Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The drab gray bricks of the church seemed to consume the dawn light that shined through the large stained glass windows, leaving only traces of it along the walls. Marina sat back in her pew, next to her mother. Her hands laid in her lap as she awaited the sermon to start. The air smelled of dust and old wax, creating an environment that seemed to push down on Marina with all its force. She did not fidget like the other children, she sat and waited.

Suddenly, Father Domek's voice cut through the low murmur that flooded the church. His voice was low and commanding, carrying a weight that pulled the children to attention. He loomed over the congregation in a tall pulpit. His black robes seemed to spill out from the sides, as if he was one with the church its self.

Marina stared at his features, his patchy black hair that seemed to be soon to fall out, the faded smile marks that hung off his cheeks. She had always heard that she looked like her father, yet she could never see it. With her father being a priest in the church, she was forced to attend every sermon that he gave. Her mother wasn't a fan of the church, being forced to go due to her husband's priesthood. She shared the same unspoken sentiment of the church that Marina did, that it only brought bad things.

"My children, we must consider All-mer" he began, his gaze sweeping across the pews. "Born within the city of Jettaiah they say, raised by a virgin mother and sired by a false god." His eyes swept over Marina and her mother as he continued "A mortal like any of us, yet he saw the weakness that man has, and the corruption that is laid upon kings. When they hung him from the cross, they thought to end him, but he ascended instead. To the city of gods, the city of Ma’habre. The people thought he died, yet he returned days later. Upon his arrival he set out to punish the unjust, and restore the worlds balance."

Marina's eyes drifted from Father Domek, catching the colors from the large stained glass windows that towered behind him. They showed stories that Father Domek preached. One depicted All-mer with golden skin, gripping a sword in one hand and holding decapitated heads in the other. Another showed him pale with a knife pulled closely to his chest, with a man kneeling before him. The last portrayed him in a blue suit of armor, faceless and unmoving, a guard against time its self.

Staring at the windows, she felt a prickle at the back of her neck. Not fear, exactly, but a awareness of something grand. Larger than she could ever be.

Domek paused and learned on the pulpit, recalling a memory. "I remember when I first came to Prehevil, I was young and foolish, thinking I could serve the world without seeing its corruption. Yet, All-mer's story reminds me, I am nothing without vigilance in this world. Even the righteous must carry the pain that All-mer experienced, even when it burns their soul. Now this matters more than ever, as ideas of war begin to stir in the heads of many, we know vigilance is necessary. Fear throws man away from the light of All-mer, and man grows cruel in the shadows."

Marina's gazed drifted back away from Domek, down to the effigies that stood in front of the pulpit, three statues depicting All-mers story made of red clay. The cross he was killed on, the throne he sits on now as a god, and one Marina couldn't quite make out. It looked as if it was a mouth, with large lips that jutted out from the flat surface. As she stared at them she wondered what it would be like to have such power, carrying the weight of the world upon her own shoulders.

From the corner of her eye she saw a small boy, about her age, with ruffled black hair looking at her, clearly bored of the sermon. Her eyes met his gaze and she gave him a small smile. His eyes were bright, and curious. He watched her, and for a moment the heavy air of the chapel seemed to lift, threaded with someone unspoken and fragile.

Suddenly as the sermon began, it ended. Not with applause or murmurs of understanding, but with silence. Families slowly rose from the pews, shuffling towards the doors, the echos of footsteps being the only sound in the church. Marina's mother stood, kissing her on the forehead before joining the crowd to leave. After every sermon she always stuck around until the crowds had cleared, and her mother knew that.

As the church grew empty, she crouched by the edge of a pew, tracing a symbol on the thick dust that was in almost every part of the church. Her fingers carved out 3 circles, all linked together, with one having an opening and a small dot inside of it. Her fingers moved with precision, following a rhythm only she could feel.

Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence of the empty church, "You're... good at that."

Marina quickly turned around, seeing the boy that she made eye contact with earlier standing over her.

"Oh- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Levi, I'm one of the orphans at the orphanage your father runs." Levi said "You are the daughter of Father Domek, are you not?"

"Oh, Um. Yeah. He's my father" Marina said awkwardly. She was never the greatest with talking to people, especially not people her age.

Levi crouched down next to her, examining the sigil she had drawn. "Does this mean anything?" he asked

"It protects," she said simply, "At least it's supposed to. Depends who's looking"

Levi smiled lightly at her "I like it."

For a few moments the weight of the church, the sermon, the long shadow that Father Domek casted faded into the dusty corners of the pews. Here, in the quiet, Marina and Levi existed in their own world, if only even for a moment. Outside, tales of gods and kings, war and conquest, but for now Marina felt as if she was in control as she traced sigils in the dust, knowing at least one other person had noticed.

Chapter Text

Dusk had settled over the city of Prehevil, painting the cobblestone streets in a dim pastel light. The air was damp with a mist that drifted from the nearby lake that flanked the eastern side of the city. Bells rang faintly from the upper district, their tolls echoing through the narrow alleyways formed by the rows of houses pressed together like decaying teeth.

Jutting out from the rest of the skyline a large tower sat in the center of the city, The Hollow Tower. It was originally built as a temple to All-mer, being decorating with intricate engravings of his life and stories of the Old Gods. The city was founded around it, slowly expanding outward like an infection.

Marina walked the cobbled streets with her head lowered, clutching her satchel close to her side. Books and charcoal sticks clattered softly within as the evening air bit at any exposed skin.

She continued down the streets before suddenly hearing what sounded like a bell.

"Repent, Children of All-mer!" a voice cried.

An Inquisitor stood on the streets corner, his tall velvet robes shimmered faintly in the streetlights. They were a deep crimson, trimmed with gold. The fabric was so heavy it pooled around his boots. In one hand he carried a small golden bell, which he rang in between verses. Others on the street paid no mind to him, as it was a common occurrence for the church to send out Inquisitors fears of war made attendance dwindle.

"The world trembles in judgement," the Inquisitor called, his voice ringing like a bell "And must our hearts! Strength your faith under All-mer, as he watches men towards battle. Those who turn from the light shall fall when the drums of war begin to sound!"

Marina tried to slip past, but was stopped with the Inquisitors voice softening.

"Ah... Marina Domek. How is your studies going? The sisters tell me you're quite the artist."

"I try..." she murmured under her breath

"Good, good." He looked up, staring at the sky where the Hollow Tower stood. "All-mer's work reward those who stay in his light. Remember that. Idle minds is where sulfur rots."

"Yes Father." she responded, attempting to leave the conversation.

He nodded approvingly at her before returning back to tolling the bell. Its metal cry echoed throughout the streets. "Go on home then, the night comes quickly around here."

Marina gave a polite nod before hurriedly returning to her walk back home. She didn't look back, but the ringing continued to follow her all the way back to her street. It was relentless and steady, like a clock ticking down to something unforeseen.

The Domek household was gray and drab, not much different from the church that Marina had just left from. Cobblestone walls stretched out, with old wooden floors and shelves holding old dusty books. Her house was less than a home, more of an extension of the chapel. As she stepped through the doors her body seemed to be flooded with a cold chill that spread across her.

Her mother, pale and soft-voiced, quickly walked over to her side, brushing away dust from Marina's white cotton blouse.

"You stayed after the sermon again." her mother whispered to her "You know how cold the chapel gets this time of year. I don't want you catching a cold."

"I was just... thinking." Marina replied. She wasn't lying, she just didn't tell the whole of it. She had been thinking, and drawing, and listening to what the silence may try to say back.

Her mother gave her a soft smile, as she led Marina to the dining room.

The table had already been set, with food laying out ready to eat the moment her father got home. Bread and soups sprawled across the table, evenly portioned around the three seats that the family sat.

As Marina and her mother sat down, Father Domek stepped in. The air seemed to sit still as he removed his priest cloak slowly and deliberately. His eyes flicked over to Marina only once, cold and unreadable, before turning to his wife and sitting down at the table. The family spoke little as they ate dinner, the resentment between words pressed against Marina's skin, as if a block of ice was pressed against her.

Once the meal was done she quickly retreated to her room.

It was small, but it was hers, something few and far between in her life. She closed the door behind her and moved over to her mattress, flipping it over, revealing a stack of loose paper and charcoal that she kept there. Her own secret stash, somewhere to put the symbols and images that she saw in her dreams. She laid them carefully across the floor and stared at them.

Many of the symbols were incoherent scribbles, something she had drawn half-awake after rising from a dream. Yet some, seemed to carry a strange consistency. In the pile of messily-drawn sketches she began to pull out specific papers, ones that belonged together.

She separated drawings of the moon.

Each sketch shared the same features, an expressionless face carved from its surface. teeth formed from craters, and blank hollow eyes that seemed to stare back at Marina.

The same moon haunted her in a recurring dream.

She would be alone in the streets of Prehevil. A heavy fog would surround her, blinding her from the rest of the city. When she attempted to move her legs, they wouldn't budge, as if she was stuck in glue. Her head would always be drawn upwards, and there it would be, the moon. It would share the same expressionless face that she drew, as it slowly descended towards her.

Marina shivered, folding the pages into a careful stack, and shoving them under her arm. The room felt heavier now, as if the shadows that spread across her walls were watching her. She quietly slipped her shoes on, and made her way to the door.

She snuck through the now dark hallways of her home, passing by the only light that was still on in her house, the dining room. She glanced into the room as she saw two figures, her mother and her father, seemingly arguing.

"Our s-" Father Domek quickly caught himself, his face tightened as if the words burned his throat. He swallowed hard and quickly spat the rest out.

"Your daughter is not normal."

Her mother responded in a trembling voice "She is just a child, children imagine things, that's all."

"No..." he responded, his voice sharp and direct "I cannot pretend not to see her drawings, the symbols of Rher. She cannot lead that life, it'll tear down this household, even more, this entire city."

Marina's chest tightened, trying everything in her power to not breathe.

Her mother said something back, pleading, but Marina could no longer listened. She slinked out the front door into the night, before her fathers words could cut her anymore.

Chapter Text

The air outside was cold and harsh, as it clung to Marina's skin. She clutched her folded sketches across her ribs, as if they could protect her. The cobblestone streets sprawled in front of her, streetlamps glowed faintly, casting sickly shadows across the empty streets.

Marina knew where she was heading, the orphanage. She knew it was a safe place, somewhere to get away from her father, somewhere she could sit and think for herself. It was as far away as she could get from the church, basically across the entire city.

When she reached it she paused, staring at the ivory walls that jutted into the sky. The building seemed to breathe in the night, sighing with the weight of too many children within its walls. A faint glow spilled from the cracks in the windows, muffled laughter leaked into the quiet cold air.

Marina hesitated, knowing she wasn't supposed to be here.

Still, her feet carried her forward, through the small yard, until she lowered herself next to a cold metal swing set standing in front of the building. The chains creaked softly in the crisp night breeze.

She laid her drawings in front of her as the air bit at her cheeks, and for the first time that day she felt truly free. No sermons, no silence, no father. It was only her and the moon, surrounded by comforting darkne-

"You're not supposed to be here."

The voice was quiet, almost timid, yet it still shot through Marina like an arrow.

She quickly looked up, revealing a boy stepping out from the darkness towards her, the same boy that she met at the church earlier. She stared at him for a moment, seeing how the light twisted around him, creating a halo around his body. His dark hair curled above his eyes, as they watched her curiously.

The boy stepped forward, close but not too close. "You're Father Domek's girl, aren't you?"

She hesitated a moment, and then gave a small nod. He smiled faintly, as if his answer confirmed something he already knew. "Thought so. You were at the sermon today. Remember me? Levi?"

Marina began to smile, but the weight of her fathers words pulled her back to reality. "I just needed some air... I can leave." she said softly

Levi's head tilted, as he studied her, before sitting down on the ground next to her. "Air's colder out here than in there." he said, nodding towards the windows

Marina stared down at her pictures, fingers pressing against the charcoal covered pages. She didn't answer him.

"What've you got there?" he said, as he leaned to peek at her drawings.

She quickly swiped her hand over the pages, "Nothing"

"Doesn't look like nothing to me." he responded, smiling curiously "You draw?"

Marina swallowed, unsure of what she should say. Yet something about his tone made lying seem useless. Slowly she nodded her head.

"I used to draw too, with my mother, before I got here." he said, glancing at her "But I wasn't ever any good."

Silence stretched between the two, filled only by the quiet squeals of the rusty swing set and the muffled laughter of the children within the orphanage.

They stared at each other, and for the first time that day she let out a small breath, almost a laugh. The sound surprised her.

Levi's eyes flicked down to the pages, "You gonna show me one?" he asked gently. Marina bit her lip, staring at him. Part of her wanted to hide it, to protect the strange shapes and faces she saw in her dreams. Yet something about Levi ushered her to let everything out.

Slowly, Marina pushed one of the drawings to Levi. He leaned forward, examining it in the dim light. His smile faded, replaced by an expression lost in thought. "Eerie..." he said, after a pause. As quickly as his smile faded it returned as he looked up at her "You got real talent, y'know."

Marina's cheeks warmed against the cold air. She quickly folded the pages back against her chest, afraid they might vanish.

Levi didn't push any farther, only staring into the night sky. "Maybe some day you can show me the rest." he said quietly

Marina didn't answer, but for the first time in a while she felt something she hadn't known she was missing.

Belonging.

Chapter Text

The swing set creaked softly in the wind as Marina and Levi sat in silence, the cold night air wrapping around them like a cloak. Neither spoke to each other, both lost in their own thoughts. Marina held the folded drawings to her chest, feeling the weight that pressed down on her.

Levi's gaze drifted toward her sketches, yet he didn't reach out. Instead, choosing only to stare softly at her as the quiet stretched between them. The world its self seemed to pause, as they sat in perfect harmony with the world around them.

Then, a voice shattered the fragile silence that hung in the air.

"Levi!"

Both flinched as a tall figure came into view, framed faintly by the dim glow of the orphanages windows. His robes were the same that her father wore, long and black, lined with a golden thread that caught the street light like embers.

"Ah... There you are," said the man "I thought the night had swallowed you whole."

Levi straightened immediately, guilt flashing deeply in his eyes "I'm sorry Father, I just needed some fresh air."

The man smiled "I can't fault you for that. It's a fine night for it, the air carries a calmness with it tonight." His gaze drifted to Marina, as he looked down at her. "You must be Father Domek's daughter, yes? Marina, I believe."

Marina froze, clutching the drawings to her chest "Yes Father..."

"Ah yes, your father. A man of strong conviction, although not many smiles." he said as he placed a hand on his chest, bowing slightly

"I am Father Oscar. I preach down in the Old Town, though I'm helping here for a short while. The clergy down there is spread thin due a sickness that is running through them, so I was asked to check in on the orphanage and lend an extra hand where it is needed."

His voice was a stark contrast to her fathers. It was gentle, curious, and carried none of the harsh discipline that she was used to from the church.

"I spend most days preaching in the Old Town. Not in grand churches, but in the market squares the alleyways where it is needed the most. The people there are much different than up here. Less fearful of questions, still hanging charms and sigils on doorways."

Marina sat up, intrigued.

Oscar smiled faintly at her interest "Much of the collection that the library holds of the Old Gods is donated by the people there, you know. To them belief is more than just prayer, its rituals and rites."

Levi blinked "I haven't read much about the Old Gods..."

Father Oscars shifted back to Marina "Do you like to read, Marina?"

She hesitated, before answering "I um... I go to the library sometimes. Just to look."

"Good." he said simply "Continue searching for answers."

He looked up into the horizon, beyond the rooftops, staring at the Hollow Tower.

"Ah... The Hollow Tower. We can even see it from the Old Town. Some say its cursed or haunted, or both. Yet it's older than all of that, older than Prehevil its self. They say if you stand close enough to it you can hear old prayers in the gusts."

Marina shivered "My father said it's a gift to All-mer"

Oscar chuckled "He's not wrong, though All-mer is not the only one that looks down on us."

The man gave a small pat on Levi's shoulder. "C'mon, it's time to get back to bed. Lets not make the sisters worry, alright?" he said "And Marina, its better not to wander these streets when its dark, questions may be company but they won't walk you home."

He smiled once more, before leading Levi back toward the orphanage's steps. The door closed as the faint light from inside swallowed them both.

Marina lingered for a moment, staring at the skyline. Above her, the Hollow tower shimmered in the moonlight, as if it had listened to every word.

The streets seemed emptier now. The lamps that once created looming shadows, only flickered in the darkness.

As she walked, her fathers words slinked back into her mind. The unspoken hatred during dinner, the silence in her home, it all seemed to come reeling back into reality as she approached the house.

The chapel bell tolled midnight.

She quietly turned the doorknob as the front door creaked open. She crept slowly inside, attempting to make it back to her room.

The house was silent, besides the slight hum of a conversation within her parents room.

She stared for a moment at the stairs that led to the second floor where her room was, then over to her parents door.

Despite Marina's common sense telling her to hurry to her room, she slowly made her way to her parents door, attempting to listen in.

Though the conversation was muffled behind the door, she could make out her fathers voice:
"She isn't like the rest. Don't act as if you haven't seen it. The silence? The way she lingers after the service? That... child does not belong where we have put her."

Her mothers voice came through, much softer:
"She's only young. She thinks too much, but that isn't a sin. It isn't wrong for her to dream."

"Dreams are dangerous," Her father snapped. "Dreams reveal what's hidden. And if the people notice... it will fall on the house. On me."

Silence followed. Marina's heart pounded in her chest as she anticipated what was to come next.

Finally, her mother whispered, her voice trembling. "She's ours. Whatever you call her, she's still ours."

A pause. Then, Father Domek's voice, quieter, yet colder than before.
"Don't speak like you've forgotten the truth."

Marina's breath caught. She stumbled back, her toe scraping against the stone floor. A silence fell from within the room.

She darted around the corner, tripping up the stairs into her room. Turning down the hallway as she pulled open her door.

Her room was a refuge of shadows. She quickly shoved the drawings under her mattress and crawled under the covers, fully clothed, as she heard muffled footsteps from the hall.

She clenched her eyes tight, listening to the door creak open. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the presence of someone watching her. For what seemed like eternity, she pretended to be asleep as the pressure of eyes pushed her down into her mattress.

Then the door shut again.

Chapter Text

Sleep came slowly, weighing Marina down with the lingering cold of the night. She drifted in and out, as her ears strained for every creak of the house, each footstep that may be her fathers.

And then she was standing.

The streets of Prehevil stretched around her, empty and shining under the moonlight as if it had just been washed. A thick fog coiled across the ground, engulfing buildings and walls.

Her legs rooted in place. She tried to move, but with each step the fog seemed to tighten around her ankles, pulling her down.

Her head slowly moved upward against her will.

Above her was the moon. Hollow eyes stared back, craters forming what looked to be a smile. She had seen it countless times in her dreams and her drawings, but tonight it seemed to lean closer. It's surface curdled into a shining pink a white.

She looked down from the moon, and the fog parted in front of her revealing a figure. It did not walk towards her, rather it slowly floated. Every inch it traveled nearer she could feel her entire body tense.

His chest was bear, ribs cracked open revealing taut flesh that pulsated faintly with each breath. Draped across his shoulders was a large cloak of green feathers, long and heavy, dragging in the mist. A crown twisted upward from his head, the points writhing like the tails of snakes. A mask hid his face, half pink, half white, perfectly split down the middle.

Marina's breath stuck in her throat as she forced words out.

"Who... who are you?"

The mask tilted. No lips moved, yet a voice slithered into her head.

"I am borrowed feathers, stolen breath. I follow the tricksters laugh."

"The trickster?" she whispered

The figure learned closer, his ribs widening with the motion. The flesh within tore back as if it were to swallow her whole.

"The one who lays in eternal slumber above all of us."

Marina tried to look away, but every attempted glance away made the mask distort, engulfing her back in while a voice shot through her skull.

"He smiled at your birth. He smiled at the lie that clothed and protect you."

"W-what do you mean? What do you want from me?" said said, her voice trembling.

The mask tilted
"Ask your mother what you are. Ask your father what you are not."

Marina's heartbeat deafened her as it pounded in her ears "I don't understand!"

The figure straightened, its fathers shuddering in the fog.

"You will. The trickster's children always do."

Before she could ask any more questions the fog surged around her, engulfing her eyes and her lungs as she fell backwards into the dark.

Marina jumped out of bed with a jolt. Her bed damp with sweat and her throat raw. She shoved her hand to her chest, her heartbeat was so loud she was afraid her parents could even hear it.

She pulled up the mattress and slowly took the papers out.

Looking at the drawings she realized the top sketch was no longer the moon, now replaced by a mask. Half pink, half white.

Chapter Text

The library smelled of dust and wax. Rows of heavy tomes lined the bookshelves, their spines cracked and faded. It seemed like each one could crumble if it was handled too roughly. Marina traced her fingers along them, her eyes searching for anything about the moon as the words of Father Oscar echoed in her mind, "Continue searching for answers."

Her body still carried the chill of last nights dream. The image of the mask staring through her, the pink and white almost burned its self into her retinas.

She turned down a crooked aisle, where a stack of thick brown volumes caught her attention. Their covers were wrinkled and organic, as if leather was hastily bound to it. Each one had a title pressed into the spine: The Skin Bibles - Enki Ankarian.

Enki Ankarian. She knew the name. Almost everyone in Prehevil did. A dark priest who went to Ma'habre, the city of the gods. Constant lectures in school during religious studies speak of it, a city made by the gods, for the gods, that was abandoned by them. Her father sometimes spoke of him in his sermons, and she thought of him as if he was cut from the same cloth as him, with complete distain.

Hesitantly, she pulled out the books, looking through the pages to find any reference to the moon. Eventually she found a page with a name she seemed to recognize, Rher. She had heard her father speaking to her mother about her drawing the "symbols of Rher." Maybe that had been the man that spoke to her in her dream?

As she turned the page she was met with a full-page drawing. The moon. But not as she had ever seen it.

On the right side, it was exactly as she saw it in her dreams. The large smile, the hollow black eyes that seemed to stare right through her. On the left, it was split into a crescent, with a single hollow eye and curved lips that stretched wide against the crescent's edge.

Her eyes darted to the text around the illustration:

"Very much like the sun - the moon is one of the primordial entities and thus it has lore and beliefs written since the dawn of time. This makes it difficult to separate facts from fiction and mad ramblings from hidden truths. Consistent details among the myriad of stories seem to hint of a god called Rher.

Also knowns as the Trickster God and the Moon God. In the most ancient writings Rher is depicted as the god of the insane and those who've succumbed to madness. His blessing to men is his moonlight, which is said to uncover the truth under the human filth. A truth that is often too much for a human mind to handle.

It can be debated whether his version of the truth is more accurate than that of the human filth. Unlike many of the other older gods, Rher's part is greater scheme of things remains a mystery. Just looking at the night sky, you can see his presence, in an eternal slumber. This makes his secrecy even more infuriating, he is literally hiding in plain sight."

Marina's fingers trembled as she turned the page. A symbol sprawled across it, almost exactly what she had been drawing in her own room. Her throat tightened.

"To invoke Rher, carve the sigil into the center of a ritual circle. Surround the edges with lit candles, and a gateway to his domain shall open. The world you enter is a reflection of our own, and the darkest truths come to light within."

Her hand slid over the parchment, her nails pressed into the sketch. It wasn't a coincidence. She had drawn these symbols before countless times, yet she could not remember where she had learned it from.

Enki Ankarian’s name at the top of the page burned into her mind. How could both him and her father be following the same gods? How could they have both dedicated their lives to the same problem? The words written on the page seemed more true than anything Domek had ever told her.

Marina closed the tome, but the sound of the pages echoed in her mind. She knew she could leave it there, go back to her normal life, yet she also knew that Domek was hiding something from her. The whispers between her parents, the distain her father had for her, it all could be figured out, and she knew exactly where to find the truth.

If she follows the ritual of Rher then maybe she could find the truth that her father was hiding.

Chapter Text

Marina slipped through the doors of the Domek household. The chill from the streets followed her inside, settling around her like a second skin. Unlike the church, the house felt smaller, safer, but also heavier. The walls bore the weight of secrets and unspoken resentments.

Her mother was in the sitting room, resting on their old-beaten down couch. Her pale hair caught the light from the electric lamp on the table, making her seem to glow.

"You're home earlier than I thought." Her mother said, carrying none of the reprimand her father would normally give her.

Marina shrugged, setting her book carefully down on the table. "I just... wanted to rest for a bit before dinner." Her voice was quieter than usual, and her mother noticed it.

"You've been spending a lot of time alone, Marina" she said. "Even at the library, and it seems now like you disappear into your dreams."

Marina shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to explain herself without sounding crazy "I just... have been trying to figure out somethings. About the world... about myself."

Her mothers expression softened as she walked over to her, placing a hand on Marina's shoulder. "Curiosity is a gift." she said "But you must temper it with caution. Not every truth holds safety."

"I know. I think" Marina responded, her lips twitching into a small smile.

Her mother reached into a small box tucked beneath the table. From it, she pulled a chain holding a pendant shaped like an upside down arrow. The pendent was etched with a image of a lizard-like creature, it's body coiled, powerful, and otherworldly.

"This is for you," her mother said, gently placing it in Marina's hands. "A Salmonsnake rune, it's been in our family for generations."

Marina glided her fingers over it, tracing the shapes. "A Salmonsnake?"

Her mother nodded, sitting down in a chair besides her. "It was said to be a great beast that lurked in waterways. It's body was that of a lizards, with enormous jaws that could swallow a man whole, and skin so tough that no weapon could pierce it. No one knows exactly what it looked like, only that it was powerful and cleaver, a creature not to be underestimated."

Marina's eyes widened "What does it do?"

"It's said to give strength, not only to the body, but also to the spirit" her mother said "Your grandfather gave this to me before leaving for the Great War. He carried it with him for protection. He... He never returned. I see no greater time to give you this, as our own world is being engulfed by conflict. He left this for me, and now I'm leaving it for you."

Marina clutched the necklace tightly "Will... Will it really give me strength?"

Her mother smiled "Strength comes from more than just an object, but it can remind you of the strength that's already inside."

Marina nodded as she slipped the pendant over her neck, feeling the weight resting against her heart.

"Thank you..." she whispered

Her mother reached out, and brushed a strand of hair from her face "Be careful, Marina. The world... it watches those who are different"

Marina didn't immediately answer, simply holding the Salmonsnake rune in her hand, feeling the pulse of it's history, the lives it had touched, the strength it had promised.

Outside, the shadows stretched long across the streets of Prehevil. Her father would be home soon, returning from the Orphanage, and soon, the evening sermon would begin. Marina tucked the rune in her blouse and rose to prepare herself. She thought of the words her mother told her, and the legacy she now carried.

Chapter Text

The gray drab walls of the church swallowed Marina as she slipped into her usual pew. Candles flickered along the aisles, creating uneven stalagmites of wax. The air was colder than the streets outside, as if the building its self drank warmth.

The stained glass windows stretched high above the altar, glowing faintly in the evening light. The depictions of All-mer watched over the congregation, staring like unblinking judges.

Father Domek stood before them, his cloak draped heavy across his shoulders. His voice rang low throughout the cobbled hall of the church.

"All-mer ascended not through ease, but through pain and sacrifice. The kings and sultans bound him to a cross, and it is there where his flesh bled into the earth its self. Yet, even through this suffering, he rose again. This strength came not from a miracle, but from an order carved from the Old Gods above."

He paused, allowing the words to sink into the congregation. Marina's fingers unconsciously drifted to the Salmonsnake pendent beneath her blouse, her mothers words echoing softly in her mind: Strength comes from more than just an object, but it can remind you of the strength that's already inside.

"But legends whisper further" Domek continued, his voice at a level that only those who leaned in could understand him. "All-mer transcended weakness, shedding his mortal flesh, and with that, the parts of himself that were full of envy, hatred, and darkness into the sulfur pits that gaped beneath the earth."

A hush spread across the church, broken only by the drip of wax from the candles.

"And yet, by doing so," Domek said, a chill in his words "he created something unintended. Something he did not name, for it needed none. From the sulfur a new entity formed, a god of obscurity and malice. With no name, we refer to him as the Sulfur God. It's agenda is hidden in the world around us. And although All-mer rose to virtue, this otherness still walks among us."

He raised his hand towards the central stained glass window, All-mer in yellow, with a sword raised high above his head. "Remember this children, Virtue is not impenetrable. Even the strongest souls cast shadows, and those shadows may never vanish. As our world struggles with unrest beyond our churches walls, we know that strength is needed. Not only in battle, but also in the choices we make."

The sermon concluded, families began to file out one by one, eventually leaving Marina alone, sitting with unease and fascination. Her fingers traced shapes in the dust as she thought about the tales of the Old Gods, the ways they still affect the people today.

A soft cough pulled her attention away from her thoughts. Levi stood nearby, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets, his cheeks flushed from the cold.

"You always stick around after the sermons." he said playfully "I was beginning to think you lived here."

Marina smirked "Feels like it sometimes."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the echoes of the sermon still lingering in the air. Then Marina leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"I've been reading something," she said "About the Old Gods. Enki Ankarian... he wrote a whole collection called the Skin Bibles. Do you know about him?"

Levi's grin widened as he spoke "Enki? You mean that weird dark priest from the 1500s? I had to read about him in class."

Marina smiled "One of his books were about this god named Rher, the moon god, the Trickster. It had drawings... the moon, and a sigil. The same one that I've been sketching. Everything matches. It gave instructions on how to preform a ritual to go to his 'realm'."

Levi crouched down, leaning on a pew. "Wait.... Wait! You're telling me your dreams are matching some old priest book? That's... really cool! Can I see it?"

"I think we should try to be careful" Marina said softly, her eyes glancing over the empty pews. "But I can show you the sigil at least."

Levi's eyes sparkled, curiosity lighting them up. "I promise I won't tell anyone! I'll make an oath if that helps."

Marina shook her head, but a small smile tugged on her lips. "Alright. According to the book for the ritual we need candles and a circle. We should do it somewhere private... We could try it in the basement."

Levi's grin returned "The basement is right under here, isn't it? Totally private! No one would see us sneaking down there!"

Marina felt the thrill of possibility rise in her chest. She touched the Salmonsnake rune underneath her blouse, and it seemed to warm slightly, as if it was urging her on.

"Alright" she whispered "We need to prepare carefully, we cant afford to not be precise."

Marina met his eyes, feeling the weight of the weight of the pendent around her neck. She knew that someone had finally begun to understand what she was chasing.

Together, the moved to the basement, the footsteps echoing through the empty stone walls. Whispers of excitement melted with the scent of candle wax and dust.

Chapter Text

The large wooden basement door groaned as Marina and Levi pushed it open. Cold air spilled out, carrying with it the smell of rotten wood and old candle wax. The stairway down was narrow, cloaked in shadow.

Levi grinned, though his fingers tightened on the railing as they descended "Y'know Marina, you really have a knack for making life interesting."

The pendent warmed faintly against Marina's chest as she whispered to herself "If the book didn't lie, then this should work."

At the bottom, the basement stretched into a long hallway of stonewalls and wooden shelves that were stacked with dust-covered hymnals. The air was thick and heavy, pushing them down further into the basement.

They wandered through the darkness, eventually arriving at a large flat podium. It was a perfect place to begin the ritual.

She drew the circle carefully in charcoal, her hand steady even as her heart raced. At its center she carved the Rher sigil, the same geometric symbol she had drawn so many times before. They lit candles and placed them around the edges of the circle, their small flames encompassing it.

Levi crouched besides her, watching intently "Looks like something out of a fairy tale... or a nightmare." his smile flickered, but curiosity won over fear.

Marina inhaled, reciting words she had half-remembered from the Skin Bible. Prayers, incantations, fragmented phrases slipped through her teeth like black smoke. The flames seemed to pause as she finished, the circle glowing faintly before the light snapped into darkness.

Suddenly, the basement changed.

The stone walls dissolved into rickety planks, warped and crooked. Between the boards thick fluids seeped, some yellow, some clear. It spilled in rivulets among the floor, flowing among the cracks in the planks that surrounded them. The air was no longer still, it instead reeked. A foul stench of rot and bile tore their throats raw.

Levi gagged, pulling his sleeve over his nose "Saints above... Marina where are we?"

Marina pressed her hand to her chest, her heartbeat thundered, yet her eyes widened with fasciation of the world around her. "It's... Rher's realm. A mirror of our world... just like the book said."

The shelves around them remained, but they sagged, their wood soft and rotting. The hymnals fused into a pulpy mass, indistinguishable from the books they were before. Across the far wall large webs of purple mold stretched, pulsing faintly as if it was breathing. Thick growths twisted upwards into pillars, veins running across their surface.

Levi reached towards one, but quickly drew back, grimacing "They're warm... like skin."

Marina swallowed hard "Don't touch them."

They moved forward, each step of the floorboards groaning as if it could collapse at any moment. The world its self seemed to disapprove of the weight of them being there. They passed through one chamber after another, the spaces bending in ways that didn't feel real. Sometimes walls stretched farther than they should have. Other times the ceiling drooped so low that Marina had to crouch under it. The smell only got worse as they pushed forwards, like the air its self rotted.

And then they found it.

At the center of a large chamber a massive sigil of Rher sat sprawled across the ground in a dark crimson that was undeniably blood. It had dried, but the pattern still glistened, impossibly wet in places. Candles, or what seemed to once be candles, stood melted to the floor, their wax threaded with veins.

And towering behind the sigil stood a pillar.

It was unlike the rest of the world, a pale mass of human bodies melted together as if they were putty. Faces melted into each other, limbs jutted out as if they were trying to escape. As Marina stared, the faces began to move. Eyes rolled towards her, lips trembled, and then eventually voices hissed. A choir of rot began to speak to her.

"Unmade... remade..."

"The skin you wear is not your own..."

"The mirror knows..."

Marina staggered backwards, her hand tightened on the rune, asking it to protect her. One of the faces shifted grotesquely, and for a moment, she swore it resembled hers. Not as she was now, but slightly off, its hollow eyes staring at her with accusation.

Her throat tightened "This isn't..."

Levi grabbed her wrist "Marina. We have to leave."

The pillar pulsed, its veins bulging as its mouths began to move in union again

"Ask what you are... ask what you are not..."

They turned past the corridors, but the walls pulsed harder now. The veins of mold seemed to glow, as if the place seemed to be aware of them. And from the shadows, something stirred.

Then the air shifted.

It was subtle at first, a draft colder than the rest, the rhythm of weight pressing on them harder as something watched from afar. Marina gripped Levi's arm, her nails biting through his sleeve.

And then something stepped into view, filling the corridor.

It's body was tall, impossibly stretched. Pale skin hung loosely over its frame in crooked patches, black stiches bulging with puss as if they could tear at any moment. Its stomach gaped open, inside was a wet, grinning mouth line with countless needle-like teeth.

Two arms dragged by its side, absurdly long and too thin, ending not in hands but in two sharp pendulous blades, shaped like axes. The arms swung slowly, scraping the boards, leaving deep gashes in the wood.

And its head.

At first it seemed blank, smooth, as if it was pulled across bones too large, but then it suddenly tore open across the center, tearing into a vertical grin. A mouth spread across its face, gaping wide with wet pink flesh as a scream shook the air. The smell of rot blasted forward, making them both gag.

Levi staggered back "Wh-What is that?"

It moved suddenly, too fast for something as large as it was. One pendulum arm swung outward, hooking Levi's torso with a thud that forced all the air out of his lungs.

"Marina!" his voice cracked as his hand clawed out for hers, their hands nearly catching.

The thing yanked him into the dark, its blades dragged and left sparks behind. The stitched body twisted unnaturally to fit through the corridor, vanishing into the shadows as Levi's screams echoed back, slowly fading into silence.

Marina was left trembling, the mold throbbing around her, grasping at her feet. The whispers of the pillar still hung onto her, her lungs burned with every breath.

She was alone.

Chapter Text

The silence after Levi's scream was worse than the sound its self. It was heavy, only broken by the random drip of the rancid liquid that seeped from the walls. Marina hands trembled so violently they seemed out of her control.

Her voice tried to scrape its way out of her throat

"Levi?"

Only an echo answered.

The floor creaked beneath her feet as she forced herself to take a step. Every part of her body screamed for her to turn back, to leave through the sigil she had come from, but Levi's face lingered in her mind. His voice still rang through her ears, hanging like fog in her thoughts. She couldn't just abandon him.

The corridors drew longer as she continued. They stretched and warped, boards flexing in unnatural ways. The stench was almost unbearable now, clinging to the back of her throat. She tried to press her sleeve to her mouth, but it didn't work.

Marina trailed her hands across the wall, trying to keep her balance. The wood was damp, soft, and warm. When she pulled her hand away, her palm was smeared by a warm pale slime that stuck to her fingers. She gagged, wiping it off on her skirt.

A sound rattled in front of her, not footsteps, they were far too uneven. It was like the sound of chains scraping against stone, followed by a deep retching sound. Her stomach clenched.

"Levi...?" she said, her voice breaking.

No answer.

Instead, she found another room. Its doorway slanted at an unnatural angle, forcing her to crouch through. The space inside was vast, wooden planks bent inwards like ribs, carving into a ceiling too low for comfort. At its center, a pillar of mold rose from the boards. Veins of purple fungus wound around it, pumping fluid through the cracks in the walls. At the center rose another pillar of flesh. Yet it was not the same one as before, this one writhed slightly, pulsing more with life.

Whispers filled the room. Not words, not fully, only short phrases.

*"The trickster smiles... a lie wrapped in silk... your father does not name you..."

She stumbled back, her hands covering her ears. The words wrapped around her mind, stirring a unnamable fear and a faint uneasy recognition. The pillar showed her threads of something hidden about herself that she didn't want to see.

Then a new sound joined the whispers, a low groan, coming from the pillar itself.

"Levi?" Marina muttered as she stepped closer. The pillar seemed to shift slightly, its mass trying to rearrange to show her something beyond its grotesque torso. The groan pulsed rhythmically, pulsing like a heartbeat, as the pillar gestured down a corridor.

Marina swallowed "Levi...? Where are you?"

Then she noticed something, where the pillar had leaned against the warped wall, tiny protrusions of what looked to be organic tissue stretch outwards, subtly pointing down the hallway. It was grotesque, yet somehow intentional, attempting to guide her.

As she moved towards the hall she heard another sound, a muffled cry. Levi. It was faint, but real.

Her legs began to move before her mind caught up. She pushed past the pillar, the whispers growing softer as she began to run down the twisted corridor. Her breath grew ragged, tears burned in her eyes.

"Levi! I'm here!"

Her words bounced off the walls, echoing back to herself.

Then a sound came again, a swing of chains slicing through what seemed like meat. A long gurgle followed shortly after.

Marina's blood ran cold.

She pressed herself against the wall, her head hammering. Ahead, the darkness shifted, like a curtain drawing back. The scrape of iron slowly drew closer.

Levi's voice cried out once more, raw and desperate for help, suddenly cutting off with a choking gasp.

Marina's fingers dug into her palms, leaving deep crescent shaped marks. Her body screamed to flee, but she wouldn't move.

She had found him, but it had found her.

Chapter Text

The shadows that surrounded Marina peeled back as the creature stepped into view. It was taller than the ceiling allowed, its shoulders scraping the boards as it hunched forward. Its stitched body folded and unfolded like gills, joints snapping wet with cracks as it breathed. The pendulums that hung from its arms scraped across the floor with each swing, slow and deliberate, like it was savoring each moment.

And from its arms,

Levi.

His body dangled limp, one of the hook pendulums buried in his side. His chest rose and fell faintly, gurgling blood as her breathed.

"Levi!" Marina screamed before she could stop herself.

The thing froze. Its blank head turned to her and stared for a moment. There were no eyes to look into, no features she could distinguish any emotion from, yet she knew it felt immense pleasure from torturing Levi. The mouth across its face slowly opened, blood dripping from the corners of the smile as if it was tearing its own flesh to open its mouth wider. The sound that came from it was not a roar, rather a deep sucking howl. Hot air shot out of its mouth, its breath assaulting Marina with a horrible rotting odor.

Marina staggered, shoving her hands to cover her ears, as the noise crawled into her skull.

The thing dropped Levi from its hook. He crumpled on the floor with a groan as he held his side.

It took a step toward her. The pendulum arms swinging faster, the arcs whistled through the air, making deep gashes in the floorboards where they struck. Splinters exploded with the impact as it made its way to her.

Marina stumbled back, her foot catching on one of the sigils scrawled in blood. Her eyes locked on it, as the lines pulsed faintly.

The whispers ran through her head:
*The skin you wear is not your own...

Tears burned down her face "Shut up! Shut up!"

The creature lunged at her, its teeth glimmering with saliva as it jutted its mouth to bite her.

Instinct took hold. Marina shoved her hands onto the sigil, smearing blood across her palms. A sudden heat coursed through her body, burning her throat. The mold along the walls recoiled, the world seemed to shrivel as the air warped.

The thing reeled back, the stiches along its body tearing wider, screeching in pain. Its pendulums swung across the boards, twitching erratically.

Marina scrambled to her feet, grabbing Levi under his arm, pulling with all of her strength. His weight was heavy, his blood smeared across Marina's dress as she dragged him towards the circle they previously carved.

The howl came again.

Marina stared at Levi, trying not to look at the monster as it begun to chase her. She stumbled forward, his weight almost pulling her down, but she refused to let go.

Behind them, the thing slammed into the walls, shattering wood and shooting splinters towards Marina. Sparks shot from the pendulums as the corridor shook with every strike.

"Levi... Stay with me." Marina gasped, her arms burning.

He groaned faintly, his eyelids fluttered as his head hung limp on his shoulders. His breath was uneven and ragged, each inhale made him wince with pain.

The walls bent inwards, like the world wanted to crush them. Gaps split open, leaking bile-colored liquid that hissed as it hit the floor.

Marina forced herself through it all, her lungs tearing, her heart clawing at her ribs. She kept her eyes ahead, searching for where they had came from.

Then, she spotted the faint glow of candle light flickering down the hall. It was the circle, the only way out.

"Were almost there." She whispered, half to Levi, half to herself.

The howl grew louder from behind her as the glanced back.

The thing lunged towards them, too tall for the space, grotesquely folding its self as it perused them. Its stomach mouth snapped open and shut, echoing a horrible slapping sound. Its pendulums swung wildly, taking chunks out of the wall and shooting them in random directions.

She threw herself forward, pulling at Levi the last few steps. The circle waited for her, the sigil trembling with a sickly red glow. The candles sputtered as if they could die at any moment.

She collapsed on the boards, Levi beside her, and pressed her bloody hands down onto the sigil.

"Please... Please work..." she sobbed

The wood beneath them begun to shake. The glow grew brighter, filling the room with light. The air grew hot and thick, pushing Marina down.

The creature shrieked as its arms slammed into the ground, only inches away from the circle, gouging deep cracks into the wood. One blade grazed Marina's arm, tearing the fabric of her blouse and creating a line of blood.

She screamed as she forced her palms harder onto the sigil.

The world folded in on its self. The stench, mold, and corridors bled away into a blinding white void.

The last thing Marina saw before the light was the monsters face, stretched wide into a grin, as if it was laughing at her.

Chapter Text

The light surrounded Levi and Marina as she held him close to her side. She braced herself for the church basement; the cold stone, the damp wood, the creak of the floorboards above her head.

But between the collapsing worlds, something else appeared before her.

A giant torso stood in the white void before her. Its body was skinless and raw, its muscle fibers twitching as if they were just freshly torn. The nubs where arms should be hung uselessly, like stunted limbs cut short. Its head rose to an arrow, its shape so wrong, yet familiar. Horribly familiar.

The rune.

Its head was exactly like the Salmonsnake rune.

A human face jutted out from the arrow head. It had no mouth, no nose, no breath. The only feature on its face was a single deep eye socket where its right eye should of been. The pit of it seemed bottomless, blacker than black, and something slowly emerged from it. Something wet. It looked almost like a tongue. It lashed in the air, flaying violently, as if it was tasting her.

Marina's body went rigid, her own breath was sucked out from her lungs. She wanted to scream, but there was no air. She stared as its presence burned its self into her chest, into the darkest parts that she kept to herself.

Then, the darkness collapsed in.

Marina's body slammed into the basement floor, Levi rolled limply beside her. The candles around the circle flickered weakly, and then went out one by one. The world was solid again, the walls of stone cave her comfort.

Levi wheezed beside her, blood on his lips. His skin was pale and clammy.

"Stay with me." Marina said, wiping tears from her face "Please..."

But she couldn't help him, not alone.

Her mind went to the necklace her mother gave her, and the strength it promised.

Her mother could help.

Marina dragged Levi onto one of the pews by the wall, laying him down softly. She brushed his hair from his damp forehead, fighting the urge to collapse beside him.

"I'll bring her..." she whispered to him "I'll bring her to you. I just need you to hold on."

She forced herself to her feet, her legs trembled from under her, the vision of the skinless torso still burned into her skull.

Then she ran, through the echoing church, into the night towards her home.

Her feet slapped on the wet stones, her lungs burning. Every shadow seemed darker than it should be, the stench still clinging onto her hair and skin, as if it followed her out.

By the time her home came into view her legs were shaking. She burst through the door, slamming it behind her, gasping for air like she was still being chased.

Marina's mother was standing in the kitchen, drying her hands as she heard the crash of the door.

"Marina!" her mother gasped "Are you alright?"

Her mother dropped the cloth and darted forward, gripping Marina's shoulders. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Her voice was frantic, her eyes scoured Marina's body, searching for wounds.

Marina shook her head quickly "N-not me..."

Her mothers hands tightened, breaking through her normal composure. "You're covered in blood Marina! Speak some sense, please!"

Marina forced her words out "A boy. At the church. H-he was helping me move things in the basement and he tripped and fell. He cut his side really bad. I tried to help but there was so much blood, and-"

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, one side petting the back of her head, holding her as if she could vanish at any moment. "Saints save us..." she whispered against Marina's hair "Why didn't you run for help sooner? You could've collapsed out there!"

"I- I just wanted to help him..." Marina murmured, her throat burning with the half-truth.

Her mother leaned back, cupping her face "Is he still there?"

Marina nodded, her mother standing up quickly. "We can't waste any more time, I'll go to him."

"No mother please! I need to come with-" Marina said, her voice engulfed in panic.

"You've been through enough tonight, Marina. Go up to your room and rest. I can handle this." her mother said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Marina's hands trembled, clutching the Salmonsnake rune at her neck. "Please... be careful..." she whispered, her voice raw.

Her mother gave her a tight nod, as she slipped into the night, leaving Marina alone in the cold, silent house.

Marina pulled herself up the stairs and into her room. She sank into her bed, pressing the rune against her chest. The memory of what had happened after the ritual stuck in her mind. The creature that chased her, seeing Levi sputter up blood as he tried to grip onto life, the skinless torso that stared at her.

She closed her eyes, wishing that sleep would come, knowing that she could do nothing but wait.

Chapter Text

Sleep did not come easy. Marina laid restlessly in her bed, the Salmonsnake rune clenched so tightly that its edges dug into her palms. Shadows on the wall seemed to dance around her as she closed her eyes, and when she finally drifted into unconsciousness, she felt herself falling.

The world around her melted into a gray fog. The streets of Prehevil were barely visible beneath her feet. The moon hovered above her, its smile bending unnaturally wide. It shined differently than normal though, a pink and white hue eliminated it.

And then, there he was again.

The figure emerged out from the fog. Its long feathered cloak draped over its shoulders. His body wavered and shifted. One moment the crown writhed like snakes on its head, the next its torso split open like a mouth, ribs gnashing like teeth before sinking back into shadow.

Marina froze, her breath was shallow as the mask appeared. It was the same as the one before, half white, half pink. No lips moved, yet a voice coiled around her mind, constricting like a snake.

"You crossed the veil."

Marina's throat tightened as she begun to speak "The basement... What happened? What was that?"

The figure swayed from side to side, its ribs chattering as each word sunk through her. "Rher's domain. A reflection in broken glass. The truth, hidden beneath your worlds skin." His body rippled, the cloak that formed around him becoming hands, then wings, then dripping flesh, before sinking into the fog and reforming. "There, the lies of your world dissolve, leaving only the faces under masks to be seen."

Marina shook her head, clenching at her necklace. "It was horrible. The walls, the stench, and that pillar of-" she stopped herself, bile rising in her throat.

"Yes." the mask replied "His gifts are never gentle. Madness is a price for truth, and truth-" the voice hissed in her mind "Truth was looking upon you."

Marina's breath caught "The... the thing I saw," she stammered, her voice shaking "The skinless torso, its head was shaped like an arrow-"

The figure bent low, the mask tilted to her ear, though no voice came out. "You saw the Sulfur One."

The figures ribs cracked open again, groaning, as if they were laughing at her. His voice pressed into her temples like stone grinding against stone. "Born from what All-mer casted away. His hatred, his flesh of spite. You saw him because he saw you. He feasts upon lies, and he tasted you."

Marina's knees buckled, her hands trembled so bad that she almost dropped the Salmonsnake rune that she clutched in her hand. "That thing... It was real?"

"More real than your skin. He was casted off hate, rot thrown off into the pits. A god that should not be, yet is. And he felt you."

Marina's heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to scream, to demand answers to what was going on, but her mind raced too quickly. "And Levi? The thing that took him... Will he be alright?"

The figure sank low, feathers turning slick, dripping with tar as his ribs opened like gates. "Your mother tends to his wounds. She weaves spells of a goddess of flesh, of creation, of desire. Her hands coax his bones and sinew into place. She would give anything to see him live, but she cannot unsee what has already marked him. His blood has crept into the Trickster's soil. He will never be whole again."

"So he'll live?" she asked, her voice shaking.

The masked tilted down again, forcing herself to meet the blank hollow eyes of the mask. "Life is a coin. One side glimmers, the other is a shadow. Tonight it spins."

Silence pressed heavy between the both of them. Marina's lips trembled as she broke the silence "Why me? Why tell me any of this?"

The figure leaned closer so she could see the seam between the pink and white, a perfect device between two worlds. "Because you are not what you are. Your mother is not what you carry. In Levi's pain you find the shape of your own."

Marina's breath caught "Who... Who are you?"

The figure straightened, his cloak shivered as though it was alive.

"I am Per’kele."

The name burned its self into her memory, searing its self into her skin.

The fog suddenly surged in, pulling him away, swallowing the streets and moon as the world collapsed back into her mind.

She woke up quickly, grasping the pendent to her palm.

The name echoed still.

Per’kele.

Chapter Text

Marina woke to the faint drip of water somewhere from within her house. Her body felt heavy, like lead, each muscle was stiff and sore as if the fog from her dreams had seeped into her soul. The Salmonsnake rune pressed warmly against her as she watched the shadow stretched across her room from the light of the dawn.

A faint murmur of voices drifted up the stairs into her room.

"Domek, please, keep your voice down." her mother said quietly

Her fathers voice erupted, contrasting from her mothers meek tone "You send word at dawn that the girl had come home bloodied and you think I would stay behind at the church? What happened here?"

Another voice came up, calm and dry with age, unmistakably Father Oscar "Easy, Domek. Fear lingers much longer after danger."

Marina slowly crept down the stairwell, staring down at the conversation. Father Domek stood with his travel cloak on, damp from the morning rain, while Father Oscar stood next to him, he was smaller and his eyes carried a look of someone who had seen too much of the world.

Her father spoke, his jaw clenched tightly "She came home drenched in blood yelling that the boy was hurt, and then collapsed?"

"Yes," her mother said "I thought she ha-"

"Levi. Where is he now?" her father said, cutting off her mother.

"At the orphanage. Domek, he was dying. There was no time to spare, I did what I had to do."

Her fathers eyes narrowed "You invoked her?"

A silence fell draped over the house so heavily and suddenly that Marina could hear the wood creaking beneath their boots.

"I did," her mother said "And he lived."

Father Oscar made the sign of All-mer's cross against his chest as she stepped closer to her mother.

"You called on Sylvian. If the situation wasn't as dire, you should of contacted me. Invocation of The Old Gods is dangerous. You did it well though, the sigil you carved is stabilizing him. He'll live. Though Sylvain's gifts aren't always pure."

Domek turned towards him "You of all people should know that meddling with The Old Gods has consequences."

"I know," Oscar replied softly "But I also know when to thank a young woman for saving a life. Your daughter, perhaps."

Marina's heart pounded as her mind raced with thoughts. Is Levi going to be okay? Why does Oscar know so much about The Old Gods? Why did h-

She leaned too forward, and the floor groaned underneath her weight.

"Marina." her father called "Come down here."

She froze for a moment before obeying. Her mother and her exchanged glances, soft and worried, as each step seemed heavier than the last.

When the reached the bottom the two priests towered over her.

"You're pale." her father muttered.

"I'm fine." she lied.

Oscar stepped forward, his eyes not lingering on her face but her hands, searching for an invisible stain. "You were there when the boy was hurt, correct?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Marina hesitated for a moment "He... fell off a ladder. Cut his side really bad. There was blood everywhere..."

Oscar nodded "Do not worry now. His body and spirit have woken up, yet the mark cannot disappear as easily."

Marina's stomach clenched "He's awake?"

"Yes." Father Oscar responded "But rest will do him good. Go and see him when you are ready, though be aware he may not speak much. He hasn't fully recovered yet."

Her fathers eyes lingered on her for a brief moment. She had sworn she had seen the faintest sign of concern. But as quickly as it appeared it had vanished back under the weight of discipline that controlled him. "You... be careful." he said to her quietly.

She stayed silent for a moment, the house and weight of the situation still heavy in her mind. Then finally, she said "I'll... I'll go."

Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder "Be gentle Marina, he's resting."

Marina stepped out of the Domek household, the streets were damp with dew and the overcast sky washed over the streets with a gray-blue tone. Her breath lingered softly in the air as a thin mist.

She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders as she set off toward the orphanage. Every step splashed the small puddles that littered the streets, the sounds softly bouncing off the buildings around her. Her father and Father Oscar had already seen Levi, but she had a need to see if he was really alive.

Above the rooftops the Hollow Tower cut through the haze of the morning. It rose higher than any building in the city. Windows dotted its surface like eyes that watched down on the cities every move. At the top the faint silhouettes of large gargoyles sat on the roof, staring down at her.

Marina slowed as she reached to the street where the orphanage sat. A faint ringing broke through the otherwise quiet streets.

The Inquisitor stood at the corner again, his robes shining with the morning dew as if they were covered in jewels. In his hand, he rang the small golden bell, making it cry throughout the air. He preached to a congregation that was not there, having Marina be the only witness.

"Repent, Children of All-mer!" he called "For each day that passes, sulfur seeps deeper into our veins!"

Marina's throat tightened as she tried to pass him, with her head down, footsteps quick, and as inconspicuously as possible.

"Ah, Marina Domek." he said with a smile "Wandering so early. The Domek household must keep you busy."

"Yes, Father." she said, bowing her head "I'm just running an errand."

His eyes scanned up and down her body "An errand," he repeated "There is purpose in all of our steps my child."

She glanced up at him, his eyes were pale and almost colorless, as if she was staring at a corpse. She quickly looked away, staring at the Hollow Tower.

He followed her gaze upward as he spoke "Do you ever wonder what kind of prayers reach there?" he asked "The towers there for centuries, yet people still look at it as though it listens."

"I suppose hope makes people see things." Marina murmured.

The Inquisitor chuckled softly "Hope, yes. And fear. They are the same in the eyes of the church."

The bell rang again, clear and sharp.

Marina stepped back slightly "Excuse me father but I should get goin-"

His arm moved, subtly but firm in front of her, blocking her path. The bell stood between them, glimmering in the light.

"There's no need to rush," he said, as a thin smile ran up his face, not reaching his eyes "The day is long, and All-mer sees every moment you spend hiding from his servants."

"Please father I'm only-"

"Only what?" he interrupted. "You cannot remain unseen. The church watches you."

The bell rang in-between them, making her flinch.

"Go on then. We wouldn't want to keep the boy waiting." he said as he turned away, returning to preaching.

Marina hurried past him, the sounds of the bell resuming almost instantly behind her. The rings followed her down the street like a shadow.

When she finally looked up again she had reached the front gates of St. Domek's Orphanage. Its ivory walls rose all around her, the faint laughter of children emanated from within. For a moment she felt normal, as if everything that happened last night was just a dream.

Chapter Text

For a moment Marina attempted to convince herself that it was all a dream. The laughter that drifted out from the orphanage was light, unlike the darkness that she had experienced beneath the church. The ivory walls faintly gleamed in the morning haze, streaked with patches of ivy and vines climbing up its exterior. The faint smell of soap and damp linen lingered from within the walls. It was comforting for her to feel things that were human, even if it was only for a moment.

She pushed open the gates, making the hinges groan softly.

Within the courtyard clothes lines scattered the yard, clothes flowed softly in the morning breeze, swaying like spirits in the fog. Children played throughout the yard, using the drying clothes as obstacles, bobbing and weaving around them.

As she continued inside she began to think about Levi. The way the blood pooled within his shirt, how pale and lifeless his face was. The thoughts didn't match the laughter and joy around her, and that made it hard for her to breathe.

She turned into the medical wing, the smell of stale incense and medicine flooded her senses. When she reached the door on the left, she stood for a moment, before knocking.

"Come in." a raspy voice said, different, but still unmistakably his.

She opened the door and entered, seeing Levi sitting up in a bed. Light flowed through the room from the open window, slanting across his bare shoulders. His hair was unkempt, even more than usual, sticking up in clumps unevenly. The blanket that laid across his chest sat awkwardly, bunched up, as if he was wrestling with it. Next to his bed sat a brown leather bound book, looking identical to the one she had read at the library.

"Marina, you look like you've seen a ghost." he said as he looked up

Marina smiled slightly, "You're one to talk."

"Fair" he said, running his hand through his hair, attempting to look presentable. "The sisters say I'm lucky. Your mother says I'm blessed. I'm not really sure what ones worse."

Marina stepped closer "I don't think you should be sitting up yet."

"It's fine," he said, reaching his arm up while wincing slightly "See? Mostly."

Marina's eyes drifted toward the table next to his bed, the book that laid there seemed to be another one of the Skin Bibles, just not the one she had read at the library. She picked it up, examining the spine.

Levi followed her gaze "Oh, that thing. Father Oscar left it here this morning. He said it would 'bring me closer to my healer.' I guess he meant your mother." he said smirking "It's about Sylvian, the goddess your mother apparently works for."

"She doesn't work for her." Marina muttered quietly

"Well, she's got her sigil carved in me." Levi said as he pulled the blanket down slightly, revealing a mark on his chest. A sphere, encased at the top by a large oval that was flanked on each side by a curving line. The skin around the sigil was pink, clearly newly healed but still tender.

"She healed you with this?" Marina whispered

"Yeah," he said. "Your mother's work. She said Sylvian's gift would 'keep me tethered here' or something like that." he leaned forward slightly, tracing the engraving with his finger. "...Y'know, I think she just wanted to brand me. I think it looks like an eye. Or maybe..."

Marina's face flushed "Levi-"

He laughed, quiet and hoarse, but it still managed to sound like him "Relax, Marina. When I first saw it I thought the same thing. Guess fertility and healing go hand-in-hand."

Marina turned away, but she couldn't hide the small, nervous smile that flickered across her lips.

Marina opened up the book, trying to distract herself from the less-than poetic sigil on Levi's chest. The pages smelt like old soot and dust as she flipped through them, eventually landing on an illustration of a figure, multiple arms jutted out from a body covered in breasts. Atop sat a lowered head, down in prayer. The script below the image read:
Sylvian, the Mother of All Flesh and the Fountains of Love. From here bloomed all life, and in her own decay will all life return.

"She's one of the Old Gods" Levi said. "She's apparently the goddess of love, fertility, lust, creation... basically everything the church likes to pretend doesn't exist in us."

Marina frowned. "You've been reading this?"

"Only because I'm bored out of my mind." Levi responded "Interesting stuff though. According to the book she made mankind because she was alone, and when they couldn't love her back, she made them love each other instead. Kinda sweet if you think about it."

"What about the mark?" Marina asked

"It's her blessing" Levi said, glancing down at his chest "The book said she liked to leave her symbol on those who she favored, guess that's me now."

"Do you feel any different?" Marina said, examining the sigil

He shrugged "I'm not sure, mostly I just feel sore. There's something about it though, feels like it's moving inside me."

"She's the goddess of love and fertility, right?" she asked, continuing to leaf through the book.

"And lust." he added "Don't forget about lust. Actually there's some picture if you go to-"

"Levi! That's disgusting" Marina said, wrinkling her nose.

"I don't know, depends on whos asking" Levi murmured "There used to be cults full of her followers, you ever heard of them?"

"Of course." Marina responded "The church calls them heretics."

He looked at her for a moment, something crossing his expression "Yeah, but she's also the reason I'm still breathing, rather have her than rot in the sulfur."

The room went quiet, the faint laughter of children outside echoed faintly. "Listen... I need to talk to you later. Not here."

Marina blinked in confusion "What do you mean?"

"Tonight," he said "Meet me on the roof, there's a ladder out back if you hop the fence. I just need to talk to you, away from everyone else."

Marina hesitated, her hair on the back of her neck rising.

"Fine," she said finally "But if we get caught so help me All-mer-"

"Then we can blame the goddess of love." he said, leaning back with a grin.

She rolled her eyes and the tension released from her chest, only if slightly.

As she turned to go, the wind caught the pages, flipping them to the illustration of Sylvian herself. Her figure was impossible beauty, her arms reaching down towards people cradled to her feet in prayer.

The page fluttered, and for a moment she could swear that the ink had moved.

Levi cleared his throat, drawing her back "If you're waiting until nightfall, you should do something with your time."

Marina tilted her head "Like what?"

"Father Oscar asked me to tell you to go down to the Old Town, I'm not sure why."

"The Old Town?" she asked "I'm not sure if my father would want me down there."

"He doesn't like you breathing without his supervision," Levi smirked "Go down there, I think it'll help clear your head from everything that happened."

"Alright," she said "See you on the roof."

As she walked out, the smell of medicine and herbs faded behind her. Outside, the city stretched into the light of noon, the spire of the Hollow Tower shot above the rooftops, almost blocking the sun.

Chapter Text

The road to Old Town began where the cobblestone streets ended.

Past the Mayors manor the cobblestones began to make way to mud, the clean façades of the upper city's buildings faded into crooked wooden roofs and sagging beams. The strong, briny smell of the nearby lake washed over Marina, carrying the smell of fish, salt, and the sour smell of rot.

She continued walking downhill, as she tucked her hands into her pockets. The noon sky over Prehevil was bleak and colorless, and the deeper she went, the more the sky seemed to dull.

Men with hollow eyes patched nets and carved hooks out of bone. Smoke rose from chimneys that looked as if they were ready to crumble. The air was filled with salt, drying out Marina's nostrils. Through it all, the rhythmic sound of waves slapping against the gravel beaches was constant, patient, as if it was waiting for something.

By the lakefront, a man stood in the gravel, leaving fish to dry.

He was tall, lean, with face that looked carved rather than grown. His skin was pale and dry, as if it was dried out by the salt that surrounded the town. His hands worked with precision, slitting, hooking, hanging fish with ease. He wore a long brown leather apron, stained with various bits and pieces of fish.

He didn't look up at her when he spoke. "You shouldn't be here."

She hesitated for a moment. "I'm just walking through."

The man looked up at Marina, studying her. "No one just 'walks through' Old Town. You either stop, or stay."

His eyes were hollow and sunken in, circled by red rings of brine. A raggedy strip of cloth was tied around his mouth, a fisherman's mask.

"What's your name?" Marina asked, though she was unsure why

The man smiled beneath the mask. "Names aren't a matter of fact here. Folks call me a lot of things; sometimes disgusting, sometimes vile, sometimes names not even worth repeating."

Marina didn't reply. The air around him smelt thick of salt and decay, the kind of smell that clung to the back of your throat and refused to let go.

When she glanced back, a few steps later, he was still there hanging another fish. He muttered something under his breath, but it wasn't in any language that she knew.

She walked a little faster.

The path continued to wind until the docks and beach disappeared behind the shacks. The noise of water was slowly replaced by the gentle chimes of distant bells.

At the center of the Old Town stood a city square, large, quiet, and empty. At the heart of it rose a large crucifix carved out of stone.

The sight of it made Marina stop breathing for a moment, she had seen illustrations of these types of monuments before, but never in person.

It was enormous, carved out of a marble so white that it glowed, even through the overcast sky. From each arm jutted large carved spikes, their tips stained a dark brown that rain seemingly couldn't wash away. Beneath it was a basin carved from the same marble, half-filled with murky rainwater and leaves. Rain had filled it now, but a reddish film still reflected from the marble beneath it.

Marina approached it carefully, her boots slapping against the puddles of mud that scattered the streets.

She peered into the basin, within it laid coins, fish bones, and other assorted offerings. One the pedestal beneath the cross sat an old plaque:

May we drown the wicked, as He drowned the world.

"Pretty, ain't it?"

The voice startled her.

Marina turned around, a man leaned against a wall on the edge of the square. He wore a old burgundy cloak that hid his figure. His head was bald, covered with short, freshly-shaven hairs.

"Used to be, at least." he said, nodding toward the crucifix "'Fore Oscar came in an' told everyone to forget what they were."

Marina studied him "You know Father Oscar?"

"Know 'em?" he laughed "He's the reason this place is such'a shithol'. Him and that worm Father Hugo. just puppets for the mayor. They took our chapel, took our docks, took our lives and sold it back in sermons."

He stepped forward, pointing at the basin "See that? Used to overflow. Whole town used to smell like iron for days. My grandfather told me the priests waded through it, blessin' the blood for All-mer."

Marina swallowed "That was... a long time ago."

"Not long enough." he said under his breath. "You must be one'a Oscar's girls. Aint-cha?"

Her breath hitched for a moment "What about him?"

"Prehevil's holy mutt. He comes in 'ere preachin' about redemption. Sayin' the church'll bring order again. As if there wasn't order in 'ere 'fore them."

Marina frowned "He's just trying to help."

"Help?" The man laughed, dry and bitter "This city used'ta be a heart. Now it's just'a place to be buried."

He took a step closer, his eyes glistening in the light. "Still... ain't all the priests are the same. Your
pa is Domek, right? He's different, 'ard but honest. Ain't preachin' for a coin. He truly works for All-mer."

Marina blinked in confusion "You know my father?"

"Everyone 'ere does." he said "He's got'a spine, which is more than the rest of 'em. Oscar tries to use 'em y'know? Hides behind his shadow."

The man leaned in closer, before continuing.

"If ya' ever see Oscar tell 'em the town ain't still remembers. We all do."

Before Marina could respond, the man had already turned away, vanishing into the alleyways.

She lingered for a while longer, staring at the crucifix. Wind blew across the basin, creating ripples in the water. She stared at her own reflection in the water, trying to make sense of who Father Oscar really was. He seemed much more caring than her father, but apparently he had done something to the Old Town.

When she finally turned away, the sky had grown dark. Across the rooftops in the distance, she could see the faint silhouette of the orphanage.

Levi would be waiting for her there.

Chapter Text

The city felt fake from the roof.

It sprawled beneath them like a broken constellation, the crooked streets and dim lanterns flickered like dying stars. The wind blew sharply against Marina's skin, carrying the smell of wet ash and lake water.

Marina sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees, and pulled her coat tight. Levi sat beside her, his legs dangled down over the edge, as he stared at the rooftops. The moon hung above them; low, swollen, and pale. Its light seeped through the sky like spoiled milk.

For a long while neither of them spoke.

Only the sound of wind blew through the rooftops. It pulled at Marina's hair and tugged at the frayed corners of Levi's coat. It blew across them like as if it was alive, traveling across their body as if it was exploring it.

She could hear Levi's breathing, it was steady and shallow, it matched the faint flicker of the gas lamps below them. She glanced sideways, and she caught the edge of his profile, pale in the moonlight. His face was boyish, with large ears that the tips of his hair rested on.

She thought of saying something, anything, that could break the silence, but words never came. It was enough that they were both there sitting. It was a moment of rest in a otherwise constantly moving world.

Levi shifted a little, his boots scraping the edge of the roof. "You ever notice," he said quietly, almost inaudible under the wind "How the moon looks different every night? It's like it's trying to remember what shape it should be."

Marina followed his gaze up at the moon "Maybe it's tired of being the same every night."

He chuckled under his breath. "Looks like its got a face sometimes."

She shivered. "I don't think you should say that."

"Why not?" he glanced over at her with a half smile. "Scared it's watching?"

Marina pulled her knees closer to her chest. "Sometimes."

A faint smile tugged at his mouth "Y'know, you kinda sound like Father Domek."

Marina blinked, caught off guard by the comment "That isn't a compliment."

"I'm not sure," he said "Sometimes he's hard to read but I think he genuinely cares about this place."

She remembered the flicker of genuine emotion in his eyes from earlier, something human buried beneath years of exhaustion. "Maybe... He hides it well."

"It's the only way to survive anymore." he said "Hide everything."

Marina's eyes gazed over the shadows of the rooftops. "You ever think we'll get out of here?"

"I'm not sure." he responded "Maybe if there's even a world left to get out to."

Marina looked at him, tilting her head "What do you mean?"

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes "You've heard the rumors right? About the Bremen Empire?"

"I think so, the Inquisitors are always spouting about it on street corners." she said. "I guess the Kaiser is dead set on Bohemia."

"It's not just rumors anymore." he said, his tone shifting. "They're saying he's got some kind of new army. The 'Marching Men of the Night's Day'. He's already started taking border towns, and were right on the western edge. If he wants more of Bohemia, were one of the next stones he's going to step on."

Her stomach turned "And the government is... letting them?"

He gave a small laugh "They're trying to call it 'containment', but everyone knows what that means."

Marina's breath caught "You really think they're gonna come here?"

"Not think," he said "I know."

The words hung between them, cutting through the sharp winds. The moonlight flickered softly as clouds passed over it, shadowing its 'face'.

"Levi?" she murmured quietly

He blinked and looked away "I'm sorry... I just... I got some news today."

Her chest tightened "What?"

He hesitated a moment, before clearing his throat "They're drafting me."

For a moment, Marina didn't breathe as she slowly shook her head "That's impossible. You're only sixteen."

"Not on paper anymore." he said "Someone forged the records. They need bodies on the front line. Orphans make good soldiers. No one to write home to."

"When?" she asked, her voice shaking

"Once I'm healed." he said, tapping his newly healed wound "They said they'll collect me once I'm strong enough to hold a rifle."

"But the mark of Sylvi-..." Her throat tightened "You're already healed."

"I don't want you to worry, alright?" his voice said, slow and careful "I just wanted you to know."

"Don't worry? How could I not?" her voice cracked a little "You could-"

"Die?" he tried to laugh, but it came out hollow and empty "Maybe. But I don't have a choice."

After a moment he reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded slip of paper. "Father Oscar gave me this with the book. He told me I should read it before leaving. I tried to read it but couldn't stomach the rest, maybe you can."

He handed it to her, a small page titled Kaiser Critique

"What's it about?" she asked

Levi leaned back, staring at the moon "It's what is apparently waiting for us over the border. The Kaiser's new army, 'The Marching Men of the Nights Day. It says they're not normal soldiers, they don't even stop marching even when they've been shot.'

Her hands shook as she held the paper "That's just propaganda."

"Maybe," he said "But if it isn't, I want someone to know what's going to start marching in here."

"But you're not going anywhere yet. You still have time." she said softly.

"Yeah." he smiled faintly at her "Let's use it."

She glanced up at him "How?"

Levi's grin flickered, he was his boyish self for a moment "Let's go out for one last time. We can go to the forest, I know the perfect place, and besides no ones ever out there."

"It's late," she protested "We'll get caught."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful." he said "We have the moons light to guide us."

Her pulse quickened, she had heard the forest was dangerous, especially at night, but Levi's eyes held something trustworthy. Somehow she knew she would be safe.

"Alright." she said finally

Marina's gaze fell over the horizon, it felt like everything; the gods, the war, all of it was far away. As she looked back at the moon though, it seemingly changed again. It was cast in a pink light, illuminating starkly against the dark shadows from its craters.

Chapter Text

The forest sprawled out before them like a dark sea of shadows. Trees twisted in the moonlight, branches created a canopy above them like dark veins. The cobblestone streets of Prehevil slowly disappeared below them, leaving only the occasional smooth stone that popped out of lush grass.

Marina stood at the tree line. The air was different in front of her was different than Prehevil's, it seemed heavier and older. Damp moss clung to the bottom of her boots as she trudged past a old rotten tree trunk that laid on the floor.

Levi nudged her softly "Don't say you're scared."

She glanced at him with a deadpan expression "You were the one who told me wolves live here."

He laughed "Yeah... But they're probably too drunk to stand tonight."

They continued walking between the trees that towered around them. The moonlight was blotted out by the canopy above them, leaving only slivers of light to guide their path. The deeper they got, the quieter it seemed to become, until even the hum of streaming water faded away. Eventually only the wind remained, sliding around them like a slow breath.

Moss covered trees like peeling rotten flesh, and small trumpet-shaped golden mushrooms grew in small circles. The forest felt alive, but not welcoming, as if they were a bacteria invading the forest's body.

Levi grabbed Marina's hand, leading her to a small hollow log that laid on the ground. An abandoned house sat nearby, its windows covered by wooden blinds, and a dark empty doorframe. It looked like it had been standing among the forest for a while.

"There we go." Levi whispered, as he kneeled by the log. He brushed aside a layer of light blue lichen and stuck his hand into the large opening of the rotten trunk, before pulling out three dusty bottles. "Still here." he said "I was scared the forest spirts were going to get thirsty."

Marina smirked "I think they'd have better taste."

Levi chuckled before handing her a bottle, the glass seared cold against Marina's palm. "To being alive, I guess."

They both sat down on the log together, their backs rested against the trunk. For a while neither spoke, the silence wasn't uncomfortable, just different.

Marina glanced over at Levi, his cheeks were flushed pink due to the cold. The forest was cold, but he seemed to be a little flicker of warmth. She scooched closer to him, trying not to freeze.

"Feels weird... like we aren't supposed to be here." Levi said

"I'm not sure..." Marina said, taking a sip of the beer. It was stale and bitter, but warm in her chest. "You did say no one comes out here."

"No one with any sense" he muttered "I come for the quiet, its nice to not constantly being around people. Nobody bothers you out here, not even the church. Plus I like how dark it gets, reminds me of home."

"Home?" Marina said, tilting her head

"Yeah..." he said "We used to get a lot of blackouts when I lived further west. She would light candles and tell us stories so we wouldn't wander off."

"What kind of stories?"

"Scary ones." he smiled faintly "Her favorite was about the Pocketcat"

Marina blinked "The what?"

"It's an old fairy tale from before The Great War." Levi said, leaning closer "They say he's a man with a cat's head. He has long slick fur, with eyes that shine like coins. He walks on two legs and carries a sack that is made out of children's coats. Inside of it he keeps kids who didn't listen to their parents, or stayed out after dark."

Marina chucked. "Is that all?"

"Oh no it gets worse." He said, grinning widely "He doesn't just take them, he whispers to them first. Sits outside their windows and tells them things, trying to make them follow him into the woods."

He paused for a moment "My mom always would tell us that if we stayed quiet during the blackouts the Pocketcat wouldn't get us. Guess it worked."

He took another drink, with his grin entirely gone.

Marina hesitated "What was she like?"

He let out a slow breath "She was kind, at least she tried to. Father made it really hard."

She stood still, listening

"He used to come home drunk" he continued "I remember one night she tried to hide the knives from him. It never mattered. That night she locked herself in her room with me, praying while she pushed a dresser against the door."

He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the trees around him "I thought she was praying to All-mer but... I think she was just praying to anything that would listen."

Levi's jaw tightened "He broke down the door. She tried to stop him. I didn't move I just watched. By the time I could do anything she was..." he exhaled, forcing out his final words "Gone. I never saw either of them again."

He let out a hollow laugh "Father Domek found me the next day, he told me I was lucky to be alive."

Marina's throat ached "Is that how you ended up in the orphanage?"

"Yeah." he said simply "I don't really remember the details, just the sound of flies."

He pushed his hand through his hair "I try not to think about it. It's fun to joke about monsters than to remember real ones."

Marina looked at him, the dim moonlight making him look older. "Do you miss her?"

"Every day." he said "I always see her in everything. Sometimes I turn a corner and expect her to be standing here, like nothing ever happened."

He stared down at the bottle in his hands, sloshing the liquid inside. "Sometimes I just feel like I'm barely even here. I try to stay positive, but there always is just a feeling in the back of my head. It's just like... If I were to disappear, would anything even change?"

"Don't say that."

"Why not?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharp. "I'm not anyone Marina. I'm just another stray the church picked up. If I were to disappear they would just fill my bed with someone new the next day."

Her heart twisted in her chest "I'd notice."

He blinked and stared at her, then looked away quickly. "You're really nice, y'know that?"

They sat in silence again, the wind whistling faintly between the two. Somewhere in the distance a cracking noise broke the quiet, like wood under strain.

Marina turned around sharply "Did you hear that?"

Levi rested his bottle against the stump "Probably just the wind."

Then suddenly, a light flared and two figured emerged from the darkness, a man and a woman. The man held a rusted lantern to his side, while the woman behind him held onto his arm.

"What are you two doing out here?" the man barked, his voice thick with rage

Levi stepped forward "I'm sorry we didn't know anyone still lived out here."

The man took a step forward, the lantern flashing across the axe that hung across his side. "Out. Now. Before I make you."

Levi quickly grabbed Marina's arm "Go."

They ran. Through the moss and undergrowth, branches tearing at their faces. The women's voice shouted from behind them, shrill and furious. The lantern light flickered between the trees, before disappearing.

They didn't stop running until the forest was quiet again.

Levi leaned against a tree "I guess Pocketcat isn't the only thing out here."

Marina shot him a look "You think they were real?"

He looked back, where the light had been. "Does it really matter now?"