Darkness surrounded Jalen.

    He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but the snake that was the encroaching shadow had finally managed to swallow his vision. His body felt light and weightless, like a thousand pounds of force had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

    And, more surprisingly, there wasn’t a hole in his chest anymore.

    He was draped in rather boring looking white clothes that were definitely far too revealing for both his own comfort and the continued sanity of anyone unfortunate enough to be in his vicinity.

    Jalen lifted a hand to his chest, but the hole really was gone. There was nothing but skin and flesh — and some sick bastard’s idea of flowy lingerie.

    “The fuck is this?” Jalen muttered, rubbing the thin cloth together between his fingers.

    At least it was comfortable.

    He cast his gaze around the darkness. It seemed that he was floating in some vast, empty space. There was nothing else to go by. The world just seemed... empty.

    A frown pulled across Jalen’s features. He twisted to the left and right in search of something. Anything. And, far in the distance, he found it. It was so small that he could barely even make it out, but there was a sliver of gold like a fallen strand of hair.

    What is that? Where am I? And where the hell are my clothes? They had a sick ass hole blasted into the chest. I want that back. It would be such a fashion statement. I’d never take them off — no. I’d just have the hole cut into the chest of all my clothes.

    I’m a few hundred years old. I get to be slutty if I want to be slutty.

    Something prickled against the back of Jalen’s neck.

    He turned.

    A woman floated before him.

    That was rather odd, as he’d literally just been looking in that direction, and there had been nothing there.

    It was odder still, as Jalen was rather confident that the woman was not human. There was something distinctly wrong about her. She was beautiful, but in the way of a stormy night to a sailor on a rowboat.

    Her features were angelic in all the ways that a normal person’s never could have been. It was like someone had painted their idea of a perfect woman rather than actually looking at anybody who had ever truly drawn breath.

    Flowing pink robes hung from her body like banners, and there was magic within her. A lot of magic. She may not have been carrying a weapon, but anyone stupid enough to believe her to be harmless would likely soon find themselves dead. r?ANO??bE?S

    This is a monster. An ancient monster.

    I wonder if she’s single.

    “Hello,” Jalen said.

    “No,” the woman replied.

    “Damn,” Jalen said. “That was fast. Might actually be a record. I didn’t even get a chance to try. How’d you know what I was going for? Maybe I just wanted to ask if I could try on those fancy clothes of yours.”

    The corner of the woman’s lips twitched up into a smile. “The answer to that question would also be no. And I’m flattered, Jalen, but I’m afraid my mere presence would shatter your psyche.”

    “Trust me, it’s long gone. I’m hallucinating eerie women in my dreams. That’s an ill omen if I’ve ever heard of one, so might as well say fuck it and go the rest of the way.”

    A laugh like falling stars slipped from the woman’s lips. Amusement twinkled within her eyes like literal stars and she shook her head.

    “Some of that might have worked on me a few hundred thousand years ago. But I’m afraid not, Jalen. And this is not a hallucination. It’s very, very real.”

    “Not words I like to hear.” Jalen touched his chest again, his eyes drifting to the whole, undamaged skin. When his gaze lifted again, any playfulness that had remained within it was gone. “I’m dead, then. I don’t suppose you’re here to tell me that my heroism has granted me a second life and I will not be relegated to the agonizing boredom of whatever it is that comes next?”

    A flicker of surprise passed over the woman’s features. “You know? Did N—”

    “Oh, that is bad news,” Jalen muttered. “I didn’t know shit. I just assumed it would be worse than screwing around with a real body. If the herald of the end is telling me shit is going to suck, then it’s really going to suck. I— wait. Did what? You were about to say something.”

    “Never mind,” the woman said with a shake of her head. “I am not the herald. I am Renewal. I have been watching you, Jalen.”@@@@

    “A set of words I’d be thrilled to hear if I was alive. I’ve always said crazy was subjective.”

    “You are not dead, Jalen.”

    That took him by surprise. He blinked.

    “Really?”

    “Sorry. Old habits die hard,” Jalen said. He grimaced. His mouth tasted like ash and blood.

    He forced himself to look down — and his eyes widened in surprise. The massive hole was gone. There was a scarred patch covering a large portion of his body, but the immense damage had been completely repaired.

    How?

    “I’ve wondered the same thing once or twice,” Garina said idly. “Unfortunately, Ferdinand is not a genie.”

    “If I were, I’d have been able to fix him without so much scarring,” the bald man who was likely Ferdinand said with a shake of his head. “It’s a fortunate thing he just hit Rank 7. His body was so full of energy that I was able to harness some of the excess to fuel the healing.”

    Jalen looked back down at his chest. “You healed me?”

    “Evidently,” Garina said. “It was quite a pain, I’ll have you know. Bringing Ferdinand here broke at least a dozen different minor rules and more than a few large ones.”

    “Technically, I was kidnapped against my will.”

    Jalen’s brow furrowed as he studied the two of them. His thoughts were a mess, but he was pretty sure —

    “Oh!” Jalen exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. “You’re one of the blokes I’m meant to give a message to!”

    “Me?” Garina asked in surprise. “What, from Spider?”

    “No. The bald guy,” Jalen replied. “You’re Ferdinand, right?”

    Ferdinand frowned. “Yes. Why would you have a message for me?”

    “From some hot, spooky looking angel called Renewal. She said she supports you in all that you do, but you really need to stop holding back so much. Also, she says you look good in black and that some guy called Decrease isn’t so bad.”

    Ferdinand’s arms fell slack at his sides. His mouth pulled open in either horror or awe. He wasn’t alone. Garina stared at Jalen with the same stunned expression.

    “Renewal? Renewal gave you a message? You saw her?” Ferdinand asked. “And she wanted me to hear that?”

    “Did you mean Decras?” Garina asked, focusing on an entirely different part of the message.

    “Yes. She also said you should pluck your unibrow,” Jalen said.

    Ferdinand reached up to his forehead. “Really?”

    “No. That part was me. The rest was from her, though.”

    “You spoke to Renewal? The Goddess of Reincarnation spoke to a mere mortal?” Ferdinand exclaimed. “And she had a message specifically for me? A motivational message?”

    “Evidently. Maybe it was a thank you for saving my life. Good job there, by the way. Appreciate it. I rather like living.” Jalen pushed himself to his feet with a grunt. His features turned serious as he affixed Ferdinand with a sharp gaze. “I mean that. Thank you. I thought I was dead.”

    “Don’t mention it,” Ferdinand muttered. “Literally. I can’t believe it. Renewal had a message for me. Not the Prophet. Not her Aspect. Me.”

    “And she approves of me,” Garina said, blinking in surprise. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

    Jalen glanced from Ferdinand to Garina. He arched an eyebrow.

    Looks like she’s off the market. Bummer. I really do have the worst luck. Maybe I should go talk to that demon again. She seemed fun.

    “Well,” Jalen said, drawing the word out. “Not to ruin the mood, but shits royally fucked. That prick Father got his hands on an ancient artifact, so I’m going to go head off and get to work. Lots to do, you know. Can’t let him keep that.”

    Jalen turned — and Garina’s hand fell on his shoulder.

    He hadn’t even seen her move. She’d simply arrived alongside him.

    Jalen winced.

    “I’m afraid not,” Garina said. “You’ve reached Rank 7.”

    Fuck. I thought this might happen.

    “Are you sure? I still feel like a Rank 6. Maybe you’re just seeing things a bit wrong.”

    “I am not. The rules are adamant for a reason. There are no Rank 7s other than myself permitted within the Arbalest Empire. And, no matter how much you may have just helped me... that includes you.”