The Abyss (Sector 6: Limbo) 1:30 pm

  That morning the cathedral was packed wall to wall with people. All of them had their own reasons for attending this particular ceremony. Some did so out of reverence, others out of curiosity. Something like this didn’t happen often. After all, none of them could have possibly died, it wasn’t their time yet.

  “We are all gathered here today to mourn the loss of an old friend.” Bethyinine began.

  The crowd murmured and gazed up at the front of the cathedral. There was a casket in place of the altar, the body inside barely visible, even from the front row. The corpse lay vulnerable in the casket, the right arm nothing but marrow, and the ribcage sunken. Clearly Death wasn’t happy with the bastard’s once pristine condition. Bethyinine stepped down from the podium and walked over to the casket. She could see that the corpse’s eyes were still open. She turned her gaze to the row on her left and gestured towards a man wearing an auburn robe. He looked up at her and made his way over to the casket, the eyes of the crowd following after him.

  He walked up the steps, laid his left hand on the casket, and, overcome with grief, started to weep. After a couple minutes, he moved back to his seat and sat back down. Another person stood up, and walked over to the casket. One by one, each member of the congregation took turns to pay their respects. Bethyinine gazed out at the crowd and looked back at the sheet of paper before her. The eulogy seemed to switch fonts rapidly, as if it was deciding its own contents. She fixed her gaze and waited for the crowd to settle before speaking again.

  “Each and every one of us bears the Seed of Night.” she said.

  “This man here managed to accomplish something glorious, something that no man could ever hope to achieve. He held the Seed of Night within him — he was one of us, not by birthright but by his actions. This poor soul stared out in the dark, and he knew that it stared back at him. This man who now lies before you survived his challenge. He claimed for himself the Seed of Night, and the right the carry on his wife’s legacy. In essence, he had stolen immortality from us, and yet we allowed him to do so. For he conquered death herself, and as such we gave him our gift.”

  “Despite this, he is nonetheless a thief. Last I checked, we never approved of thieves. Regardless of whether their actions are honorable. Yet this man is not a mere thief. Yes he stole from us, from our gardens, all for his wife’s sake. No one else would bother to preserve her name, so he saw it fit to do it himself. Have our scribes write this man’s name down, so that he and his deed may be remembered.” Bethyinine smiled and stepped down from the podium.

  The crowd turned around and filed out of the cathedral as rain began to fall outside. The stained glass ceiling of the building seemed to stretch out and up endlessly.Bethyinine scanned the crowd, only recognizing a few people among the sea of umbrellas. The man in the auburn robe was still sitting in the aisle, staring up at the casket. Bethyinine walked to his side, her fur coat slightly dragging along the emerald carpet. He did not notice her approach, appearing transfixed by the casket, particularly the corpse inside it. She glanced over at him and cleared her throat. He jumped a little and then turned to face her.

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  “Hello, I didn’t quite see you there.” the man said, his voice cracking.

  “Sorry to bother you sir,” Bethyinine replied.

  “You really shouldn’t apologize,” he groaned. “It just isn’t necessary.”

  She sighed and simply sat down at the end of the aisle next to the man.

  ”Mind giving me your name, sir?” Bethyinine put her head in her hand.

  “Why’re you being so formal about it? This is a funeral after all, not a social gathering.” the man tilted his head.

  “Better to mourn a loss together than to go through it alone.” Bethyinine slouched.

  The man nodded, sighed, and then turned to face her.

  “Luxcious, though considering we’re going with shorter pronunciations, you could just call me Laurence.” Luxcious smiled as he stretched out his hand for her to shake. It was clear his heart wasn't in it, however.

  “Bethyinine, Mistress Bethyinine, though you could just call me Beth. Seeing as it’ll be much easier for your tongue.” Bethyinine chuckled as she shook Luxcious’s hand

  He groaned and then readjusted his robes, before turning his attention back to the corpse lying in the casket. Beth turned away at the same time Luxcious did, and they ended up sitting in silence for a few minutes.

  “Last I recalled you didn’t know this man, am I correct?” Luxcious asked, pointing at the corpse.

  “That you are.” Beth’s lips curled into a smile.

  “Then why’d you give the eulogy?” Luxcious tilted his head.

  “Believe me, if I could, I wouldn’t have done it. Death isn’t my forte exactly.” Beth rolled her eyes.

  Luxcious regarded Beth with a faint curiosity. A small jade diadem adorned her forehead, engraved with a symbol resembling a tree branching out at the roots. It was a type of marking bestowed upon those who were born with the Seed of Night. Luxcious himself had not been born with the Seed, but had received it as a gift from his mentor following his graduation from university. This particular sigil however, identified her as the Apex. She was the firstborn daughter of the Lord and Lady of the Abyss.

  She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. noticing that he was fixated on the diadem on her forehead.

  “So, are you interested in this?” Beth asked, pointing to it.

  “I’m not interested in the diadem itself so much as I am interested in the sigil on it.” Luxcious’s eyes widened.

  “Ah, so you’re a scholar. I haven’t seen your kind in ages — my apologies sir if I’ve been disrespectful,” Bethyinine lowered her head.

  “Sorry for derailing the conversation, but are there any other reasons for you being here?” Luxcious sighed. “I can't imagine you would've stayed when everyone left, if there wasn't some other reason for it.”

  “I got bored. It’s very disrespectful of me isn’t it? Attending a funeral out of boredom, I mean. Yet that’s just how I am, and even then I think I already gave you my real reason for coming here. Normally I’d be hunting right now, but instead I’m attending this.” Bethyinine groaned.

  “Hunting? What exactly would you be hunting?” Luxcious inquired.

  “People, they’re just so… interesting, aren’t they?” Bethyinine mused.

  “I suppose they are,” Luxcious answered with a nervous chuckle.

  Luxcious nodded, and after sheepishly bowing, rose from the aisle. He began to head towards the door. Bethyinine stayed there, returning her gaze to the casket, and began to hum an ancient lullaby.

  Luxcious pulled his hood up as he walked outside and into the pouring rain. From within his left pocket he revealed a small mirror. He pulled it out, and drew a counterclockwise circle on the glass. A portal opened in front of him showing a third of his bedroom, which had been turned into an office. The edges of the portal seemed jagged, almost like broken glass. He smiled and stepped through the portal which closed behind him. The rain continued to fall down on the gravel path leading into town, and no traces were left of him. Almost as if he had never been there at all.

  Back in the cathedral, Bethyinine sat down next to the casket bearing the corpse of her adopted brother. Tears flowed from her eyes as she laid her hands on his chest. She knew his reasons for passing on, she accepted his logic, and yet something within her denied his death. She looked up at the cathedral ceiling, noticing the rain falling onto the glass. Off in the distance the sound of thunder could just barely be heard. She smiled and began to sing her lullaby as the tears stopped flowing from her eyes.