Crowe and I cleared off a dusted table and began working on a plan.

“Dawn will be easy for me, I know her past and her fears. I know exactly how to destroy her. My only issue is getting close enough to do it.” I said drawing a quick layout of the hotel.

“Leave that to me,” Crowe spoke up. “There’s a group called The Remains I have connections with.”

“The Remains? You mean the group that has been wanting to destroy me since the birth of my hotel?”

“Precisely,” he said, flashing a toothy smile. “As you know, they are a group consisting of wolves and other magical creatures. Well, ever since your hotel burned down they have been terrorizing the area around here looking for information on who did it. After all, that was their goal.”

“I know who did it.” I hissed. “Dawn, she baited the human by bringing his son to this world. I assume, she has someone who can cross easily between dimensions. They must’ve led him over knowing deliberately that his presence would make my kingdom come crumbling to the ground,” My fist slammed against the table sending an echo throughout the forgotten building. I took in a slow breath and regained my composure.

“How are you going to contact them?” I questioned.

“I know their leader, A spunky little blonde. Hellen I believe her name is. I recently heard she got mixed up in some nasty affairs so It’ll be interesting to see her take on this type of thing”

“Alright, well go and get yourself an army. We’re going to need it. Dawn may be with the slum of our world but she is also partnered with the leader of the Night Prowlers.”

“Whoa, wait.” Crowe’s smile dropped and his eyes grew in size. “Night Prowlers? You mean the group with over a thousand members?”

“Indeed I do.”

“Damn, just who the hell is she?” Crowe asked, still unsteady.

“She isn’t as she may seem. She hides behind her tactics and her form of attack is fairly sloppy. Dawn is what we call a Vampiric Siren. A beauty that entrances anyone by simply speaking. Her powers are mere manipulation and blackmail. She wasn’t always this way though. In her past life she was happily married.”

“She was human?” Crowe asked sitting down on the corner of the table.

“Yes. She was an everyday beauty. She grew up rich and had everything she ever wanted. She was the basic, good human. But once she married her husband became paranoid. In his mind it was that his wife was sleeping around with any and every man. It wasn’t true, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was cheating on him. Drunk with jealousy he beat her to the brink of death.”

“So how’d she become this?”

“She made a deal with Death. If he gave her the ability to take revenge she would become his precious little angel. Death agreed and gifted her with becoming whatever she wanted. Making her choice she soon found out that her human husband was actually the one cheating and she destroyed him by devouring his insides. She then continued with every other man in that town. No man, boy or infant was left.”

Crowe chuckled a little. “I guess she really is evil. I always thought she was a basic beauty who sat by and did nothing.”

“Don’t get me wrong, she hasn’t lashed out in years and now-a-days she simply has low levels doing her dirty work. Hence the need for her army. This is going to be a bloody battle but fairly easy.”

“I hope you know what you're doing, Shadow,” Crowe said standing up and heading away. “I’ll get going. Also be sure to lay low. Demons all around are suspicious of whether or not you’re actually dead. We can use your death to our advantage.”

“I know, now get out of here and do your job. I’ll gather my own information.”

“Yes Ma'am” Then in a moment, Crowe was gone from my sight and appeared far underground. “I’d like to speak with Hellen please.” Crowe said flashing his smile at a round demon. The round gentleman was stuffing his face with rotten parts and simply pointed to the woman across the table. She too was quite round and licking her plate.

“Hm? Hellen? How do you know her?” The woman asked slurping up blood.

“She and I go far back,” Crowe answered without giving anything important.

“Well, if you find her, tell her we would like to kill her.” Said the woman grabbing more from the gentleman's plate. “We were told she was the one who destroyed that blasted hotel.” The two, round demons gruffed angrily but continued eating.

“Really? How?” Crowe asked, taking a seat next to the woman. He took in more of the surrounding area. They were sitting in a well lit underground cave. Demons, werewolves, and creatures of all kinds walked the long stone hallway whispering amongst themselves. The direct area he was sitting in would be considered the ‘dining area’. A small section full of tables sitting beside a long buffet full of meats, fruits, and other mysterious foods.

“Who knows. Maybe she is working with someone. But we're gonna kill em.”

“Ah, and if I happened to know who she was working with would you be willing to assist me in taking them out?” Crowe said, dragging the woman's plate away. Her eyes trailed up his arm to his face and the man across the way stopped watching them.

“What do you know?” She pushed letting a dark expression take her face.

“Dawn, One of the daughters of Death. She somehow forced the poor she-wolf into this mass plan. Hellen is Dawn’s pawn.”

The gentleman across the table pipped up, “And you know this how?”

“Shadow.” Crowe said not thinking ahead.

The cave became silent and one by one the group of the Remains started surrounding Crowe.

“Boy, you better explain yourself or you are about to become tonight's dinner.” Said the woman showing her glowing yellow teeth.

Crowe made eye contact with a multitude of monsters then arose and stood atop the dining table.

“Ladies and Demons, monsters and creatures of all kinds. Shadow is dead. I know this due to her last words and having her die in my arms. I was once her partner but now I seek revenge just as all you do.” He scanned the crowd and was astonished at how quickly they were willing to take blatant information, “Dawn, The owner of a massive hotel just downtown has sabotaged your plans of murder and took away your want for blood. But now is your chance to redeem yourselves! Help me take down her hotel and destroy her plans. She holds captive one of your leaders!”

Whispers erupted among them and Crowe smirked at the reaction.

“That’s right. Hellen! She was kidnapped and forced to do this feat alone. Take a stand! Fight! Destroy the Siren!”

“Yeah!” said a couple of werewolves raising fist. Demons started gnashing their teeth and woops echoed throughout the cave.

“What do we want?” Crowe asked.

“Blood!” Cried the crowd.

“What do we want?” He asked louder feeling the hype in the creatures below.

“Blood!”

“Then let’s go get it!” Crowe hollered and watched as the group started traveling out of the cave. Hundreds of beasts could be seen and their screams for blood swallowing Crowe's laughter of success.

While Crowe was working on building my army I decided to do my part. But my mind was wondering how he was. During my explanation of Dawn, I took the chance to examine his soul. It was back to full vibrancy and health.

Was I just imagining it?

Not giving it any more thought, I tried to sense my father. I closed my eyes and everything around me vanished. Projecting my mind to different places in the world I scanned for my father's soul. It would be easy to spot because it was bright silver. The soul of Death. A one of a kind. The idea of having his soul within my fingers frustrated me and I started to lose focus on my actions. Instead of searching for his soul, I stumbled upon a dark conversation.

“Please! Please don’t hurt me! I’m just a messenger.” Cried a voice. It was raspy and broken.

“I don’t care about your life. This is my game. My father is a tricky bastard and I will be the one to take this game. I am the one who is destined to win. Not my sisters, not my brother, no one but me! And sadly, if I want to make this my destiny, I need to get rid of you.”

“Please! I won’t say anything to anyone, I’ll disappear!” Begged the voice.

“Evil will do, as evil does.”

‘Hey’

I snapped back to reality and fell to the ground gasping.

“No no no no.” I said trying to push back that voice.

‘Who are you? Why are you in my body?’

“Just relax kid!” I screamed feeling my insides begin to burn. Crowe suddenly appeared before me and panicked.

“Shadow? Shadow what's wrong?” He knelt beside me and was trying to shake me as if I was having a nightmare.

I felt the voice fade away into nothing and I opened my eyes.

“Did you do it? Do we have an army?” I asked, trying to be normal.

“Y-yes. Shadow what happened?” Crowe asked not wanting to let pass what just happened.

“Forget it! We have to move.” I grunted taking a stand. Crowe was hesitant but followed my orders.

“The Remains have begun their journey to Dawn’s hotel. They are just about there but we must hurry, and you can’t be seen. They still don’t exactly like the reality of you being dead.”

“Let's go.” I grabbed Crowe's hand and we appeared a block away from the gates of the hotel. It was a large place replicating a mansion. Tall metal bars surrounded the property and the hotel itself was brightly lit.

“Blood! Blood! Blood!” Chanted a swarm of vicious monsters. Each one holding a weapon or flame. After reaching the gate they began banging on the metal bars screeching even more so than they had.

Crowe pointed to the room I was meant to be in. He then left my side and rushed over to the swarming group.

“That’s my second in command for you,” I said smiling and waiting for the opportune time. A loud clang sounded and the metal bars fell to the ground. Demons, monsters, magicians, and creatures of all kinds flooded inside the open gap. Their clamoring grew louder and I watched as Dawn’s army suddenly flooded out from inside her hotel.

Now was my chance. I blinked and was suddenly standing inside a rancid smelling room.

“Disgusting,” I said.

“T-that’s not very nice,” Dawn said running at me from behind.

In a swift movement, I dodged her attack and watched as she spun around letting her long sharp nails catch the light.

“Ah dear sister, what an anticlimactic entrance,” I said smirking with rage. My eyes began to glow and I felt my power surge inside of me. The idea of killing her was thrilling.

“Well when compared to yours, it does seem to be that way,” she said, defending herself. “Though, my army is prepared for anything.”

“Please, your army is a bunch of low levels. You hide behind them taking your moves slowly in this deathmatch.”

“Y-yes well, I was the one who started all this. After all, getting you off the map was fairly easy. Destroying you from the inside out is even better than I thought.” She giggled and I became pissed.

“Shut up! I’m here to take your life, so accept your defeat.” I waved my hand out and was gifted a long slender scythe. The metal within my hands was smooth and slim. The blade pointed and looming.

“Face defeat? Why my dear, we’ve only just begun.” She lunged forward and let her arms slid to her side to make her glide easier across the room. I knew what she was doing. Her words were enchanting me and I was losing my focus. She attacked first. I felt the sting in my palms as her bladed nails came crashing into my weapon. I countered by pushing her back and jutting forward, swiping my blade across her chest. I barely missed and droplets of blood sprayed along the walls.

With each strike, the room around us rumbled. I had to get closer.

“C-come on sister, is that all you have?” She cackled and slashed my side. I felt the hot sting rip through me.

Gritting my teeth I continued trying to get closer.

Dawn was blind to see my motives and was intent on killing me quickly.

“When I win this I’m going to kill Death! He won’t even know what hit him!” She called leaping over me and slashing me once again, but while she was in the air I took the chance to hook her leg dragging her back down the ground.

“ C H E C K M A T E” I yelled, swinging my weapon behind my head. We both watched as it cut clean into her chest. Her screams filled the room and drowned out every sound. It was a high pitch scream. One that replicated the sounds of a wailing infant. I pushed down harder and her wails grew. The walls around us began to crumble.

“Y O U F E EL T H A T”? Y O U ‘ R E D Y I N G”

Her red hair was sprawled across the floor and her body was completely numb. I watched as her soul flickered inside her throat.

“Shadow,” she whispered. A tear escaped the corner of her eye and traveled down to the ear I knelt down to. “There’s a bomb, under the city. You have to win. Eve she. . . ” Dawns choked on her blood and began to cry. “I just, I-I ju-ust wanted to be… loved.” Dawn let out a slow breath and her soul faded accepting absolute death.

“Shadow!” Called Crowe from just outside the room. “Shadow we have to go! The building is coming down!”

I looked at the lifeless body laying below mine.

“Shadow! Let’s GO!” Crowe’s cries were growing distressed. I left the room taking Crowe out with me. We appeared just outside, where the gates were once standing. We watched as the hotel crumbled to the ground, flames engulfing everything.

“I should go, let me know if you have any captives.” I turned away and caught a glimpse of silvering white hair.