A dissonant voice reverberated through his thoughts. Ethan couldn't feel anything, but he knew that something was trying to talk to him, to reach him. He tried to respond but couldn't. He could feel a pull and the blackness gave way to a tunnel.

  At the far end of the tunnel was a brilliant building of pure white stone, and the voice echoed through his mind once more, this time clearly heard. Be judged at… The voice faded away. Something grabbed him from behind and pulled him through the blackness. He struggled against the pull but couldn't do a thing as it all faded away once more.

  Ethan woke up in a grey void. He breathed deeply and felt his chest, wincing and gasping in shock as his hand went through a hole in his torso and down to the floor beneath. A searing pain coursed through him at the realization, "I…died?"

  "That's right," Nobilis said. Ethan heard footsteps and tried to sit up, unable to do so, as a middle-aged man came into sight. He was dressed like a well-mannered, Victorian gentleman with cane and slicked back, dark red hair. "Welcome to your Sanctuary, and my home. Let me help you up."

  He reached down and lifted Ethan so that he was leaning against a grey wall. The room was empty, save for a lavish fireplace with a roaring blaze, a comfortable leather chair, and an old-fashioned telephone on a side table. Nobilis took a seat in the chair and held up his hand as a glass appeared in his grip. "We really must think of other methods for you to use your abilities. Dealing with Imbued who cannot be affected-"

  "They killed Stormbringer!"

  Nobilis sighed and nodded as he took a sip from his cup, "Yes. I spoke with his Curator, Tempest. This Cheat Code fellow can pull any object from those so-called 'video games' that he can imagine, as well as 'glitch' through walls. Your now-dead ally seemed like a motivated young man."

  Ethan felt a tear well up and felt a deep pang of sorrow, "It's my fault. I should've prepared more, I should've-"

  "Done what? Hmm? You had no clue this Cheat Code existed, or the full extent of Full Metal Gangster's abilities." He sighed and leaned forward as he took a sip of his drink, "You'll be alive again in one month. You're trapped here until that elapses."

  Ethan stared at the man before looking up at the ceiling, "I need to talk to Treya. Tell her I'm alright-"

  "Can't talk to those outside of here. You're my connection to your world, and only if you're there can I interact with it through you being adjacent."

  Ethan felt regret and anxiety, a knot forming in what remained of his stomach. He put a hand over his chest, "Healing Touch," and breathed a sigh of relief as the wound closed over and the dull pain ceased. Somehow, all but that central wound had healed by the time he woke, and for the first time there was an enormous scar of a blast-mark left behind after using his healing power. Things that kill me leave a permanent scar, he concluded. He took several deep breaths.

  "This is your Sanctuary. It's located within The Archive." Nobilis leaned back into his chair, turning to face the crackling fireplace as he sipped his drink.

  Ethan closed his eyes and sighed, picturing Treya in his mind and felt sorrow well up in him. She knows I'll come back…but what if something happens to her? He felt tears roll down his face as the helplessness of the situation sank in. She was in possibly the most dangerous place on Earth at that moment.

  Nobilis sighed and drained his drink before throwing the glass into the fireplace, "Man up!" he yelled at Ethan before standing and stomping over to the broken hero. He held his cane under Ethan's chin and forced him to look up.

  His visage was a mix of frustration and sympathy. "She'll be fine. What you need to focus on is what you can do to make yourself strong enough to protect her, protect everyone. That's what you want, right? To protect everyone and be 'the hero', right?!" He was yelling at the end, like a parent admonishing their child. He sounded disappointed more than angry. “You will get stronger from this death, but if you die again, more time will pass. Two months. Then three. And more! Do you really want to be that weak, pathetic failure for that long?”

  Ethan shook his head and pushed the cane away as he shakily stood up, "Yeah. I want to do good. Being the hero. Keep her safe."

  "Even if it means killing other Imbued?" Nobilis asked as he choked up his grip on the cane.

  "...I'll do anything to keep her safe," Ethan growled.

  This seemed to satisfy Nobilis, and he smiled, "Good. We have work to do. The Entity needs you to be strong, to prevent its demise-"

  "-Hold up," Ethan interrupted. "This Entity is basically God, right? So how could it…have a demise?"

  "Did you think gods were unkillable? You have a lot to learn about The Univer-'' Nobilis cocked his head to the side for a moment before shaking it and turning to fully face Ethan, "I can't tell you more on that topic."

  Ethan frowned, "Why not?"

  "I don't question my creator. And you shouldn't question the one who gives you your power, either." He was no longer angry, or upset, but more speaking like a parent admonishing their child.

  Ethan glanced around the small space before pacing forward and back. "This room is really small."

  Nobilis took up an informative tone as he sat once more in his large, cushioned chair. "You can customize this chamber however you see fit. Just focus on what you want it to look like, and it will change appropriately. Including changing dimensions. Think of it like a near-infinite space within The Archive."

  "It's a pocket-dimension?"

  "Something like that depiction from your media, yes."

  Ethan steeled his will and focused his mind. He thought about the guild headquarters that he and Treya built over thousands of hours of gameplay. He tried to envision the castle they worked so hard to conceive with their friends, the grounds surrounding that they used for their various in-game professions, and the surrounding countryside which they spent years conquering and fighting rival guilds for ownership of.

  Focusing on Treya helped crystalize the image; especially her laughter when they had finished and had their first in-game feast pre-raid.

  When he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see not the pale chamber - but instead he was greeted by an enormous blue sky dotted with white clouds. A wind blew across his face as he looked around; realizing how high up he was on the tallest tower of the edifice. A massive castle construction that shot up hundreds up feet into the sky with graceful, stout, square towers. The castle was enormous, easily a thousand feet along each side and several stories both up and down into the ground below. A huge courtyard with hundreds of outbuildings expanded out to enormous, two-hundred-foot high walls that towered over everything save the castle proper. Rolling green grasslands and low hills extended out to a swift blue sunrise on the horizon.

  It was their video game's guild headquarters. A perfect recreation, Ethan knew instinctively.

  "Impressive construction," Nobilis said as he walked up behind Ethan.

  "I made all of this?"

  "Indeed. Hope you're happy with how it looks. It's like this until you die again. Not as impressive as Valhalla, but still, very nice. You have a vivid imagination."

  "Valhalla? Like from Norse Mythology?” Ethan asked, incredulous.

  "Yes. Odin was just another Imbued, and he made his Sanctuary into what you would know as Valhalla. He had a unique power to gather the souls of others. Quite a fascinating specimen."

  "Right. About that. I can see souls with Holy Sight."

  "Indeed. Souls are the truest essence of a person. Body, mind, soul. Those are the three components. The soul remembers what the body experiences and the mind knows."

  Nobilis began to descend the stairs and Ethan followed him, "Were you always a person?"

  "This is just the form I've chosen. I've been around for some time. Ever since The Entity arrived here and shaped your world, the Earth, and guided its evolution. I'm your Nobilis, your Curator. That's all I need to be. You're not the first Imbued I've been assigned to over the millennia." He glanced back at Ethan as he spoke, "I heard what you asked The Entity to allow you to do. And when it asked us 'who wants this one?', I spoke up and claimed you."

  "Why me?" Ethan asked, honestly confused why someone would want to choose him of all people.

  "You wanted to help. I want to help. Plus, your powers are quite intriguing. A holy warrior and healer? That in and of itself sets you up to be quite the interesting mythological character in history, when time eventually passes to that point." He chuckled, "And we Curators are quite proud of those we shepherd into greatness. I am responsible for helping cement Ishtar, Gilgamesh, and Amaterasu into mythology. They all passed into legend and myth as a deity, rather than what they really were - Imbued humans…Well, some aren't myths, they are still worshipped."

  The two exited into a large conference room with an enormous triangular table, surrounded by several throne-like seats. They passed through the room and into a lounge. Ethan flopped onto a luxurious couch as Nobilis went to a nearby cabinet, pulling out various bottles and muttering before he brought a glass over to Ethan, clinking with ice and some type of brown, brackish liquid. "Drink this."

  Ethan took a whiff and frowned, "What is it?"

  "Smells like brandy of some sort. Whatever you thought up to be stored here. Some alcohol will do you some good."

  "Wait a minute…I recreated this place based on our guild headquarters. If it made objects also…" Ethan's mind raced and he set the glass down before sprinting off.

  Nobilis ran after him, "Where are you going! I'm not done-"

  Ethan ignored him and barreled through several wooden doors, descending deeper and deeper into the castle until he arrived at the basement level. He turned a corner and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight he was expecting greeted him - an enormous, silvery-colored vault door. Ethan knelt next to the vault and slid aside the extremely well concealed stone, revealing the combination lock.

  Nobilis caught up to him and huffed, "A vault? What's in it?"

  Ethan fiddled with the dials as he entered the long, complicated passcode. "You said that Cheat Code guy pulled stuff from a Video Game. But those things must be stored somewhere, right? So, I was thinking that maybe his Sanctuary stores all the stuff he knows from video games. He thinks about it, imagines it, it manifests within his Sanctuary, and then he warps it from that pocket-dimension to himself."

  Ethan went quiet for a few moments as he finished the final complex entry, the vault door grinding open. "If I'm right, then that means whatever he made in his Sanctuary can be pulled out. It might work the same for me. This place is based on something made in a game."

  Nobilis smiled and tapped his cane on the ground, "Insightful that you guessed how his power may work. But what's in the vault?"

  As the door opened Ethan smiled, seeing the antechamber with the traps still set in place - only visible to those who knew how to find them. "Treya and I ran one of the best guilds in the world for the video game where we built this castle. We had money, artifacts, magical equipment - you name it. You mentioned new ways to use my power, right? Well, in the game there were bunches of items that boosted your class abilities."

  Nobilis grinned devilishly, "And when The Entity asked you the question-"

  "I wanted to do the things that paladins and priests - holy warriors and divine magic users from those video games - could do. If those items boosted those characters in the game-"

  "That you could boost your own capabilities in real life!” Nobilis sounded authentically impressed, and some level of fatherly appreciation came through the tone. “Let's hope it applies how you imagine it does. But, if you are right, then couldn't this Cheat Code villain do the same?"

  "Maybe. He mentioned getting experience for killing Stormbringer and me. He probably gets stronger the more people he kills, just like in first-person shooters."

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He felt a pang of guilt for his newfound acquaintance. I should have prepared him more. Going after Full Metal Gangster without more practice was reckless and stupid. So, so stupid. I’m sorry…shit, I never even learned his real name. Sorry, Stormbringer.

  After a moment of silence Ethan went about disabling the various traps before opening the inner door. The vault was an enormous circular chamber. Along the walls were various treasure chests. He went to one and opened it, his eyes glazing over as he saw a pile of neatly stacked golden coins.

  He picked one up, tossing it to Nobilis. "Looks like money won't be an issue in the real world."

  Ethan paused and looked back at Nobilis, "Hold on; you mentioned past gods were really Imbued." He grinned as a realization hit him, "I can bring people here, can't I?"

  "There's nothing preventing you from using your Sanctuary to house people. And they will live here forever, or until The Archive is destroyed – which is a far off possibility. But I should warn you - they can never leave. Once they enter a Sanctuary, they are forever bound there. Their soul is linked inextricably to your realm. That is, unless The Entity releases you. Your unique set of powers does not allow for the marking and shepherding of souls - Hades, for instance, could perform such a feat. You have to bring them here while they live. Once they die, they are beyond your ability to save."

  "Well, that's going to be a hard sell…something to think about, I suppose." Ethan went to the center of the chamber and pushed the hidden pressure plate that only the guild captains knew about. Stone slid aside as several armor and weapon racks rose up from hidden compartments below.

  Nobilis chuckled and Ethan turned around at the abrupt, cheery, sudden demeanor shift, "You can use equipment and those 'consumables' as they are called. I just confirmed with The Entity. He was amused at the thought."

  Ethan nodded and grinned, but his grin went sour as Nobilis's expression changed.

  Nobilis came over and clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder, "I've also been keeping a secret. You've died once, so you deserve to know the truth." He turned to Ethan and his gaze gripped the hero like a vice, "There are some…side-effects to being Imbued."

  Ethan narrowed his eyes and glared at the Curator, "What side-effects?"

  "…I'm sorry, I really am." Nobilis hung his head and sighed before he brought his gaze up to meet Ethan's, "When your love dies, when anyone you know dies, they will go on to be judged. Unless you have claimed their soul by bringing them to your Sanctuary while they are still alive. But you, because of your tie with The Entity, will never be judged. You are bound to it. Your soul has been claimed. It can only be judged if The Entity dies, or lets you go."

  Ethan felt his legs go weak and he collapsed to a sitting position. He felt his stomach roil at the revelation. My Sanctuary is my prison… He turned over and dry-heaved several times as his mind recoiled against what he had been told.

  He had been raised in a Christian church and was expecting Heaven and an afterlife…and instead he would just exist, here, in this empty facsimile of an achievement that existed in some weird pocket realm. The reconciliation of what he had been told and the truth of what would happen to him crashed over him like a wave.

  Ethan put his head down and stifled back the tears as something he believed for his whole life was ripped away from him. Quite literally, instantly, losing his religion.

  Nobilis knelt and put a reassuring hand on his back, "I'm sorry…" He just sat there with Ethan as the grieving hero composed himself.

  "I…thank you for telling me." Ethan sat up as the Curator patted him on the back, "Does that mean that all Imbued-"

  "Are within their Sanctuaries. You've probably heard of the Norse myth of Ragnarok - the end of the world when the gods go to war. Well, that wasn't a prediction as much as a promise. Every Imbued across time that The Entity gave power to is now inside their Sanctuary, within The Archive. When or if someone - or something - tries to attack The Entity, those Imbued will be called upon to fight. Even Stormbringer is within his Sanctuary - unable to exit due to his death - until The Entity calls upon him."

  Ethan shook his head, "So I could go talk to him? Or Zeus? Anansi? Sun Wukong? … Jesus Christ?"

  "No. You cannot enter another Imbued's Sanctuary." He smirked, “Mr. Christ was, though, an Imbued. Quite a gentle one, as well. He also had a self-resurrection power. But after that first death, well, he was not intent on dying again.”

  Ethan nodded, "Okay…wow, this is a lot to take in. I'll…" Ethan shook his head and looked at the room around him, "Might as well distract myself for the time being and try things out." Push it aside. Don’t focus on it. Just ignore it.

  He approached a red chest which was more ornate than the rest, opening the lid to reveal five pure, crimson vials. He picked one up, uncorked it, and chugged the medicinal-cherry flavored liquid. He gagged a little after swallowing as a rush of warmth ran through him, and the taste helped to focus his thoughts onto the present instead of the existential questions he was presented with in the span of a few minutes. Let's see what that does. He picked up the remaining four and chugged them down as well, gasping upon finishing the last one.

  Nobilis pulled out a notebook and flipped through it. "These are things that were improved based upon your recent death: energy reserves were increased, strength, speed, and stamina were increased as well. Heaven's Gate creates an instant portal instead of requiring traversal time. You became a lot more durable; your Holy Barrier can take a much harsher beating."

  He continued perusing the book as Ethan fought back bile from the horrific taste. "That thing you drank seems to have improved your stamina, speed, strength, processing speed…basically every trait of your being-" he glanced up, "This will result in a significant power boost."

  Ethan chuckled, "Hey, I'll take what I can get." He concentrated on trying to make more appear, but the chest remained empty. He pressed another hidden button with his foot, causing the various pedestals to sink down once more into the floor. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

  He gave Nobilis a tour of the castle - his new home. Several blank-faced mannequin-esque maids and servants roamed the premises; cleaning, dusting, and doing various chores. Ethan explained that these were golems - artificial servants who performed an assigned task to perfection. The two ended their journey at the kitchen, and Ethan was pleased to find that the food seemed perfectly fresh, a golem in there preparing delicious meals. The two ate their fill, despite the Curator telling him he did not need to eat.

  Nobilis stood up and stretched, "Right then. You get some rest."

  Ethan stood up and nodded, "Nobilis…thanks for being there for me."

  "Hmph. Well…you're welcome." The curator seemed slightly surprised by the statement and turned away, muttering something under his breath.

  Ethan went upstairs, took off his shattered armor, and tried to fall asleep in the comfortable bed, feeling the sorrow swell up once more as his mind quieted. I shouldn't have tried to be a hero. Those guys killed Stormbringer without a second thought.

  As he thought about his new acquaintance's sudden death, anger began to build up in him. Why should I try to be a 'good' hero? The world is cruel. If those villains didn't want to pull their punches, I won't either. I'm not going to die again; next time I'm going for the kill.

  He stirred in the bed as the resolve of what he was committing himself to do sank in. Am I capable of killing someone?

  He held his hand above him and manifested an orb of light, willing it to float gently around his fingertips. I can still be a hero…but the hero that shows no mercy to those who do evil. They'll be trapped in The Archive when they die…so it's not really like I'm killing them. And they get to customize their Sanctuary just like I did…so it's not that bad of a punishment…But only as a last resort. I won't become a murderer.

  With this new rationalization he felt calmer, but a lingering thought crossed his mind before sleep found him: I only have her while she is alive. There's no happy reunion in an afterlife for me. She'll move on, and I'll be stuck here.

  The tears came unbidden as he wept into the night.

  Ethan woke with a start as water was splashed on his face.

  Nobilis stood next to the bed with a bucket, "Come on, out of bed! We have work to do."

  Ethan wiped his face with the blanket and sat up, "Okay. Let me at least take a bath first."

  Nobilis held his head up high in condescending fashion, "I'll be in the parlor."

  Ethan went to the adjoining ornate bathroom and drew a hot bath before scrubbing down, dressing up in some nice bathrobes, and exiting. He found his hero costume next to the bed. An enormous hole was ripped through the center and out the back. Scorch marks and tattered fabric encompassed the hole. I'm surprised it didn't hurt more. Maybe I just died so fast I couldn't register the pain.

  He felt dismay at seeing the damage to his costume. Good thing we have enough supplies for a spare back home. He walked through the corridors and into the lounge to see Nobilis reading a book in front of a fireplace.

  Nobilis glanced over, "You can't do what I want us to do today wearing that outfit."

  "I just died. I want to take a day off,” Ethan replied.

  "Hmm. Well, The Entity mentioned something about spell-books. If your powers are based upon specific…classes, I believe they are called? Then maybe they will be in the library. Seeing as you have another two days, may as well make the most of them and train yourself."

  Ethan nodded, "Yeah. Grab any that are yellow or blue. Those are the ones that I might be able to use."

  Nobilis stood up and nodded, grabbing his cane, "I should be able to discern the useful ones from the useless at a glance; regardless of color."

  Ethan descended to the vault and disabled the traps once more. Everything was meticulously organized, and he spent several hours trying out various items. He used every consumable down there - attack, defense, and health boosting items. It's worth trying them out.

  Each consumable had a horrific medicinal flavor that reminded him of cough syrup, and he had to make several trips upstairs to the kitchen and quaff plenty of water to wash the taste out. Each trip up the stairs became easier and easier with each vial quaffed.

  There were several tomes and books that could be read as well, and at least in-game they provided boosts to stats before turning to ash. Thanks to Holy Sight, Ethan could read as fast as he could turn the pages, and the books did turn to ashes after he closed the cover.

  By the time he finished with every item in the vault he was mentally exhausted; the pedestals and chests were empty save for the gold coins. He picked up a satchel and put in armor, weapons, and other equipment that were suited to his in-game class of choice, as well as a hefty amount of gold.

  As he ascended the stairs, he barely felt any exertion, not even breaking the tiniest sweat. The massive weight of easily a few hundred pounds of equipment he carried were no more cumbersome than a training weight. Looks like items did something, he thought with satisfaction as he made his way to the library.

  Nobilis was in the large three-story chamber, riding the various ladders attached to tracks on the walls. Several stacks of books were on the ground - meticulously organized into piles.

  "Finding everything okay?" Ethan called up.

  "Yes." Nobilis turned around and slid down the ladder. "Books that contain some type of knowledge of how to use your powers. To my eyes, they are just logical ways to use what The Entity has granted you. But perhaps having these instruction manuals of sorts will accelerate that process of self-discovery." He pointed at the bulging sack Ethan was hauling, "What did you get?"

  "A bunch of gear. I also used everything down there."

  "Hmph. Well, you've got your work cut out for you. Lots of books to read."

  Ethan tapped his temple, "Holy Sight, remember?" He felt his mental energy return as the thought of new powers brought him to a feeling that leveling up in a video game brought - a sense of accomplishment and looking-forward-to the new abilities to be made available.

  "Of course I remember!" Nobilis looked incensed, and pointed his cane at Ethan, tapping him in the chest, "I know everything about your capabilities. I also know that The Entity is concerned. "

  Ethan raised an eyebrow, "Why would it be?"

  "Apparently the upgrades to your capabilities from your last death took a while to manifest. That, combined with all of those consumables below…"

  Nobilis flipped open his notebook and cleared his throat, "Further improvements based upon your most recent death: Your Circle of Healing has no more daily limit, but costs a lot of energy. You can use Crusade without locking yourself from using your warping abilities."

  He looked up as he pocketed the notebook. "Everything else is amplified. Whatever new abilities you learn from these various books will manifest at an efficacy equivalent to your current capabilities. Your stamina, strength, and speed outclass that of an Olympic athlete…and that's all the changes for this death. Your next one could see you growing quite powerful. Hence, The Entity's concern. Apparently, your growth exceeds expectations."

  Nobilis lowered his voice to a whisper, "I don't say this to heighten your ego. Only as a statement of fact. You are still killable, even with all of these upgrades. Another beating like that last one, or an explosion directly on your chest? That’s a death in all likelihood.”

  Ethan immediately sat down and reached for a book, excited at the prospect of learning new ways to use his powers. Nobilis slapped his hand with the cane. "Ouch! What was that for?" Ethan shouted as he rubbed his hand.

  "Go eat first. You've been in the vault for hours. I'll set everything up in the study."

  Ethan did as he was told, going down to the kitchen and eating a delicious meal before sitting down amongst the books. He felt like a child being chided by an elder, but it was a welcoming feeling. It reminded him of when his dads sat down to help him with science homework.

  Hours passed as he perused page after page. The words made sense despite not being written in English. The way the knowledge came across was as different methods of manifesting divine and light themed power, imprinted into his mind.

  Some of them were incomprehensible gibberish, and his only interruption came from Nobilis reminding him like a concerned parent to take breaks. He came to the conclusion that he couldn't read any book that he wouldn't be able to make use of.

  He made it through the whole pile from before dinner, and finished off the last book before he went to bed. This one day cram session had expanded his repertoire, with dozens of new methods of how to manifest his powers.

  And just like a child with a new toy, he couldn't wait to try them out.

  The remaining days were spent practicing the new powers in the main yard under Nobilis's watchful gaze, critiquing him from a cushioned sofa they had moved down to the open, grassy lawn. There was an odd gleam in his eyes as he instructed and guided Ethan; the look of someone who had finally found a winning team to rally for.

  The relationship between the two was very similar to Ethan’s earlier thought of Alfred Pennyworth and Batman. Nobilis was a fount of knowledge and instruction, and his chiding, concerned, stern voice was constantly helping Ethan improve as he trained.

  As Ethan woke the morning of his last day trapped in Sanctuary, he felt a sense of relief and anticipation wash over him. What's Treya going to think? How is she feeling? What happened to Los Angeles while I was gone? So many questions popped into his head as Nobilis barged into his room.

  "Get up! It's almost time."

  Ethan got out of bed and threw on his new, divine armor he had grabbed from the vault below. "How long?"

  "The timer ends in thirty minutes." Nobilis smirked and poked Ethan's chest through the hole in his costume, "No more letting people stick grenades to you, eh?"

  Ethan nodded and held out a hand, "I don't think it could get through this armor anyways." Nobilis looked at him with satisfaction before reaching out and shaking slowly. Ethan continued, "Thanks for your help. I feel kind of bad that I'll be leaving you here all alone."

  "It's fine. I was making do in a space with a chair and fireplace. This is much more suited to my tastes." Nobilis gestured to the doorway, "Wherever you exit from is where you will enter next time. I would suggest the front gate."

  Ethan chuckled and exited the room and buckled on a belt with an attached sword - a relic from the vault that would amplify his offensive skills whilst wielded. He strode with confidence out of the large castle, crossing the courtyard where he had been training for the past week and a half, and stood upon the drawbridge over the river surrounding the fortification.

  He looked back at Nobilis, who had followed him outside. "Where will I end up?"

  "Where you died. Better be ready for a fight, just in case. Remember, those you bring are stuck here until they die. This is your stronghold. Your bastion against all those that want to harm what you love."

  Ethan nodded and lifted a hand, feeling a surge of warmth course down his arm as his fingertips tingled, "Ascend Beyond."

  A doorway of golden and white, shimmering light appeared. Unlike the Heaven's Gate he normally used, this one was lined with esoteric lettering of an unknown tongue and was opaque; veiling his destination.

  He stepped through the liminal gateway, and Nobilis smiled as it snapped shut behind him.