force to be reckoned with, but the thought that a god would go as far as having one of its minions rip the wings off of one of their faithful devotees sends a cold shiver down your spine. It all makes you wonder what Sleep would do to you, a stranger seemingly in all this, if they ever truly got their hands on you fully and not just trying to mess with your mind. 

Thinking back to how close you were to finding out precisely what Sleep or their puppets would do to you when you ran out into the forest during your state of frenzy-induced panic makes you nauseous.  

You let out a slow breath, trying to will away these thoughts. Now is not the time to be dwelling on this. Not when iii and iv are trying so hard to lighten the mood and make everyone happy again. 

A small smile finds its way on your face as you watch iii try to pry iv’s iron-clad grip off of his arm, exclaiming that he is going to leave a bruise. 

Turning to look at Vessel, who stares at the two men, his face resting in his palm, a large smile etched upon his features. The light filtering from the window shines on the jewels and gold of his mask, creating a slight shimmer on the table. 

You lean closer to Vessel, whispering, “So what exactly is at the Gethsemane?” Your eyebrows furrow in thought, tilting your head to the side, “I could be wrong, but is that the name of the garden where supposedly Jesus was crucified?” 

At the sound of your voice, Vessel leans back in his seat, diverting his full attention to you. The paint on his skin glistens more in the sunlight. You have to resist the sudden urge to reach out and touch him. Vessel’s smile slowly morphing into a sly smirk, whether from your question or the intrusive thoughts now swimming inside your head, you are unsure. 

With his sly smirk and a small, deep chuckle, he replies, “I cannot ruin the surprise. You will just have to join us.” 

Another cryptic answer, honestly, you don’t even know why you expected anything different at this point. At least this was a ‘secret’ you would quickly discover the solution to, hopefully. 

“Fine, then keep your secrets,” you laugh. 

Quick movements from the corner of your eye draw your attention back to the others. ii had joined iv in pestering iii, the taller man seemingly fighting for his life against the others. 

They were no longer in front of you, instead in an effort to get away from the never-ending torment iii tried and failed to make an escape out of the room, but with iv and ii working together iii was trapped and at the two men’s mercy. 

A deep laugh sounded from beside you, making you look to the source, “I do not know where they get such actions from. I would never do such things.” Vessel declared as he slowly stood to his feet, moving gracefully to join the others near the door. 

Whereas Vessel said he doesn’t prank or mess with the others like that, something in his voice made you suspicious. Even though from what you have seen of Vessel, he seems to be a very gentle and kind soul, not that you doubt that, but you have a strange feeling he is probably the worst of the whole group when it comes to messing and pestering the others with strange little antics. 

Visions flashed in your head, making you grab the table for reassurance and stability. Distant visions of Vessel sneaking up behind one of the others, trying to distract them from the task they were doing, him reaching out, wrapping his arms around the others, pulling them into him, and other small antics.

 As quick as it came, it was gone. Was your mind trying to play tricks on you again? Maybe, but it seemed so clear and vivid, like you had been there to witness the events unfold in front of you, like a once forgotten memory bubbling to the surface. 

Not wanting to call him out since you really had no proof, just the strange visions that appeared and gut feeling. You pushed yourself out of the chair, moving quickly, walking over towards the room’s entrance. 

 Standing next to the many assortments of masks once more. Your eyes passively scan them over once more, putting a curious thought into the back of your mind for later. 

Your presence goes unnoticed as iii’s deafening cries for help and ii’s chaotic laughter fill the air. 

“Is this a normal occurrence?” You ask to no one in particular. 

Hearing your voice so close causes all three men to freeze and slowly turn to look at you; everyone, excluding Vessel, suddenly becomes very shy, as if they had forgotten you were there with them to witness their actions. 

ii clears his throat, standing up straight, he retracts his tendrils and releases his hold on iii before shaking his head slightly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He states as he turns to saunter confidently out of the room with a slight sway of his hips. 

iii lets out a loud cackle before running off through the door, yelling something to ii that you were unable to understand. You notice iv make a motion with his hands near his face, moving up and down in alternating motions before walking off in the direction ii and iii went in. Halfway down the hallway, he turns back to see you still haven’t moved and motions you and Vessel along to follow. 

With a small shake of his head Vessel, gestures to the doorway leading back down the hallway towards the entrance of the cathedral, you give him a small smile as you walk with him, following closely behind. 

The only things that can be heard are the soft echoing of footsteps against the marble floors and the muffled conversations of the others just outside the building. You really hope this happy energy continues, it is so refreshing to finally have things start looking up for once. 

You are finally getting some answers, albeit very minimal ones, but it has been better than nothing.  The dark cloud that seemed to be a continual occurrence hanging over you finally dissipates and allowing you to breathe clearly. 

The once ceaseless dark thoughts that had been plaguing you since your arrival here, slowly seem to be leaving your mind the longer you’re with them all. Although, a few dark thoughts and deprecating feelings still remained bouncing around, trying to bring down your mood.

 As long as you are around them, everything no longer seems to be so dreary and macabre; in their presence, you feel like maybe your life still has meaning and purpose and that you can actually belong somewhere and with others, maybe even in more ways than one. 

As you step out into the sunlight, the warmth once again seeps into your bones, allowing the scent of Vessel’s small garden of herbs and other plants fill your nose, and the feeling of homesickness you’ve always seemed to have no longer gnawing at you.  

You turn to the source of the chatter, making a beeline for the others whose conversation seemed to have dissipated a little at the sight of you and Vessel emerging from the open doors. You stop at the small group, eyeing them all curiously. 

Just as you open your mouth to question what was going on with them, Vessel's shadow cast over you, blocking the sun from your back. He was standing behind you, so close in fact you swear you can feel the pressure from his body against your back and the faint feeling of his breath fanning on the top of your head. 

Though it was probably just your mind playing tricks on you, because why would he want to be so close to you anyways? The temptation to just turn your head and see how close he is to you is gnawing at you greatly, but anxiety keeps you deeply rooted where you stand. You honestly don’t know what you would even do if you turned around and saw him standing over you, like how you’re picturing it deep within your mind. 

You make eye contact with iv, even through the mask obscuring his face, you can clearly make out the mischievous look and aura practically dripping from him at this moment. 

Why does it seem like everyone here is able to continuously know exactly what you are thinking and feeling. It is a little annoying, especially since it’s as if you are always left in the dark, knowing nothing.

Plus, it doesn’t really help that your face is exposed, unlike all of theirs, so every emotion and unsaid thought can be perceived easily, while they have the safety and security of their masks. Maybe you should invest in one, you would look good in a mask, and with the outfit iv gave you so very long ago, it seems, a mask would certainly fit the aesthetic.

After a moment, iv points in the direction behind him impatiently as he turns to head that way and begins walking. He turns his head to look back at everyone, motioning for everyone to follow. 

“I think someone is a little excited about visiting the Gethsemane.” ii chuckles as he joins iv happily sauntering down the path.

“Well, it has been many moons since we have last been.” replies Vessel discreetly flexing his shoulders. 

With that you, Vessel, and iii silently join, them heading towards the mysterious Gethsemane. You have to admit you are a little suspicious but also intrigued to the ‘fun’ iii had in mind when he suggested it in the first place. 

iv glances back to see everyone finally following behind him, so he slows his pace to allow you all to catch up. As conversations around you fill the silence, your mind once again can’t help but to wander more specifically back onto the masks. 

You are literally the only one here without something covering their face, so it does make you curious about what if you had one yourself and what it would potentially look like. 

In some far-off reality where you ended up staying here with all of them, instead of finding your way back home, would you have to wear a mask? 

You know iii told you earlier that wearing the masks was a way to show their devotion towards Sleep.  So if by some miracle everything was fixed and got worked out to how it was supposedly before everything went awry, then it would make sense for you to have to wear a mask as well. 

Taking the opportunity you quickly glance over everyone’s masks, do they make or at the very least design their own mask? 

Or is it already chosen for them, and what’s the difference between having only half their face covered versus the mask covering their faces completely? If you had one you think you’d prefer it to only cover the top portion of your face anyway. 

Fingers carefully brushing down the length of your arm, briefly pausing at your hand, tapping your wrist halts your thoughts and catches your attention, causing you to snap your head to the side to see ii. 

His bright blue eyes are already looking you, “what has you so lost in thought?” 

You trial your eyes carefully over the expanse of the black mask covering his face and down his neck, it surely couldn’t hurt to ask his thoughts on your hypothetical mask, you thought to yourself. 

“Honestly, I was just lost in thought, thinking about everyone’s masks, and then wondered if I had one, what would it look like?” you awkwardly chuckle, feeling a little silly having said it out loud. 

ii’s eyes widen briefly at your confession, a small noise leaving him, while iv steps briefly falter, his head whipping around to look back at you, having been eavesdropping on your conversation. 

The feeling that you have somehow overstepped and offended them creeps up your spine, your eyes widen, and you throw your hands up in front of you in a placating manner, shaking your head frantically. 

“Wait, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it or to offend you all,” you say, embarrassment clear in your tone, “I shouldn’t have said anything, just forget it, please.” 

At this point, you had acquired the attention of everyone with your simple inquiry about a mask. They all briefly share a look, one that you assume is meant to be offensive. Though before you can back track any further, iv quickly comes up beside you, his hands moving rapidly. 

ii immediately starts interpreting for iv, “Your mask covers half of your face, leaving the bottom half of your face exposed. The top portion of the mask is completely golden, covered in the most beautiful and elaborate details, all swirl together in intrinsic detail, perfectly capturing your essence and soul.” 

iv hands slowly stopped signing, returning to hang at his side, but his eyes never left your face, looking intently into your own searching for something, anything that resembled recognition or familiarity at his words. Much to his dismay, neither was found; only confusion and longing could be seen on your features. 

A shocked expression takes over your face, surprise evident. You were clearly not expecting iv to go into so much detail about your random little thought, especially on the spot like this. You have to admit, the more you really think about it, the more you begin to fall in love with the mask he was describing to you. 

Breathlessly, you respond, “Wow, I didn’t expect such a detailed answer.”

 You pause briefly, a small smile adorning your features, softly adding, “Makes me kind of wish that I did have a mask to wear, especially if it was something like that.” The words spoken were barely above a whisper, as it was meant more for yourself than anything.

Since iv and ii were the closest to you, they were the only ones able to hear your mumbled words. Both men silently shared a look, trying to decide if they could get away with telling you the truth or if it would be revealing too much too soon again. 

With a subtle shake of iv’s head was all ii needed as he replied carefully, “The mask truly is a sight to behold.”`

You gently hum in response, picturing what you would look like in the mask iv described. While a new conversation picked up around you again, with iii breaking the silence slightly. He was trying and ultimately failing to pester Vessel, by asking a multitude of questions, varying from ‘are we there yet?’ to ‘how much longer?’ The red-haired man was trying to annoy the fae, but Vessel was not falling for it, much to ii and iv’s amusement. 

The visions from earlier echo again. Usually, the pestering was the other way around; just by looking at the man, no one would have ever guessed how much enjoyment Vessel derives from messing around with the others, whether it be by invading their space or attacking them with affection. 

Vessel, who was well aware of what iii was trying to do, simply answered the questions in a soft but slightly teasing tone, stating some variation of ‘almost there.’ A light feeling in his chest, the ache in his back lessening, something he cannot recall happening since before he lost his wings. Perhaps since you were back among them once again, things were healing in the Garden of Eden once more. 

iv immediately perks up at the familiar sight coming into view, the dirt path slowly disappearing into a white stone walkway. The once pristine stones were now broken and becoming engulfed into the vines and weeds peeking through and pushing them out of the ground even more. 

iv gently grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers together as if it was second nature to him, his hand giving yours a reassuring squeeze. The feeling of his fingers between yours halts your train of thought, almost instantaneously. 

You glance down at his painted hand encased with yours, tightening your grip on him slightly as you allow him to lead the way, the firm grip he has on your hand tugging you gently. He starts pulling you along with him as he picks up the pace, practically running towards the opening in the trees.

As you both run through the opening in the trees, you are pulled into the most extraordinary sight you think you have ever seen before in your life. You both now stood in front of massive white pillars that lined a small, beautiful field of flowers.

In the back of the field stood three tall wooden planks that seemed to be buried deep within the ground, even from here you can tell the wood is old and rotten, deep dark red stains are soaking into the fibers of the wood. Somehow, all three stand tall and firm like something else is keeping it from truly falling apart.

Tearing your eyes away from the three large stakes of wood, a strange feeling that maybe maybe this place isn’t just named after Gethsemane, maybe it really is the real place or Vessel and the others are really into the Bible.

You look around at the pillar lining the field, almost as if it were a protection circle, whether it’s meant to keep things out or in, you are uncertain. Some of the pillars were cracked and broken lying in shattered pieces on the ground. Wild pink vines twisted around the pillars, reminding you of Vessel’s cathedral and small garden. 

Though, the more you look around the more you begin to notice small traces of the others homes, as well as around the field. iv’s intricately crafted tapestries hanging from some of the more solid and whole pillars, the same runes sewn into the fabric. 

Off the side, easy to be missed if you weren’t careful, was a medium-sized water basin, similar to the one you found yourself nearly drowning in when you first arrived in this confusing place. Shadowy tentacles, that look eerily similar to the ones that ii possess circles around some of the flower beds. 

Some of the flowers look familiar to you, while others are some you don’t think you’ve ever seen before, at least not in your world. There was a multitude of different types of flowers and plant life growing in this one area. Some were in groups like they were intentionally planted in those specific spots, while others seemed to have sprouted there of their own accord. Everything looks like something out of a fairy tale.

iv tugs on your hand, pulling you along with him once again, but this time at a slower pace, allowing you to fully take in your surroundings. He carefully guides you down the small, worn-out stone pathway that leads and ventures off throughout the garden, his gaze drifting back at you every so often, taking in your astonished expression. 

As you look upon the rows of flowers and plant life, the scene doesn’t look like what you would have imagined the place where Jesus was crucified to look like, especially with its beauty and magnificence. The setting sun adds an ethereal essence to the atmosphere. The darker the world around you becomes, the bioluminescent element of the Garden of Eden returns something you have not witnessed since your arrival here a few days ago. 

The sweet aroma of the air invades your nose, causing you to take deep breaths, wanting nothing more than to savor the scents. The broken path beneath your feet turns more whole and complete the closer you both get to the back of the small field. 

Now quite to the three large pieces of wood but close enough to where you can see the dark red stains more clearly, iv stops walking his hand giving yours one last squeeze before letting go. From here, you can tell the one in the middle is far more rotted and stained than the other two. 

In the midst of you taking in all of the different sights and scents transforming around you, as the night comes down and the pink vines shine brightly like beacons and flickering lights, you hear the sounds of footsteps coming up behind you, one more quickly than the rest. 

A body drapes itself over you back, wrapping their arms around your middle, pulling you into their chest, you are held so close to the person you swear you can feel their heart pounding against your back, whether from them running up behind you or from something else you don’t know. 

You let out a small huff of effort after being nearly tackled to the ground from behind, “who….” 

Before you can even finish your sentence, you see red-painted hands and dyed hair, and iii’s voice full of longing and hope, his mouth close to your ear, whispering so only you can hear him, “so what do you think? This used to be your favorite place before, the others didn’t really like to come here after you were taken, but I tried to keep it like you had it, the best I could.” 

A sharp pain shoots through your head. Something is trying to claw its way to the front of your mind but it is not letting it through. Like trying to find the station on the radio with a broken antenna the full message isn’t coming through only broken, indecipherable glimpses can be made. 

“iii, what do you mean?” you whisper back, one hand grabs his wrist, holding on tightly your heart pounding in our chest, fear making the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Your other hand, holding the side of your head trying to relieve the pain and clear your thoughts to no avail. 

“That’s enough!” Vessel spoke his voice stern, “Simply because Sleep’s reach is not as powerful here, does not mean this is the time for such conversations. Lay your eyes upon them, it is all too much information too soon. As much as it pains u,s we must wait.” 

Vessel swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing there, there is so much he wants to tell you, that they all want to tell you, so many memories and feelings wanting to be shared with you. But Vessel knows, they all know that no matter how much they want to ease your confusion and their own suffering by revealing everything to you here, it would only put you in more danger. 

The threat of danger already looms heavily over you, since you arrival back here and Vessel doesn’t want to do anything that could potentially worsen it or tear you away from them again. Deep in his heart, he had wished that by bringing you back here to this place with all of them would help you remember something, anything at all about your past self. 

iii unwraps his arms from around you, to turn you around to face him, when he looks at your face and into your eyes and doesn’t see the recognition he has been waiting for since the moment he pulled you out of the water, his heart drops and slumps his shoulders pulling you into him, the top of your head tucked underneath his chin. 

The embrace causes your eyes to fill with unshed tears that you refuse to let fall; you've done far too much crying since you have been here. All iii was trying to do was help you remember and here you go, rewarding his effort with pain and tears.

His heart is pounding in your ears,  your eyes fluttering shut. A million thoughts swarm in iii’s head trying to find the perfect thing to say to you, but sometimes things are better left unsaid. So he just pulls you in tighter, hoping that you understand, that he is sorry, and no matter if you remember or don’t, you do belong here with them. 

You chose to stay here in his warm embrace for a moment longer, wanting to use this as a chance to collect yourself, letting the soothing feeling of iii’s thumb gently rub your back. A slight shuffling noise can be heard from behind you. 

Seconds later, the feeling of someone placing something behind your ear causes you to open your eyes adjusting your position to see ii taking a small step away from you ,looking very pleased with himself. 

You pull back, not quit moving out of iii’s grasp but no longer wrapped tight against his chest, you reach your hand up to feel behind your ear to feel a small flower. You grab it and hold it delicately in front of your face to find a yellow tulip. 

“It’s beautiful, thank you,” you whisper, looking at ii. 

In return, he makes a slightly distorted-looking heart with his hands and winks cheekily at you. 

“A yellow tulip is said to represent friendship, happiness, and hope,” says Vessel from in front of you. 

You bring the flower up to your nose, breathing in its sweet and fresh scent, before putting it back behind your ear where it was placed only moments before. So, it is no longer just a feeling like you have been here before; you most certainly have and for some reason, Gethsemane was your sanctuary of sorts. 

Vessel rolls his shoulders back, side-stepping you slightly to point at the three wooden at the edge of the field, “You asked me if this was the place where Jesus was crucified, for that I cannot say for sure. All you see here in this world was created by Sleep, and their purpose is not always clear. Perhaps this one was created because Sleep feeds off the pain and suffering of others.” 

He takes a deep breath, before turning back to you his usual smile back on his face,”Alas who am I to know how the mind and reasonings of a god truly works. Though this place is special to all of us. Whereas I cannot tell you everything, the runes etched into the pillars appeared one day which we all” Vessel gestures to everyone who is now standing around him listening intently as he speaks. 

“Hastily discovered that Sleep’s powers and control is not as prevalent. We cannot stay here long, lest Sleep gets suspicious and sends his creatures here. It is nice, every so often, to venture here for some respite.”

You pull out if iii’s hold completely to step towards Vessel, “then why not stay here forever then, since Sleep's powers catch reach you, then shouldn’t his creatures be unable to cross the runes as well?” 

Technically, none of the men surrounding you shouldn’t be able to cross the runes as well then, all of them are followers of Sleep and are devoted to the god. 

This time ii was the one to answer, “Sleep’s powers are weak here, not completely gone. Plus as you can see things are falling apart here, succumbing to Sleep’s will. We would only be safe for so long, and it is best not to deliberately seek out our god’s ire.” 

iii adds on, “the creatures of Sleeps are made of them, beings of his complete control and creation, so no I don’t think they would be able to pass through into here not without great effort at least. Sleep did mold all of us into what we are today; we were not created like those abominations were.” 

The pain in your head has slowly subsided during this enlightening conversation, your thoughts becoming much clearer. 

iv leta out a deep breath, his hands moving quickly, signing while iii translates, “enough of that we came here to take a break from it all and relax.” 

You shake your head, letting a smile form on your face. You walk up beside iv, putting your hand on his arm, staring into his mask the lights from the vines barely illuminating his eyes, giving them a twinkling effect. 

“You’re right, iv. Let’s take a look at all of these magnificent flowers, hmm,” you say as you are now the one pulling him along, as you walk to the closest bed of flowers. 

The flowers ranged from ones you were somewhat familiar with to others you had never seen before. You lean over to get a closer look at the pink camellia flowers that have been obviously planted with care, just as you reach your hand out to touch one, everything goes deathly still and quiet. 

The one gentle sounds of life throughout the Garden of Eden, the wind flowing around you, seemingly freezes. Goosebumps spread across your skin, the primal fear and alarm bells ring in your head. 

You stand up straight wanting to ask the others if they feel the sudden oppressive change in the air, when you look at the entrance to field at the large pillars stood four monstrous creations of Sleep. 

Two of which you have had the misfortune of seeing before, the one with the golden box covering it’s head, and the giant creature with the Cthulu face and large scythe that chased you in the fire where there staring at you unmoving. 

The other two creatures where ones you have not seen before but just as frightening if not more then the others. One of them looked like a naga of sorts. The bottom half of it’s body like a snake, slithering slowly back and forth like it can’t seem to stay still, the middle section of the snake-like figure was covered in thick armor, its arms shaped more like spider legs or maybe a different insects from this distance and low lighting makes it very difficult to tell.

 It’s head looked more like a demon than anything, its face in a permanent grin, razor-sharp teeth glistening in the dark. Long twisted horns protruded from its forehead, the eyes though were the most unsettling part, even from this far away you could tell they were hollow, but you could still tell it was staring directly at you. 

The last creature was the most humanoid-looking one, at first glance. It looked like a woman but the longer you stared at it the more you realized that was not the case. More like three women together, runes were carved into its exposed skin, tattered fabric covered it’s chest and waist. 

It has three heads, horns similar to the snake looking one protrudes from all three of it’s heads, and their eyes were cover with the similar cloth as it’s chest covering. 

You slowly raise you hand up to point at the creatures, your finger trembling and whisper scared to talk too loud, “what do we do?” You turn to grab iv once again only to find that he isn’t there, anyone, in fact Vessel, ii, and iii have all disappeared as well, everything is gone. 

It’s just you and them. This feels like a nightmare one you desperately want to run from, you don’t know how this happened or if this was all some sort of illusion. The air surrounding you was heavy pushing down against you, making it hard to breathe clearly. 

Run, I need to run away from them, I can’t let them, especially that one, catch me again. 

Just as the thought enters you mind and snaps you out of your fear just enough for you to actually being to move again, a sickly sweet whisper of your name reaches your ears. 

You freeze, looking at the four creatures to see the woman one, smiling at you it’s hand stretched forward, beckoning you to come with them. The runes on its skin glowing red. 

On your bodies on accord you begin to stumble forth, towards them and their call, you don’t know why you were so scared before, it’s better this way. You belong with Sleep. 

When you are only a few steps away from them, the sweet smile on it’s face changes as inky black liquid drips from between its teeth and down its chin, hitting the ground, decaying all it touches like acid. The closer you get, the more the creatures seem excited, slithering back and forth rapidly, hissing, looking like they have finally won a long drawn-out battle. 

You hear your name again, but not whispered in the sickly sweet manner as before. This time it seemed panicked and frightened, the shouts are coming from behind you, frantically calling out your name. The voices are so familiar, you need to know who it is. 

With every ounce of willpower you have, you force your body to stop walking, ignoring the ground-shaking rumbling that come from in front of you. Just one look behind you that’s it, that is all you need and then you can go back to where you are suppose to be with Sleep. 

But if that’a true, if that is truly where you belong, why are you so scared? Slowly you turn your head around, your eyes traces the pillars, the crumbling stone path, the flowers growing all around you, and the three rotten and stained wooden stakes. Your eyes focus in on the four figures running towards you in slow motion, screaming your name as loud as the can. 

You stumble backwards not noticing that you have unknowingly crossed the pillar, you don’t belong with Sleep, you never have and you never will. It’s them, it always has been and always will be. 

Like a curtain has finally been pulled back, memories rush through your head of a past life here with them. Feeling you never thought you would feel again courses through your veins, like a hole you have always had in your chest closing in, the final piece of a puzzle sliding into place. 

“I remember you all.” you whisper, relief and joy fills your soul. 

Something warm begins pooling in your middle and soaking into your clothes, a burning pain erupts from your stomach. You were wrong, the legs were more like a scorpion’s than a spiders. Between the middle of your ribcage, the snake like creatures arm pierces through, covered in your blood. 

It pulls it’s arm back through, causing the blood to flow more freely from the gaping wound in your middle. A harsh laugh echos through the air, as all four of the creatures turn back, disappearing back into the trees. Slowly, you bring your hands up to feel the area, the warm, thick blood coating your hands. You cough a metallic taste floods your mouth. 

You gasp desperately trying to catch your breath, but no matter how hard you try you can’t seem to gwt a proper intake of air. You stumble forwards, falling to your knees about to face plant into the ground, when long black tendrils wrap around you saving your fall and pulling you towards them. 

They are all crying gathering around you, Vessel is telling iii to do something about the blood, but you can’t make out exactly what is being said, everything is muffled and hard to focus on. It’s so cold here, you can’t feel anything anymore, everything is tingling. 

Through your blurry vision, you can see them all here surrounding you, but they look so sad and scared. You don’t want to leave again, not now, not when you finally understand why you were brought back. 

Vessel and ii continue walking back inside the cathedral, sensing that you need a moment alone with iii and iv, allowing you three to have a moment together without any distractions. The sounds of their footsteps and soft conversation faded into the distance as they disappeared into the threshold. 

You have to force yourself to pull away from iv, not wanting to seem weird or desperate for physical touch in front of everyone. Even though you untangle yourself from him, he remains close to your side, his hand playing idly with the hem of your sleeve. 

“I am sorry for running away like I did. Like I told Vessel earlier, I should have listened to you, to begin with,” you mutter shyly, swaying awkwardly, feeling ashamed at your earlier actions. 

iii shakes his head urgently, “No, you have nothing to apologize for. We understand how confusing it is to wake up here without any answers.” He runs a hand through his bright red locks, untangling the knots in his hair. “We could be to blame as well, not really telling you much information to begin with. It’s just we were scared too.” 

You feel iv’s hand move from playing with your sleeve to wrapping around your wrist, his index finger resting against your pulse, feeling the steady beat of your heart. The warmth of his hand reassures you, as your mind replays the last part of iii’s sentence over again. 

Your eyebrows pull together in confusion. You ask, “Why were you scared, too?” 

iii stares at your wrist in iv’s grip, a strange look in his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath before answering, “I can’t tell you, it’s too soon.”

You feel anger igniting under your skin, protests on the tip of your tongue, about to call him out for the hypocrisy of the situation, when he suddenly drops to his knees, resting his hands on your hips, squeezing the flesh in his hands. 

Any rebuttal or shouts of anger escape you immediately at the sudden and unexpected actions from the man holding onto you as if you could disappear any second. You watch his shoulders stutter slightly, his hands trembling against your skin. 

His mask buried against your stomach, his voice muffled, “Please, you have to trust us. Please, I can’t.” He pulls his head back slightly enough to make eye contact with you, his once-happy eyes filled with tears. “We can’t lose you again.” 

Every thought you just had about yelling at them and demanding answers dissolves immediately at the sight before you. A soft whine from beside you from iv causes you to look at him, seeing him with the same distraught expression filling his eyes from beneath his mask. You didn’t think you were running away and disappearing with ii for such a short amount of time would affect them like this so much. 

“No, I’m sorry. It’s okay. I trust you all. Please don’t cry.” Seeing the two men like this tears at your heartstrings. You aren't sure how to offer comfort to them, as this outburst was unexpected and not what you thought would happen when you returned. 

iii sniffles slightly, nodding his head solemnly, his grip bordering on the point of becoming bruising. Using your free hand, you grab one of his, pulling him back to his feet. You give them a small, hopeful smile as they both stand side by side in front of you. 

“I will wait until you are all ready to give me the answers. I trust you. Just promise me that someone will tell me everything soon, with no more secrets or riddles?” 

You can see iv nodding out of the corner of your eye as iii answers with a meek, “I promise.” He uses his right hand to make an ‘x’ motion over his chest. 

iii turns, leading the way back to the entrance of the cathedral that you were running from a few hours earlier. You wish that your reunion with the two men had been different. Reducing them both to tears and frantically begging for you to trust them left a sour taste in your mouth. 

Of course, you trust them, you trust all of them, even though you will admit when you first woke up, you were a little suspicious of them, but to be honest, who wouldn’t be? Everything was pointing toward a cult looking for its next sacrifice! They quickly proved you wrong at every turn, constantly saving you from not only the monsters that lurk here, but also from yourself. 

iv tugs on your wrist as you pass through the doorframe, the doors clicking shut behind you. He pulls you towards the opposite hallway you went down for your discussion with Sleep. Everything looked the same as when you left, not that it was really surprising, though the table was now clean of food, only the intricate tablecloth remained. 

You have yet to see any signs of Vessel or ii, though a sneaking thought tells you they are wherever iv and iii are leading you. This hallway was much more inviting than the other one; familiar tapestries similar to the ones you remember seeing in iv’s cave lined the walls. The difference between these, though, was that they were more colorful, green and white, both with flowers depicting different weapons in the center. 

The sounds of your group's footsteps thudding against the marble floor alert Vessel and ii to your arrival. The door is already open as if awaiting your presence inside. You enter the room behind iii, stepping to the side to take in your new surroundings. 

iv let’s go of your sleeve, opting to embrace ii, who sat in the back of the room on a rather comfortable-looking couch, his shadow cast behind him flowing softly swirling in the limelight. iv slides into the open space beside ii, who wraps his arms around the other’s shoulder, pulling him into his side. The two men basking in each other's company, like two lovers who are finally reunited after many years apart. 

IV begins signing his hands, becoming a blur of movement as you are still not able to make out completely what he is trying to say. Ii has no problem understanding him as he carries along in conversation with him, whispering his reply softly. Their discussion is too far away for you to make out what is being said, though the fond look in each other's eyes says a thousand words. 

Ripping your stare from the two men, not wanting to intrude on their moment together, you take the opportunity to look around the room. Out of all the rooms and places you have been in here, you think this place is your favorite so far. The atmosphere here feels more homely and lived-in than the rest. 

The comfortable couch rests against the back wall, and large bookshelves are filled to the brim with old, well-worn texts and scrolls. The bramble covers the outer wood of the shelves and twists along the open spaces in the wall leading to the ceiling, adding a naturalistic video to the room. A table to your left is covered in miscellaneous papers, ink jars, and quills. 

Vessel sits in a wooden chair at this table, engrossed in the large scroll unraveled before him. He pauses momentarily to address you, smiling warmly at you, his lips pulled back exposing his sharp canines. The light from the window behind him shrouded him in sunlight, a mesmerizing halo surrounding him. 

iii has since joined Vessel at the table, sitting in the seat to the right, kicking up his feet on the edge of the table, earning him an unamused look from the other man. iii leans his slender form back into the seat, reaching back to the bookshelves situated behind him, grabbing a hardcover book that has seen its fair share of wear and tear. iii makes himself comfortable, resting his head against the edge of the bookshelf, opening the book to a marked page, and silently continues reading. 

On the right of the door, the decor was different. Instead of the tall bookcases, it was mainly blank, save for four familiar masks encased in glass display cases. Undoubtedly, they were placed with care inside to preserve them from all manner of things. 

You tentatively take a few steps closer to the glass cases, just close enough to get a better look but not too close, as you do not want to do anything without permission and accidentally end up doing something wrong. From what you can see, the masks are all similar in nature to each other, along with the one that sits upon Vessel’s face. 

As your eyes travel down the line, you notice it seems they become more open and revealing with time. The bottom portion of the mask slowly recedes, allowing the wearer's mouth and jaw to be seen. The final mask greatly mirrors the one Vessel wears currently. The biggest difference, of course, was the red on this one instead of the green and gold shown on the one currently on his face. 

You are curious about these masks and their purpose and significance, especially since they are displayed so proudly like fragments of who he used to be, gone but not forgotten. Stepping back slightly, you notice a difference beneath your feet; instead of the cold marble floors, a fluffy woven rug covers the floor. This room feels more and more like the heart of the entire cathedral, the place where everyone comes to talk, laugh, or simply bask in the presence of the others.

 Here you are standing in the midst of it, but you don’t feel as if you are invading their privacy or their safe space. Instead, you get the uncanny impression that you’ve been here before. Now that you’re back standing amongst the group, it’s like the final puzzle piece sliding into place. 

Everywhere you go and with everyone you meet, you cannot seem to shake that feeling, the deja vu tingling in the back of your mind. But it’s not possible, is it? You think you would recall ever being here before with all the unusual wildlife, plants, gods, and people. Perhaps you are simply reminded of a dream you had or a book you read when you were younger. 

“You do not have to stand there. Come join us here.” Vessel's alluring voice beckoned your attention, as he gestured to the open seat at his left. 

You shuffle to the awaiting seat, sitting down, placing your hands in your lap. Looking around at the assortment of notes covering the table. Most of it was illegible to you, the runes you have become so accustomed to seeing lining the papers. Others seemed to be music sheets, lyrics, and music notes scattered about aimlessly. 

The huge scroll in the middle catches your attention as you recognize the writing, well, more like the fact that you are able to actually understand some of the words written on it. 

You turn your head to get a better look at the scroll, trying to decipher what is written, but you have to admit it was a little difficult. The writing was done hastily, as if whoever wrote it was in a hurry. The only thing you can make out are small phrases and words. The most noticeable were the words ‘emergence’ and ‘apparition.’

Vessel, who was watching you closely for any signs of recognition on your face, but seeing none, though he was not surprised, he knew very well that this was always a possibility. 

He ran his palm along the scroll, flattening it out more. “I try to study any and all offerings that are found amongst the garden, though some of the knowledge in them remains a mystery.” 

“What does this one mean?” You ask, pointing at the scroll. 

“For what little I am about to discern, it speaks of warnings but also a rebirth of sorts. My cypher is still incomplete. Therefore, nothing is certain yet.” 

You would offer to help him, but since everything is in a different language that you don’t speak or know how to read, you wouldn’t be able to offer much assistance and would probably only end up slowing him down. 

You are very curious about it. Undoubtedly, these types of puzzles always interest you. Little clues and hints are hidden away in different pieces, waiting to be solved. They are difficult to understand at first, but once all the pieces fall into place, they unlock something greater. 

Vessel rolls his shoulders back uncomfortably, his jaw clenching in slight pain as he grunts softly. Your attention quickly drifts from the papers to his, and concern bubbles for his well-being. iii looks over the top of his book at Vessel, a look of guilt shines in his eyes. 

The red-haired man questions, “Is the pain worse today?” 

Vessel throws his hand up in a placating motion, sitting up straighter, trying to alleviate the pain shooting through the top of his back. “Yes, I think we will be granted rain again sometime today.” 

You look out the window just over your left shoulder, up at the sky, and see nothing but the bright blue sky and sun. There are no clouds in the vicinity, and it surely doesn’t look to you like it will rain today, but then again, you are a weather person. 

You heard the old wives' tale growing up that some people can always tell when it is going to rain because old injuries start hurting again. You don’t recall seeing any old scars or injuries on him, so maybe they are hidden. 

Lost in thought, you continue peering contently out of the window. You take notice of how it overlooks a massive garden and nursery. One side is filled to the brim with various vegetables and fruits flourishing in the sun, the other covered in various plants and herbs. Eden was certainly a beautiful place, there was not a doubt in your mind about that fact. 

It makes the creatures lurking around all the more frightening, making you wonder just what else hides in the darkness, waiting to strike. You’ve seen two different monstrosities, there is no telling how many more there are and what they are truly capable of. You can only hope that you are truly safe here in Vessel’s sanctuary. 

Somehow, the dots connect inside your mind,  perhaps this has something to do with the vertical lines you recall seeing sewn on the back of his robe. His mentions of pain focused mainly on his back, how everyone else seems deathly scared of the creatures, if not more than you, depicting that they all know exactly what the creatures are truly capable of. 

You nervously begin picking at your nails, unsure how to ask the question on the tip of your tongue. Figuring it was probably best to just come out and ask was the best approach, nothing ever comes out of beating around the bush anyway. 

“What happened?” 

The light murmur of chatter for iv and ii stops in its tracks, all attention now on you and Vessel. Everyone is waiting to see what he will do and how he will react to your question. 

You feel his stare behind the many eyeholes in his mask. If you really look close, you can barely make out the outline of his eyes. He heaves a heavy sigh, like he was expecting this conversation to come up sooner or later, but he hoped it would have been later. 

“I suppose it is about time you got some answers and learn more about Eden. I will tell you all that I can for now about how this place started to change and where it all went wrong.” 

———-—————

When Vessel woke up this morning, an unsettling knot sat in the bottom of his stomach. Ignoring it, he carried on about his day, hoping whatever it was would go away, thinking it was probably just his anxiety playing tricks on him. 

Vessel stares at his reflection in the skewed mirror hanging in his room. He takes in the sight before him, a little voice in the back of his head telling him that by the end of the day, the person who stares back at him will no longer be the same as the current face in the mirror. Vessel takes in his appearance carefully, an activity he doesn’t make a habit of. 

The full-coverage white mask, with a red line down the middle and a squiggly line intersecting it, covers his face. His eyes trace over the black hood stapled over his head, creating an ominous shadow over his face. 

Behind him in the mirror, massive black wings protrude from his back, twitching subtly with unease. He rolls his shoulders back, stretching his wings out behind him, the muscles in his wings and back finally receiving relief at the movement. 

Vessel’s covered eyes filter over his wings in the mirror. The soft glow of the candlelight in his room casts an eerie glow upon him. As he stares at his reflection, he is reminded of how Sleep told him upon his creation many moons ago that he was created in the image of an angel. 

But the longer he looks at himself, the glass of the mirror slowly distorting his image, the more Vessel thinks that maybe Sleep was playing a joke on him, making him look more like a devil than an angel. 

Scoffing, Vessel rips his gaze from the mirror, no longer able to stare upon his features, throwing the old, worn-out black fabric back over the mirror where it belongs. 

Small slivers of the mirror can still be seen where parts of the fabric have started to unravel from the seams. He makes a mental note to ask iv about making him another tapestry. 

Vessel lets out a muffled sigh from beneath his mask, shaking his head, trying to rid himself of the dark thoughts daring to penetrate his psyche once again. 

He leaves his room, making a beeline for the front doors of his cathedral, wanting to feel the warmth of the sun on him again. Ever since he was created, he has found great solace in the rays of the sun, seemingly healing all wounds and purging any unwanted feelings and ideas out of his mind. 

As he walks through the garden, the gentle, warm breeze rustles the feathers on his back, creating a welcoming tingling feeling. Vessel remembers how it took him some getting used to in the beginning, learning to navigate the new world he is in with huge, powerful wings on his back. 

Vessel took great care of his wings, seeing as they were a gift given to him by Sleep. He made sure not to let them drag on the ground behind him, even if it would lessen the immense pain in his back and shoulders at the end of every day. 

He will admit it has been a lot easier to clean and manage his wings with the help of the others. Ever since they arrived, everything has felt complete here. Well, almost everything, but with time, Vessel knows that they will eventually join them all as well. 

A warm smile finds its way onto his face as his beloved nursery comes into view. Being a fae, Vessel has a strong connection to the nature surrounding him, but there is something about the crops, trees, and flowers that grow here that he feels even more of an attachment to. 

All of his plants are thriving, looking more beautiful than ever in the sunlight. This is a sight that Vessel takes great pride in. The food that grows here is what helps keep all of them alive and healthy.

 So, he has also become a little protective of this area in return. Large threaded vines of bramble create barriers around the different varieties of life growing here, protecting it all from any unwanted pests looking for a snack. 

Laughter and running footsteps can be heard heading his way. Turning around, Vessel sees iii running wildly towards him with a wet and annoyed-looking ii flickering closely behind. 

iii sprints behind Vessel, giggling loudly, slightly out of breath, using Vessel as a shield to hide from ii’s wrath. He peeks his head out over Vessel’s shoulder, resting his chin in the crook of the fae’s neck. 

Out of instinct, Vessel’s wings naturally wrap slightly around iii’s body, and the soft puffs of air coming from underneath iii’s mask cause chills to go down his winged back. 

“Don’t let him hurt me, Vess, I didn’t even do anything to him!” Laughs iii’s pointing a shaky finger at ii. 

ii stands in front of the two men, absolutely drenched from head to toe, a small puddle forming at his feet as the water slowly drips down to the ground. ii’s bright blue eyes burn with the promise of revenge, his eyebrows pulled tight underneath his mask. 

Vessel senses the rage building within the shorter man’s body. He holds his hands out in a placating manner, trying to lessen the growing tension. 

“What happened?” Asks Vessel, his head tilting to the side, thinking this situation reeks of iii trying to play pranks on others again. 

ii huffs angrily, folding his arms across his chest. The squelch of the water-filled clothes causes iii to throw his head back in a fit of laughter. His eyes are closed, and one hand is on his stomach, with the other now gripping loosely on Vessel’s shoulder for stability. 

Taking the opportunity to strike, ii uses one of his shadows to reach out and wrap itself tightly around iii’s legs, pulling him to the ground. Causing the man to let out a startled yelp at the unexpected movement. 

Now lying on his back staring up at an incredibly angry ii, who now has iii completely at his mercy thanks to the flickering tendrils of smoke that are now coiled around his body, not allowing for escape. 

“He thought it would be a good idea to ambush me, inside his cave, and push me into the water as a joke. But now it’s my turn,” 

A loud, piercing scream caused all three men to cover their ears in pain. Turning to look in the direction the screams came from, they felt fear fill them. There was only one person in the garden from whom the scream could have come. 

Without wasting a second, Vessel takes off his wings, spread out flapping powerfully, propelling himself up and out of the tree line. He quickly dodges the hanging branches, breaching the last of the limbs, and soaring high above in the sky. 

He looks around trying to see or sense any disturbances in the garden. To his right, near the small sanctuary iv often resides in, Vessel notices smoke rising to the sky a large burst of flames scorching the area. He swears he can feel the heat from here. 

Another screams tears through the air this time sounding more painful than the last, Vessel can practically hear iv’s vocal chords straining in protest. Fearing the worst Vessel charges straight for the flames, his mind full of the worst possibilities. 

The most terrible of all was that he would be too late to save his companion. The air was whipping against his bare chest painfully, but he ignored it, pushing himself to go faster. His wings were rhythmically flapping, the sound louder than ever before. 

The closer he gets, the more unbearable the smoke becomes, filling his lungs and making his eyes water. The smell of burning plants and foliage burns his nose.

 Vessel swears he can feel his connection with the garden faltering ever so slightly, the more the massive flames tear through everything, leaving nothing but ash and destruction in its wake. His heart is pounding so loudly, he can hear it in his ears. He refuses to be too late, not again, he can’t lose anyone else. 

Amongst the rising smoke and flames, a large blurry figure can be seen towering over a slumped form struggling to crawl away. This version of the creature is something Vessel has only ever seen in his nightmares, stands over a badly injured iv, blood caked around his mouth and throat, soaking into the fabric of his clothes. 

Granite stands tall and deformed, looking more different than Vessel has ever seen them before, like pure evil has infected them to their very core. The golden square helmet glimmers in the light of the flames, the amour dripping with blood and gore. He can do it, Vessel thinks to himself. He can make it in time, just a little bit farther, and he can save him. 

Vessel can feel the ligaments and joints in his wings protest in pain as he urges himself to go even faster. Just as Granite lifts up his arm, wielding the colossal battle axe above their head, planning to strike down iv, who has not made much progress at trying to get away, instead seems to accept the fate before him and closes his eyes cowering down covering his head with his arms in a feeble attempt to protect himself. 

Granite rolls his shoulder back unnaturally before swinging the weapon with all of his might towards iv. 

“NO” screeches Vessel from the very depths of his soul, as he dives down to pull iv out of harm's way. 

Vessel’s voice catches iv’s attention, he rips his head up just in time to witness Vessel appearing before him, ripping him off of the ground before they both go barreling into a nearby tree, flame-covered leaves and limbs now falling around the two men at the sudden collision. 

iv stares wildly at Vessel, his eyes full of disbelief, despite the injury done to his vocal cords and no matter how much pain it caused him, he croaked out to the best of his ability, “What did you do?” 

Vessel furrows his eyebrows in confusion, not understanding why iv would be questioning why he would save him. Of course, he would save him, no matter what. Vessel will do whatever it takes to help and save all of them. 

That’s when Vessel realizes that iv is not looking at him, but rather behind him, when a wave of searching hot pain erupts from Vessel’s back. He crumbles to the ground screaming in agony, he reaches his right hand back to feel where the pain was coming from, but instead of being met with wings, a dark, wet liquid covers his hand. 

Blood, he realizes, my blood. When he dove in front of Granite’s swing to save iv, he must have been a bit slower than he thought he was going because his left wing now lies lifeless and bloodied at the feet of the creature who tilts its head curiously. 

No matter how hard Vessel tries, he can’t seem to move, the pain is too much for him to bear. Even breathing was beginning to be too much, at this rate, he fears that he will succumb to the darkness soon. 

Iv sits frozen in fear and shock at the sight of his strong and powerful leader hurt and bleeding out because of him. He watches as Vessel’s blood pours at an alarming pace out of him and seeps into the ground, disappearing beneath the burnt grass and soil. 

Granite throws its head back, grunting, twisting its body in abnormal movements, before stepping forward, crushing Vessel’s lost wings under its heavy boot. Walking towards where both men lay now completely at the mercy of the creature. With every pounding footstep signaling their death like a bell tolls to announce their ascent into the next world. 

iv comes to his senses when the creature’s shadow casts over them both, he knows that he can’t scream, not again, it made sure of that nearly ripping out his throat the last time he tried that. All he can do is use his own body as a shield to protect Vessel from the oncoming wrath, just as he had done mere moments before. 

Granite seems to sense this, raising up both battle axes and quickly and efficiently using the weapons to pin iv to the base of the tree at his back, the blade cutting deep into his sides. iv is powerless, and not knowing what else to do, he begins to pray to Sleep, begging for salvation. 

The creature lets out a horrible grating noise, that iv soon realize that it’s laughing, mocking him as he is unable to do anything against it to protect anymore or anything. 

Granite reaches down, grabbing Vessel around the throat, suspending him in the air, as he limply tries to free himself from its grasp, but to no use, he has lost too much blood. 

Using his other hand, it coils its fingers around Vessel’s remaining wing on the base where it is connected near his shoulder blade. It starts to rip the wing from Vessel’s body, slowly and painfully. 

Vessel screams out in agony, the ground shaking in protest as if nature itself were trying to save him. Bramble starts protruding from the ground, wrapping itself around the creature, trying to stop its onslaught.

But it's no use, Vessel is too weak, his powers are fading, slipping through his fingers the more blood he loses. At least he was able to save his companion from death, maybe it will be satisfied with me and let iv go free, Vessel thinks to himself, hoping that the pain he is experiencing will not await iv in the future. 

Sickening pops and sounds of tearing flesh are all iv can seem to focus on, as he is forced to watch as the ligaments, bone, and muscle give away and rip from Vessel’s back. 

The sight of blood, sinew, and bone is not something he thinks he will ever forget. He struggles in vain against the weapons keeping him pinned to the tree. Only succeeding in causing the sharp blades to dig further into his skin. 

He wishes he could scream out, do anything to save Vessel, but he can’t, not without hurting Vessel further, plus with the state they both are in, there isn’t a doubt in his mind that it would surely result in death for the both of them. 

The sounds of tearing flesh stops, as the remaining skin connecting the wing to his back relents, tearing off completely. The pain burning on Vessel’s back is unlike anything he has ever felt before, even the air hitting the exposed wound and torn flesh causes immense flashes of pain.

 His teeth are clenched so tightly together that he wouldn’t be surprised if a few teeth are now broken. He can barely keep his eyes open. The darkness is beginning to cloud his vision, everything seems so distant, and the loud whooshing of his heartbeat is all he can hear anymore. 

As Vessel succumbs to the darkness pulling him in, his last thought is that is iv and the others' safety, hoping the creature got what it wanted. 

Vessel’s head lolls back, his breathing laboured and shallow. Granite drops the discarded wing to the ground, and it hits the blood-covered grass with a sickening thump. It pulls Vessel’s unconscious body closer to its covered head like it were inspecting him. The hand wrapped around Vessel, tightening, but before it can do anything else to harm Vessel iii and ii emerge. 

They both froze at the gruesome sight. Seeing their beloved Vessel and iv in such a state sent them into a frenzy. Uncontrollable shadows and tendrils seeped from ii, flailing wildly. Without looking at iii, he growled out through gritted teeth, “Help, iv. I will get Vessel back.” 

iii swallows hard, he has never seen ii like this before, but then again, none of them have even been hurt or treated like this before. He immediately takes the opportunity to run towards iv, trying to pry the giant axes out of the tree and free him. 

Pure rage shines in ii’s eyes as his body twitches unnaturally, shifting quickly between shadow and his physical form. 

Granite’s head turns lazily watching ii’s fast approach. It unceremoniously drops Vessel to the ground, his body hitting the ground harshly, causing the bottom half of his mask to crack, snapping off, revealing the side of his face contorted in agony, sweat dripping down his face, looking pale. 

ii rushes forward, wrapping his smokey tendrils around the creature before it has time to react. Its arms are bound tightly to its side, its legs fare no differently, and around its neck and helmet, the tendrils are getting tighter and tighter, unrelenting. 

Finally, using all of his strength, iii was able to free iv from his confines. His injured body slumped forward, and he tried vainly to crawl towards Vessel. Quickly, iii takes off his belt, securing it tightly around iv’s middle, trying to create a makeshift tourniquet. 

Painful gasps leaving iv’s mouth, his tears falling down his mask, mixing with the dried blood that came from his mouth. Using all his strength iv weakly grabs iii’s shoulder and pushes him towards the spot where Vessel lies in a pool of his own blood and flesh. 

iii quickly understood, and seeing as Granite was distracted and immobile at the moment, he took the opportunity to go to Vessel’s side. He carefully lifted him up and into his arms, trying to be mindful of the two huge gaping wounds on his back. 

iii placed his shaking hand on Vessel’s throat, trying to find a pulse with bated breath. It was very faint, but it was there nonetheless. He can feel the tears threatening to form, but he can’t cry, not right now. 

They all still have to get out of here alive and together. As quickly and carefully as he can, iii lifts Vessel to his chest, picking him up off the ground. He turns as he hears the loud cracking of the armor and metal covering Granite. 

The tendrils wrapped tightly around the creature were literally squeezing the life out of it. The metal helmet was slowly dented, caving in at the seams, with strange grunts and wailing echoing inside. 

Despite the massive height difference between the two, ii stands in front of the creature, seeming to tower over it, staring into its decrepit soul. 

“ii, I can’t carry them both. We have to get out of here! They won’t last much longer, please.” iii shouts over the roar of the flames and all the other chaos happening, hoping ii hears his frantic pleas for help. 

ii glances out of the corner of his eye, making eye contact with iii. He looks down at Vessel, snapping him out of his act of revenge. Still keeping the creature in his grasp, ii steps towards iv, wrapping him carefully in his tendrils, lifting him from the ground. 

ii nods his head at iii before doing the same to him and Vessel. Once everyone was safe in his hold, he used all his might to propel them away from the creature. His grasp around it releases, and it crumples to the ground, engulfed in flame. 

Now, as he carries them all through the garden back to the safety of Vessel’s cathedral, he can hear just how faint Vessel’s breathing really is. iv has already gone limp in his hold due to blood loss, and the adrenaline from the fight is quickly leaving him. 

iii tries in vain to stop the blood pouring from Vessel’s back, using the tattered remains of his cloak to put pressure on the wounds to no avail. The blood seems never-ending, the warm metallic liquid quickly soaking through the material and dripping down his painted arms. 

At this rate, Vessel is going to bleed out before they get anywhere near the cathedral unless he can figure out some way to help him. It’s up to iii right now. ii’s already done so much for Vessel and iv, fighting off Granite and now carrying them all to safety, while he has done nothing but watch fearfully from the sidelines. 

Helplessness courses through him as he stares down at the uncovered half of his companion’s face, watching as the sweat drips down his face. Blood is just a thicker version of water in a weird, twisted way, right? So, maybe he can stop the bleeding. 

iii removed the blood-soaked fabric from Vessel’s back, moving him around in his hold, being mindful of the tendrils keeping them both from falling. He places a hand where each wing used to be, the blood oozing between his fingers. 

Controlling water is as easy as breathing to me, iii thinks to himself, I can do this. He takes a deep breath, trying to focus on the water within the blood, hoping that he can get the blood to clot. Within seconds, the amount of blood flowing down his arms lessens significantly. There is still some that leaks through, but nowhere near the amount it was previously.

A relieved sigh leaves iii’s lips, his shoulders dropping, but he knows the battle is far from over. There is still a long road ahead of them to save the two injured, they are not out of the woods just yet. But still, this small victory does give him a small bit of hope where there previously was none. 

He wishes that he could do the same to help iv. The makeshift tourniquet did not help all that much, but it was still better than nothing. Plus, it is taking all of his concentration to stop the bleeding on Vessel. He doubts he would be able to do the same to both of them at the same time, not without messing something up. 

Seconds feel like hours, the garden feels unending as ii continues flickering in and out of the trees, pushing himself as hard as he can. The guilt of being so late to get to there to help them gnawed heavily at him. Three minutes was all it took, for that damned demon to cause all this damage, ripping the wings off Vessel like it was nothing, crushing iv’s vocal chords almost cutting him in half. 

If they had been there even just a minute sooner, he could have saved them from this terrible fate. The cathedral’s stone comes into view, just a little farther, and everything is going to be okay. Everyone is going to be fine. 

ii slams the door open, a loud bang echoing throughout the empty room. He rushes over the stone altar frantically, clearing off the offerings on it. Not caring as the food, scrolls, and herbs clatter to the floor. He brings forth Vessel, who is still in iii’s hold, doing his all to keep him alive.

Vessel is laid carefully on the altar, iii keeps his hands pressed firmly to his back, looking up at ii, “Place iv on the table over there, “ he motions with his head to the table they use when dining together, now about to be turned into a medical bed. 

Wanting to keep them close together, it stretches out a tendril, wrapping it around the leg of the table, noisily dragging it next to the altar before placing iv’s unconscious form on it. 

“Keep doing what you’re doing, I am going to find something to help us!” ii exclaims voice cracking as he is finally able to get a good look at them. He tears his eyes from them before running off towards Vessel’s room, hoping to find anything of use.

There are already two large basins in the main room. They can fill them with water to help clean the wounds, so all he really needs to find is some bandages, medicines, and maybe something to sew up the lesions. 

Entering the room, he makes a beeline for the apothecary cabinet situated next to the covered mirror. He desperately starts ransacking the cabinet, throwing open the small drawers, trying to find anything that would help them. He uses his tendrils to help him look as quietly as he possibly can. 

In the smaller draw near the top, he found some needle and thread. They were not exactly what you would normally use for medical care, but they did not have many options. He grabbed them and continued looking. He knew Vessel keeps all different sorts of herbs here, so there must be something that can help. 

Nearly all of the drawers are opened, and he haphazardly throws them to the ground in his haste, but still nothing, until he rips open a medium-sized drawer near the bottom to see two sealed jars. One is filled with small white flowers labeled Achillea millefolium, and the other has orangish-yellow flowers labeled Calendula. 

ii could almost start crying tears of joy at the sight of the two jars, thankful to Vessel for constantly teaching them small facts and tips about the plants he grows in his garden. He picks up the two jars and turns to go back to the main room where iii was still waiting for him. 

As he runs out of the room, his arm brushes against the cloth, causing it to slip from atop the mirror, cascading down onto the ground. A strange ripple covers the mirror, but he pays it no mind, hurrying to help save his friends. 

“I found these herbs, Vessel mentioned once this one is good for stopping bleeding,” ii exclaims breathlessly, holding up the jar of white flowers before doing the same to the other jar, continuing, “and this is supposed to help promote healing on wounds and reduce inflammation!” 

ii stops on the other side of the altar, staring down at iii’s blood-soaked hands, he swallows loudly, putting down the jars. 

“I also found some thread and needle.” 

Both men stare at each other, unsure of what to do next. Time is of the essence, though, so iii shakes his head, trying to focus on doing whatever is necessary to save Vessel and iv. They are both badly injured, but there is only him and ii. What should they do?

 Work on patching up one at a time, no that would take too long and whoever they aren’t working on could get worse, plus iv hasn’t had the luxury of him stopping the bloodloss so he definitely needs to be sewed up then again if they don’t sew up Vessel he will die too. The only option is for him and ii, to each take one and do what we can.  

“I will work on Vessel, you help iv.” 

ii nods his head, turning and walking to the table iv is on. He uses his tendrils to pull the two large basins over. He places one next to Iii and the other beside him. They still need something to use for bandages. ii pauses, looking around the room before pausing at the large tapestry hanging on the wall. 

It will have to do, and iv will just have to understand they had no other choice, he thinks as he rips the tapestry off the wall, using all of his strength to rip it into strips for bandages, enough for both injured parties, and a makeshift washcloth. 

One of his tendrils gives some of the strips to iii. He looks down at iv, even with the mask on from the bits of his face that are uncovered is discolored and clammy. 

ii carefully removes the tourniquet wrapped tightly around iv’s midsection before doing the same to his torn and bloodied shirt, letting it drop to the floor with a wet squelch to be taken care of later. 

Now he was able to clearly see the two large gashes on both sides in the area between iv’s ribs and hips. Luckily, neither cut looks too deep, so he doubts that he needs to sew them up. Cleaning the wounds, putting some medicine on them, and wrapping them should be enough. 

He still isn’t sure on how to help with the injuries he sustained to his throat and vocal cords, which is probably something his body will just have to do on its own, and hopefully, with him being a banshee, it will heal in no time at all. 

ii grabbed one of the pieces of fabric and dipped it into the water basin, soaking it before using his tendril to hold iv down in place just in case his body starts reacting to him cleaning the wounds. Even through his smoke, he could feel how cold iv’s body had become. 

Letting out a deep breath, he brought the rag over the cut, squeezing some of the water out, letting the water wash away some of the blood and any dirt that may have made its way inside. 

He continues this several more times, then moves on to carefully wiping everything clean. Once ii feels like the wounds are clean, a tendril collects some of the herbs from both jars while still being mindful to leave enough for Vessel. 

He crushes the herbs slightly in his grip, then he begins to pack the wounds as best he can, just like Vessel demonstrated to his many moons ago. 

Now that the hard parts are done, all he has left to do is wrap the bandages around his sides to keep the herbs in place, and then he can help iii with Vessel. ii moves to the head of the table, sliding his arms underneath iv’s shoulder, lifting his upper body off the table, and he uses two of his tendrils to securely wrap the bandages. 

He lowers iv back down onto the table as he stares down at the masked face, realizing that the mask probably isn’t helping make breathing any easier. So, iv unhooks the mask from around his head and places it beside his head. 

ii takes the time to brush some of the hair sticking to iv’s face back. He leans over, grabbing one of the remaining pieces of cloth, dipping it into the cool water just enough to dampen the fabric, and placing it delicately on iv’s forehead. 

“You are going to be ok. You both are,” ii whispers, squeezing his shoulder. 

Vessel’s agonized screams pierce through the air. iii is desperately trying to hold Vessel still at the waist, attempting to coax him into calming down to no avail. 

“It hurts, please,” Vessel cries out, his maskless face flush and contorted in pain, tears and other bodily fluids flowing down his face. 

“I know, I am sorry. I’m trying, Vessel. Please stop moving.” iii pleads desperately while trying to keep him from getting up and doing any more damage to himself. 

ii rushes over, standing above Vessel’s head, pushing down on his shoulders, noticing how iii had managed to completely sew up one side and was halfway done with the other when he woke up. 

If Vessel tore the stitches, it would only end up causing him more pain, so they had to somehow put him back to sleep. Yet, without one of them leaving the room to look for sedatives, there’s nothing they can do. 

Vessel’s guttural screams and flailing are getting worse, the sight of it all was beginning to make iii and ii sick to their stomachs. 

ii leans down, trying to get closer, in hopes Vessel will be able to hear him over the sounds of his own pained shouts: " Just hold on a little longer. We need to finish seeing you up, please.” His voice wavers with every word. 

“What do we do?” iii asks, helplessly looking at ii for the answer. 

Glances back at the still open wound, and then to the bloodied needle and thread, ii summons more smoke tendrils using them to hold all Vessel down, halting all of his attempts to break free. 

“I’ll hold him down, you finish sewing him up. Then we can put the herbs on the wounds, and maybe that will help with the pain.” 

iii nods his head in return, removing his hands from Vessel’s waist, grabbing the needle and thread, his hands shaking tremendously. 

He takes a deep breath, willing the tears that threaten to form to go away, he doesn’t need to obscure his vision and make this any harder on himself. 

Stealing his hands to the best of his ability iii continues to sew up the remaining portion of the slash. As he ties the last knot, Vessel’s body goes limp against the altar, causing iii’s heart to skip a beat, fearing the worst. 

“I think he just passed out again from the pain,” ii whispers, slowly retracting his smoke. 

Wordlessly iii grabs the remaining herbs, placing them on top of the stitches as ii holds up Vessel’s upper body, handing some of the bandages to iii to begin wrapping the wound. 

They work in silence, the events of the day taking its toll on them both. Tying the wraps into place and lowering Vessel back down onto his stomach, ii moves beside iii and places a hand on his shoulder. 

iii jerks at the sudden contact before immediately collapsing into the shorter man's hold, shoving his face into the space between his neck and shoulder. His arms wrapped tightly around ii’s middle. 

iii returns the embrace, placing his arms over iii’s shoulders, pulling him in closer, and gently rubbing his back. Sobbing and labored breathing can be heard from both of them. They can only hope that their efforts will not be in vain and that their companions will make it through this. 

——————————————————————

You sit there listening to the heart-wrenching tale, not understanding how Vessel can go through so much and still be so strong. How could anyone or anything do something to intentionally hurt one of them? 

iii makes eye contact with you, the horrors he witnessed that day flashing in his mind on repeat, “it took them both over a month before they were out of danger from their injuries. It was a very trying time for all of us.” 

Your breath catches in your throat, not being able to imagine how tough and heartbreaking it was to have to sit there and watch two of the people you love most suffering and not knowing if they will even make it to see the sun rising the next day.  

“I am so sorry that happened to you all.” You whisper, not really knowing how to respond to such a tragic story, but still wanting to express your concern for them. 

Vessel tilts his head to the side, looking over at you, seeing your forlorn face. A small smile is on his lips, and you can practically feel the warm gaze of his eyes on you. 

“It is in the past. There’s nothing that can be done about any of it now, except learn from it and continue on.” 

You bring your hand up to your temple, rubbing it slightly, astonished how he can be so nonchalant and philosophical about such a traumatic event. 

“But…it took your wings?!? You aren’t upset about that?” You asked probably a little more harshly than you meant to. 

He lost a huge part of himself, it was gruesomely torn away from him, so how in the world is he able to smile and continue on like it never even happened? 

Even with your small outburst, the smile never left his face, “I am more than my wings.” Vessel raises one of his hands and gestures around the room, then places the same hand over yours, his warmth invading your senses. 

“Plus, it helps to know that I am not alone. I have all of you that care for me, just as we all care for you.” 

You stare down at the hand resting atop of yours, letting his words sink in. They have all been able to withstand all the horrors thrown at them because they had each other to fall back on. 

Now they want to include you in the mix as well. You still aren’t sure that you are worthy of their affection and care, but you do know that you want to be with them. 

So, it really doesn’t matter if Sleep or the little demons standing on your shoulder constantly whispering and filling your mind with depreciating thoughts tell you how you don’t matter and that you are unwanted by anyone.

 Because you have four incredible, otherworldly beings that want you. You just hope you can live up to their expectations of you. You know there is still a lot of progress that you need to make within yourself, yet you are willing to try if it means being able to stay here with them. 

There is so much you want to say to Vessel to all of them, really, but you aren’t sure how to say it. Everything is still so unknown to you, and so much still doesn’t make sense about this place and why you're here. 

Instead, you look up and glance around the room, making eye contact with iv and ii, who still lounge on the couch in the corner, then with iii, who stares at you with knowing eyes, and then finally with Vessel, who looks at you with a full smile now showing his teeth. 

With how they all look at you, you swear it’s like they can practically read your mind. 

Vessel pats your hand softly. " There is still so much to tell you, but we have plenty of time for that. Don’t you agree?” 

You nod your head in response. Between the storytime revelation and this new conversation, your mind is reeling. Every time he speaks, it is almost like there’s a hidden meaning behind his words, and you just can’t seem to decode it. 

iii slaps the table lightly, letting out a loud, exaggerated groan as he rises to his feet and extends his arms above his head. 

 The sun peeking over the horizon makes you briefly wonder just how long you were in the room with Sleep. If the sun is already coming up, then it was more time than you first assumed. Everything that happened caused what little sanity you had left to become quickly disoriented. 

The warmth of the sun doing nothing to warm your skin, your entire body numb and tingling with anticipation at the thought of all of your struggles and pain finally coming to a close. You feel possessed like your body has been taken over by a dark and malicious entity, and suddenly, there is nothing you can do to stop it, but at this point, you aren’t even sure you would if you could.

The stone path you’re running down gradually becomes more cracked and in disrepair. Weeds peeking through the stones make it abundantly clear this is not the same path you ventured down with the others earlier. 

The further you run down it, the more you can tell it has been a long time since someone has ventured down this way. Getting lost is really not what you need right now; you have to get back to the abyss in iii’s cave. 

The stones beneath your feet quickly become unstable the farther you go, and the weeds and brambles peeking underneath the cracks make the path wobble with your every step. Your breathing comes out in fast bursts from the exhaustion of sprinting through the garden and from the thoughts that continuously plague your mind. 

Tears brimming your waterline blur your vision, making it hard to see exactly where you’re going. You're unaware of the impending danger forming before you as you continue running straight towards it. 

The world around you plummets into darkness, causing you to falter and come to a skidding halt. You can see nothing around you but pitch-black darkness, and due to the sudden lack of sunlight, a chill fills the air.

 However, Undetected by you, a mass of vile tangled tentacles and gore now covers where the sun previously sat high in the sky, blocking the light like a strange, unorthodox eclipse. The air becomes stale and pungent, making you gag slightly at the new scent around you. 

The unknown mass shrouding the sun begins to bleed and fall from the sky, dripping onto the ground into a puddle causing the grass and surrounding area to slowly decay a few feet ahead of your defenseless and unaware form. 

The light slowly comes back into the world, momentarily blinding you. A red tint covers the world. Confused at the sudden impromptu solar eclipse, you briefly look up, trying to find some sort of answer. 

You shake your head disparagingly. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. You need to find your way back to the place you first woke up. You have to end this now before you overthink it and end up backing out. 

Whatever fate awaits you in the neverending abyss of water is better for everyone here. It will keep them all safe, and you won’t bother anyone ever again.

Before you can go any further, you feel a heavy but not suffocating pressure wraps around your body, pinning your arms to your sides and pulling you up into the air and into the trees, disappearing into the pink leaves. Your body immediately stiffens at the sudden movement. An involuntary shriek passes through your lips but is quickly muffled by a hand covering your mouth. 

You rapidly blink away the tears from earlier, trying to clear your vision to see who or what currently has you in their grasp. As the tears fall from your eyes and down your cheeks, landing on the hand, you can see the brightest blue eyes you have ever seen in your life staring intently at you from behind a black mask with a white symbol carved on the bottom portion, though, unlike the other’s masks, this one covers his entire head and disappears underneath the black shirt he is wearing. 

His shoulders were stiff, pulled up to his ears. He brought his free hand to the front of his mask, making a shushing motion. The fear and urgency in his eyes made you pause all other thoughts. You shyly nodded your head in response, confused as to why you were suddenly lifted from the ground and pinned up in the trees with this man urging you to be quiet.

 This causes you to look down to see what was currently wrapped around your body, keeping you trapped. Flickering black tendrils cover your middle. It looks like smoke, but it can’t be because you can feel how heavy and cold the tendrils are against you. The smokey tendrils seem to be protruding from behind him, reminding you of spider legs.

 A past conversation flashes through your mind, mentions of a corporeal form and a shadowy dark void. So, this must be the aforementioned ii then, but it still doesn’t explain the position you currently find yourself in. 

The sounds of something sharp scraping against the broken path below you and low guttural groans and breathing sends fear straight through you, the realization that you are not as alone here as you thought you were, running aimlessly through the garden. 

Your eyes are open wide, staring at ii with fear evident on both your faces, he slowly removes his hand from over your mouth, his eyes silently begging you to stay quiet, but you know better than to scream or make any sounds because of the threat of whatever is stalking you both below. You know, whatever it is, finding the both of you would lead to nothing but pain and misery. 

A whirlwind of thoughts bounces around your skull. What if it’s Sleep? You don’t know if they are limited to that small room they spoke to you in or if they have a physical form, too. A cold sweat breaks out on your skin, making you feel clammy and sick to your stomach. The food you ate earlier threatens to come back up. 

 Sleep is probably so angry with you for ruining their plans and not agreeing to work with them. They probably decided to come and find you to seek revenge and punish you for your act of transgressions. As you slowly turn your head, images of unspeakable horrors and pain flash through your mind, scared as to who or what you will see.  

Looking down below you the best you can, your upper body is still wrapped tightly in ii’s unrelenting hold of smokey limbs, keeping you suspended high in the trees, hopefully, safe from whatever lurks below. The blood quickly drains from your face at the sight. A terrifying creature similar to the one from the fire but not quite standing underneath you, two large axes in each hand dragging loudly on the stone. 

In place of a head was a huge metal square helmet of sorts, the metal armor that adorned their body, clinking with every labored step. The heavy metal covering every inch of their body, along with the dual weapons the creature wields, impeded their pace. 

With every step taken, the ground becomes rotten and dead, the scent of death and decay filling your nostrils, not helping your nausea in the slightest. Their covered head moved around as if scanning the area, searching for something. You have a feeling that you are exactly what they are looking for, and you don’t want to find out what will happen if they do find you; the aura exhibited by them is nothing but malignant. 

You remember hearing stories from people wandering in the woods or forest about how when a deadly predator is nearby, all other sounds, animals, and even insects go quiet, and an uneasy, heavy stillness fills the air. You always thought they were exaggerating, trying to make the encounter seem scarier than it actually was, but now you know that in reality, the feeling is ten times worse.

 Everything is so quiet; you are certain you would be able to hear a pin drop a mile away. You are too scared to even breathe, fearing it will alert the creature to your presence, you know you won’t be able to hold your breath for much longer. 

Your lungs are burning, begging you to relent and allow yourself to take a breath, but you fight the feelings even as your ribs spasm in protest, and you become lightheaded. Any second now, you will be forced to give in, potentially alerting the creature to your exact location. 

Through some miracle or stroke of luck, the creature jerks forward as if in pain, twitching its head wildly and letting out a loud groan of pain from underneath the helmet, allowing your frantic gasp for air to go unnoticed.

You turn away from the creature, not being able to stand to look at it any longer for fear it will feel your stare and alert them to your position. Something about the actions of the creature convulsing in pain reminds you of how you reacted similarly when Sleep was speaking to you, digging around inside your mind and trying to force you to obey. 

You clench your eyes shut as you feel more of the heavy tendrils wrap around you before you feel the wind hitting your tear-stained cheeks.  --------------

Seeing the opportunity to escape ii manifests more of his shadows, securing you close to him as he sets off through the trees, hoping to get far away from the creature undetected. His body flickers between his physical and corporeal form as he takes you both to safety.

 The others would not be pleased if he allowed you to get hurt under his watch, and falling victim to the wrath of that diabolical demon was not a fate he wanted to witness happening to anyone ever again; the memory of Vessel screaming in agony still haunts his dreams. 

The physical and mental wounds Vessel sustained never have healed fully. No matter how much he tries to conceal his hurt, the others can see how much Vessel continues to suffer because of what it did to him. 

As ii dodges through the trees, farther and farther away from the creature and the decaying area, the air once again becomes light, a sweet scent filling the air. Allowing both of you to breathe easier, he feels your stiff body shivering against him as the cold air continuously hits your exposed skin. 

ii assumes that you probably do not want to go back to Vessel and the others just yet, especially after seeing the way you desperately ran out and into the garden in a frenzy, undeniably at the point of a mental breakdown. 

A reaction they are all familiar with after a bad encounter with Sleep, something he recalls has been occurring more and more recently. Lately, everything has been amiss with their deity, sanctuary, and, frankly, the whole garden. 

Though some places remain the same comforting spaces they have always been, in the heat of the moment, ii decided that you more than likely needed somewhere to relax and collect yourself before you ended up doing something that you will regret. 

He sees the opening in the trees now, leading to his favorite place in the entire garden. He gracefully lands on a large branch, looking down into the clearing before dropping all the way down onto the stone-laced ground with a soft thud. 

ii lowers you to the ground, leaning you against the rock wall, and crouches down a little bit away from you. Not wanting to invade your space and risk scaring you any more than you already are, especially after everything that has happened to you. 

During the entire journey, you kept your eyes firmly squeezed shut. When you felt his cold smoke appendages disappear into thin air, you slowly opened your eyes, zeroing in on ii. He crouched down in front of you, trying to make himself seem smaller, his head tilted to the side, eyeing you cautiously. 

“That was a close one, huh? Are you okay? You aren’t hurt, are you?” he questioned you, his bright blue eye showing nothing but warmth and comfort, a sight you are not used to seeing directed at you. 

His genuine concern being shown towards your well-being is your final breaking point; tears flow freely from your eyes, your chest constricting, hyperventilating the feeling as if the whole world is collapsing around you and there is nothing you can do about it. 

You bring your hands up to your head, tangling your fingers in your hair in frustration, screaming out in agony. 

“Why me?! I can’t seem to catch a break, not at home. Not here, it’s like I truly don’t belong anywhere; no matter where I go, there’s nothing but trouble.” your breathing is labored, your voice strained in a painful manner, but once you started, you couldn’t stop, “I am so sick of this, of all of this. I just want it all to end; I physically cannot do this anymore.” 

All fight and any sense of hope slips through your fingers, disappearing out of your reach. ii grabs your face, forcing your attention solely on him. His eyes stare straight into your soul, and his painted black thumbs rub your inflamed cheeks in a soothing motion. 

“You’ve been through a lot, not only in the short amount of time you have been here but your whole life, huh?” he murmurs solemnly before continuing, “Please, don’t give up. Don’t leave us, we need you, we want you here with us. Let us help you.” 

With every word he spoke, it was like he was casting some sort of spell over you, calming your nerves. Your cries have died down into small hiccups and sniffling, “I don’t know how. It’s so hard and becoming all too much for me to handle.” your voice is nothing but a mere whisper.

“That’s where we come in. You are not alone. We will always be there for you. All you have to do is ask.” ii removes one of his hands from your cheek, using his sleeve to gently wipe your face clean of tears and other bodily fluids. His eyes crinkle in a small smile beneath his hardened mask. “No matter the cost of rain, we will shelter you all the same.” 

Something about his last sentence instantly gives you a strange sense of calming nostalgia, a long-forgotten feeling that silences all other overwhelming thoughts and emotions, allowing you to finally feel the warmth of his touch seeping into your very soul. 

He leans forward delicately, placing his forehead against yours, his eyes fluttering shut at the contact. You bask in each other's company for a few seconds before pulling back, giving your cheek one last caress before dropping his hand back at his side. 

ii leans back on his haunches, observing you, making sure that you are as ok as you can be, with all things considered. He wasn’t good at consoling people, not the same way that Vessel is, but he still tried his best to reassure you that you are not alone. 

Taking a moment to actually catch your breath, you begin to scope out your surroundings. Instead of being in the midst of the trees, flowers, and everything else you have slowly become accustomed to during your time here, this place was vastly different. 

This area was more like a rock quarry, a drastic change of scenery. A hue of grey and blue fills your vision. Just over ii’s shoulder, near the back rock wall, stands a very small-looking monument, reminding you instantly of one of the old Gothic buildings you have seen in period pieces. The building is one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture you have ever seen. 

The once white stone it was made of was now grayed a bit due to weathering, but the beauty was ever-present. Due to the small size of the building, you are not able to completely make out any distinguishing features. 

“A majestic sight, innit?” ii lets out a longing sigh, turning to look out into the quarry, a peaceful aura flowing off him in waves. 

ii found this place when he was brought here by Sleep, stumbling around in pain, trying to figure out how to control his abilities. Ever since he first laid eyes on you relaxing within the spring iv and iii brought you to, he couldn’t help but see reminders of his past self within you.

 ii struggled greatly in the beginning, unable to consistently stay in this physical form for more than a few seconds, always reverting back into the shadows, scared and alone. He didn’t like it in the darkness at first, the cold shadows sucking the life out of everything they touched, persistently feeding on every lifeforce within a few feet of him. 

As a result, ii relates to how you feel, angry at the world for how it has treated you, bottling up everything not wanting to let anyone in, and constantly scared of getting hurt. 

In return, you isolate yourself from everyone until, eventually, the only person you feel like you can trust is yourself. But even then, in the night, lies floating around inside your mind, poisoning what little hope and self-love you have until there is nothing left. 

He remembers those feelings like it was yesterday, pushing away Vessel. ii was so angry at him seemingly for no real reason at all in reality, he was just scared of hurting his only other companion at the time. Oh, how he wishes that he could go back and accept Vessel’s help from the beginning; it would have saved them both a lot of time and pain. 

 Nevertheless, he knows that even through all the torment and harsh words ii put Vessel through, the taller man has never regretted helping him and would do it all over again for each and every one of them, you included. In fact, there is not a doubt in his mind that all of them would go through hell and back for you; he doesn’t think they could bear losing you a second time. 

Distant memories of the past make his heart clench painfully. He won’t fail this time; he won’t allow it. As he stands motionless, lost deep in thought, you take the opportunity to explore the magnificent sight before you. 

Standing, you make your way farther into the quarry. The loose rocks crunch satisfyingly beneath your feet. You look up at the huge rock wall sealing the area. It looks as if the ground just opened up one day, creating a massive chasm within this world. It makes you briefly wonder if this is the result of some sort of earthquake or maybe the doing of Sleep. 

You shake the thought from your mind, deciding it was probably best not to think about the deity right now lest you get sent into another panic attack. You really don’t want to create a new person best for panic attacks within a twenty-four-hour period. 

Etched into the rocks, you are able to make out more of those runes. You should really ask what’s the deal with them, since everywhere you go they are carved, painted, or drawn somewhere. However, the more you look at the ones here, you realize they look different then the ones from before. 

Whereas the ones before looked like they represented an alphabet-type writing, the ones here seemed to be more like symbols representing something entirely different. You aren’t sure how you would know that, but this isn’t the first time since you’ve been here that you’ve seen or heard something that you’ve felt you recognize from somewhere, perhaps in another life. 

This chasm isn’t completely barren of plant life, as you first thought. Strange brambles seem to peek out from underneath the rocks in the ground, leading straight to the monument. Every so often, out of the corner of your eye, you can see the bramble twitching and moving, disappearing from view. In spite of that, you feel an unusual sense of security emitting from it. 

When you finally reach the monument, you place a careful hand against the cold rock, tracing the ridges and designs with your finger. Even with the sun shining brightly behind the huge monument, it is still very cool to the touch, almost as if that is the way it is always meant to be. 

Standing in the shadow and away from the warmth of the sun, combined with the unexpected breeze that seems to appear from nowhere down here, creates goosebumps on your arm, but it is not an unwelcome feeling. 

A voice cuts through the silence, startling you, “This place has always granted me solace, and I hoped it would do the same for you.” 

You whip around your back, pressed firmly against the monument, a hand against your chest, trying to calm your racing heart. You never even heard him walk up behind you. Were you really that lost in admiring the markings that you failed to notice his approaching footsteps? 

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” 

 You gasp out, “How did you do that? I didn’t even hear you?” 

ii lets out a mischievous hum before you watch as his entire body fades into black, disappearing into the shadow cast onto the ground where you stand. You glance around frantically, letting out a shocked laugh, stepping out, trying to see where he went. 

“Boo,” whispers ii, his voice right next to your ear coming from behind you. 

You jump around to see him standing nonchalantly with his hands stuffed into his pants pockets, but if you were certain if he were to take off the mask covering his face, you would be able to see a sly smirk covering his face. 

“Are..are you a wraith or something?” 

He shrugs his shoulders in response, “You could call it something like that. The short version is that I can control the darkness to some extent, still working out the kinks and everything.” He rubs the back of his neck, his shoulders slumping forward, a wave of exhaustion oozing from him. 

“Oh,” you say, not really sure how to respond, not wanting to say the wrong thing. You get the feeling that sometimes their abilities aren’t what it is cracked up to be, like there’s something they aren’t sharing with you about everything. 

A somewhat awkward silence fills the air around you two as the movement of his fingers pulls your gaze. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers against his leg plays a familiar beat. Suddenly, you realize you’ve been hearing that same rhythm echoing down from the trees during your entire trek to Vessel’s place. 

You point an accusing finger at ii, “Was that you making that noise that whole time? Have you been following me?” You’re not mad or scared; you're just mainly confused. If he has been there this whole time, why did he wait so long to interact with you? 

“Yes, it was me. It is not what you think. I’m not a stalker or anything; it’s just...” He pauses, trying to figure out the best way to explain to you that he was just nervous that you would be scared and untrusting of him. He knows that he would not be able to live with seeing that look of pure terror in your eyes directed towards him, so he stayed away, observing you from his shadows until he had no choice but to intervene. 

His fingers continued tapping against his leg, the beat getting faster, a nervous tick, perhaps, you thought to yourself. The beat eerily reminded you of the song Vessel was singing when you first met him. 

You tentatively place one of your hands over his. " It’s okay. I am sure you had your reasons. I am thankful that you helped me; I don’t think I mentioned it.” 

“Like I said earlier, we will always be here for you.”

You give him a small smile in response, looking down at the ground, still feeling inadequate, with a lot of self-doubt and the weight of his kind blue eyes becoming too much, especially when he looks at you like that, the same way you saw iii and iv looking at each other with eyes full of nothing but love and contentment. 

As you stare down at the shadow, you notice the constant flickering behind ii, subtle rippling as if his shadow is alive and its own sentient being. You wonder briefly if it’s painful the constant shadow, the dark void waiting and calling you in, never to be found again, or perhaps you are just projecting your own thoughts and fears on the shadows. 

ii walks past you, placing his hand against the cool rock of the monument like you had moments earlier, a gentle touch as thick shadows spread out from underneath his hand, weaving through the carvings and cracks engulfing the entire thing in inky black shadows. It becomes an entirely new building standing in front of you, and a door has appeared underneath his hand. 

You let out a surprise gasp, astonished by the sight, the runes and carvings seemingly glowing now, “What do these sigils and stuff mean? I keep seeing them everywhere?”

He slides his hand down the door before letting it hang limply by his side, tilting his head back, his eye trailing over the glowing runes before turning to face you fully. 

“The workings of Sleep, most of them are their words and sort of commandments to us, their followers. Others are words and rituals we have written as offerings or prayers towards Sleep.” 

He glances down as if looking for the right words: "Things were not always like they are now. Something has changed. Vessel has been trying to fix it, make things go back as they were, but I fear it might already be too late.” 

Hearing him speak so pessimistically doesn’t feel right; you don’t like seeing him or any of them upset, so you take this as an opportunity to help to be one to finally provide some comfort, “don’t you give up now either, you never know things could work out and be okay in the end.” 

As you speak, you slowly walk forward, placing your hand on his, which once again begins frantically tapping against his thigh. When your warm skin makes contact with his colder-painted hand, he looks down at the welcomed contact, seizing the moment and intertwining his finger with yours. 

“You are right. We must have faith and continue to prevail.” He looks into your eyes, unshed tears brimming in his waterline, “come with me.” 

He pulls you along with him towards the entrance of the monument before using his free hand to push the door open with little to no effort on his part.  The inside was an almost exact replica of the outside nothing really on the inside, just flickering smokey shadows seeping into every corner. 

“I used to come here a lot. It was my safe haven. At first, it was the only place where I did not feel as if I had to be in constant control of what I was.” His thumb rubs your knuckles in a soothing motion. 

“So, I thought this would be a good place for you to relax until you feel ready to see the others again. I didn’t want to take you back to them immediately and overwhelm you.” 

It makes sense that this place would bring him a lot of comfort, even though at first glance, with all the impending shadows and tendrils, it could be considered an eerie sight. However, after taking a closer look and getting a better feel of the place, you realize how inviting everything is.

The room was no bigger than a very small closet, but it didn’t feel claustrophobic in fact, it felt quite the opposite. The shadows flowing around remind you of a tapestry swaying in the wind. The ground was covered in thick cushions and blankets; this place was his own personal safe haven, and he was openly inviting you inside with him, this thought warms your heart significantly.

You allow him to pull you into the tiny but cozy room before motioning for you to join him on the cushions, slipping your hand from his and placing them in your lap. You let out a small yawn, the events of everything catching up to you now that you’ve had a moment to decompress. 

The horrible talk you had with Sleep, running wildly in the garden, almost coming face to face with another one of Sleep’s creatures, and lots of crying. 

ii sits beside his shoulders, brushing against yours with every intake of breath. " You can take a nap if you want, or just rest your eyes.”

The thought of taking a short nap sounds very appealing right now. You have to admit you are still a little apprehensive because the last time you fell asleep here, you had terrible nightmares, and you do not wish for the same thing to happen again. 

ii must see the anxious look on your face because he adds, “I will be here with you. I won’t leave your side if you do not wish me to.” 

You once again find yourself staring into his bright blue eyes. Why does everyone here have the most beautiful eyes you have ever seen? 

“Ok, I think it would be better if you stayed, please.”

“Of course, here.” He says as he straightens his legs out, patting his thigh, indicating that you can rest your head in his lap if you want to. 

He makes himself more comfortable, leaning back against the wall. The shadows come to life once again behind him, making it look like he is about to be absorbed into the darkness. 

You slide your body so you are lying on your side, lowering your head onto his thigh. As you close your eyes, hoping that sleep comes fast, you feel ii slowly dragging his fingers along your spine, drawing different types of patterns.  ---------------

You have been asleep for a few minutes now, ii listening closely to your slow, even breathing, the sound reassuring him greatly. He knows that you are safe here, surrounded by his shadows, but he can’t help the nagging feeling deep within his soul that, sooner or later, it is all going to fall apart. 

ii is absentmindedly drumming his fingers against your back, careful not to wake you. He ponders to himself how different things used to be, even though Sleep was still a bit rash and cruel sometimes. The deity was much more loving and forgiving towards them all, then one day, it was as if a switch flipped for no real reason at all. 

It all started when he, iii, and iv were all attacked by Sleep’s main punisher, and if it wasn’t for Vessel stepping in and saving them all, they surely would have been killed. Though their rescue did come at a heavy price, something they all regret deeply, wishing there had been something they could have done to save Vessel from that terrible fate. 

Ever since that day, Sleep has become more and more malevolent and vengeful, acting as if they had all somehow wronged them. Even through all the pain and torment they have been put through, Vessel still remains ever faithful towards Sleep continuously praying towards him and offering different types of worship every day. 

Occasionally, ii will catch iii and iv doing the same, trying to potentially get back in their god’s good side, wanting things to go back as they were. 

ii does not know how they can all do that so easily, putting aside the way they have been treated by Sleep, followed relentlessly by the creatures waiting to pounce on them at even given moment, looking for any signs of weakness that can be used against them.

 He is angry at the suffering he has had to watch all of his companions go through, struggling to find out who and what they are. Isolating themselves, trying to do whatever it takes to pick up the pieces and put themselves back together from their past lives while also trying to navigate the new life they found themselves in.

 So, yeah, ii does find it a little difficult to want to go back to Sleep completely, and as devoted as he was before, he did not deserve this; none of them did, and he has grown to be a little resentful much to Vessel’s dismay. 

The sounds of the rocks crunching on the other side of the door pull him out of his thoughts. He watches as the door slowly cracks open, allowing more light inside the small safe haven. Vessel appears in the doorway, his large frame taking up most of it, towering over where he sits with you in his lap, sleeping soundly. 

“I thought I would find you both here; the others were beginning to get worried when you did not immediately return.” 

The sun, now having moved higher in the sky, appeared over Vessel’s shoulders in the doorway, giving him an ethereal glow and causing the gems on his shoulders to shine brightly, the feathers fluttering slightly in the breeze.

Vessel peers down at your sleeping face, seeing you look much more relaxed and at ease than he last saw you. He much prefers this look on your face rather than ones of fear, anticipation, and pain. 

“How are they?” Vessel asked, fearing to know the answer, wishing he had been there to catch you before you left his sanctuary. 

ii also looks down at you, “I was almost too late to save them not only from it but also from themselves. Vessel,”

 He looks up to stare into the multiple eye holes in his mask. " What are we going to do? It’s only going to get worse the longer they’re here with Sleep like this. Luckily, this place, the runes, offers some reprieve from the effects, but it won’t last for long.”  

“Do not worry, I have a plan, but for now, we should head back lest iii and iv get any ideas of venturing out here as well.” 

The sounds of voices breaking through the silence pull you from your slumber. Peeking your eyes open, you are momentarily blinded by the light shining in the doorway. You squint your eyes, allowing them to adjust to the sudden light before your vision focuses properly on Vessel. 

You sit up stretching as best you can in the small now cramped space with three people, your joints popping in protest as the movement. 

“Ah, good, you have arisen. When you are ready to travel, we should head back to the others they have been awaiting your return rather vehemently.” Vessel uttered nonchalantly. 

When the others were mentioned, your movements became stiff, and you jerked your full attention to the man standing above you. 

Quickly rising to your feet, a pleading look etched on your face, you said, “I am so sorry. I should have listened to you and iv’s warnings, but I just wanted some answers finally. And I just don’t belong…”

Vessel's hand silenced your rambling. “Do not fret over such matters. We were just worried for your safety, but alas, you have been in good company, " he declared, pointing a finger at ii, who now stood beside you and nodded in return. 

Vessel steps backward, allowing you to exit the small monument. You step out into the sunlight feeling so much better than before, your mind and chest feeling exponentially lighter. Something looks and feels different. You turn around to look at the monument, expecting to see it shrouded in shadow with the runes shining through. 

However, much to your surprise, the outside looks completely different from how you would imagine it to look if all of the magical power were to be drained from it.

 The runes now cracked and ruined, no longer look pristine, and the shadow that once covered them from ii can barely be seen. Only a subtle ring around the bottom gives any indication that they were ever there in the first place. 

“Come let go; there is much I wish to speak to you about when we arrive.” Vessel holds out his hand, smiling down at you. 

It stands beside you, staring at you encouragingly as you reach out. Place your free hand in Vessels, interlocking your fingers with his, feeling safe between the two men. 

You remain apprehensive of what Vessel wishes to show you, but you are willing to follow him anywhere if it means you can continue to stay in his embrace. 

You are curious as to how exactly you three are going to get out of this place, considering you are in a deep chasm of rubble.

 You did not have to wait long to get your answer, as the bramble that peeped through the rocks came to life slithering around on the ground and on the wall of the crater, tangling together and slowly morphing into a makeshift staircase leading out. 

You gasped at the sight before you, wondering just what the hell was happening. You heard Vessel laughing at your reaction, smiling widely with his canines on display, causing you to feel butterflies in your stomach.

 Something you have not felt in years, a feeling you quite honestly did not think you would ever feel again, the fear is back the fear of the unknown but you refuse to let it consume you again just when you finally began to feel like a person again. 

Vessel ascends the first step, stopping when he feels his grip on your hand lessen. He tugs you forward carefully. You look down at the step, the interwoven bramble looking very sturdy, but you can’t help but feel a little bit cautious, as you are, of course, not used to things like this happening all of a sudden. 

Plus, knowing the luck you have had ever since you arrived here, halfway up, the bramble would snap, causing you to fall, probably causing significant injuries and, more than likely, death. You glimpse up at Vessel. The everpresent smile is gracing his features as he awaits your decision. You can do this, you think to yourself. 

“Just don’t let go of my hand, please,” you whisper 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Gradually, you step up on the first step, following Vessel closely behind, squeezing his hand probably more than you should be, but he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. You chose to stare at his back, where you could barely make out his shoulder blades underneath his green cloak, the muscles flexing with every step. 

On his cloak, you can barely make out what seems to be two vertical lines that are parallel to one another on both of his shoulder blades, almost as if the material was not made sewn together at first but was, later on, a peculiar detail. 

The feathers swayed with the motion, looking sift to the touch. You had to refrain from reaching out to grab one, instead focusing on making sure you didn’t slip and fall, further embarrassing yourself.

You feel bad for Vessel for forcing him to hold your sweaty hand the whole time. The small staircase suddenly becomes neverending, or so it seems to you, at least. Every so often, the bramble beneath your feet groans and makes unsettling snapping noises. 

Your only saving grace now was that you could see top just ahead, safe, even ground that wouldn’t suddenly give out underneath you. 

You hop up the last remaining step, never more grateful to be standing on grass. You expect to see ii ascending the remaining steps behind you instead, you meet with nothing but air. 

Furrowing your eyebrows, you scan the area for the masked man only to find him leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest without a care in the world. 

ii pushes himself off the tree, feigning impatience, “It sure took you both long enough. I have been waiting up here all by my lonesome for so long.” 

Your sweaty hand easily slips from Vessel’s as you stomp over to ii, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “How did you get up here before us?” 

“The same way I got down there,” he replies a tensing tone in his voice. 

An exasperated expression quickly overtakes your face, throwing your arms up in frustration, “And why didn’t you help us up here the same way? Instead, we had to take the stairway to hell!” 

ii simply shrugs his shoulders, “and miss out on the entertaining show, I think not.” 

The sound of the brambles moving, breaking down, and returning to their previous position pulls you out of your murderous fantasy. Vessel appears, clasping hands on both of your shoulders. “Come now. I know of a shortcut.”

 ii not realizing how lucky he is because you were about to throttle him right then and there if it wasn’t for Vessel stepping in when he did. 

----------------

The journey back did not take long at all, though you were zoned out for most of the walk, plotting revenge against ii for his most heinous act of treason against you. 

The white cathedral is once again in front of you. The doors slam open as iii and iv run out, making a beeline straight for you. 

The taller of the two leading the way, his long legs giving him the advantage, as soon as you are within arm's length, iii picks you up with little to no effort, shaving his masked face into your neck and pinning you against his chest. 

His red hair obscures your vision, and with your arms stuck to your side, you are left to awkwardly pat his side trying your best to return the unexpected affection. 

A sad noise comes from behind iii, causing him to put you back on the ground and mutter an apology that doesn’t seem very sincere: " I'm just so excited to see you again.” 

iv quickly takes iii’s place, but in a much more tame fashion. He wraps his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into him and letting out a quiet hum of contentment. 

Although for all you know it could be even longer since you still can’t exactly remember everything that happened to you before you woke up here, but something tells you it probably wasn’t anything good. 

Since departing from the hot springs, silence has enveloped the small group you find yourself in,  leaving you with an uneasy sensation. The sounds of the occasional wildlife, leaves rustling in the breeze, and the strange rhythmic tapping that seems to be coming from above forces your mind to wander into places you aren’t sure you want it to be. 

Instead, you force yourself to observe the scenery around you, still as captivating as ever. Even though the moon was exceptionally bright, it could only do so much with all the trees and foliage. You secretly began to wish that you had a flashlight or something with you, being in the dark made you a bit skittish especially when you think about what happened the last time it was nighttime. Lighting bugs gradually emerge all around tonight, giving you some reprieve. 

Their flickering lights remind you of childhood memories, happier times when it felt as if nothing could ever go wrong and you had no worries. Though now it seems as if such a time never even existed like false memories have been planted inside your head. How could you have ever been so happy and carefree? How could such a time exist, when you aren’t even sure if you know what those emotions or thoughts feel like anymore? 

Subtle movement from the two men walking in front of you catches your attention, iii and iv share a look, seemingly as if they were speaking to each other without ever opening their mouths. With how little you actually know about them, they very well could be communicating through some hive-mind link for all you know. 

In the middle of their internal conversation, you watch as their hands brush against each other, leisurely intertwining their fingers like pieces of a puzzle sliding perfectly into place. iv squeezes his partner’s hand rubbing his thumb over the back of iii’s red-stained skin.

At the sight of their hands perfectly molding together, your own palms flexing in response. A lump forming in your throat, iii squeezes iv’s hand back, returning the affection before they both let go. 

A gap opens up between them, as they steadily slow their pace allowing you to be in the center of them. Your body grows stiff at the new formation, trying your best to keep your arms tucked in close by your side in hopes of deterring any accidental contact occurring. 

iii and iv silently walk by your side, occasionally peering at you from the corner of their eyes. As your steps grow more and more sluggish the farther you trudge along this forsaken path, mentally cursing them out the longer you walk. 

At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if one of them turned to tell you that you’ve all been walking in circles for the past hour. The plants begin to look more and more appetizing with every passing second, but knowing your luck you would pick the wrong one and end up in agonizing pain or seeing the euclid hatman. 

The only thing keeping you going at this moment was the fact that iii told you that Vessel would have food for you to eat at his home, so you just have to tough it out until then. Thinking about this Vessel person has made you curious once again, it couldn’t hurt to ask some more questions.

 Actually, you could all benefit from it as this will help to pass the time. Hopefully iii or even iv can answer some of your questions without just telling you to wait until you get to Vessel because, to be honest, if you hear that answer one more time you might go insane. 

Motioning to your face and hands, you ask, “Why do you wear masks and the paint?” A question that has been lurking in your mind for a while now, too nervous to ask in fear of somehow offending them but the silence was beginning to gnaw at you. 

At the sound of your voice, iii and iv turn their heads to look at you, you watch iv tilt his head to the side his eyebrows raised from behind his mask. He brings his hands up in front of his chest, clasping them together in a sort of praying motion. 

“To pray?” you ask, confusion evident in your voice, trying to determine the correlation between wearing masks and paint equals praying. 

iii huffs out a breathless laugh, reaching a hand behind you to clasp it on iv shoulder before letting it drop back down by his side. His side brushed against you at the sudden movement, sending tingles down your spine at the contact. 

“Worship. Our actions and purposes are more important than who we are, we were made to appease Sleep. Everything we do is for Sleep and their message, it has to be. The masks and the paint are ways for us to show our devotion allowing us to feel a greater connection to them and each other.”

 A strange edge can be heard in iii’s voice when he speaks of Sleep, something you certainly would have remembered hearing earlier when he spoke of them, though you weren’t exactly in the best condition then.

Even as iii explains the reasoning behind covering their faces and painting their skin, you still can’t help but feel a sense of doubt. You have tried religion in the past begging and praying for salvation that will never come.

 Hearing people say if you just try harder, and devote yourself more, good things will come your way, constantly telling you that are never given more than you can handle. But where did it leave you in the end? In nothing but pain and misery, you didn’t deserve that, to be treated as you were. 

iii and iv seem so sure though, that their god is real and they have a connection with them, whether it’s a good or bad one is still uncertain. Maybe this is just some big elaborate hoax meant to make you look foolish and to make you once again try to look for mercy and salvation, things you aren't even sure you deserve anymore. 

Hopefully, this Vessel person will actually have all the answers you were promised he will have and everything will finally make sense for you when you meet him. 

Vessel, iii, and iv, three members, a small cult you think to yourself, though is that all their members, or is this place secretly filled with devoted followers lurking in the darkness waiting to make a move to try to indoctrinate you?

Silence has fallen over your small group once again, the two men sensing you deep in thought, though they probably wouldn’t be too keen to know you currently were questioning their god and purposes, so instead you look up from the stone path and ask curiously, “How many of you are there out here?”

iii perks up instantly, loving when he is able to share more of his companions with you, “Well, you know me and iv.” iii says pointing to one another before adding, “There’s also Vessel, and ii, you’ll meet them both soon enough.”

As iii finishes speaking, you see iv point up to the trees that stand tall blocking the night sky from your view all of the branches intertwining with each other creating a canopy over the path.

Curious you look up trying to see if you can spot anything that he might be referring to, instead you see nothing but leaves swaying in the gentle breeze and the occasional twinkling of the lighting bugs. 

iii shrugs his shoulders in response, talking more so to iv than you, “I think he is just nervous, you know how he is about anything new.” 

The tapping was back again, resembling a woodpecker drumming against tree trunks though this is much more rhythmic and methodical. If someone or something has been following you all this whole time your two companions don’t seem worried about it in the slightest, therefore it must be nothing for you to worry about then. 

Frankly, you aren’t sure how much more you can take going wrong anyway, so the thought of being followed by some animal or something was the least of your worries at the moment. 

iv lifts up his right hand putting his fist on his chest before moving it to iii, then he curls his index finger up as he moves his hand towards you. 

iii throws his arm around your shoulder, pulling your body into his side his warmth seeping into you making you realize how cold the night has slowly become. “You’re right iv. I think it is time for us to ask them some questions. Hmm?” 

An exasperated look covers your face, “What! Half the time you don’t even answer my questions fully! You tell me to wait until I meet Vessel,” you exclaim throwing your hands up in the air in frustration. 

iii’s thumb begins to rub your shoulder, the feeling making goose-bumps to appear down your arm. 

“How about this then, we take turns asking each other questions until we reach Vessel’s home?” iii throws up his left hand beside his head his palm facing you, allowing you to see a question mark drawn in the center of his hand that you did not notice before. 

“And I promise all questions will be answered to the best of my ability unless it is something that has to wait for Vessel to answer.” He continues holding his hand up as if he were making an oath, “Better decide quickly or we will arrive there first.” 

You look into his eyes seeing nothing but honesty turning to look at iv seeing him already looking at you awaiting your answer to their little proposal. The way these two could communicate so easily with one another was strange it was as if they were truly one being. Maybe this is what iii meant when he said their devotion helped them feel a better connection to each other. 

You let out a sigh, at least you’ll finally be able to get some answers to the questions that keep bouncing around your head, and talking was better than silence, even if you were a little scared to know what questions they had for you. 

“Okay, fine.”

iii removes his arm from around you clapping them together excitedly, the loss of his warmth making you shiver wrapping your arms around your middle to help preserve heat and comfort yourself. 

“We get to ask you a question first, it’s only fair since you’ve asked so many already.” iii brings his finger up to the chin of his mask, tapping the hard plastic in thought. 

iv waves his hand excitedly, pointing at himself then at iii before bringing his hand up to his chin with his middle finger bent forward tapping his chin a few times, before looking at you expectantly. 

You hear iii mischievously chuckle from behind you, “Who is your favorite? Me or him? It’s obviously me right, I did save you when you first got here.” iii exclaims puffing out his chest at the last part.

The question completely caught you off guard, making you let out a small giggle at the shock of it out of everything he could have asked you, you didn’t expect that. Thinking about it, you don’t believe you can actually pick between the two of them. iii did rescue you from drowning and iv took care of you while you were sick, both of them going out of their way numerous times to help you. 

Even though, you are certain that iv means this question as more of a joke, something to make you feel more comfortable around them, the more you thought about it the more you were certain you couldn’t pick between the two of them. 

Even in the incredibly short amount of time you have spent with them, they have somehow managed to worm their way into your heart and you aren’t sure you like that at all. 

How weak and lonely are you that two men, who you barely even know have managed to do this to you in such a short amount of time by just being nice to you? Perhaps the walls you built weren’t as high as you originally thought, or it’s this place that really is messing with your head like you originally thought making you go crazy and delusional the longer you’re here. Yeah, that’s got to be it, that is the only logical explanation after all. 

Looking into iv eyes, who awaits patiently for your answer unaware of the internal battle waging inside your mind. Well, it won’t do you any good to stress over this silly question and it couldn’t hurt to have a little fun you think to yourself.

 You smile cheekily lifting your hand up and resting it gently on iv’s masked cheek, teasingly you say “iv, of course. Who else would it be?” 

At your answer, iv looks over to iii raising his middle finger up and shoving it in the taller man’s face, clearly very pleased with your answer.  iii smacks iv’s hand from out of his face, letting out a small huff and rolling his eyes at iv’s antics. 

“Whatever, it’s your turn now.” a pout clear in his voice.

You laugh at the exchange between the two men, both of which visibly brighten at the sound wanting nothing more than to hear it again, unbeknownst to you already lost in thought. What should you ask? 

This is a good chance for you to learn more about them and their abilities, not wanting to get caught off guard whenever you finally do meet Vessel and possibly ii. So it is probably best to learn all you can about them now. 

Deciding on your question you nod your head in determination, “So, you’re a siren and you’re a banshee. But what about the others, what are they? Why make you all different and not the same?” 

iii lets out a quick breathy chuckle, “That is more than one question. But I’ll bite.” 

iii pauses for a moment in thought, he supposes there is no harm in telling you this information, you will eventually find out when you meet the others regardless, he doesn’t have to tell you everything just yet anyway just enough to tie your curiosity. Besides, the small white ribbons Vessel keeps tied to the trees near his home are coming into view signaling they are close.  

“Vessel as you can probably guess was the first and by far the most powerful creation, maybe even more powerful than Sl…” a grunt from iv stops iii from finishing him sentence. A look of warning flashes through iv’s eyes staring deep into iii’s begging him to rethink what he was about to say. 

iii clears his throat before continuing, “Right, anyway, He is kind of what you could call a fae, I suppose. Controls plants, and vines, and has strange mystical powers.” at the mention of powers, he turns holding up his fingers and wiggling them similar to someone trying to cast a spell. 

You thought learning about everyone’s abilities and what they are capable of would make you feel better and possibly more prepared to meet them but now you have to admit you're a little more apprehensive. 

You have heard of fae’s in children’s stories but they always turned out to be dangerous creatures trying to trick others into staying with them forever never being allowed to return home. You just hope Vessel is as kind and caring as they have made him out to be. 

Unaware of your cautious thoughts iii continues, “ii is a little different, you could say. His corporeal form is like ours, but when he changes into his… other form he becomes a shadowy dark void. I’m not sure what the word for it is in your world though.” he hums in thought.

A shadowy dark void, you can only really think of one mythical creature that fits that description, “a wraith?” you ask.

iii shrugs his shoulders, “not sure to be honest maybe you can tell us when you see him. Well whenever he decides to show himself.” the last part of his sentence getting louder, like he was trying to make sure some unseen person heard him. 

The tapping could be heard again from above you, almost as if whatever it is that has been making that noise is definitely following you, there is no doubt about it now. You subtly look up trying to see if you can spot the source of the sound, but you can’t find anything in the darkness of the night. 

Before you can ask or say anything iii starts talking again, “Even though you asked two questions instead of one, I will still answer it just to prove I am a nice guy and deserve to be your favorite,” iii glares down at iv, who ignores the sly comment. 

“I’m not sure why we were all created to be different and not the same. Though some of us have our theories, maybe it’s so we could worship Sleep better and in our own ways, maybe Sleep just wanted to see how many different creations he could make,” iii voice takes on a dark tone surprising you at the sudden change, “or maybe Sleep wants us to suffer and be lonely by making us all different.” 

Every time you heard of Sleep so far, you were under the assumption that they were a kind and giving god but maybe you were wrong, maybe they are a malevolent god. But if that is the case, why are you here? Are you being punished by being here or maybe they are? 

You are so lost in thought that you don’t notice the abundance of white ribbons that now cover the trees that line the path. Not a single branch at this point was left untouched, at the sight of this iv began to get excited a slight pep in his step at the prospect of seeing Vessel again.

The sound of distance singing catches your attention, the song appearing as if it was flowing into your very soul. With every note, a shiver runs down your spine, you know you have never heard something so hauntingly beautiful before in your entire life.

 Along the lines of a knee-jerk reaction tears fill your eyes, and an overwhelming sadness fills your very core, unlike anything you have ever felt before. Your chest feels heavy, your heart feels as if it might tear right through your skin, making it hard for you to breathe.

 You feel like you're choking similar to someone's hand wrapped tight around your throat preventing any oxygen from entering your lungs. You claw at your throat trying to pry the nonexistent hands away to no avail, you fall to your knees, panicking wanting whoever it is that is singing to stop, you can’t take it anymore, this overwhelming longing and sorrow. 

As soon as your knees make contact with the ground, iii and iv finally take notice of your distressed state. They understand immediately, having themselves gone through similar visceral reactions the first time they heard Vessel’s poignant songs. 

iv drops down to your level, pulling you into his chest trying to get you to match his breathing, as iii takes off running calling for help following Vessel’s voice trying to reach him. 

Your face is pressed firmly against iv chest, you can feel his erratic heartbeat against your cheek. Amongst your frantic state, you can swear that you hear a gentle voice whispering in your ear, “Breathe with me. Everything is going to be ok.”

 You try your best to match his slow and steady breaths, though yours are coming out in strangled gasps instead, sounding more like wheezing than anything. The way iv arms hold you close, blocks out everything around you, allowing you to focus solely on him and his calming presence.

 His earthy scent invading your nostrils, the soft leather from his jacket rubbing against your face, his warm breath coming from underneath his mask hitting the top of your head, the soothing tempo of his heart beating deep within his chest. 

The singing has stopped, the melancholy song no longer traveling through the air. Once you calm down, you pull away from iv sniffling a soft, ‘thanks’ under your breath.

 Embarrassment courses through you at your body’s volatile reaction to someone singing, if you didn’t know any better you honestly would have thought there was another siren lurking about this place.

 iv tilts his head, his eyes soft, searching your tear-stained face, though for what exactly, you’re not sure. He reaches out slowly so as to not startle you, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away your tears with his thumbs. 

The warmth from his hands seeps into your skin, comforting you far more than you care to admit to yourself. You look into his eyes seeing something in them that you have never seen anyone look at you with. You don’t like the look in his eye, it’s scaring you because you aren’t sure what it means and why you of all people are at the receiving end of it. 

The heavy sounds of boots hitting the stone path cause you to pull yourself away from iv and out of his gentle hold. As you stand, looking towards the source of the footsteps, you miss the sight of iv shoulders deflating at the loss of contact wanting to keep you in his arms and within his reach. 

iii’s frame fills your vision, you can see him assessing you looking for any signs of distress or injury. 

Feeling embarrassed at all the fuss at your nervous breakdown, you shyly say, “I’m ok. I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” 

A voice you have not heard before replies from behind iii, “Seems like you were in good hands. Don’t worry about it these things happen here.” 

You peek from around iii to see a man similar in height to iii though only slightly shorter. Wearing a dark-green robe pulled open exposing his painted black chest, with golden chains hanging from around his neck. On his left shoulder, sat an intricate piece of what looks like armor, black feathers peeking from his back, eerily reminding you of the black flamingo you saw the previous night. 

He also wore a mask, though instead of his face being completely covered as iii and iv’s, his painted nose and mouth were visible. His mask is white with gold accents around the edge, in the middle is the same symbol but this one is green, with six eye holes carved in the center.

Vessel watches as your scrutinizing stare scans over him, seeing uncertainty in your eyes he steps out from behind iii, now standing between iii and iv though a half-step back not wanting to invade your space before introducing himself. 

“I am Vessel,” he says lifting his hand to the center of his chest, a warm smile on his face. 

The timbre of his voice washing over you, making you feel safe the complete opposite of how you felt mere moments ago from his melancholy melody. You mutter your name in reply, suddenly feeling exposed standing underneath his watchful gaze. Your every thought and emotion suddenly seems as if this man can easily read them all. 

Akin to if your soul was laid out in front of you, open and bleeding before him waiting for him to do as he pleased and you are almost certain you would let him. Wherever this man led you or to you to go, without a shadow of a doubt you would follow. Now you understand how so many people could easily fall victim to cults, especially if they were all like this man standing in front of you.

Vessel puts each of his hands on iv and iii’s shoulders, the warm smile ever present on his face, “Let us return, I have a feast awaiting everyone’s arrival.” 

He turns and begins walking back down the stone path not looking behind to see if you’re following, trusting that you will. iii immediately followed not having to be told twice as you stood still, letting out a deep breath, the moment Vessel’s stare left you the power of his mere presence was suffocating in the best way possible. iv grabs at your sleeve tugging softly for you to follow.  

Your steps are slow and tentative before something Vessel said pops into your mind causing you to pick up your pace calling out, “Wait, awaiting our arrival? How did you know we were coming?” 

However, if he is surprised by your question he doesn’t show it but instead quickly looks over his shoulder giving you a sly smirk, “The garden, of course.” 

oh, of course, you think snarkily to yourself, the most obvious answer out there, how silly of you to not think of that, to begin with. All of these cryptic messages and beings are really starting to piss you off, and maybe it is just the hunger talking but you are one more minor inconvenience away from losing your mind. Huffing you cross your arms over your chest dragging your feet identical to a child throwing a tantrum. 

The view in front of you quickly snaps you out of your sulking. Moss and vines cling to the sizeable white stone cathedral that stands before you. The red and pink flowers that you’ve seen everywhere else in Eden seem to dull in comparison to the ones that grow here, looking more vibrant and full of life than ever swaying in the breeze seemingly as if the plants themselves were breathing. 

Hanging around the entrance are dried herbs and small twisted sticks tied together to create runes and sigils, what they were warding against or for you were unsure. 

The closer you walk towards the cathedral, the more you can smell the most delicious scent of food coming from inside causing your stomach to growl in anticipation as to what awaits beyond the opened doors. With newfound vigor, you happily follow behind Vessel and the others as they lead the way inside.

You ascend the white steps, warmth cascading over you as you enter the cathedral that is filled to the brim with huge golden candelabras lighting the room in a soft flickering glow. If you thought the outside was beautiful, the inside caused it to pale in comparison. Everything on the inside is ethereal and otherworldly. 

The stone pillars holding up the roof are wrapped in the same vines that covered the outside but something was different about these, and you couldn’t quite place what it was. The same stone table that has been present in all the places you have been to sit in the back of the room covered in small offerings of herbs, and what looked to be pieces of paper with writing that seemed oddly similar to lyrics and music notes. 

On the two opposite walls facing each other led two dimly lit hallways, but before you could investigate any further the sight of the huge round table covered in food quickly pulled your focus. 

You pause stopping yourself from making a bee-line directly to the table, trying to regain some of your dignity, even though you doubt you had much left. Vessel already stands next to the circular table looking very pleased with himself at your reaction, he pulls a chair out gesturing for you to sit. 

“Please sit, this feast has been prepared for your sustenance.” 

Tentatively, you make your way to the seat pulled out for you, sitting down allowing Vessel to push your chair in for you. Vessel takes the seat across from you, while iii and iv sit in the open seats on either side of you, you’ve noticed they seem to like to be near you. An empty seat was left untouched in between iii and Vessel, probably for the mysterious ii, you recently learned about, you wondered briefly if he would make an appearance.

The table was covered in a large array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, bread, and meat -the whole thing looked like a very big and elaborate charcuterie board. Not sure where to start first, you begin to pile up a rather hefty amount of everything that catches your eye on the small golden plate in front of you. As you start to eat, you aren’t sure whether it is because of how hungry you are or if this was actually the best food you have ever had in your life but you weren’t about to question anything. 

You were so preoccupied that you didn’t even notice that you were the only one eating until you peeked around at everyone’s empty plates. 

Suspicion enters your mind, clouding your judgment you pause chewing trying to remember iii’s words, something about Vessel being the most powerful of them all, your eyebrows crease together in concentration until you remember exactly what type of creature Vessel is.

 Your eyes open wide in realization, that you are currently eating food given to you by a fae. Alarm bells ringing in your head, what can you do now? You know what this means, eating their food binds you to their realm and even worse gives them power over you.

 What this the plan all along? To give you false hope that Vessel would be able to provide you with answers, and possibly even help you get back home. When in reality they all planned to forcefully bind you here with them never being allowed to leave? 

Vessel rests his chin on his hand a sympathetic smile gracing his features, “You worry too much. No harm will come to you by one of us.” 

You aren’t sure why you are so inclined to believe him, to believe all of them. You still don’t even really know them but the little voice in the back of your mind in back again telling you, that no one here would ever willingly lie to you, maybe you’re just gullible wanting to place all your hope into these magical and mystical beings trusting them and their words. 

Although you don’t really have a choice, you have already taken a bite of the food, and the damage has been done. So you will have to put your faith in them, that they do want to help you and mean you no harm. 

Slowly you begin eating again, swallowing the food inside your mouth before asking, “Then why is no one else eating?” 

From the corner of your eye, you see movement from iv making you turn your head to look at him as he brings his hand up to his face taping his mask. 

“Oh,” the little fact did slip your mind in your panic-induced assumptions and theories. 

Nonetheless, the awkward feeling of people watching you eat is quickly making you lose your appetite. Sensing this iii started idle conversation at the table asking Vessel about his plants and other mundane questions. 

The chatter rapidly becomes background noise to you, allowing you to somewhat eat in peace knowing the attention is no longer focused solely on you.

 As you continue eating, you watch Vessel from your peripherals, you can easily see how he has managed to gain so much respect and admiration from everyone else. His mere presence alone is enough to convince you to follow him to the ends of the earth.

 The way he speaks and holds himself is something you have never experienced from anyone else before, everything he does is utterly captivating. 

Even though his eyes are obscured behind the mask, you are more certain than you ever have been about anything else that there is nothing but love and compassion in his gaze especially as he looks at his fellow companions. But the way he was singing earlier so full of hurt and pain confused you, how could anyone or anything dare to hurt him so much? 

The sound of your name calls your attention, you look up at Vessel seeing the smile no longer on his face but in its place was a small frown. 

“When you finish eating and you feel ready. Sleep would like to speak with you.” something akin to pity can be heard in his voice. 

As soon as the words leave Vessel’s lips, iv slams his fist down on the table rattling the plates and cutlery making you jump in your seat at the sudden outburst. iv hands moving wildly in front of him too fast for you to even guess at what he is trying to say but whatever it is you are certain it’s nothing nice.

Vessel shakes his head solemnly, “I understand your concerns iv. This is not up to me, this is their decision.” he turns his attention to you, “Do you wish to confer with Sleep?” 

iv lets out a disgruntled whine beside you clearly not liking the idea of you speaking directly with Sleep, iii continues to stay unusually quiet during this whole conversation. You look over at him, but iii is looking everywhere but you nervously fiddling with the tablecloth. Even though the thought of speaking with a supposed god scared you, you needed answers and maybe they could help you get home. 

You look back at Vessel, determination on your face, “I want to speak with Sleep.” 

iv throws his hands against the edge of the table pushing his seat back before storming out into the dimly lit hallway on the left leading deeper into the cathedral with iii following behind quickly shouting for him to wait.

Even amongst the outburst Vessel's eyes never once left your face, searching for something, the sneaking suspicion that he can read your thoughts is back. 

“Very well, follow me.” 

You rise to your feet, pushing your chair back into the table, and walk to where Vessel patiently waits for you in the hallway on the right ominously starting down the darkened hallway lacking in candles, unlike the main room. Giving you the impression that you really aren’t supposed to venture down here. 

Following behind Vessel you notice how different the atmosphere surrounding him seems now like he is scared or worried but why would he be? He is quite literally a devotee of this god and a vessel for them, therefore he has more than likely spoken with this deity countless times. 

With every step, you reach the large intricately carved stone door at the end of the hall, the type of door that just screams bad news, if you were watching a horror movie you would be actively screaming at the screen for the main character to run away and to not open the door. Two long twisted candle sticks stand tall on either side of the door creating eerie shadows along the designs of the door, doing nothing to quell your anxiety. 

Vessel reaches the door first but doesn’t make a move to open it, he instead moves to the side peering down at you. You really wished that smile that wouldn’t seem to leave his face earlier would come back, even a fake one would be better than the pitying look you just know is staring down at you right now. 

“I cannot go in with you, this is something you have to do alone.” his voice hesitates, hoping that you will change your mind and go back with him to the others. You don’t have to do this, he can help you find out why you’re here, answer all your questions, and even help you get back home if that still remains to be your wish. 

“Ok,” you nod adding on more for yourself than to Vessel, “I can do this.” 

Placing both hands against the cold stone, you use your body weight to open the heavy door as it slowly creaks open a soft rumbling and scraping echoing down the long corridor behind you. Once the door is cracked open a sizeable amount for you to be able to pass through a hand wraps around your arm, you turn to look at Vessel a silent question on the tip of your tongue as to why he is stopping you. 

The warmth of his hand seeping through your sleeve contrasting heavily with the cold air emitting from the crack in the door. He shakes his head, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

 “Be careful.” His voice is serious, a warning thinly veiled in his words.

As quick as he stopped you, he let go of your arm, briskly turning around and walking back down the hallway, his dark green cloak flowing behind him. Knowing he would not be able to stomach watching you walk into the room, knowing full well what awaits those who Sleep wishes to talk to.

This is such a bad idea you think disparagingly to yourself, as you enter the cold room, all warmth and comfort sucked out of your body the second you stepped over the threshold. It’s a lot smaller in here than you thought it would be, it’s about the size of a small storage closet.

 Complex golden tile lined the ground twisting around the room creating a labyrinth leading to the center of the barren room, where a single large basin sat filled with a mysterious viscous black liquid. 

Looking down into the water, you half-expected to see someone or something staring back at you but instead, your tired face gazed back at you, the ripple of the liquid distorting your face. 

Timidly you reach your hand out, a voice sounding unlike your own whispering for you to touch the liquid that now moves as if something was swimming underneath the surface unseen by you. 

As soon as your index finger makes the slightest contact pain erupts behind your eyes, making you fall back landing on the ground with a grunt. You scramble backward trying desperately to put as much distance as you can between you and the basin hoping the distance will help lessen the pain forming in your head to no avail. 

With every passing second the pain grows worse, like someone was crawling around inside your head digging through all of your thoughts and memories tearing them open and bending them to their will.

 This is the complete opposite feeling you get in the presence of Vessel, whereas everything about him is inviting and caring, whatever this is it is torturous and sadistic.

You cry out in pain holding your head in your hands trying anything to make it stop, wanting nothing more than to leave and go back out to Vessel but you’re rooted firmly in place. Something is talking to you, but the voice isn’t in the room it’s in your head, every word spoken amplifying the pain.

 It makes sense now, Vessel and the others weren’t scared because they thought Sleep would help you, they were scared because they didn’t want you to feel the pain that their god inflicted upon them, reminding them of their place beneath Sleep.

Even though the voice is speaking in a language you can’t understand, you know exactly what it is that they are saying to you and it scares you because you don’t know or understand what is happening inside your mind.

“They have begun to venture from the path given unto them. You will bring them back to me.” reverberates around in your skull. 

Distorted images swarm behind your eyes, a vision of five masked figures in excruciating pain begging for release and forgiveness that will not come. While the same voice that speaks to you now laughs manically at them, reveling in their agony and daring them to disobey again.

 You don’t know for certain whether what you are seeing is the past or the future playing out before you, but you do know that if that is what’s in store for everyone if they fully return to Sleep, you will do anything to stop it. You just want to go home, and they don’t deserve to be punished or treated like that.

At your thoughts of rebellion, a sharp pain explodes across your body, electricity coursing through your veins causing your muscles to briefly spasm out of control.

 Full of anger the voice speaks again, “You are so certain that you want to return.” 

Cruel laughter rings in your head as more memories from your past, flash through your mind. A family that turned their back on you at the first sign of hardship, a lover who tore you apart with endless cruelty. 

As your life flashes before your eyes, you’re bombarded with the harshest words, over and over: that you deserve this, that you're never enough, that you never were, and you never will be.

“You are not wanted there, nor anywhere. At least here your worthless life might have meaning after all.” 

All the pain and agony you felt your entire life squashes every happy thought and memory you have ever had, opening up the dam letting all the dark thoughts you have tried so hard to get rid of come flooding back.

 You are nothing, no one cares about you, not even the people here, they only treated you with kindness because they didn’t want to be punished by Sleep for rejecting his supposed gift. 

Little did they know, Sleep brought you here to use you and once they find that out they will all surely toss you aside to be forgotten. Nevertheless, you won’t hurt them, you refuse to be the cause of their pain, they don’t deserve that.

Iv, iii, and Vessel’s covered faces appear in the reveries of your mind breaking you out of the painful memories, just long enough for you to stand, stumbling into the door.

 As fast as you can before you lose the sudden burst of adrenaline, you use all your might to rip the door open running out of the room, the angry screams dissipating from your mind the farther you run away from the room, from the cathedral, from everyone.

 You’re not stopping, you can’t stop you have to go away. The warmth of the sun caresses your skin, but you are too numb to feel it, to feel anything other than despair.

Eden is too beautiful, Sleep is right you don’t belong here or anywhere. Everything here works together in harmony, the love these people all share for one another is obvious anyone can see it. 

The way they all speak of one another makes you long for that kind of trust and affection from someone, anyone even though you know that you will never be worthy of such things. This place gives you hope that maybe you can find it, that all of that and more is out there for you. 

You hate this place for it, for the false hope that fills you every time you look at one of them, when they casually brush against you, your skin burning in response, you have to get out of here, or else this place will just keep taking and taking until there’s nothing left. 

You will become a shell of a person longing for something and someone you will never have because that is not what is meant for you and you have accepted that a long time ago.

You don’t know where you’re running to but anywhere is better than here where you will be used by Sleep to hurt the others. At least back home you might have been a hallowed out shell of a person but you weren’t hurting anyone. A plan forms in your mind, you don’t know how or why you didn’t think of it before. 

Maybe you can leave the same way you got here, through the water. The solution staring you in the face, either it works and you're back home or you cease to exist, either outcome is better than being used to hurt them. 

With newfound determination, you run blindly through the garden in what you hope is the correct direction, unaware of the smokey figure quickly gaining on you from above.

--------------------------------------------------

After all you two just met only a few hours ago, and haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get to know each other. Even so, there is still that strange nostalgic feeling you get every time you look at him. He probably just reminds you of someone from your past it is probably better to not dwell on it too much, well not right now at least.

The deeper you both ventured into the garden, the more the surrounding foliage seemed to shimmer softly in the darkness. You had heard of certain fungi and marine bacteria that were phosphorescent, but you couldn’t recall ever seeing actual plants with the same eerie glow in anything other than movies and shows. 

The soft light from the plants was calming, yet it carried an unsettling sense of otherworldliness—like something out of a dream. You imagine this was how Alice must have felt when she first stumbled into Wonderland.

“Why do the plants do that?” You ask gesturing to the plants all around you, “I mean, why are they glowing.”

iii steps falter for a second before he catches himself and continues walking. He runs a hand pushing back the red strains of hair that have fallen in front of his mask obscuring his vision. 

“Sleep made the plants this way to light our path through the darkness.” He answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

You weren’t quite sure how to respond to that, considering it was one of the most confusing and concerning sentences you have ever heard in your entire life. Instead, you opted to just give him an acknowledging hum. 

The farther you walked throughout Eden, the heavier the atmosphere began to feel, like there was a static charge brewing in the air. Your skin tingled, but you figured it was just your anxiety about this new environment making you nervous and playing tricks on you. 

Before you can ask iii any more questions the sounds of loud grunts and strange honking catch your attention causing you to grab iii’s arm and tuck yourself into his side. He peeks down at you coweering behind his tall lanky frame, seeing the fear written on your face at the unusual sounds emerging from the darkness.

 He jerks his head towards the direction of the sounds, “Come follow me.” 

He slips out of your hold and begins walking off the path towards the large thorned bushes that lined the way. As you stay where he left you frozen in fear, scared of what you might find if you leave the path. 

iii turns around beckoning you to follow him with his hand, “I won’t let anything hurt you, I promise.” He says taking a step back towards you and extending his hand out for you to take. 

You look at his rough calloused hand, still stained red. The sight of it has come to comfort you the longer you've stayed in this place, a strange thought almost as if the sight of his stained skin was something you’d seen before, maybe in a dream. 

Reality rears its ugly head making you pause, you don’t even really know him maybe he is been leading you toward your death. And he quickly grew tired of your stupid questions and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish you off. 

Alarm bells ring throughout your head when a small voice from the back of your mind reminds you, that he has helped you quite a bit already. He did save you from drowning and gave you some weird medicine that helped your throat and made your headache go away. He probably wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble if he was just to kill you when you started asking random questions. 

Tentatively, you place your hand in his looking into his comforting eyes, “ok, I trust you.” 

With your hand in his, he pulls you along with him closer and closer to the strange noises emanating from just beyond the bushes. He pushes brush out of the way being mindful of the thorns, clearing the path for you to step into the opening to see a huge group of flamingos foraging in the moonlight. 

Your jaw dropped at the sight. Never in your life did you imagine you’d witness something so beautiful. In the light of one of the brightest moons you've ever seen stood flamingos. They roamed gracefully in the middle of an alkaline lake, guiding their young as they foraged for food. 

As you watched the group, your gaze shifted to the back, where, slightly apart from the others, a pure black flamingo stood on one leg. It seemed to sense your stare, for it slowly lifted its head and locked eyes with you—eyes that seemed almost too intelligent for a bird.

iii voice breaks you out of your fixated stare on the black flamingo, “Amazing, right? Sometimes, I like to come here to clear my head. It is soothing to watch them all flock together like this.” 

Looking at iii casually leaning against a tree with his arms crossed across his chest staring happily out at the birds was beginning to create a longing feeling deep within your chest again making it hard to breathe. 

Tearing your eyes away from him, you looked down at the ground trying to stop yourself from crying, not understanding what was happening to you, where this feeling of longing and loneliness came from all of a sudden. 

Trying to distance yourself from these abrupt feelings and focusing your mind back on the sight in front of you, you whisper “Did you know a flock of flamingos is specifically referred to as a flamboyance.” 

iii lets out a small huff of laughter at your fun fact, “No, I didn’t.” 

At the sound of his laughter, you found yourself smiling, the depressing and heavy feeling from earlier dissipating like it was never there in the first place. From the corner of your eye, you watch as iii pushes himself off the tree moving to stand beside you. 

He turns his head like he is about to say something, when all of the flamingos raise their heads looking up to the sky as if sensing something unknown to you, the air becoming thicker. 

iii grabs you around the middle staggering back at the same moment the weather abruptly changes. Clouds appear in the sky covering the moon, plunging the area into darkness. The flamingos running from sight fleeing from the incoming storm. The static charge you felt in the air earlier returned much more severely this time causing your hair to stand on end. 

Having seen enough science documentaries in school to know exactly what this means, you stiffen in iii’s hold, who is still holding you tightly against his chest. He drags you with him back the way you previously came, his body shielding you from the thorned bush.

“Come on we’ve got to go now!” yells iii over the sounds of cracking filling the area, panic in his voice. He switches his hold on you, opting to grab your hand running as fast as you both can. 

 Turning to look behind you in the spot you were both just standing a huge bolt of lightning hits the ground momentarily blinding you. Flames erupt covering the grass and plants. The fire spread quickly as if it was trying to chase after you both. 

Running for your life through the garden, everything suddenly looks much different than before, more menacing. The moon still shining brightly through the gaps of the clouds seemed to create an ominous glow in the wild that wasn’t there before. 

Like something out of a horror movie, nothing can be heard except for the crackling of the flames behind you and labored breathing as you struggle to keep up with iii. 

All serenity seemingly stripped from the area feeling like death itself was after you both now. This isn’t a storm that you're used to with rain, and thunder. Instead, it’s pure electricity and heat, causing the flames to grow stronger with every passing second, the sky brimming with lightning causing the sky to brighten with every crack. This is the type of storm you would imagine taking place in a storybook when a character somehow managed to anger a god, incurring their wrath. 

iii feels you struggling to keep up with him, his grip almost bruising on your wrist but he doesn’t want to risk accidentally letting go and losing you. Fearing that if he lost you now, he would never find you again. Coming to a fork in the path, iii falters stopping in his tracks causing you to slam into his back.

 Out of breath, you grunt out, “Why are we stopping?” 

You can both feel the heat from the flames getting closer to where you stood motionless, sweat dripping down your face from the heat and exertion from running. Not wanting to burn to death you pull at the hand you're still holding yelling out his name, snapping him out of whatever trance iii was in. He turns his head looking at the flames before turning his gaze towards your fearful expression. 

“I’m sorry. We won’t make it to Vessel in this, we are going to have to try and find iv instead.” iii shouts before he starts running again down the path on the left dragging you with him.

You are trying to keep up with his long legs but struggling greatly, thankful for his grip on you, or else you’re certain you would have fallen into the flames at least twenty times by now without it. 

You aren’t sure who this iv person you are now going to is, but at this moment you aren’t really sure you care who they are as long as they can save you from burning to death. The path you are on starts becoming more narrow. The trees clustering close together, causing you both to have to weave through, the low-hanging branches hitting your skin causing small cuts to appear on your face, making you briefly wish you had a mask on too. 

A million thoughts are running your head the longer you run for your lives. You begin to wonder if iii actually knew where he was taking you, or if he was just guessing leading you both to your deaths. The pain is your head returning at full force, along with the burning in your lungs and throat with every intake of breath, you know you won’t be able to continue for much longer. 

As if sensing your thoughts, iii shouts over the crackling of the flames “Just a little bit longer. You can do it!” 

The heat was starting to get to iii, if it was raining or if this happened near his cave then he could easily save you both from the flames but alas luck was not on his side at the moment. iii was silently praying to Sleep, that you would both be able to make it in time. Every step caused his knees to shake but he had to keep going, he had to get you both to safety.

 Sleep gave you to him, to all of them, he couldn’t let anything bad happen to you now, just a little bit farther and you’ll both be safe at iv’s sanctuary for Sleep. Hope fills his chest as he reaches a familiar area, realizing safety is just over the small hill in their path. 

Reaching the top of the hill, you feel your knees buckle beneath you causing you to fall throwing your arms out to try and catch yourself as you hit the ground. At the feeling of your hand leaving his, iii turns around to see you lying on the ground chest falling rapidly. 

Without sparing a second thought he bends down grabbing your arms and hauling you over his shoulder, holding on to your thighs to keep you from falling from his hold. He continues running towards the small sanctuary carved into the side of the mountain.

The pain and agony returned with full force, the swaying of your body from III’s running only making it worse. A strange whisper echoes from the flames causing you to lift your head from where it hangs limply at iii’s back and look into the flames.

 Your frazzled mind must be playing tricks on you because you can swear that you see a towering cloaked figure with writhing tentacles protruding from underneath the hood. From their back vast wings are stretched out showing their massive wingspan and in their grip, they held a huge scythe.

Even though you can’t see any eyes, you can swear the creature is staring directly at you, peering into the very depths of your soul causing the ringing in your ears to intensify causing you to let out a pathetic whine. Dark spots begin clouding your vision, while a cold sweat forms on your skin. 

iii says something in response to the noise you let out, but you can’t understand him everything is becoming too much to handle. You haven’t even been in this place a whole day and yet this is the second time you have been within a hair breath of dying a horrific death, you think bitterly to yourself as you succumb to the darkness. The last thing you see is that horrifying creature disappearing into the flames, as rain begins to trickle down from the sky.

Relief fills iii as the rain cleanses the area, Sleep answering his prayer. The rain is slowly extinguishing the flames that threaten to burn everything in its path. The timing was great too, iii doesn’t think iv would have enjoyed him bringing a burning inferno to his doorstep like this. 

Passing through the threshold of iv’s sanctuary, iii calls out his name hoping he is somewhere inside and can help them. He is terrified that something is seriously wrong with you ever since he felt you go limp against him once again, he really hopes this doesn’t become a habit between you both. 

The inside of iv’s sanctuary was a lot different than iii’s cave, though it made sense iv was not a siren, like iii so he had no use for an endless abyss of water. Instead of a barren cave, his abode looked much more homely and lived in even if each of their shelters was mainly just used as temporary places to stay and to worship Sleep in their own ways. 

All of them preferred to stay with Vessel being together in each other company, plus Vessel’s shelter was a lot bigger and more welcoming than the other. Though sometimes much to their dismay they did have to part ways occasionally. 

On the walls hung large, worn-out tapestries, patched and adorned with runes, most of which spoke phrases of worship and offerings. iii had always assumed iv hung them up as a way to absorb some of the sound, offering a bit of relief from his abilities, fearing he might hurt someone. 

In the far back corner hidden from view stood a large stone table eerily similar to the one in iii’s cave but iv’s had one of his more cared-for tapestries laid atop it. This was one of iv’s favorites as it depicted all of Sleep’s members in some way or another on it. With still no sign of iv, iii walked to the back towards the table allowing your body to slide down off his shoulder and onto the table carefully laying you on your back. 

Since you were both no longer having to run for your lives he was able to breathe and get a better look at the state you were now in. He can see that your face is flushed and covered in sweat. Your eyebrows draw together as if you were in pain. He reaches a hand up to your forehead carefully placing the back of his hand against your skin, you were burning up. A fever iii thought to himself, the effects of the drink he gave you earlier have worn off.

He was really hoping that wouldn’t happen until you had a chance to make it to Vessel who could help you better than he can. But with the fire and it chasing you both, he didn’t have a choice but to come here instead, this place being significantly closer. He leans forward placing his elbows on the table next to your sleeping figure, his head in his hands intertwining his fingers into his hair in frustration, wondering what is he going to do now. 

Fatigue began to worm its way into the very fiber of iii’s bones, he has been away from the water for too long but it’s not like he can just leave you here all alone. The sound of the rain getting louder outside reaches his ears, maybe he could just stand outside in the rain for a little bit. It wouldn’t be as good as submerging into the abyss back in his home, but it would help him feel better and give him some energy back, plus it would be better than nothing. 

But what if while he is standing outside, something happens to you or your fever gets worse? A hand emerging from behind lands on iii’s shoulder startling him out of his thoughts. He jumps around to see iv standing in front of him eyeing him curiously. 

iii slumps his shoulders in relief, “Please help me. I don’t know what to do.” 

iv nods his head, gesturing with his hand between iii and you, silently asking what’s going on. 

“I think they are a gift to all of us from Sleep. I saved them from drowning but they keep getting sick or hurt, so I thought I would take them to Vessel and he could help make them better. While also figuring out why they are here and what Sleep means by sending them here. But…” his voice cracks as he talks sounding as though he is on the verge of tears. 

Hearing this iv, pulls iii into his embrace wrapping his arms around the taller man’s shoulders, iii leans down placing his forehead against iv’s closing his eyes, and letting himself melt into the embrace. 

“I don’t know how to help them. They are sick and it keeps getting worse, I tried to lessen the symptoms, hoping it would help until we got to Vessel but it didn’t work. And I’m so tired too. Please iv, what should I do?” 

iv pulled his head back from iii’s, making the man open his eyes at the sudden movement. iv places his hand on iii’s chest patting softly before pointing to the opening of the sanctuary, where the rain was still pouring even as the sun slowly started coming up over the horizon, before placing his hand on his own chest and gesturing to you. 

Understanding what his companion is trying to tell him, iii nods his head but doesn’t move yet, he trusts iv but the fear of leaving your side and something happening to you gnaws heavily at him. Seeing the internal turmoil taking place inside iii’s mind, iv careful of his ability whispers softly, “It will be ok, go.” 

iv didn’t like to talk out of fear of accidentally losing control and hurting someone again, opting instead to stay quiet and gesturing or signing what he was trying to say. Luckily, everyone was always able to understand him never forcing him to talk when he didn’t feel comfortable to, and respecting his decision. 

Which was a relief to iv, he feared the others wouldn’t understand him or his wishes but they always did, he wasn’t sure if it was because of Sleep or if it was just their strong connection to one another. So, when iv did choose to speak it was always a shock, causing the one he was speaking to, to feel special and more inclined to listen. 

Hearing his whispered words, iii leaned forward lovingly bumping iv’s forehead with his mask before walking to the entrance of the cave and out into the rain for a chance to recharge and collect himself. 

Seeing iii disappear out into the downpour, iv turned his attention to you. He stepped beside you, before placing his hand on your forehead similar to how iii had before. Your skin was clammy and hot to the touch, iii is right iv thinks to himself there isn’t much any of them can do for you, not without Vessel at least. 

Though as he removes his hand from you he is skeptical about whether or not Vessel would actually be able to do anything either, this sickness doesn’t seem to be the kind that is healed from herbs or elixirs, but instead something you have to do on your own. Letting your body heal itself, whatever it is must run its course, but he can help make you more comfortable. 

He walks to the entrance where one of his more tattered tapestries hangs and rips off a small piece of the fabric holding it out underneath the rain, letting the makeshift rag absorb the water. Once it is well saturated, he walks back to you before carefully placing the rag on your forehead hoping to help ease the fever a bit, allowing you to rest easier. As he stares down at your unconscious form, iv lets what iii told him about you sink in. 

Sleep giving them all a gift, it wasn’t something that was unheard of whenever their deity was feeling merciful or especially charitable. Sleep would give them all sorts of things like small trinkets, tapestries, or jewels, but this was something else entirely almost unheard of. iv would have to admit, that he is very curious about you, and hopes when you wake up he will be able to learn more about you.

 When he first saw you lying there a strange feeling of nostalgia overcame him, as if he had seen you before maybe in a different life. Sleep does in fact work in mysterious ways, always having a reason behind his actions, whether it is for the better or worse iv wasn’t sure. 

But as he watched you sleep, he just hoped that their deity was allowing you to have peaceful dreams-something he did not get to have often, distant memories of another life running rampant throughout his head. Letting out a soft sigh, iv gently pats your arm before moving to sit in the corner to keep a watchful eye over you. 

—---------------------------------------------

You don’t know where you are, everything is too fuzzy, confusing, and happening too fast. Like fast-forwarding through a movie where it’s all blurring together and the only thing you can make out is the occasional face coming into frame.

That heavy feeling of loneliness and despair is back in your chest making it hard to breathe properly, almost as if your mind and body are trying to grieve but you aren’t sure exactly what. No matter how hard you try, you can’t tell where you are and it’s scaring you. Did you and iii not make it to safety? Is this your life flashing before your eyes before everything fades to black? 

Your eyes are slowly adjusting to the room you’re in, the environment coming into focus. You’re in a house of some kind, everything looks vaguely familiar. The room you're in looks lived in filled with books, furniture, knick-knacks, and pictures, though of who, you are not sure. 

The faces are all blurred out like someone took the picture while moving the camera. Even though this house looks cozy and warm, a feeling in the pit of your stomach tells you that isn’t the reality. The front door slams open causing you to jump. 

Someone enters the room, their face hidden beneath the hood pulled low over their head. They collapse to the floor, burying their face in their knees, and loud sobs echo through the room. Timidly, you walk over to the person trying to get their attention hoping maybe they can help you figure out where you are.

 “Hello?” you try calling out but no matter how loud you talk, they don’t reply or even acknowledge your presence. The sound of their cries breaks your heart, feeling a wave of empathy wash over you, the overwhelming urge to comfort them takes priority over trying to find out how you get here. You crouch down to be on their level before slowly reaching your hand out to touch theirs. 

Once you make contact with their hand, the cries stop immediately, it feels as if time itself has stopped, everything eerily quiet an unnerving stillness in the air like the calm before the storm. The hooded figure in front of you snaps their head up to stare at you scaring you at the sudden movement making you fall back from your crouched position, but the face staring back at you scares you even more. 

They look just like you, unblinking bloodshot eyes stare directly at you, tears leaving a trail down their or your face. You aren’t sure what’s happening but whatever it is you don’t like it. The person in front of you opens their mouth croaking out, “Please, leave me alone. I’m sorry” 

Your eyes scan their face trying to understand what they are asking you exactly, unable to determine an answer you gasp out, “What?” in response, confusion evident in your voice.

 But they don’t answer your question, instead, footsteps can be heard coming from behind you making you scramble away and onto your feet as fast as you can, pushing your back against the wall on the other side of the room. Though now that you look at them it doesn’t really look like they are looking at you at all but instead through you.

 When someone new walks into the room, a gasp gets caught in your throat, and pure unadulterated terror courses through your veins at the sight of them, unwanted memories flowing through your head like a dam bursting open. 

“You’re sorry? No, not yet but you will be.” growls out the one person in the world you thought you could trust, someone who was supposed to love and take care of you no matter what happens. Someone, who you thought was the love of your life and you were theirs, but now hatred is the only emotion in their voice and on their face, as they stalk towards the you still cowering down on the ground in front of the door, shaking in fear. 

You thought you pushed these memories deep within the reveries of your mind, somewhere deep enough that it would never come to the surface again, but yet here it is playing out right in front of you. You don’t want to relive this, squeezing your eyes shut cupping your hands over your ears trying to block out everything as you scream, you don’t want to be here, anywhere but here make it all stop, make it all go away. 

The feeling of hands wrapping around your arms causes you to flail and struggle in their hold, pleading with anyone or anything that is listening to save you. 

—-------------

iv looks at you from where he still sits making sure you’re ok and still breathing, you have been asleep for quite a while now, a couple of hours at the very least. He supposes that it is probably time to once again resoak the rag on your forehead. He stands from his seat and makes his way over to you, removing the rag from your face. 

Seeing that your skin is no longer flushed, he presses the back of his hand against your checks trying to see if your temperature has gone down anymore from the last time he checked it. You are still warm to the touch but it has significantly improved since you first arrived. 

With the rag in hand, iv goes to the entrance, the rain has long since slowed down to a mere drizzle now, so it probably won’t be long before iii comes back inside. At the edge of the entrance to the sanctuary, there is a large leaf situated to collect water, iii probably saw iv using the rain to wet the rag for you and created this to gather the water for when it stopped raining. 

Smiling underneath his mask, iv bent down and carefully dipped the rag into the small pool of water carefully, so as to not spill any. Once the rag was wet enough, he stood walking back to you using the rag to clean the sweat off your face, before folding the rag and placing it back over your forehead. 

A pained expression appears on your face, as tears begin to leak from your closed eyes. iv watches you begin to toss and turn mumbling out gasps and pleas for help. A nightmare, he thinks as he grabs your arms trying to gently shake you awake. After a few seconds of trying iv began to think he was going to have to run out and find iii.

No matter how hard he tried you didn’t seem to be waking up, just as the thought entered his mind your eyes shot open, yelling out iii’s name in a panic, as you scrambled up to a sitting position the rag falling to the floor with a wet thud. The tears fall much faster now as you struggle to catch your breath looking around frantically. 

You look to the person standing at your side expecting to see iii standing beside you, but instead, it’s someone you don’t recognize. iii was making his way back into the cave feeling better and rejuvenated after spending the remainder of the night and a good portion of the day in the rain when he heard you’re panicked voice calling for him, he ran into the cave seeing your fearful state making his way to you. 

Once he reached your side, your eyes focusing on him, you immediately throw yourself into his awaiting embrace tangling your fingers in his shirt hold onto him tightly, crying into his chest thinking about the dream featuring a painful memory you tried so hard to forget the long-since healed wounds aching at the recollection.

iii lets your cry into his chest holding onto you with his arms wrapped tightly around you, stroking the back of your head in a reassuring manner. His clothes were still damp from the rain, soaking into your clothes but you paid no mind to it, your mind focusing on finding comfort within the man’s hold.

iii looks at iv, who moved out of the way the second he heard iii’s fast-paced footsteps approaching. iv wished he could be of more comfort to you, but he supposes that will come with time as you do not know him yet. 

iii gently began to sway back and forth hoping for you to find some solace in the motion, and beginning to hum in the unknown language again. The unspoken words doing the desired effect helping you calm down and realize that you are safe. Whatever monsters that terrorized you in your dreams wouldn’t follow you here, and if they did iii and iv would stop at nothing to keep you safe.

iii stared down at you as your cries quieted, “what happened?” he asked whether the question was meant for you or the other man standing next to him you weren’t sure, but you answered anyway. 

“Just a bad dream” you mutter numbly, voice muffled by iii’s chest. 

“Do you want to talk…”

“No” you interrupt him pulling your head away from his chest and moving out of his warm embrace. 

Your eyes move to the stationary masked individual standing at iii’s side staring at you questioningly. Your eyes scan over him, he too wears a mask similar to the one iii is wearing the same rune etched into the forehead but the colors are almost inverted black base with gold covering the mouth. 

Wearing a leather jacket covered in the same runes and patches that were sewn on the tapestries hanging on the walls of the sanctuary, and a black hood covered his head obscuring most of his face in shadow. All of his exposed skin was painted black unlike iii’s skin painted red.

Seeing your scrutinizing gaze on iv, iii placed his hand on iv’s shoulder to introduce him to you, “This is iv, he is another one of Sleep’s creations like me.” said iii a certain fondness in his voice for the shorter male. 

At the sound of his name iv lifted up his hand giving you a small wave and a tilt of his head squinting his eyes, as if he was smiling under his mask. You give your name to the man in return with a small uncertain smile of your own. iii and iv, you are beginning to sense a pattern is everyone’s names.

 iv held up both of his hands, with his middle finger bent towards the palm of his hand, his left hand positioned at his forehead and his right hand at his stomach. You draw in your eyebrows at the strange gesture, but before you can ask iii says, “he is asking if you still feel sick?” 

Oh, that must have been sign language then, does that mean he can’t talk or just chooses not to you wonder briefly before you do a quick mental check of your body. Your head is no longer pounding and you can actually think clearly, your limbs don’t feel heavy as if they are made of lead, it doesn’t hurt to breathe and your throat doesn’t feel like sandpaper. 

Actually considering everything you feel a lot better the best you have felt since you got here, perhaps your impromptu sleep really helped. Though you will have to admit you would probably feel a whole lot better if you could take a shower or something and remove all the sweat and dirt off of you. You look up at the expectant stares of iii and iv, you figure it was probably a long shot but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

 “no, I don’t think so. I would feel less icky and gross though if I was able to take a bath or something,” you say letting out an awkward laugh at the end. 

At this iv stands up a bit taller, tapping iii enthusiastically on the shoulder before making a strange gesture on his fingers and pointing outside. Where you are just now noticing the sun barely peeking over the horizon in the distance signaling it would only be up for a few more hours at most, making you wonder just how long you were asleep considering it was still nighttime when you were last awake. 

“Are you sure? Is it safe?” asked iii 

iv just nodded his head in reply before beckoning you both to follow him with his hand and walk to the entrance of the cave. 

iii let out a sigh, before offering his hand out to you to help you off the table and back onto the ground, you were thankful for his help because you were still a little wobbly on your feet and without him, you fear you would have fallen straight to the ground. 

“It looks like we are making a quick detour.” 

Curious you follow the two men outside and back into the open world, you aren’t sure what you expected to see but this wasn’t it. Everything looks the exact same as before, the plants are thriving, swaying in the gentle breeze. There is no trace of the flames that nearly killed you both just mere hours ago like it didn’t even exist in the first place.

 Numbly you continue following the men to where you're not sure but you are too busy trying to rationalize how this is even possible. There should be chaos and destruction everywhere and yet there's not, and they aren’t even acting like this is strange. They just continue walking without a care in the world, as if all of this is a normal occurrence, and fuck for all you know it is, maybe the world here gets cleansed anew with fire all the time. 

You are trying not to dwell on this for too long less the headache comes back again and that wouldn't do you any good. You secretly want to ask them about it, about this place and everything, but you aren't even sure what to say or if you are prepared to hear the answer. 

iii slows his step to match pace with yours, “Don’t worry. Vessel will be able to answer all your questions and help you find what you're looking for. Well, whenever we do manage to make our way to him.” 

You just give him a timid nod in reply not trusting your voice at this moment fearing that you will end up saying something stupid and sounding like an idiot. This place is insane you can’t wait to go home, that thought makes you pause your train of thought. Go home? After the dream you had that awakened a terrible memory from your past, are even sure that you do want to go home? if that is the type of stuff waiting for you, you don’t really feel elated at the idea of returning. 

But you have to go home right, it is where you belong. You can't stay here, you don’t belong, right? Do you belong anywhere? You aren’t sure anymore. Plus it is not like they would let you stay here anyway, you are so much different than them and to be quite frank this place seems extremely dangerous if you don’t know what you're doing. Without iii and now iv you aren’t sure how long you would have lasted on your own, so you suppose it was probably a good thing that you didn’t run off on your own when you had the chance at the start of this long journey through this garden.

Sighing to yourself you begin to wonder just how big this place is anyway. You have all been walking in relative silence for a good 15 minutes now. iv occasionally turning around every few minutes to look at you and iii probably to make sure you are both still following his lead. You shake your head solemnly wondering what have you managed to get yourself into. 

You are so caught up in your thoughts you don’t realize that iv has stopped walking causing you to plow into his back and letting out a soft grunt as you rub your head from where you smacked your face into his back. iii let out a small giggle at the sight but quickly stopped when you sent a small glare in his direction in response. 

Not seeming to mind that you ran into him, he steps out of your way excitedly motioning to the view in front of you. Surrounded by vines and flowers was a small opening in the ground with the bluest water you have ever seen in your life, this was truly like something out of a movie. a hidden hot spring nestled in the heart of a lush garden. 

The water, shimmering steaming faintly as it glows under the dimming rays of the sun. Vines and tendrils of ivy drape lazily over the stone edges, creating a barrier around the entrance of the water. Vibrant flowers of purples and soft pinks throughout the vines fill the air with the sweet scent of blossoms and the earthy aroma of the warm, mineral-rich water. This is exactly what you need after the marathon you just went through earlier.

As you stand at the edge of the small spring of water looking down you begin to feel a little weary trusting the water in this place, considering you did end up almost drowning in a pit similar to the one in front of you. 

Although, this one was much more welcoming and didn’t look like a neverending pit of darkness. This one was bright and soothing, plus it did kind of help that you could see the bottom, which was probably only a couple of feet deep. 

iv stood beside you feeling very pleased with himself that he is able to make you smile. He lifts his hands creating an "S"  in sign language crossing his hands at the wrists before throwing them apart. 

You might not know a lot of sign language or any really if you're being completely honest with yourself, but that movement you are vaguely familiar with seeing as refs do a similar motion in sports. 

“It’s safe?” you question looking iv in the eyes, hoping you were able to correctly guess what he was trying to say. 

Iv nods his head in response eyes crinkling from behind the mask, happy that you were able to understand what he was trying to tell you. 

You move to get undressed but pause lifting your shirt up turning to look at the two men, who have already turned their backs to you to give you some privacy. But not leaving you alone which, to be honest you are grateful for, you aren’t sure how many more surprises that this place has to offer you can handle right now anyway.

 You remove your clothing making a small neat pile on a vine-covered rock. Then you slowly put one leg in and lower yourself into the water, which is perfectly warm. 

“Don’t worry, guys. I won’t take too long.” 

“It’s ok, love.Take your time, you deserve it.” said iii

Once fully submerged in the water, you dunk your head in the water wetting your hair and letting the warm water soothe any remaining aches and pains you have left. The water burned the small cuts that appeared on your body from the branches and twigs that managed to hit you in the face as you ran from the fire.

 You did kind of wish that you had some soap or shampoo but still, this was better than walking around smelling absolutely putrid for the reminder of your time here, you supposed. 

As you stare at the backs of the two men keeping guard, you are reminded of iii’s wet clothes from earlier when you threw yourself into his awaiting embrace to comfort you, making you think about what he is, “iii, do you need to get in the water too?” 

 iii replies, “No, I prefer salt water not freshwater like this anyways I'm good for now. Thanks though.” 

Unbeknownst to you, iv makes a rain-like motion with his hands and iii rolls his eyes pretending to be annoyed before you hear his voice muttering to iv, “You know I had no choice at that moment, the rain was better than nothing.” iii huffed crossing his arms over his chest making iv giggle slightly at iii’s pouting.

You continue splashing around in the water, cupping your hands together before bringing the water to your face ridding yourself of the sickness that has been plaguing you since your arrival here. You hum softly thinking out loud, “I wish I had some clean clothes to wear.” The thought of having to put on your sweat-soaked dirty clothes back on is not the most appealing thought, but it was not like you had a lot of other options. 

However, iv perked up immediately at hearing you talk softly to yourself and made a small gesture to iii telling him he would be right back before they connected their foreheads holding one another in a loving embrace. Feeling as if this was a special moment that you were intruding upon by watching them you looked away and down into the clear water focusing back on washing yourself. 

By the time you looked back up iv was walking away and disappeared into the bushes. Watching iv walk away did make you a bit curious but you just assumed he probably had things to do, maybe he was growing tired of being in your company. 

You have to admit you are awful curious about iv, so you decided to ask iii about him, “Is he like you, then? A siren?” 

iii, who is now sitting on the ground his legs outstretched in front of him with his hands keeping himself propped up behind him, his head tilted back like he was absorbing the fleeting embers of the sunlight in the sky, he let out a thoughtful hum, “no, he’s what I guess you could call a banshee. You know a wailing spirit who warns others of impending death or danger.” 

The way iii talked about these things like it was the most obvious and simplest things in the world amazed you honestly. Though this new information about iv did shed some light on the actions and mannerisms of the mysterious man. 

“Is that why he is so quiet?” 

“Yeah, when he first got here, he lost control and ended up accidentally hurting Vessel pretty bad. He felt so guilty about it that he hid from us for a while choosing to exile himself. Luckily, Vessel quickly found him and brought him back to us, though he is more careful now mostly choosing to sign or make gestures to talk to us.” 

“Oh” you respond not really sure how to react to the new information, you feel bad for iv. Accidentally hurting the people you care for because you lost control of a part of yourself was a scary thought. Though the more you hear about this Vessel person the more you really want to meet him. 

Even though he got hurt, he understood it was an accident and actively sought out his friend to bring him back to where he belonged with the rest of them and it seemed like they all hold him in really high regard. 

Plus, you do think it is a bit interesting that so far he is the only person who’ve met and or heard of that doesn’t have a number as a name. Speaking of people or creatures you’ve met or seen in this place that reminds you. 

“Iii,” you pause not sure how to ask your next question, “Who or what was that thing that chased us during the fire?” 

iii postures instantly goes stiff at your question, “Shh, don’t ask such questions here. Once we get to Vessel, he will be able to answer all your questions, I promise ok? You just have to wait until then.”

You nod your head, even though you know he can’t see you. iii slowly relaxes his posture allowing you to think about that creepy figure in the fire hoping you don’t run into them again anytime soon. Silently wondering if that was their god, Sleep, he keeps mentioning but if it is why would he be running away from it, none of this is making sense.

You look down at your hands seeing the skin on your fingers has begun to prune signaling that you should probably get out of the water now, no matter how much you want to stay in its warm comforting embrace. You sigh about to tell iii, when iv returns from the bushes purposefully keeping his gaze up to the sky and walking to the rock near the water where you had previously discarded your clothes. 

He pulls black clothing out from behind his back and places it on the rock as well, before walking back over to where iii still sat sitting next to him and leaning his head on his shoulder causing iii to place his head on top of iv’s. The sight of them sitting together like that caused an ache to form in your heart, longing for the kind of love they have for each other. You really wished that feeling would stop appearing, it was really starting to bother you.

Pulling yourself out of the water, you grab the clothes that iv has brought for you to wear. You hold the outfit out in front of you, it is stunning. A flowing cascade of black fabric that seemed to shimmer with every movement. Putting on the outfit, you were pleasantly surprised to see how well it fit you, like it was specifically made for you. It draped effortlessly over your form. 

 The soak in the water did wonders for you, you feel 100 times better, still a little sore and tired but that was probably to be expected especially after everything you’ve been through. The outfit you now wore did make you feel better too, something about wearing a beautiful outfit instantly makes you feel more confident and powerful.

At the sound of you getting out of the water and getting dressed, both iii and iv stood waiting patiently for you to let them know that it is ok for them to turn around. Walking over to stand behind them you, shyly clear your throat. They take that as a sign that you're dressed and turn around to see you standing in the outfit iv brought you their eyes widen in surprise.

You let out a bashful giggle turning your gaze to iv you ask, “Where did you get this?”  

But iv just smiles from behind his mask his eyes crinkling as he shrugs his shoulders in response.

You really want to get a proper answer from the shorter man but before you can say anything else your stomach growls loudly causing your body to flood with embarrassment. The sound of your stomach growling caused iii to laugh, throwing his head back as he loudly cackled. iv was at least a little nicer about the fact that he too was laughing at you, though the only sign that he was the little shake of his shoulders. 

“Come on, Vessel will have fruits and other food for you to replenish yourself with.”

It’s impossible to focus on anything, your thoughts are clouded, your mind moving so slow not yet grasping the situation you have found yourself in. Why is it so hard for you to think right now, your lungs are burning aching for oxygen, you don’t think you’ll be able to hold your breath for much longer. Your lungs fighting for air, that’s not coming.

You are going to die, you think to yourself in one of the worst ways you can possibly imagine. The thought of drowning forces your eyes to shoot open in a panic. You are suspended, floating weightlessly just beneath the surface, your arms hanging in front of you limply swaying in the water. Using what little energy you have, you look around as best as you can at your surroundings, there’s a bright light coming from above you from what you can only assume is the surface. All you have to do is make it and you’ll be out of this cold unending dark abyss. Willing your body to do something anything to save your life you try to swim to the surface.

Nothing you do seems to make a difference. Your body refuses to obey, and the realization hits: this is it. Your final moments, trapped in some unknown waters, in a place you can't even remember how you ended up. You feel yourself surrendering, smiling through the agony as your lungs burning for air at least you won’t have to suffer for much longer. Your eyes struggle to stay open as you feel yourself let go, as a last effort to save yourself your body forces you to take in a deep breath causing the water to fill your lungs.

Through your distorted vision, you watch as a hand stained with red paint breaks through the surface of the water. The hand reaches down into the abyss seemingly searching for something before eventually, their long fingers wrap around your floating hand pulling you out of the darkness and into their awaiting hold. Whispers of an unknown language fills your head but you’re no longer scared, oddly you feel at peace.

You're dragged above the surface of the water as what or whoever saved you wraps their arms around you putting your back against their chest as you both fall to the ground their warmth surrounding you. Your head lolls back against their shoulder the side of your cheek making contact with some kind of hard surface covering their face. Due to the blurriness still clouding your vision, you can’t make out any details except for a red aura covering the person's head making it look almost like a bright halo. As you succumb to the darkness the last thought that lingers in your head is at least now you won’t die alone.

Trying to act quickly iii places his index and middle finger underneath your jaw trying to find a heartbeat, panic filling his body as he feels your pulse becoming slower. Your unconscious body coughs as it tries to expel the water from your lungs, doing anything it can to try and save itself. iii immediately tries to help force the water out, using the gift given to him by Sleep, the salt water leaves your lungs pooling on the ground beside you both.

Slow staggering breaths leave you but at least you're still breathing even if it seems strained and painful. Iii delicately wipes his hand across your face removing all the water, bodily fluid, and hair that was sticking to your skin before letting out a relieved sigh. He was worried that he wasn’t going to be able to make it in time to save you. The moment he felt you appeared in his water, he started running to his sanctuary at that instant wanting to see what Sleep was bestowing upon him.

Worry began to consume him the longer it took to reach you as he could feel the life slowly leaving you, he is so relieved that he was able to make it just in time to pull you from the abyss. He is the only one of Sleep’s creations that is able to survive in the water, maybe that’s why you appeared there because Sleep knew he would be able to feel your presence there and save you though he will admit it was cutting it close.

It probably wouldn’t be good for you to travel right now, even though he could easily carry you through the garden to a more suitable shelter but for now, he supposes this will have to do. iii carefully turns your body so you're sitting sideways in his lap, before sliding one arm underneath your knees and the other around your shoulders curling your unconscious body to his chest as he stands. In his small sanctuary that he uses to connect with Sleep, he set up a stone table in the front of the cave that was usually reserved for offerings though in this instance iii doesn’t think that Sleep will mind if he lets you rest on it for a bit.

Once you were carefully positioned on the cold stone, he stepped back, his gaze lingering on your features. Goosebumps covering your exposed skin. The icy chill of the depths had already begun to take its toll—your lips started to take on a bluish hue. It dawned on him that leaving you there in soaking wet clothes is not the wisest decision. Perhaps he should try to find something dry for you to wear.

He let out a hum trying to think of what would be suitable for you to wear. iii and the other vessels didn’t exactly have a lot of options readily available to them, so an old ceremonial garb they used to wear for rituals would have to suffice. Kneeling down to the underside of the stone table, carefully folded with care laid four black robes with runes of worship inscribed down the thick fabric. Grabbing one of them, he stood, staring at your unconscious form, bathed in the soft light streaming through the opening of the cave and the narrow cracks in the ceiling. The sunlight made you look ethereal, as if you were a vision from another world.

iii hoped the sunlight would help warm you up a bit before you got sick, he wasn’t sure that he or any of the other vessels of Sleep were equipped to help someone who was ill-being as they do not have to worry about such things thanks to the way Sleep created each of his vessels. He just hopes that your nap and the sun will heal all wounds and illnesses you might have acquired since you’ve arrived here.

As iii gazes at your shivering form, a sense of urgency grips him. He knows he has to get you out of your wet clothes, but he’s torn, not wanting to overstep any boundaries or make you uncomfortable. Yet, if he doesn’t act, the risk of you getting sick—or worse—looms overhead. Trying to maintain respect while still doing what’s necessary, he carefully peels off your soaked shirt, tossing it aside for later. Swiftly, he slips a robe over your head, covering you as gently as possible. He removes your shoes and socks-then, using the robe to shield your lower body, he begins to remove your pants, careful to preserve your dignity as he works.

Once you were in dry clothes, he grabs the pile of wet clothes he had previously discarded and placed them just outside the entrance of the cave on a rock so that hopefully the sun would dry them quicker for you to wear once again. Though it will probably take at least a day for your shoes to dry completely.

He walks back over to where you lay, sitting down in front of you resting his back against the table closing his eyes wanting to stay close to you in case something happens. The need to keep watch over you in your fragile state is at the forefront of his mind. Waiting for you to wake up iii hopes that you will have some answers for him about what Sleep’s purpose is for bringing you here to them.

He really wishes that Vessel was here, he was always good at understanding the purpose behind Sleep’s actions. There had to be a reason for you being here, nothing Sleep ever did, was meaningless. Just like how they all had a purpose for being there, created in their own specific ways that would be of the best use to Sleep and his plans, even if that meant they sometimes had to suffer because of it in the process. It wasn’t always easy being the way he was, constantly needing to come back to his sanctuary and submerge beneath the water just for the small amount of reprieve the feeling of the water gave him.

iii preferred not to dwell on how everything had unfolded, as it only left him with more questions than answers. Hopefully, when you wake up, you can help him understand your purpose here. If he hadn’t arrived when he did, there was a good chance you would have drowned- though some part of him knows that Sleep wouldn’t have allowed that to happen, maybe to save you Sleep would have made you like him. In Eden, being a siren wasn’t exactly easy, but he supposed there were some benefits to it. Without his connection to the water, he might never have sensed you flailing beneath the surface of the abyss. Maybe Sleep had sent you to him as a reward for all his hard work—but what about the others? They have been just as devoted, sometimes even more so. With a sigh, he decided to stop overthinking and worrying about it until he was able to talk with Vessel. He would wait until you woke up, hoping that you could offer some insight into what was really going on. —--—————————— Am I dead? you wonder. No, if I were dead, I don’t think I’d feel like this. Isn’t heaven supposed to be pain-free or something? Unless I’m in… no, it’s too cold here. Your head was pounding, every part of your body ached feeling heavy and numb at the same time, and with every labored breath you took feels, as if it’s tearing your throat open.

You open your eyes squinting in the dark trying to make out your surroundings with difficulty. The neverending throbbing of your head not helping you in the slightest. Looking out through the entrance of the cave or whatever it is you find yourself in, you notice it is a lot brighter outside than it should be considering that it is in the middle of the night. The light from the moon illuminated almost everything in the cave, an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of your stomach this place doesn’t feel right, unnatural almost.

As you slowly sit up on the cold stone you were lying on, groaning at the dull pain coursing throughout your body made even more apparent by the movement. Wondering quietly to yourself where the hell you ended up, not remembering much after waking up in freezing cold waters. You look down at yourself realizing you are not in the same clothes you were in earlier you grab the sleeves of the material rubbing your thumb over the soft fabric furrowing your eyebrows in confusion.

“I didn't want you to get sick so I had to change you out of the wet clothes and that is all we had.” A voice from below where you sat said causing you to let out a small scream pushing yourself back as far as the table would let you go pressing your back against the moss-covered wall. The owner of the voice stood casting an ominous shadow over your cowering form.

The person, if you could even call them that, threw their red painted hands up in front of them trying to placate you.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe here.” said the man. Now in the moonlight, you could see him more clearly, his hair was blood red, a golden mask that looked like it was burnt or melting on the lower half of his face where his mouth would be. The mask he wears has the same symbol etched in the middle as the robes you now wear. His shirt was covered in swirling intricate designs paired with thick black pants.

Fear and adrenaline now coursing through your veins, your heart is pounding so hard you think this man in front of you can probably hear it and by the tilting of his head, you are led to believe that he most definitely can.

“Where am I? Who are you?” you croak out, your voice sounding hoarse each word feeling as if it was causing your throat to bleed. Everything about the situation you find yourself in overwhelming you immensely tears start brimming in your eyes waiting to fall.

iii takes a step back trying to put more distance between you both, hoping that it will make you less scared and allow you to calm down a little. He can practically taste the fear pouring off you in waves at this point, not liking the feeling as it was starting to make him nauseous.

“I am iii. Do you remember how you got here? I found you in there.” he says pointing towards the huge gaping hole of water that looks ten times more menacing in the dark with nothing but the moonlight illuminating it.

His question throws you off causing you to try and remember anything, how I got here? How did I get here? You try to think back to before waking up in the cold seemingly endless abyss in front of you. No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t think of anything, not your friends, family, or your job. Nothing about your life was coming to mind, it was like someone or something was blurring them out only the sense of hopelessness and sadness filled your mind.

Looking into the iii’s eyes you slowly shake your head as he lowers his hands letting them hang by his side. Again you ask him, “Where am I?”

He wished that he had water or something for you to drink to help soothe your aching throat, but at the moment the only option was the salt water from the abyss and he highly doubted that it would be of any help to you.

“We have come to call this place Eden.”

Your eyebrows raise in disbelief. Eden? As in the Garden of Eden from the Bible? Oh my god, you think to yourself, I’ve been kidnapped by some sort of cult, and they’re going to sacrifice me. You lean forward, burying your head in your hands. This is a nightmare, this isn’t real, it’s got to be a joke. You have no idea where you are or how you ended up here almost drowning. Looking at the man standing before you wearing the strange mask, painted with unsettling runes, insisting that you’re in the Garden of Eden, if this is a joke it’s an elaborate, one you’ll give it that. Maybe if you play along, you can figure out a way to escape, find help, or at the very least make sense of this twisted situation.

Pulling your head from your hands you make eye contact with the man, you now know as iii, who is already staring at you curiously from where he still stands a few steps away from the stone table.

“Okay.” you say slowly, “do you by any chance know how I can get back home from here?”

iii stands up straight at your question, he has never once thought about leaving this place. Why would he, Sleep created it for him and the others to stay and devote themselves wholly to Him. And if Sleep brought you here, then this must be where you are meant to be. You are probably just confused and don’t realize it yet. He just needs to take you to Vessel and explain things to him and then Vessel can help figure this all out. Now with a plan in mind, iii slowly walks closer to you and extends his hand out to you.

“Come with me and we can figure this all out together.”

You glance from his outstretched hand to his eyes trying to see any form of danger or deception but finding nothing but a pleading hopeful expression. You slowly place your hand in his as he helps you down off the stone table leading you towards the entrance to the cave.

Once you both reach the opening of the cave, he lets go of your hand pointing towards the rock where your now dry clothes sit.

He turns to look down at you, “You can get changed back into your clothes if you want. Wait here don’t move until I come back.” he says before jogging off into the trees before you can say anything in return.

You cautiously walk over to your clothes, picking up your pants you put them back on feeling better now that you are not as exposed. Picking up your shirt, you pause the shirt you were wearing was thin not the best option for the hike you were probably about to have to take through this garden. Plus the robe you wore was warm and one of the softest pieces of clothing you think you’ve ever worn. So, you decide to just keep the robe on instead hoping iii wouldn’t mind your decision.

Your socks have long since dried but you cannot say the same for your shoes. At this point you think they might be ruined forever, picking one up and squeezing it in your hold water pours out of your shoes, letting out a defeated sigh you toss the shoe back to the ground opting instead to just put your socks on as it was better than nothing you supposed.

You look in the direction iii went this could be my only chance you think to yourself, I could make a run for it. The pounding of your head and the ache in your limbs stops you, no I am in no shape to be running away right now. Plus, I don’t think I would be able to make it very far before he gets back, he knows this area way better than I do right now. And if he sees that I tried to run away it might make things worse for me in the long run, so it is probably better to try and gain his trust and think of a better plan.

Sitting back on the large rock you finally have a chance to catch your breath and look around properly at your environment. This place is beautiful you think to yourself, the plant life here giving off a phosphorescence glow in the moonlight. The flowers here are absolutely breathtaking, with soothing shades of pink and red everywhere you can see. In the back of your mind you actually began to wonder if this place was in fact Eden, the plants and environment was something you have never seen before.

The sound of footsteps breaks you out of your thoughts, looking to find the source of the sounds you see iii emerging from the bushes carefully holding a large leaf cupped in his hands. Cautious of his movements he stops in front of you extending the leaf out towards you.

“Drink this. You’ll feel better.”

You wearily eye the leaf before you that is filled with a light pink translucent liquid, looking back up to iii suspicion evident on your face. iii realizing that you are not fully trusting of him yet, brings the leaf up to his mouth taking a small sip to show you that it is okay to drink. Once done with his sip he brings the leaf back in front of you extending it closer to your face. You wait looking at him for any signs of the liquid affecting him and seeing none you slowly lean forward bringing your lips to the leaf and letting him pour the contents into your mouth.

The liquid was sweet and refreshing, the feeling of the cool liquid running down your throat helped ease the burning immensely. The throbbing of your head and ache in your body slowly started to dissipate the more you drank. Once you drank the last little bit, iii pulled the leaf away before tossing it to the side.

“Do you feel better?” He asked curiously tilting his head to the side waiting for your response.

Clearing your throat, “Yes, thank you.” Your voice sounded like your own now, no longer sounding strained or hurting with every word you spoke. You raised your hand up to your throat rubbing it confused wondering what the mysterious liquid you just consumed was.

Feeling pleased with himself that the sap actually worked in making you feel better, iii clapped his hands together in front of him in satisfaction. “We should get going and find Vessel before the effects wear off. He will know how to help you.”

Those were his favorite dreams, dreams where he got to hear your voice, your laugh, anything that involved you. He especially loved seeing the way you would look at him, as if he was the most important person in the world, even though you had to remind him several times that he did, in fact, deserve the love, you gave him and more. Simon Riley will do whatever it takes to see that look on your face again, even if it is just one last time. 

It has been two months since the world came crashing down; a new bioweapon was released that turns people into terrifying and disgusting creatures who are no longer human once infected. They become monsters that will stop at nothing to fulfill the unstoppable hunger coursing through their veins for blood and gore. No one ever thought they would see the day when zombies would actually walk the Earth. Simon remembers when he first heard the terrible news; he was just getting back from a relatively easy mission when he got the news from Price. 

—-

“There’s nothing we can do anymore, Simon. This might just be the end of the world as we know it.” Price said, sounding hopeless, something that Simon had never thought he would hear from his strong-willed Captain before. 

The thought of you at home or at work alone, on the other side of the country, so far away from him. If something were to happen to you, he didn’t even want to think about it for fear of speaking it into existence. He pulled out his phone, his hands shaking as he called you. Simon’s heart was pounding in his ears, making the ringing of the line barely audible. He began to hold his breath; the longer it took for you to answer, the seconds felt like centuries. On the fourth ring, you answered the phone, not even able to greet him before he was already giving you orders, something he never does, hating to let you see that side of him, but when your life was on the line, it was something that had to be done. 

—---

That phone call was the last time Simon had heard your voice as he walked through the broken streets of your once lively neighborhood trying to find you, hoping with everything he had left that you listened to him and stayed safe. All you had to do was barricade yourself in your shared home; Simon was always a worrier when it came to your safety, teaching you how to correctly defend yourself with guns and knives should the need ever arise, making sure the house was constantly stocked full of emergency supplies such as first aid kits, nonperishable foods, and bottle water, something you always poked fun of him for asking if he was ready for the zombie apocalypse, little did you both know that a simple joke would soon quickly become a reality. In the back of his mind, he was very thankful that you, at the very least had enough supplies to last you a long time and keep yourself safe until he could get to you. 

As he walked closer and closer to your shared home, broken glass crunching under his heavy boots, Simon thought about the long journey here. After the last phone call he shared with you, it was too long after that electricity, the internet, and everything quickly stopped working all over the world. The only source of communication was radio transmission, but only if you were lucky enough to find a working generator hooked to a  radio station or one that was run on solar panels. Luckily, he did not need any of that to locate you, knowing exactly how to get back to you no matter what it takes, even if he has to walk the whole way by himself. 

Simon promised Price that whenever he was able, Simon would try to contact him and that once he found you safe and sound, he would meet Price and the rest of the task force at the safe house Gaz was at to regroup and create a haven for themselves and other survivors they should find along the way. Though, if Simon was being completely honest, he didn’t really care about finding or helping anyone else, at least not until he found you, the only thing still keeping him going, his light in the darkness. Even though he was fairly used to walking long distances, combat, and guerilla warfare, the more that got in his way to reaching you felt like another nail in the coffin. Sometimes, though Simon was lucky, he would find a car in working condition that still had a bit of gas left in it, so he was able to speed down the damaged roads covered in corpses, cars, and monsters. 

Simon sees it now, the place you both called home; over the last two months, the agriculture has run wild, the weeds and grass growing tall in the yard, your once carefully looked after garden of flowers and small fruits and vegetables destroyed by what he can only hope was wild animals. The familiar wooden steps groan under his added weight as Simon slowly ascends the stairs. He grabs the worn door handle to find it locked, taking that as a good sign, hoping you are safe inside, he reaches into his hidden pocket underneath his tactical vest and pulls out the small house key that you painted black with a tiny little ghost in the center telling him ‘it matched his aesthetic more’ his heart clenches at the memory afraid of what he will find behind the closed doors. 

Simon slides the key into the lock and turns it, causing it to click into place, again, he grabs the handle, turning it to push the door open only to be met with resistance. Looking through the small crack of the door, he sees the heavy wooden bookshelf, ‘you just had to have for all your trinkets and books’ shoved against the door, blocking entry. A rush of pride fills his chest that you listened to him and blocked the entry points of the house with furniture. Using all his might, Simon slams his shoulder into the door, trying to push it open along with the bookshelf. 

“Love! Are you here? Answer me?!” Simon's deep voice cut through the silence of the house as he squeezed through the small gap in the door he was able to make. Once inside, he reached back and slowly shut and locked the door, not wanting to have any surprise visits from anyone or anything else. Still not hearing any response from you, Simon begins to make his way through the house. Looking at the small, cozy couch where he first worked up the courage to tell you that he loved you, though a whisper at first, scared of your reply, fearing it would ruin your relationship, until you threw yourself in his arms saying it back much louder than he had, it was now propped up against the wall as a makeshift barrier covering the window that looked out over your garden. 

Simon walks into the kitchen with his gun raised just in case, already fearing the worst. The kitchen that was once filled with your joyous laughter as you covered him in flour from an impromptu baking idea you got after watching one of those silly baking shows you liked to watch when he was away on a mission. Now, nothing but his heavy breathing and footsteps can be heard. A muffled cry reached Simon’s ears, causing him to whip around in search of the source of the sound. Heading towards your shared bedroom, the door slightly ajar, letting him see somewhat into the room, memories flashed behind his eyes: the bed where he held you close at night, where you moaned out his name in pleasure, the bed where you comforted him after harsh nightmares that seemed too real. 

Using the tip of his gun, he pushed the door open quickly checking the corners of the room for danger, finding nothing until another muffled noise could be heard coming from the closet. Slowly, he walks toward the closet, he reaches out his hand, shaking from what he might find, and rips open the closet door, aiming the gun. Only to find you huddled in the corner of the closet shakily holding one of his hunting knives while tears stream down your face while you cover your mouth trying to hold in your sobs. 

Upon seeing you, Simon drops to his knees, whispering your name, ripping off the mask from his face. Through the tears in your eyes, you see Simon kneeling in front of you, and you leap forward, throwing yourself into his awaiting embrace, the knife now forgotten on the floor beside you. You loudly sob as you tuck your face into his chest, Simon's arms tighten around you to the point where it almost hurts, but it is a good kind of pain. His face is tucked in the corner of your neck; his breathing is shaky and labored. You both sit in the opening of the closet, holding each other as close as you can, until Simon pulls back from you and grabs your face, holding it carefully in his hands, his eyes searching your face, before leaning forward and placing his forehead against yours closing your eyes. 

He lets out another shaky breath, “I am glad that I was able to make it in time to see you one last time.” 

Your face fulls together in confusion, putting your hand overtop of his, “One last time? Simon, what are you talking about?”

Simon feels you pull your face out of his hands, but still holding his hands, he opens his eyes to see more tears now streaming down your face as your eyes focus on the bite mark on his left arm, the ripped shirt covered in blood as he tried to fight off the spreading infection as best he could with a tourniquet. Simon tried so hard to make it back to you unscathed, but he was ambushed and attacked by a horde of zombies just yesterday. Everything happened so fast that he didn’t even realize he had been bitten until later. When he realized, he thought about killing himself right then and there to protect you, but he couldn’t, not yet anyway, he wanted to see you again. He had to, he had to know that you were ok. Plus, he couldn’t stand the thought of you never knowing what had happened to him, making you spend the rest of your life worrying about him. So, he decided he would find you and see you again for the last time. 

“no, no, no, no. Please no! Simon, I just got you back you can’t leave me. Please don’t do this to me..I… can’t do this anymore.” you are sobbing uncontrollably now. 

Simon pulls you into his chest again and rubs a soothing hand down your back. “I am so sorry, love. I hate to do this to you, but I needed to see you. I had to know that you were safe.” His voice rumbled against your face. “You won’t be alone; I wouldn’t do that to you. I was able to contact Price earlier today and told him and he is on the way to you. He will be here within the coming week. The safe haven they create isn’t too far from here. They all promised me they would keep you safe.” Simon feels his control wavering, but he needs to stay strong for you; crying right now would not help you. 

—

You both stay like that, slumped on the floor, holding onto each other with everything you have because you know when you let go, it will be for the last time. “How much longer do you have left?” you whispered out, your voice raw and strained from all the crying. 

Simon let out a deep, painful breath, “A day at most, the infection moves at a fast rate. But I am not taking any chances; I’m doing it tonight. Price will be here soon, and you’ll be ok.” 

He feels you shiver in his hold at his words. Simon knows that you understand his meaning without having to say it. Simon knows he is already risking so much by coming back to the house to see you one last time, but just for once he wants to be selfish and make all of his suffering worth it, holding you in his arms makes him feel complete once again even though you both know that time is running out. He grabs your face and brings your lips to his uncovered ones, kissing you, trying to show you that everything will be ok, that you are going to be ok, trying to say everything that he is too scared to say through your last shared kiss. Salty tears can be tasted on your lips as you wrap your hands around his neck, running your fingers through his hair like you always do. Simon pulls back from you just a bit, though your lips still brush against each other with every word he whispers, “I love you. No matter where I end up, I will always search for you to keep you safe.” 

He gives you one last peck against the lips as he slips out of your hold, walking to the door and closing it behind him because he knows if he stops now and looks at you, he won’t be able to follow through with his plans, and he has to do this. He has to keep you safe, even if it means breaking your heart in the process. Your sobs echo loudly throughout the home that was once filled with so much happiness. Tears fill his eyes, but he keeps on walking, squeezing through the gap in the front door, pulling it shut, locking the door back, hoping that you will move the bookshelf back in front of the door. The key feels heavy in his grasp as he rubs his thumb over the small ghost painted on it. He bends down carefully, placing the key under the doormat for Price to find. 

Simon walks around to the edge of the house where the tool shed still stands with overgrown weeds covering it. He prys the door open till he finds what he is looking for, pulling out the heavy wrench from inside the toolbox. The metal feels cool in his grip. Simon rolls his shoulders back, raising the hand that holds the wrench above his head before bringing the wrench down onto his jaw with as much force as he can muster. Pain explodes across his face, but he won’t stop not until he knows for sure his jaw is broken. He refuses to take any chances of coming back as one of the disgusting zombies and potentially end up biting or hurting you.

 It took three blows before Simon could feel his jaw hanging limply from his face. The pain was one of the worst pains he had ever felt in his entire life, but to keep you safe, he had to do it. Plus, the physical pain he was experiencing was nothing compared to the pain inside his chest. Simon slides down the side of the shed, sits down in the grass, pulls his gun, places it on the side of his head, closing his eyes, picturing your smiling face in his mind, the life you both should of had together flashing throughout his mind as he pulls the trigger, the last thing he sees is you standing before him the day you meet smiling brightly at him. 

—-----------

Four days later, when Price arrives at you and Simon’s home, he walks up the steps leading to your door when something catches the corner of his eye off to the side of the house. Price sees the tool shed with a slumped figure sitting in the shadow, walking over to it with his weapon raised; bile raises in the back of his throat that he has to force back down at the sight of you covered in blood wrapped in Simon’s arms your face tucked under his broken jaw. In your hands, Price sees a note. He reaches down and pulls the note from your hands, opening it.

 ‘I am sorry, John. I couldn’t leave him all alone here.” He places the note back where he found it, looking down at his friends as tears fill his eyes. He refuses to let them fall because he knows wherever they are, they are together. 

--------------------------

When you think about the masked man or Ghost, as he is fearfully referred to as, you can’t bring yourself to be scared of him or feel any hostility towards him as you once were when you first noticed him watching you. Now, you even begin to refer to him as your guardian angel, making you feel safe and protected, knowing that he is always there looking out for you. It all started when he would leave you small red roses with a black ribbon tied around the stem and a small wax skull in the center of your room after particularly rough days, sometimes even leaving food with it when you accidentally end up missing dinner because of dance practice taking longer. 

Some of the other dancers are scared of you, now thinking that you are in cohorts with the supposed Ghost and will incur his wrath if they are seen talking to you. It doesn’t bother you that they all leave you alone now because they were never really the best company to keep around anyways, always getting into trouble trying to sabotage one another for the leading roles in performances besides, you have found friendship with two of the stagehands.

Today, something was different; there had been a strange gut feeling that something bad was going to happen today ever since you woke up, causing you to be more on edge. As you stand in the practice room alone, trying to perfect the newest choreography, the door slams open, causing you to jump in surprise. You turn around to see the newest stagehand smiling creepily at you. You hear your friends talk about him, and they have nothing good to say about him. The door clicks into place behind him, breaking you out of your thoughts as he walks to where you stand in front of the mirror. 

Taking a step back as he approaches fearfully, you ask, “What are you doing?” 

He lets out a deep chuckle, eyeing you up and down, “ I just wanted to introduce myself to you; I have seen you around and thought that we should get to know each other better.” He reaches his hand up, resting his hand around your neck and rubbing his thumb against the side of your neck. 

You let out a panicked sound, ripping the man's hand away from around your neck and stepping away from him, “What are you doing!?”  you shout as you make your way towards the door, but not putting your back towards him in fear for what might happen if you do. 

He lunged forward harshly, grabbing your wrist and pulling you into him, trapping you in his grasp. “Relax, you might end up liking it. You never know.” he sneered before. His heavy breathing fanning over your face, making you recoil in disgust, trying to free yourself from his arms. You begin screaming at the top of your lungs for help, hoping that someone will hear you and come to your rescue. 

 Loud bangs erupted from behind the mirror, and the sound of glass shattering echoed in the room. The man holding you throws you to the side, causing you to lose your balance, falling to the floor and smacking your head against the ground. At the harsh impact, black dots begin to swarm your vision; the last thing you hear as you succumb to the darkness is the thudding of heavy hits like someone was fighting. 

From the darkness, your Ghost had emerged when he heard your desperate screams for help. He had left you alone in the practice room for no longer than five minutes so that he would be able to leave a rose in your room like always, but this time, as he approached the practice room, instead of hearing you dancing around the room, he heard the sounds of your cries for help. Sending fear and anger throughout his body, without even thinking, Ghost threw himself into the two-way mirror, shattering it into a million pieces. At the sight of him emerging from behind the mirror, the man who held you captive threw your body to the ground as Ghost grabbed the man, unleashing punch after punch. The pathetic man tried fighting back, but it was no use; he didn’t stand a chance against the Ghost. 

After a couple of heavy hits, the man lays limp at Ghost's feet; whether he is dead or alive does not matter to him at all. The only thing on his mind was you. He walks over to you, carefully lifting your unconscious body into his arms, checking for injuries, and finding nothing too serious. He stands, cradling you to his chest, walking back to the gaping hole in the mirror. 

Reaching his liar hidden deep beneath the Opera House, Ghost gently places you down on his bed, whispering to your unconscious form, “Don’t worry, no one will ever hurt you again.” 

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

Price, the owner of the Opera House, lets out a deep sigh at the letter from Ghost in his hands. He lits up a cigar, letting out a puff of smoke before standing and beginning to make his way to the practice dance room, muttering curses under his breath at another mess he has to clean up.

--------

As you looked out of the window of your small cottage towards the center of town, where in years past, you would be able to see streets filled with people walking around with their loved ones, children, and their parents playing out in the snow together, laughter filling the air, but now the streets are empty nothing but the white snow covering the stone paths throughout the village. The harsh wind caused the window panes to groan, and the snow kept piling up more and more. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched as a figure marches their way through the thick snow from your neighbor's house towards your front door. 

You walk to your front door just in time to hear a harsh knock. When you open it, you see Philip, the assistant to the village leader. Moving back so he can enter, he makes his way inside, tracking snow throughout your house. Once inside, he makes his way towards your fireplace, placing his hands in front of the fire. 

“Philip, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” you asked, closing the door behind him and moving to stand in the middle of your living room. Feeling a bit uneasy at the sight of him in your house, nothing good ever comes from one of his visits, usually trying to con people out of food rations for himself, saying it is for the good of the village. 

He turns around, placing his hands around his back to keep them in front of the fire, his eyes scrutinizing you, a small sneer on his face. The fire casing an ominous shadow over his frame, and you are now able to get a better look at him. The food shortages obviously have no effect on him. At the same time, most people in your village, yourself included, are forced to ration their food just to make it through the week. He and Shepherd, the village leader, constantly have full plates, never once having to starve, wondering where their next meal is coming from. His expensive fur jacket looked more pristine than ever, and nothing on his outfit was out of place. 

“Yes, I have been tasked with letting everyone know that at six tonight, there will be an emergency village meeting in the church. It is mandatory for everyone to be in attendance.” He sounds as if this task is below him, but he will do whatever Shepherd tells him to do.

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and you feel skeptical about the emergency meeting. “Oh, okay. By any chance, do you know what the meeting will be about?” 

At your innocent question, Philip squints his eye, looking at you up and down suspiciously, clenching his jaw and taking quick steps towards you. He points an accusatory finger in your face, causing you to step back at his fast approach. “It does not matter what the meeting is about. You are required to be in attendance, understand?” 

Your back hits the wall separating the living room from the kitchen; setting your hands on his chest, pushing him back from you, he stumbles back, grabbing hold of your wrist, disgust clear on his face. His breath hits your face, “have some respect for your village leaders.” 

Ripping your hand from his grip, you walk towards the door, open it, and motion for him to leave, venom clear in your voice, “You are just the assistant, not the town leader. You can leave now. You told me about the meeting.” 

Smoothing down his jacket and giving you one of his signature smiles, Philip chuckles and walks back toward the front door. He pauses to stare at you, a strange look in his eye. “I look forward to seeing you at the meeting then,” he winks as he walks out the door and back into the snow.

You shut the door behind him, sliding the lock into place. You let out the breath you had been holding, wishing that things could go back to normal in the village. What does it matter if you were not going to attend the meeting? Though with his reaction at the thought that you were not going had him acting like that, you fear to think of what he would actually do if you failed to make an appearance. Not to mention, you are very curious as to the details of this emergency meeting; perhaps it was about food rations or the never-ending blizzard. 

You place your head against the door; a headache begins to form with all the frantic thoughts running through your head. Opening your eyes, you see the trail of snow Philip tracked into your house. Cursing him under your breath, you move to the kitchen to grab a towel to clean up the mess before it ruins your floors.  

—----

You glance at the small hand-carved clock on your wall. Seeing that it is almost time for the meeting to start, you make your way to your front door, putting on the thickest coat you own, your gloves, and winter boots. Opening the door and closing it behind you, you wrap your coat tightly around you, pulling up the collar to cover the bottom half of your face as you venture down the snow-covered stone path that leads throughout the village. You see your neighbors already making their way inside the church. Two men stand outside wrapped in thick fur jackets and hats, each holding lanterns to signal the start of the meeting. You trudge through the thick snow, carefully walking up the ice-covered steps to the entrance. The two men, who you now recognize as Simon and Johnny, the town’s butchers, open the massive doors. You mumble a quick thank you to the men and make your way inside the warm church. 

Looking around the massive sanctuary, a long line of lit candles operas on either side of the pews gives the room an almost eerie glow. You realize you are one of the last villagers to arrive, seeing as most of the pews are already filled to the brim with people waiting for the meeting to start; whispers could be heard throughout the room, filled with hateful gossip about one another. You decide to sit in the back, where there is still a little bit of space left, sitting in one of the only empty spots left.

You take off your thick jacket and hang it on the back of the pew you were sitting on, and continue looking around the room. At the front of the pulpit stands Philip Graves, talking in hushed tones to the village leader, Shepherd. They look to be arguing, judging by the looks on their faces. Philip turns his head, looking near the door; when he makes eye contact with you, he turns back to Shepherd, whispering in his ear, a sinister grin appearing on their faces.

The front doors slamming closed behind you cause you to jump a bit. You turn around in your seat to see Johnny and Simon standing inside the church, placing the lanterns on the golden hooks on either side of the doors. They move to stand behind the pew you are sitting on, making you feel uncomfortable, but before you can ask them about it. A throat clearing causes you to turn your attention back to the front of the church, where Shepherd now stands behind the podium with Philip by his side.

“Thank you all so much for joining us today for this emergency meeting. We know that things have been tough recently for us all. But fear not; we have come up with a solution that will surely save us all from this torment.” 

Everyone perks up at the news, excited at the thought of ending their suffering. For some reason, you feel a sense of dread overcome by this news. Something about this whole situation does not sit right with you. Something in your gut telling you that nothing good is going to come out of this meeting.  

“Now, I know you all must be wondering as to what the solution to our problem is. Philip and I have found who is responsible for our suffering it is none other than the demon Krampus. He must be growing bored with punishing children and is looking to torture the innocent people of this village.” 

Gasps echo around the room; Shepherd raises his hand up to silence the murmuring, “To appease his wrath, we must give him an offering; then I am certain we will be saved.” 

Your heart starts to pound in your chest, an offering? What could anyone in the village possibly possess that would be good enough to use as an offering to a demon to appease them? Shepherd locks eyes with you, “I know what you all must be thinking: we have no material possessions good enough for such a beast. We will give the demon a human sacrifice!” 

The room suddenly becomes too hot, sweat beads down your face. Johnny and Simon come up behind you and pull you out of your seat. They begin dragging you, kicking and screaming, to the front of the church. You try to pull your arms from their grip, but is it no use, kicking your feet, trying anything to free yourself. Tears flow freely from your eyes. You look around at the people of your village, pleading with them, hoping that someone, anyone, will help you, but they just all sit there watching, doing nothing. Reaching the front of the church, Philip grabs you from the grip of the two butchers, placing a rough hand over your mouth to silence your yelling. 

Your back is pressed against Philips's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around you, keeping you in place; you struggle in his grip, causing him to tighten his grip on you. His grip bruises your arms, but you refuse to give up. Ignoring your efforts, he says, “Tomorrow, everything will be back to normal once the demon has his offering! Return to your homes and await the glorious rewards that will be gifted upon us all!” He yells out, his chest rumbling against your back. 

As you watch, everyone slowly rise from their seats and make their way toward the entrance of the church, leaving you to your demise. You bite the hand covering your mouth as you let out more screams for help, “Please don’t do this, there must be another way!!” you yell out desperation clear in your voice,  but all you get in return is a slap across the face from Philip. 

“Bitch just bite me, hand me the gag. I can’t stand to hear any more of this pathetic screaming.” Simon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gag before harshly shoving the cloth in your mouth and tying it around your head. 

Once the door slams, such as the last of the villagers returning safely to their homes, Shepherd grabs a rope from his pocket and stands in front of you, “Ah, fear not. Think about the good your sacrifice will bring to the people of this village, all the lives you will save.” He pulls your wrists together in front of you and binds them tightly together, the rough rope digging into your skin.

Philip unwraps his arms around you and grabs the rope around your wrist, dragging you towards the front doors of the church, the rope squeezing your wrists, causing you to let out a pained gasp that is muffled by the cloth in your mouth. What was about to happen to you setting in, causing you to dig your feet into the carpet of the church trying to free yourself. Tears flow down your face, muffled screaming, as you try desperately to escape. 

“Alright, I can’t deal with this the whole way to the forest. We got to do something,” says Philip, annoyed by your constant struggle. 

Johnny walks back to the podium and pulls out more rope; he picks you up and throws you over his shoulder, handing the rope to Simon, “Tie their feet together. It will probably just be easier to carry them.” 

Simon takes the rope from Johnny, grabs both of your kicking feet and ties them together as tight as he can, making it more difficult for you to free yourself.

With you bound tightly over Johnny's shoulder, the group makes its way to the front of the church. Simon and Johnny retrieve their lanterns from where they had been left earlier. The heavy church doors open, and they begin their journey toward your death, the flickering flames casting long, eerie shadows in the snow. Your muffled screams echo through the village. Through blurred, tear-filled eyes, you catch glimpses of people watching from behind their windows, doing nothing to help you. 

—-

They have been carrying you farther and further into the forest, walking for what seems like hours. The light from the moon can be seen through the trees; the only source of light for miles is the lanterns. Your throat is sore from all the screaming, and you're pretty sure your wrists and ankles are now bleeding due to the rope rubbing against your skin from your flailing around. As you all reach a clearing in the middle of the forest where only a single twisted tree stands in the darkness, everyone stops walking; Johnny throws your body on the ground, the harsh impact knocking the breath from your lungs. 

Philip yanks you up from the rope around your wrist, dragging you through the snow towards the tree, the fear flooding your body, giving you a new rush of adrenaline, trying to dig your feet into the ground but with your ankles tied together, making it near impossible. Shepherd is already standing underneath the lowest hanging branch of the tree, holding one end of a rope that has been tied around the branch. They tie the rope through the rope on your wrists, hoisting your arms above your head until your arms are straining and your toes are barely scraping the ground. You let out muffled groans of pain and cursing them as best you could.

All four men are standing in front of you; no sympathy for what they are doing to you can be seen on their faces. Shepherd gives one last look at your body hanging from the tree, “This is where we leave you. Thank you for your sacrifice.” he says smugly before turning with the others and leaving you to your death.

  As you watch them all walk away, the light from the lanterns slowly fades away until you can no longer see it, leaving you in the dark forest alone. You begin to try to free yourself from the tree. Tears run down your face and neck. You try and scream to the best of your ability, but the cloth in your mouth muffles your shouts. Flailing around, trying to somehow untie the ropes on your wrists, all you end up accomplishing is tightening the knots, burying the rope farther into your skin, and blood from the open wounds on your wrists running down your arms. 

Your body quickly runs out of energy from your constant struggle, crying, screaming, and the cold. You begin to feel tired, struggling to keep your eyes open, thinking to yourself that you really don’t want to die, especially not for the people of the town who did nothing to help you; they all just watched. Until, from the darkness, you begin to hear the distant sound of bells jingling closer and closer. Looking all around you in the darkness, you see the glow of a lantern with an outline of a huge figure. You automatically think it is probably someone who is out hunting, so you begin screaming as loudly as you can through the gag, trying to gain their attention. The figure pauses walking, turning towards the sound of your screams, and begins walking in your direction.

 A huge figure emerges from the trees, standing nearly seven feet tall with twisted horns protruding from the mask peeking out from under the hood, his eyes shining through the darkness, the mouth carved onto the front of the mask was open with sharp teeth and a long red serpent-looking tongue, underneath the dark red hood covering his face and body. With every step it draws closer to you, you catch small glimpses of the jingling of bells hanging on a chain wrapped around his torso from underneath the red cloak glimmering in the light from the lantern. 

Frozen in fear at the person walking towards you but still in the back of your head, you are hoping that they will set you free. He stops right in front of where you are hanging from the tree, even dangling in the air, the top of your head barely level with his chin. The soft glow from the lantern gives off an eerie glow to whoever is standing in front of you. You swear that you can see his eyes staring right through you. You let out a muffled “help.” 

“Warum bist du hier draußen?” The demon in front of you utters, reaching for the gag tied around your head. He pulls the fabric out of your mouth, letting it hang around your neck.

Your voice hoarse from all the hours you spent screaming for help, you manage to croak out a gasped, “What?” 

He eyes you curiously, looking at your bound hands and feet. He reaches inside the large red cloak and pulls out a sharp hunting knife. Wrapping an arm around your waist to keep you from falling to the ground. He cut the rope around your wrists, your numb arms falling limply to your sides. Lowering you to sit on the snowy ground, he moves down to the rope around your ankles, cutting the rope. You rub your wrist, trying to bring feeling back into your body, the blood flowing through your arms causing a tingling sensation. 

Still crouched down in front of you, he places the hunting knife back inside his cloak and pulls out a small water skin, holding it out for you to take. You eye him cautiously before grabbing the water skin and taking big gulps of water, the cool water soothing your raw throat. As you hand him back the half-empty water, he says,  “Now, let's try this again, ja. Why are you out here?”

Sniffling due to the cold, anger courses through your body at the memories of the past few hours. You hiss. “They said I was supposed to be some kind of offering to save the village from Krampus’s wrath. They tied me up and dragged me out here against my will.” You take a deep breath, pulling your knees up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them before continuing your voice much softer this time, “No one even bothered to help me. I was screaming at them, but they wouldn’t listen.” 

The man in front of you lets out a hum, “I have no need for an innocent sacrifice. Where do people get these silly little ideas from.” he says, scoffing and shaking his head in disbelief. 

You squint your eyes at him, looking him up and down from the way he is sitting in front of you, causes his cloak to open a bit and allowing you to see the chains wrapped around his torso more clearly. On the chains are the little golden bells engraved with small intricate designs. You can barely make out the cursive ‘Krampus’ written across them. Come to think of it, his cloak, mask, the bells remind you of the description of Krampus from the old stories people in your village used to tell children to keep them from misbehaving or else the demon would arrive and punish them. You look up into his eyes, and seeing him already staring at you, you ask, “You are Krampus?” 

“That’s me. Though you can call me Konig.” He stands up to his full height, holding his gloved hand out for you to grab, “come, let’s go.” 

Taking his hand, allowing yourself to be pulled to your feet, swaying slightly due to the feeling not completely coming back to your legs. “Where are we going?” you ask, tilting your head back to look at him. Still holding his hand, following him deeper into the forest.

He looks down at you, his voice dripping with disdain as if the answer should be obvious. "Back to your village."

"My village? Why?"

Konig stops in his tracks, turning to face you fully. His eyes rake over your face, a calculating look in his eyes. "I am Krampus. I punish those who are bad."

You furrow your brows in confusion. Is he really suggesting that he's going to punish your village for you? And what does he mean by "punish"? Scare them? Or… something worse?

His gaze lingers, reading the flurry of thoughts playing out behind your eyes. After a moment, he adds, his voice low and heavy with dark promise, "I assumed you'd want revenge. It is your choice. After all, you are the one they wronged. Though I should probably warn you, many will not survive."

The memories of your village’s betrayal flood back—how they ignored your pleas for mercy, how they bound you and left you to die in the forest. It is no longer the same village you grew up in. You nod in a slow, deliberate motion. "I want revenge."

Even with the mask hiding his face, you can see the faintest crinkle at the edges of his eyes, a wicked gleam catching the faint light. He lets out a low chuckle, a sound that sends a shiver down your spine. "Let’s go then," he murmurs, continuing walking. "It’s been a long time since I let my elves have any real fun."

—--

You stand at the outskirts of your village with Konig, his elves circling the perimeter, waiting for him to give the word. The streets are empty; everyone is already in their houses, settling in for the night. Rage courses through your veins at the thought that while they left you to freeze to death hanging from a tree, they were all snuggled up safe and sound in their beds without a care in the world. 

Konig’s elves were dressed similarly to him, standing tall in the darkness, though none of them were as tall as Konig. They wore terrifying masks with twisted and crooked horns protruding from their foreheads demonic-looking faces carved into the wood of their masks. Their gloved hands gripped jagged tools that clinked along with the bells wrapped around them as they moved. The air around the village seemed to thrum with a dark, malevolent energy.

Konig places a hand on your shoulder, “Stay with me. I do not want you to get hurt.” You nod your head in response, grabbing a hold of the chain around his torso, which is now on full display. His cloak sits wrapped around your shoulders to protect you from the harsh weather. 

“Hinterlasse keine Überlebenden.” His thick accent echoing in the darkness. The elves take off their maniacal laughs and pounding footsteps, announcing the chaos that was about to ensue.  

He trails behind them, you in tow, gripping tightly onto the chain wrapped around his torso, struggling to keep pace with his long strides as he makes a beeline straight toward the church where all of this began.

Screams pierce the stillness of the night as the elves burst into homes, ripping people from their beds. Some set fire to houses, others destroy everything in sight, their chaos unquenchable. Simon stumbles out of his front door, drenched in blood, not making it very far before an elf hurls a bola at his feet. The cord wraps tightly around his ankles, sending him crashing face-first into the snow.

When Simon sees you walking alongside Konig, he tries crawling toward you, desperation in his voice. “Please! Help us! We’re being attacked!” 

You don’t even spare him a glance as you keep walking, your pace steady as Konig leads the way. Behind you, you hear the sound of the elf dragging Simon away back into the madness. No one had come to your rescue when you screamed and begged for mercy. No one here will get any sympathy from you. They deserve this.

You both reach the church and with a single, powerful kick, Konig sends the locked doors crashing to the ground, causing some of the candles near the door to extinguish the smoke traveling to the ceiling. The wood splinters violently under the sheer force of his strength. He enters the church, ducking to clear the doorframe. His gaze sharpens as he spots Philip and Shepherd huddled in fear before the pulpit.

Konig rolls his shoulders back, making himself seem more menacing and threatening as he approaches them, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the church. With every step, the bells make a small chime. Each jingle is a reminder of their impending doom. Shepherd and Philip stand unmoving as Krampus now stands before them, towering over their trembling forms. 

He stands tall, the shadow created from the lit candles throughout the room, causing him to look more and more like a demon, but you are not scared, knowing that you are not the one receiving his anger. His eyes glow with a burning hatred and promises of pain. You let go of the chain around his torso, moving to stand beside Konig, wanting to see them suffer as they made you suffer.

Shepherd tries to appear unfazed, staring Konig right in the eyes. “What is the meaning of this? We gave you a sacrifice to save us, not kill us all!” he says, raising his voice at the end and pointing a finger toward you. Both men gave you disgusted looks as if it was your fault that all of this was happening to them.

“You thought sacrificing someone who has done no wrong would put an end to your suffering?” Konig growls, his accent thick, “I am the one who brings retribution to the wicked.” 

With a flick of his wrist, using his dark magic, a rope slithers down from the rafters of the church, wrapping itself around Philip’s and Shepherd’s wrists and hauling them up until they were dangling in the air much like how you were when Konig found you. They let out groans of pain, trying to free themselves from the rope, but the more they continued to struggle, the tighter the rope wrapped around their wrists.

Konig rips one of the bells from the chain, a sinister glow now emitting from the bell, the intricate details now shining a dark red. He tosses the bell on the ground at the men’s hanging feet. As soon as the bell makes contact with the floor, the ground begins to shake and split open, revealing a deep, fiery pit. 

They both look down, seeing the entrance to hell open up beneath them, causing Shepherd to frantically try and plead with Konig to let them go, “Please, let us go. We are sorry, don’t do this.”

Philip looks at you, screaming profanities at you, “This is all your fucking fault, bitch. Stop him! Set us free!” 

Tired of hearing their useless pleading, Konig waves his hand, and a gag appears over their mouths, muffling their angry shouts. Konig turns to you, his eyes softening, reaching his hand again for you to take, “do you still wish to do this?” 

Placing your hand in his and moving closer to lean into his side, you look up at his masked face, “do it.” you whisper. 

Konig looks back to where the two men hang from the ceiling, both of their wrists bleeding from where the ropes have become embedded into their skin from their constant struggle. "You failed to show mercy," Konig growls, his voice low and guttural. "Now you shall receive none."

The rope snaps, causing both men to fall into the fiery pit, screaming, descending into what you can only assume is hell, both of their souls destined to be tortured forever. The light from the pit begins to dim until all that’s left is a deep hole in the ground with a single bell in the middle of the pit. 

The village is silent once more. There is no more screaming coming from outside the church. Following Konig back out into the snow, you see your once beautiful village in ruins, homes burnt to the ground, and everything destroyed, but you don’t feel any sadness or regret for what happened here. The elves are now nowhere in sight. If it weren’t for the damage, you would have never even known they were here in the first place. 

 You walk hand in hand with Konig back into the forest, a sense of relief falling over you. The people of this village tried to sacrifice you for their own survival, not caring about you at all, but in the end, you got your revenge.

------