---

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Before she could respond to the old woman another voice called out. One that sent shivers through her bones. She turned to find the form of a man. Prudence let out an obvious groan of disgust. She was content to converse with the old woman, or Seeress as she deemed herself to be called, but she would sooner pluck her eyeballs out and use them for porridge than work with a man, even if she was somewhere lost.

"Prudence be my name and so you may call me such. I know not of this Doctor Strange." she spoke to the Seeress, blatantly ignoring Ed. It seemed the two of them knew each other which put her at a disadvantage. Not worried though, she was more than sure she could handle some old, blind hag and a man.

Prudence glanced around, eyeing the iron gates of a cemetery. One that seemed to be calling out despite not having a voice.

Prudence took a few steps towards it, not much caring if the other two followed her. The sooner she was able to place where she was, the sooner she could leave and everything would be nothing but a memory.

---

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Max’s attention snapped towards the sound of a young child. His eyes stayed fixated on the person before him, worried now more than ever that this was a trap. Between the women who’s eyes bled and the now sound of a child, it was like a scene straight out of a horror film. It was only when the child said their name that Max had decided to spare her a glance. She had some similarities to someone he’d met once before, though much much younger than the angsty Asgardian he had met back in another reality. He didn’t know what to think, what to believe, and yet…the bloodied woman seemed to know his name. Max looked at her, paying more attention now through the orange tinted goggles he currently wore as he began to piece things together in his mind. He knew her, and she him, but he couldn’t quite tell why. Finally he recalled her name, with a snap of his finger he looked at her as if coming out of a mental fog. ”Carolina…right? We met back in Wanda’s reality.” His eyes danced back towards Klara. She was much less hostile than the last time he’d met her, and yet if both of them were here once again…did Wanda relapse? Was this now what she believed to be the just world?

It appeared neither of his unlikely companions knew where they were, which left only Max to try and figure it out. There was a young Klara, Carolina, and desolate landscape filled with pain and suffering, and a terrain that seemed to shift with no real means. As if on cue, the glitter bomb went off above Max’s head like a lightbulb coating his hair in pink glitter that intermingled with the stains of red that still lingered from the previous storm. ”I think I can answer the where. We’re in a demon’s dimension called Limbo. I actually know the ruler of this land, her name is Magik, used to be on a team together until…until she was called back.” This place had a similar scent to what had popped up just before Magik had vanished. The issue was that time and space didn’t work in a straight line, especially not in Limbo. So he didn’t know if this Magik knew him, or perhaps she had once upon a time and has since forgotten all about him centuries later. He decided to keep that information all to himself however. ”It seems my mentor has gone missing. In doing so he sent out his cape and eye to those he deemed worthy and capable of helping place things back in order. His magic brought us here Klara, as to what we should do…’ The landscape began to shift and move all around them. As Max turned to look right, hedges rose to the left, and when he looked left the same was true of the right, until the trio was surrounded by a decaying maze, the mountains replaced by this new landscape and a chariot with a pair of skeletal horses.

If Max was a betting man, which he most certainly was, he’d wager that they needed to board the chariot and allow it to lead them through the maze. ”I think this is going to be our best bet. We should take this chariot, let it lead us through this maze and see what lays for us in the center. Maybe it’ll be answers, or perhaps more questions, or even a new landscape…either way, I need to see this through. So what do you say Klara? Carolina? Up for a little adventure in a new dimension?”

---

---

Once the fog cleared, Annika could see the two newcomers clearly. One was dressed in very strange clothing. She had seen similar pants and long, dark jackets in her time, but the styling and material looked quite different to what she was used to. The shirt was nothing like she had seen. The creature that was there seemed to shift before her very eyes. Annika held caution still as she had never seen such an animal.

A healthy curiosity had been instilled within her at a young age, but she became even more drawn to animals after her coming-of-age ceremony. This creature was no different, even if it looked dangerous in nature. Then the creature spoke, and Annika blinked in surprise. They sounded feminine and friendly. How odd this place was.

Annika stepped back into a more relaxed stance, feeling these two could give her more answers as to why they were there. ”I am Annika Falling Star, and I do not know the person who sent me this letter. Have either of you had dealings with Stephen Strange?” She also had several questions about the necklace she wore and the cloak that never stopped moving. Although, it did seem to relax when Annika relaxed. What an odd pelt.

In the distance, the mist shifted once more to reveal an enormous structure. It reminded Annika faintly of the tall masts she had seen in the harbour, yet this structure was unfamiliar. However, it gave them all a point of reference, and Annika fell into step with the other two as they began to walk forward. Now that she was closer, she looked at the creature again. There were horns on her head and a tail much like a lizard she had seen, but it was longer. An image of Onyare flashed before her eyes, and Annika stopped dead in her tracks.

No, Tsyoka'wehkowa… Look how they walk. Onyare crawls on his belly like a worm. Annika giggled for a moment as a memory of Akshótha filled her head. She closed her eyes, breathed, and opened her eyes again. Akshótha was right. The creature was walking and had spoken before. Onyare could not talk, and he preferred water as well, and there wasn’t a drop to be seen.

Renewed in her strength, Annika began walking with the group again.

---

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Klara wasn't entirely sure who exactly were around right now to potentially help her out with figuring out what the hell was going on around where they were. She wasn't entirely sure who the people were still as they introduced themselves to her, but she over all didn't care. The instant that Max asked about whether going on an adventure in this weird dimension and she instantly started nodding her head super excited. "I love adventures! That will be so much fun and exciting and let's get going already! Also what chariot or something are you talking about?" she then asked, having been super distracted that she hadn't even noticed the area around them changing. When she looked she finally did notice the chariot. And...

HORSES!!!!!!

"Horseys!!!!!" she squealed happily before without caring a bit what the others were doing, she instantly jumped up onto the chariot and then went to the front, wanting to hug the animals. Of course if someone had thought this through it would make sense for her to not try to give the skeletal horses a hug since she'd never met them, but she didn't over all care. Of course this didn't exactly go over well. As she ended up accidentally startling the horses who clearly weren't hugged enough as they had never seemingly been hugged. Klara lurched back slightly from the front of the chariot but grabbed onto the edge as the chariot jolted forward. The horses were taking off and starting to race off. Leaving Max and Carolina behind.

"Uh oh, this isn't good."

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I wish you were not here, little one. This realm is no place for a child. It is a place of horrors and nightmares, but the loss I fear you may experience... the trauma endured by Miss Rasputina... it is a sin I cannot bear to see repeated. And yet, the magic of my station chose you. I could do nothing to stop it.

The skeletal horses, strangers to kindness and bedfellows to cruelty, took off in fear at your touch. They cart you along with them, clinging to the chariot for dear life. They bound off aimlessly into the hedge maze, turning at random. At the speed they are going, you will soon be separated from the others - from the Sorcerer of Reality and the Sorceress of Divination. I hope they find a way to catch up to you, little one, or the horses will be the least of your concerns.

You see, child, the hedge maze is alive. And it hungers for flesh.


Sorceress of Evocation, Sorcerer of Umbramancy, and Sorceress of Transmutation - you three walk calmly towards the Tower. Yet the land itself seems to be alive and shifting, the Tower moving towards you as you move towards it. The effect is dizzying - I hope that you all have strong stomachs. I must ask you again to heed this omen. Brace yourself, for the Tower is of Revelation.

The tower is tall, taller than your mind can comprehend. It is covered in dead vines, and skulls of vaguely humanoid shape litter the ground around it. The small windows have no light, save for one at the very top, so high up that it hurts your neck to crane and see it. The mood is already ominous and foreboding, as you hear an ear piercing scream.

It came from the top of the tower.

You make your way to the cemetery gate, Sorceress of Curses. Your unwitting companions do not follow you - at least, not yet. Perhaps that is for the best. The mantle of Sorcerer Supreme is lonely and the path you must walk lonelier still. Had I not had pity on a friend, I would still be alive. This may be a correction for my mistakes. When you arrive at the cemetery, it seems to stretch on for miles, as far as the eye can see. The names on the tombs are in a tongue that you cannot read, but the images make their impressions. Cherubs are carved onto these tombs. These are infant graves.

If you would walk deep into the cemetery, you would notice a mausoleum sits at its center. Its entranceway is weakly lit by two torches, struggling to maintain their flames. The temperature plummets and the wind howls. You see your breath in the air in front of you. You have never known such cold before.

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Prudence. A lovely name, if it were true. Runa was far too old and untrusting to give her name to a stranger. They knew the sorts of magic that could be worked with such things. They would have to scold the children for this action later. Prudence was unknown, but Runa had known Edus. He ought to have known better. "A friend, yes," Runa agreed. His words did not help her much to contextualize what era he came from. They had known each other briefly - less than the span of a Midgardian's lifetime, of which Runa had now lived trillions.

They chuckled slightly. "Your aid is more valuable that just knowledge, my old friend. My body is weak and tired, and my eyes long since gone. My staff is sufficient, but a guiding hand would be a welcome kindness." They did not wish to expend magic to see at the moment. If they had, they might have noticed the cemetery beckoning them - or that Prudence had walked off without a word.

Instead, Runa surmised that the young sorceress was simply quiet. She could understand that. She had been much the same at that age. There had been a century of time when their parents had thought they had gone mute. "Pray tell, what did your letter say?" Runa then inquired. They reached a hand into the pocket of the cloak, feeling a stiff piece of paper. They pulled it out. "And am I to surmise that this is a letter from poor Stephen as well?"

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Ed seemed unbothered by, or to have not noticed, Prudence, ignoring him. "Of course, Gullveig, happy to help." Ed said, using the name she had given rather than Runa. He was being respectful of her choices, be they protection of themself or a name change after so many years. He glanced at the letter that matched his own.

"Yes, that is the same as the one I have. I can read it to you if you'd like. However, I suggest we walk and talk as the young woman, Prudence, has started toward a nearby mysterious cemetery. Reach out your hand, and I will guide you." Ed let Runa's hand rest on his forearm, covered by his jacket, and started walking into the cemetery after Prudence. He reads the letter to Runa.

"The odd thing about the letter is it says it is from 2021, but I am from 2025. You're obviously from much farther into the future than even that. Also, to my knowledge, Strange was still alive in 2021. He was apparently alive in 2025." He gives room in his statement to be wrong, and for intentional misleading. He shakes his head, remembering what they had been doing in 2021. He'd rather not dwell on that, but the possibility of it somehow being connected are something he allows for. "Earth-666 is the same as mine." Ed admits. He does not add that it is the same as Runa's. He has met another Runa before, there is a chance they are not from the same universe.

"As for where we are," Ed says and starts describing the place. "It is desolate here. It is mountainous and rocky. Everything is tinted red, there was a nasty red storm earlier that burned. The cemetery that we've entered is..." He pauses taking in the tombstones. "The language upon the headstones is one I do not know. However, they appear to be graves for infants. Ahead I see a mausoleum. That is the only thing that seems to stand out." He describes as the cold starts to set in. He glances at Runa to see how she is handling the cold. If this had been the Runa of his era he would not have been as worried, but cold and older bones do not always get along.

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Had Max encountered this version of Klara earlier in his years, chances were he’d be aggravated beyond all belief at the hyper active attitude the child held. But now, at this moment, all he could do was see his son before him, grown up to the age of speech and mobility rushing around the house they had back in New Orleans. Now that he had a child of his own, it was more endearing, seeing what lay ahead for him as the years passed by. His thoughts got the better of him though, as he was too slow to caution Klara against startling the horses or touching any animal without first knowing how they’d react. He’d wanted to hear from both parties before stepping foot on the chariot, but now it was bounding off away from him and Carolina as Klara hung on for dear life. They were headed deeper into the hedge maze, and if they turned too many corners they may just vanish from any sort of view. Max gave Carolina an apologetic look, before running off after the runaway chariot. ”Hold on Klara! I’m coming”

They were still in sight, about to round a corner, as Max’s hands began to glow a crimson red color. It was magic unlike what he was used to using, but it was magic all the same. He spent much of his free time reading tome after tome inside of Kamar-Taj and the Sanctum Sanctorum. Sometimes even attempting to sneak past and read books that Strange and Wong had considered…too advanced. It was there he’d found a spell he’d seen Strange use several times before, reading the description to find that they imposed the indomitable will of someone known as Cyttorak. Max hadn’t read more into the creature, but the spell itself seemed handy enough. With an outstretched hand, crimson bands began to emerge from the palm of his hand, wrapping around the horses necks like reigns, as he thought to pull them to a halt. Once he felt the spell take hold, Max gripped his hand closed around the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak and pulled only to find that the horses had the better of him.

His heels dug into the ground as earth moved around his shoes leaving a deep imprint of where he’d been before finally he was pulled forward. Max was now holding on with a white knuckled grip, flying in the air as the skeletal horses took him and Klara for a ride. He’d hoped the bands were powerful enough to have simply halted their course, but it appeared his spellwork needed some more practice to perfect it. After all, if Strange could use it to stop the likes of larger brutes then Max should be capable of wrangling a few horses with it. His hair whipped in the winds, glitter and red dust leaving a trail as he flew. He tried to think of how to salvage this, and for a moment debated on summoning another bout of bands to have an anchor point behind him. Then he realized very quickly he wasn’t Captain America, and that a move like that would likely wishbone him more than anything. His free hand swept up as a large spike rose from the ground. Max quickly plummeted towards it, wrapping his arms and legs around the massive structure and for a moment he thought he had it. He was about to wrap the spell around the spike, then a loud crack sounded.

The conjured spire had snapped in two, the skeletal horses somehow having the might of The Juggernaut in Max’s eyes. His body was still snaked around the structure, flying in the air still as the horses continued on their demonic march of madness. His hand still gripped with all the might of a father trying to save his son, around the spell that held the horses to him. ”Why did I use the Crimson Bands? Clearly I should’ve used the Ruby Rings to bind them. Damn it Max.”

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"Dealings is one way to put it. Strange is- Was the sorcerer supreme of my world. I say mine because there are countless ones, each with a sorcerer supreme that prevents each world from melting and merging with another. His death means the world I'm from- and likely the one we're all from- Will eventually begin to collapse on itself. That is what they call an existential apocalypse, and not a very pleasant experience to subject one's self to- I'm sorry, I'm rambling pointlessly. Anyway, yes. I've had dealings with him. Strange's position is one so important that it becomes necessary to fill it the moment the sorcerer supreme of a world dies or cannot perform their duties. That, according to this letter he sent us, is why we have his cloak and amulet. What I don't know is why we all have copies of them both. That is unusual, but anything is possible in the grand scheme of things, so we may find an answer."

Jack was many things. Short-winded in speech was not one of them. Something crosses his mind. "I have a question for both of you. The world we stand in does not experience time like other places- What year it where you two are from. Where I am from, it is the year 2026."

As they walked towards the castle, its impossible, borderline non-Euclidian height made itself totally apparent. This tower was here for a reason. It was ominous, like all things in Limbo. He thought to look for a door, when the scream rang out. Jack's head began to swim like a kaleidoscope. It was agonizing, but not entirely unfamiliar. "I think I know that voice, wait here." Turning his back to Annika and Madalyne, Jack took a few steps forward, bent his knees and pushed off the ground. The coat he wore fluttered with the umbral magic that radiated off of him. If Annika or Madalyne were particularly sensitive to the presence of magic energy, they might've felt something strangely inviting about the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Jack floated upwards at a pace of several feet per second, climbing higher into the air and not stopping.

As he neared the top, he saw a familiar face. Ananym, the young child of Belasco himself, being circled by demons. He knew that child, he even got an invitation to one of her birthday parties. He would've gone if he wasn't busy riding a dead Celestial like a comet through a new solar system at the time. Alas, this was a defenseless kid, and Jack wasn't quite that heartless. He flexed his artificial fingers and shaped a shadow into a weapon. He intended for it to be a scythe, but Limbo had a strange way of receiving Everdark energy, so it only turned out as a spear. He could work with that. He floated towards the edge of the tower and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"DEMONS! LEAVE HER ALONE." He pointed the black, impromptu spear at some of them. "THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT THE DAUGHTER OF BELASCO, RELENT OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!" Jack quickly shot Ananym a dissonantly gentle, sympathetic look as he turned his full attention to her attackers.

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"Yeah we first met there in Wanda's reality then you joined the X-Men sometime after that." Carolina said to Max as she stared at the dead looking maze and chariot of skeletal horses. When Klara decided to just run forward towards the horses and hopped onto the chariot itself to try and hug them. "Klara wait up!" Carolina yelled out as she started to try and run after both Max and Klara, Max used some magic to try and grab onto the horses to slow them down or something. However he ended up being dragged by them seeing that the horses were faster than she and Max were she was starting to fall behind further and further.

Which she didn't like at all and didn't want to be alone in a place like this. "Max open a portal or something in front of Klara!" Carolina yelled hoping that Max would do that from what she remembered of Max he was able to make portals and whatnot. Carolina really wasn't looking forward to have to play babysitter to a younger version of Klara. She didn't like or trust this maze either as she got the feeling that it would attack her the moment that she was alone. She just wished that she was home and enjoy the rest of Halloween.

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Madalyne was quiet for the most part as she followed the others towards the massive tower which seemed to approach them as well to, she always thought that Limbo was a weird place. "Yeah i've dealt with Strange a few times as well to, my mentor Agatha did want me to attend his academy." She said, she chose to attend the Avenger's Academy however but did attend Strange Academy for a little bit after she finished her time there. Madalyne shifted slightly as she looked over at Annika, feeling the woman staring at her, she always did feel self conscious whenever her demon form suddenly appeared. "I'm part human if you are curious, i'm usually not in this form this place Limbo tends to force it out." Madalyne told them, she figured they would want to know that.

"I did get the same letter as well to. And the year is about 2040 from where I was from." Madalyne answered Jack, when she heard a loud scream coming from the tower. She looked over her shoulders for a moment at her wings, she never really used her wings to fly she watched as Jack used his own magic to fly up there. She quickly used her own wings and quickly took flight quickly catching up to Jack and landing on the ground seeing a woman being attacked by a group of demons.

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Prudence pressed forward in the land of the unknown as her two companions, if she deemed to call them such, consorted amongst themselves. She kept an ear open to listen, unsure as to their conversation and its details. It seems the two of them know each other, which put her at a great disadvantage. She especially didn't trust the man, if for no other reason than the fact he was cursed with his gender.

Once at the cemetery, Prudence glanced around her, noticing the graves adorned with cherubs. The graves of children. She knew all too well what death does to someone, but to lose a child? She pressed inward despite feeling the cold temperature. It was unlike anything she felt before. Almost as if the cold itself was a presence and no amount of heat would satisfy it.

A building stretched out in front of her, almost beckoning. She was unafraid, though she was tentative in her steps. After all, two strangers materialized in this world along with her and she could not contact her Lord.

She rolled her eyes as the man highlighted everything he saw before them, though she was quick to bite her tongue as she noted the woman was blind. "Pray tell, do you plan to narrate everything you see before you? Tis quite irritating, even if it is in service of your betters. The mausoleum, as you pointed out, is the only structure. You may stay here and freeze, but I do not attempt to stay here." With that, she made her way toward the torched entrance.

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Jack explained who Stephen was well. The words ‘Supreme Sorcerer’ were strange to her ears, but her soul seemed comfortable with the term. The idea of other worlds sent Annika’s mind spinning for a moment until a frightening new topic was brought up. Jack was from the year 2026, and Madalyne was from a year even further off. Annika opened her mouth to speak, feeling quite shocked.

”I came from the year 1812,” she said, her voice sounding distant.

Annika was distracted as they walked, the strange depth changes not really bothering her due to her preoccupied mind; until she heard an ear-piercing scream. As one, the group looked up at the tower, straining to see the window and where the scream's source came from. Quickly, Jack ascended with the help of the cape. He was soon followed by Madalyne, who used her wings. This left Annika alone on the ground. She shifted uneasily, looking around at the eerie world as her surroundings seemed to shift in and out of focus. It was as if this land was alive, breathing as she did. Annika shuttered and looked up once more.

”Well, cloak, can you get us up there?” Annika could quickly transform into a bird, but she had a feeling the cloak and amulet would remain with her, which would make flying difficult.

The cloak wavered, seemingly unsure, just as Annika was. It lifted her off the ground and raised her a bit before stuttering. It dropped a bit, rose a bit, and took her this way and that until it stopped halfway between the ground and the platform she needed. Annika looked down, then up. She wasn’t afraid of falling persay, but she didn’t want to fall. Not when she was already injured.

”We can do this, cloak. No turning back now,” she said, feeling more determined to try. With vigour, the cloak transported Annika up to the top. She landed next to Madalyne and sighed as the cloak fluttered into relaxation around her. ”Niá:wen,” she thanked the cloak. She took in the scene around her, and her eyes widened.

The primary scene before her was not unfamiliar. There was a battle happening here with the masses against the weaker. Annika’s hands tightened into fists as she took in the battle with a calculated eye. She did not know this enemy, but Jack seemed to.

”What are their weaknesses, warrior!” She called out to Jack, moving away from Madalyne to create a triangle pattern that they could use to surround the enemy with Jack at the point.

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Well this was definitely a bit of a predicament for her to be in. However she wasn't going to scream or panic or anything. Staying calm was the first step in trying to figure out what to do. Though she thought she heard something behind her, but she decided not to focus on that. Instead, she was more concerned with gaining some form of control of the chariot and the horses, so her attention was solely on them. Klara could try to grab the reins or something, but considering how small she was in comparison to the rest of the chariot, attempting that would likely result in her falling out, and that wouldn't end well.

Her goal was to at least slowdown, if not stop, the chariot so the other two could catch up to her. So she decided to try and use her magic in order to gain some sort of control of the situation. Her first attempt to try and calm them down didn't exactly do much, however she was able to grant them the ability to speak with her magic. Unfortunately what they said wasn't much of anything, just a whole bunch of loud screaming that Klara almost had to plug her ears to block it out. Her second attempt to sort of charm the horses seemed to work out a lot better, "Shhhh, I'm not going to hurt you, can you help me out please and maybe stop the chariot so my new friends can catch up?" she asked the horses, and that seemed to do the job. As the horses seemed to calm down before coming to a stop completely.

Of course, there was the issue of physics that Max seemed to be becoming all too well acquainted with. As since the forward pull motion had stopped abruptly, the force wasn't dragging him anymore. Which resulted in him getting flung forward, resulting in him face planting into the ground behind the chariot, scraping up his quite a bit.

Klara now heard the sound of something crashing to the ground behind her, and she now decided to turn and look behind her. That's when she saw Max on the ground for some reason. "Well what are you doing down there? Most people don't like to lay face down on the ground."

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Carolina, despite your wishes, you find yourself alone in the maze. The still air does not carry voices towards you. The tracks of the horses and the chariot in the ground seem to be vanishing before your very eyes, as the infernal earth attempts to isolate you even further from the others. If being alone in this bizarre corner of Limbo was not terrifying enough, you do not notice the assailant creeping up on you from behind. A vine snakes its way around your throat, others ensnaring your hands and feet - and you are suddenly being pulled back into the hedge. The hedge is alive. It has a giant mouth and gnashing teeth. And it is going to eat you alive if you cannot find a way to save yourself.

Come to me a voice whispers in your mind, one that is so intimately familiar to you, but yet you cannot place...


I am grateful that you found the child, Max. Protect her. This realm is no place for one so small. I wish I had told you more about Limbo and its demons, but they were not my horrors to share. The chariot has come to a halt, but you both have been long since separated from Carolina. The tracks left by the carriage have vanished, as if they had never been there. The horses, charmed by Klara, observe the two of you with curiosity now, instead of fear.

My name is Butter Rum one of the skeleton horses said. Its voice is strange - like nails on a chalkboard - but somehow intelligible.

And I am Mercymorn the other skeleton horse said.

Who are you, Pink Two-Legs? Butter Rum asked.

Is the other Two-Legs with you? I can eat him Mercymorn offered.


Ananym, the daughter of Belasco as Jack identified, takes the form of a young child. She has the classic demonic features - forked tongue, spaded tail, wings, yellow eyes, talons, and fangs. Her gift is her voice. Do not say I did not warn you.

"Jackass!!" Ananym gasped as she saw Jack. A happy smile plastered itself on her face. She was still missing her right fang. The tooth had yet to grow in. Her yellow eyes seemed somewhat disappointed though. She had no recognition towards you two, Madalyne and Annika.

The other demons, who had been circling young Ananym with blades, hissed. "Sorcerers Supreme!" they spat like a curse. One - an ugly brute named Kog'thakan who had pink flesh and a face somewhat between a rhino and a snake - tackled you, Jack. You both then began to spiral out of the sky, as Kog'thakan attempted to stab you with his blade.

Another - Zorzazos - attacked you, Annika. He had the face of a violin and the body of a tank, and arms that looked like tigers. He jumped at you. But Zorzazos was not nimble - nor was he smart. He missed you. The fall will most likely kill him.

The head of this group of demons, a green figured one with more traditional demonic features with the exception of its mouth, which was a kazoo, tooted at you, Madalyne, in a demonic tongue. You instinctively understood his words. "Join us, sister - the hour of our rise is now! Take your true form and pledge yourself in the boss' name!"



You could all do to be less trusting. I wish I had taken that advice. Perhaps I would still be alive.

The mausoleum is grim and cold, as to be expected. Rust coats the iron archways and dust coats every possible surface. A dead dove lies on the entranceway. There are no names on the walls to identify who was laid to rest here - just more symbols, more cherubs. But the mausoleum is not empty. You are not alone here. There is a presence that even I find myself enthralled to. It is a shadow on the wall. It carries a long scythe, not unlike the one wielded by an old friend of mine.

The shadow watches you. Do you watch it?

In the middle of the mausoleum, there is an altar. On this altar is a cup, with blood dried on the rim. Next to it is a long, curved knife. The blade is clean. A strange language is carved into the altar on which it rests, one that you somehow understand. It reads:

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Runa considered Edus' words deeply. There was clearly an element of time at play here. To them, the difference between the year 2021 and 2025 was a little thing - Midgardian years past by so quickly they hardly mattered. But when the Sorcerer Supreme was of Midgard and they found themselves, more than one, inheriting that office... such a small detail had to matter. Stephen Strange had been many things, but sloppy was not one of them. This was no mystical typo.

They did not offer up the designation of their world. That information she decided to keep to herself. If Edus asked explicitly, they would tell him their tale. If not, then it would remain a secret. She cared too much for the continuation of a singular series of events to risk events unfolding as they ought not. Edus would ask if he should ask, and not because of her prompting, they determined. "I have lived long, but even I have not seen sorcerers supreme. The Vishanti would not allow such a thing... Strange this is, and so he is at the heart of it all. We must find his body. Perhaps then, we might understand."

A cemetery seemed as good a place as any to begin a search - and Runa was pleased to hear the voice of Prudence once more, even as she was somewhat chaffing against Edus' auditory descriptions. Runa did not know what realm they were located in, beyond one marked by devils, yet an idea had begun to take form within their mind. The nature of their inheritance of the mantle limited them to a few options, but even Runa the Grey did not know every realm on Yggdrasill's branches.

She walked with Edus, one arm on him and the other clutching her staff. It amused them slightly that he had not yet noticed it - or perhaps he was too polite to remark on such a thing. She was not ashamed of the staff however. She did not regret its creation.

They made it to the mausoleum. Runa felt the sudden chill, the cold. And while they could not see, they saw. They saw the shadow with the scythe on the wall. Their body tensed. This was a test. She felt the eyes of fate and destiny upon them. But they felt they could not warn Edus and Prudence. Those two must choose their own path. Instead, Runa posed a question.

"I know much of Edus' training, but little of yours, Prudence child. I will tell you mine, if you would tell me yours. I am a witch of the old religion - the religion of what you would deem vikings. I shape the flames of life."

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"Slow down will you guys!" Carolina yelled as both Klara and Max slowly continued to disappear from view, leaving her completely alone in a very creepy hedge maze. She leaned forward trying to catch her breath, feeling the wind getting knocked out of her after trying to run after the two of them. "Sure leave me alone in a creepy ass maze thanks.." Carolina said sounding annoyed as she noticed that the trail was quickly disappearing now as well to and quickly tried to run forward again in an effort to try and catch up when she felt something starting to wrap around her neck realizing that it was a vine now wrapped around her neck.

Then four more suddenly wrapped around her wrists and ankles, then a sudden and rough tug from the vines suddenly dragged her to the ground. Then she heard a voice in her head that sounded familiar to her, but she didn't know what it was really when she noticed that the hedge now had a mouth and sharp teeth as it tried to drag her into it's gnashing maw. Carolina tried to look for a stick or rock to try and get herself free but she didn't find anything.

Carolina started to try and grip the ground as she was dragged further in when she felt something in her pockets, digging in she found a notepad and a small pack of colored pencils she used to just simply doodle when she was bored. She watched some of the John Wick movies before remembering one fight scene where he took a pencil and stabbed a man in the head with it. She quickly pulled one of the pencils out and started to stab at the vines wrapped around her legs first managing to free them she did the same thing with the ones on her wrists and neck managing to free herself from it. "I'm really starting to hate this place now." Carolina said as she started to dust herself off, and quickly tried to run forward once again trying to avoid anything else trying to grab her.

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Madalyne stared at the little girl who seemed to knock Jack calling him a jackass, at least the two knew each other in some way as her attention turned towards Annika asking their weaknesses were. "They are demons, magic should be useful against them or anything holy I guess works as well to." Madalyne said to Annika as she held out her hand using her magic as a hilt with a red gem on the pommel of the hilt suddenly appeared in her hand and a bright blue flaming blade ignited like a lightsaber would. Each of the demons suddenly attacked Annika and Jack her attention turned towards the leader of the group.

The leader of the group spoke to her which she quickly picked up and glared at him as she twirled her sword around in her hand. "Yeah no i'm not going to join you guys." Madalyne said as she quickly charged forward swinging her sword at him, only for the demon to duck under her swing, she quickly turned around and took another swing at the demon cutting directly across it's stomach as the demon suddenly collapsed onto the ground. "They are also weak against weapons like mine." Madalyne said to Annika as she turned to the girl. "Are you okay and are there anymore of them?" Madalyne asked her.

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Ed didn't feel like snipping with Prudence. He only continued into the Mausoleum, not stopping his descriptions. His details were somewhat lacking, not mentioning the rust or cherubs, though strangely mentioning the dead dove and unknown symbols. The cherubs were a continuation of the rest of the graveyard. The dove seemed out of place enough and the symbology of that was not lost on him.

He had long accepted that Runa would call him Edus. He did not prefer it and did not know when she had first heard the full first name. He always introduced himself as Ed. His family had a thing for names being long and strange. That was logical of course when one was as involved with magic as his family was. Edus had been chosen and the nickname Ed used because most people who hear the nickname Ed would assume a different longer name.

"There is text here." Ed frowns. "I do not know why I can read this, it isn't in any language I know, but it says 'To that which you seek, I open the way.' Not particularly excited about the meaning there as there is a knife and a bloodied cup on the altar." Ed kept part of his attention on the shadow, ready to cast his shield if the shadow turned into something more dangerous. The scythe did not assuage his fear of it.

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“Jackass.”

That never got old.

”Their weaknesses are-“ Alas, he didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence as a particularly ugly demon named Kog’Thakan. They tumbled towards the ground like a pair of intertwined snails, while Jack did his damndest to not get stabbed by a weapon of demonic origin. After about three seconds of this, Jack had the idea to take matters into his own hands and let the Cloak of Levitation do the work for him. He willed the cloak to stop them, and they stopped on a dime. It was almost jarring, and Kog’Thakan got a mouthful of umbral energy as Jack shoved a spear through his face.

That only seemed to piss the demon off, though. While impaled on a spear, Kog’Thakan snapped and growled and hissed to get his teeth around Jack. ”I’ve been eaten before, once or twice. I’m told I taste like burnt rubber, so if anything, I’m doing you a favor by starving you, you poor thing.” Jack pulled his spear free of the ugly bastard’s face. He then gripped Kog’Thakan with his black, shadowy hand and warped it. The arm grew longer, and eventually, Kog’Thakan was ripped off Jack, who dangled him roughly seven feet away with a supernatural amount of strength in the arm.

”If you see Belasco on your way back to whatever pit you crawled out of, do tell him that the Stranger in the Moonlight is bringing his daughter home. Have a nice trip, and I’ll see you next fall.” Clearly possessed of great situational humor, Jack released Kog’Thakan from his grasp, and watched him fall to the ground far below. To more pressing matters, he quickly floated back up to the fray of combat where the rest of the demons were in active combat with Madalyne and Annika. He saw another one fall from the top and smiled to himself.

”Ladies and demons, it seems their weakness is gravity!” He proclaimed loudly, a few feet above the battlefield. as everyone present could clearly see his black arm wildly reel back into a normal shape, like a tape measure or a spool of wire. It would’ve been comical if not for the current situation. ”Now then,” He continued, pointing the weapon in his hand at the demons in a threatening, cocky manner. ”Which one of you hideous whelps wish to be thrown over the edge of the tower?!”

No one could accuse Jack of not being a snarky bastard when he felt like he had outwitted his enemies.

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Prudence was somewhat impressed that Edus didn't exchange barbs with her. Or perhaps he wasn't smart enough to challenge her? Either way, she allowed him to "take the lead" here. If there was danger, he'd get the brunt of it and they would be all the better. As she watched, the old woman spoke to her, asking her about her training.

This posed an interesting dilemma. Did she share her abilities with her new companions or keep them hidden? She trusted neither of them, though she opted to trust the old woman more. She couldn't summon her Lord here, which left her without many allies to call on.

In the end, she decided some information could be shared. "I work with curses and hexes. Twas not through training, but through my own efforts. Perfect use for them should anyone cross me." She gave Edus a pointed gaze. She would leave it there. Best not to share all of her secrets.

"I gathered you two know of each other before coming here. I cannot fathom how a wisened woman and....a younger man...would be friends. Pray tell how the two of you came to be?"

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Perhaps it is your resourcefulness, Carolina, that caused my spell to choose you. I do not understand it myself. Your magical ability is undeveloped and weak. If any of my successors were a mistake, it is you.

You rush forward into the maze, hoping to outpace the carnivorous plants behind you. But they are all around you. The boundaries of this horror are alive. As you run past them, more and more of the hedge wakes up, hungering for your supple flesh. I hope you have plenty of color pencils. You will be in need of them. The cloak of levitation tugs at you, trying to beckon you to go up into the sky. Perhaps there, you could spot your friends and rejoin them?

The hedges attempt to eat you again, but for now, you are able to outrun them. But eventually, you will tire... and then they will devour you whole, body and soul.



"Duh!" Ananym told Mads with a laugh. "There's tons of us - all of Limbo is crawling with demons. Don't you know that?" she then sniffed, her yellow eyes widening. "Woah, you have... a soul. That's so weird! Can I poke it?" Ananym asked. Not very many people in Limbo had souls. Ananym's father had once had one, I can unfortunately attest. As did most of the demons. Demons are not born in Limbo. They are shaped.

At Jack's arrival, the other demons started to scatter. They, it turns out, did not want to test this newfound weakness against gravity for themselves. Their eyes lingered on Ananym for a moment longer. She laughed. The demons made way for the staircase, planning on running down the impossibly high tower as fast as they could.

Ananym grabbed what looked like a slingshot. "I bet I can kill at least twelve, how many can you get, Jackass?" she asked. She loaded the slingshot with a strangely glowing red orb and took aim, planning on hitting the fleeing demons as they left. It was funny to her. The spiral staircase kept them from having real cover. "Are your friends here to play with us?" she then asked, looking at Mads and Annika.

You do not want to play her game. Your life depends on it.



The shadow makes no moves or designs on you. It simply lurks, waiting. The goblet in front of you seems to be beckoning, Edus, Prudence, and Runa. With each blink of your eyes, the fantasy plays out in front of you. You cut the throat of an innocent creature. You fill the goblet with blood. And as you drink, you are changed. You are transformed, transcending your mortal form into something far more. Steel yourself against this temptation.

The sound of a baby crying alerts you - it is coming from the entranceway of the mausoleum.

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They hardly seemed surprised at Edus' description of what was in front of them. Runa had killed too many sorcerers for their power to be shocked at blood magic. In fact, there was a time where they had considered specializing in it and taking it for their divinity. Ultimately, she had decided against it - it seemed too, as her late husband would have described, edgy.

"A self made witch. But yet, I sense a string upon you, one that will allow you to never glean your full potential," they commented. They appreciated that Prudence had clawed her way to where she was, that she hadn't had expensive tutors or books, that her own force of will had gotten her there. But Runa sensed something about the hex witch, something that they believed if severed would allow Prudence to go onto greater glory. It was one thing to channel power from another; it was another to channel the power of oneself.

"It is a dull tale, I am afraid, as to how we two met," Runa said. "But I shall tell it, as you two decide what to do with that which is at hand. I am too old for blood magic." She was curious as to the choice that would be made. She had a feeling she knew what Edus would do, but Prudence was an unknown. Perhaps she would take more power into herself. Or perhaps she would not.

"I met this one as a young maiden, in the old days of Midgard - but not yet old, in the way I am old. He was a brother in arms to my late husband, a shapeshifter who could harness the power of the sun. I accompanied my husband on many journeys, working my spells, and came to be acquainted with Edus in that way. He is a good man, as rare as that may be." They said all of this matter-of-factly, as if they had been recounting the items they had foraged in the woods a long time ago. They knew there were details that they had omitted that would be of interest, particularly to Edus, but they did not care.

She could see the vision, now, in her mind's eye. They would kill Edus again. They would fill the goblet with his blood. They would raise it to their lips and they would drink. The promise of power was simply an added benefit. They had long since been forced to consume others to survive. It would be no different than a snack.

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Watching the demons run away with their tails between their legs, Jack had half a mind to unleash the almighty Broken Comet on their heads just to know they wouldn't climb back up the moment he turned his back to them. Jack floated to the ground and laid a hand on Ananym's shoulder before she could fire one of those twisted spheres of hers. "We need to do something else right now, Ananym. These two are Annika and Madalyne. And this-" He turned to the two who joined him up here, "-Is Ananym. She is the daughter of a man named Belasco. I mentioned the Sorcerer Supreme of our world is dead currently, Belasco is the Sorcerer Supreme of this world." If Jack had a nickel for every Sorcerer Supreme he was personally familiar with, he'd have two nickels. That wasn't a lot, but it was more than one.

"Ananym, it really is great to see you. I know it's been some time, but I'm quite concerned that you're here and not with your father. Does he know you're here? Is he looking for you? And more importantly, did those demons hurt you in any way at all? Because I will scatter every last atom of their remains across the cosmos if they did." Jack threatened their collective demise with all the gentleness he had in his heart, but an equal amount of sincerity. "I wish we could've met under better circumstances, but-"

Something tugged at him from afar. Jack turned his eyes to some place in the liminal distance of Limbo's everchanging landscape. Whatever he was aware of held his attention for a few seconds, and it haunted him. Like the last trace of an echo he had heard too many times to ever forget for the rest of his days. A feeling of empty, hollow negative space.

It couldn't be...

"...Right now, we should all get away from here so we can talk in peace." He knew Ananym was terrifying in her own right and wasn't a frail, weak creature in need of protection, but Jack also knew that he himself was a protective man, unafraid of tearing someone to shreds for someone else's sake.

And that feeling did not bode well to him.

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Carolina looked around as more and more of the hedge maze started to come alive as more mouths started to open up and more of the vines trying to grab at her. Carolina continued to dodge and outrun everyone of them. She had a rather firm grip on the pencil in her hand just in case one of the vines made a grab for her again. "I really, really hate this place right now." Carolina said to herself as she started to feel the cloak tugging at her somewhat as if it was alive.

She had always thought that Strange's cloak was just there for looks, and maybe some magical enchantment, and always thought that Strange flew with just his magic alone or something like that. She really just wanted to get the hell out of the maze as soon as possible or at least try and find Max and Klara. She wasn't sure if the demon maze had gotten her friends, hopefully it didn't she didn't want to end up being alone in this place for to long.

Carolina could feel the cloak starting to lift her up into the air as she started to fly she started to get higher until she felt something wrapping around one of her ankles to try and pull her down. When she looked down it was one of those vines again, she grumbled to herself as she took the pencil in her hand and tried to stab it to get it to let go of her again only for it to snap in two. "Damnit." Carolina said to herself, as she used the cloak and quickly started to fly faster the vine eventually gave way and she was finally free from it's grasp. Carolina flew a bit higher to try and find Klara and Max, it took her a little while but she managed to find them both and quickly descended to the ground once more. She glared at the two of them feeling really annoyed and irritated for being left alone to be almost plant food.

"Okay setting some ground rules, do not get separated at all ever here." Carolina said glaring at them. "Also we need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible." Carolina said as she turned to look at Max. "Can you conjure up some a few swords or machetes, the plants here are very much alive and I almost got fucking eaten by the hedges here."

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Madalyne stared at Ananym as the little demon girl seemed to be very interested in touching her soul and shook her head slightly, one thing she knew about Limbo is to never trust a demon here ever even if Ananym was a little girl. "I don't think that is a very good idea." Madalyne said, as the demons quickly started to flee and headed back into the tower from where they came from most likely she shook her head slightly and sighed a bit. "I meant were there anymore that were trying to attack you?" Madalyne asked Ananym, she took out their leader which was a good thing and probably the main reason why the rest of the demons had fled.

Madalyne turned her attention towards Jack as he came back down to join them it seemed that Ananym, and Jack knew each other which she wasn't sure that was a good thing or not really. ]"This Belasco can be trusted then?" Madalyne asked Jack looking over at him maybe he could send them all back to where they came from originally which she hoped would be right.