Sera's breath hitched as the shadows around her began to stir. The darkness shifted, taking form, stretching and twisting as though something deep within Limbo had been awakened. She could feel it—a presence, raw and angry, as though the very ground beneath her was responding to her fear. Damian stood beside her, unaffected by the chaos around them, his expression impassive.
"The first soul we'll guide," he said quietly, his voice calm in the midst of the swirling shadows, "is not one that will go quietly."
Sera swallowed hard, trying to steel herself. "What… what do I do?"
Damian glanced at her, the faintest glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Listen. Watch. You'll learn."
The shadows gathered in front of them, condensing into a figure—vague at first, but soon taking on more detail. It was the silhouette of a man, his face contorted with rage, eyes blazing with a fury that seemed to burn from within. He thrashed violently, trying to free himself from the dark tendrils that clung to him like chains.
Sera felt a chill run down her spine as the man's eyes locked onto hers. There was something deeply unsettling about the way he looked at her, as though he could see right through her, into her very soul.
"Who… who is he?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"A soul bound to Limbo," Damian replied, his tone cold and detached. "He's been here for centuries. Trapped by his own rage. He refuses to move on."
Sera's eyes widened. "Why? What's keeping him here?"
"Vengeance," Damian said simply. "He died with hatred in his heart, and that hatred keeps him bound to this realm. It festers, growing stronger with each passing moment, making it impossible for him to leave."
Sera shivered. "And we're supposed to… guide him?"
"We are," Damian said, stepping forward, his voice hardening. "But as I told you before, not all souls are willing. Some must be… persuaded."
The man's furious gaze shifted back to Damian, his lips curling into a snarl. "I won't go!" he shouted, his voice raw and broken. "I will not leave this place until they pay!"
Damian's expression didn't change. "You've said that for centuries. Your vengeance is meaningless here. You cannot hurt them. You cannot change what has happened."
The man's face twisted in fury, his body writhing against the dark chains that held him. "I will make them suffer!" he screamed. "I will—"
"You will do nothing," Damian cut him off, his voice sharp as steel. "You are powerless here. Your time in the mortal world has ended."
Sera watched, frozen, as the man struggled against the inevitable. His rage seemed boundless, and yet, there was something deeply tragic about him. He was trapped in his own anger, unable to let go, unable to move on. She could feel his pain as though it were her own, a deep, burning resentment that refused to fade.
Damian turned to her, his eyes cold. "This is your task, Sera. Convince him to move on. Free him from the rage that binds him."
Sera blinked, startled. "Me? How am I supposed to do that?"
Damian's gaze never wavered. "That is for you to figure out. You said you wanted to help. Now is your chance."
Her heart raced. She didn't know the first thing about guiding souls—especially not ones as angry and broken as this man. But Damian's eyes told her there was no room for hesitation. This was her test, and failure was not an option.
She took a deep breath, stepping forward cautiously. The man's furious eyes snapped to hers, and for a moment, she thought he would lunge at her, but the dark tendrils held him back.
"What's your name?" she asked, her voice soft but steady.
The man glared at her, his body trembling with rage. "My name? Why do you care?"
Sera held her ground. "Because you matter. Your story matters. But if you stay here, trapped in this anger, no one will ever know it. No one will remember who you were."
The man's expression flickered, his rage momentarily faltering. "They deserve to suffer," he spat. "They took everything from me."
Sera's heart ached as she heard the bitterness in his voice. "I'm sorry for what happened to you," she said gently. "But holding onto this rage… it's not hurting them. It's only hurting you. It's keeping you here, trapped."
The man's body trembled, the dark tendrils tightening around him. "I can't… I can't let go," he whispered, his voice breaking. "If I let go… then it's like it didn't matter. Like my pain didn't matter."
Sera stepped closer, her eyes softening. "It mattered. Your pain mattered. But staying here… staying in Limbo… it won't change anything. It's time to let go. It's time to move on."
Tears welled in the man's eyes, his body sagging as the weight of his emotions crashed over him. He looked at Sera, and for the first time, there was no anger in his gaze—only sadness.
"I… I don't know how," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Sera reached out, her hand brushing the edge of the shadows that held him. "You don't have to do it alone," she said softly. "I'll help you."
For a moment, the man remained still, as though weighing her words. Then, slowly, the darkness around him began to fade. The tendrils loosened their grip, dissolving into the air, and the man's body slumped forward, free at last.
Sera stepped back, watching as the man's form began to flicker, fading into the shadows. He looked at her one last time, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he disappeared.
Sera stood in silence, her heart heavy. She had freed him, but the weight of his pain still lingered in the air, a reminder of the souls that were bound to this place.
Damian stepped beside her, his gaze fixed on the spot where the man had vanished. "You did well," he said quietly.
Sera looked up at him, surprised. "I didn't think I could."
Damian's eyes softened, just for a moment. "Neither did I."