Stewing In Juice

*************

Wyatt Graves

There is no ground beneath my feet, no sky above me, just an endless void stretching out into infinity. Confusion washes over me as I try to make sense of my surroundings, but there are no landmarks to guide me, no points of reference to cling to.

A semblance of memory, the bits that occurred shortly before the darkness consumed me, flows throughout my mind. Right. I'm a 9th Sigiled now. A Dominion. A... Demigod. It's... so weird to think. But it's true. All three of us are Lily, Blodwyn, and me.

But then... why am I here? Is this... what is this? Oh! I know. It must have been the sleep that happened after I became an Angel. But... that one was just a quick wink for me. What am I doing here?

Is it different because I'm a Dominion? Hmm...

I spin around, searching for something of note in this emptiness, but nothing seems to exist at all. Weird. I raise my hand, surprised to find the right one obey the call, as I cup my chin. Right. Right. I molded my soul to restore my arm. Looking down, however, I find a sparkling figure void of any distinct features greet me. Huh? Is that... is that me?

Suddenly, a flicker of light catches my eye, drawing my attention from my soul to a small orb of radiance hovering just beyond my reach. It pulses softly, casting a gentle glow in the surrounding darkness. Intrigued, I reach out tentatively, my fingers brushing against the calm surface of the orb.

As soon as I make contact, a rush of energy courses through me, filling me with a sense of purpose and clarity. And... beyond that... I feel things. They are hard to put into words... but...

I know them all the same.

This is my soul. This is... the internal, nonsensical, and impossible-to-discern piece of my soul. I'm manifested here through my Dominion. A grin falls onto my face as I find a familiar string of meanings pass through this ball, a visualized aspect of my Sigil.

There are a thousand visions, a hundred echoes, and ten vestiges of something of the Philosopher. As it stands, I can only access ninety percent of it all, ten more than before. Still, with every additional bit of authority over a Sigil, it matters more and more. And as these meanings flow through me, I tighten my jaw, remembering my favorite way to receive this information.

It calms me.

And I mold the meanings, I mold my soul, I Shape it to match my desire, my want, my... freedoms. Each aspect, each vision that would appear, I shift to match a word, to replicate a sentence, to be how I want it to be.

Your ninth Sigil toward Limitlessness. The flesh and soul have changed. Now, they are one and the same.

The Shapeless Pioneer, the Intrepid Strife

The eyes that pierce through any falsity, the mind that resists any burden, and the soul that rages against its mortal coil. Able to peer into reality to unveil its fabrics, stepping into realms never known. Able to see that which has never been witnessed and force it to bend. One cannot be chained if one can see the origin of the links. They must only grasp the roots, and all shall submit.

An absolute boon immortalizes, Pioneer. Authority is everlasting, but it is not Limitless. Not yet. Still, the soul can shift, it can change, and it can pressure others. Your soul and body are one, but they can separate. Nothing holds a candle to the inferno of a soul ignited.

May your journey be evenly scaled and no more impossible than your limits as you step into the unknown and out of your restraints.

My chest heaves with effort as I use a muscle I didn't know I had, a power I was aware could exist. Am I like him? Like Gluskab? But he... he was the God of Knowledge, right? Yeah... he was... but I have the Sigil of Souls. And... they overlap in this area, as my Sigil gives me the ability to peer into souls, to know what they are and where they can go.

And... because of that specialty, despite not being a God, I think I know just as much about my Sigil as he would. With that, despite the slightly cryptic words I conjured, I know what they mean to a tee.

I can see more than just the chains on the outside of a person. I can see the inside ones, the ones that speak their weaknesses, the ones that they hide from all others to remain safe. That is why I can halt other Dominions, and even alter their Ether in some cases. I think... at its peak, I could probably disable Powers and Virtues as well since they come from the soul, maybe even, eventually, Sigils themselves. Furthermore, because of my soul and body fusing, my form has grown significantly more durable and enhanced. My physical strength is still likely far from Lennon's on my own, but that's the thing, I'm never alone.

Blodwyn's soul must have also become that heart within my chest instead of the flowing Sigil and soul within my body that is commonly centered there. Now... if that heart is destroyed, so is he.

I'll just have to make sure to keep him safe.

And... I can leave my body, becoming something akin to a ghost, but there is more to it as well. If I can turn my soul into a body, then I can turn my body into a soul. I don't really know what all that will do, but I know I can do it. I'll have to test it when I wake up. Shaking my head of my current thoughts, I caress the orb more, taking in more insights from the Sigil to form into words.

A Pioneer has the duty to do the impossible. The undone. The unthought. A Pioneer is nothing to anyone but themselves but everything to all. The first to go anywhere is the last to believe something impossible. Limitlessness is a destination, but is also a journey. The eyes see an endless journey, but to have no end, to have no limit, is a paradox.

But paradoxes are nothing to one that is truly Limitless. And yet they are. Peer into the path ahead, through the infinite clouds and tribulations.

Imbibe Limitlessness.

The last line is formed by a vision of something collapsing... it reminds me of both a radiant star sinking inward on itself but also an expanding black hole. All the words and meanings are confusing yet make perfect sense. Usually, this stuff is... indecipherable. But it is mine.

It always has been. I was simply too weak to see it before.

To gain the right to become a God, I have to do something never done before. I have to... do the undone. Furthermore... doing it would imbue me with a Concept. That of Limitlessness. Curious. That... does that mean Conceptual Ether isn't the end? That... there is a step above it? To push that Ether into your being? To... embody your path?

It must be. After all, the soul, Sigil, and body have fused at the 9th Sigil. The soul part isn't unique to me; I just gain more from it than others. To go beyond that, however, would require the final part of a God, what they represent, what they are. Though, I think that still counts as Conceptual Ether, just the last and final stage.

Death would possess Death.

Louis would possess Balance.

Vincent would possess Endless.

And I... I would possess Limitlessness.

These concepts, though... what are they? Are they universal laws leveraged by Ether and the soul, or are they simply the final stage of power? Something leans me to believe the former is the truth.

But does that mean some concepts and some laws are stronger than others? The first thought is yes, that the concept of Cold would be weaker than the concept of Time, but... that's not necessarily the case. It just depends on how it's used. If something is cold enough, wouldn't that stop time?

It's an insane thought, but I don't think I'm wrong. Cold can freeze things, so who is to say at a high enough level, it can't freeze time? Or death?

That must be why Unnatural Gods are stronger than the Naturals. Our minds, our ability to use our powers in ways that the Naturals could never imagine. All their experience is having those powers of theirs, not anything lesser, so how could they imagine something else? Do they even have Sirzas? Dominions? Virtues? Powers? Or do they only lord over their Concepts?

I see now. I understand. Everything is about these laws. The Sigils start with minor fragments of them, tiny, infinitesimal usages of the concepts. Chain Eyes was merely tugging on the part of Limitless that deals with inherent limits, allowing me to see other's chains. In a similar way, Nightowl gives one the ability to see at night and increases bodily functions while the sun is down, capitalizing on some aspect of the law of Night or maybe Lightless.

Each Sigil governs a single law, but with the addition of other Sigils, any law could be made theoretically.

And for me, I need to use the very concept of Limitlessness, meaning I need to learn Soulful Strand, Conceptual Ether, and somehow go one step further.

Now that I think about it, though, Behemoth, Leviathan, and Vincent had near-black colored chains, unlike the other Dominions with dark, midnight purple ones. That means... they have completed that step... wait... no. It means they are on the stage where they have mastered their Conceptual Ether, but they have not yet put it into their everything.

Mastered Concept. That's the level those monsters are at: behemoth, Leviathan, Vincent, Remington. The gap in strength between Dominions is not zero. I've known that for a long time, seeing Vincent toy with the other Dominions and the gap between the Lords and Ytern alone, but it's still surprising to see.

Behemoth and Leviathan could likely kill a God together. Something tells me that's not beyond their limits, and a part of my soul is informing me of that. Meanwhile, it is not a stretch to say that Vincent, as a Dominion and Remington, at full power, instead of the many shattered souls he became, could kill Gods on their own. I don't think that's entirely a different stage of being a Demigod, but more so being on the verge of leaving it.

Meanwhile, those like Tonuyn, Ytern, Isaac, Eli, and Iva, while powerful, would not be able to do anything of that level. Altogether, perhaps they could slay a God, but not alone.

I think my father is near or equal to Behemoth and Leviathan. Maybe a little higher. No... he definitely is. He has definitely reached Mastered Concept. I don't know what it is, but it has something to do with being undying. Invincible perhaps? No... then he wouldn't get hurt. It's...

Immortality.

That's it. Immortal. That's his concept. It's about immortality, specifically the parts about being unkillable, not being everlasting. Damn... I feel like I know so much more now. My brain is so clear. It's... wonderful.

Where would I place myself then? Alone, I'm hardly at Eli or Tonuyn's level. But... I'm never alone. With Blodwyn aiding me, I think we could contest Isaac pretty evenly. Adding on Lily... I don't think it's impossible that we'd win. In fact... I think we'd have the edge. That means... in terms of strength, we aren't far off those with Mastered Concepts. Of course, all of these considerations aren't perfect. Fights are not simply how much Ether one can wield or how fast they are at doing so. There are a million different aspects to a battle to the death. Most of this is a simple generalization, which is why having two other Dominions alongside me evens the scales so significantly.

Still, the judgment is another aspect of my soul's new intuition. It extends beyond just my eyes, reaching even that of my thoughts and gut feelings.

Okay... Okay... Okay... I step back from the orb and speak aloud, setting some information to follow through with, my soul guiding each deduction.

"We are strong now. Capable of fighting Leviathan or Behemoth to a minor loss or win against Isaac. Those with Mastered Concepts, are not far from an Natural God's strength. Those with Mastered Concepts and are reaching for Godhood are beyond a typical God."

Taking a deep, phantasmal, and soulful breath, I continue reciting the situation to myself.

"That means... that means... Death will die. I don't even need to help. Between Louis and my father and the other two, they'll win. It'll be close since Death is so primordial, the age of a Natural mattering a great deal in their strength. But they will win. So... I need to focus on getting everyone else out of this place. The Crimson Court is a brutal deity now. It's Concept is Judgement, a twisted form of Louis' Balance that he must have used to try and levy for more power."

Ah... that's it—the danger of us Unnaturals. Our unique ways can lead to deviations and catastrophes. Is that what happened to Blackreach? To Pained Peaks? Is that where Remington finished off that other demon alongside Leviathan and Behemoth after they were lost? Did he and Vincent push too far too quickly or was it on purpose for more strength? A question I could only ask him myself.

Nodding, I close my eyes, forming a plan. Hell is about to break out into the Crimson Court entirely as the Mother Below, Usen, wakes up wholly from Remington's Time Rewinds For My King. Despite the profound discomfort his two showings of a Mastered Concept hit me with, I focus on the future.

The Crimson Court, while prohibitively dangerous, will not last against Usen. It simply won't. I know that because even Vincent hasn't gone against Her yet. And... that man, that God, is the mightiest thing I've ever seen.

Even now, seeing the Devil, the Crimson Court, and Death... My soul vibrates when I think back to the day Vincent Harvey ascended. For a moment, it seemed as though he could destroy the whole world.

Tightening my fists, I set the plan.

Find the others in the Court, gather everyone up, and escape. The Crimson Court will buy time for us to regroup and prepare for a more advantageous fight. Lennon needs to become a Demigod. Aniwye, too. Aniwye has to be close to her Dominion, and Lennon just needs to...

Motherfucker. He needs my help. Of course. His saturation is too low. He hasn't been a Virtue for very long, huh? A week? Two?

Not everyone has the Philosopher's gait.

Past that, I need to figure out what is wrong with Louis Fern. His aged body cannot be normal. It must be weakening him extensively. What else? We need more allies. Several Demigods and a God are not enough to keep back the entirety of Hell and all the frenzied Gods locked within.

We need to find Vincent. And... despite how much averse I am to the idea, we need to find the other Demigods. Leviathan, Behemoth, Tonuyn, and Ytern. Even the Grayskin King. How though?

How can we reach them from the Underworld?

There is one man who can do it. Abraham. I need him. He could reach my 'dreams' in the Lighthouse. That means... he could potentially reach other dreams? I could loosen his chains and boost his power, extending our minds outward to find the others and call them here or let them prepare for when we get to the surface.

That could work. It will have to. But... how will I find him? I... Will I have to sneak into Hell? Hmm... That is not ideal. Let's see... can I reach him from here, maybe?

I extend my soul, tendrils spiking out from my humanoid form. They continue outward for about thirty feet before hitting a wall, a sphere of some kind. Right. Time Stills For My King.

I need to wake up. And so I do.

Bleary eyes blink open to the golden orb around me. Wearily, somehow still sleepy and definitely not at my best, I rub my face to wake up. Lily crouches over me, clapping my cheeks annoyingly with joy. I slide her hands off me as my brain finally comprehends her words through the exhaustion.

"Yes! You're awake! It's been a year!"

What? No! NO!

I sit up and search around, surprised to find Silas seated with his hands in his lap. Violet chains encircle his body as midnight purple chains wrap around his eye. The other is a dull pale flame devoid of a past and only seeking death.

The impression is macabre and inspired by just my soul, an instinctual comment. Despite that, it breaks my heart as the worry I thought had passed has returned.

"Silas?"

The man nods slowly, and Mie tearfully says hello. Her voice is aching and hollow from... something.

"It's not been a year. It's been only two months in this frozen place. If we don't try to stop it, then we might be here forever. In that slight amount of time, though... Silas has changed. A lot. He's... a dead man walking, Wyatt. Be careful. I'm... scared of what's happened to him. He's still him, just missing much of who he was."

Shit... I stand and offer a hand to Silas, to have him stand beside me, but the man only cares for something else.

"Are you able to break us out?"

I reach for Blodwyn, only to find that he is still asleep. Cursing, I can only shrug. I'd be way more confident with my partner's help. Alone... I'm not sure.

The Undead tsks, obviously annoyed by my answer. It's... so unlike him. Something is seriously wrong. Lily stares between us as she, too, notices the difference.

"What happened Silas?"

He replies succinctly before pointing to the golden, flowing wall that is missing two more Sigils than before. That's where the other Copycats went.

"Nothing. Try to break us out. Nothing I've done has worked."

His single-minded purpose is vastly different from his old, joking, yet depressed nature. I sigh, knowing from the inner weavings of his soul that he is empty. Or... more empty. His Wishes... He must have given more than just gold. He gave himself away until only... only a purpose of some kind remained.

The sudden drastic change leaves me reeling. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. All I know is... I didn't do enough before. I saw that he was in a rut, but has always gotten out of them on his own. But... this time... I don't think he will.

Sighing, I nod, not having much else to do but to try to escape. I... I can't talk to him right now. I... can't even look at him. But I do.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't there for you like I should have been."

The pale flame in his left eye flickers inquisitively as the pinkish right eye flows out tears. Mie is crying, and Silas is only confused.

"What do you mean? We only met a few months ago."