Chapter 57: Souls

  After being so rudely dragged out of bed again, Lily did not bother much with her appearance. She definitely would not waste time searching for a proper dress at this hour and pulling it on just to satisfy anyone’s sense of decorum. Instead, she pulled a pair of black, baggy pants from her inventory, cinched at the waist with a softly shimmering golden rope she usually wore when she just wanted to relax and not think. Over her black top she slipped on a loose kimono-style jacket that hung casually from her arms, and she finished it with simple slippers.

  At least it was comfortable, and she did not need more than a minute to get dressed.

  I really need to start taking better care of my clothes, she thought absently while adjusting the jacket. She still had more than enough outfits stored away, dresses and formal wear included, but her habit of tossing everything she wore into a corner of the room was bound to become a problem sooner or later. Not now though, she added mentally. Just a little note for later, if later ever exists again.

  She walked out of her room, down the stairs, and toward the massive double doors at the entrance hall. Before she even reached them, she opened them with a lazy flick of [Telekinesis].

  Outside stood Igrath, still carrying his enormous hammer as if it were an extension of his body. His expression mirrored Lily’s own mood so closely that she briefly wondered if he was doing it on purpose. Beside him stood the female cultist, Sharen, if Lily remembered correctly. Sharen looked as though she was about to be executed, her posture stiff and her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

  When Lily stepped through the doorway, both of them turned toward her.

  Sharen’s eyes widened slightly when she saw Lily, and she immediately bowed deeply, staring at the ground as if afraid to meet her gaze. Igrath, on the other hand, spoke without hesitation.

  “Honored Highblood,” he said in his deep, steady voice, “allow me to apologize for the renewed late disruption. The mortals brought a matter to my forge that requires your attention, since it is not within my discretion to decide how it should be handled.”

  Lily closed her eyes slowly, then opened them again, fixing her gaze fully on Sharen.

  “And this could not wait a few more hours?” she asked flatly.

  “N… no, sorry, Princess,” Sharen began, her voice tight. “But it somehow happened that Sevrin lost control tonight and wanted to kill Marie.”

  She paused, then hurried to continue when she noticed Lily’s skeptical look.

  “Which is of course unusual, even if they argue often, but that is not the reason we came to you. It turned out that Sevrin made some kind of contract with an entity from one of our rituals and is now possessed, and…”

  “And you just could not kill him,” Lily finished in a deadpan tone.

  Sharen flinched visibly.

  “No,” she said quietly. “And Lord Igrath said it would not be wise.”

  Lily inhaled slowly.

  “How long has he been possessed?” Lily asked.

  “At least a few months,” Sharen replied. “But Marie suspects it might be even longer.”

  Lily exhaled slowly.

  “And you seriously believe this could not wait until tomorrow,” she said, her voice calm in a way that made it far more dangerous, “when he has already been possessed for months?”

  Sharen recoiled, clearly shrinking under the weight of the question. Before she could answer, Igrath stepped forward.

  “That was my decision,” he said. “After hearing the mortals out and forming my own judgment of your underlings, I allowed them to explain what their cult—the Children of the Abyss—had been doing and how they were involved in freeing you from the Abyss, mighty one. After that, I examined the matter myself.”

  Lily’s expression remained neutral, but something cold settled behind her eyes.

  “It appears the possession stems from a soul contract with a being from another plane,” Igrath continued. “That alone is highly problematic, since you were unaware of it. I trust you understand the political consequences if such a being had been secretly observing you, gathering information, and influencing the summoning that freed you.”

  Oh, of course, I understand perfectly the complexity of the political consequences involved when one of the idiots has been possessed for months and I have been here for days. Sure, Lily thought tiredly. It makes complete sense that an NPC generated from a legendary relic drop is deeply concerned about my political ambitions involving beings from other planes…

  She resisted the urge to rub her temples.

  “It could have meddled with the ritual,” Igrath went on. “This is not only an insult to your person, since the entity might be a rival or a spy that never presented itself to you, but also a political liability. Another Highblood interfering within your domain without declaration is not something that can be ignored.”

  He let his hammer slip from his grip. It hit the stone ground with a heavy thud that echoed through the courtyard.

  “Honored Highblood,” Igrath added, “I do not know from which old clan you originate, whether from the Malveris Dominion or from ties even older. But I, Igrath Mawforge, honor my word. While I have sworn to follow you, I will not allow any outside force to sully your name. Interference like this must be cut off before it takes root.”

  Do I really need an explanation here, or do I just go with the flow…? Lily thought, forcing herself to actually focus instead of snapping.

  What do I even know about the Malveris Dominion…

  She could not resist the urge any longer. She rubbed her face with one hand and leaned back slightly against one of the doors, letting her thoughts drift despite herself. She had been there a few times back in Xantia, but not often. Lore-wise, the Malveris Dominion was located in the deepest instance of the hell-world, in other words; the deepest circle of Hell as far as the game was concerned. Hellish and heavenly realms had never been part of the mortal world itself. They were separate instances, demarcated entirely, and accessible from almost anywhere in Xantia, not just from Pangrea.

  Pangrea had only been one of the four major continents, with countless smaller islands scattered across the world. After all, Xantia needed a ridiculous amount of space, for over a million players, all of them wanting to be the main character in their own little story, all of them carving out kingdoms, factions, guilds, or entire civilizations of their own. The world had been massive, but even then, it was unlikely for players to randomly meet when they lived on entirely different continents.

  That had been one of the main reasons Hell and Heaven existed as instances in the first place. Smaller realms, globally accessible, designed so players from all over the world could actually run into each other. Hubs of conflict, cooperation, and high-level nonsense.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Another reason was far simpler. Hell and Heaven had been added much later as expansions. New environments, new fantasy aesthetics, new enemies, and most importantly, new lore. With those expansions came entire kingdoms, power structures, and for the first time in the game’s history, Eternal NPC Factions.

  The Malveris Dominion ruled the deepest circle of Hell, while its counterpart, the Celestarch Concord, reigned over the highest plane of Heaven.

  Lily let out a slow breath through her nose.

  They had still been relatively new. Her guild had planned expeditions there later that year. That was why she had already visited the Malveris Dominion at all, but even then, she had not done much more than buy property. A base for later exploration. She had never bothered to dive deep into the lore at the time.

  Except for one thing.

  And how could she have forgotten it?

  The first time she had entered the Malveris Dominion, she had gained a title. Not because of a quest or some grand story event, but simply because of what she already was. Demon Highblood as a species. The system had recognized it and registered her as one of the first Highbloods of the Dominion.

  So yes, technically speaking, she was connected to Malveris. In a very distant, very system-driven, very annoying way.

  But why in the hell does this matter now? she thought irritably. Why is this haunting me here, of all places, when all I wanted to do was sleep for a few hours?

  And more importantly…

  Why, in all the fucked-up logic of this world, would one idiot being possessed have political consequences on that scale?

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling the headache pulse again.

  This is not my problem, Lily told herself firmly. At least, it should not be. And yet, somehow it always became my problem. But there is only ever one solution in situations like this... Right. RP-Lily needs to take over now. I should know enough to make a logical decision here…

  For a moment, silence hung between them.

  Lily looked at Sharen, then back at Igrath.

  “Well,” she said at last in a sharp voice, “it seems I am awake now anyway.”

  She stepped forward, already moving past them.

  “So, you might as well show me,” she continued. “Take me to him.”

  And without waiting for an answer, Lily walked ahead.

  Both followed her. Igrath moved immediately at her side, while Sharen trailed a few paces behind, completly tense. The short walk through the forest passed in silence. Cool night air surrounded Lily in her light outfit. She had already noticed it earlier today, but now the night felt much colder than yesterday, almost freezing. Huh. Winter is coming really fast here… she thought absently.

  The clearing appeared between the trees soon enough, and the dark stone house stood there like an accusation. Lily did not hesitate. She stepped inside as if the place belonged to her, because it did of course. The door closed behind them, and she moved straight toward the stairs. I really hope this is worth losing the last scraps of sleep I had left.

  On the first floor, the living area was crowded. The fire was still burning low in the hearth, casting uneven light across the room. Garron stood near the center; his attention fixed on the man sitting on the floor. Marie was close by, her posture was tense, while Tristan and Marlon hovered near the walls, both clearly unsure where to look.

  Sevrin’s hands were tied in front of him. The missing finger was obvious, and dried blood stained the cloth wrapped around his hand. He looked up when Lily entered, his expression twisting between defiance and something closer to madness.

  “Ohhh, great doom-blessed Princess, you are finally here!” Sevrin called out the moment he saw her. His voice was loud and theatrical, echoing unpleasantly through the room. “You see how completely mad they have gone, oh great Hellishness? They attacked me and tied me up like some common beast!”

  Lily stopped a step in front of him and looked down. She did not react to the words themselves, only studied him in silence. Her crimson eyes traced his face, the tension in his jaw, the restless flicker in his gaze.

  Those honorifics again, she thought. Random, exaggerated, and wrong. They had always been ridiculous. Not like clumsy worship, but like someone copying reverence without understanding it. Sevrin had pestered her with them before, again and again, but back then it had sounded like misguided admiration. Now, on a second thought, it did not feel like something a normal human would use at all, not even someone as eccentric as Sevrin. And certainly not after he had been told to stop using them.

  She straightened slightly and turned her head just enough to look at Igrath. “You examined him already?” she asked calmly. “You are certain this is possession through a soul contract?”

  “Yes,” Igrath replied without hesitation. “That is why I decided to bring this matter directly to you.”

  Lily exhaled slowly and turned her attention back to Sevrin.

  Months, she thought. This has been going on for months. And if this has been going on for months, then there are two souls in there already.

  A long-running contract meant shared space, shared thoughts, and a fractured identity. Madness was not a side effect; it was a symptom. Either the payment was nearing its end, or the contract had already been fulfilled in part. Soul, body, or something else entirely. Demonic contracts were rarely simple in Xantia and since this was the real world now, probably even less.

  And as she kept focusing on Sevrin and those strange honorifics, something else surfaced in her mind. Right after she had been summoned into this world, when she had confiscated Sevrin’s book and inspected the summoning circle herself, she had noticed something that had bothered her even back then. Even with nothing more than tier-one runes, the cultists had managed to mess the circle up impressively. At the time, she had dismissed it as sheer incompetence, because the whole thing had looked like a complete mess. Some runes had been switched around. Some symbols had been outright wrong. Others had been missing entirely where they should have been mandatory. And one rune had even been written sideways.

  In the end, she had simply thought they were complete idiots who had no idea what they were doing. But looking at Sevrin now, it felt different. Less like stupidity, and more like intention.

  And that thought made her frown. With that realization, Lily finally understood why this situation mattered far more than she had wanted to admit. If an entity had managed to alter the summoning circle back then, even subtly, then her arrival here had not been random at all. They had not failed to summon the intended target of the book by accident. And they had not failed to summon just anyone who vaguely matched the title of the Princess of the Abyss either. No. The circle had been aimed at her from the very beginning.

  With all those conclusions settling in her mind, Lily finally made up her mind about how she would approach this.

  And, since Lily was not a full-fledged mage and most of her skill set leaned heavily toward the destructive side, her options were limited if she did not simply want to kill or burn both souls until nothing recognizable remained.

  Luckily, she was not only a [Spellsword], but her highest Job-class was [Alchemist]. And as an alchemist, she had access to methods that were far less lethal, but far more intrusive. Techniques meant to probe, bind, and expose rather than destroy. They were slower, messier, and often deeply unpleasant for everyone involved, but they had one decisive advantage. They left things behind.

  Without another word, Lily reached into her inventory and pulled out a small vial filled with dark, shimmering liquid. A [Bloodbinding Elixir].

  Sevrin began to speak again, but she ignored him.

  She leaned down and, with one sharp nail, made a shallow cut on his cheek. He hissed in surprise. One drop of his blood welled up, and she caught it neatly, letting it fall into the vial. Then she cut her own finger without hesitation and added a single drop of her blood as well.

  She sealed the vial, shook it once, and then lifted it to her lips.

  Without pausing, Lily drank the potion.

  The effect was immediate and overwhelming. It felt as if the world inhaled sharply and never breathed out again. Sound stretched first, voices and crackling fire slowing until they became deep, warped echoes, and then even those vanished. Motion followed. Garron, Sharen, Igrath, even Sevrin’s shallow breathing froze in place, locked mid-moment like figures carved from wax.

  Then everything else fell away.

  Her vision darkened, the room dissolving into nothing, until there was only Sevrin left.

  His body stood suspended before her, outlined in a cold, shimmering blue light, as if reality itself had decided to mark him as the anchor point. Behind him, where no mortal senses should have been able to reach, two presences hovered.

  One was simple. A blue orb, unsteady and faintly flickering, drifting close to his shoulder. It pulsed weakly, like a wounded heart struggling to keep rhythm. That must be Sevrin, Lily thought grimly. Or what is left of him.

  The other presence made her spine tighten.

  It hovered on his opposite side, cross-legged in the air, its proportions roughly human but wrong in subtle, unsettling ways. Its surface was smooth and pale, like a mannequin carved too carefully, and its face looked as though it had been painted on with thick black ink. The lines did not form proper features, but instead shifted slowly, rearranging themselves into patterns that suggested expressions without ever fully becoming one.

  When the potion fully settled and the connection stabilized, the frozen world released its hold on those two alone. The blue orb wobbled faintly, drifting closer to Sevrin’s body, while the mannequin-like figure tilted its head toward Lily with interest.

  And the timer of the potion’s effect began to tick. She had five minutes to speak with the soul, or in this case the souls bound to Sevrin, before the effect wore off and she would be dragged back into reality, whether she was finished or not.

  The ink-black face shifted, lines flowing smoothly until something resembling a smile appeared.

  “So,” the figure said, its voice echoing without sound, resonating directly inside her awareness. “You found me, Lily Carter.”