《Ravenloft Chronicles》


 Intro

    I need to get out of here, Max Mercier thought to himself. Unfortunately, that was the easy part. Getting out of the house, leaving everything behind; his family, his friends, his life¡­ all of them were his. That was the hard part.


    He didn¡¯t blame anybody. Mostly because there was nobody to blame, and mostly because he didn¡¯t have the courage. Maybe that''s why his brother, Marvin, had left in the first place. All those years ago, when his brother left and didn¡¯t come back, he was sure that must¡¯ve been why.


    He was sickened, Max thought. This life was sickening.


    When Max had vanished from the traces of his room and out of his house, wearing his favourite light-yellow running shoes and a pair of headphones slung around his neck, he was sure he wasn¡¯t coming back.


    He had to contend with something important. Something that no one else could tell him, only himself. Perhaps that was when he knew that no one else could possibly save him.


    As Max ran past the nearby vending store, passing by the old-bend river, the old treehouse which he can see from his home, he was prepared. But being prepared wasn¡¯t enough. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Being prepared was having every box ticked, having every illustration for every path that you had dreamt of drawn. Max had none of that. He had a belief. Rather, a system of belief. And in that system of belief, there was a lie. A lie that he had told himself repeatedly, throughout most of his years and now seemingly catching up to him. A lie so big, that he believed in it.


    He was wrong. The lie was the truth.


    And the truth is that he will never be good enough.


    That was when the tears dripped along the cobblestone roads.


    Max ran with all his might, everything that it took. He was running for the shadows and from them, for the future and from them, for the past and from them.


    But he knew one thing was for sure: whatever he was, that was not it.


    Still, how can this be?


    As Max reached the silver gate that lead out into the woods of his town, he continued to trudge through it. His footsteps were light, no longer heavy, and there was a momentum and rhythm to it. It was like he had caught on fire, and using it as a torch to finally give him everything he needed to leave.


    That was it. All it needed for him to break.


    Max raced toward the silver gate. As he ran along the forests, the shrubbery and the dark shadows of trees that lined up around him, his feet hit a gentle rock.


    And in that split of a moment, Max flew forward, his eyes barely able to contain what he saw, and fell into the dirt right up ahead. His vision snapped.


    There was silence. Until a voice spoke.


    "Don¡¯t wake him like that! You¡¯ll snap apart the bond!"

 Awakening: 01

    Max slowly came to consciousness. His legs had been badly bent from the fall, and his eyes were pierced by the radiant light from the shimmering chandelier that hung up ahead. Before he could move a muscle, he felt a tight squeeze lift him up on his right shoulder.


    ¡°Goddamn!¡± the man cursed. He had carrying on one arm the young-looking Max, and on the other, a giant silverblade. He strolled forward, burly in size, giant in stature. ¡°Miss Ravenloft had better given me whatever the hell I want.¡±


    ¡°Wait up!¡± a girl cried from behind.


    Max swung around almost dead on the giant¡¯s shoulder. When his eyes managed to peek out properly, he could see, by way of which he was being carried, the woman that had followed behind.


    In blonde bob haircut, a perfect-sized yellow dress that flowed to her knees, and a humongous metallic shield fit for the medieval era. On it, was the markings of a dragon with torn-scales, breathing what seems to be fire in a flying position.


    ¡°What?¡± Max said. The girl looked up. She smiled.


    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± she said, running up ahead where Max couldn¡¯t see. ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± she said, again.


    ¡°Alright, alright! Damn¡­¡± the man said, trying to put Max down slowly. But instead of actually putting him down, the burly man threw him off like a soaked towel and Max flipped over, tumbling backwards into the floor.


    Max had his back slammed against the hard marble floor, his eyes once again back up on the ceiling.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he exclaimed. He could finally see some of his surroundings now, a little more closely than before.


    The lights around him burned a bright yellow. Distinct, casting a tremendous shadow from the walls down to the marble floors, tiles that snaked all the way throughout the hall that he was in. From where Max was, down on the ground that he lay, he could see a giant portal that stood magnificently by itself. Taller than him, like the height of a truck, the portal was now seemingly shut down, with no winds or any transformative energy ebbing and flowing from it.


    Was that where I came from? he thought to himself. The portal felt¡­ special.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± the girl yelled, rushing over to Max¡¯s first concern. ¡°You could''ve killed him!¡±


    The man sighed. He walked over to Max, who was lying down on the floor. The burly man wore a rather thin set of leather clothing, a giant pauldron that hung from his shoulders. On his back, pointing out downwards with a sharpened edge was a sword that threatened before the silver lights could have even be seen. The man also had a rather long beard, like a waterfall that spread out and down to his neck, but not as perfectly as he would have liked. Still, it was nicely trimmed, and that was enough.


    The man arched his back and snapped his fingers at him.


    ¡°What''s your name?¡± he asked Max.


    ¡°Max,¡± he replied with a stutter. ¡°Max Merc-¡±


    ¡°He''s not dead,¡± the man interrupted. ¡°Dead people don¡¯t speak.¡±


    Before Max could reply, the man had already walked away.


    The girl on the other hand, crouched forward and checked Max¡¯s thigh where the pain had come from when the burly man had thrown him.


    Now with a closer look, the girl had looked prettier than when he had seen her the first time when he was on the shoulders of the burly man. Somehow, with the bob haircut, it just seemed like she was just a normal girl, but with a weird past behind her.


    Wait, he thought to himself. Why am I thinking like this?


    On her hands, a faint green glow emanated like a cracked glowstick. She was hovering them over his legs. Max started backwards.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Max exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cure. You¡¯ll feel better after this, trust me,¡± the girl explained. A smile crossed her face. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, by the way. Name¡¯s Penny.¡±


    ¡°This does not explain anything at all.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Max felt, suddenly, like a tumor that was once there on his legs, slowly begin to go away, like the opposite of a tumor growing. Actually, it felt like he didn¡¯t even have one to begin with. And it all seemed to stem from the faint green glow on Penny¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What are you?¡± he asked, agasp by what he was watching.


    ¡°I told you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a doctor.¡±


    The burly man that had walked ten steps ahead returned to them.


    ¡°We need to move. Miss Ravenloft would want to meet a Detected.¡±


    Max¡¯s eyes passed from Penny to the man. Miss Ravenloft? Detected? Where in the world had he ended up in? He tried to remember about what happened, but from the running and before, everything seemed lost. There were a few things he remembered. His brother. His parents. Something about running away, mustering up the courage to do so. He didn¡¯t have it before. But now, everything that was there was somehow still there, except in all the wrong orders.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Max asked the burly man, who turned back to shoot him a blank stare.


    ¡°I¡¯m,¡± he said before stopping himself. ¡°Right, you¡¯ve never been here before. I¡¯m Markus. Change the ¡®k¡¯ where the ¡®c¡¯ once was and you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°Alright. And where am I?¡±


    ¡°You ask too much questions. Unfortunately for you, you¡¯re stuck in a place you don¡¯t belong, a place where you will never get out from, so here¡¯s two things I need you to get right,¡± Markus said. He held up the first finger. ¡°One, don¡¯t ask so much questions. It¡¯s good for us, good for any of your party members that will soon travel with you. And it¡¯s even better you don¡¯t start asking questions in front of Miss Ravenloft, do you understand?¡±


    Max didn¡¯t, but he nodded anyway. He wasn¡¯t going to risk a punch to the face, judging by the way that Markus had looked at him. It wasn¡¯t nice.


    Markus raised a second finger at Max. ¡°Two, you do everything we tell you to, until you don¡¯t.¡±


    Max couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Everything?¡±


    Markus sighed. ¡°What was my first point?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m going to ask questions anyway. I need to know certain things.¡±


    Markus nodded. He couldn¡¯t quite get it through this kid¡¯s head, but maybe time will get him working like clockwork. Time got it working for Penny, for him, and for the rest anyway.


    ¡°Get up on your feet. We¡¯re going to meet Miss Ravenloft now.¡±


    The glow on Penny¡¯s hands disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re fine. You should be able to walk.¡± She turned away.


    Max caught that small glimpse of beauty when she turned away. The way her hair moved, the way it just covered the right bases of her face. The way-


    Markus gripped his shoulders, and now Max was up and standing.


    ¡°Walk with me,¡± Markus said. ¡°We already took a long time doing nothing. Miss Ravenloft is expecting you.¡±


    Max nodded. He remembered certain things again, and one of them being to listen when you needed and to not question what you didn¡¯t want to know the answer to. But was that really the truth? To not know why he was here, in this dark-lit hallway with a blaze on the walls and a certain death looming overhead him?


    It was just like everyday, or the everyday that he used to know. Now it¡¯s no longer everyday, unless he decides to keep his mouth shut and keep walking.


    Keep walking, he thought. They may want something from you, he thought. But, what would they really want from me?


    Markus lead Max down a bunch of stairs until they finally came to a grand double door made of polished wood and silver handlebars. The double door was ornate in nature, but when Markus had walked toward it when he told Max to stand behind, a rough shimmer appeared. Markus closed his eyes and placed his hand, balled into a fist, into the door.


    The door snapped open. The shimmer flashed once, and the door pushed wide and inwards. The light inside shined like the sun, and all Max could see was a scarlet carpet that lined all the way up a bunch of smaller steps onto a throne. Beside the throne, was a woman in a black dress. The dress fit her tightly, or as Max said to himself, a little too tight. The woman walked over to a man that bowed at the foot of the steps.


    Markus pulled Max aside, his voice softened. ¡°Remember the two rules that I gave you.¡±


    Max nodded.


    Markus wasn¡¯t quite convinced. ¡°I need to hear you say it. Say that you remembered it.¡±


    ¡°I remembered it,¡± Max said, with no less conviction than he had when he found himself in another place entirely. He gulped as the three of them continued to walk towards this grand hall of a room.


    The woman placed a sharp grip on the man¡¯s neck. Her eyes turned white, and a dark presence that looked like a blight on her body slowly stretched out and consumed the rest of arm until it reached her fingers. Then it attached to the man¡¯s neck, crawling and wrapping around him.


    ¡°Please¡­ ma¡¯am¡­¡± the man could hardly speak with the tendrils pulling tighter and tighter. His eyes looked upwards, the light shining down on him. The woman smiled.


    ¡°Failure is never temporary,¡± the woman said.


    SNAP. The blight snaked its way back from the fingers, back under the sleeves of the woman. The man tumbled, the life force sucked out of him, tumbling down onto the floor.


    The woman took a deep breath and snapped her fingers. ¡°Guards,¡± she said, ¡°take this filthy sight away from me.¡±


    Two guards in heavy-plated armour rushed out from the sides of the hall, and carried the dead man away into a darkened room.


    ¡°Now,¡± she said, turning away and towards Max, Markus and Penny. ¡°What do we have here?¡± She grinned darkly at the trio.


    Max gulped. There she was, he thought. In all her dark, deceptive glory, there she was.


    Miss Ravenloft.

 Awakening: 02

    Max watched Miss Ravenloft. Her slick black dress tugged at her body like a suit of armour. Her eyes pierced through the hidden natures that veiled her interest of this meeting. But above all, Miss Ravenloft was something else.


    She had just killed a person. In cold blood. Or hot. Max didn''t quite know. He kind of did, yes, but this was a point he didn''t want to miss, a bend he didn''t want to get around with.


    Miss Ravenloft was a murderer. And she was now wafting, her black dress billowing out from under her legs, backwards, offering a deceitful grace but a powerful sweeping move. Max didn''t know that by simply having someone walk towards him by just a stride that invoked the darkest of presence could make someone be put under tremendous pressure.


    As Miss Ravenloft approached closer, Markus shot Max a remember what I told you look. Max gulped again. This was the second time today, and the last time he had gulped twice, he was in boiling trouble.


    Best to keep still, he thought to himself.


    ¡°This is it?¡± Miss Ravenloft said. She took a look at Max. Then another. Then up and down his body, onto his legs, his eyes. ¡°He is the Detected?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma''am,¡± Markus said, bowing down slightly.


    Miss Ravenloft smiled thinly. ¡°He looks a little¡­ too little, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°All the Detected we''ve had so far haven''t looked clean,¡± Penny said, clutching her hands close to her chest. ¡°But he is¡­¡± she paused to search for a word, ¡°better.¡±


    ¡°You healed him?¡± Miss Ravenloft glanced at Penny like she wasn''t there, like she didn''t deserve to be standing there with him. ¡°How do you know you wouldn''t have been transferred with any diseases?¡± Miss Ravenloft said.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Charmed by his looks? Or by his physique?¡±


    ¡°No, ma''am-¡±


    Miss Ravenloft stepped closer towards Penny. Now she was looking her dead in the eye. Her movements still. Like daggers, Penny could feel the pain before it had began.


    ¡°I''ve told you before. Remember the last time that happened? Just because you''ve lost everything doesn''t mean that there''s nothing out there for you. It just means that at this very moment, this isn''t what you want.¡±


    Penny nodded. She could feel the tears about to flow from the sides of her eyes. ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡±


    ¡°Remember Jason? Charmed. I don''t know what you see in him, clearly I don''t. But you attach yourself to him like a flea, like a performer to a trapeze. I''ve been there, Penny. You''re not the only one.¡± Miss Ravenloft used her fingers to push the short hair that she had behind her ears. It didn''t make her look better, it just made her look different. Max noticed this than he should.


    ¡°It will not happen again,¡± Penny said. ¡°I know my¡­¡± she paused again. ¡°Convictions. I promise.¡±


    Miss Ravenloft nodded. Finally something was getting through to young Penny, even if it took a little graduating of her adolescent ideas.


    ¡°I don''t need you to promise me anything. Promises aren''t made of gold, they never were.¡± Miss Ravenloft pushed the hair back on her other ear. Now, Penny was less flustered, looked a little more perfect. She wasn''t quite there yet, but Miss Ravenloft could see it forming.


    ¡°Now, I am in no need of you. There are other Detected I need you to fix up. Can you do that, dear?¡± Miss Ravenloft asked softly. Penny knew it was an order, not a request, and just because the way her volume was low didn''t mean to change the meaning in her voice.


    Penny nodded again.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Miss Ravenloft said. ¡°Now go.¡±


    Penny lowered her head and left towards one of the dark chambers that lead down from the hallway. Max watched her go. He didn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Now,¡± Miss Ravenloft said, turning to Markus, then to Max. ¡°We can finally get to work, can¡¯t we?¡±


    Markus nodded. He looked at Max, who didn¡¯t seem to move his head.


    Miss Ravenloft looked anticipatedly. Markus nudged Max.


    Max finally nodded.


    ¡°Max Mercier,¡± Miss Ravenloft said, then turning to walk back up the steps where her throne sat at the very top. ¡°I know all I need to know about you.¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    Max almost said, but Markus nudged him again. Max gave him a resentful look, then a Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have done this look.


    ¡°But the question isn¡¯t really about me, it¡¯s about you. It always has been. And today, the day you arrived here at the mansion, my mansion, is when you will know something very important, even more important than just being here,¡± Miss Ravenloft said, finally reaching the very top. She took a seat on her rightful throne.


    Max gulped. Not again. It was the third time now. He didn¡¯t like being told to, being told condescendingly to. He really didn¡¯t like most of what Miss Ravenloft said, and definitely not what she was going to say afterwards.


    ¡°You are nothing without me,¡± Miss Ravenloft said. ¡°And that is the truth.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Max stood there quietly. But the way that he stood quietly made Miss Ravenloft question if he was indeed not everything. Instead, he was nothing. Surely she knew which was worse.


    ¡°Are you a mute, Mr. Mercier?¡± Miss Ravenloft asked.


    Max cringed. He looked towards Markus, who nodded as in to give a greenlight to Max. He turned back to Miss Ravenloft.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. Nudge. Markus nudged him again. ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, correcting himself, unsure if that was the answer she was looking for.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s no good for me to have a Detected, man or woman, to be a mute, deaf, or any of those disabilities. I¡¯m not saying they don¡¯t have a place in this world. They do, just not in mine,¡± she explained. ¡°Plus, it makes it easier for when I send you on potential missions and you¡¯ve got to do what I tell you to. Or worse, you becoming a leader of your own and being unable to even speak to your own party members.¡±


    What? Max was in confused land. Miss Ravenloft noticed it about him.


    ¡°Do you have questions, Max?¡± she asked. ¡°Has someone told you to be quiet? Particularly so, right in front of me?¡±


    Max shook his head immediately. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s a new place. I don¡¯t know how to feel about all of this.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Miss Ravenloft said. ¡°Being unsure is good. Being regretful, being resentful, being anything other than trying to leave here thinking that you could with your legs still connected is not a foolproof plan. Raise me some questions then, Max.¡±


    Max searched his head for the questions he wanted to ask. Then he put them in a mental note, starting from the top priority to the last.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he asked.


    Miss Ravenloft chuckled. ¡°Markus, you didn¡¯t tell him?¡±


    Markus played along with a friendly tone in his voice. ¡°He awoke before we got here. To my memory, all the other Detected that came here didn¡¯t really get up until we got to the throne room,¡± he said.


    She nodded. ¡°Well,¡± addressing Max¡¯s question, ¡°you¡¯re in the Underworld. Out here, and out there, it¡¯s different. Very much different. Two-headed dogs. Three-headed even. Crows with beaks bigger than the front of a ship. Things are very different around here.¡±


    Max didn¡¯t understand. He was scared first, but he didn¡¯t understand anything that Miss Ravenloft was speaking. He didn¡¯t see any three-headed dogs or two-headed dogs, or any dogs at all, or crows.


    ¡°The Underworld is¡­ different?¡± he asked again, pegging the question in the way he wanted to ask.


    ¡°The Underworld is an alternative universe. It¡¯s the same, but not really. Everything you know, you still know, but there¡¯s things that are different. We¡¯ve got weirder things here, yes, but the economy, the politics? More or less the same. I¡¯m at the top, and you report to me for the most part. As long you do your job, quietly or spectacularly, then the only problem we¡¯ve got is how much you can keep this up.¡±


    Max nodded slowly. ¡°Then what about me? Why am I here?¡±


    Miss Ravenloft smiled. ¡°Dear, you¡¯ve been Detected. When you lose everything in that other universe, or the ¡®real world¡¯ as you probably call it in your head, you no longer have a part to play there. And that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. Do you understand?¡±


    No, Max thought. ¡°What is my part to play here?¡±


    ¡°You sure do ask a lot of questions. Maybe Markus you can answer this question,¡± Miss Ravenloft said.


    Max turned to Markus.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be going out there, kid,¡± Markus said. ¡°It¡¯s kill or be killed in the Underworld.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯d rather watch,¡± Miss Ravenloft said. Max glanced at her, knowing a little more than he would have liked, and then turned back to Markus.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you everything you needed. Armour, weapons, potions, shields, anything. But the most important thing isn¡¯t you anymore, it¡¯s about the things you will be getting, the people you will be¡­ taking. That¡¯s more important than you or your party members,¡± Markus explained. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to be here, kid, but you¡¯ve got to put your head on the line if it takes you to retrieve everything from a mission.¡±


    Markus revealed through his armour clothing, on his leggings, that his left leg had been replaced with a dark blight. It was like tendrils, scratching and crawling their way up from his lower limb to his torso, but somehow there¡¯s a curse that has been there to stop it.


    ¡°I did that,¡± Miss Ravenloft said. ¡°People need second chances. Max, this is your second chance.¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± Max said, watching Miss Ravenloft from the foot of the steps. ¡°What if I tell you that I¡¯m just not up to the task with what you expect from me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you aren¡¯t here for a lovely vacation, dear. You¡¯ll be here for good. At least, until you learn how to be what you need to be in every situation. And once that¡¯s done, perhaps I¡¯ll let you leave.¡±


    ¡°Leave?¡±


    ¡°Leave the Underworld. Return home, where people you¡¯ve disappointed are still disappointed in you. Where the home you left from is still a wreck. Where the friends you¡¯ve known aren¡¯t, in fact, friends at all. Max, these are things you¡¯ve left behind. You have nothing back home.¡±


    Max stood there silently. Miss Ravenloft was right. She wasn¡¯t just right, she was correct in every possible way.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m stuck here?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Not if you live in denial. Make something of yourself, Max. Show me you can be something more, show me some desire, some proof of living,¡± Miss Ravenloft said.


    Thudding footsteps came from one of the dark hallways. One of Miss Ravenloft¡¯s guards came rushing with sweat dripping down from his brows.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Ma¡¯am!¡± he called out.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Miss Ravenloft said annoyingly. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m in the middle of goddamn something?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but one of the Detected have found something. A contact.¡±


    Miss Ravenloft¡¯s eyes burned bright. ¡°A contact? When was this?¡±


    ¡°Around five minutes ago, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Useless fools! Take me to him, now.¡±


    Miss Ravenloft stood and climbed down the stairs. Almost forgetting something, she stared imperiously at Max.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you have yet to know, Max. But don¡¯t worry, time will get us there.¡± She turned to Markus. ¡°Get him whatever he needs for now. His first mission will be soon.¡±


    Markus bowed lightly. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As Miss Ravenloft disappeared following her guard into the dark hallway, Max could feel a presence sitting deep within him. He didn¡¯t like it, no, but this time, it seemed infinite and boiling, unlike before. He could always throw these feelings away, but this one was like a rock.


    No, he thought. A boulder.


    ¡°Come,¡± Markus said, grabbing Max by the shoulders once more. ¡°We¡¯re going to get you a compendium.¡±


    He lead him into a random dark hallway.


    ¡°Is there anyway to get back, Markus?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I had two rules, Max,¡± Markus said. ¡°I know when Miss Ravenloft asks, you can only accept. But right here, with only me, you only speak when I tell you to, get it?¡±


    They walked a fair short distance before Markus realized that the kid needed to know some things. Not just for the kid¡¯s soul, but for his too. It was what happened when he got here, and it was the least he could do for the kid.


    ¡°No,¡± Markus said. ¡°There¡¯s no way back. I¡¯ve been here thirteen years kid. Better get comfortable in the soiling of your boots.¡±


    Max gulped. This day went from worse to never, ever, ever getting better.

 Awakening: 03

    Max followed closely behind Markus. His body was going the way that he intended, right behind Markus, right behind possibly the only person he knew wasn¡¯t going to just outright kill him, dispose him right then and there and leave him with the dogs. Or at this moment, he wasn¡¯t sure if it would be dogs, or some kind of genetically-modified kind of dog. Two-headed dogs. Three-headed dogs. Max shuddered at the thought of it.


    Walking down along the path of the hallway where the dimly-lit walls barely provided any sense of direction didn¡¯t help to lift the unease that continued to bristle in Max¡¯s emotions. He had questions, boiling questions. All of them needed an answer right now, and unfortunately, at the top of his list, is whether he¡¯d even be able to survive being in this new place at all.


    The Underworld could eat him up. The Underworld could swallow him whole, crush him in between the gaps of its disgusting teeths, then spit him out whenever it wanted. That was the problem, as Max identified. He didn¡¯t really have a choice in all of this. It was go along or be killed, or be killed anyway and not return home¡­


    ¡°You should speak up now,¡± Markus said. Max turned to him, a little bit confused. Markus had been sending too many mixed signals, and he just wasn¡¯t sure if even he knew what he was doing with his new prisoner. ¡°Maybe speak up not in front of other people, or when I tell you to,¡± he explained.


    ¡°What exactly will I be doing here in the Underworld?¡± Max asked. That was just one of the top burning questions he had that needed to be asked. ¡°If there¡¯s no way back, as you say-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be doing a lot of things. It depends on what Miss Ravenloft deems you fit enough to be. I was a Detected, seven years ago. She had seen me as some sort of killing machine, decided that I was ¡®good enough¡¯ to be a hunter and sent me out on missions to retrieve items and people. Others were just here to be different things.¡±


    ¡°Like Penny?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Markus said. ¡°Like Penny.¡±


    ¡°Then why did she lie?¡± Max asked.


    Markus glanced quickly at Max. ¡°Lie about what?¡±


    ¡°About returning home?¡±


    Markus scoffed. ¡°She didn¡¯t lie. She needed you to be better, yes, but being better for the betterment of her, you got it?¡±


    Max shook his head.


    ¡°Think of it like this: you had a choice in the other world, and then you were whittled until you were nothing. And somehow, you end up here. The second chance. The last resort. ¡®Make something of yourself¡¯, she says, but not because it¡¯s a good thing for you, but because if you do make something of yourself, you¡¯ll stay here and be hungry for more.


    ¡°And including all of us who has been here before, some just the beginning like you, we don¡¯t really know a whole lot of what¡¯s going on. The top scholars do, but Miss Ravenloft keeps them away like leashes to pets. They tell us what to do and we do them, whether or not we¡¯re actually happy about it.¡±


    Max nodded. ¡°What if I die?¡±


    ¡°Then the bond breaks. Something supposedly happens, but nobody knows,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Has nobody died in the Underworld before?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°They have, but they¡¯ve also been resurrected. Sometimes as creatures that continue to roam and live in the Ravenloft Mansion, here, and sometimes as happy ghouls or sad ghouls that roam the Underworld. You might happen to find some of them, you might not. They might tell you their side of the story, they might not.¡±


    ¡°And have you heard of anything?¡±


    Markus smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a hunter, Max. Sometimes it¡¯s best for you to do what you¡¯re supposed to do and get out of there before something consumes you whole, be it the Underworld or just your thoughts. And trust me, your thoughts have a different way of life in the Underworld.¡±


    Max nodded. Being in a new environment wasn¡¯t his forte. After all, he wasn¡¯t all that good at being in his old environment too, and that was why he ran in the first place. Not to get out of a decrepit rut, not to get out of just being lonely, or being alone, but to be¡­ better. But when he ran, far and fast, he knew he couldn¡¯t get there. And that must be how he ended up in the Underworld.


    Max and Markus approached a bright, maroon double door. Markus grabbed the door handle.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Max said, just before Markus pulled the door open.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Markus asked.


    ¡°Could I ask what happened to your leg?¡± Max pointed to the blight that had clutched Markus¡¯s leg.


    Markus sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, kid. I wish I could tell you, but certain forces restrict me.¡±


    ¡°Magic?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Curse,¡± Markus said. He watched as Max thought to himself. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Max nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Markus pulled the handle on the door. ¡°Welcome to Ravenloft Bar.¡±


    As the door swung open, inside, a delicate variety of smells wafted around the room. Some of them had even reached where Max was standing, at the very top of the bar, where there were steps and steps that lead down into the bottom flooring where everybody was.


    And by ¡®everybody¡¯, Max was sure that it was indeed everybody. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    A whole host of creatures and regular humans littered the pit of the floor. Some camped in little corners, some huddled around tiny tables. Some of them look like deformed rats with human bodies, some with a tentacle body and an elephant¡¯s trunk for a nose.


    The cacophony of sounds stayed roughly the same, like one would at a local pub or down at a festival. Max wasn¡¯t used to all of this, for sure, but with an array of special-looking creatures and things interacting with each other like the 300th Saturday that they had been together.


    Max took it all in, as much as he could, before Markus nudged at him.


    ¡°Come, we need to go down there,¡± Markus said.


    Max nodded. He followed Markus as he passed by all the beautiful creatures that looked disfigured, nothing like human, and then he passed by one, a woman who had looked ¡®correct¡¯, until she smiled, and her normal-looking teeth were now replaced by that of a snake.


    ¡°Why is everybody¡­ different?¡± Max whispered to Markus as they passed by even more strange-looking things and people.


    ¡°They¡¯re different, but that don¡¯t make them any less people. Just like you, they have emotions, they have goals. And just like you, they have all of it stripped here when they entered into the Underworld. Don¡¯t speak to anybody unless they speak to you. And let me know when they do.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Max and Markus continued down the stairs until they reached the bottom. It was so¡­ crowded. Max had finally realised what it was: the bar room was a ballroom, about four times bigger, and now filled with everything. He wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    Markus lead Max to a special bartender that resided in one of the little areas. Him, or what looked like him, seemed to be an elf that stood tall underneath the little chandelier that hung overhead.


    The elf looked old with his tilted, white-rimmed glasses. He had white hair that parted sideways, a lock and a pair of earrings that brimmed a dimly lit blue. His eyes, crossed on his left, had looked to be out of place for such a tall-looking elf. Furthermore, with his attire: a worn-down leather armour, a sling bag that hung on the side, and a couple of knives in belt, meant that the elf might not look the way that Max had expected.


    That wasn¡¯t all that surprising for Max. So far, in the Underworld, he shouldn¡¯t have expectations in the first place.


    Markus and Max reached the counter, and with a gracious smile, Markus barraged his fist on the top of the counter. The elf had been working on fixing up a sword behind him, and when he had heard the knockings on his counter-table, he offered a look. He placed the sword aside and lowered his glasses at Markus.


    ¡°Ah,¡± the elf said, ¡°Markus Dunne. What brings you here to my humble abode?¡±


    ¡°Cut the crap, Elias,¡± Markus said.


    The two looked at each other for a longing second. Then they broke out into a slew of laughter and abhorrent handshakes. Max stared blankly at the exchange.


    ¡°So,¡± Elias said, pulling back from a tight hug after all of the handshakes. ¡°Really, what brings you here to my humble abode?¡±


    Markus pointed to Max. ¡°New Detected,¡± he said. ¡°Miss Ravenloft¡¯s tasked me to get him a few things. A compendium for a start.¡±


    ¡°A compendium? Hm. Miss Ravenloft does like things to roll quickly, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Elias pushed up his glasses and searched below his counter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the guard that there¡¯s some news regarding a contact.¡±


    Elias stopped searching. He looked intensely at Markus, almost looking to see if he was telling the truth. ¡°A contact?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Markus said.


    ¡°Does she even know if it¡¯s real?¡± Elias said, returning to searching.


    ¡°Does anyone? The last dozen or so contacts we¡¯ve had have been duds. Miss Ravenloft is probably used to this significant disappointment.¡±


    Elias laughed and nodded. ¡°Disappointed, she is.¡±


    Max watched the two of them, but the sounds of the bar were a little too loud for him. He didn¡¯t like it. The hustle and the bustle, the sounds of water sloshing in little cups and mugs, the chatter and the sharpening of swords.


    When he had looked over to one of the other bars, a girl had stared back. Unlike the others, she was visibly human, though to Max, he could only see from her waist up. Could she possibly be human? Penny was. Perhaps she was, too. But¡­


    ¡°Ah,¡± Elias finally said, picking out a small red book and dropped it on the top of the counter. ¡°It might not be win the best-looking compendium award, but it¡¯ll do.¡±


    He blew the dust off the compendium, hovering his hands over the small red book. Slithers of blue ethereal tendrils glowed and made their way into the book. In a matter of seconds, the red book smacked open, pages flying and flipping all over the place. Then, all at once, the book slammed shut.


    ¡°Was that¡­?¡± Max asked. He wasn¡¯t sure what to ask, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he had even asked a question at all.


    Elias picked up the compendium, and with a big smile, handed it over to Max.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s your bread and butter.¡±


    ¡°Bread and butter?¡± Max asked, at least having thought about this question. He picked it up, and proceeded to check if it was broken or messed up.


    On the cover page of the compendium, what was once empty, had now been titled with:


    NAME: MAX MERCIER


    ROLE: UNKNOWN


    BOND: LOCKED


    PARTY NUMBER: UNKNOWN


    ¡°What does Bond mean?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°Your bond to the Underworld, Max,¡± Elias said.¡±Locked means your current connection to it. Locked is the current condition for all of us, in fact. If it ever changes, if it does,¡± Elias waved a single finger around, ¡°then it would be changed to Unlocked.¡±


    ¡°How does that happen?¡±


    ¡°Well, in a lot of ways,¡± Markus said. ¡°Dying, getting mauled, getting dismembered, and a hundred others. Your bond, when broken, just severes your tie to the Underworld. That means everything I¡¯ve just said, and maybe, getting out of this place.¡±


    ¡°People who have been here long know of two things: one, that bond isn¡¯t going to change. Two, the bond means nothing on the cover page. We know that, I know that, you know that,¡± Elias said. ¡°Miss Ravenloft just wants to remind you of your service to the Underworld, your loyalty. Everytime you forget, it¡¯s there, before you open it, before you see anything else.¡±


    Max nodded. Somehow, he could finally see some of the big picture of the game that Miss Ravenloft is playing. It¡¯s not an illusion of choice to work hard in the Underworld. There is no choice at all.


    Elias sighed, looking at Max with his compendium. ¡°Does the kid need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Well, he still needs lodging, still needs equipment, still needs a role, and still needs a party,¡± Markus said.


    As Markus finished saying his sentence, a cold breeze begin to swirl around the compendium that Max had held in his hand. It swept up and down his wrist, finally digging it¡¯s way into the cover page of the compendium.


    ¡°What?-¡± Max said.


    The compendium shook a little, and then, like a typewriter in action, the UNKNOWN on PARTY shifted and changed. A new number began to form on the cover page like drips of paint attacking a wall.


    The number that emerged was: A2665.


    ¡°Well, there goes everything that you needed for your stay in the Underworld,¡± Markus said. Elias laughed, returning to his sword.


    Max looked at the compendium, a sense of dread forming overhead. It seems that his role in the Underworld had come. Perhaps it was time to make some use of it.


    After all, there was no going back.