*** Meanwhile, in a far away land. ***
"Another one? When will this end?" a female voice said. He was barely regaining his consciousness. Bits and pieces of what happened started coming back to him.
"Girl, chill! Tonight's the night, new blood's joining. You should be excited," a male voice replied.
He slowly opened his eyes and lights immediately blinded him. He shielded them as he looked around the place. He was sitting on a chair before a long dining table.
People sat scattered around. Some seemed to be engaged in conversation, while others stared at the room or at him.
"Where am I?" he asked in a groggy voice.
"You're in her domain, her realm." He recognized the first female voice that spoke.
She sat on the opposite side of the table. She had long black hair which she joined behind her head in a ponytail. She wore a simple purple t-shirt and had her arms crossed and leaning on the table.
"Whose domain?" he asked, his mind still foggy.
"Give it a sec, it will all come back to you," the owner of the male voice replied. He was a tall young man with buzzed hair and a clean shaved face. He looked like he could have been in the army.
Memories slowly flashed before his mind's eye; Navina's bloody face and the terror in her eyes; Herbert's head rolling on the ground and hitting his foot; that woman… That mystifying witch of a woman…
His eyes widened as it all came back to him.
"Now he remembers," the girl said. She gave him a wide smile. "How many people had to die for you to be here?"
"Come on! You can't do this to every newbie!" Army Man said.
He looked at him and gave him a friendly, brotherly smile. "The name's Eli. Welcome to your new life."
He looked around the room. The table they sat at was as long as a school's hallway. People spoke either in loud or hushed voices. Some laughed out loud, while others had their faces buried in their palms, sobbing silently.
Drinks and food littered the table from end to end. Chandeliers cast an orange light above their heads, illuminating some parts of the room while obscuring others. He could make out the shape of a door at the other end of the room. Windows were either in the obscured part of the room or completely shut.
"You're probably thinking: 'What have I gotten myself into?' Don't worry! We've all had that small panicky moment," the girl said. "Try that steak over there and mix it with the red wine. I gotta say, wine is the best thing about this place. It'll definitely help you forget all the blood and murder."
"That's Aline, she seems mean, but she's completely harmless," Eli said.
"Hey! What's wrong with you? Don't go around spouting my name!" Aline snapped.
"We're in Her domain?" he asked in a hushed voice. His hands and knees shook.
Aline sighed. "Please don't tell me you're another clueless accident. Weepy creepy over there hasn't stopped crying ever since he came here. If you start crying too, I swear to God I'll slit my throat here and be done with it!"
Memories still flashed before him. He saw Zachary's bloodied face, and his glare as he plunged the knife deep between his ribs. Dying did hurt, but not as much as he thought it would.
He grinned. "I never thought death would be my way of finding her again. If I shed tears, they will be tears of happiness."
Aline snorted. "Watch it Eli, we've got a fanatic over here."
He scowled at her.
She raised an amused eyebrow at him. "It's all fun and games to you people until you see real consequences. You think the people you killed were the worst you had to deal with?"
"Hey, what's your problem? Take it easy on the kid. Do I need to remind you of the scared girl that first arrived here?" Eli said.
She crossed her arms and leaned against her chair. She diverted her attention toward the other people in the room.
"Ignore her," Eli said. "She likes to taunt people, but inside, she's just as scared as the rest of us."
He frowned. "You seem calm about all this," he said.
Eli shrugged. He pointed his chin at Aline. "Not our first Rodeo." He turned toward the door, frowning. "It's not like Her to be late anyway."
He clenched his jaw. "I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what's in store for us. I had to see Her again. I have to."
Eli raised an eyebrow. "Did you at least enjoy your previous life, the one you killed for?"
The young man shook his head. "I never loved anyone, not truly. It all changed when I met her though. It was just a regular night. I dragged a homeless cunt to the woods and slit her throat. The sight of blood and their screams was the only thing that filled me with joy, you see?"
Eli frowned at him. "Dude, that's messed up."
He chuckled. "Says the man who does a witch's bidding!"
Eli's frown got deeper. "I have a contract. It's not like I enjoy killing."
He met his frown with defiant eyes. "Well I do, and I'll kill for Her. All She has to do is ask."
Aline's ears pricked. She turned toward him. "What were you before all this? A serial killer?"
He held his head high. "47 kills in the first life, 250 in the second."
Aline let out a long whistle. "And I took you for a crybaby."
He snorted. "The only crying I ever did was to be with her again." He looked at the head of the table, beaming. "Is that where she comes from?"
Aline nodded. "She always storms inside from there. She loves putting on a show whenever she can help it."
His lips parted into a wide smile. He joined his hands together, his eyes glued on the door. "My muse, my Goddess," he whispered.
Aline let out a disgusted grunt. "Fanatic much?"
He gave her a murderous look. "Love can't be limited by labels. Call me what you want, but know this. I'm her most devoted apostle. If you think of betraying her…"
Aline burst out laughing. "She'd tear my head from my shoulders before you even suspect a thing. Relax, Chapman. I'm good."
Eli put a brotherly hand on his shoulder. "I didn't catch your name."
"Theodore," he said. "You can call me Ted."
Eli smiled. "Ted, you're gonna be a fine addition to our ranks."
Ted smiled back. "Counting on it."
Eli chuckled. "Good! Let that enthusiasm guide you. Just don't let it get over your head."
Ted frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Before Eli could reply, the table before them rumbled. All the drinks and plates full of food vanished. Then the table began rearranging itself, shrinking with every blink.
Chatter and surprised gasps broke in the room as the occupied chairs started sliding sideways. In a few heartbeats, the table's size was reduced. Everybody sat next to each other, watching the room in confusion or amazement.
With a whining noise, the door at the far end of the room opened. A woman in a long navy blue dress walked in then stood by the head of the table. She looked as radiant and terrifying as when Ted first met her all those years ago.
She spread her arms and smiled at everyone in the room. "Welcome, my beloved Apostles. Apologies for the delay, I had a small hiccup to tend to."
"That's it? You promised me eternity with my wife! I didn't pay your price to die after a week!" a tall man at the far end of the table yelled out.
She turned to him, her smile getting wider. "Oh, sweet Sebastian. I did promise you a lifetime with your wife, but I didn't promise you eternal life. You died, and that was the end of the adventure for you."
Eli and Aaron exchanged a look.
The tall man looked her in the eyes. "You tricked me," he said through gritted teeth.
The woman brought her hand to her mouth in an expression of surprise. "Forgive me, I forgot to tell you all there is to know about life, the universe, and all the rules of magic!" She frowned at him, her brow heavily creased. "You made your choice, and you were ready to accept the consequences. What changed?"
"You cut my trip to heaven short, that's what!" Sebastian yelled.
She waved a dismissive hand. "You got a taste of blood and went on a killing spree. It's not my fault the law caught you red handed and killed you."
"I…" Sebastian trailed off, his mouth slightly ajar. He looked down and grew quiet.
"Any more complaints?" the woman asked.
Only Sebastian's heavy breathing could be heard.
The witch tossed her silver hair aside. "Now, I didn't call you here to discuss the intricacies of my contract and soul magic. I called you all here to celebrate new blood in our ranks, and to give them a mission."
Aline leaned on the table, beaming. "Are we going after Him?"
The witch shook her head. "The time hasn't come for that yet."
The woman spread her arms and looked at Ted. "Come forward child, you're our newest member beside Sebastian there."
Ted beamed. He jumped up from his chair and almost fell backward if it weren't for Eli, who held him with an iron grip.
Ted headed for the witch's extended arms. His heart wouldn't stop pounding against his ears. His smile wouldn't fade. He reached her and she beamed at him. "My sweet Apostle, welcome to my humble abode, to my domain."
Ted knelt before her. "It's a great pleasure to meet you at last. I am your sword, ready to do your bidding, now and forever."
The witch chuckled. She gave Sebastian a sharp look. "See, child? This is the spirit I require of my Apostles." She turned to Ted and gave him a warm smile. "It is customary for an initiate to be assigned a mission on their first day. You will have a mentor, an older Apostle who can show you the ways of magic, and help you achieve my goals."
She looked at Eli. "Captain Goodwin, please look after our new blood."
Eli stood straight. He brought his palm to his chest then bowed. "It would be a pleasure, Supreme Ruler. What's our mission?"
Fat creases appeared on the witch's brow. "Vermin stole from me last night and destroyed my puppet. I want you to find them, and bring them to me, alive!"
Eli nodded. "Your wish is my command, Supreme Ruler."
She looked at Ted. "It's time for you to receive your first gift, child. Go with Eli, he'll show you the way." She flipped her hand and handed him a pendant and a steel bracelet.
"Al will help you track them with these. Don't disappoint me," she said in a flat tone.
Eli patted Ted on the back. "Come, we'll choose a weapon for you, then we'll go find them."