The shepherd was straight backed and walking with a leisurely stride, his every step sending ripples as if the ground below my feet was a solidified liquid that melted from his presence. His skin was pallid, eyes sunken and surrounded by a dark impermeable shadow. He had a regal bearing, face creaseless and the structure imposingly handsome. His stark black pupils were drowned in a sea of liquid pearlescent fire that ran down his face in rivers. The shepherds' blazing eyes scanned the horizon before locking straight on to me.
His long black hair flowed over his shoulders, swaying within the hidden confines of his veiling robes as he took step after step closer. Run. Since the moment his eyes had settled on my visage, the urge to flee had only grown, but now that he grew closer… something deep inside me wanted to run not away, but toward him; to join the endless army.
"The sea ripples of conflict, yet the fishermen remain oblivious to the encroaching torrent," its voice was dry and broken, like snapping wood. My words choked in my throat, my question caught, something I could not bear to ask. "Your bell is cracked, untuned to the harmony of life. Two selves walk the divide, voices calling for resonation."
"I-I don't… what?"
"Your presence in this realm speaks to your wish. My Procession… I can feel your desire, your… longing." It outstretched a hand, its freakishly lengthy fingers forming a cylindrical cage. Within the gaps of its digits, light flashed, and a brilliant white fireball was born into existence. "Allow new life to wash your veins clean. The Flame purifies, allowing us to wander the realm of the Mother."
"The Mother?"
Its words came out like a punch to the gut, cracking across the void with subtle power, "Nyssa." With that simple name, the world shuddered. The darkness cracked, white lines appearing below our feet. My blood ran cold as I yelped, lunging backwards. When I looked back, they were gone.
"Ny—" the name caught in my throat, as if a building had been placed on my back. I collapsed in a heaving pile, my eyes watering. A pair of massive white-irised eyes, similar to the shepherd's appeared in the dark sky, staring down at me for a moment before disappearing along with the weight.
I rose to my feet, adrenaline pounding in my heart as I wearily glanced around. "W-what in the world?"
"To bear the name of a Titan on one's tongue, a body of flesh is not enough."
Titan? Like Ah-Legoria? "Who are you?" I murmured, taking a step back. Reaching down to my waist, my knife was gone, and with that realization, so was my momentarily burgeoning confidence. Fear ruled my mind.
"I? To define myself, meaning of self must be clarified." The flame it had conjured dissipated as it gestured to itself. "In this visage, I am but a humble shepherd. A guide to the lost, a collector of the listless." It gestured to its trail of specters. "'We' are one in this plane, embraced by the Mother." It gestured to the heavens, spreading its arms wide. "In the material realm, 'I' am no longer 'me.'"
"I don't…" An idea began to form in my mind. The flames behind the back… the crook… my lips moved of their own accord, murmuring my thoughts before I realized what was happening. "The auger of calamity…" the corners of its lips twisted upward slightly, "the deepest darkness bathed in hellfire…"
It grinned a toothy, fanged grin, its face warping into a sick smile. "Will you march with 'me?'"
My heart pounded, sweat wetting my shirt. "No." I glared at it, certain a fate far worse than death would befall me if I answered yes.
"Then you will find salvation with 'them.'" It snapped its fingers and the lights on its back extinguished in a quiet snuff
Then, the world was finally, truly, dark.
. . .
A firm grip on my shoulder jostled me awake, and my eyes snapped open. My shirt was wet with sweat and my muscles instantly tensed, flailing for a moment before I realized it was Johnny. Quick panicked breathing tore from my chest as I clenched at my chest. "He— it, there was… my dreams!"
Johnny's eyes shimmered like frosted glass for a moment, and I felt a wave of calm wash over me like cold water. I took a deep breath and composed myself, the lingering foreboding tingle on my nape unabating even still. "What happened?"
"The… he appeared in my dream… he asked me to join his Procession, I-I said no, and he said I'd find salvation? He mentioned a Mother and—" I could feel even the powerful emotional manipulation failing to conquer the true, unadulterated fear coursing through my veins.
Johnny cursed, pulling me from the car and smiling apologetically at the driver. With a firm grip, he began guiding me up the stairs. "You said no?"
"Yes," I firmly replied.
He let out a sigh of relief. "Those damned brilliance-blinded fools shouldn't have given us that pendant." We reached the first turn, doubling back and continuing toward the elevated station. "The mother— Sillia?"
"N—" I cut myself off, my blood running cold as I dared not to finish the name. I clenched my sides in a pathetic attempt to stop the crushing weight that I was sure would befall me, desperately pleading to Ah-Legoria to protect me. When nothing came, I let out a soft sigh. "No, it was another name. I-I can't repeat it."
He nodded slowly. "And it was… did it have six arms behind it?"
"No, but it did have six fireballs."
"I…" he frowned. "I'm sorry. His Icons are less than understood."
I chuckled weakly, taking a deep breath. "At least we're going to see the Detective."
"Indeed." He glared disdainfully at the pocket the pendant sat in, withdrawing a cigarette and twirling it between his fingers before taking a few puffs.
"Will… he be a problem?"
"The Doomsayer? I can't say for sure, but it's unlikely. Even if he is waking up, I doubt it'll be a fast process." He took a long drag, pushing through the crowd and spreading his mist to me so we could easily slip through. "The Detective may know more, but I can assure you, this isn't a problem you'll deal with."
"You're right." I sighed. "I'm nowhere near able to deal with this."
"Problems for the Harbingers." He glanced back at me. "Did he say he'd return?"
"No, he said I'd… that I would 'find salvation with 'them,'" I paused, reflecting on my knowledge of Sillianism, taking advantage of the fact that I was now calming down. "Since they believe the world will eventually end, and that is a good thing, I imagine he means that I will die with everyone else?"
"Seems like that's right."
With that, we slipped onto a train, using our invisibility to circumvent any security or fares. The districts streamed by one by one, and within the hour, we pulled back into the Coffers as the sun approached the horizon. With enough time to think and Johnny's subtle aid, I found myself brimming with anticipation. A quick car ride later, we stood before the five-story grayscale building.