The Mortal Light had told them their journey would be through the Gates of Hades and the Shores of Acheron, where they would need a ferryman to cross the treacherous waters. The rest, they said, ‘In the end, it is a chain of events’. Keisha didn’t know what that meant, but she thanked the Mortal Light, and the three mysterious beings disappeared as quickly as they came.

The group left the cave and continued their journey until they stopped to make camp for the night.

Celra was curled at Keisha’s side, sleeping soundly. Keisha stroked her hair, and Verona tended to the fire, looking into the distance to keep watch.

Keisha peered at Verona, who was looking at the fire. “Do you think we’re safe?” she asked.

“Can never be too safe in the Illicit,” she said, poking the burning fire with a stick. “But, yes, I’ll be sure to keep the first watch.”

There was something else, Keisha could tell.

“If you need anyone to talk to—I’m here.” Keisha beamed in Verona’s direction, but it was met with mumbled: ‘I don’t need anyone,’ but it was clear from her knitted brows she was upset.

Verona sighed.

She looked up as if sensing Keisha was looking at her. “You know the worse part of it all, I don’t even know what our father’s were even looking for, but it was something he couldn’t trust me with.”

Keisha bobbed her head. “That is true, but…he didn’t want to put you in danger.”

Verona laughed. She pointed the stick from her hand at them and gestured to their surroundings. “Yeah, because where we’re sitting in is such a lovely place. Had Dante told you about his life and this place, you would have been better prepared. Now we’re placed amidst danger with vague directions and a cryptic message that sounds too ominous not to lead us down a dangerous path.”

Verona’s face and the bridge of her nose burned red.

Keisha thought about what the Mortal Light had told them: “Powerful and Ancient, hope has no name. Raised by those hated, forgotten, and slain. In the body of the Fifth child, shared by the blood of the Judas, they will bring the Light in the darkness.”

She couldn’t make heads or tails of the meaning. It frustrated her. The three of them were left with many unanswered questions and speculation to fill its place.

Keisha slid out from where Celra rested upon her leg and crawled over to where Verona sat across from them on a log.

Verona raised a brow. “What are you doing?” she asked, her eyes following Keisha’s movements.

Keisha plopped on the log and locked her arm through Verona’s. She stiffened when Keisha looped it through hers, but she didn’t pull away. Seeing that she hadn’t, Keisha rested her head on Verona’s shoulder.

“We can figure this out together.”

Verona peered at Keisha. She said nothing. The orange glow from the fire illuminated around Verona. She was unfamiliar with these arrange of emotions and the care and affection Keisha showed.

“Uh, let’s put that Stanza of yours to work,” Verona stumbled over her words. She pulled her arm out of Keisha’s grasp and jumped up from her seat. “Nothing beats a good ole’ practice. You’ll never know when you’ll be in a bind. Let’s work on capturing a Demi. As a Legacy, your job is to bring Demi back to the Illicit, using other Demi’s to help you fight if need be.”

Keisha frowned but stood as well. The two of them called forth their Stanza to practice a bit.

“—Just remember, when facing a Demi, you must weaken it first. Use your Malia to draw power from the elements and outstretch your arm to capture it.”

Verona pointed out a Demi in the trees that looked like a chimp with glowing red eyes, but the creature had rams horns on its head and bat wings on its back.

“Try catching the Lupemon.”

“How?”

“Call upon your elements from the Circuit’s power.”

Keisha narrowed her eyes at the Demi eating a yellow fruit in its palms. “So I just…focus on that energy the elements give off; like, fire is warm and scorching, water is cold and soothing?”

Verona’s arms were crossed as she shrugged. “More or less, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but that’s enough to get you started.”

“Right.”

Keisha wrinkled her nose. She concentrated on her ring and Stanza, conjuring the sensation into her ring finger as she did before. The shock sensation vibrated at her ringer finger, but it didn’t activate as fast.

“It’s not working.”

“You’re overthinking too much. Remember what I told you about letting it naturally come to you.”

“Natural, right,” she whispered to herself. The initial process was unnoticeable at first, and then, the cooling sensation transformed the Stanza in her hands. The Circuit’s gem illuminated and glowed a bright white.

The blinding white light circled the Demi. Its iris dilated, and the Demi dropped its fruit. Keisha’s jaw dropped when the Demi climbed down the tree toward her, waiting obediently.

“Wh-What happened to it?”

“Good, you captured the Demi and now it’s under your control. When you’re done with it, you release it back into the wild.” Verona instructed her.

Keisha looked at the controlled Demi. She didn’t know how to feel about ‘enslaving’ something against its will. It made her body hollow at the thought of being that kind of person.

Practice went on into the late hours of night. Keisha learned the limits of her Stanza, how to capture a Demi, and a few Verses. It wasn’t until Keisha was panting with her hands on her knees did Verona propose a break.

“Well, you’re getting there—get some sleep, we’ll have a long day ahead of us to reach the Gates of Hades.”

Verona patrolled the area. With nothing else to do, Keisha settled back over to Celra’s side and slept.