Seeking Strays

My foot pressed down on a sticky mud-like substance. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting the ground in the void to be like, but it definitely wasn’t this. For a split second, it felt like I was back in the Mire and everything so far had just been an illusion.

Then my eyes locked back onto the golden glow at the other side of the void. “Operator, do not turn back.”

“I won’t.” That was probably the easiest rule of them all to follow. It certainly had gravitas with the ‘above all else’ tagged onto it.

“You—!” Bradson let out a shout behind me. He was cut off with a violent slashing sound. His body hit the ground, and his rifle clattered to the carpet.

“Bojang! What are you doing?!” The weathered voice of Grace strained with effort. It trembled and a pained shout echoed around the void. “I-I thought we were… were…”

”I-it’s not too late, Bojang.” Lizabeth’s panic faded to terror. “You don’t have to do this!”

“Really? How long are you going to keep this charade going?” I moved forward one step at a time without more than a passing thought to look back. If Bojang was going to act, he would’ve done it when Francis tried his luck. The White Rabbit didn’t strike me as an idiot… though he could’ve very well turned. Regardless, I couldn’t turn around, so I directly fished for a reply.

”Well, it was worth a shot, wasn’t it, my dear friend?” Sister Lilah immediately dropped the act, and snickered lightly like it was all just a small joke. “Can you blame me?”

I stayed silent and continued to walk forward toward the distant light. Lilah didn’t say anything more, though the whispers started right after. At first, they were distant, incomprehensible things. Slowly, they grew into threats, malicious insults, and demands.

“Cowardly beast, how can you live with yourself?” A particularly loud whisper caused one of my ears to flick back. “Abandoning those that rely on you like that.”

”Operator…” Vigil’s totally neutral voice rang warmly in my ears.

“It’s fine. What are a few voices?” I pulled the plushie out of my hood, and cradled him in my arms. His soft fluff felt incredibly reassuring.

The whispers all around me intensified. Honestly, though, they had nothing on what I normally dealt with. It was all too easy to ignore them and keep trudging forward. Above all else, do not look back. It was the final rule given, and I’d follow it no matter what was thrown my way.

I stopped fluffing his fur, and one of my ears cocked sideways. ”You can hear them too this time?”

“Affirmative.” His voice went quieter, and almost took on a careful tone. Or maybe that was just my imagination acting up again. “Is this something you deal with frequently, Operator?”

“Oh, only every two weeks or so.” I fluffed up his tail and laughed lightly to myself. “These ones actually aren’t that bad by comparison.”

The personal attacks were nothing compared to what I usually put up with. They were all over the place instead of the direct ones that really stung. Some people just had a talent for it, and Sister Lilah didn’t… assuming she was the source of the voices, at least.

One step after another I continued forward toward the golden light. I wasn’t sure how far I’d have to walk for it, but I was prepared to go as far as necessary. I walked across the Mire, so how hard could this be?

“It’s not too late, you know?” Sister Lilah called from just behind me.

”Really? Out of all the voices you could’ve used, why yours?” I replied while continuing my forward walk.

”Why not my own?” Sister Lilah laughed in my ear. “You were so fun back there, and I see nothing’s changed out here.”

”Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” My ears twitched alertly backward. Soft footsteps trailed right after me, though the walker always remained just out of sight. My instincts constantly screamed that something was stalking me from just behind.

“You really are a cutie…” Her voice turned more serious, though never lost the faint sing-song quality. “I don’t do this often, but how about a deal just between you and me?”

”…” There was no point in engaging with her.

”Here’s what I was thinking—you sacrifice yourself to me.” She laughed once more. “I could always use a new loyal hound.”

“Right, ‘cause I’d go through with that.” I shook my head and continued forward toward the distant light. It was brighter now, almost.

“You won’t go unrewarded, naturally, my friend.” Her seductive voice rang like a bell in my ears. “I take good care of my own.”

”Not interested.” Just one step in front of another, Reyna. Nothing to it.

“Of course, of course, why would such a gentle soul like yours be interested in such petty material things?” Her laughter sounded uglier each and every time it echoed across the bleak void. “I’ll personally return every innocent soul to Silverport safe and unharmed.”

“… really?” Faces flashed through my mind's eye. I didn’t catch the name of most of the first bunch that disappeared, but I remembered their faces. I always remembered the faces of those I failed to save.

”There were thirty-six of you who entered the Church of Repentance.” Sister Lilah sighed softly as if she was taking a loss. “Without you, thirty-five would return if they all made it through. Thirty-five beautiful souls… compared to your own weak, broken one, it’s a losing deal by all standards.”

I stopped walking, and stared off toward the source of the golden light flickering just out of reach. It’d grown since I left the cathedral. Now it was about as big as a person, though still just as distant.

“Operator, beware the trap.”

“Right. It is a losing deal.” I continued to walk. An entity like Sister Lilah? There was no way she’d offer that kind of thing.

”Ah, but I don’t have a Silver Wolf girl in my collection.” I felt a phantom touch brush my tail tip, and I jolted forward. “Thirty-five’s a small sum. I could get hundreds elsewhere. It’s such a small sacrifice for such a unique specimen.”

”If it’s such a small sacrifice—“ The words died in my throat. I was about to try and make a bargain with this creature. My chances of outmaneuvering something this ancient felt increasingly small with each passing moment.

“If you belong to me, I promise I’ll return every single one of your brethren. They’ll all be put back where they came from.” Sister Lilah pressed harder, and the phantom sensation on my tail intensified.

”I… I just have to belong here?” My tail twitched away from the phantom sensation, and my steps slowed. I forced a weak, timid tremble into my voice.

“Operator!” Vigil’s voice raised in warning. Heat radiated from his plush body in my arms. “No!”

She paused for a moment so brief I almost missed it. When she returned, her voice dropped into a low purr like a cat toying with a mouse. ”Yes, my darling. You just need to belong here. One broken soul for thirty-five—er, thirty-four. The man who got knifed is beyond even me… Really, your new owner is far too generous.”

My new owner. My ears burned and drooped back against my skull at the words. I’d heard them far too frequently recently. “How would I go about… belonging?”

“Simply turn around.” She laughed lightly. Her flowing, smooth voice sounded like a kind nun and not some horrific monster bargaining for my soul.

“Okay.” I looked up at the rules Vigil had so thoughtfully posted in my HUD.

| Do not listen to her.

She only tells the truth.

Do not bargain.

She always honors all deals.

Do not accept gifts.

She does not give freely.

Cause no harm.

Commit no evil.

Above all else, do not look back. |

As far as I could tell, the first two were warnings about her deceptive nature. The third and fourth were a warning that a deal would never end well. The fifth and sixth seemed to warn that everything she gave came with strings. They all had a certain cadence that set them apart from the last three absolutes.

This wasn’t the same kind of Overlap as Checkpoint. The first six weren’t conditions for getting out of here. They were warnings about Lilah, as far as I could tell. The real kickers were the seventh, eighth, and ninth… then again, I could be rationalizing that a rule didn’t immediately fuck me just because I wanted to break it. I wasn’t any different than the others here. It was just a matter of whether I wanted to stake my life on my interpretation being correct.

I continued to slowly walk forward while thinking everything through. Obviously, looking back was out of the question. Did even just accepting her deal count as evil? That was the only one that stood out to me. If it did, then I was bound to… die? Have my soul stolen? Whatever happened after breaking the rules.

Was risking myself really worth it to begin with? Thirty-four people… Most had ignored every warning and thrown themselves into Lilah’s hands, but did that mean they deserved whatever waited for them? I wasn’t sure if everyone deserved a second chance, but I could at least give one where I could.

Was that really worth potentially sacrificing myself, though? Worth never seeing Silverport or my sister? Worth a fate potentially worse than death? The way Sister Lilah talked about me… it was like I was some cute pet she wanted to own.

A shudder went down my spine, and I stopped just outside the aura of the golden light. Just in front of me, the shadowy void faded into a pure golden space. Just a few more steps and I could get out of here.

“Ticktock, my pet. I don’t know how much longer I can keep them.” Sister Lilah calmly called from behind me. “Some are infinitely close to death.”

”I…” My back straightened, and I looked forward to the escape. Who was I? Who was I really? Beyond Canary, Anarch, or Barghest, who was Reyna Vargriev? No one was watching. Whatever I chose, I alone would have to live with it.

”Yes?” She drew the word out playfully.

“The moment I belong, you’ll instantly release all thirty-five safe and sound back in Silverport?” I patted Vigil’s head lightly. “That’s the deal, right?”

“Of course, my pet. You have my word.” She went silent as if to give me one last moment to think it through. “Oh I do love watching your thoughts dance inside that cute little head of yours.”

“And how much is your word really worth?” I let out a heavy breath. Who was Reyna Vargriev? Better yet, did it matter?

“… Operator.” Vigil’s voice practically roared in my head. “Are you sure?”

“Why? Are you against it?” I ruffled his ears, and held him up to look at me. His soft, silver fur gleamed with golden light.

“Priority one: Safeguard Citizens.” His red eyes flashed with light like he was processing through a ton of information. “This unit projects this plan to have a—“

”Don’t tell me the odds.” I’d rather not hear how depressingly small my chances of getting out of this alive were.

His eyes flashed twice and then went dim. “If the Operator believes this is the best way forward, then this unit will not interfere. Might I point out that your continued existence might safeguard more than the few in this Overlap?”

“Thank you, Vigil.” I patted his head one more time, and dropped him down into the pocket of my hoodie. ”If I always put survival first, I’ll never safeguard anything.”

“… affirmative.” He silently called through the bone conduction. Although statistically speaking he was probably right, even he could see the fallacy of changing how I treated the present based on a hypothetical future.

Sister Lilah apparently had enough of my one sided conversation and spoke up from behind me once more. ”So? I’m ready when you are, my pet.”

”Heh, right.” I took one more step until I stood on the edge of the golden light. “You said belonging here was enough?”

”Naturally. The moment you belong here, all thirty-five—no, all thirty-four will return to Silverport alive and unharmed.” Her voice called from just behind me. “Almost had me, my pet.”

Ah, so she caught that. No, she probably already knew and was just toying with me this entire time. My ears curled downward. The man was already gone, so I was hoping I could trick her into agreeing to thirty-five and sending me back as well. That little insurance policy never made it off the ground.

Still, I had one last thing I could hedge it all on. One last gambit to see if I could save them all. It was almost better she caught my insurance policy. It hid what I really wanted. I held out my hand. Radiant flames converged from thin air and condensed into a small, beat-up card.

| Visitor’s Pass #???? |

| This badge proves you are authorized and that you belong here. Move quickly. You’re just a visitor and not something permanent. |

“Tell me, do I belong here?” I offered the card back behind my head without turning around, and twirled it between my fingers. The golden light in front of me seemed to pulse as if in amusement.

Summoning the Visitor’s Pass got me into the bridge last time. I didn’t understand how the anomaly worked, and I didn’t need to. I only needed it to work just one more time. I might not be able to outmaneuver an ancient monster, but I could let her think she already found my trick. She taught me better than anyone how desire could create blind spots.

”You… you!” Her voice broke off into heavy laughter. As if she’d been holding herself back, a sudden wave of weight pressed down harshly onto my mind, and my entire body broke into trembles. Every hair on my body shot straight up in warning.

“Yeah. Me.” It sounded much better than last time as I held the card back toward the entity. “So?”

”Yes… yes, you belong.” I expected unwillingness and anger, but Sister Lilah almost seemed to be happy about it? “Your little group is free. You’re the last one remaining here.”

“I suppose I should thank you.” Though I didn’t bother saying the words aloud. Instead, I stepped forward into the golden light. Vertigo passed through me, and the light surged around to banish the darkness.

“Very well. Very well! If the hunt was short, it’d be boring. I’ll look forward to our next meeting, my pet.” The last thing I heard as I was moved somewhere else was Sister Lilah’s crazed laughter.

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