We fear not death but the unknown.

~Arawn, God of the Dead

Kafe stood inside an ancient Hex Temple. The geometric layout was like that of a hexagram, which might be why everyone said the Unholde sect performed Hex magic. While he didn’t remember his old cultivation methods, he recognized the Unholde cared little for human life. For this reason, those practitioners were labeled with Hex and considered evil.

Surrounding him was the Unholde council, people he once looked up to but no longer held much significance in his life. Still, he felt he owed them something. Karma was like that, and he felt more in tune with his place in the world since becoming a Spiritualist.

Unholde had been looking for him for some time, and he knew avoiding them until now could be a death sentence. Especially since he no longer had the taint of Hex magic on him. No matter how he changed, the stain of his previous actions still weighed heavily on him. Kafe knew his future reincarnations would be pitiful—if he was even allowed to be reborn as a human. That was the repentance he’d have to pay to balance his karma.

Sighing, he looked to his left, expecting to see Nadia standing at his side, but he was alone. She traveled with him for a while but remained cold and unattached. No matter how much he desired her, he knew his actions against her were probably unforgivable.

Kafe wasn’t foolish and knew she only traveled with him to understand why he hurt her. In the end, he didn’t have the answers she needed. Nadia had become extremely powerful, and it even caused Kafe to feel suppressed in her presence.

Her parting words stung him the most. He lived a life of sin, and her words delivered all the torment he caused back to him a thousandfold.

“Crow said that loving someone changes people. A lover will sacrifice a part of themselves, and that void is filled by their lover’s sacrifice. It is a change that is unavoidable if we want that person in our life. Kafe… made me part of your world but forced it on me. I loved you, but I’m no longer willing to sacrifice myself for you because you aren’t worthy of my love.”

Kafe watched her leave, unable to say anything. He didn’t have the words to compel her to stay, nor did he have the right. He knew what he did to her, and it was a miracle she didn’t try to kill him.

After she disappeared, he felt anger. Not at her, but at Crow because he gave her advice, and she listened. Just thinking about her with Crow caused his jealousy to ignite. There were so many conflicting emotions going on inside his head.

Worse, it was too late to stop his foolish actions. He only sobered up when he found himself in this place, staring at the leader of the Unhlode sect. Regret ate at him even as he told them everything.

“Are you sure this Nadia woman will lead us to what we want?”

Kafe may not have his old cultivation, but Nadia was still his creation. No matter where she went, he could find her. It was something he didn’t dare to tell her, and now he knew he was betraying her past the point of forgiveness.

“She will,” Kafe said, resigned to his fate. His second chance at life was wasted, but he wouldn’t give up his new cultivation. He’d still try to rectify his karma but knew that his current plotting would cause irreversible after-effects.

He turned, facing each side of the six-sided room, and observed the symbol representing each branch of power with Unholde. He was initially part of the Hex Vodun. Still, He didn’t know at the time that he was part of a more prominent organization, so he saw all these groups for the first time. Below those symbols were platforms in which the branch leaders stood behind podiums. They wore different colored robes with hoods pulled low to hide their faces. The only way to distinguish one from the other was the symbol on their left breast representing their branch.

Only one person stood before him without a symbol on their chest, and she was the one that addressed Kafe. He wasn’t sure how he knew it was a female because her robe was so bulky that a beast could be hidden under it, and he wouldn’t know. It was an instinct, and he felt the woman before him was an ancient cultivator.

“Is this Crow, son of Maddox, the offspring of Conall?”

“He is.”

“The same Conall that destroyed the Blood Ember Sect?” The robed woman didn’t ask Kafe but looked toward an elder slightly behind and to his left. Kafe involuntarily turned and saw that the symbol on the wall was a crimson teardrop. Kafe hissed slightly as he drew in a breath.

The Aztlan people were like the Vodun because they built their entire society around their belief in their gods. There were both good and evil practitioners, and they splintered like the Vodun. Those who practiced Blood Rituals defected to the Unholde and gave up Teotl, their form of mana, and became Hex practitioners.

That was who they were in the shadows, but in the tower, he hadn’t known they were the Blood Ember Sect. When Gideon took charge of the sect, Unholde visited him but refused to bow his head. They came up with a compromise and wouldn’t interfere with each other. However, the Hex Aztlan was considered the most dangerous faction among the Unholde. At least that was true until a few years ago when Crow’s father nearly single-handedly destroyed the Blood Ember Sect. After that, the Hex Aztlan’s power dropped to the lowest rung and was currently being suppressed.

“It is him.” A low baritone emitted from underneath the hood. “You don’t need to fear him or Gideon. Both of them were last seen on the upper floors. Chances are, they are making a run for the upper realm.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Based on the last place our people spotted them—it is. We have people on those upper floors because some old powers brought our people there to bind with the keystones. We think that with the right tools, the damaged floors can be traversed. To survive, they’d need something that could survive spatial tears.”

“How did they do it?”

“Conall contracted with a Blood Dragon, the one we were nurturing.”

The leader of Unholde paced, deep in thought. No one knew what she was thinking about, but hearing that the damaged tower could still be scaled piqued the interest of more than just the leader. Finally, her head snapped toward Kafe.

“You. Can you get close to this Crow boy?”

Kafe swallowed hard, feeling the weighty gaze of some of the strongest people within the tower. As a Spiritualist, he was sensitive to some things and knew this ancient had already tangled with Crow somehow. It felt like an omen, and what he sensed made him shiver. Who was foolish enough to mark this powerful woman for death?

“I… don’t know. Crow holds no animosity toward me but is cautious. Because of who I am, he won’t easily trust me.” Kafe hoped he could go and never come back. He should never have come here, to begin with. He wasn’t even sure what floor he was currently on, but it was definitely much higher than the sixth floor, which is as far as he climbed.

“We need that tongue. It is vital to our sect, and we cannot let it escape our grasp.”

“Ma-ma’am?” Kafe asked, trying to get the courage. “Why is it so important?”

“It is no secret,” the leader pointed toward the coffin symbol representing the branch that the Vodun was part of. “Your ancestors left behind a treasure, a means to bypass the tower. Only those practicing Hex Vodun can open the ancient trial, but once opened, anyone can enter. Further, anyone that passes has the opportunity to ascend. We can use this to establish our power and receive resources from the upper realms. It’s enough to take control over this entire tower.”

The woman under the hood didn’t speak with any emotion. Kafe felt that a lofty goal like that should be delivered with a haughty voice. Or maybe the maniacal laughter of a psychopath. However, the uncaring delivery made him more apprehensive than his previous thoughts. In the deep recesses of his mind, an idea emerged. Should I tell Crow what he has in his possession?

Kafe knew even if Crow knew, he’d never use whatever method was in the trial. He was the sort of person who chased an ideal and bypassing the tower didn’t feel like something that fit his personality. Even Kafe was skeptical of his ancestor’s methods because he learned quite a bit from his new master about the upper realms. In truth, a lower realm cultivator needed heavy support if they wanted to instantly transcend. There was no way the Hex Vodun would have a harmless method of ascending.

“I can help,” Kafe finally said while sighing in his heart. He didn’t really agree, but he knew if he refused to help, he’d die today.

“Good,” the Sect Leader said. “Come with me.”