[BALANCING…]

  Words and images burrowed into Kai’s mind.

  [ERROR!]

  His brain burned. His head was aflame, his scalp melting. An urge to destroy clawed at him - to rip everything apart: his skin, eyes, teeth, his—

  Disjointed images surged. Things nobody should see. They vanished in an instant. But the pain lingered, stabbing at his mind.

  One image refused to fade.

  Golden scales larger than buildings. Forever rising and falling. Forever seeking balance. Two gargantuan hollow eyes hovered behind them.

  No…not hollow. Spheres of darkness nestled in the sockets, black mist creeping out. The spheres focused on Kai.

  A twisting wrongness bubbled in his chest.

  “Brother?”

  Kai opened his eyes.

  His skin was still there; the stabbing pain in his head faded.

  He was alive - or dead? Either way…he was something. That was better than nothing.

  His body was weightless and empty. He surveyed his surroundings. Where was he?

  Darkness swallowed the world, endless and absolute.

  A beautiful onyx statue glided toward him from the shadows.

  A sphere of white light blossomed into existence above the darkness like a sun, illuminating the moving statue - Kai’s only company.

  It resembled an impossibly handsome man carved from dark stone. Kai’s face flushed with warmth as dark robes flowed around it with a majestic, unnatural grace.

  Kai’s mouth hung open. His heart raced. He had to bow. To submit. He had to…

  Remember.

  Kai closed his mouth, his lips forming a thin line as his gaze traced the magnificent statue from head to toe. His heart slowed.

  He would’ve been powerless if the statue had taken a female form.

  The onyx statue spoke in a heavenly voice:

  “Welcome, brother. Oh…forgive my manners.”

  The onyx statue’s face melted away, twisting into a macabre skull. The stone shifted again, forming a marginally less handsome version of its original face.

  Its nose became slightly asymmetrical, its jaw softened, its eyebrows thickened.

  Strange for an ominous statue to have eyebrows.

  It was still more handsome than any living being had any right to be. But its presence no longer dominated Kai’s being.

  He shook off his confusion. A talking statue was dangerous. Weird things like this were never benign. Its handsome face was a trap. A demon here to snuff out his soul. To replace him!

  What could he do? Kai glanced at his body. No weapons. No…clothes. Nothing to defend himself with. Could he talk his way out?

  Intimidation was out. Naked intimidation wasn’t a skill he’d mastered. And the statue didn’t look the type to be afraid of him - with or without clothes.

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  Persuasion? Distraction?

  Nowhere to run.

  The onyx statue called him “brother” and welcomed him.

  Too nice, too smooth. A trap.

  Kai had beaten deceivers at their own game before.

  He calmed his trembling hands.

  The statue’s right hand rose. Dark particles swirled and coalesced into a black liquid that devoured all light. The liquid writhed until it formed an unholy scythe.

  The space around Kai chilled. He stole a glance at the scythe; his head throbbed. An aura of finality leaked from the lethal blade.

  A fight had been a bad idea before the dreadful scythe tore through the abyss. Now the thought seemed laughable.

  The statue’s blackened fingers tightened around the scythe. Demon. Monster. Abomination. Whatever it was, its voice was calm:

  “Do you want this scythe?”

  Kai didn’t like the sound of that.

  He stilled his shaking body and tried to keep the tremor from his voice.

  “No, thank you…brother.”

  The statue loosened its grip on the scythe and sighed.

  “Don’t be so tense. If you want the scythe - you can have it. It’s the least I can do. Though…it may consume your soul.”

  Was that a threat? The statue’s lips twisted into a smile. A crude imitation of humanity.

  Kai had no intention of touching that scythe. He wasn’t even Marked. Dread coiled in his gut.

  He forced his voice to remain steady.

  “No, thank you.”

  The onyx statue smiled like an angel and nodded.

  “Grea—” It coughed, an unnatural sound scraping its stone throat. “I mean, as you wish. I’ve got something that’s a much better fit for someone at your…status.”

  Is that…an insult? Is this statue calling me weak?

  Kai had no grounds to argue against the point, but the words still stung. A petty concern in this dangerous situation. The statue had been polite before - a clear lure. Insults didn’t fit the pattern.

  “No matter. I’ll craft a scythe for when you pass your first trial. Father will deal with Barab, but you should be able to check your status safely here.”

  Kai cautiously probed the sinister statue. “Where is here?”

  The statue opened its arms theatrically:

  “This is your soul palace.”

  Soul palace.

  Kai knew the term from Renzo’s books - the ones the bastard had kept hidden from him. A space where Marked communicated with their guides, stored bonded items and viewed their status.

  A soul palace could likely do more as one ascended in rank - but Renzo had, as usual, kept him in the dark.

  If this is my soul palace…this ominous statue is my guide? Or is it lying to make me lower my guard?

  Kai knew how to find out.

  “If this is my soul palace,” Kai raised his chin and gestured to the void with his naked arm. “Aren’t we missing a palace? What’s with the dark void?”

  The void pulsed at his movement. A shiver crawled up his back.

  “Oh, I blocked your connection to save you from that stubborn fossil. You should be able to create your palace now. Try imagining something.”

  Kai furrowed his brows. The handsome statue’s words carried some weight.

  Had this malicious statue saved him?

  Kai wasn’t foolish enough to let his guard down and close his eyes. But there was nothing to lose by imagining his palace - if that was even how this thing worked.

  He monitored the onyx statue as he imagined a white castle. The kind he had seen on the propaganda holograms.

  Three pristine white towers basking in sunlight. A picturesque castle with a warm grace. Open windows that welcomed fresh air.

  An impossible dream.

  A safe place in the heart of his soul, with no need for battlements, guards or deception.

  As he finished, an unusual resonance vibrated throughout Kai’s body. Cold air rushed past him. A sound echoed like a single drop of water falling into the sea.

  Three dark towers rose from the void.

  An ominous castle clawed upward, reaching like a rotting hand escaping its grave. Its jagged spires were sharp enough to cut the heavens. Smooth onyx walls exuded a cold, suffocating aura.

  Iron grates adorned arched windows. The light of the artificial sun above struggled to penetrate inside.

  Kai was speechless, an uncommon occurrence, as he stared wide-eyed at the dark monstrosity.

  The onyx statue, Kai’s guardian, crossed his arms and nodded. Pride evident in his bearing.

  “Exquisite taste, brother. Father would be proud.”

  Kai prepared to retort, but decided against it. Better to take the easy win.

  Confirmation. The dreadful statue was his guide.

  The grim accommodations - his soul palace.

  He focused on the statue and cleared his throat before speaking.

  “Why do you call me brother? Did I die?”

  The statue raised an eyebrow, then covered his face with his hand.

  “Ah, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. I haven’t done this in a while. I’m a little rusty. My name is Kharon the Dreadful. I am your older brother. You are…undead.”

  Kai’s mind spun - dreadful? Older brother? Undead?

  “H-how?”

  “Well, you died. But a god’s child doesn’t perish so easily. Especially not with our father’s help.”

  A god? Kai wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask his next question, but he had no choice. He had to know the truth.

  “Wh-who is our father?”

  Kharon’s eyes widened. “You don’t know? Didn’t you get the gift he sent you?”

  He shook his head and sighed. “He’ll be disappointed…oh, right.” An eerie smile curved his lips as his eyes glowed with an impossible dark light.

  “Our father is the one and only Death God.”

  What would your soul palace look like?

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