Isabelle makes no effort to evade, or dodge the attack. The sound of a skull splintering can be heard throughout the grand hall, but sadly, it is not Isabelle's.

  "Such fury," a voice whispers, smooth as silk, and there stands Lucius Vespero. His gloved palm holds onto Grave-Breaker, having stopped it just before Gabriel dealt the killing blow to Isabelle. A long crack runs down the center of the skull adorning the weapon. Gabriel catches a glimpse of Lucius’s eyes through the thin slits of his mask.

  "Lucy..." Isabelle breathes, though her face seems emotionless, that single word holds more than enough emotion to make up for it. It is filled to the brim with relief.

  "You are strong, Crowsong. Far stronger than was formerly believed," Lucius says. His voice is warm, yet stern. "But this is where we stop for today."

  "Stop?... You want to stop? You're the ones who started this, and now you want to stop!?"

  "Did we?" Lucius asked quietly, glancing at Isabelle before turning back to face Gabriel.

  "There is no need for further fighting. I merely wish to offer you a momentary armistice to tend to the wounded. We underestimated the strength of the Crowsong clan, and have suffered dearly for it."

  "Lucy, I was so scared…" Isabelle whimpers, as tears begin to stream down her face. She sounds just like a wounded animal, but her face has that same, blank stare to it.

  Lucius releases his hold on Grave-Breaker and turns his back on Gabriel. Cradling Isabelle's hands in his own as if she were a precious treasure. His touch is gentle, and his words reassuring. "My poor Izzy, everything will be alright, I am here now."

  "Lucy, he broke all my favorite masks… I-I was so scared, I thought I was going to die…" she chokes out, wrapping her arms around Lucius. Her eyes land on Gabriel's, and a shadow of a smile plays on her lips.

  "Enough of these crocodile tears!"

  Gabriel's rage is met with silence though, Lucius's attention solely focused on Isabelle.

  "Grave-Breaker, eat!" Gabriel commands, but nothing happens.

  "Full…" the weapon rasps out quietly before the light in its eyes grows dull.

  "I wish not to fight you in the form you are now. Even I may not come out unscathed," Lucius states, not bothering to turn around as he continues. "Surely you have more pressing matters to attend to? You Crowsongs are known for your tenacity and perseverance. But such qualities can only keep Lord Death at bay for so long…"

  Gabriel slowly backs away from the pair. It was true, there was something else he had to do. Someone he could still save. Sarah was alive. He had to help Sarah. Any thoughts of aggression leave him, and one thought plays on repeat in his mind.

  Help Sarah.

  Gabriel turns on his heel and finds her among the rubble of the destroyed room. Her breathing is shallow, she was beaten within an inch of her life, yet she still draws breath.

  Desperation fills Gabriel as he hoists Sarah over his shoulder and makes his way towards the remnants of the long table where Lord Victor’s severed head rests.

  "Goodbye... Father." Pain laces his voice as he pulls a hidden lever just behind Lord Victor’s chair. The wall directly in front of Gabriel rumbles, and then it slides open, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness. With one last glance at Lucius and Isabelle, Gabriel descends into the shadows, leaving his family home behind, and entering the catacombs below.

  The catacombs stretch out before Gabriel, a labyrinthine network of tunnels and crypts that house the remains of generations past.

  The air is cold and stagnant, reeking of decay and damp earth. Each step he takes echoes around him, reverberating down the narrow pathways. Gabriel can feel his body growing weaker now. That god-like strength bestowed upon him by Grave-Breaker was all but spent.

  "Grave-Breaker, I need your strength. Just a little more to help get us out of here."

  But the mace remains silent for a moment before it finally sighs, its voice heavy with fatigue. "Head hurt... Nap..."

  Gabriel grits his teeth, disappointment and fear mingling in his chest. If he had known that his weapon would go into a food coma after having its fill then he would have used its power sparingly. But the crack running along the base of Grave-Breaker’s skull was worrying. This weapon was definitely alive, so was it possible it had a concussion?

  He knew he couldn't rely on Grave-Breaker any longer; he had to pull from his own reserves of strength.

  As Gabriel navigated through the familiar passageways, memories of his childhood explorations flitter through his mind, providing some small comfort to him.

  As he rounds a corner, however, he comes face to face with something strange. Something he had never seen before, despite having been down here hundreds of times as a child.

  A massive stone door, flanked by two imposing Death Knights. At first Gabriel thought they were statues, although they breathe steadily. Blue flames cast shadows that stretch along the walls, their light revealing intricate carvings that adorn the door's surface. The grim reaper looms large at the center, surrounded by an elaborate ring of other deathly figures. A skeletal woman with a crown of flowers, a hooded creature with wings sprouting from every inch of its body, and countless others that Gabriel doesn't recognize.

  Death Knights are normally monsters that should only appear in the Abyssal Sanctum, the deepest part of Wraithwood-Hollow. So what were they doing here?...

  The door is a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece. It seems to pulse with an ancient energy, beckoning him closer even as it sends shivers down his spine. He can’t tear his eyes away from the murals that are depicted on it.

  Gabriel takes another step forward, and Sarah lets out a weak cough before releasing a low exhale. A trail of blood leaking down his back seems to snap him from his stupor. He had to get Sarah out of here.

  Gabriel turns to leave, but the Death Knights are standing in the entryway now. And then he hears the doors open. When Gabriel looks back, he sees her.

  She stands like a memory the world isn’t ready to recall. Tall, unmoving, wrapped in robes the color of ash. Her skin is smooth and pale, not with youth, but with the stillness of something long since gone. Hair as black as the void hangs around her shoulders, perfectly still, as if the air itself refuses to disturb her. One eye is milky white, blind to the world before her; the other glows faintly with the death of stars, galaxies that are spiraling out of control rest within its depths.

  Her presence hushes the room, breath slows, hearts forget to beat. Etched across her chest, faintly luminous sigils pulse beneath the skin, funeral rites in a language older than grief. She does not breathe. She does not blink. She simply observes.

  "It happened, just as she said it would. That cursed armament has woken once more," she speaks, and Gabriel swears he can hear Jameson’s voice.

  Gabriel grips Grave-Breaker and raises it once more. He is ready to fight as many times as it takes to save Sarah.

  "It is alright Crowsong boy, I mean you no harm." This time Gabriel hears Miriam’s voice come from the woman, and he grits his teeth.

  "You are not something that should be alive. If you know of the Crowsongs, then you know it’s our job to deal with things like you."

  Gabriel blinks, and he hears the soft pitter patter of feet on stone. When his eyes open again, the woman is standing right next to him. Her long, slender fingertips linger just over Grave-Breaker’s skull. She eyes it with a longing he does not understand.

  "Ah, I see. He has been touched from beyond. Not by this world’s threads, but by another's."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Gabriel yanks Grave-Breaker away from the woman but she simply follows, like a moth drawn to flame.

  "Who are you?..."

  "Before there were requiems, there were eulogies. If our beloved Grave-Breaker would quit pretending to be asleep then he might be able to tell you a little about me."

  "Drosmia, Eulogy of Flesh, First of the Undead," Grave-Breaker whispers, its eyes narrowing as it repeats the word to itself. "Drosmia… Drosmia…" It’s as if Grave-Breaker is uncertain of how the word should feel to say.

  "So you do remember me. How endearing…"

  Gabriel takes a short step, but he feels a hand much larger than his body pressing into his back. It’s one of the Death Knights, and it’s not going to let him leave.

  "I’m sorry, Ms. Drosmia, but I need to go."

  "Why are you in such a hurry? The girls already dead," Drosmia says, and Gabriel hears his fathers voice this time.

  "What?..."

  "I did find it a bit strange that you were carrying around a corpse, but it makes sense now. You thought you would be able to save her? Did you even stop to consider the state she’s in?"

  "Sarah? She’s... Dead?"

  Gabriel sets Sarah down on the cold, stone floor and looks down at her. She was alive just a moment ago, so why? Why was she dead? How could she be dead?

  "It was simply meant to be. These things happen, Gabriel. Everything has an end. This is Lord Death's decree."

  "Sarah! Wakeup! I can’t do this without you, Sarah! I don’t give a shit about any decree, I need her!" Gabriel clings to her body, hugging it against his own, but her head simply droops to the side. It’s heavy, and her skin is clammy, cold.

  "What a unique choice of words. Can I take that as your formal denouncement of Lord Death?"

  "What? No, I-"

  "I, Drosmia, offer you an accord. I can save Sarah Louise Crowsong. You live a cursed existence, like that weapon you wield. Unable to control magic despite being a member of the legendary Crowsong clan. All of your kin possess necromancy thanks to Lord Death, but not you. You would not be missed, I assure you. You must make this choice with haste. He will find this room soon enough, and come for her." Gabriel hears Sarah’s voice this time.

  Drosmia holds her palm open, and in it is a small, blue circle. It’s so small, so delicate, Gabriel wants to yank out and away from her so that he can give it back to Sarah. Her soul.

  "You would cheat Death?..."

  "The choice is yours, Gabriel Leonhard Crowsong. Save the girl, or leave this room alone." This time it’s Ethel’s voice.

  It’s a difficult decision, but Gabriel doesn’t have time to weigh the pros and cons. He already knew his answer. He wasn’t leaving this room alone.

  "I denounce Death-" Gabriel isn’t able to get any further than that as he feels something in his chest lurch. It feels as if his heart has been torn right out. He looks down and the only wound he has is the one given to him by Isabelle. He falls to the side, clutching at his chest as he feels a deep, unknown emptiness fill his soul. He’s never felt such pain in his life. It’s like his body is being torn apart from the inside out.

  "Drosmia, please, save her…" Gabriel pleads, squinting up through the pain.

  "It is already done."

  Gabriel feels the pain subside, and he sits up right, grabbing hold of Sarah’s wrist. There’s a pulse. He looks up to Drosmia, and she’s holding an open hand to him.

  "Leave Grave-Breaker with me, I will take care of him. He sustained quite the injury, and must be mended. I will temper him too so this does not happen again. When he is well, I will bring him to you."

  "You talk about Grave-Breaker like it’s a person."

  "Is he not? He has a favorite food, a favorite color, a favorite number, a favorite person… What are the prerequisites to being treated like a living being?"

  Gabriel doesn’t have an answer, but he reluctantly hands Grave-Breaker over to Drosmia. He’s just happy to have Sarah back. He scoops his cousin up into his arms, and holds her close as he stands. The Death Knights part from the entryway, and Drosmia returns to the set of double doors from whence she came.

  "Oh Gabriel, one more thing before I forget. Sarah was dead for a moment, so Lord Death will come looking for her. Her current state defies death, but that will stop the moment he reaches her. If you don’t get her to a healer before then, then…

  "How long do I have?"

  "180 seconds."

  Gabriel is already out of the room, and running through the catacombs before Drosmia so much as finishes.

  Drosmia lets out a sigh, and looks into a dark corner of the room where the outline of a woman is just barely visible.

  "Are you happy, ■■■■■■?"

  "Yes, incredibly so."

  "I don’t understand why you’ve taken such an interest in the boy, and why?... Why this weapon?"

  "It is a complete chance that it’s that one, you must understand. So can you do what needs to be done?"

  "Yes, ■■■■■■. I will feed it the flesh of the divine. This weapon’s appetite will change, and its hunger will only grow with time."

  With this, Drosmia steps through the gate with Grave-Breaker cradled in her arms.

  *

  Gabriel runs through the catacombs as fast as his body allows. He crawls through a narrow opening in the wall, pulling Sarah through right after him. They emerge into the night, the cool air chilling his bloodied frame.

  Gabriel struggles onward, each step sending waves of agony coursing through his body as the last remnants of Grave-Breaker's power fades away. Without the weapon, all the pain he had been enduring was coming back in full. His vision blurs, and he stumbles more than once, only the thought of saving Sarah keeps him moving now.

  Gabriel's breath came in ragged gasps as he forced himself to stand, his body protesting the effort.

  Just ahead is the tree line. They’re close now.

  "Sarah," he rasps, his gaze flickering between the distant forest and the path ahead. "You’re going to live."

  "Damn it," Gabriel mutters, gritting his teeth as he staggers forward. His left arm throbs with every step. It was only now that he saw a white bone protruding from his forearm. It was a miracle he could even form a fist in this condition. The wound in his side has opened once again, and the hand that clings to Sarah is burnt beyond recognition from his own magic.

  "C’mon Gabriel. You’re a proud member of the Dread Requiem, are you not? I just need to find Nathaniel, Please Nathaniel, be alive..."

  As if in answer to his plea, Gabriel stumbles upon a sight that gives him a surge of hope.

  Bodies hang from the treetops in vast numbers. Some by their necks, others were just loose parts, but all were clothed in that dark Stygian garb that Gabriel had grown accustomed to seeing tonight. Their lifeless eyes stare blankly ahead. Thin wires criss cross between the branches, evidence that they had failed to catch Nathaniel.

  Gabriel tries to call out to Nathaniel, but his voice is nothing more than a hoarse whisper that dissipates into the wind, unheard. His sense of urgency grows stronger as he wobbles forward.

  "Gabriel?" comes a voice from the darkness. It’s Iris, her eyes wide as she emerges from behind a tree. "What happened!?" She says, running towards them.

  "Help her," Gabriel chokes out, the words tasting like ash on his tongue. "Bring Nathaniel."

  Without a word, Iris is gone, only to return a moment later.

  A second pair of footsteps can be heard through the undergrowth as Nathaniel comes into sight, sprinting towards them. His eyes widen as he sees the pair, and without a moment's hesitation, he reaches out to take Sarah from Gabriel.

  "Help her," Gabriel raps, the words scraping along his raw throat like shards of glass. As his legs give out beneath him, he falls backward, collapsing onto the muddied forest floor.

  The night sky stretches out above him as he gasps for air. It was difficult to remember that such calm exists in this world as he gazes out at the stars overhead. Gabriel never noticed it before, but there’s a broken constellation that catches his eye, and for a moment, he swears he can see it looking back.

  "Keep her alive," Gabriel pleads, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Please Drosmia, you have to…"

  "I know," Nathaniel hisses, wrapping a belt around Sarah’s nub before setting to work. "Soulthreads." Dark blue wires materialize from each of his fingers as he begins to suture Sarah's wounds, attempting to stem the flow of blood that threatens to end her life.

  "Gabriel's hurt too!" Iris cries, dropping to her knees beside him. Her fingers press against the gaping hole in his side, trying to staunch the blood that continues to pour from it. The pain is sharp, but Gabriel welcomes it; it meant he was still alive.

  "No, focus on Sarah…"

  In the far distance, beyond the Crowsong manor, a bright, green light can be seen. It expands rapidly, casting an eerie glow across the landscape before collapsing in on itself with a shockwave that ripples through the air. When it reaches them, the trees overhead shake violently.

  "What… What was that?" Iris stutters out.

  Gabriel clenches in pain as he watches the last vestiges of that spell disperse into the air. "It's a spell known as Soul Sanctuary. Ethel always told me that it was her trump card in the event that she was to face a foe she was unable to defeat... If she used that spell, then it means she’s gone."

  "That Ethel? But she can’t…" Iris tries to fight it, but tears begin to fall. This quickly turns to unruly sobs as she watches Gabriel's eyes begin to drift shut. "Gabriel? Gabe, Don’t close your eyes, wakeup! Gabe!"

  But Gabriel can’t hold on anymore. Completely drained, he allows himself to rest. Iris’s worried shouts may as well have been a lullaby, because his world turns to black in an instant.