Sera had barely taken her first step when the reality of her new situation settled in. The shadows that surrounded her in Limbo didn't just lurk—they watched. Every time she moved, she felt their gaze, unseen but constant. It made her skin crawl, the eerie sense of being stalked by something far more dangerous than what met the eye.
Damian had vanished just as quickly as he'd appeared, leaving her with only his cryptic words and the chilling realization that there was no escape unless she fulfilled her end of the bargain. She had no idea what assisting him in "guiding souls" would entail, but standing still and hoping for answers wasn't an option.
Move, she told herself. Keep moving.
The ground beneath her feet felt hollow as she walked, like the thin crust of a world long decayed. Her eyes scanned the barren landscape, but everything was suffocatingly still—no movement, no wind, nothing. The only sound was the faint echo of her own footsteps.
And then came the whispers.
At first, they were distant, barely audible. But with each step she took, they grew louder, murmuring in an ancient language she couldn't understand. Her breath hitched as she realized they weren't coming from one place—they were all around her, rising from the shadows themselves. She spun around, trying to locate the source, but there was no one.
Just... the darkness.
She stopped, heart racing. It's just this place, she thought. Limbo is messing with my mind. I'm not losing it... not yet.
The whispers stopped as suddenly as they began, replaced by a thick silence that made her pulse hammer even harder. Something was wrong. She knew it in her bones.
"Still haven't figured it out, have you?"
Damian's voice came from behind her, making her jump. He emerged from the shadows without a sound, his eyes studying her with the same calm intensity as before.
"You can't just wander through Limbo and hope it will leave you alone," he said, stepping closer. "This place isn't a passive bystander. It sees you. It responds to your presence."
"I noticed," she replied, her voice sharper than she intended. "The shadows—they're alive, aren't they? Watching me."
He gave a slow nod, his gaze never leaving hers. "Everything in Limbo watches. Everything here has a purpose. Even the shadows have their place."
Sera clenched her fists. "Then why do they feel like they're waiting for me to slip up?"
Damian's lips twitched, barely a smile. "Because they are. Limbo is a world of balance. It senses the uncertainty in you. The shadows will either guide you—or consume you."
"Guide me?" she asked, skepticism lacing her words. "I've been walking for hours, and the only thing they've done is whisper and watch."
Damian's eyes glinted with something she couldn't quite place. "You haven't earned their guidance yet."
Sera narrowed her eyes. "And how exactly do I 'earn' it?"
Damian stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking to mere inches. His presence was overwhelming, a gravity that pulled at her even though she wanted to resist. "By proving you can survive here. Limbo has no patience for weakness."
Sera felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. "What happens if I can't?"
He didn't answer immediately. His gaze shifted, staring past her into the distance, as if he could see far beyond the barren landscape. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "You disappear. Limbo will take what it needs from you, and you'll fade into its shadows—gone forever."
Her breath caught in her throat. She had known there was a risk, but hearing it out loud made the threat feel tangible, like an invisible noose tightening around her.
"I didn't agree to fade into nothingness," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "I agreed to help you. Guide souls, right? So tell me how to do that."
Damian's expression softened, just for a moment, as if her defiance amused him. "It's not as simple as following orders, Sera. Guiding souls requires more than just obedience."
"Then teach me," she pressed, refusing to back down. "If I'm supposed to help, then show me how."
For a moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes—something almost like approval. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual distant calm.
"Very well," he said, turning away. "Follow me."
Without waiting for her to respond, Damian walked toward the horizon, the shadows parting for him like they feared his touch. Sera hesitated only for a second before following, her instincts screaming that there was no turning back now.
As they walked, Damian's voice carried back to her, low and steady. "The first thing you need to understand is that not all souls are willing to be guided."
Sera quickened her pace to catch up with him. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he continued, "some souls are bound to Limbo because they can't move on. They're stuck—trapped by unfinished business, by regret, by vengeance. They don't want to leave. They need to be persuaded."
"Persuaded how?"
Damian glanced at her, his eyes cold. "Some need peace. Others need force. But no matter what, you cannot let them resist."
Sera swallowed, the enormity of her task hitting her all at once. "And what happens if I fail to guide them?"
Damian stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "Then they become part of Limbo. And so do you."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Sera took a deep breath, pushing down the fear that was rising inside her. She wasn't ready for this—any of it. But she also knew that if she didn't learn, if she didn't adapt, she wouldn't survive.
"Alright," she said, her voice firmer. "I'm ready. Teach me what I need to know."
Damian nodded, his expression unreadable. "We begin now."
And just like that, the shadows stirred.