Stepping across space and time to enter a new world eventually became repetitive.

But it never grew dull. The liminal moment in which the vastness of a world not his own yawned before him. The hollowness filling his chest as he momentarily ceased to exist. The staggering disorientation as he stepped onto ground that changed him more than he changed it. Even as he stepped into the truly unknown, he was accompanied by those familiar sensations.

Theo took a deep breath of air he'd never breathed before. In his years of travel, he had set foot in five of the Nine Worlds, yet he immediately knew that this was not one of them, nor was it his nearly-forgotten home. No, this was something new.

All color had died on the desolate plane that stretched before him, a wasteland of gray that consumed every horizon. Overhead, the sky arched white as bone. A black sun burned overhead, casting shadows without objects. The only proper shadows lay behind him and the old wooden door that had taken him to this wasteland. Through it, he could still see the verdant world they'd left behind.

Then he saw his companions as they stepped through, their shadows joining his own, the pale wasteland now occupied by four intruders. Eratius flexed all six of his wings, glowering as if he liked this world as little as all the others. Brigana held her spear ready, but seeing him unharmed in the emptiness, returned it to her back. Khaluu entered last, his foliage rustling as his bark-like face took in the landscape.

"Have we left the Nine Worlds, Khaluu?" Theo asked as he turned fully to the others. Khaluu creaked as he inclined the upper half of his body.

"No ancestor of mine has ever set root in this place." His trunk floated lower, extending tendrils toward the ground, but they curled up as they reached the gray dust. "It is a lifeless world, yet the density of it..."

Brigana walked forward to stand beside him with a smile. "I take it this isn't your world, Theo?"

He shook his head. "No, this is nothing like Earth. What about you, Eratius? Do the hallowed libraries of Noven contain anything about such a place?"

"They contain many things." Eratius stalked past them, arching a wing to shield his eyes from the dark sun and stare outward. "Unlike many ignorant fools, we do not believe that the Nine Worlds stand alone. But most of the worlds around the Nine are fragments and corpses... what purpose can coming here possibly serve?"

"Don't rule it out so quickly. I'm sure this place must contain sublime materials we couldn't find anywhere else." Theo walked beside Eratius and peered toward the horizon as well. "Can you see anything?"

"Possibly." His rival offered no further explanation, moving forward again to put more distance between them.

That was unhelpful, but so was Eratius. Theo shielded his eyes and squinted forward, drawing on the highest chambers of his soulhome. Enhancing his eyesight revealed nothing at first, the wasteland apparently endless, but then he realized that something was wrong with the horizon in one direction. There was a strange line, almost as if there were two horizons. Unnaturally uniform, yet if it had been constructed by mortal hands, it was an impossibly vast structure.

A soft sound interrupted his observations. He glanced over to find Eratius on one knee, grimacing. His wings crumpled downward as if a strong wind had flattened him, and Theo searched for an attack, yet there was nothing around them. Yet when he looked back to the others, he found that Brigana and Khaluu struggled as well.

"This place... it abhors us." Eratius lurched to his feet with a grunt, but instead of moving forward, he retreated several steps toward the door. Khaluu rustled in agreement.

"I have felt few worlds so hostile. To proceed, we must cast our cantae against it, and that would soon leave us drained."

"Theo, do you not feel it?" Brigana straightened as she marshaled her power within her soulhome, but her face was pale. "I noticed the first step I took away from the gate, but you've been walking so easily..."

"This feels the same as any of the Nine to me." Theo frowned and looked down at his hand, his crimson ring a bloody scar on the gray wasteland. He did not truly know what it was, other than that it had been given to him when he left Earth. Since then, it had allowed his body to survive in the alien worlds of the Nine. "The artifact must work here as well. I'll scout while you all adjust."

Brigana nodded to him and closed her eyes, beginning to soulcraft to better prepare herself. Khaluu floated near the gate, pondering, while Eratius merely gave him a curt nod. So it was up to him to explore this new world. It would not be the first time he took the lead, as little as Eratius wanted to admit it.

Yet he had only taken several steps forward before Brigana caught up to him, her fingers brushing his arm. "Theo... please be careful. I wish I could go with you, but I need time to adjust."

"Don't worry about me. We can see there's nothing for leagues." He did pat her hand reassuringly, though, and didn't leave her so quickly. "You're already soulcrafting a defense, aren't you? Now that we've become Strongholds, you should have more than enough space for a chamber dedicated to it."

"Yes, but I wish I'd planned the soul architecture better. If I had known how strange the Worlds could be beyond the borders of Deuxan..." Brigana sighed to herself, then turned her gaze toward him with a strange expression. "Do you ever wish you could go back and rebuild yourself from the beginning? If I knew then everything I do now, I would have laid my foundations so much more carefully..."

"And spend years soulcrafting myself from the ground up? No thanks."

"Oh, but think if you could. You've truly become yourself here in the Nine, so you could lay a far better foundation. I can imagine it now... a field of golden flowers equal to the hero you are."

Theo flushed and looked away from her earnest praise. It was true that his time on Earth felt like a distant memory, and he had only discovered who he truly was when he entered the Nine. When he looked inside, he saw the spiritual fortress he had soulcrafted and could recognize a great many mistakes that were now built into his soul. If he could begin again...

He had no intention of doing so, but he discussed it to keep Brigana company. Her soulhome was a beautiful silver tower, yet she spoke eagerly of how she could redesign it. Surprisingly, she'd given his own soulcrafting considerable thought as well. She had such a clear vision of a brilliant foundation and blueprint that he almost regretted that he couldn't rebuild using it.

In the end, however, her cantae reserves began to ebb. He gave her one more smile as she retreated toward the door, then headed out into the wasteland. It was time to see just what this world had in store.

As it turned out, very little. Theo made sure to keep himself oriented, which was a simple task because the dust trail behind him was the only thing marring the vast wasteland. Except for the line in the distance, which very slowly grew as he approached. Whatever it was, it was tall and unbelievably long.

Though he'd been told not to remove the ring, Theo experimentally slipped it off his finger. He felt no different until he tossed it into the air... and fell to the ground faster than the ring. In an instant the air itself suffocated him and the sun seared darkly through his body. Shuddering, he scrambled in the dust until his fingers brushed against the ring and he felt a cool wave of relief.

The ring clearly allowed him to walk in this world before he was ready, but he could turn that to his advantage. Any sublime materials found here could well give them a boost they could never otherwise imagine. Theo placed the ring firmly on his finger and strode forward into the wasteland.

"Well done, Theo." The voice emanated from all directions at once, but when he swung his head about wildly, he spotted a hooded figure floating in the wasteland not far from him.

Exactly the same entity that had greeted him all those years ago. The same one who had guided him from his life on Earth and given him the ring. Theo had never expected to see Vistgil again, yet it was no reunion. Instead he found himself hesitating, long submerged memories and emotions from his old life swirling up to overwhelm him.

"This place is the end of the Nine Worlds," Vistgil said calmly, floating toward him without disturbing a single mote of dust. "You have grown strong and come far. If you so desire, you could return to your world. Not in the body you sacrificed, but to begin a new, fresh life."

"I don't want to go back," Theo said. He'd known that since the moment he'd seen Vistgil again, but speaking the words solidified them. "This is a better life than I ever had on Earth. I mean, I miss chocolate and air conditioning, but there's no comparison overall."

The hood tilted to the side and he saw dark eyes looking at him in confusion. "Chocolate? Air conditioning?"

"Just things from my world. Never mind all that. What happens if we keep moving forward here?"

"I would not recommend that, Theo." Vistgil shook his head slowly. "This place is too dangerous for you and your companions. If you wish to live your new life, return to the Nine Worlds and live it to the full. Here, you will find nothing but dead worlds."

"But why are they dead?" Theo walked past the hooded figure into the wasteland, peering again at the line across the horizon. Now it looked almost like an impossibly tall cliff... "You said this is the end of the Nine, but there's something out there, right?"

"I am here not to give answers, but a warning. You are not safe here, and you grow less safe by the moment. Choose well."

As Theo turned back to look at Vistgil, he spotted a fleck of darkness far beyond. It would have been imperceptible in most worlds, but in the empty wasteland it screamed its presence. He squinted toward the source, then involuntarily took a step back as he realized what he saw.

Five titans strode across the wasteland in a straight line, their movements slow, yet each step devouring the land before them. From the distance he could not see what weapons they carried, but their massive size was unmistakable. Even though titans were no longer a threat to him, since he had become a Stronghold, he still hesitated as he thought back to all the years when they had been lethal and invincible.

Even now, could he fight five of them? With his allies, it would be little trouble, but he was uncertain if they would be able to fight. How could five titans have come into being in such an empty place? They represented the third stage of demonkind, each created through the sacrifice of hundreds or thousands of lesser demons. He had encountered them only rarely, usually during the vast battles that occasionally spilled between worlds.

Yet as he watched, Theo realized that there was something worse. A line of dust separated itself from the titans, smaller and yet moving terrifyingly quickly. It grew larger by the moment, a muscular creature with bright red skin, cloven feet, and horns arching to either side. Though far smaller than the titans, it sent a spear of dread straight into his heart.

"Just what is that?" he asked Vistgil. "A local fleeing the demons?"

"Demons are more numerous and more diverse than you know." Was it his imagination, or was Vistgil almost smiling underneath his hood? "You have traveled far, but you have not seen every threat the Nine have to offer. Again, I suggest that you decide quickly. Return with me to your Earth, or return to your friends in the Nine."

Just to be safe, Theo retreated back toward the gate, though he frequently glanced over his shoulder. The being was gaining on him rapidly, apparently inexhaustible. Vistgil seemed to imply that it was a demon as well, but he had never seen one like that... was it possible that a fourth stage of demons existed? If so, the idea sent a shiver through him.

Vistgil remained behind, motionless, and the demon tore past him as if he didn't exist. Perhaps he didn't, just some intellectual entity that guided travelers between worlds. But there was no time to consider that, as Theo realized that he was out of time. Though he was close to the gate, the demon would catch up to him first. There was no choice but to fight.

He drew the Hurricane Blade from his side and readied it. His soulcrafted body was already far faster than most opponents, yet the demon ran every bit as fast as he could. With the Hurricane Blade in hand, his speed was vastly increased, so he thought that he would have an edge. It was simply a matter of whether he could land a lethal blow before it struck him.

As the demon approached, it let out a roar. Its eyes burned with an unholy blue fire, and when it opened its mouth, he saw the flames gathering within. They flooded out almost immediately, but he was faster, flashing past the demon, seven strikes with hurricane force cutting through its body.

On the other side, he found himself holding a broken sword.

Theo stared down at the hilt in his hands and nearly paid with his life as another blue inferno roared toward him. He managed to leap away, drawing on his wind chamber, but he remained shaken. Though he knew there were many soulcrafters more powerful than him, it had been years since he had lost a weapon so quickly. Worse, the Hurricane Blade had been a Stronghold-tier armament of great strength. Yet it had shattered in just a few blows...

Fleeing wasn't cowardice, it was the only choice in the face of such overwhelming strength. As he spotted the door ahead, Theo took in great gulps of air, wanting to shout a warning to his allies. Their only hope was to retreat through the door and destroy it before the demon could follow them. The titans in the distance didn't even matter, not compared to this new demon.

"Retreat!" His call came out ragged, but he saw them look up. Or perhaps they only noticed the clouds of dust and the demon close on his heels. "It's a fourth stage demon! Through the door!"

Brigana drew her spear and adopted a cautious stance, while Khaluu began to glow with cantae. Yet Eratius ignored his words, stepping forward and flexing his wings as power surged within him. "Do you run every time you see something new, Theo?" He sneered as brilliant light gathered around his wings. "Let me handle this."

A glittering beam of light exploded from his wings, and for a moment Theo almost believed that it might have stopped the demon. Yet a moment later, the demon plunged through, apparently unharmed. It released another burst of flame and Eratius dodged by taking to the air, but the shock was clear in his face.

Then the demon was on him in a leap that Theo didn't realize until it was already over. One of its horns speared through Eratius's chest. He slumped as if already dead, but the demon grasped two of his wings in one hand and tore them away, scattering bloody pieces even as the two bodies fell back to the ground.

"You must go." Khaluu spoke in his creaking voice, filled with a deeper weariness than Theo had ever heard. "Do not waste the shade I can offer you."

With that, Khaluu gathered his power, leaves rustling. A column of green light speared from the sky, his most powerful binding technique. Theo had once seen it hold three titans in place for hours until reinforcements could arrive, and it had single-handedly ended a siege by binding all the attackers in place.

The column of light shattered the moment it touched the demon.

Though the force still drove it back to the ground, the demon returned to its feet. It growled as it straightened, one horn covered in Eratius's blood. Another column of green cantae struck from above, but it halted the demon for only moments before it took another step forward.

Khaluu couldn't possibly continue like that for long, which meant he was giving his long life for them. Theo wanted to thank him, but there was no time. He saw that Brigana had understood the same terrible truth and had started retreating to the door. Though Theo fumbled for his weirkey, she had already begun to use hers, slowly opening the path between worlds.

"Go, Theo! I'll open it as quickly as possible!"

As he stepped up beside her, Theo realized that it wasn't an option and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "No... Brigana, if there's only time for one of us to escape, it should be you. I'm... I'm not anyone special. Just a guest from another world. You have a life you could return to, a w-"

Brigana cut him off with a fierce kiss. Theo was almost too shocked to feel it, then she was already drawing back, tears in her eyes. "I want all of us to survive, but there may not be time. Live, Theo. Avenge us."

"There should be enough time t-" His words were cut off by a scream of pain, and he couldn't help but turn to look, even though he knew what he would see.

Blue flames licked through Khaluu's boughs, burning him despite all the defenses he had soulcrafted. Theo could see both his body and his soul burning away, the being that had once been a mentor to them giving his life to buy them so little time. Already the demon turned to stare at them through the ashes, without any satisfaction in victory, a machine of mindless evil...

Too late, he felt Brigana's hand grabbing his shirt. Once he might have been able to resist, to move through the air to take her with him, but he was still in shock. So all he could do was stare at her as he flew backward, through the gate.

His last vision of Brigana was her tearful smile as the demon's claws swept down toward her. Then the door crumbled and he was alone.

Noven was a bright, peaceful world, yet now it felt very cold. The white marble scraped his knees as he struggled to his feet, grasping the fragments of the broken door. Around him, the peaceful wisps of cloud suffocated him. Nine suns floated overhead, yet their intricate dance could not warm him. Not when his life had cost the lives of all his allies.

"Unusual."

The words hit him like an attack and Theo turned to look. Vistgil floated behind him, backlit by one of the setting suns, a silhouette against the golden disc. Theo's mind refused to believe what he was seeing and he could only stare as the hooded figure floated closer.

"Why would you have lived? I wonder if someone else was involved... or perhaps there is something special about you after all." Vistgil sneered, all trace of otherworldly wisdom replaced by venal glee.

"What... who are you?" Theo asked. He realized now that the question was far too late.

Then there was a surge of pain and his arm was gone. Theo let out a cry of pain and clutched the stump, for a moment knowing nothing but agony. He stared in horror as he saw Vistgil holding his arm and realized that he was in the presence of something far worse than the demon he'd escaped. Some of the Dominions he knew might have been able to fight the demon, but this...

"I'm only joking, of course." Vistgil slid the crimson ring off the finger that had once been his, then threw the severed limb aside carelessly. "There is nothing at all remarkable about you. Every visitor from Earth is so eager to believe that."

Even though it was hopeless, Theo couldn't bring himself to surrender. Not in the face of such betrayal. He drew the fragment of his sword with his remaining arm and raised it toward his opponent, watching the amused smile between the shards of the blade.

Fingers closed around his throat, lifting him into the air. They could have snapped his neck instantly, but instead they merely applied a force that left him paralyzed, the broken sword in his hand as useless as a twig. Vistgil looked up at him with another smile.

"Before you go, I just want you to know that it was all lies. You weren't brought here as a reward for heroically sacrificing your life, it was a cosmic coincidence. You actually died in a meaningless car crash, merely part of a statistic. The fact that your soul found its way here was every bit as much of a statistic, but you were so eager to believe it meant something more."

Theo wanted to fight to the end, but the power was overwhelming. Beyond that, the words hit him with the weight of truth. Years ago, he remembered being skeptical that he had really been chosen for anything. Somehow he had lost that, swept up in the deception that told himself he was meant for something more...

"Yes." Vistgil let out a sigh of satisfaction. "There's the expression that I wanted to see, that makes this all worth it."

Then his fingers tightened and Theo died.

~ ~ ~

At first, the repeated sound meant nothing. It was an eldritch call that he barely remembered, a word in a language forgotten. Then all at once he realized that it was the beep of a heart monitor and his mind returned to his skull.

It was a struggle to open his eyes, painful just to view the world around him. Yet Theo drank in the sight of the hospital bed. Not a restorative lotus of Siata, a warm pit of Ichil, or a healer's hut in Tatian. Just blank sheets in a sterile room.

He was on Earth.

Despite all logic, Theo still reached for his own soulhome to try to restore himself. But of course there was absolutely nothing, because soulcrafting didn't exist on Earth. For a brief moment he wondered if it had all been a dream, yet he couldn't believe that. The memories of all the years he had spent among the Nine weighed upon him too heavily, and the deaths of his friends sat in his mind like hot coals.

Theo forced himself to keep looking. His legs were completely encased in casts, one of them elevated above the bed, which explained why he couldn't move them. One arm had the cold needle of an IV within it, so he kept it still, but even his other arm could barely wiggle a few fingers when he tried. Throughout it all, the heartbeat monitor continued its steady reminder.

All he could think was that it must have been another cosmic coincidence. Vistgil was probably right that he had been in a car accident, throwing his soul into the Nine Worlds. Yet he was still alive. Perhaps he had died for a moment before the doctors brought him back, or perhaps coming near death had been enough. When he had died in the Nine, his soul had instead returned to his old body.

He wasn't sure if that made any sense, but he didn't know if anything made sense anymore. Most of what he had been told about the abyss between worlds and the reasons people moved across it must have been lies. The entire time he'd been a tool in some game Vistgil was playing, completely unaware of the truth.

But now he had a few jagged fragments he could trust, even as they cut into his mind. In his moment of victory, Vistgil had let several valuable clues slip. Worlds beyond the Nine, the fact that the ring had held some real value... Theo realized something even worse. The way the demons had behaved could not have been a coincidence, they had been used as a tool. All the stories about them being mindless monsters must have been lies, but what was their true purpose?

Once, he would have pushed aside the sheets and risen to his feet. But his real body lay near death and his soul was battered beyond belief. Only the constant heartbeat of the monitor reminded him that he was still alive.

Bit by bit, Theo drew his hand into a fist. He would find his way back to the Nine Worlds and take revenge on those who had done this to him. No matter how long it took.