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Prudence had remained silent, allowing the others to talk amongst themselves. She was growing more and more antsy. First, Runa and the young girl were having some sort of grandmotherly moment and Prudence found herself growing fond of the young girl. Klara was her name? "The young child is correct. If both of those men wronged her, she has every right to be angry. Forgiveness is for those truly deserving of such. Do not apologize, young one. Those idiots do not deserve such kindness."

Prudence eyed Jack and Max both. While Jack spoke at length about many things she knew nothing about, Max had turned to some reptilian monstrosity. A dragon in other words. She had read about such in books of fantasy and myth, but never expected to see one in the flesh. Or the scales, as it were.

Granted she also never expected to turn into a Vampyr.

"I grow weary of the conversation going back and forth. Pray tell, for what purpose should I continue to stay and help? Who is this Sorcerer Supreme and why should I care about them? Or Midgard? We are also standing here squabbling amongst each other, regailing possible plans, but I see no one taking charge and doing anything. So, what must be done and how quickly can I do it so I may return home and be rid of this ridiculous place?"

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Madalyne turned towards Jack for a moment and nodded slightly. "I should be able to, i'm magically and physically stronger in my demon form than I would be if I was in my human one. And as you said the veil is getting weaker, and the closer it gets to midnight thats when the veil will be at it's weakest between the supernatural realms and Earth. So we should be able to punch ourselves a hole back home, or at least somewhere out of Limbo." Madalyne said, if it did end up costing her life at least it'll be for the greater good the last thing she wanted was Limbo bleeding into her home.

She looked over at Max for a moment, she wasn't sure if a mutant circuit would work she wasn't a mutant herself and she wasn't sure who else here was one or not. "Would the mutant circuit even work? Since I am not a mutant myself, only half human and half demon. And pretty sure that not everyone here is a mutant themselves." She pointed out. She then turned to look at Prudence she didn't know the woman at all really but she did rub her the wrong way honestly with the way she spoke.

"The Sorcerer Supreme is a title that is passed down from one to the next, Doctor Steven Strange was the last one. They keep the supernatural realms like Limbo from bleeding into Earth, he for whatever reason passed the title down to all of us." She said as Madalyne leaned up against the table before continuing. "This should be our plan unless you can think of one yourself, otherwise we are trapped here until the veil breaks and bleeds into Earth which won't be a good thing at all." Madalyne told her, she then looked at the others. "Though some of us should stay behind and try and stop Ananym and whatever plans she has, we also need to find the other woman that she had taken." Madalyne said, she then looked over at Jack and gave him a sad smile, Ed was a really good person to her. It was a nice offer if she ever needed to vent or anything. "He was a good man.. And thank you i'll keep that in mind.." She said to Jack.

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Carolina felt Ananym taking her hands and started to follow her deeper into the library, she was relived that she was able to calm her down. She looked around the library seeing that the books were all made out of human flesh which made her feel uncomfortable as the candles kept the room lit. The various pictures also gave her the creeps as she could feel a bunch of eyes following her. As they went deeper into the library until they were face to face with a door with various pentagrams on the door itself.

[color=cyan["Alright then.."[/color] Carolina said as she closed her eyes she wasn't sure if she was going to like what Ananym was going to show her, as the girl led her into the room. When she was told to open her eyes Carolina took a step back seeing a very gruesome sight, seeing the body of Steven Strange with his eyes gouged out and a knife stabbed through his heart. She was speechless as Carolina stared at the body for a moment longer. "It looks glorious Ananym." Carolina said to her trying to be convincing to her.

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At last, they seemed to be forming a coherent plan. Annika managed to form a connection for Max to speak through, and he had a good idea in mind. Using three of them, who had an affinity for other worlds, they could stabilize part of the Veil just enough to get the hell out of here and give Magik of piece of their minds, using Madalyne's connection to two separate worlds as a conduit. It sounded less risky when three of them worked in tandem. Three was an important number in magic. Thinking about it, Jack liked the idea. "That could work. Let's expand on that. All of my magic is derived from a dimension called the Everdark. Also known as the void, it's a place where all other universes and realities spill into slowly. The Veil works differently there, and I use this to go anywhere in existence, constantly. This means that any portal I make will first lead there, and then out to my intended destination through another. There are an infinite number of stable rifts there, which someone could simply walk through like a hallway to enter another world. I've mapped many of these rifts extensively; Opening a singular portal there is easier than two linked portals. And if we do, I could minimize our risk of failure by directing our passage through known territory."

The Everdark was a place that even the most powerful Sorcerer Supreme could not access normally. It was a place that only its own Shadowtouched had the right to step in and out of. But Jack has brought others there before, some willingly, some by force. As far as his antics with interdimensional travel went, this one was pretty interesting. Idly, he fidgeted with the scythe still in his hands, "It would be an extra step, but we'd be less likely to stray off course, and we need all the stability we can manage in a time like this. Assuming we go that route, we'll need to move quickly once we're there. My home world is alive, in a sense, and doesn't appreciate outsiders lingering longer than temporary."

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Annika blinked several times. She was staring at herself, but it wasn’t her voice coming out. Annika opened her mouth, but only a strange roar came out. Annika looked down and saw that she now inhabited the dragon's body. Well, she did want to know more about the strange creatures. Annika decided to take this as a learning opportunity rather than a failed attempt at her magic. Clearly, her ancestors wanted her to learn something about this form. Annika examined her physical body. She manoeuvred her giant paws and claws before flicking her long, serpentine tail and expanding her wings. Annika sighed in Dragonic pleasure. This was a wonderful experience.

Annika decided to dive into the creature's mind to learn as much as she could before she tried to switch bodies once more. Perhaps the dragon knew of some transformative magic. It seemed the creature possessed a level of high intelligence. An intelligence that Annika couldn’t comprehend, as her people had no word for what a dragon was. Wars. Blood. Gold. Annika saw all these things flash through the dragon’s mind, along with all these heightened sensations. She could feel the wind dancing along her scales, even though her human form had felt no wind. She could smell a thousand different smells, and she could see. Mighty Creator, could she see. She saw colours she didn’t understand, and everything was in sharp focus. She could see details on her human companions that would have required Annika, in her human form, to stand mere inches from their faces.

Annika's stomach grumbled low within her belly, and she had the sudden urge for venison. Unfortunately, there were no such creatures in this land — poor thing. Annika focused on the wellspring in her stomach, where her Creator’s fire sat within her. She could feel the fire even in this dragon form; it was immense and powerful. In fact, Annika felt a great deal of power, both physical and magical, within her reptilian-like bones. Annika stalked forward, feeling the great movement of the beast as she removed herself from the group. The feeling of fire started to creep up her chest and into her throat, looking for a way out. Annika wanted to try breathing fire like Max had.

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Klara was very much not liking the fact that Jack and Max were seemingly not actually wanting to take accountability for their actions with regard to her situation. She didn't like them, but the idea that Runa had proposed was certainly a more interesting reaction or replacement for what was going on. Of course, she probably should explain the full situation more, but considering she was mad at the pair and they didn't even acknowledge what she had said with regards to them? Why should she try to elaborate more or anything? The two were basically useless in her opinion.

Then came Prudence, a person she didn't really know or have any sort of real interactions with before, who seemed to get the whole idea that Jack and Max didn't seem to deserve any sort of forgiveness or anything from her. "They don't and haven't even seemingly felt bad about anything either, which doesn't make me likely to forgive them anytime soon either." she explained a bit to Prudence, before looking at Runa, "How would that even seemingly work? With basically me getting someone else's soul or something?" she asked, thoroughly curious about it now.

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@Nallore:

"You don't like it," Ananym said, frowning deeply. Her pointed tail twitched. She paced back and forth for a moment, staring at you like she wasn't quite sure what to do next - as if she hadn't planned for this possibility, that you wouldn't be the person she wanted you to be. And then, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed slightly, as Ananym made a choice.

"Fine," she huffed. "I don't need you to like it. My new friends, they're going to love it." She pulled the dagger from Stephen's heart, licking some of the blood from the blade. Her eyes pulsed a faint shade of green. "I'll give you a head start, because it's what I would've done - when I was 'Tober. Five... four... three..."

It was time for you to run - or to fight.

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"Painfully," Runa answered, when Klara asked them how it would work, taking another's soul. And they left their words at that. Their attention was better focused on the plan coalescing in front of them all, which included an excursion to the Everdark. Runa had to admit, their curiosity was piqued. It was one of the few realms they had yet to visit. They had been to many places, as conquerer and foe, as warrior and rival, and yet, they had never been to the Everdark. There were whispers about it of course, tales meant to frighten young Asgardian children - that it was the realm of the forsaken, cut off from Yggdrasil.

She wondered what its magic might taste like.

"You are the Sorcerer Supreme of Midgard, as are we all," Runa said to Prudence. "I do not care if you help us to preserve the veil or if you choose to seek your own fortunes. All I care is that you do what drives you. Apathy is death, child."

It was proposed that Madalyne, Max, and Jack form a coven, casting their spell as a triple headed god in order to transport them - and yet, some ought to remain behind in Limbo to deal with the deceiver, to deal with Ananym. "Two have remained behind already," Runa mused, considering the kidnapped Carolina and the murdered Ed. "One more should stay."

"Only three should go with the coven to the Everdark."

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”For the record I didn't ask for an apology, nor did I intentionally wrong her. This land has had a significant impact on my magic and corrupted near every spell I've cast since setting foot here. I hadn't meant to leave her and Carolina alone to fend off against that monster, I was merely attempting to teleport to her so that I could break her free of its grasp. Only to find myself in the midst of a hoard of demons with two new unlikely companions. But we aren't here to talk semantics or waste time with rhetoric. We're here for two simple things, to break free of Limbos prison and restore the wards on the Veil before midnight approaches. Though I understand some of us have a third desire for vengeance. So, you want a leader to take charge? Fine. I'll do it since you won't do much of anything but leave snide remarks with nary an ounce of help to follow through with them.” Max snapped back at Prudence while still within the body of Annika. He felt immense remorse for what happened to Klara, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. They needed to press forward before it was too late.

”The circuit will work. We will become one, our pulses synchronizing into a singular beat. You may view memories that are not your own, our personalities and beings meshing into one as we move into a singular unit. Our magic will be amplified and we must do all we can to open this portal. No shortcuts, no Everdark no matter how tempting it may seem. We have no idea how much time we have lost already inside of Limbo, how little we have left back in the material, so we cut straight for Magik. I'll attempt to push that memory forward, give us all a visual to lock onto so we know where we go. After all this is done, Jack you're more than welcome to show me this Everdark, maybe give me a drink, after all it is my birthday and seeing another plane would be a wonderful present. But first…I need my body back.” Max said with an almost apologetic tone as he noticed how much Annika was enjoying her new form.

He made his way over towards her, placing one hand on her as he channeled her magic, bonding with his old self and using that link to swap bodies. His perspective had changed, now towering over the others once again before he began to make his way towards the others once more. Magic weaving into every step as he had to force his way back into his human form. He was happy to have walked a while in Annika's shoes, having gained some knowledge on how to better control that change should it ever happen again. But for now he was back to himself, long black coat lined with bones that formed a macabre picture as he walked briskly towards Madalyne and Jack, taking each of their hands in his. ”You wanted someone to take charge? Fine.” There was an instant link, he could feel the pulse between their hands, slowing into one, their minds melding, he tried to recall what he had seen in the goblet, tried to push the memory forward for the others to latch onto. But as the memory came into view, it vanished. Years of cause and effect, of testing his limits and learning the consequences of his actions and magic just slipped from his fingers like fine sand. Each grain fell down into a glass container until it was full and then suddenly…gone. Replaced by a new thought, a new emotion as fear perked up inside his chest, he needed to run, to hide, The Purifiers were on his tail and he needed to he safe

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Madalyne turned to the group and sighed slightly they needed to be working as a team and not against each other Max snapping at Prudence, and Klara ranting about being left behind by Max and Jack and loosing their soul. All the while her step-father was dead and Carolina had gone missing with Ananym they all needed to work together. "Can you all just get along and work together, we can work out our differences at a later time and all go our sperate ways once we have this whole Limbo incursion thing dealt with." Madalyne said as she closed her eyes and waited for Max to get ready.

The Everdark was probably a good backup just incase they failed with Max's idea of just going there. [color==7FFFD4]"If going to Earth directly doesnt work we'll do your plan and get back to Earth from the Everdark."[/color] Madalyne said to Jack, once Max was ready Madalyne felt Max grabbing her hand and Jack's and they started to work together feeling herself becoming one with the other two her pulse matching Max and Jack's. She used her magic to try and make that connection to Earth from Limbo.

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Carolina continued to stare at Strange's body for a moment longer as her attention turned back towards Ananym, she noticed Ananym's tail twitching like she was agitated and her eyes diming slightly. She cursed herself hoping that she was able to try and convince her Carolina knew then that October was completely gone and she was replaced by the demon in front of her. "October please, we can talk about this can't we?" Carolina asked as Ananym grabbed the ritual knife out of Steven's chest and licked the blood off of it and she started the countdown.

She looked back at the door from where they had entered as she quickly contemplated on what to do, Carolina wasn't sure how physically strong Ananym actually was now. She could stay and try to fight her with her years of experience fighting with the X-Men, or she could try and possess Ananym to try and get her to stand down.

However that would leave her body vulnerable and she didn't trust Limbo at all with her souless unconscious body at all. She got a bit of an idea she was in a library that possibly contained magic spells that she could try and fight back, Carolina quickly dashed out of the room to try and find a place to hide from Ananym.

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Prudence didn’t want to stick with them. That much was clear, but bickering between themselves wouldn’t solve anything. ”Please, all of you. She did not ask for this anymore than we did. She has a right to be frustrated and approach this on her own terms. Now, where were we?” He took their hands, and felt their power feed through him. His own magic spun through the circuit like electricity through wires. It was exhilarating. He saw memories of someone running from someone else… Purifiers. Someone he would feel grateful never to deal with, most likely.

"I will open our way out, bare with me..." He focused his magic into a point out before him, and slowly manifested a swirling disc of dark energy. He had to focus so much power into one spell that it took more time than usual. But gradually, the portal expanded into its proper shape. But while this was happening, their memories and thoughts blurred further until, for a brief moment, everyone experienced Jack's memories...

"Our passage has been secured. The portal will close shortly, if you're coming with us, then go now."

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Jack trudged through the shallows of the Obsidian Ocean. He was up to his ankles in inky black water, and it didn’t help that Reza went limp hours ago. He wasn’t moving anymore, and Jack dropped him.

”Hey- Hey! I need you to get up, the rift is just over that mountain. Come on, man, I know you’re not dead. Reza- Hey! Wake up!” He shook the dark skinned boy like he owed him money. Jack could feel his pulse from under his shirt, even through the cold water, thick as oil, that lapped over him.

Reza was twitching, in his slumber. This had been the third time in the last hour he went comatose. The second time was longer than the third. No matter how many spells Jack bad cast, he couldn’t will the darkness out of him. Black patches continued to spread across his skin, almost like vitiligo if it was alive. Fear gripped Jack.

It was creeping up Reza’s face at this very second…

”Hhhh… Jaaaa-“ Reza’s voice sounded wrong. It was like he was three people speaking at once.

He opened his eyes, and they were hollow. What would’ve been a pair of hazel diamonds that captivated Jack for hours were poisoned, black wells of tears. He held up a hand, lazily, and brushed it against Jack’s face. He could feel Jack’s heart hammering like a machine gun.

”Get up- The rift is open! We’ll get you back home! You- We can get there. The dark’s not that deep yet- You have ti-“

”No.”

He froze. A world that was alive in all the ways a person could be stood still.

”Iii- This is it… I’m sorry.”

]”No! NO! I’m going to drag you out of here by any means necessary, do you hear me?! You- You’re not dying!” His voice cracked and wavered. In Jack’s hands, he gripped Reza as if his hands alone were all that kept the boy within the land of the living.

”Stand up!”

Reza… Chuckled.

”I can’t… I… I’m slipping. It’s happen-en-eningnggg…” Reza’s hold on reality was shifting like leaves on water. He was not dying… He was changing.

”Go. Yoou know what has to hhaaaappen. You’re so muccch stronger than you think, Jack… Yyyyyou‘ll be okay without meeee.”

The words that left Reza’s mouth grew more garbled by the second. Jack stared into his eyes, searching desperately with every fiber of his being, for some trace of humanity that hadn’t been twisted.

But even Jack Hawthorne knew when it was too late.

”You… You can’t leave me here alone. You can’t- We were going to see it all together. The House of Ideas, Jarnvidr, the Astral- You wanted to see the Astral Plane, remember?! We’ll stay there for a century, come on- Get up… Please…”

Reza’s hand slowly slid down Jack’s face, down to his shoulder, and to his left hand. It was warm, where Reza felt frigid. His head tilted back.

His other hand passed something into it, and he kept both hands wrapped around Jack’s tightly.

”I know hooowwww brave you arree. And I know that you’ll be okay. Jack, thhhiisiss goodbyeee… Run.”

Run. He told Jack to run.

”…I- Run from-“

Reza’s head snapped back up. Between the tears smearing against Jack’s face, he failed to notice the umbral rot had fully overtaken Reza.

His eyes were now two burning pits of white light… There was no human flesh. Only shadows made tangible by magic. An ear-shattering scream split the silent air, as Jack’s love swung a clawed, jagged hand at his shoulder.

Blood sprayed everywhere, and Jack was tossed backwards, clutching what remained of to be his shoulder, as his severed arm sunk into the dark sand.

The monster stood and set its gaze on Jack. He was no longer Reza.

”No.. Don’t- Please don’t make me do this.”

---

There's no place like home.

The portal lead them out of Limbo, to be sure. But this was not Earth. The landscape was cast in a somber, dim light. Where the Sorcerers Supremes arrived was a mountainous, autumnal valley, atop a rocky hill where the very wind felt alive. The grass beneath their felt as though it would crumble away into ash, yet it was very much there. Flecks of color danced across their vision, breaking up what seemed to be an optical illusion of grey and visible light. This was the Everdark; the Land between Lands, the shadow of the universe, and the realm in which Jack Hawthorne was nothing short of a god. A thousand wizards could wear the Cloak of Levitation, and work in unison, only to fall short of breaching this place. It lacked the hellish danger of Limbo, and the familiarity of Earth, but all around them, those who passed through could feel as though they were being watched by some ambivalent force. It was beautiful, in an otherworldly way.

The strangest part was perhaps their ability to see past their hands. If someone looked into where the sky should be, all they would find was nothingness. It was like trying to picture a color that couldn't exist. And yet there were phantom images of birds passing through the void, as if it was there for them, and only them. Jack stepped through the portal, only to find that they were here, and not on Earth. And he was confused.

"This... This can't be right. This is the Twilight Pass. We're in the Everdark, I did not open the portal here. But we can work with this- I know where we are, there is a rift that leads to Earth right down th-"

He turned and looked down the hill, and thought he'd simply be pointing at his house, the only trace of familiarity in this place. And there it stood, but it was surrounded by an army of Green Eyed Ones. Hundreds of them, duplicated over, and over, and over.

"Oh, you bastards... That is my home! I ran into the Green Eyed One before we all met at Witchfire's castle... Immediately after it ate Klara's soul. I banished it here, because I didn't think we could've won in our condition at the time, but now it seems we have a problem. They've multiplied, no doubt because of the poisoning nature of this place. But this is perfect. One of them, possibly all of them, are in possession of Klara's soul. Down there is a permanent rift that will take us directly to Earth, and they are in the way. I'd like to make things right with her while we're here."

The portal would close in roughly 20 seconds.

"I do apologize for this detour, it was not planned. However, it won't set us back once we're down there. Shall we?"

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Prudence warmed up to the child still. She would have been a wonderful pupil to teach had Prudence the desire to do so. To that end, Prudence had never thought about having children, biologically or otherwise. Still, now was not the time to dwell on that fact. Runa's words echoed in her mind. Maybe she was looking at this situation the wrong way. After all, she felt more powerful here than she did back home. Her Lord could not manifest here without her. She drank from the chalice and gained further strength. Perhaps there would be more to gain if she pressed on.

Before she could make it known, the annoying boy spoke up again. Prudence paid little attention to his words. It was the prattling of a man-child, nothing more. When he was done, Prudence slowly clapped her hands. "I congratulate you on your manhood finally nesting, but your words mean little when actions are what bare fruit." Jack spoke up to defend her before she could continue. Prudence felt conflicted. Having a man defend her irked her, but his words still rang true.

"There is history amongst many of you and you feel compelled to work together towards this goal. I was merely plucked from my own and dropped here, attacked, and then expected to join this crusade of yours without judgment? To many, I am an enemy, to few a hero. I do not pretend to care about whatever this fight is, but I will fight regardless. But that is my choice."

Jack had opened the portal during her mini-speech, and Prudence knew what else she must do. "And another choice I have is to claim power. Power that which I would not have seen had I not been sent here. So to that end..." As her words fell, Prudence strode forward, entering the portal to the Everdark.

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Annika successfully breathed fire several feet away from the others. It was an intense power. One liked Annika had never experienced before, and she felt warm all over from the use of it. Not only because it was power, but because it was fire. Annika turned her giant reptilian head and grinned at the others, pleased with her experiment.

The humans eventually ceased their conversation and Max returned to Annika’s dragon form. She lowered her head to him and shut her eyes once Max placed on a hand on her. It took only seconds for her to be back in her body and for Max to shift from human to dragon. Annika bowed her head to Max, thanking him for the experience.

Having missed most of the conversation, Annika was unsure what was happening. Runa, however, seemed to fill in the blanks enough for her. Annika pondered over the crone’s words. There needed to be a balance in this world and the next. Annika understood that rule well.

”Grandmother, if I were to stay to complete my mission, would Limbo return me home?” Jack was already through the portal, so she could not ask him.

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"Oh really?" Klara asked with a laugh, "You act like that was unexpected, but whose the one whose been going off about the old Sorcerer Supreme? Think you called him a mentor or something? If he really valued you that much and you actually were close to them, wouldn't you have known about that sort of thing? Plus you've been acting like you know a lot, so that adds to the you should have known. Or your so called "mentor" chose not to trust you with learning that sort of thing. So yeah, it is your fault." she responded to Max, sticking her tongue out at him over that entire situation.

She really really didn't like him, or Jack, but truthfully with Jack it was more of he showed up afterwards and then sent the thing with her soul away that she was mad about more then anything currently. Plus right now she really just wanted to go do something else, not just hang around here right now. Thinking nothing of it, she followed after the others to the Everdark through the portal, and then she heard Jack mention the Green Eyed One and how there were now a lot, which might all have her soul in them. "Well I'm all for fighting them to get my soul back, this has been a really weird sort of experience..."

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@Nallore: There are a few places in the library that might be a good hiding spot - plenty of bookshelves and dark corners, some tables that could be hidden underneath in a pinch, and maybe you could even try to climb up to the tops of the shelves. But beyond just hiding spots, something else will catch your eye - a stepping disc. Where does it lead to? There's no way to know for sure. But with Ananym hot on your heels, it might be your best chance to escape alive.

In terms of useful books, most of them are written in archaic, dead languages - and would take too much time for you to slow down and peruse them all. There are some heavy looking volumes though that you could maybe hit Ananym over the head with.

"...Two... One!" Ananym screamed, before rushing out of the room with Stephen's body. She chanted in a language you didn't understand, and suddenly, three tigers appeared, growling as they started to hunt you down.

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"No, child. It would not," Runa answered Annika. Limbo would not send her home once this was complete - that effort would have to be made under Annika's power, or the power of another. If anything, the realm would attempt to keep her - to corrupt her, twisting her into one of its monstrous creations. Whoever stayed behind may end up trapped in Limbo forever - or they may not. The Norns had yet to decide that thread.

While Runa had mentioned that it would be wise for one to remain behind, to keep to rules of threes, they truly did not care if no one did. The rule of three would enforce itself even if they ignored it. And they had no fear of death. If anything, they needed to leave to in order to ensure that Klara's soul was returned. They had sworn that they would see it done, and as Klara went through the portal, Runa was thus honor bound to follow.

So they did.

On the other side of the portal, they found themselves in a quiet dimension. According to Jack, this was the Everdark - the Twilight Pass. One of the rare dimensions that Runa had yet to visit - one that she had suspected in all truth she never would. While they could not see it, they could feel the texture of the dimension, its strange shadow self.

And they could feel the gods that Jack had trapped here - the ones who held Klara's soul - the Green Eyed Ones. "Hmm, these gods multiply when killed?" Runa murmured. "In my many years, I have found one way to stop such hydras - do not cut, do not tear, do not maim. Only complete disintegration, by flames or otherwise, will be sufficient."

"As to retrieving your soul, killing the one who holds it will suffice," Runa said. "The other option would be combat on the astral plane."

The Green Eyed Ones had yet to notice the group, but they were a swarm, a hive - having a strategy may be a good idea.

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Madalyne closed her eyes as she got glimpses of the others pasts, both Max and Jack would get a glimpse from one of her childhood memories, it was back when she was three years old and she was trick or treating with her half sister, her mother Amara and Edus. They were all having fun she was dressed up as a witch funnily enough at the time. She shook her head slightly when the portal was opened, as Madalyne started to think about it and turned to Annika who seemed to want to stay behind. "Go with the others, i'll stay behind. I can handle this place more anyway." Madalyne said, she had been in Limbo once before in the past and could handle the dangers here and she could pass for a demon here anyway.

She looked at her father's body once more she wanted to give him a proper send off and she didn't want to leave his body like this for some demon to mess with. If they can recruit Magik to help prevent Ananym's plans she could bring her back hopefully once everything is all said and done, she also wanted to try and hunt S'ym down and get her revenge for Ed's death as well to. "I'll find the other woman that Ananym took and the rest of you try and find Magik and bring her back here and hopefully I should be back home." Madalyne suggested she knew that the Rule of Three was important and she didn't want anyone else to get hurt either.

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Carolina quickly started to scan around for any useful books, they all looked very ancient and all of them were in very old languages that she didn't know, nor had time to try and translate any of it really. There were a few hiding spots she could try and hide under some tables, or behind some nearby bookshelves. She turned to look over her shoulder and hid behind a nearby shelf when she heard Ananym's voice as she burst out of the room carrying Strange's corpse around with her. She also spotted three tigers that were summoned and started to sniff around for her. Which she couldnt fight against as Carolina started to panic slightly as she kept moving forward until she spotted one of those stepping discs.

Carolina looked over her shoulder once more as she thought about it, staying in a library with three tigers and her demonic ex girlfriend trying to hunt her down. Or step through the disc, and enter some other place within Limbo she didn't want to stay in here any longer than she needed to, and hopefully get as much distance as possible from Ananym. Carolina sighed to herself and decided to just make the blind jump through the portal and hoped that the portal would transport her somewhere safe and went through.

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Six of them had come through. A multiple of three, but the majority of their numbers. Now, those on the other side only had two to work with. Jack didn't see Annika come through the portal, so it was just her and Carolina, should they reunite. Unless, of course, Annika came through at the last minute. But even with only six, they had more than enough to sort this out.

"Yes, they're like hydras. You cannot simply decapitate them like a lesser demon. Moreover, death itself has a way of emboldening them. When I banished them here, they were only three, and I thought this business with Limbo would be over in time. I miscalculated, obviously. The land we're in is unreceptive to outsiders. It poisons anything with a soul, except for an astronomically small sliver of individuals that it takes a liking to." Jack was one of them, and he had never met another like himself in all his years.

Runa's idea was the most sound. The Green Eyed Ones were tricky to fight here, Jack could rip the void-like sky apart, and let it rain down on them like meteors. But the sky of the Everdark was not like the sky of Earth. It was nothingness made manifest, pure energy. That energy was the very thing that plagued them now, if Jack's theory was correct. Ordinarily, the first signs of that affliction could take anywhere from an hour to a few days to appear. For that reason, none of you are in any immediate danger. Those creatures down there, however, are vessels for countless souls, and have no doubt fallen victim to exposure over and over again. I believe that to be the reason they'd multiplied this much, in so little time."

Runa, Prudence and Max were the most destructive magicians. Jack turned to them. "Given the way they've multiplied due to the energy here, it would be risky if I use my more destructive magic. But I can isolate them, drop them through portals and turn the darkness into barricades while the three of you destroy them more easily. I'll prevent them from overwhelming us. Or, I get us all inside from here. There is a beast that lives with me. A formless animal named Nochalla, who would join us if we asked. Knowing her, she's likely fast asleep during all of this right now."

Those were the options he laid before them both: Have Jack run riot control, or get them indoors. The longer they stood around doing nothing, the more likely they were to be spotted.

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Once she set foot through the portal she came out the other side and into darkness. Well relatively, it was darkness everywhere, but here it felt different. This was Jack's area of expertise and though she did not want to rely on a man, she knew she was out of her element here. Whatever monsters manifested here were unlike any she had seen in Limbo.

Runa and Jack had knowledge of the monster before them. And the choice was to fight or to hide. "I suggest we fight and Jack provide support. Considering the number of us who went through it, I doubt we would be free from it for long. Better to get the jump on it right away." And if she were being honest, she was anxious to get into a fight. Plus, maybe some of their numbers would be picked off and she could claim whatever power was being held here without interference.

Either way, she would follow the others, lest they know her intentions.

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In an instant Max was transported out of the streets of D.C. and into an expanse of blackest nights. The ground beneath his feet an Inky void that seemed to ripple with each step. He felt a warmth at each hand, the circuit finished as he looked to his right and found a Demon and then his left to see a gorgeous man. His face grew flush, pink smearing across his cheeks as he quickly let go of both their hands, but feeling the presence that was once there from Jack's. If the handsome stranger was to be believed, this was some place known as the Twilight Pass, an in-between location no doubt like Sigil was to the Planes. Why he was here with all of them he didn't know. His heart raced, trying to recall what had just happened, he was running, Purifiers were on his tail, did these mutants save him? Had he been caught?

Max tried to catch up with everything that was being said. Someone's soul was eaten? The creatures below banished here after having done so? And the handsome man was…apologizing to him? Why did it matter if they'd made a slight detour if they'd either way saved his life? The child spoke (He had heart of orphaned mutants before but this seemed cruel) and it appeared she was the Klara the man spoke of. Her soul had been reaped from her body, a mere child, and now they had a chance to get it back. Well if they saved him from the Purifiers then the least he could do is help get a kid's soul back. An old crone spoke up, nearly causing Max to jump out of his skin. She practically looked deceased, how old was she? At least 100. No, now wasn't the time. He listened intently to the possible plans, unsure exactly how much he could offer. After all, he was only 18, but he still decided to try.

”Beats the only thing I knew about Hydras, which is to get on their back. But if it's fire you need, I think I can manage that.” Max said, a bit of trepidation in his voice. He'd never used his fire for more than lighting up a room or starting a fire at night to keep warm. He avoided combat as much as he could, choosing to simply tie up and encumber the racist assholes rather than prove them right that he was a danger to society. ”No worries kid, we'll get your soul back. You guys saved me from the Purifiers back there, it's the least I can do to say thank you.” Max stepped forward, conjuring a flame within his hand, he tried to take aim, and then let it loose as it flew towards the group of monsters below. The fire erupted into a conflagration, consuming ten of the beasts below. Hopefully releasing ten souls along with their deaths. ”I've got the fire if you've got the cover handsome.”

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Runa’s answer was disappointing but unsurprising. Annika looked back at the red land around her and sighed. She had important work to finish back home. She didn’t know how much time had passed there, but regardless of whether it was seconds, days, or years, Annika knew she had to try to get back. She had to help her people by either fighting alongside them or avenging those she had lost.

Annika turned around, stepping closer to the portal, when Madalyne spoke up, declaring she would remain behind. Annika stopped and turned. She looked at Madalyne, the other person she had initially arrived with in this strange land, and felt a sudden need to offer the woman help.

Annika walked to Madalyne. ”I want to offer you help, should you need it. I have no blade to provide you with or use, but you have yours. Cut my hand so I may provide you with a piece of me to call on should you need it.” Annika extended her hand to Madalyne and waited.

Madalyne turned around to face Annika and smiled when she offered some aid if she ever needed it. ”Thank you for the offer. This might hurt a little bit.” She said as she took out her sword and took a small step back as she gently rested the blade against Annika’s hand and quickly made a light cut off of the palm of Annika’s hand.

With her hand-cut, Annika pulled two beads from her clothing and set them into her bloodied hand. She coated the beads in her blood, imbuing the objects with her essence. Annika knelt and buried one bead into Limbo's dirt before standing and handing Madalyne the other. ”Use this to call on me. My hope is that I will arrive at your side or this spot should you or the land need me. Tell Anayma I consider her tiatén:ro. A friend. As I consider you and Jack. I will see you again.” Annika smiled at Madalyne before she turned and joined the others in the Everdark.

Annika looked around the Everdark, catching the last of Jack’s words. This place was even more strange than Limbo. In place of red everywhere, it was dark everywhere, but there was almost a strange purple hue to everything. Annika walked forward tentatively, scenting the air like animals did. Creatures were abundant below them; from Jack’s words, they would be difficult to kill. Annika remained silent for now, ready to fight should the need arise. Whatever this place once, Annika found herself preferring Limbo to it.

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@Nallore: You took a leap of faith, jumping through the stepping disc portal. Each other time that someone had attempted to shift their location in Limbo on this adventure, the results had been somewhat disastrous - it is difficult to control the native portals. But something now has changed, as you leap into the unknown. The veil that separates Limbo and Earth has torn, a gaping wound in the space of reality where it ought to have been.

You have your friends to thank for that - the circuit of Max, Madalyne, and Jack destroyed what was left of the veil.

You open your eyes, finding yourself in what looks like New York City, in Times Square even. The sky is blood-red and you see legions of demons swarming through it. These must be Ananym's forces, here to do her dark bidding. All around you, there is chaos. Hot-dog stands and mailboxes and selfie sticks have all become animated, gnashing teeth as they chase the tourists, out for blood. The ground is wet and damp, but there isn't a cloud in the sky.

You see someone's entrails slowly glide down the red river, unable to enter the storm drain.

The Goblin Night has begun.

@Nallore: You are alone, Madalyne. The others used the portal, stepping into the Everdark and leaving you behind. Limbo is as much your home as it is mine. You know its moods and its temper, how it reflects our worst qualities back at ourselves and amplifies them a thousand fold. But as the portal your friends' took closes, you notice something else. Limbo is bleeding. Stepping discs appear everywhere, gradually at first, before rapidly increasing in number and scope. Limbo's essence seems to be traveling through them, and demons take to the skies, before descending through them.

They're going somewhere.

Are you?

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Runa was confused for a moment - not by Jack's suggestions, those were quite sound. No, they were perplexed by the sudden change in Max. His words did not make sense - rescuing him from the Purifiers? Runa supposed that would be one way to refer to Ananym and her servants, yet she vaguely recalled that the term had been relevant for those foul fiends who had hunted her husband and his kind in his life. Had they been hidden to her, unable to be sensed? Usually, her lack of sight was a problem for other people, and not particularly one for herself. (Not that she minded the perception of weakness - it made it easier to strike).

"Maximilian, are you well?" Runa asked, before straightening slightly. "I agree. If you would run support, the rest of us may attack," they said. A slight smile formed on their face. There was something else that their husband may have appreciated - and perhaps he did, if he was looking down on them now, part of the Many and no longer the Few. There was a spell from an archaic Midgardian game, one known to bring death and destruction - and Runa thought it would be quite appropriate here. Kosmisk Ild.

"I shall cast fireball at your signal," she said, inclining their head in the direction of Prudence's voice. "My lady."

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She had no idea what to think with regards to trying and get her soul back. There were so many of the things, that there was no way to easily tell which one was the original one that had taken it from her in the first place. So that was a bit problematic to say the least. Then there was apparently something going on with Max that she was insanely confused about and had no clue what he was spouting on about. The guy really was insanely strange to her, and now was acting like he didn't know her or abandoned her and Carolina to the Green Eyed One or whatever?

"What has gotten into him," she asked, pointing slightly at Max, before her attention shifted to what was said about potential ways to deal with this situation and all that was going on. "I'm all for fighting, especially since you had said that one or all of them have my soul. Especially considering we don't actually know which one is the original one we encountered. However not I won't be too helpful in this fight. My magic doesn't typically deal with blowing things up, fire or anything like that. I control water, and use a sword. Probably the two worst things you'd want for something like what you're talking about... I might be able to restrain them to be helpful, but that's about it..." she added, not sure what else to say or do.