Of Demons and Darlings

"Blessings and peace be to you, Queen Genevieve."

I spun around, trying to locate the voice ringing out in front of me.

"Wh-who are you?!"

Suddenly, standing before me was the most beautiful creature, unlike anything I had ever seen. My lips were moving but no words could come out as I was shocked into speechlessness.

This creature.. she was inhumanly tall, willowy and she glowed brightly, as though she could just as well be a candle. I had to shield my eyes from the brightness emanating from her. But somehow, my intuition told me she was good and would cause me no harm.

After a few moments of staring at this alluring creature, I spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I am Daphne the Gate Jinn, my Queen."

The gate what now??

"I'm no queen. What the hell is going on here?! I must be going crazy.."

Just what I need right now. Not like I don't have enough on my plate with Miriam being gone or anything..

"This is no dream, and I am no apparition, my Queen."

"Please stop calling me that."

She simply shrugged, "I can attempt to appease your wishes, but my old habits are firmly lodged."

"I- I‌ don't understand."

"Please calm down, my Que-", she checked herself. "I sincerely apologize. As for your question however, you are currently in the astral plane."

I started uncontrollably laughing then, either from the absurdity of it all or the fact that my brain was in a state of complete mush at this point.

"That was a good one, dream genie. What's next, mermaids?"

I laughed again but she tilted her head in confusion, stating,

"They are actually called Water Jinns.. the Greeks chose to invent them as Nereids or Naiads."

"W-what the fuck?!"

She shook her head, tsk'ing in disapproval.

"My.. she was right in her warning. You are quite.. different in this era."

As I was about to ask again, she clasped her hand on top of my mouth.

"Not a word. Please give me a short while to explain things."

I felt embarrassed, like I was a middle schooler again, as she gave me a strict look and scolded, "Please attempt to control your interruptions, and refrain from laughing, and I shall try to explain to you as much as I can."

I nodded, wondering which decade she was from, considering she talked so funny.

"Hiding in plain sight in your Earth is a world of sorcery."

"But-"

I forgot that I wasn't supposed to interrupt, about to ask if I understood correctly what that implied..

"Ahem. Yes, sorcery.. as in magic.. it is real."

"H-how did you know I was going to ask that?"

"Quite honestly, my Queen.. you are broadcasting your thoughts."

Wait.. what?!

"Yes, as a Jinn, I can read your mind. And as a Majinnee, you can do this as well, once you have developed your abilities. I see your powers just woke up yesterday."

"Majinnee?"

"The female form of Majinn, otherwise known as human casters. Some claim that the term Majinn was borne of a contraction of Man and Jinn. Others allege that its roots come from the ancient term denoting those who practice magic - the Magi, who derive inspiration from the Jinn. I believe the plaiyn, ahem, non-magical folk, call Majinn like you 'witches'."

Me.. a witch. This has got to be the most bizarre dream I've had in a whole lifetime.

"Wait.. so witches are REAL?!"

"Not in exactly that sense of the word, but you'll understand precisely what I‌ mean at a later time."

"This.. this is crazy! I don't believe this nonsense for one fucking second!"

"It's not a dream. How can you explain my presence and my different appearance from your folk? After all, one can hardly imagine so vividly something they have not ever thought of or encountered before."

She has a point there.. but..

"Prove it to me."

"I- don't quite understand. I'm floating in front of you as it is."

As I rattled on the comparisons to doing an experiment and having different variables to support your hypothesis, as one is just not enough, I suddenly got Daphne's voice in my head but her mouth didn't move.

'No wonder the Queen of this era is finding this reality so hard to believe. She's one of THOSE‌ people.. very rational, scientific.. no brain-space for the supernatural.'

I paused in shock and as she stared back at me, I got another flash.

'Oh dear.. that should have been censored. I hope I didn't project that.'

"D-did I- Am I reading your mind?!"

She hummed and looked at me in satisfaction.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I was planning things to turn out.. but I guess it actually proved my point quite well."

"I- I.."

I started walking back and forth, feeling the need to somehow shake off this distressing news.

"What the hell?!"

"So.. do you believe me now? Or do you require a hurricane to be mounted in your presence?"

"No, no! I believe you! Witches are real!"

"Great!!‌ Now that we have established that.. Do you have any questions regarding what we discussed so far? It's crucial that you are aware of all the details."

There was no denying it at this point. At least, if this was some sort of extra-realistic fever dream, I‌ would wake up at one point right? So, there's no use of standing here arguing. Might as well further entertain this.. this- wait, what is she again?

"So.. are you a witch then?"

"No, I am a Jinn. A creature of fire with the ability to carry out certain acts of magic. Your ancestor in a way. 'Witches' only exist in fairytales. Their counterparts are the Majinns and Majinnees, as I elaborated before. Of course, you being one of them."

"How long have the Majinns existed? Are they even human?"

She clapped enthusiastically.

"A good question! Technically, the Majinns are human, yes. Well, half at least. Some legends propose that the Majinn was a product of a union between Man and Jinn. Others claim a sort of spiritual narration in which it is claimed that the Majinns were created specifically as extraordinary humans with certain.. gifts."

She said the word 'gifts' slowly and deliberately, as though the term was heavy with meaning.

"Regardless of their ambiguous origin, the Majinns and Majinnees are simply the rare casters among the humans."

"Uhh, back up. What do you mean by 'gifts'?"

"There are far too many to list - but I suppose I can start with the basics."

Before I knew it, she was spewing out an endless list of powers I'd only imagine from superhero movies.

"Teleporting, telepathy and mind-reading, time travel, elemental magic, attack and defensive spells, shapeshifting, alchemy, premonition, soul magic and spirit conjuring. Every Majinn folk has their own strength, and at times, they're endowed with very rare and unique gifts."

She gestured towards me, "Like yours, my Queen."

"How am I involved in all of this? I'm just a normal, regular person!"

It was her turn to be shocked now. But it was the reality that I‌ knew for all of my life and I wasn't about to oppose that.

"Regular, my Queen? That is an insult to your very legend!"

"Uh.. legend? I guess I‌ also never asked, why do you keep calling me Queen?"

"Why, it's because you were the first Majinnee to ever walk this world."

.. .. ..

'the first Majinnee to ever walk this world. the FIRST Majinnee to ever walk this world. the first..'

The words kept echoing in my mind, their serious implications not quite sinking in until I secretly pinched myself again, and yep. Still not dreaming.

Fuck.

"But- but that's impossible! I was born only 18 years ago.. I can't have-"

I fell down again, not even recognizing in time the telltale signs of fainting. There was a slice of wind and I could feel myself regaining my energy. As I stood back up, I asked,

"Was that.. you?"

"Yes!‌", she nodded. "Healing is also another one I forgot to mention."

"Thanks for that. I keep getting dizzy and fainting.. Wait, you said that I was the first witch. Like.. EVER? Is magic a recent phenomenon then? How can I even be a witch if I've never known the existence of magic, let alone actually perform it?"

"No, you were certainly the first Majinnee. Many lives ago and centuries prior, you were the first bridge between the humans and Jinn."

..centuries?!

"We heralded you as 'Genevieve', which means 'of the race of women', since you were the very first among women to be endowed with the gifts of Jinn. As such, you were considered informally to be the Queen of our worlds, in your honor."

I took a moment to settle my breath as I could feel that I would most probably fall again if I carried on.

"Are you saying.. that I'm immortal or something?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Your body always dies at some point in time.. but your soul never ceases living. I suppose one could say your soul enters a state of hibernation. This period may last as little as a few weeks, or as long as several centuries. Your soul is just reborn intermittently into different lives, each journey a brilliant story of its own.. each life with a destined prophecy to fulfill. In some lives, your surrounding parties have been aware of your legend from a very early age.. that is the reason why you've been christened variations of 'Genevieve' in several of your past lives. Such as 'Evangeline' or 'Vivienne'."

This- this can't be real.

This isn't happening.

"But but- ugh!‌‌ Why am I only finding about this NOW?!"

"It could be that your next of kin in this life were not aware of the circumstances surrounding your existence. Otherwise, there could be attempts made to conceal your heritage, either to protect you from the malicious elements of the magical world, or to take advantage of your ignorance."

"Take advantage?"

A chill ran down my spine.

"Can't you find out somehow about any of this?"

"Hmm. Would you mind terribly if you allowed me to peek into your memories?"

"I- I guess."

"Don't worry, I promise I'll be gentle. You should only feel a slight probing coldness as I sift through your mind."

"If it helps you find out, I guess it's worth it."

"Thank you, my Queen."

Along with the sudden coldness in the air, I did actually feel as if there was something gently running over my head.

"My superficial probing does not seem to be revealing anything.. I will have to go deeper."

"Ouch!"

There was a painful poke somewhere in the back of my head but before I could complain further, my vision went blank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Reverto Praeteritum.

Michelle will return to Ruscuiti Manor, shrouded by the darkness and under no watchful eyes.

Memoriae Alterum.

Michelle, you will not remember coming to North Carolina today, but you will retain memories of what happened immediately before emerging here.

Magia Sileo.

Michelle, your powers will remain dormant.

Eo Ire Itum!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cesso!"

Daphne's loud order woke me up abruptly from my spell.

"I think I found evidence of memories of your magic being concealed.. it happened just this summer."

'It is interesting that her magic was awakened.. I wonder what the trigger was.'

I ignored the fact that I could still hear her thoughts and questioned the more important issue.

"Who did it?! Who changed my memories?!"

"Hmm, I can not say for sure, but I can help you figure out. Are there any next of kin that you seem to be actively avoiding lately?"

That was an odd question. But now that I think about it..

"Every time I try to contact my cousins or my family back home, it appears as though I have some excuse to not call them.. I actually can't even remember the last time we talked outside of short texts."

"Those features do appear to be the signs of a strong emotion modifier charm. One designed to avoid interactions and encounters. My strong suspicion is that it is your aunt, who suppressed your memories."

"Aunt Gianna?!"

"See for yourself in the memory.. I shall bring it out to the front of your mind."

There was the poking again, but it was less startling now that I was ready for it. The memory swirled into existence in front of my eyes and I was shocked by what I saw.

It looked as if she was influencing me, Jolie and Bella.

Wait.

"Aunt Gianna is a- she's a witch?!"

Daphne sighed, "Not a witch."

"A‌ Majinnee, fine. But why would she hide this from me?! I can't believe this!"

I was fuming inside. All of- all of this, under my nose my entire life, just hidden away from me.

"That is something you will have to ask her, my Queen."

"But what if she tries to make me forget again? What will I do then?"

She seemed to be in thought and then she called out into the void.

"Duchess Aya!"

After a few moments, there was a rustle behind me and I turned to see a pixie-like girl with softly glowing wings floating down towards us.

"You called, Daphne?"

"Would you be a darling and fetch our Queen here the Signet of Liberum Arbitrium?"

She landed and bowed down.

"A sincere pleasure to meet you, my Queen."

Daphne introduced, "This is Aya, the duchess of the faeries."

"..Fairies?!"

Were there vampires and werewolves now too?!

"I think it may be best to just retrieve the Signet, Aya. As you can see, Queen Genevieve is slightly lost right now."

They laughed with each other as I wondered how all of these creatures could be so lovely. And I suppose I felt a bit of shame for being so rash.. especially when I was, apparently, considered a queen here.

"Please excuse my manners, I'm just a little shocked right now. May I ask what this 'Signet' will do?"

Aya responded, "The purpose is to protect you from attempts to control your memories, actions or inclinations."

Daphne nodded in turn, "You shall retain your free will as long as you keep wearing this signet on your corporeal form. Until you're able to block unwanted attempts to manipulate you, this artefact will be a fantastic replacement."

That sounded good. Anything to retain my free will. Then I thought of the memory with Aunt Gianna again.

"May I ask for a favor? Could I please have 3 Signets?"

"Hm, I suppose so. Why?"

The fact that Jolie and Bella appeared to be able to be manipulated as well suggested to me that there was something that was being hidden from them as well. I wanted to give them the chance to realize their true identities as well.

"I want to give one each to my cousins in case they too have powers that are being concealed."

Daphne hesitated, "I would normally advise you to be careful.. if someone is not of the Majinn folk, they must not know about our existence. But my short venture into your memories allowed me some insight into who they are and I believe that there's a strong possibility that they too are Majinnee, although they are the kind that hasn't been reborn."

"I shall retrieve 3 Signets then.", Aya then flew out the same way she'd came from until suddenly she couldn't be seen in the void, and I swear I didn't see her exit from anywhere.

A few minutes later, she returned with 3 boxes.

"Here they are, my Queen."

Daphne bowed, "Thank you so much for your generosity, Aya."

They sure were very polite in this realm.

"Yes, um.. thank you, Aya."

"Anytime, my Queen."

As she went away, I called out behind her,

"Ave atque vale."

The words escaped my lips without me even registering it. How did I know how to say that? I couldn't even recall what it means and yet I knew that it was used as a farewell greeting.

Daphne looked proud, "Don't be alarmed, my Queen. Behaviours like that are written in your blood. Some things are just impossible to erase and need the slightest of nudges to manifest themselves again. It's a good sign that you're unlocking more of your abilities, and- might I say, it proves that we don't have an imposter on our hands, so that's a relief."

That made sense. I think I'm finally getting the hang of all of this.

"I have another question.. so are there lots of others like me?"

"A very small number of you exist.. but there are certainly enough to make a substantial community. Your parents in this lifetime were Majinn folk, as are your brother, cousins, Aunt and Uncle."

"Really?!"

That information was very unsettling.. to think that I never noticed or observed anything odd while growing up. My parents too must have hidden it from me.

"How do I determine if someone else is a Majinn?"

"Generally, the quality of their eyes can be quite telling. Look for depth, intensity, and a certain crystalline nature to the eyes. Of course, this method isn't foolproof but it's a good start."

I tried to recall my family's eyes and realized that it was true.

"However, the most special eye form is the one that you possess, my Queen. Green eyes suggest that a soul has been revived or reborn."

"All people with green eyes are reborn Majinn??"

"Oh no no, hardly. Many Plaiyn folk have them. But the certain aforementioned depth or sparkle added to the green eyes can combine to make a sort of unusual, alluring appearance that resembles my own, for example."

"I see.."

"I understand that this must be so much to comprehend all at once, all of a sudden, my Queen. Especially considering that your true nature was concealed from you at birth and that you had no awareness at all of the magic residing in your world."

"So my.. my parents knew about me as well? Did they know who I was and actively choose to mask my heritage?"

My heart felt a pang talking about them and a few tears slipped past.

"I'm afraid so.. I'm sure they thought it was the best for you."

First Aunt Gianna and now..

"I'm sick of having people make decisions for me thinking that they know what is best for me! Did they also think it was best for us when they went and flipping died on me and my brother?!"

Daphne looked around awkwardly, "A.. a most unfortunate experience, my Queen. You have my deepest condolences."

"Thank you.."

The talk of the death of my parents, and wiping my hands on the front of my hospital gown, brought my thoughts back to my current loss.

Miriam.

Her absence had drilled a painful heavy hole in my heart.

"Why the tears, my Queen?"

My voice grew tight with anguish, and it was impossible to form coherent words. How could one explain that their soul felt empty and hollow.. yet heavier than lead all at the same time? That almost every waking moment would be haunted by a reminder of the loss, of missing someone.

Suddenly, as I contemplated, it was as though puzzle pieces connected in my sluggish mind, and I found a ray of hope so bright, so brilliant that it almost appeared to be too good to be true.. Surely, even the magical world has rules. But. What if I could do something?

"Queen Genevieve?"

"I'm sorry.. I just became a little overwhelmed for a little while. But I have a question. You said I was the first Majinnee. And you said I had a special gift?"

"That is correct, my Queen. You were the first to be borne of and thus, also have power over both the Jinns and humans."

"What is my gift?"

I held my breath, hoping against hope that it would be something useful.

"You are legendary for your powerful gifts in necromancy, which is soul magic involving the dead. You were even nicknamed the Asphodel Drifter once.."

"Asphodel..?"

"It is a white-greyish weed found in the Meadows of Asphodel, which is where the souls of the dead dwell before passing on to their final destiny. It represents the 'in-between land' between the world of the living and the world of the dead. I am especially familiar with your work, because as a Gate Jinn, I guard the gate to the Meadows and the underworld. All Majinn folk have the potential to communicate with spirits of the underworld. But only you have been known to enter this realm and to meet the souls that are making their journey in the Meadows."

My stomach fell as I came to terms with the implications of what Daphne had revealed. The overwhelming excitement and relief that coursed through my body set my every nerve on edge, and tears began welling in my eyes from shock as I numbly considered this information.

But then the numbness finally evaporated and the sudden blossom of hope in my heart caused it to swell almost painfully, causing it to beat rapidly in its wake. Instantly, large tears flooded from my eyes, spilling down unabashedly without any semblance of control.

"What in Circle's realms is the matter, my Queen?"

"So I c-can meet and maybe bring M-Mi-Miriam back to l-life? Ple-please. Tell me that I can. Please, I will d-do anything! Please!!"

I then knelt at Daphne's feet, pleading with my hands locked in prayer as I cried. Her eyes grew wide as saucers as she stared at me in disbelief. The painful, desperate hope blooming in my heart was both terrible and incredible to behold. Oh, how I would give ANYTHING to bring Miriam back to life.

"Queen Genevieve, please calm down.. This is why I was sent to you in the first place. I was ordered to take you to the Meadows to retrieve Miriam's soul. But then I realized that you had no knowledge of the magical realms, and," she coughed in embarrassment, "I guess I became distracted while explaining your legacy."

At this point, I was sobbing as I still knelt down, the sheer relief and desperation eating my very core. This..

This was nothing short of a miracle.

But even in my haste, I felt my intuition become uneasy, which made me cautious. One part of me screamed, 'GO, STUPID! Get Miriam and STOP‌ WASTING TIME!' The other part of me whispered suspiciously, 'Nothing in life is this easy - this is almost certainly too good to be true.'

I decided that the very least I could do was find out how Daphne knew to help me in the first place.

"Who sent you?"

"Actually, you did. A version of yourself several years into the future. You sent me back in time to perform this task for you after making a deal with the Reaper."

".. I did?!"

"Yes. During our brief conversation, you told me that you were forced to make a trade. Two lives for this one you hope to save."

.. .. ..

Instantly, I felt a chill travel though my entire being, and my blood turned to ice as I processed what she had said. The blow to my stomach actually pushed me over the edge, causing me to gag.

"I- I. I traded lives?! How.. HOW could I DO that?! Treat human lives like inanimate bargains?! Do I really become such a cruel, cold individual in just a few short years? Do my powers do this to me? I can't justify this! I- I just can't!"

Daphne tutted, "The deal has been made. I'm afraid that there is nothing you can do to revoke or revise it."

"May I at least know whose lives were sacrificed by this- this bitch that claims to be me?"

"I don't know, my Queen. Honest."

I stared at the ground and tried to organize everything that was going on.

"First of all. If one simply looks at this from a cold mathematical perspective, trading two lives for one makes no sense."

"I believe your future self told me that you were actually promised two lives for the two you sacrificed. But I must say this as a word of advice for your future - beware and be careful with your dealings. Little is fair in life, but this is particularly true when dealing with the Reaper, who plays tricks that we know nothing of.."

I could barely listen to her, I had so many emotions crippling me from all around.

"I just- I just love Miriam more than anything.. and I want her to come back so badly. But I don't know how I could live with myself knowing that I chose to murder two others to save her."

"My Queen.. I offer this advice as a- a friend. Focus on your pain, loss and grief for now. Use that as an incentive to salvage what you can reap from this deal, which you can't change anyway at this point in time. Focus on simply saving your loved one before it's too late.. before she crosses into the underworld and is lost forever."

"I have a limited amount of time?!"

Of course, I should have known this.

"Even as an extraordinarily gifted Majinnee, your circle of influence is limited to the Meadows. Once any soul, yours included, crosses over, that soul will die."

Her expression changed to be incredibly serious. "This is very very important, Queen Genevieve! You cannot, under any circumstances, cross the Gate! The only reason you are ever reborn is because your soul never passes the Meadows, and it dwells there until it is time for your rebirth.

With each passing word, it was sinking in more that I was, essentially, making a visit to purgatory.

"Souls typically only inhabit the Meadows for a short time before moving on, unless they don't find closure and remain for a longer period of time. On that note, since the soul you hope to recover is that of a child's, I expect the transition will be very quick. Children have very few loose ends to tie in their past life, and they pass through very swiftly with their pure hearts.

The dread in me grew stronger and stronger. What if I had already run out of time?

"I have to go fast, I can't waste this chance! Please tell me what I have to do!"

"Of course, my Queen. I shall take you to the Gate guarding the Meadows. You must enter and locate Miriam's soul. Once you find it, you must convince her to come back to the living world."

"You say that as though it will be difficult.."

"The afterlife is perfection, especially for a child, my Queen. Even for someone with the most selfless heart and with the most to look forward to in the living world, it takes an enormous amount of incentive to entice someone away from the afterlife."

Oh my god. I just want Miriam to be happy! Was I being selfish by wanting her to come back?

"Let us not waste anymore time and go to the Gate now. I will leave you there to find Miriam's soul."

"I have to do this alone??"

"I am afraid so, my Queen. Because you may encounter some malicious spirits in the Meadows that may try to reap off your life force, I suggest we practice some attack and defensive spells."

"I can do magic?!"

"I also don't know why your magic has suddenly awoken.. regardless. I hope that with my instruction, you will be armed with methods to stave off an attempt at possession or basic attacks."

Suddenly, I felt so unprepared and scared. But Miriam needs me to fight for her.. I'm going to do this! I'm going to save her and nothing is going to stop me.

"I think you are more than capable, my Queen. I feel that the risk posed to you is minimal once you master these basic spells, since the souls without a corporeal form are much weaker and limited in their capacity to do harm."

Daphne and I then spent a quick few moments learning all the basic mindsets and actions I had to follow, and it was surprisingly easier than expected. Maybe it was that intuition coming back to me again.

"I suppose it's time for us to go."

I shut down the nervousness that invaded my senses. I didn't have time to worry about that.

"Just please remember, my Queen.. do not cross over to the underworld. You will cease to ever be reborn."

The nervousness I tried to ignore reappeared fully in the form of butterflies in my stomach and in my throat, which had suddenly gotten very dry as I gulped.

Sensing my distress, Daphne reassured, "Don't worry, Queen Genevieve. You shall do just fine, I know it. Let's link hands and I‌ shall take us to the Meadows."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So so cold and dark.

And I didn't feel good at all.

"The feeling of teleporting is queer, but it shall pass.."

Just as she said that, I gagged and threw up on the ground in front of me. I tried to clean up as fast as I could, my mind already dead-set on the task at hand.

"Walk the Meadows now while looking out for Miriam as well as keeping a watchful eye for anyone that may take advantage of you. I'm afraid that this is where my help has to end."

"I'm suddenly so nervous- but thank you for your time, for telling me all of this, and for guiding me to this opportunity. Seriously."

She bowed gratefully in return.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I have a feeling we will. Ave atque vale, your Highness."

And then she was gone.

In Daphne's exit, the chill of the wind forced me to look closer at my surroundings.

It seemed that I was in a sort of desert. The ashen sky was decorated with odd looking stars. There was no moon in sight, and the barren land around me was cloaked in silence. There was no buzzing of insects, no trilling of birds, no murmur of voices, and no whispering winds disturbing the quiet. The only sound was the noise of my own breathing, heavy and fast, betraying my anxiety. There was no path and no discernible landmarks, except for trees that seemed to have decayed ages ago, appearing almost like hands reaching out from the ground.

I shuddered as I considered that notion.

On the ground, all I could see were flowering plants that grew to my knees and were shaped sort of like scepters. The stems were grey and silver, but the blossoms were white.

So these were the Asphodels that Daphne spoke of. And also on the ground was.. mint? When I crouched down to sniff the green plants however, I noticed that they were scentless. Plucking one off in curiosity, I was shocked to see it instantly wilt into silver ash.

I didn't have time for this. I had to calm down and walk quickly, just get Miriam and get out of.. wherever this hellish barren place was.

.. .. ..

Although I knew it had only been a few minutes, for what felt like days, I walked through the Meadows.. aimlessly, without any changing scenery and not a single soul in sight. I wish I had a watch, but something told me that the time here would run differently.

How did I even know that?

I kept surprising myself with little tidbits of my knowledge of this new world of grey, silver and mint green. It was honestly very strange - sort of like spotting a tree top without being able to see the roots.

My thoughts were cut in short, and I was paralyzed with fear as I saw a frightening soul suddenly collide onto my path, staring at me with hollowed dark eyes that were glinting dangerously. Her hair was unruly and matted, which only added to the wildness of her pale face. My insides twisted in terror when I felt my intuition telling me that this soul was evil.

"Fresh meat.. I can just feel the life force oozing from you.. and the power.."

I‌ was horrified when I saw her mouth foaming. I focused the best I could and attempted to use one of the attack spells I had learnt with Daphne earlier. I wasn't entirely sure what I was even trying to do, but the soul didn't fade away. Instead, it had gone into a deep sleep.

I gingerly tiptoed forward before running as fast as I could, my heart still pumping with adrenaline.

.. .. ..

After what felt like months of tortured wandering, I still hadn't spotted Miriam.

"Please don't let me be too late!", I wailed out to myself, dropping down in fatigue and desperation.

I sat there for a bit, feeling the hope run out of me when someone asked softly,

"Why are you crying?"

I hadn't heard anyone approaching and I jumped up to my feet, my reflexes kicking in, ready to fight if I‌ had to.

But my adrenaline slowly melted away when I recognized the spirit as a gentle one. It was a small-framed girl, she couldn't be older than a teenager I‌ mused, and she had her half-shaved hair tossed over her shoulder.

"Hi,"‌ she meekly said, "I'm Katherine, but my friends call me Kat- I mean.. they used to."

My intuition was telling me that she was good, but I tried to keep my guard up just in case.

"Umm.. nice to meet you, Kat. I'm Shelley."

"Why were you crying?"

"I- I.."

How were you supposed to tell a dead soul that you are meant to save another?

"If you don't want to share, it's fine.. How long have you been dead?"

Her question caught me off-guard, "What?! Oh, um. I'm actually alive. I.. can just ravel the Meadows from time to time."

Every couple centuries, no big deal right?

"That makes a lot of sense.. you feel different somehow. I'm new here and so I don't know what it exactly is that makes you seem different, but.. yea."

"I'm sorry. For- for you being new here."

Thank goodness I had the foresight to keep myself from blurting out 'Sorry you're dead'. Daphne definitely didn't warn me about how hard it would be to talk to the dead.

"I guess I'm kinda over that. But it took a long time, longer than I expected. To get over it, I mean. How old are you?"

"I'm 18. And you?"

"I'm 15."

"Oh- oh.."

Was there a name to the feeling where you're ashamed, shocked and physically sick all at the same time? She's so so young.

And then she broke down.

"I shouldn't have done it.."

"Kat!‌ Don't cry, hon-"

"I shouldn't have killed myself.."

Oh my god. I ran over to her and brought her in for a tight hug. This soul I had never met before. This poor child.. but how could I not?

A few minutes later, she calmed down and thanked me as I simply gave her a look telling her that she was safe and she could talk to me.

"I had an older sister back home.. when I was al-alive."

Her tone was fond and nostalgic for a brief moment but then the fury in her eyes lit up.

"But she didn't give a fuck about me. She let her boyfriend and his gang do all sorts of horrible things to me, exploit me. It messed with my head.. but I never told anyone. I was disgusted wi- no, I hated myself. "

My eyes were stinging already.. this poor poor girl. How could anyone do such a vile thing to a child?

"Mum misses me. I can see that now. I feel her pain from here even though it's fuzzy through the haze of the booze and coke."

"Sweetheart.. you've lived such a hard life. You deserve peace now that you're here. Why don't you move on to the afterlife?"

"I can't."

Her voice broke as it came up a pitch.

"Not until I get my revenge on those fuckers."

"Wh-what are you going to do, Kat?", I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"I'm going to haunt them. Until they go crazy. And then.. I'll kill them."

My blood turned to ice. This was the fire of a vengeful spirit. The beginnings of a nightmare. Not that they didn't deserve it, but I was more concerned about Kat because such thoughts and actions, they corrupted innocent souls.

No one truly benefited from this.

I surprised myself with my calm thought process.. but I suppose that centuries of dwelling the Meadows had given me insight on the nature of these souls.

But how could I tell that to a spirit who was so wronged? How do you make someone understand that revenge at the price of your own soul is not the answer? That it only leaves you bitter, empty and haunted?

"Gertrude is teaching me tricks and things. She's done it before. She's killed people."

I didn't know how I‌ knew it, but wasn't Gertrude the name of the spirit who I had met just a little while ago? So that spirit belonged to a murderer. That explains her dark, negative energy.

I started, as gently as possible, "Kat.. have you ever wondered why she's still here? Why she can't move on?"

"..No. I guess not."

"It's because she's full of guilt, anger and bitterness. Her soul is no longer whole, it's most likely hollow and black. She's lost all her light. She's fearful and scared of moving on. I don't know why she does what she does, but there are no excuses that justify such an approach. It's just not good for the soul. It eats you, cuts you in pieces.. and you should protect yourself from that. You deserve to be in a place better than this wasteland."

The emotions in Kat's eyes stirred but she retorted back,

"So what?! Then I should just move on to my peachy perfect afterlife while they continue to exist and hurt others in the future?!"

"I never said that, Kat. I just don't want you to suffer more, to keep you from moving on."

The gears in my head started turning as I considered the possibilities. Now that I knew of this whole new world that had been unlocked for me.. surely there was more I could do?

"You know what. I'll help you."

"What?!"

The realization that I could help people with my gifts were making me giddy with excitement.

"I have.. abilities. I'll bring karma on those bastards if it's the last thing I do, I promise you. But you have to promise me something in return."

The hope in her eyes was slowly starting to shine again.

"You will leave this to me. You're too young to scar your soul and stay in this purgatory blinded by hate. You need to go on freely, go to the afterlife.. I want you to be happy and in peace, Kat."

"Thank you."

Her watery eyes closed and a single tear flowed down her cheeks. Eventually she stopped trying to be calm and lowered her head in a quiet sob.

"Thank you so much.. it's all so clear now. But- I can't forgive them. I just can't."

"You don't have to forgive them, sweetheart. You have a right to hold a grudge, to be angry. Deciding to not hurt them doesn't mean that you have to excuse them. Speaking from personal experience, I lived with some pretty crappy guardians in the past. And I didn't forgive them right away. It's a long journey.. an individual process of coming to terms with things, of facing your demons. I did eventually forgive them. Not because I had to, but because it.. the time- it just felt right. And do you want to know what I've realized?"

I could see that she was hanging on to my every word.

"What..?"

She whispered in a strangled voice, her eyes wide.

"People think that by forgiving someone, you're freeing the person who hurt you. But the truth is.. the person that forgiveness really frees is YOU."

Immediately, Kat started sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes flooding with tears. I didn't know the impact of my words, that it could ever move someone like this. I was only a few years older than this girl but I felt so much more in that moment, and I guess technically my soul could be considered centuries old so it made sense. I could feel Kat's soul mending, slowly but surely, as I wrapped her in my arms again.

"Thanks again.. you have no idea how reassured I feel after hearing that."

"I'm glad."

"I wish you were around when I was still alive. So many kids need people like you, counselling them, being there for them."

She laughed incredulously before asking me, "You're not an angel, are you?"

Having been told that I‌ was a witc- no, a Majinnee, and a Queen at that, just before, I could probably believe anything at this point.

"No, I don't think so."

"Well, you can be mine. I'll never forget how you helped me.. Shelley."

My heart warmed as she smiled at me, before turning to look behind her.

"I guess I should find the entrance to the underworld now. Now that I'm not going to stick around."

I had almost forgotten about the reason I‌ was here in the first place, when I remembered that souls that have passed away are drawn to the Gates naturally. Maybe it could help me find Miriam? I asked Kat about it, to which she replied,

"Yes, I've felt a pull to move to the right, but I kept fighting and shutting it down because I planned on staying here."

"Really?! Then, can you guide me?"

"Of course. Wait- but why? You're still alive."

I realized I had never told her about it after all.

"I need to retrieve my.. little sister. She left our world way too soon, and I've been given the chance to save her before she crosses over."

Kat looked as if she understood my urgency and started pulling me towards the direction she felt.

.. .. ..

It hadn't been that long of us walking straight when suddenly,

"Wait."

I froze as I saw the figure of a man, with his back towards us in the distance.

"What is it?", Kat asked.

"The- the man over there."

I inched closer, orientating myself to see him better.

"I- I think.. he's-"

I couldn't speak when I finally got close enough to look at his face and it was undoubtedly him. I knew it from the start, but I still dropped in shock as the man turned towards us.

"Papa?!"