33

"Mark Thorne no longer exists," says Nemesis. "He was a man who once made a deal with a being from another plane, a being of immense power. Certain favors were granted, in exchange for the soul—the very mind and essence—of Mark Thorne. In order to sidestep that obligation, Mark Thorne had to cease to be, and to be replaced with someone else. Such things can be done. It was not merely a case of changing a name. History itself, all the interweaving lives that Mark had influenced…everything was erased. If you track down Mark Thorne's parents, they'll have no recollection of a child of that name."

"It sounds like an incredible sacrifice."

He shrugs. "It's just the way it was."

"And yet there are still records of Mark Thorne," you say. "He has a birth certificate, a Social Security number."

"These extra-planar beings—call them demons, if you prefer—have little use for human bureaucracy. Consequently, it's often neglected in these types of rituals. Records exist, yes. But try to find somebody who ever actually met this Mark Thorne. You won't."