Chương 28: Revenge

After going back to the library, the group emerged from the church's entryway. The golden volume stayed out of sight, but the ink on the ground still flowed somewhere deeper into the library. The cultist looked at Eric and Ash.

"I've saved you because I'm human, just like you. Or at least what's left of me."

"What were you doing there in the first place? You don't look like the Shattered." Eric finally had time to take a look at her clothes. Her bright red robe was woven from rich fabric and embroidered with black thread. On the edges, it was lined with green gemstones, just like her eyes. They were vivid green, almost neon-like. Eric had never seen eyes that vivid. It frightened him a little because while her eyes were interesting, he noticed something swirling within them.

In contrast, the cultist's hair was white as snow. She looked at him again and introduced herself.

"My name is Kayle. It's rude not to introduce myself after you helped me survive." She extended her arms from underneath the gown. They looked graceful and thin. She had different silver and gold rings on her hands. Eric remembered his first handshake with Grim. Everything after that proved catastrophic. He hoped that this time would be different.

"I'm Eric. It's nice to meet another human in this forsaken place."

"Forsaken indeed. I never thought… hey!" Kayle laughed. Ash jumped onto her shoulders and was eager for an introduction.

"This is my partner in crime. Its name is Ash," Eric gently lifted the raven from her shoulder and continued, "I hope it doesn't bother you much."

"No, not at all. I like animals. I worked as a zookeeper back on Earth." She exhaled deeply. The reminder of her previous life seemed to bring back some unneeded weight on her shoulders. Kayle remained silent for a bit. A small tear almost dropped on the floor, but she quickly turned around and wiped it away. Eric tried to change the subject.

"At least you had a job. I just graduated college and my first interview was with Death himself! After that, he offered me a job I couldn't refuse. The stakes were too high."

"Everyone has a reason they're brought here. I'm not from this realm. The Shattered sneaked into Hell and brought back a demon. My cult leader, Amalia, wanted us to help resurrect the demon in exchange for more power. She intended to return to Hell and prepare a rebellion." Why is every realm filled with so many problems? I thought only Purgatory was strange. The library vibrated, and a high-pitched scream echoed around them. Kayle seemed worried.

"The problem is that we didn't kill the demon. When it finds a way to get out of the church, it's going after us. Both."

"What can we do to defeat it?" Eric asked.

"I don't know yet. We can't stay in one place. Let's get moving," she said. The library's layout made it look like Kayle moved in a seemingly random direction. She levitated slightly above the ground and increased her speed. These threads again. She's after them. Actually... she can't see them. She's just heading that way. Eric saw the swirling streams of essence in his vision. He wondered how she had taken that path.

"Hey... how do you know the way?" he asked.

"This place is an illusion. It plays with your mind by tricking you into thinking it's endless. In reality, the ground and columns shift to make you feel like you're not moving." Kayle sped forward in a bolt of red energy and glanced back.

"Hurry up!" Teleporting ahead, Eric tried to keep up with her. She flew between the shelves before finally stopping for a moment. Stepping onto the ground and landing gracefully, she walked over to a nearby bookshelf.

"We're here." Kayle searched through the books and pulled two of them out, changing their places. The ground near the shelf slid to the side, revealing a narrow spiral staircase. Why do I never know about these cool hideouts? I swear I'm gonna have my own one day. The white-haired cultist descended into the passage with Eric and Ash following her. She knocked on the walls, and red ambient light revealed the surroundings. The embroidery on her robe changed colors under the new, soft glow.

Pure black replaced its older emerald brilliance.

"My cult used this place to rest and hide from the other Shattered in the realm. Our operation remained a secret from the high command in both realms," Kayle said. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"As far as I remember, they wanted to capture someone?" Eric asked, almost sure of the answer.

"The idea was to lure you to the church, or at least something that the demon could trace to you. Amalia didn't say why she brought me to the summoning, but I figured it out eventually." Kayle opened a wooden door at the end of the spiral staircase. The place was cramped and old. Nothing in Purgatory looked in good shape, except for the second floor. This realm desperately needs some housekeeping. Why did Grim leave it to rot like that? Three distinct shrines occupied the hideout.

All of them had a mirror, candles, and some kind of strange ritual trinkets. No chairs or beds were present. There was also jewelry on each shrine, but it was color-coded. Kayle's altar had the same emeralds as in her robe. Next to her was a smaller one with blue jewels and an even smaller mirror. She released a fireball into the largest shrine. Eric guessed it was the cult leader's altar. It erupted into flames and began burning down. Its jewels cracked and shattered across the floor.

Kayle snatched a set of earrings and put them on. They consisted of hollow spheres, traced only by thin outlines.

"I'm the cult leader now," Kayle said, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Amalia's always been a bitch, so I wasn't really surprised by her actions. I wish she hadn't tricked me like that when she accepted me as an apprentice." Upon hearing those words, Eric wondered about her class and what faction she was exactly from. After meeting Vex, he had thought about other reapers-in-training, but he never came to the conclusion that there could be other classes altogether. Grim wasn't the only powerful figure caught between the realms.

Replaying the demon battle in his head, an interesting detail caught Eric's attention.

"Why did you call me 'reaper' in the church?" he asked. Kayle smiled and sat down near her shrine.

"You're detail-oriented, that's for sure. We've been instructed that someone caused a stir in Purgatory. Everyone thought Death was trying to fix his own problems, but he seemed to have found a promising apprentice. The Shattered know you're here, Eric."

"Yeah, I thought so. Grim and I tried to stay under the radar. Looks like that's over. Anyway, why are we here?" The cultist turned back toward her shrine and lit it up. It glowed in the dark, but after a few moments, it powered up and lit the whole room. Flames danced across Kayle's skin, knitting her wounds shut.

"I'm here to recover. That ritual and fight really wore me down. As for you, I've brought you here to reduce your scent in the archives. The demon will search everywhere." That's smart." You mentioned Hell earlier. Are you associated with it in some way?" Eric asked. Kayle looked at herself in the mirror, still engulfed in flames. The reaper disciple's silhouette was visible in the reflection.

"Kind of linked to Hell," she let out a slow breath.

"My father was a demon. I've seen him only once. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you feel bad," Eric moved closer to Kayle.

"Well… you didn't know. I have no idea why Death brought you here, but I'm sure it's probably not a good thing to begin with."

"Sometimes, I wish he would've just killed me on the spot. Purgatory is a fucked up place. At least Grim offers some support," Eric said. The flaming ritual at the shrine concluded. A small clicking sound signified Kayle's restoration was complete. She chuckled for a bit.

"That's what you call him? Grim?"

"He was a businessman on Earth when he recruited me here. That was his last name."

"I've heard stories about him." Kayle laughed again. She cheered up, but soon after her smile faded again.

"It's nice chatting with you, but we have to keep moving. I'll return to the Shattered and report that the ritual has failed, and the demon is roaming free. No survivors except myself. It's convincing enough." Eric wondered what her plan was. He wasn't sure if he could trust her, but her being human made the situation a little easier.

"Any other plans?" he asked.

"If the Shattered corrupt this realm, then Heaven will be in danger. I can't let that happen." Huh… a conjurer from Hell wanting to protect the integrity of Heaven. Didn't see that coming. Not wanting to waste any more time, the reaper apprentice asked what was on his mind.

"How can I trust you?"

"I don't want to harm or deceive. Let's work as a team. I'll be your undercover agent," she said and went to the door.

"See you around." The cultist vanished seconds later. Eric and Ash were still in the worn-down shrine room. The raven wandered around.

"Ash!"

"I never asked if she understands you any better than I do. Either way, let's get back to the archives," Eric said and motioned at his companion. Interacting with the door revealed the name of the room. /———————————————————\ Do you want to exit the Cult of Agares Hideout? All progress will be lost. YES | NO \———————-————————————/ When Eric stepped back into the library, the hidden entrance vanished behind him.

Eric didn't remember which books she swapped, but he guessed that he might not be able to enter, even if he knew. Ash was right beside him. The endless interior of the library made him uneasy. It looked like all the ink from the archives was gone somewhere; the previous traces were barely visible. I hope we're not too late. Where's this ink going, anyway? Another harrowing roar hung in the air. For a brief moment, Eric had forgotten about the demon. Now, it reminded him of yet another problem.

On top of everything he had on his plate, a summoned evolved demon from another realm wasn't doing him any good. Dread pulsed through him, a primal emotion evoked by the hellspawn.

"How are you so unfazed by that thing? Aren't you scared?" he asked Ash. The raven looked at him and tilted its head. It walked forward and observed the library. I wish you could talk like a normal person. Suddenly, Ash spread its wings and flew onto the top of a bookshelf nearby.

"Ash!" It jumped onto Eric and began furiously pecking and scratching him.

"Get off me! What's the matter with you?" Eric peeled the raven off his face and sat on the ground, clutching his head. Another cawed again. He looked at the bird, annoyed.

"What?" Ash flew straight up. It soared into the sky, and after a minute or two, it accelerated. Its silhouette was getting smaller and smaller. A loud impact reached Eric's ears. The sky flashed in an instant. Shards of something like glass fell to the ground, and soon after, Ash's body descended. Eric ran under it and caught it in his hands. His companion was still alive, but dazed from the hit. You crazy bastard.