Vir’s Artifact chakram lay on the ground nearby, but the orb that had contained Maiya’s soul was nowhere to be found.
Had she even been there in the first place? Or was the Maiya he’d seen a facsimile, like everything else seemed to be? It certainly appeared as though that entire world had been fake. Why not the characters within it, too?
Gods, what if it was real? What if Maiya… What if she’s…
Vir’s breaths came quick and ragged, and his heart beat madly. He opened the Foundation Chakra, allowing its energy to flow into him, calming his addled thoughts.
Keeping it open for long taxed him, making him feel spent and weary. He’d wondered why demons didn’t simply keep their chakras open all the time—now he knew. At some point, he’d simply fall over from exhaustion. Not physical, but of the soul.
For now, the Foundation Chakra cleared his mind enough to think. He didn’t know if Maiya was dead or alive. Or even if it was the real Maiya who’d been in that… illusion. For all he knew, she could be completely unaware of everything. Initially, he’d feared that possibility. Now? Now, he hoped for it.
I have to contact her.
He had a communications orb. An orb Cirayus had proven he could use.
The Demon Realm. We have to get to the Demon Realm.
Until now, there had been no rush. Not with the time flow difference in the Ash. He’d used the opportunity to grow stronger. Now, his top priority was ensuring Maiya’s safety. He only needed to hear her voice, and all would be right again.
But what if I don’t?
Whether the orb would function in the Demon Realm was anyone’s guess, and if it didn’t, Vir knew what to do.
He’d turn right around and head back to the Human Realm.
Until then…
Until then, Vir would focus single-mindedly on that goal. The Garga and the Akh Nara could wait—Maiya came first.
Vir took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts, then surveyed his surroundings.
The room in which he stood was unlike any he’d seen before. The ‘floor’ was more a messy tangle of dark green trunks, resembling a wildly overgrown forest more than anything constructed by humans or demons.
Or, for that matter, anything built by the Imperium. Vir had been to their great city. He’d seen their architecture. He knew their style. Angular, tall, ordered, with a hint of the organic.
No, this feels different. Very different.
And yet, it also felt familiar. Like he’d seen something similar before.
Where have I…
An inky black pool of liquid forced Vir to jump over it to reach the exit—an oval opening that resembled a doorway.
Vir froze, then turned slowly back to the liquid. He knew exactly where he’d seen this.
The Ink of Clarity.
It was the same liquid he’d peered through at Saunak’s tower, a year ago. The liquid that had shown him visions of faraway places.
Vir hesitantly approached the pool. Perhaps, if it worked similarly to the Ink…
Maybe it’ll show me Maiya.
Vir dreaded what he might see. What if it confirmed his fears? What if Maiya was…
Shaking his head, he pressed on and peered deeply into the pool. Seconds passed, but the liquid showed him no images. Only darkness.
Vir breathed a sigh of relief, only for the feeling to be replaced with dismay. The anxiety that wracked him would continue.
With a heavy heart, he headed for the doorway.
The door, as it turned out, was no regular opening. It was an Ash Gate. Perfectly stable, and just large enough to admit him through.
Peering through the Gate, Vir found far more familiar surroundings. Beautiful blue-lit Imperium architecture stood in stark contrast to the almost natural trunks of the room he was currently in.
Vir took one last glance behind him, then stepped through.
The Gate vanished—as if it’d been created solely to admit him.
In the distance, he heard the rhythmic thumping of heavy footsteps.
Prana Current surged, and Vir melted into the shadows. The room he’d entered was well-lit, but there were still plenty of exits from the Shadow Realm. Vir peered through the exits… and found a very familiar figure.
Vir left the shadows, sighing in relief. “You’re safe?” he asked, though he immediately regretted it.
Cirayus whirled and Balancer of Scales activated. Vir felt his weight multiply twenty-fold, but to his Ash-strengthened body ripping with Prana Current, it was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. It would be a different story if he had to fight Cirayus in that state, but there was no danger of that.
It was Sikandar he was more worried about. The gargantuan blade flashed with terrifying speed. Vir might not die from a single blow, but he certainly wouldn’t emerge unscathed.
Vir brought his katar up to defend.
Cirayus’ eyes went wide in horror. Noticing his mistake, he canceled the ability and halted Sikandar… just a hair’s breadth from Vir’s neck.
Tossing aside the blade, which clanged noisily on the stone, he dropped to his knees before Vir.
“I apologize, my liege. I should have identified who it was before attacking. I have no excuse.”
Vir dismissed his apology. Cirayus had apologized several times to him over the past year. As they grew closer, it seemed like the giant’s deference toward Vir only grew. Or perhaps it was due to Vir’s growth. He couldn’t say.
Regardless, he hated it whenever Cirayus acted this way.
The demon stood, then embraced Vir in a great hug. “I feared for the worst, lad. I thought I’d lost you.”
Vir remained silent. He wasn’t once worried for Cirayus’ safety—few beings in the world could truly harm him. Again, his thoughts drifted to Maiya.
“I-I see Shan made it out fine, too,” Vir said, partially to distract himself. “Where were you two?”
“I cannot speak for the wolf, but I was thrust into an illusion most foul. When I left that horrid place, I found myself in a room full of gnarled branches and an ancient tree at its center. Departing there, I ended up here. Shan found me soon after.”
An illusion. Right. Of course, it was.
“That’s… pretty much what I went through,” Vir said, feeling the knot in his stomach start to untwist. “Do you know what any of this is about?”
“I wish I knew, lad,” the demon replied. “I take it you had a similar experience? Did you also meet with people from your past?”
“Kinda?” Vir said. “I met Ekanai. Reaper Ekanai, my predecessor, except in the flesh. And… Maiya. She was wispy and ghostlike, though.”
Cirayus stroked his beard. “How very strange. I met my dead family. It was… not a joyous reunion, to say the least. But a necessary one, I think. For me.”
Vir couldn’t imagine what Cirayus must’ve gone through. If it was anywhere near as traumatic as Vir’s experience, he was sure the demon had suffered a great deal.
“Cirayus, do you know if any of that was real?” Vir asked.
“Can’t say, lad. In all my years, I’ve not experienced anything like this. I will likely meditate on these events for some time. Though, there was one oddity. In my illusion, I met a certain character. Someone who knows far more about the mystical arts than I. She suggested that though the illusion was not real, the energy giving form to the characters we met had to come from somewhere. As for where, exactly, your guess is as good as mine.”
“Do you think… If someone dies in there, do they die in reality?” Vir asked, feeling the knot tighten once again.
“In my case, all those I met were already dead.” Cirayus frowned in concern. “Maiya?”
Vir nodded. “I don’t know what happened to her, and it’s driving me crazy.”