There was an eerie wind that passed outside Caitlyn’s window, its wispy tendrils creeping inside her room and bringing with it an ominous feeling of woe.


    It was the cold’s fault. Her room felt cold. Too cold. No matter how hard she bundled in her bed cover, its icy touch seemed to reach her still. They were high in the mountains so it was to be expected after all, but her dad assured her that this expensive cabin came with a wonderful heating system. That was before he spent an hour the first day they got there fiddling with the basement generator getting the electricity on.


    It wasn’t this cold the last couple days. She thought as she got out of bed and shuffled towards the heater in her fluffy slippers. Is this thing broken again?


    “Whatcha doin’ Cat?” A quiet childish voice came from the other bed in the room.


    “Niko! Why aren’t you sleeping right now?” Caitlyn whispered to her sister as she turned the knob on the heater. Then she gave it another quiet punch but to no avail, the apparatus remained stone cold with no indication of any change.


    “Its really cold…” Nikolai answered.


    “Yeah... I feel the same. This thing might be broken, gonna have to ask dad tomorrow… skooch, we’ll warm each other up.” She said, putting a knee on the bed.


    “What’s it like outside..?” Nikolai asked, still seemingly concerned.


    “Just very windy, snowing really hard. Maybe we’re in the middle of a blizzard!” She said, chuckling as she wrapped herself in the blanket and pushing herself against her smaller sibling.


    “Stop it Caaaat, you’re scaring me. I’m scared enough…” Nikolai said, hugging her tight and burying her face into Caitlyn’s shoulder.


    “C’mon Niko you’re a big girl, you’re seven now, can’t be scared of a lowly snowstorm! Think of all the fun stuff we’ll do in the snow tomorrow.” Caitlyn said, trying to reassure her.


    “And you’re thirteen and you’re still scared of insects...” She said, pouting.


    “There’s a difference. Insects disgust me, they don''t really scare me. Besides, there’s no reason to be afraid of a snowstorm or a blizzard Niko. We’re safe inside here. Nothing to worry about.”


    “Except the cold…” Her sister grumbled.


    “Except the cold… but that''s more so the heater’s fault.”


    The two sisters sat in silence for a bit, wrapped in the other’s warming embrace. Caitlyn gave her sister a gentle scratch on her head, which seemed to provoke a pleasant reaction. After a while however, Nikolai added another small comment.


    “There was something else though... Not just the snowstorm…”


    “What’s wrong?” Caitlyn asked, still staring at the ceiling.


    “I had a bad dream… you know, like I have before.”


    “Aww, Niko…”


    “I’m scared that someone’s gonna hurt us Cat…”


    “No one’s gonna hurt us Nikolai, especially not you. That’s my job as your big sister. I''ll never let anyone hurt you, as long as I’m here, I promise you.” Caitlyn said, giving her sister a tight squeeze. “I love you sis, I’d die for you. But now please get some sleep.”


    Nikolai seemed greatly upset, shoving herself in the other direction away from Cat. “Its not about me… but you don’t listen to me ever.”


    “What’s it about then?” Caitlyn asked.


    “Its about you. I dreamt someone’s gonna hurt you…”


    The worried chill that shot through Caitlyn’s spine did not come from the cold of the room. She chuckled, realizing that she needed to show no weakness in that moment. “Don’t be silly Niko. You know how mom and dad are super strong? I’m just as strong as they are! After all, I have to take over when they can’t fight anymore, no? So don’t worry, if anyone tries to hurt me I’ll make sure they regret it!” She said with confidence in her voice, and just a slight trembling hint of doubt underneath.


    Nikolai was silent. Caitlyn then had an idea, getting up from the bed. “How about we go sleep with mom and dad downstairs today? I can hear the TV still on so maybe they’re still up. Maybe they can’t sleep either and we’ll just have a family all nighter.”


    Nikolai turned around and nodded, her face lighting up at the thought. Caitlyn smiled happily at her. It was her usual wide, toothy grin, a beaming smile that reassured her sister every time, and made her want to smile back in the same way. Caitlyn reached over to her and grabbed her glasses, placing them on her nose, before slowly opening the door to their room. A loud metallic creak risked being heard, but Caitlyn stopped moving the door in time. Nikolai followed closely behind her, still wrapped in her blanket. The two sisters slowly inched their way across the silent corridor and down the stairs, where the faded blue-ish light of the television filled the room. Their mother, Aliliana Devilsbane, waited below.


    “What are my two little girls doing out of bed at this hour, hmmm?” She pondered aloud, making the two sisters wonder how she knew they were coming.


    Their mother was a gorgeous woman in her youth, but the scars of battle and age had taken their toll on her beauty. Her flowing jet black hair was bundled up into a ponytail that flowed over her left shoulder. An old, deep gash ran across her left cheek, over her rough lips and down her chin. Similar gashes and scars could be seen on her shoulders and neck. But their existence could not quench the fiery spark in her eyes. Eyes that were alight with hope and happiness at the sight of her daughters.


    “How?” Caitlyn was the first to speak. “We were extra quiet this time!”


    “Hehehehe.” Their mother giggled to herself. “I got sharp ears, still got a ways to go before you can sneak up on me. Come on, its cold out tonight, get in bed, quick!”


    Both sisters needed no further invitation, as both rushed on either side of their mother, quickly cuddling under her arms. This bed seemed a lot more pleasantly warm to both of them.


    “Where’s dad?” Nikolai asked.


    “He went out first to see if he could fix the gen, now he’s gone to get some wood from the shed. See if we can get the fireplace going.”


    “What are you watching mom?” Caitlyn then took her turn asking.


    “Just some sappy rom-coms. You know your mom’s a sucker for love.” She cooed, giving both of them in turn a smooch on the forehead.


    The trio then spent time idly chatting away before being ensnared by an intriguing plot on the television. Time seemed to pass by slowly. Caitlyn turned to her younger sister, who was soundly sleeping with her head on her mother’s shoulder. Her eyelids were closed shut, but a strange twitch seemed to open them for just a second.


    “Hey mom?” She asked quietly.


    “Mmhm?” Aliliana moaned.


    “I was wondering, how come you and dad both have brown eyes but me and Niko have blue?”


    “Hehe, well, the boring answer is genetics.” Aliliana chuckled. “But I prefer another answer.”


    “What is it?”


    “Mm, let me tell you a story.” She began, standing up a bit, careful not to awake the little one. “When I first met your father, it was… difficult for me to imagine having a family. But over time, that was something I began desiring. That’s when the first obstacle came.”


    Caitlyn listened intently as her mom brushed her hair with her fingers, playing with her braids.


    “I… couldn’t get pregnant. We tried for a few years and… it just was not working out. I was angry. I thought this was God’s punishment for… you know Cat, all I’ve done. All I’ve had to do. All that I am. So...“ Aliliana sighed, her voice trembling with emotion. “So I prayed. I prayed to God. I begged for forgiveness. I begged him for mercy and for a daughter. I remember, heh, I remembered that I pleaded for a daughter with eyes as blue as the clearest sky.”


    Caitlyn hugged her mom tightly, looking up at her and smiling. A tear began forming in the corners of her crystalline blue eyes.


    “And then..?” She asked.


    “And then… I had you. And I was happy forever more. But God had another surprise for me, as six years later… I had your little sister here.” Aliliana said, giving Nikolai a gentle headpat. “He answered my prayers twice, hehe. I was so happy… I was gifted two daughters with eyes kissed by the sky. I realized then why it happened that way. Caitlyn, you and Nikolai are the rays of sunlight shining in my sky. The sun must rise, and it must set. You are the beautiful twilit sunset, and Nikolai is the beautiful golden sunrise.” She said, wiping away Caitlyn’s tears, before her own.


    “That’s… a very nice story.” Caitlyn said, unsure of what exactly to say. “Thank you mom.”


    “I heard what you said upstairs to Nikolai.”


    “I hate your hearing. You heard that as well?”


    “Hehe, yeah. I’m glad to hear that you’ll protect your sister, no matter what happens.”


    “But what if… I’m not strong enough? I’m not fearless like you. I’m scared, always scared of not being good enough.”


    “I’m not fearless Caitlyn, I’m always afraid. Afraid I might one day fail and harm would come to you or your sister. But, I force myself to overcome that fear and let it push me onward. It pushes me to fight even harder for my family.” Aliliana laughed to herself. “One day, you will take after your father and I. Our mantle will be yours. The Jawbone, my halberd will be yours, and you will use it to keep the innocent safe from the horrors of the night, as I have.”


    “How can I possibly live up to you and dad? How… Do you think I’ll be able to? Be as powerful as you are, that is?”


    Aliliana flicked her daughter’s nose, causing her to flinch back. Caitlyn’s cheeks turned a deep red. “Stop doubting yourself. You’ll be even stronger. There’s a power within you greater than even mine. You’ll discover it one day, when you need it most. Me and your father are proud of you, and forever will be, always remember that.”


    “A power that strong huh…?” She mumbled, rubbing her nose. Her eyes drifted to her sister, and Caitlyn thought for a second she caught her awake. Whatever it is, as long as I can use it to keep her safe, it’ll be enough. She thought, while another quiet realization washed over her thoughts. “I can only hope you’re right mom… hey speaking of you and dad… where’s dad? The shed shouldn’t be that far away.”


    Aliliana froze solid for an instant. The realization hit her like a sledgehammer, and the sudden shift in demeanor could be seen in her eyes. Silent like a cat she pulled the covers off of her and jumped out of bed over Nikolai, careful not to wake her.


    “Mom?” Caitlyn asked again with a gulp, the howling wind outside loud in her ears once again.


    “The shed shouldn’t be that far away… I’m sure its nothing.” She said as she quickly shut off the TV and dressed herself. “Maybe he got lost on the way back because of this storm. Take your sister upstairs, quietly please, and wait for me here. Don’t. Leave. The house. Until I get back, Understood?“ She said, her voice unusually cold.


    Caitlyn nodded. She was afraid, but resolute. She quickly bundled up her sister and took her up the stairs. Behind her she could hear the front door in the hall slammed shut as her mother quickly left. Caitlyn took Nikolai to their room, and put her in her bed. She stood for another few moments, watching her sister sleep peacefully with a smile on her face. But then worry crawled in her mind like the cold in her bones. She went back downstairs, hoping to pass the time with some more television. The moment she pressed the power button on the remote however, nothing happened.


    “The hell?” She thought, as she kept mashing down the button, but the screen above the fireplace remained black, her reflection staring back at her.


    Caitlyn rushed over to a light switch and began flicking it, and similarly, nothing was happening. There was no electricity in the house.


    Perhaps… something wrong with the electric panel? She thought. Caitlyn then rushed to the fireplace, taking one of the iron fire pokers and making her way to the basement. She first made her way down the ground floor hallway, and then through the basement door hidden behind the kitchen. Then, Caitlyn steeled herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, before plunging into the dark stairway below. Step by step, she made her way further down and down. But when she reached the bottom, there was nothing waiting for her there. Only a humming generator outside, a row of laundry washing machines, and a bunch of old junk. She wandered around for a bit, fiddling with the electric switches in the hopes that maybe it would magically turn on.


    Maybe… the storm knocked out the generator? But shouldn’t it be safe against the weather…? She thought to herself, but before she could come to a proper conclusion, there was a massive crashing upstairs. The sound of glass shattering reverberated all the way down to her. Fear was the first emotion that gripped Caitlyn. Her body froze, and her mind screamed at her to go, to move, to act. But her muscles would not obey. Her body trembled as a bead of sweat dripped down her temple.


    Go Caitlyn, you have to go, now! Why… Why aren’t you moving?


    Then, the words of her mother flooded back, echoing in her mind.


    Protect your sister, no matter what happens.


    She was afraid, yes, but she had to be brave, braver than she’d ever been before. Her heart nearly thumped out of her chest. But Caitlyn grit her teeth, tensed her muscles and like a coil wound too tightly, finally unleashed herself, unshackling from her fear. She rushed from the basement and up the stairs. Her hands curled around her iron weapon as she made her way into the main room of the house. There, she saw two hideous creatures in front of the now shattered windows.


    They were mutated abominations, an unholy mix of hellish bat and hound. Their front legs were hooked claws leading into leathery wings all the way to their backs. Vile rows of teeth and mouths seemed to protrude from everywhere on their bodies, their putrid tongues sticking out. One of their dobermann-like dog heads snapped towards Caitlyn, smelling the fear in the air. It screeched, its howl like metal scratching against bone, before lunging towards her with fangs bared.


    “Kryaaah!” Caitlyn screamed, swinging the iron bar with all her might and smashing the beast on the side of the head with it.


    It was not nearly enough, not yet. The dazed creature shook its head and prowled around Caitlyn, snarling as it waited for its chance. Caitlyn kept her eyes on it, taking care of the other that was sneaking to attack from her blindspot.


    “Come on you mangy shits!” She screamed once more, deciding to strike first.


    She rushed towards the one she already hit, and swung her weapon towards it, but the beast was faster this time. It avoided the full brunt of her blow, allowing Caitlyn to stab it in the shoulder while it snapped towards her with its claws. Caitlyn quickly blocked one with her poker, but the second claw sank right in her leg below the knee, tearing a chunk of flesh and muscles.


    “Ghhhk-ghaaaa!” She yelled in pain, but as she did, she shoved her poker further into the creature’s spine, incapacitating it for the time being. Before she could even finish the kill however, the second beast jumped on her back, sinking its claws in her shoulders and biting her head with a wicked snarl. Caitlyn thrashed about, trying to pry the beast off of her before it could crush her skull. She slammed into a wall, and then another, she tried ripping it off with her arms, but she could barely move them. Panic, fear, and pain began clouding her sight and mind. She stumbled back and forth, terrified.


    Out of nowhere came a scream from above. It was a powerful, gut wrenching scream of agonizing pain. For a moment, the world was frozen still around Caitlyn. But then, like a crashing wave of fury and rage bubbling from within, a savage scream burst out of her. Her newfound adrenaline was still not enough to tear the beast from her back, but there came a glint of hope. The iron gates of the firepit. Caitlyn rushed forward with all of her might, fueled by her fiery fervor. She jumped into it, turning with her back towards the gate, and falling onto the iron spikes with her unwelcome aggressor beneath her. The beast let out a gurgled mewl as the spikes burst through the back of its neck and skull, finally letting go.


    “Haa, haa… haah...” Panted Caitlyn as she crawled away from the beast, blood dripping down her neck. She couldn’t even catch her breath however as the other one jumped her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled to push it off her, but its jaws ripped towards her giving her no space.


    In a flash, its claw stabbed directly through her glasses, down straight into her open left eye. The hook-like talon tore into her eyeball as the beast snarled and howled down at her, biting into the arm she used to defend herself. The agonizing, unimaginable pain she felt manifested into a throat-ravaging scream. Her howling echoed throughout the entire house, and even beyond that.


    N-no! I can’t die here, not now! She screamed in her thoughts. I REFUSE!


    Caitlyn fueled that immense pain into her bulging, trembling muscles. The fury of life pumped through her veins. She wrestled the beast off of her by letting its teeth-filled jaw clamp down on her arm and then using the opening to grab the beast by the neck. With new-found strength, she lifted the beast with one arm and slammed it against the stones of the firepit, stunning it. Without skipping a beat, she lunged for her poker and began violently stabbing the beast, again, and again, and again.


    “GrrraaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! DIE! DIE YOU FUCKING DOGSHIT FUCKERS DIE!” She unleashed her frenzied battlecry, as she stabbed both of the monsters for certainty. Showers of sticky, oozing blood shot all over her face and body. The floor pooled with blood and guts, ripped flesh drifting in the liquid. She kept stabbing and slicing and beating the mangled bodies until she slipped and fell back. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Caitlyn took only a moment in stunned shock before she remembered the scream from earlier. She rushed to her feet, but her leg was badly wounded, and she collapsed almost instantly. There was something else as well. She couldn’t see. With a trembling hand, she touched her right eye under her glasses.


    N-no, this one’s fine… what is…? She thought, before the realization set in that she also couldn’t breathe. There was something missing. The overbearing cold was gone, and there was an uncomfortable warmth surrounding her. Smoke clouded her view but between the gray wisps she could discern bright orange flames. Caitlyn realized the cabin was ablaze.


    “Nikolai!” She screamed, as she rushed as fast as she could towards the stairs, stumbling up them and making her way to her sister’s room.


    She tried opening the door, but it was not budging. The wooden cabin was rapidly collapsing around her and each second without air was making her dizzier and dizzier. With a three step runup, she slammed her unwounded foot into its lock to get it open. She succeeded. Nikolai’s room was even more alight with fire. Massive pieces of wood had collapsed from the ceiling, blocking the doorway and creating a deathtrap within. But worst of all, flaming chunks fell directly on Nikolai as she slept, pinning her on the bed. Her left arm and leg were trapped against the planks of scorching hot, burning wood, most likely from her futile attempts to escape.


    “C-CAITLYN! H-HELP ME! HELP, HELP PLEASE!” She yelled with all the air her lungs could carry.


    Caitlyn ran through the flames to the bed as fast as she could. Once there, she dug her fingers straight into the searing piles of wood without a second thought, grabbing as many as she could and pulling them off her sister.


    “Gah-GAAAHH!” Caitlyn shouted as she threw the burning piles as far away as she could. She lingered for a moment looking at her burnt, blistering palms. But that pain was immeasurable to the soul-rending pain she felt seeing what had happened to her dearest little sister. Her entire left side was horribly disfigured, some parts burnt almost black. Tears and blood streamed down her cheeks.


    “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry... I’m so sorry.” Caitlyn kept repeating over and over, as she reached down and grabbed Nikolai with her arms. The little girl cried against her neck, her sobbing barely audible beneath her shallow breaths.


    “It… hurts…” Was all she could muster.


    “I’ll get you out Nikolai… caghk… try and hold… your breath!” Caitlyn said between the chokes and coughs.


    True to her word, she rushed back to the hallway as fast as she could. The second she stepped out however, an all too familiar snarl came from behind her. She turned for a second and saw more of the wicked hellbats prowling, untouched by the flames. Caitlyn almost jumped down the whole flight of stairs, as one of the monsters lunged just barely over her head. The beast followed quickly after her. A swift kick incapacitated it just enough for her to run away. But Caitlyn was surrounded by flames and teeth, there was nowhere to run. She was on the verge of collapsing from lack of oxygen, and couldn’t think of where to go, or how to escape. She clutched her sister tightly in her arm, as she fended off the trio of hounds with just a plank of burning wood.


    “I’m sorry.” She whispered to her one last time as death closed in on her.


    One of them howled and charged straight for her. But its head never found its mark as a shadow flew past her eyes slamming the creature out of its path. Without hesitation, the smoky shade put its hands inside its mouth and ripped its jaws apart, its whimpering wail dying along with the pulpy squelch. The smoke obscured the shadow as it lunged for the other two, beating them with its bare fists, punching holes through their rib-cages and tearing them limb from limb.


    “GYYYYAH!!” It screamed. Caitlyn recognized the voice and was filled with hope.


    “MOTHER!” She screamed back.


    For only a moment, the smoke subsided and Caitlyn saw her mother. She was drenched in blood, even more-so than she was. Blood poured from her mouth and from the countless wounds on her body. Half of the skin on her face was ripped off, revealing muscle and bone underneath. There was no time for even the briefest moment of recollection, no time for apologies or even so much as a hug. The front door began thumping violently before the intruders. Aliliana rushed like a blur, slamming herself against it as a blockade.


    “GO CAITLYN, OUT THE WINDOW!” She yelled at her daughter, spurring her to action.


    Caitlyn obeyed almost on instinct, rushing towards the window on the other side of the room. She hesitated for a moment, turning around and looking at her mother with tears in her eyes.


    “M-momma…!” Both she and the frail Nikolai called out.


    “I’m sorry girls.” Aliliana called out to them both as she pushed against the door with all the strength she could muster. “I’m truly sorry. I failed you both, I failed... Keep her safe for me Cat, please protect her! I beg you!” She looked at her daughters one last time, with tears of despair streaming down her face. “I love you both. I love you both so much. You two were the greatest thing to ever happen to me... My sunlight... Now GO!”


    Caitlyn turned and jumped through the shattered window, as Nikolai’s faint scream for her mother and the sound of the cabin collapsing behind her echoed in her ear. Without looking back, Caitlyn ran away from the smoldering cabin into the darkness of the woods. The blizzard and wind pelted her from every angle, but nothing could stop her from running. Caitlyn ran wildly through the forest, staying as close to the mountain cliffside as she could without risking falling off. Who knew what the depths of the forest could be lurking with? Eventually, she slowed down from fatigue and the pain in her leg, but kept walking onward. Nikolai trembled in her arms, and she desperately tried keeping her warm.


    “I-it w-will b-be okay N-N-Nikolai.” She told her as her teeth chattered. “W-we’ll f-ff-find the road soon.”


    Thankfully, Nikolai had a small blanket wrapped around her, but she had nothing. Her clothes were barely protecting her skin anymore, ravaged as they were by the attack and flames. She only had some socks keeping her feet from the cold, and even they got soaked by the snow almost immediately. Yet still, Caitlyn kept walking, facing the ice of winter head-on.


    But what she saw some moments later made her fall to her knees. Her eye went wide at the horrible sight. She clasped her right hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Then, she clutched Nikolai’s head, keeping her eyes firmly against her shoulder. Caitlyn could not stop herself from sobbing quietly, and her sister could tell something was wrong.


    “D-don’t… Don’t look, Nikolai.” She whispered.


    Before them, nailed high on the bark of the trees in front was her father’s, Emmanuel Isaga’s head. A rusted iron nail was driven through his forehead, between his eyes. To the left and right of it, on the other trees, were his limbs and torso. His bright red blood stained the snow that clung to the trees. His entrails and clothes were seen arranged in an unhallowed formation on the cold ground with unrecognizable runes and marks drawn in blood on the snow.


    “There shouldn’t have been any survivors.” Came an ominous, sulphurous voice. A figure emerged from behind one of the trees, cloaked in the darkness of the winter night. It was a man wearing a strange necklace and a spotless tan suit that contrasted the bronze color of his wild hair. His green eyes pierced through the cold and dark directly into Caitlyn’s mind, filling her with dread. He wiped his bloodied hands with a handkerchief and continued: “Do you like it? Not my finest work, but I needed someone to summon all those forsaken souls and I was pressed for time.”


    Caitlyn rushed to her feet instantly. She bolted to her left, past him, running as fast as she could. She did not entertain even the slightest conversation with whoever the man was.


    “I wouldn’t run that way if I were you…” He melodiously taunted, not even moving to follow them. Instead, he only pulled out a match and a cigarette. He held the cigarette between his fingers and struck the match against his coarse black tongue, lighting it.


    Caitlyn ran, her feet and muscles aching with pain and frostbite. But she had to run, she had to use whatever strength she had left to keep her sister safe at all costs. The road would be her salvation, she just had to find the road. A clearing loomed in front of her.


    Could it be? Caitlyn thought as she ran into it, past the tall pines. She almost fell off the side of the mountain. A massive yawning chasm stretched before her, piles of snow from her feet falling gently into that abyss. This opening proved to be nothing but a false hope, as the second she turned around, the strange man was behind her blocking her retreat.


    “I did warn you…” He said, puffing from his cigarette. He seemed unaffected by the cold or the wind, despite his lack of appropriate attire.


    “Y-you did this… You’re r-responsible. You killed them…” Caitlyn spat at the man.


    “Ohoho. So angry. So vicious. So perspicacious too. I can practically feel Samson’s old blood boiling within you.” He laughed at her. “My name is Azazel. I do not know your names, care to share?”


    “F-fuck yourself.” Came her reply.


    Azazel chuckled. “You know, I must say. What surprises me most is seeing that the Devilsbanes had not one, but two daughters. Guess my intel was not as good as I thought.”


    “I will kill you if you t-touch her.” She said, backing up against the precipice.


    “Oh no. Well in that case I’ll just have to kill you first.” He stared at her with a wide grin and a wild glare in his emerald eyes. Despair gripped Caitlyn at the sight of them. A horrific evil seeped into the bones, more powerful than the cold itself. “Once I’ve slit your throat nice and well, I’ll take the little brat and feed her to the dogs. They must be hungry, and I’m sure your pathetic whore of a mother was not enough to satiate them. All the while, I’ll make sure to have fun with your corpse, ripping it apart as I see fit. How does that sound, hmmm?”


    Hate. Boiling hate and rage was all that Caitlyn could feel right now. The hate and anger towards him was more intense than the fear she felt due to his presence. Had she had the chance in the moment she would have ripped him apart with her nails and teeth alone. But she was trapped. Her sister trembled, wounded and terrified in her arms. Jumping down the mountain would mean certain death for both of them. She had to think of a way out, fast. But all her senses were failing. The battle, the fire, the cold, had all taken their toll on her. She was on the verge of death herself. How could she fight her way out of this?


    No. I cannot. But maybe… just maybe… I can give her the chance to escape. Caitlyn thought, resigning herself to her fate.


    “Nikolai.” She whispered to her sister, placing her on the ground. “L-listen to me very carefully. I will give you an opening. Y-you have to take it and r-run Nikolai.”


    “C-Cat!” She cried softly, clutching the blanket with her mangled limb.


    “I know. I know it hurts Nikolai, but you have to be strong. Please, you have to live!” She begged her sister. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around her, giving her the tightest hug she could. Her tears dripped onto her. “Please, I love you. Please.” She said, sobbing.


    Nikolai nodded gently back at her, still clutching to her hand. “I l-love you too! D-don’t leave me please...” She said as she rubbed the tears from her eyes.


    “I won’t.” Caitlyn lied, smiling the same beaming smile she had earlier. This time however, there was a noticeable amount of aching grief in her eyes. “I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”


    “What’re you two plotting there?” Azazel taunted with a smirk. “Still think there’s a way out? Come nicely and maybe I’ll kill you both quick at least. No promises for later though...”


    Caitlyn clenched her fists and rushed straight for him. Her eyes shone with her determination and undying will. She just had to stop him, delay and distract him long enough for Nikolai to escape. Azazel did not even react, or dodge her strike. He let her punch him square in the jaw, flinging his cigarette in the snow.


    “Aww.” He said, sounding incredibly bored and just mildly annoyed. “That was my last one.”


    Caitlyn wound up another punch but he caught her fist with his hand, his other striking and clutching her by the face.


    “You think I can’t tell what you’re planning, you annoying little brat?” He said, using her own curled up fist and slamming it into her face. She fell on the snow with a quiet thud, but she was still conscious. Azazel turned to her sister who rushed past him into the woods. Caitlyn kicked him in the shin, forcing him to focus on her.


    “Alright, I’m sick of you.” He grunted, kneeling down on her chest and lashing his arm into her neck.


    His grip tightened around her windpipe. The black sky above seemed to darken over her entire vision. She choked and spat blood, clawing at his hand and chest, but his strength was beyond hers. But just then, salvation came as Azazel let go of her. Something had hit him over the head, distracting him just enough for him to let go of her. Caitlyn saw Nikolai behind him with a terrified expression on her face, her hands wet with snow..


    “You little fu-” He began, but did not get to finish.


    Caitlyn could not let this single chance go to waste. She launched herself from the ground, straight into Azazel’s chest, and drove both of them off the cliff. The moment of time froze as the ground was no longer beneath her feet. For that brief second, she turned back and looked at her sister, and smiled.


    Goodbye, Niko… I only wish I could have been your sister longer.


    Caitlyn did not feel the fall. She woke up on the icy ground below some short while later. Her body was mangled, contorted, and broken. She could no longer feel her arms, nor anything below the waist. Blood poured from her head, from her nose and mouth. Her organs felt misaligned, or even completely burst. Painful spasms and twitches shot through her body, amplifying the pain of the countless broken bones that pierced out from their joints and through her skin. She gasped for air, unable to breathe, unable to think, unable to see. There was nothing but pain. Her entire body ached with unending agony, but the unnatural cold numbed it all, keeping her alive just a moment longer.


    “God... damn it!” Came the dreaded tone of Azazel’s angered shout from somewhere close. To her, it was a drowned noise, one she could barely hear. “I just got this suit too… there you are, you bitch…” He seemed to say. “Still alive heh? You’re lucky. Your little stunt might have saved that other bitch, but don’t think I forgot about you.” He shouted, followed by a metallic clink from his direction.


    “H-heh.” Caitlyn gurgled a single bloody laugh. It did not matter what he did to her anymore, she fulfilled her purpose, and allowed her sister to escape. Caitlyn could only pray that Nikolai would live on.


    An object landed on her back, and with it a strange heat. Azazel’s footsteps seemed to move away from her, and the heat began to spread over her body. She accepted herself to her fate, allowing the flames to consume her without struggle. Caitlyn took her final breath.


    Warm… at last… Were her last thoughts before darkness swallowed everything.


    Caitlyn did not expect to ever wake up again. But alas, this world needed more from her. It had not taken enough, not yet. Thus, she woke up an unknowable time later, screaming in death. Caitlyn opened her eyes and found herself in a very different yet eerily similar place. She looked around, startled and panicked. The pain was gone, all of it. A strange relief washed over her knowing her body was partially back to normal. Her vision still came only out of one eye. She inspected her surroundings. The mountain was gone, and in every direction stretched an endless snowy plane clouded by nightfall. The blizzard still pelted her skin, but the cold was abated, no longer as chilling.


    “What the hell?” She said aloud.


    “No. Not quite.” Echoed a deep voice from behind her. It was an unnatural sound that froze the blood in her veins. Caitlyn did not react, she only watched with one eye as a pitch black shadow stretched over her. “You’ve suffered horribly, haven’t you little one?” It continued


    She spun around rapidly, crawling back away from the figure. Towering high above her, Caitlyn saw a being, cloaked by a cape of mist and shadow. Her silver boots shimmered spectrally against the snow. The gray armor she wore covered her body and arms like an ethereal veil. But most striking of all, was the absence of any head coming from the high collar.


    “W-who… wh-what are you?” She mumbled, her voice trembling with fear.


    “They call me Lady Death. No need to introduce yourself to me, I’ve known you since you were born, Little Cat.” She answered.


    “Y-you’re Death? And y-you know me?”


    “I know every soul that is fated to meet me eventually.”


    “So… I’m… dead then.” Caitlyn said. The fact was something she had accepted in her mind, but not in her soul. The shock gripped her as she began sobbing loudly.


    “Shh… Do not weep, Little Cat. For you, you’re wonderfully… special.”


    Caitlyn quieted down, wiping her right eye. “What d-do you mean?”


    “Your duty in the mortal world is not yet finished. Should you accept, I will return you, I will guide you, I will teach you, and you will cleanse the world as I see fit for my grand purposes.”


    “S-should I accept? Accept what? I don’t understand. Return me? Y-you’ll bring me back to life?” She said, her voice alight with hope.


    “My dear, I will take something from you. Something of equal measure to the power and abilities I will gift you. Power that is locked away in your bloodline. I will bring you back, yes, and give you the chance to take vengeance on those that have wronged you and your family.”


    A single name sprung to the front of Caitlyn’s thoughts. An accursed name that filled her with cold, undying, hate and violent, maddened rage. Azazel.


    “Yes.” Lady Death continued. “I will allow you to chase him down and execute him as you see fit. Him, and the countless demons and monsters that plague your world.”


    “And in return...? You want something from me, don’t you?”


    “Yes. I want you to obey me when the time comes. Do not think of it as slavery, no chains or bindings will entrap you. I am merely... employing your services. You will repay me by assisting me in the fight for salvation and liberation.”


    The towering spectre leaned back, awaiting her response. As the seconds passed, she fluttered her cloak, and revealed something that was not there before. A specially formed case appeared, and an all too familiar black chestplate with golden edges on top of it. Caitlyn’s eye went wide.


    “T-this is, my mother’s armor!”


    “Yes, and beneath… This is your mother’s cello case. You already know what lies within, do you not?”


    “The Jawbone…” She said, barely a whisper.


    “The weapon that was meant to be yours. I will give you both of these artefacts that your mother could not before her passing. Consider it a present of good faith alongside my proposition. Do you accept?”


    My mom’s halberd… her duty in life… and also servitude… for who knows how long… Caitlyn''s thoughts raced, weighing the options of her choice. But the chance for revenge as well against the man that murdered me and my family… my family…?


    “I will accept…” Caitlyn began.


    Death leaned forward, reaching out with her gauntlet.


    “...On one condition.” She finished.


    Death’s hand snapped back to her chest, almost disappointed. “And what is that?” Her voice called out like shards of ice.


    “My sister, Nikolai. Save her. Allow her to live, unharmed, uncrippled, untouched by the cold, or the forest, or the flames. Those are my terms.”


    “Your love for your sister runs deep, Little Cat, quite deep indeed. Very well, I can spare as much. You have my word as Goddess of Death, your sister will live. No frost will touch her, no creatures of the woods will find her until she reaches safety and neither will hunger nor thirst. But the scars of the flames… those are beyond my powers to wash away entirely. Even I cannot undo time. She will bear them for the rest of her life. But if you accept, that life will be long and prosperous.”


    Caitlyn nodded, satisfied in the knowledge that at least she will live. I’m sorry I could not do more sis…


    “Lady Death, I accept!” Caitlyn said, her voice loud, and determined. “For my sister, For the memory of my parents, for the vengeance all demons will face by my hand, I will do whatever you ask of me.”


    “Huhuhu, the deed is done then.” Lady Death chuckled.


    “So now… take what you will from me.” Caitlyn said, closing her eyes.


    She reached gently over to the girl, placing the flat of her palm against her missing left eye. Death then whispered. “Caitlyn… a name that represents purity. I will keep the purity of your soul untouched. But I will take… your love. Your love for your family, for the world, for your sister. You will forget them along with your name, in time, and become mine. Now open both your eyes, and be reborn. Katherine... Devilsbane.”