The Nether Realm

I watch from the spiral tower as yet another soul is thrown into the Nether Realm, the prison world designed to trap those of us whose deaths would disrupt the balance. The Nether is the prison world for all the worlds. It was once a bustling world filled with mortals, but their stupidity and greed destroyed it all.

Mortals have a penchant for destruction like no other. Always believing war is the solution to everything. They feared what they didn't know going as far as to enslave each other.

The mortals of later generations built nuclear weapons and atomic bombs killing each other over lands and religion. They had air headed rulers selected by them. Of course, in this world like in many others, we were nothing but Myth.

Oh, and they melted their ice caps along with incinerating their earth. Waking the so-called myths that had slept peacefully encased in ice for over Millennium.

"It's a girl from the Shadow Realm," Asher reports, "what should we do with her?"

"Welcome her of course," I say, jumping off the spiral tower.

###

The heat is scorching as I make my way through the Nether. Shadows can't be trapped here for long. Why the hell am I even here? That nauseating voice has finally ceased its chattering.

Cloaked figures surround me. Vamps by the smell and a hybrid half vamp half-wolf.

"What?" I ask, my voice not sounding like my own.

"Are all shadow women this lovely?" one of the males asks.

"You know what I am and yet you chose to pester me," I say, "are all Vamps in your world this annoying.

"Most find me charming."

"Look you, sassy bastard," I move towards him, "unless you know how to get out of the Nether, get out of my way."

"I run this world," the male says, blocking my path, "you should be more respectful."

"Seriously," I call shadows to me but nothing happens. One of the figures laughs.

"Magic doesn't work in this world," a female voice says, "well not for its prisoners."

"Bloody hell," I mutter patting my sides to my dismay my blades are gone. Wait, what if? I still wear one of the bracelets Mother taught us how to make. Various trinkets line it, I pluck a sword and thankfully it takes its true form. "I guess some magic works."

"Wait," the male blocking my path says, "you know nothing of this realm. It's best...

"While I may be new here," I say, cutting him off, "I know plenty about the Nether Realm."

I shove him to the side thankfully my strength remains. Without magic how am I supposed to escape? Think Selene what did the elders teach you. That's right there is a way out.

When we were small Mother told us the story of Katalina a spirit that wound up in the Nether Realm. I just need to remember how she got out.

"The longer you remain in this world," the male says, "the harder it'll be to recall what you know of it."

"Tell me, where is the heart of the Nether Realm?"

'Only Gate Keepers know that."

"Then find me one."

"I don't listen to you."

"If you want a way out," I say turning to face him and his clan, "you'll have to."

"You're just a child," the female from before says.

"I am the child of the Shadow Queen and Dark King," I say.

Someone gasp.

"Then why are you here?" the hybrid asks.

"We had a difference of opinion."

####

The Vampires have their lair within a spiral building made of dark glass. It keeps the sun out allowing them to roam freely within. I'm led to a chamber that's surprisingly well kept just like the rest of the building. Somehow only the outside is desolated.

There's a black mirror that shows my face slightly opaque.

"That's called a plasma TV," the female says, "before this world died you could watch shows in them."

"We use quartz that shows us plays, is it similar?"

"Yes," she says, "only instead of magic here they used electricity it's a type of energy generated by the sun with solar panels or through fossil fuels and the sort."

"Odd."

"Try waking up to find your world has drastically changed," she says, "and watching it get destroyed in the process."

"So, you are from here?"

"Yes," she says, "most of us are. Those that aren't keep to themselves. But the City of Wind is ours."

"Are all the city's named after elements?"

"No," she says, leaving me to explore the massive chamber.

###

"Are we truly going to help her?" Nicole asks.

"What's the harm?"

"Kazuki."

"Don't worry," he says, "once she lets us out, we'll kill her."

"I don't think that's possible," Wen says.

"Why is that?"

"Shadows can only be killed by shadows."

"If she's the daughter of the Shadow Queen and Dark King why is she even here?" Nicole asks.

"I told you," the girl appears out of thin air, "difference of opinion."

"How did you do that?" I ask.

"It's easy," she says, "outside magic isn't something I can use, but this world is filled with it. You just have to tap into it."

"What?"

"What you heard," I say, picking at my nails, "Now, where is that book?"

"About that," the one Nicole called Kazuki says, "I don't have it."

"Wrong answer."

"Wait," the other female says, "the bock is in the city."

"So."

"You have to get it from the Collector."

"Who is that?"

"She came from another world with a wolf, and run most of the Underworld."

"Anything you want she can get," Kazuki says.

"There's just one problem," Nicole says.

"Which is?"

"You can all find her if she wants to be found."

"I'll worry about that, after all, didn't you just say she runs the Underworld?"

"The Underworld isn't a club," Kazuki says, "it's the City below this one. No one knows the entrance but there are rumors."

"Could you stop stalling and just get to it?"

"There should be an entrance through this very building but we haven't found it."

"Tear the place down."

"It's our home," Nicole says.

"Not for long."

"Your highly optimistic," the hybrid says.

"I have a war to finish," I say, "I have to be."