"Are the gods... watching me or something?" I asked, looking towards the Umbridge. The figure, clad in dark robes, fell silent for a moment before responding in an ethereal voice.

  "I wouldn't say that's true. The deities are beings of unfathomable power; they wouldn't waste their time on a singular organism who doesn't like them."

  "But I'm... different," I groaned, flopping back on the bed. "I'm not from here, I randomly opened a portal and sapped all my friends here alongside me. Now, I'm a wanted criminal for shit I didn't even do, my friends are either worried sick or have forgotten about me, and I can't go back because of that bastard, Kael!"

  "If being brutally honest, your struggles are infinitesimal in the gazes of the deities. They've lived for tens of thousands of years, I've seen them first hand."

  "Saw them first hand? A-are you really that old?" I shot up, a wave of curiosity pulling me in like a tidal wave.

  "Ancient is a better term for it. Old is a deprecating, mortal phrase—it's disrespectful." The Umbridge's voice lowered, yet it carried no malice.

  "Sorry," I flushed, rubbing the back of my neck with my right hand.

  "I read through Kael's journal, and it contains mentions of this time scrawled within its pages. Kael is also old, but he hasn't come into contact with a deity before. Instead, he dwelled in a time where beings of power, like Angels and demi-gods roamed the world, seeking power, conquering civilizations, and waging war."

  The Umbridge paused, a boney hand covering the leather journal. "Of course, you mustn't read it until it's time. Information about even Angels can be deadly if handed to the wrong person."

  "Kael never stated what I should and shouldn't read, right?" I slowly reached for the journal, blowing the dust off.

  The Umbridge looked at me in silence for about two to three seconds before scoffing. "You're a Seeker, you must learn restraint. Knowledge killed the curious cat that wandered too far into scripture."

  As the Umbridge's form turned illusory, fading away, I was left alone sitting on the bed, the sun now high outside, signalling that the rest of Clifton was to wake up in a short time. Looking down at Kael's journal, I felt my stomach twist to an extent. This was the readings, teachings, and documentation of the man who was closest to me right now.

  He took me from Seraphis the moment I felt vulnerable, sheltered me and gave me food and clothes, and now I can't leave because of what he put on my left palm. At this moment, I couldn't tell if he was holding me captive or attempting to protect me. After all, he was the only other Apocalypse pathway Seeker I've met in all of my time here.

  "I feel like he should have installed some kind of mystical bookmark," I mused to myself, turning to the first page.

  I felt a small shiver the moment I read the first entry:

  Kael Cavendish, entry one out of an uncountable number,

  The date is one I do not know, nor do I care whence this publication graces new eyes. All I know is that if the wrong reader is to find this, I'd know of it.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Anyways, the day is hot, the sun a scorching constant blazing behind light, thin clouds. I had just consumed a Doomweaver potion, and my spirituality has taken quite the toll both physically and mentally. I may not have gained physical prowess or the strength to rip apart mountains like He can, but one must follow in His footsteps. After all, He is the closest thing to divinity I've met so far.

  My eyes widened after reading the entry. This entry was dated back to when Kael first consumed his own Doomweaver potion, which I had taken about two weeks to digest. Though, I mostly felt it digest the moment the Blood Moon concluded and the mass of spirits had been absorbed into my body. It was a loophole in a destined system, wrecking havoc on those who are already evil, helping me digest my potion without a human toll.

  One thing that particularly caught my eye was the capitalization of specific pronouns like 'He'. From the bits and pieces of knowledge I can recall regarding things I've learned across life, a capitalized pronoun could either be some unorthodox form of diction, a spelling or grammar mistake, or a salutation used to address a god of deity.

  Could it be that... Kael had actually made contact with a deity?

  Knock, knock, knock.

  I heard three knocks on my door in quick succession, rousing me from the journal. I quickly tucked it under my pillow, making my way to the door and opening it. Before me, I saw a woman with red hair, crimson eyes, and wearing casual attire. It was the same woman from this morning!

  "I'd recommend you hurry, the day will get older, and so will you." Her tone was no-nonsense, but her expression was calm and placid like a lake of crystalline, untouched water.

  I dashed to the nearest closet, changing into casual attire before heading downstairs, meeting her at the bottom. Beside her stood other people, including Arden and a few other charity members. The woman folded her arms over her chest and sighed.

  "You may address me as Crylla Cavendish," She announced, pointing to herself. "This is Arden Stone, who you talked to last night."

  Arden, wearing a vest and undershirt, smiled at me and clicked his tongue. Crylla pointed to the last person to her right, a man about my height with eyebags, short blonde hair, and a pair of goggles obscuring his eyes. His face was painted lightly with freckles, and a prominent scar flowed up his cheek, pausing jaggedly below his left eyelid.

  "This is Cosette, a famous alchemist in this village, one who wants to help us with this mission."

  "A mission, to where?" I looked outside, noticing that some people of Clifton had emerged, moving through the streets.

  "We'll be heading into the forest to gather a few ingredients for our next charity project. Our advisor, and leader of this group, Kael Cavendish, commissioned someone to visit a neighboring empire and picked up a few people he thought would help us further."

  Suddenly, a man of tall stature, ice-blue eyes, a pale and gaunt face, and clad in formal attire, walked over to us. He had been sitting at the bar, sipping a glass of reddish water.

  Crylla abruptly cleared her throat, smiling. "I forgot to announce the arrival of our vice-president, Head Minister of Growth and Development. He's second only to Kael, and he will help us run operations around here until we can move to taller peaks, bigger kingdoms, and fuel economic and social prosperity for everyone."

  "I'm flattered, really," He said in a low, charismatic tone as he sauntered over, holding the glass of slightly red water. He held it up to me, shaking it so the ice cubes would jingle around and clank against the glass.

  "This is like a drug to us, care to sample some?"

  I shook my head, taking a step back. "I already had something to eat."

  "Well then, the luxury of a good drink is only for those who are smart enough to claim it early."

  He paused for a moment, smiling. "Since my name has more syllables than your average headline, you can address me as Ice Eyes."

  "Ice Eyes..." I repeated the nickname under my breath, noticing its stark unprofessionalism.

  As if sensing my confusion, the taller man laughed out loud. "Shocked, aren't you? I'd rather not be looked at like an individual who needs people to fear him. I crave intimacy, personal relations with those who I interact with."

  He suddenly extended a hand, grabbing my wrist and giving it a faint squeeze. It was tight, bordering on uncomfortable to an extent. When Ice Eyes smiled at me, I could see his teeth—half of them were golden.

  "F-feel free to... tell me when we're leaving."

  "Now," Crylla announced, nodding her head.

  "Really now." I tugged my arm out of Ice Eye's grip, the taller man resting his hand at his side.

  I exchanged another glance with the three of them, who were all looking at me. Ice Eyes was also looking in my direction, his face slightly heated. His breathing slowly grew more ragged as he took a step back, returning to his drink. As he took a sip, his hands trembled.

  Watching this man move so raggedly all of the sudden took me aback. My gaze shifted to Crylla, whispering. "Is he... alright?"

  Crylla nodded. "Within that drink is a stimulant used to keep his senses in check. I assume you're acquainted with the drug as well? Didn't Kael give it to you as a gift?"

  "He... did, but I have no reason to use drugs." I recalled the numerous vials of powder within the wooden box. Ice Eyes had most-likely drugged his water to keep himself from doing or saying something.

  "Well, you may be soon. We're having a gathering tonight amongst the townspeople for the annual Flamesrite Passage."

  "Flamesrite Passage?" I arched an eyebrow, my lips parting slightly.

  "You'll learn later, we have ingredients to collect."

  Crylla reached into her pocket, handing me a small list of ingredients for me to collect alongside the group. Beside the list were intricate sketches of what they looked like; the sketches were colored so we could distinguish them from the other foliage.

  "Alright, lead the way."

  This was a good way to distract myself from my earlier thoughts. Even if I was trapped here for the most part, I still had the smallest sliver of hope that my friends were out looking for me.