And then, I heard them.
The voices of Vengeance.
The voices came like a storm. Spiraling, rising, crashing into oneanother with a chaos that felt endless. They screamed and wept, colliding in a burst of anger, grief, and need, but Raithe held them back. He remained solid as stone as the voices tore around him, each one vying for his attention, demanding to be heard, waiting for his command.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t falter. Even as they battered the edges of his mind, seeping into every crack and crevice, he simply closed his eyes, breathed in slowly, and let the noise wash over him. His expression settled into quiet concentration, and with each breath, the storm began to shift.
One breath. Then another. And then, silence.
When his eyes opened again, the whirlwind had ceased, and only a single voice remained, louder than the others, steadier, more complete. It rose out of the stillness, drifting forward until it stood before him like a truth taking shape. Raithe tilted his head slightly, eyes slipping closed once more as he listened, not with his ears, but with something deeper.
His fingers curled gently around mine, steady and sure, a silent urging to listen with him.
So I did. And when I opened my eyes again, we were back in the mortal realm.
Shadows surrounded us,and Raithe’s eyes glowed a sharp yellow, cutting clean through the dark. His presence was dangerous, yet, I could feel that same force radiating from me. This place had once been home, but now it felt distant, unfamiliar in a way that left me feeling estranged.
Divinity carried with it a quiet pride, something close to conceit. And as I looked around, the world felt dim. The mortal realm had lost its shine. It didn’t shimmer like Torhiel. The air lacked its sweetness, and the colors that were once vivid now seemed washed-out and lifeless.
“Odessa.” Raithe reached for me. “My light.” His company steadiedme, a familiar weight in an unfamiliar world. “Shall we answer their prayer?”
I was dressed in shadow, the night sky drawn across my skin. With every step, the darkness shifted, responding to me like it knew my shape. It clung to me as armor would. And with it, I felt unshaken. I felt bold. I moved forward without hesitation, and Raithe followed, wrapped in a shadow of his own close behind.
We entered a city, and though it stood tall around us, it was quiet. Most of its folk slept, only a few wandered the streets, aimless and alone. But one soul stood out, calling to us like a beacon. Their mortality was laid bare and utterly unmistakable. I didn’t need Raithe’s guidance to know this was the mortal who had called him.
Moving through the streets felt strange. We weren’t quite walking, yet we weren’t drifting either. It was something in between, as if we followed the ground’s path but were carried by shadows, gliding weightlessly from one place to the next.
The mortal’s prayers grew louder as we drew near, almost overwhelming. Yet my Wrath was drawn to it, captivated by the raw desperation and despair. There was something hauntingly appealing about the surrendering in this soul, the way defeat left them no choice but to bargain with a devil.
At last, we rounded a corner onto a street, as cold as it was empty, narrowing into an alley. After I stepped inside it, I stopped abruptly. There was a mortal knelt on the cobblestones, hands tightly clasped in prayer. When I saw her, shock pierced me. This mortal was a woman, far thinner than any human should be. Her hair was dull and coarse, like straw, and dirt stained her worn shift. Tears tracked down her face, and bruises marred the skin left exposed. My Wrath surged, burning at the sight.
Raithe held out his hand, stopping me before I could move forward. His eyes held a silent command for me to be patient, to wait. I stayed rooted in place, letting him take the lead. He slipped forward throughthe shadows, drawing closer to the kneeling woman. As he moved, parts of his shadow peeled away, dissolving into mist, and his face slowly came into view.
The woman sniffled, brushing a tear-streaked cheek, then froze as her eyes met Raithe’s piercing stare. A gasp broke from her lips, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
After a moment, she lowered it slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. “D-devil.”
“Yes.” Raithe’s tone was grave. “And I’ve come to answer your plea.”
His voice sounded different. There was something darker in it, something colder and cruel.
The woman recoiled, her body trembling as she took in the sight of him. Though shadows still clung to Raithe’s form, his figure had mostly emerged from the dark.
“Please... please don’t hurt me,” she whispered, then began to pray. “Gods, have mercy on me, please.”
Raithe smiled, all teeth. “The gods heard your plea and chose silence. But I’ve answered,” he stated. “Was it not you who called out to Vengeance? I’ve heard your cries and I’ve come to offer a bargain.”
At the word, something in her shifted. A flicker of strength returned. She straightened a little, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. “I... I did.” Her focus locked onto him. “You’ve come to offer me a bargain?”
Raithe stepped forward, just a pace, and this time she didn’t recoil.
“Yes, a bargain,” he said, tilting his head as he studied her. “You’ve shown me your suffering, your anger, the weight of betrayal. But more telling than any of that, you showed me your desire for retribution. For Vengeance. And I can help you claim it.”
“Truly?” she said, breath hitching.
Raithe’s charming smile appeared. “For a price. I’ll give you Vengeance, but what will you offer me inreturn?”
“I don’t have much,” the woman stammered, her voice thick with desperation. “But whatever I have... it’s yours.”
