Flashbacks

During the Destabilization, Veilwalkers who tried to cross into Limbo were instead sent through a strange dreamlike series of events that gave them insights into the backgrounds of many personages in Limbo.

## Mahjur

Mahjur is dressed in a very snazzy suit, clearly modeled after film noir detectives. Ze heads into a shop and stand near the soda fountain and look around for their friends. After a few minutes a vampire in comparatively normal clothes heads into the shop, followed by a banshee "Mahjur!" "Walt! Flo!" Mahjur hugs Walt, then Flo, kissing their cheek "How are you my friends?" Walt gives a tiny shrug "Eh, you know how it is, typical dorm drama, people debating where to put new rooms, stuff like that." Florence elbows Walter "You're forgetting the best part!" She looks around, then in a whisper says "A duke of hell decided to join up, says they're going to help out" Mahjur blinks in surprise "Quite an accomplishment." "What about you Mahj?" Mahjur smiles, and takes a seat "Well now, gather round, we don't want anyone else seeing this" Walter and Flo stand in front of Mahjur, blocking them from the view of the customers. Mahjur opens up zir jacket, showing that there are 3 angel feathers inside "And these aren't the only ones I collected for you" Flo smiles and gives Mahjur a hug and a peck on the cheek "Mahj you star! How'd you pull that off?" Ze smiles "Well Flo, perhaps it's best I don't say" Walt smiles, putting a hand on zir shoulder "M, it don't matter how you did it, you're fucking amazing" Mahjur hides the feathers again "I'll drop them off by the sewers later. But for now, can I get you two some milkshakes?" "Ooh yes please!" "That's a yes from me too" Mahjur smiles, and flags down a waiter

Some years later Mahjur looks at a silver locket, a photo with Florence and Walter. Ze closes the locket and puts it back on, keeping the photo close to zir heart, where they should be. Mahjur takes their scimitar, pausing a moment to look at it's edge, the runes carved into it's base. Ze places it in a stone and iron box, then fitting a pure iron lid atop it. Ze hides it beneath the floorboards. This is not the time for this. Not yet.

## Kilo

Kilo and Thomas head into biology class, Emily has already taken her seat. The teacher hasn't arrived yet. They sit down next to Emily, that's not their assigned seat, but the teacher usually gives them a minute to get back to their assigned seating. A woman heads into the classroom and gets behind the teachers desk, she smiles. "Hello class. Mrs. Rossi is no longer going to be your teacher, she's had to move to another district. So, I'm going to be your teacher now! I'm Miss Octantian, but you can call me Cora" She has a slight canadian accent. Since she doesn't know Mrs. Rossi's assigned seating, Kilo and Thomas are able to sit with Emily for the entire class, and while Cora has to bring their attention back to the lesson once or twice, she seems forgiving, and lets them stay seated together.

After school, the three of them meet up in front of the school Kilo waves to Emily and Thomas "Hey, you guys want to go to my place? I can drive you" Emily smiles "That sounds great Oliver" Thomas thinks for a moment "Actually, you guys go, I need to work on my english project. I'll head over when I'm done?" "Yeah, sounds good! See you in a bit" Kilo and Emily head towards Kilo's car. As Kilo gets in, he says "So, new biology teacher's pretty lenient, yeah?" Emily smiles "You're not going to hear me complaining" Kilo laughs, and then starts up the car.

Thomas waves as they drive off, and then walks back home... alone. Or, almost alone. Unknown to Thomas, someone is following them. And in their hand is an iron bar.

## Omni

There's Omni, trying to hide her hurt and anger as she sees her husband come home. She knows. He knows she knows, and has been staying out later and later after work, leaving her home alone with their daughter. She tries to question him about it, but he just walks into the house, smelling of booze.

A few weeks later. It's time. It's very much time. Where the hell is he? Omni texts him, saying that she's going to the hospital and that he needs to meet her there to look over their daughter while she's delivering. After a while, he texts back, saying he's already at the hospital. Omni hopes he's not just blowing her off and drives, her daughter in the back seat. She makes it to the hospital in time. She texts her husband, telling him where in the hospital they are, and then being escorted by the doctors

On the other side of the phone "Yeah, that's what the last fucking doctor said, I came to you for some fucking options!" The doctor is trying to calm him down "I'm sorry, but even with chemo-" "No! No chemo, it's just dying slower. Can't you just, cut it out or something?" "...I'm sorry sir, but we just don't have any other options" His phone buzzes. He quickly texts back and sighs "My wife is in labor. I have to go pick up my daughter. Are you sure there's nothing you could do?" The doctor slowly shakes their head "The only thing I could recommend is chemotherapy, which will give you a 50% chance, that's the most I could promise you." "...Give me time. I'll be back." He goes to the maternity ward of the hospital.

## Skarlin

Skarlin walks through what can only be described as a dungeon. It's time for their ceremony. Skarlin opens the heavy oak door and stands in the middle of the stone room. Several officers of the heresy stand around them in a circle, their faces obscured "Your name?" "Skarlin sir!" "Prep them" Hooded figures remove Skarlin's jacket and shirt "Show them." Skarlin outstretches their wings The leader of the ceremony walks up to Skarlin and slaps them "Heretic!" Skarlin doesn't react, two hooded figures grab Skarlin's wings, and with one mighty tug, they rip them off of Skarlin's body, then immediately take a hot iron and use it to burn a symbol inbetween the two stumps. Blood pours from the stumps, forming a bloody echo of Skarlins wings

"ARE YOU A KING?" "No sir!" Skarlin is punched in the face "ARE YOU A PRINCE?" "No sir!" Whipped on the back, Skarlin still doesn't react. The leader of the ceremony goes through all the ranks, from royalty to the lowest demon. To each and every one, skarlin replies 'No sir!' only to be beaten again. The leader bellows "THEN WHAT ARE YOU?" "AN OFFICER, SIR!" The leader nods, then turns away, looking away from Skarlin. As they do so, more hooded figures grab Skarlin by the horns and force them to their knees. They chain Skarlin to the ground and then rip the horns out of their head.

"DO YOU SERVE A DEMON?" "No sir!" A hot brand is pressed onto Skarlins back "DO YOU SERVE A KNIGHT?" "No sir!" A knife slices into Skarlin's side "DO YOU SERVE AN EARL?" "No sir!" A hammer slams into Skarlin's chest. The leader of ceremonies continues to ask who Skarlin serves, from the rank of Demon to King "THEN WHAT DO YOU SERVE?" "I SERVE THE ROYAL LINE ITSELF, AND NO DEMON WHO MAY INHABIT IT!" "AND WHO DO YOU SERVE!?" "I SERVE LUCIFER! THE IMMORTAL EMPEROR! THE ONE WHO WILL SURPASS GOD HERSELF!!" The leader of ceremonies turns back to Skarlin and vigorously kicks them in the face.

"AND ARE YOU A DEMON?!" "No sir!" more branding "THEN ARE YOU AN ANGEL?!" "No sir!" "THEN WHAT ARE YOU?!" "I AM A HERETIC! MY VERY BODY IS A HERESY AGAINST ALL THAT IS HOLY! MY VERY MIND THE WEAPON OF THE EMPEROR, ONLY ALLOWED TO EXIST TO SERVE THEIR GOALS!"

Skarlin is unchained, and slowly allowed to stand "Then you may join our folds." The leader of ceremonies step aside, behind them is a small unassuming demon, in their hand is a glowing knife "With this weapon, you will be permanently marked. The wounds of your interrogation may fade into memory, but this wound will be there for eternity, a constant reminder of your dedication to the Heresy. Are you prepared?" "Yes sir!" The Demon approaches, and raises the knife, ready to stab it into Skarlin's arm. No, that won't do. Not at all. Skarlin quickly takes the Demon's hand, and forces the knife to stab them in the face, right in the eye. Skarlin screams "LET ALL KNOW, FROM THE MORTALS TO THE ANGELS TO LUCIFER HIMSELF, THAT I AM A HERETIC!!!" Skarlin rips the knife out of their face, panting, but accomplished. The leader of the ceremony and all the hooded figures applaud, welcoming in the newest member of the Zythar Heresy.

## Declan

You see a teenaged Declan. He wakes up at 6:00 am, no alarm, his body just knows to wake up. His room is old, and sparse. The only things he seems to have put in his room that aren't functional being a set of motivational posters. He goes downstairs. The entire house is a mixture of attempts he and his mother have made to keep the place as tidy as this rickety place can be, and the natural chaos of his little sisters. He knocks on his mothers door "Hey mom, rise and shine!" His mother slowly wakes up. She had just worked a graveyard shift "Harrison, wake the kids up for me please? I need some more rest" "No mom, it's me Declan. Dad's still on the road" His mom sighs, then slowly gets out of bed. Declan heads to the kitchen. He takes some money out of a jar labled 'girls lunches' and divvys it up into 5 equal portions. He then starts packing food for himself. He makes sure to only pack the big ticket items, the ones that people will pay for. He stuffs the lunch in his bag and then goes to wake up his little sisters "Yo! Sydney, Emma! Rise and shine, your bus is going to be here soon!" He moves onto the next room "Mary, Bella, Grace! Come on, you guys still have some homework to do before school!" As his sisters wake up, he hands off the lunch money to each one of them. They all head downstairs just as Declan's mother leaves her room "Hey mom, I promised Bell I'd help her with her homework, then I've got to head out, okay?" His mom nods, more focused on the other 4 girls "Of course honey, see you after school" "Oh mom! Don't forget you've got that interview at 7" "Mmhmm!" Declan helps Bella with her math homework until his watch beeps "Oh! Sorry Bell I've got to jet. Ask Syd if she can help out with the rest okay?" Bell nods, and Declan ruffles her hair and then runs out to catch the bus.

The school day ends and Declan is walking home. He didn't even sell half of his inventory. That's barely enough to cover the girls lunches tomorrow, definitely not enough to add to the funds. How could he have fucked up this much? Declan makes a stop by the anger tree before he heads inside. He picks up the padded glove he hides by the roots and puts it on before giving the tree some heavy punches "How! Could! I! Have! Fucked! That! Up!?!" Declan throws the glove to the ground at takes a breath. In, out. Remember what Joey W says. 'Even your failures are merely your next opportunity.' Maybe he can give the leftovers to Mom, have her save some money on dinner. Yeah that sounds right. Declan heads inside the house. There's a note on the door "Hey Declan, I had to cover someone's shift, don't worry, I'll still make the interview. If the girls get home from school before you have to go, tell them to expect me back at around 4" Declan writes the girls a note, there's no way they'll get back from school before he has to go. Declan gets dressed for his after school job, and then puts in headphones to listen to more of Joey W's 14 part masterclass.

"Now, I've always said this future entrepreneurs, the early bird gets the worm. The term is RISE and Grind! Now, you might have a great work ethic, but the competition's is better. You've got to fight for every edge you can get in this business, because otherwise someone else who's working harder is going to snap it up, and you know what? They're going to deserve it. They put in the effort, they were the ones who get the reward. So, what can you do? You can make sure that you're working when they're not even in a business mindset. Anyone who truly wants to make it in the entrepreneurial world has got to be working while everybody else is asleep."

" That's why my morning routine starts at 3 am, you won't catch me slacking! Now, how do I keep going for so long? Well I'm glad you asked. Starbucks coffee is the best brew to get you up and attam. And I've got good news for you future entrepreneurs, Starbucks has partnered with this masterclass to give you a $5 credit towards your next starbucks order, now that is an opportunity you just can't pass up. And the good news keeps on coming! As I've always said, experience isn't just second to cold hard cash, it's even better, and in the spirit of Rising and Grinding, if you were one of the first 500 people to order this masterclass, I'm going to be offering you a chance to earn a 2 year (unpaid) internship at one of my very own companies! That's all for this lesson future entrepreneurs, whenever you're ready, hit play on the next lesson to continue your rise to the top in the world of business"

## Mx. Zirar

"Fionn! It's been too long!" A jolly old man behind a bar smiles as a young man walks in, they have strawberry blonde hair, and a familiar hat "Ahh, I'm afraid I'm not here for a pint Finnegan, supposed to be meeting a friend." Their voice is what cinches it. It's a precise match for Zirar's when their accent is in full force "Oh very well, very well. But that don't mean you can have anything while you wait, now can ya?" Fionn chuckles "Maybe just something small. Still need to keep my head on me shoulders y'know" Old Man Finnegan pours Fionn a small glass of whiskey "On the house lad, it's been too long since I've seen ya." Fionn takes a sip and smiles "They still let you sell this rotgut? It's a wonder you haven't been run outta town, much less seen me recently." Finnegan gives a big belly laugh as the door opens. In walks a mother and their toddler. Fionn turns and smiles "There you are you little scamp!" Fionn kneels down and let's the toddler run to them, picking them up and spinning in place "Up you go!" The toddler is giggling uncontrollably. Fionn smiles and gently puts them back down "Oof, Cian you're getting bigger, who know's when you'll be the one picking me up?" The toddler smiles. The Mother looks more serious "Fionn...." Fionn can sense her distress "What's the matter Roisin?" Roisin takes a seat "...Have you spoken with my brother recently?" "Sean? Um, no I can't say I have. We're supposed to meet up with the rest of the lads this weekend. Is something wrong?" Roisin stops holding back her tears "He-he enlisted! And I'm just so worried!" Fionn puts a hand on her shoulder "Hey now, dry your eyes. This isn't no worry, Sean'll be fine..." Fionn mostly believes this, the war is only supposed to last a few months at most, Sean will most likely never see action "I-I know, but I can't help but worry!"

Fionn smiles. They had been debating whether or not to do this, but if it will put Roisin's mind at ease, and keep Sean safe, how could they not "Well...I think I know what might put your mind at ease. I've been planning to do this anyhow, but I'm going to enlist as well. I can keep an eye on Sean, make sure he makes it back home in one piece, eh?" Roisin smiles "Would you?" "Of course! Even if we'd never met, Sean's a good friend of mine! I can't very well let him go traipsing off all on his own now can I?" Fionn smiles, Roisin gives them a heartfelt hug "You're a good friend Byrne" " Fionn chuckles "Well I better be, I was pretty shite at the other thing" Roisin laughs "If you're trying to get me to deny that, you're climbing the wrong fecking tree"

## Yirgosoth

Yirgosoth has been killing it lately. They're going to celebrate with some drinks at the shady lady. Not only has their business been booming, they're being recommended to be promoted out of gate duty to something a bit more substantial. If this keeps up, they might even gain a rank! The thought makes Yirgo smile and laugh. A bright shiny laugh, like a windchime. They're usually ashamed of how innocent their laugh sounds, but right now they're in too good of a mood to care. They head into the Shady Lady "Hey bartender! Just hand me a bottle of something" Yirgo tosses them some money and pops open the bottle. But, before the alcohol touches Yirgo's lips, a figure casts a shadow over them. "Ahem" Yirgo turns to look at them. They don't recognize this four eyed demon, but they clearly look like they need Yirgo's 'assistance' "Hey, what you looking for?" The demon takes out a folded slip of paper and hands it to Yirgo. They read it....They don't even know what some of these are, and the ones they do know..... "I'm sorry man, I can't help ya, this stuff? If I get caught with it, it's my head. And if you get caught with it, it'd be yours too. But hey, how about this? I'm in a pretty good mood today, about to get a promotion, so I'll give you a special deal. 75% off on any of my usual stuff! An apology, you feel?" The demons four eyes narrow. They grab Yirgosoth by the choker and fling them across the bar. They then grab the bottle Yirgo was going to drink and smash it over Yirgo's head once. twice. three times. They then pull Yirgo up by the hair, bringing Yirgo's ear right up to their mouth. In a whisper that is just barely containing all of their rage, they say "I am a royal. No low life demon has the right to deny me. Especially not when it comes to my experiments. Consider your promotion cancelled." The demon throws Yirgo down to the ground and storms off in a huff, leaving Yirgo to pay for the destruction they caused.

## Alexys

A man in a very gaudy suit smiles, walking through the sterile halls "We think you'll be a great fit for the team" Alexys nods, patiently smiling as they continue with the platitudes. "Now, I don't really understand this stuff myself, just the money guy y'know?" He laughs like it's a joke instead of just the actual truth "Oh! Here we are" He opens the door to the lab "Hey everybody! Gather round all, time for introductions" A group of scientists gather around the man in the suit "Alrighty then! Everyone, this is Alexys. Alexys, this is everybody. Let's go from left to right eh? Okay, here's Lysander, I call them Lys" "Please. stop calling me that" "Hah! What a joker that Lys. Anyways, then there's Willa, Percy, Kate, Frankie, Johnny, Eamon, yeah they got a weird name, it's like arabic or something" "Not even close" "Oop! Sorry 'mon, you know how I am with geography right? Hah ha! Anyways, then there's Nora, Herbert and Ruby!" Ruby smiles at Alexys "I've read some of your earlier work, it's a pleasure to be collaborating on this" Alexys nods respectfully at Ruby, then extends her hand, which Ruby shakes "Oh! That's the spirit, c'mon everybody, let's all shake hands y'know really seal this partnership together!" Alexys and Ruby both roll their eyes at this.

## Sena

Sena is on the floor. She's not moving. Someone is kneeling over her, shaking her. They look vaguely familiar "Se-se? Se? Hey, wake up Se!" They debate calling emergency services...no, Se-se would get sent to jail for a long time. They'll just have to handle this on their own. Okay, okay, what do you do first? CPR! That's right, CPR. They start chest compressions. 1-2-3....they get to the last set and then pause. Are the breaths really that important? What if she wakes up during them? She might get...the completely correct idea....Fuck it, if it saves Se-Se, it's worth outing themself. They do the two breaths, then go back to chest compressions. They repeat this cycle, and then eventually, Se-Se's eyes flutter open and she takes in a deep breath "Se-Se! You're alright!" "Y-yeah, I think so ██████. I guess I took a bit too much this time...."

## Yarindael

The familiar face of Yarindael, now with a brilliant golden halo, and resplendent white wings, in a large class of other angels. At the front of the class is a senior angel "Now class, what is the purpose of the host?" Yarindael's hand shoots up, several quiet groans from the other angels in the class "Yes Yarindael?" "To spread the holy light of our father, by executing the commanders plan, so we can stop the betrayer from their infection of innocent souls!" The instructor nods "Precisely Yarindael. You've been making excellent progress so far" Yarindael beams, and the instructor continues on with their lesson on the holiness and righteousness of the commander's plan. The lesson ends, and the class filters out into a large mess hall.

Yarindael sits alone, with their unsalted rice and chicken, as they sprinkle a little cinnamon onto their meal. They see several angels consciously sit at different tables, and one angel that is just going along to sit with with her other friends. Four wings, that's rare, most just stick with their normal two. She doesn't pay Yarindael any mind, and Yarindael doesn't pay much attention to her, just quietly eating their lunch and waiting for the meal to be over.

## Allocen

You see an angel in gold and leather armor, wielding a sword that shines with the intensity of the sun. He has a righteous smile upon his handsome face, and clean, dark grey hair falls to his shoulders, and his preistine white wings are wide and strong. He flies through the air, in a heated battle with three demons, but they are no match. He dispatches two of them with his sword, and one erupts in a column of fire, screaming. Another angel flies in, her hair golden and long, wearing a beautiful robe and and wielding a greatbow.

He chuckles mirthfully. "Well, that was a fun one, eh Jackiel?"

## Azrael

They floated calmly, solemnly through their nothing, head a bit foggy. They were trying to recover from the unfortunate choice they had just made, that they had to make. As unfortunate as it was, there was simply no other way. They would forgive Azrael, but could Az forgive themself?