I failed.

The waves crashed onto the shore as I fell onto my knees. It was like trying to keep moonlight in a bottle. The souls swirled and meshed around with themselves, almost like flour through a sieve. But they were far too clumped up together to even properly filter.

I sighed, rubbing my already aching head as I silently cursed myself. “I really was in over my head, huh…”

“No, no, you’re on the right track. How is your head doing?” Veles sat beside me, offering a puppy which I just knew was probably some other accursed convict, but also it was a really cute puppy, so like, that doesn’t matter.

I took and patted the puppy on the head. “I don’t know anymore. It felt like I just lived through a hundred different lifetimes. I can’t really tell what’s happening. It’s like I’m working through a fog that’s never letting up. Every time I enter, I see someone new, talk to them for a bit, and then when I try to guide them out, they disappear.”

“Yeah, it’s a wonder you made it this far. Your mind must be much more resilient after all that mental invasion.”

I smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah… You can thank the others for that. All that talking and head pounding really made me not mind the pain as much, but aahhh, there must be something more that I could do… Any suggestions?” I looked up to Vele,s who stared out into the Smorodina.

“They’re all dragging each other down. Each one is trying to pull themselves up, but they’re doing so by muting the others. You’re going to need to try and have them collectively reach out to you.”

I stared out at the River of Souls and the wailing contents within. “Easier said than done, I don’t even know what that means, but… I think I sorta get it, on some weird metaphysical level… Haha.”

Veles patted me on the back. “That’s the spirit~”

I rolled my eyes at the stupid pun he made and stood up. How would someone like me try to unite them? Try to bring them all together? I’m just some kid, I’ve never been someone who rallies… But I think I know someone who could.

With a heavy sigh, I curled my hand and muttered out loud. “Alright, come here, you damned fox…”

Without a second to waste, a familiar red and white fox manifested around my body, grinning ear to ear as she landed right on my feet. “Oh~ finally I was wondering when-“

Before she could finish, I grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and began to aggressively tickle her. “Listen here! No lies, no little tricks. I want your help now. I know you were the reason why we all merged and why I can even do this to the Smorodina. I know you’re gonna go on the whole spiel about how I got what I wanted, well, right now, I want your help!”

I let go of her as she flopped back onto the groun,d giggling. “Fine, fine~ gosh golly gee, you’ve really grown yourself a spine. Did you help with that, Velly?” The fox turned to Veles, who laughed.

“You can say I helped push him a little, but he’s the one who managed to run all by himself. But alas, it looks like he needs a little more help to get where he wants to be.”

The Fox looked up at me. “You know, there’s actually a really easy way to do this. Like, if you did it, you could quite literally grab the whole Smorodina out. You wouldn’t like it, so we’re going to do the other thing.”

“…Why? Why would I ever not take that option?!”

She laughed at me as if I were tickling her again. “Alright then, why don’t you forgive John-“

“Yeah, what’s the other option?”

Veles and the Fox stared at each other, both of them smirking as if they had seen this coming. I mean… I guess she wasn’t wrong. If that’s what I needed to do, I won’t do it. Even if she was right, that it could save everyone… No, just no. I trusted him once, and I trusted him over and over again. I won’t make that same mistake once more.

“It’s to use me as a conduit. You send your thoughts and ideas through them, and I rouse them all up just like last time. You simply have to not lose yourself again. Got it?”

“Easier said than done…”

“As most feats of power are~”

I took a deep breath. Instead of sighing, I stood my ground, raising my hands up as I readied myself. “Alright then, show me.”

The little Fox grinned like a demon, jumping straight into the Smorodina as my mind suddenly was filled with chittering and chattering voices. Many of whom I now recognize, many of whom I have seen, talked to, and connected to.

Memories upon memories. Minds upon minds. I saw them like houses on land, filling up all that I could ever witness and imagine. The houses stared at me like an endless cacophony of bugs, waiting for me in the darkness of the forest forevermore.

I saw them all. I’ve been through them all. I walked those streets, I’ve witnessed those houses, I know what’s inside of them as much as I do outside of them.

So I stepped forward, wandering into the valley of memories as I tried my best again, connecting to each and every one. A call to action, so to speak, raising my voice and asking out loud.

“Do you want to live? Come with me!”

It was simple, but simple was often effective. It was often expected, and most of all, it was often needed.

All at once, the houses erupted like a flood. Hundreds to thousands of people came forth, bodies upon bodies, like a mass grave vomiting up those that it has hidden deep within itself. They writhed and wriggled like worms, crawling and pushing each other upwards, downwards, sideways.

They surrounded me, pulling each other out of the way, each one bemoaning their own pain, their own loss. They all had a right to a better life, to a more fulfilling afterlife. They all rattled and tried to pry me open as if I were the gate to a brighter tomorrow.

Memories came forth like broken mirrors, slashing away at my skin as they embedded themselves deep into my psyche. I couldn’t tell left from right, or my up from my down. It was like when the Name was shoved into my head, but somehow so much worse.

‘Why?’

‘Save us!’

‘Let me go home…’

They echoed again and again, all of them carving my mind like a chisel into stone. They were all so disorganized, all so divided. But how could I change that? How would I change that?

How do you connect things that were different? Well, the answer should be obvious: it would be to find something that unites them. Something that they all had in common. But what was something they all had in common? What was something that a soldier, a baker, and a candlestick maker… What do a child, a traveler, and even the monsters down here have in common?

It was not religion. It was not how they survived, it was not even how they wanted to live. Some wanted to stay, and some simply didn’t care. There was something else; there had to be something else.

Falling into the void, perusing each and every moment of their lives like a broken wreckage that fell with me.

‘What could it be…’

The dead climbed upon me, seeking me out-

My eyes widened as a grin grew across my face. I was so stupid. I was so foolish. I was too stuck up, thinking of the big picture when the answer was so obvious.

I reached out to each of them, to all of them. I became them for the briefest of moments, uniting them all in one singular thing they could all find in common.

Their death.

I united them, I became them, I died with them. I saw their deaths and was intertwined with their demise. Each moment was painful, like an endless barrage of bullets splintering into me. I saw them and felt them getting stabbed, shot, gutted, choked, mauled, and so much more. But like rain, they passed one by one.

I already felt it before, when I became the Angel, but it wasn’t as vivid as it was now.

With each death, I felt my mind erode; each demise made me feel numb. I felt like I was going to choke out, but I knew I had to continue. If I had to save everyone, if I wanted to help them, to carry their burdens, then I had to move forward. I had to continue.

I grit my teeth until the chaotic chorus became a heavenly choir, all of them in unity once more. Instead of reaching out to push each other down, they reached out to hold my hand, pulling upwards as I did the same.

“Come on… Let’s get you all home. I promised to save you, didn’t I?”

I laughed before returning to the Nawia, pulling out thousands of souls from the Smorodina, all of them flying through the air like fish in a storm, splattering onto the ground behind me.

I fell onto my back, taking in a deep sigh of relief as I stared up into the sky, groaning in pain before the Fox jumped onto my chest once more, purring happily. “Oh my~ he actually did it~ What a surprise~ I thought he would have fallen in and doomed you all.”

“Hah, I’d be able to stop him if that’s the case.” Veles muttered as he slapped my cheek up.

“Look at that, you actually managed to pull them out. Made them find their own individuality and all that. How marvelous, honestly, very good work.”

The Fox nodded and pranced around. “You should be proud of yourself, Peter. This is the first step to a brand new day! You may actually be able to fend off against Jane and Marian soon enough when they come and find you.”

Yeah… Huh, how could I even defeat them? They were faster, stronger, more skilled, and well, my powers were cool and all, but theirs were more suited to direct combat. I could try to get into their heads, but… Zmey showed me that it wasn’t exactly a good idea.

“I wonder where they even are…” I said aloud as I faced the Fox.

She tilted her head in response. “Oh? I mean, that’s easy enough to check up on. You know you can simply reconnect with them, like what you did with Andrei. Although it would only be jumping into their mind.”

I blinked for a moment. “Huh. What do you mean by that- Like I can right now, jump into their minds and see where they’re at? I can talk to them?”

“Well, of course, you already connected to them once when you were the Spark; you can do so again here.”

“Then I’m going to talk them down. The less I have to face them head-on, the better.”

I closed my eyes. If it were just like Andrei, then all I had to do was remember.

Remember the flames.

Remember the agony.

Remember the grief.

Remember the regret.

I remembered what they took from her. I remembered how they treated her. I remembered how, after all this time, she wanted to help and change the world.

Maybe it was wrong, but maybe, just maybe, I can ask her to see reason. I can ask her to stand down and not absorb me into herself so that she may bring destruction to Galfania.

Just maybe.

I held my breath, and everything went dark.