Humans... since my childhood, no, since my parents brought my brother into the world, I have been in contact with the true nature of humans. To understand how I got here, you need to at least glimpse my thoughts on the latter. Expectations, mockery, condescension, envy, jealousy, hatred. I know all about it. Because I feel it all.

  I had a few friends, both girls and boys, in middle school and high school. Not in college, I didn't stay there long enough. Obviously, I didn't keep any of them. At some point, relationships end, it's always like that when you reach a turning point. In fact, I wonder if it's possible to make friends as an adult. It doesn't matter, I'm not interested. Because one way or another, those who come to me do so to get closer to my brother. And those who do so with genuine interest end up being put off by my personality.

  I tried, though. I tried with my few boyfriends, too. But it was never enough, in their eyes, in my family's eyes, and in my own eyes.

  Gabriel said to me one day, “You deserve to find someone who makes you happy!” Happy? Me? Thanks to someone else?

  I’d have to deserve it. I’d have to be less... or rather more... But what does he really know? He understands how to adapt. He loves life, the world, people. Everything comes easily to him. For me, even when I try hard, it's impossible to get anyone to even look at me. Because it's never enough.

  I understood that the day my latest boyfriend left me. Apparently, he found someone better. Good riddance, I never really loved him. I never really loved men at all, to be honest. But that would have been unthinkable for my family.

  I've never been able to understand why people laugh to your jokes but spit behind your back; why they love their fellow human beings while rejecting differences; why they are so ugly, so petty; why they do nothing for the planet or for those smaller than themselves; why they dance when they are captive, when they are just there, locked in this cage that is life.

  And above all, why I am like them.

  No matter how hard I think about it, I find it difficult to pinpoint exactly when I began to understand this feeling of powerlessness that drives me. All I know is that to calm this hatred of the world that gnaws me a little more every day, there is only one solution: to destroy everything.

  In this dimension, it seemed that the word city didn’t have the same meaning as it did for Marie. She had already noticed this when she woke up in the capital of the Fire Empire (Empire that had no borders or territory except for a patch of forest. Serpentine had said that the fire spirits had villages -so just one or two houses probably- in every forest in the world. What kind of empire had such a fragmented territory? How did that work exactly?). She noticed it even more as she walked through the first human town since her arrival here.

  In reality, it was more of a fortress than a town per se. Marie had naively thought that, given the rudimentary state of the fire spirits' lands, this world (called “Atlantis” according to Serpentine) would have had a hint of antiquity, or at worst, medieval times. In reality, it was quite the opposite: the architecture of the human buildings closely resembled that of 19th-century Europe, the era of the Industrial Revolution.

  Huge rectangular buildings stood tall, serving as houses, apartments, or corporate offices, impossible to tell. They were all the same color, and you had to look up high to see the tiny windows. Each building looked like the next, prompting the woman to wonder how the inhabitants found their way around. In the center of the city stood an edifice taller than the others, a cathedral with a bell tower at least twice as large as that of Notre Dame, so that every road seemed to lead to it.

  The ground, like the entire city, was immaculate white, almost ghostly clean. The inhabitants, however, all wore outfits that clashed with this insane uniformity: extravagant hairstyles, pink, red, and yellow dresses; each individual had an eccentric style, as if they absolutely had to stand out from their peers.

  “Strange...”

  Poking her head out slightly from the enormous handbag Marie was carrying, Serpentine asked.

  “What is?”

  “Well, there are no animals, no traces of dirt, and no transportation, not even public ones. How do people get from one place to another?”

  “...they walk?”

  Marie snorted. A city without cars, bicycles, or even horses, what kind of world was this ? When her companion didn't respond, Serpentine whispered seductively.

  “So you like it? The capital of humans?”

  This, a capital city? Marie supposed she understood why, given its immensity. However, the reason it was isolated in the middle of nowhere escaped her. It looked as if it had been placed there, without any context. So weird. It was as if New York had been built in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

  “Do the humans in this city know that just a few steps from their homes stands the forest of the fire spirits?”

  “Why of course! That's why they settled here, after all.”

  Serpentine had decided to take Marie shopping in town. Not that the spirits needed anything, but Marie couldn't feed on “immaterial energy and human flesh” like they could, whatever did that mean. During the short trip, the snake had explained to her in broad terms the reasons for her quarrel with her older brother Glycon:

  Atlantis was a small territory. In the past, a catastrophe had led to the near destruction of the world. Since then, 98% of the planet had become uninhabitable. Only the country of Atlantis, protected by stone barriers, retained its resources. Beyond the territory lay a vast desert populated by demonic creatures. Those who entered it never returned.

  So the spirits had divided the little land among themselves : the forests now belonging to the fire spirits, the mountains to those of air, the rivers to those of water and the rest, such as the grasslands, to those of earth. Unfortunately, for several centuries now, humans had been claiming more than their fair share, even though their species had long been underdeveloped and incapable of intelligence.

  Serpentine had confessed to Marie that it was only out of kindness that they had given humans a chance to avoid being wiped out, back when they were nothing more than monkeys. They had let them evolve on their own, as long as they didn't encroach too much on the land and change its form. Apart from White-Church, their immaculate white capital, humans had built black cities and huge factories across the realm, spewing blinding smoke day and night, covering the sky in darkness and forcing the spirits to change their environment.

  In the end, the generosity shown by the spirits in allowing humans to develop had backfired: these foolish creatures were constantly seeking ways to eradicate them, even going so far as to use the powers of the “Chosen”, the Gods’ hero who descended every two to eight centuries. Glycon, like many spirits, didn’t want to clash with humans, preferring safety for his people. Serpentine, on the other hand, had long been looking for a way to stop these intruders from continuing to nibble away at lands that did not belong to them.

  “Hmmm. For people who want you to disappear completely, they don't seem to be treating this like a war. I mean, building a city so close to your territory is...”

  “Because they need us. To them, we are just beasts to be exterminated so they can gain energy.”

  Marie walked along a paved alleyway. Everything looked so similar that she wouldn't have been able to find her way around on her own, despite her keen sense of direction. Serpentine gave her instructions on when to turn and when to go straight. When they stopped in front of a huge building with an apple carved on the door, Marie asked :

  “Gain energy?”

  “Experience, if you prefer, for the Forge. I guess that's not something that exists in your world either. Open the door, you'll understand soon enough.”

  Marie obeyed, and Serpentine whispered before hiding in the bag.

  “Now you'll have to manage the rest on your own. You haven't forgotten what you're looking for, have you?”

  “Supplies and... Mr. Cat?”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “Hehe, he won't be hard to find, don't worry.”

  Marie was worried. But that selfish serpent surely didn't care. Two days had passed since she woke up among the fire spirits, and although Marie had had almost no interaction with anyone, she had nevertheless gotten to know a little better this strange creature who had taken a liking to her:

  As highlighted during her interaction with her brother, Serpentine was the second heir to the Fire Empire. Her brother ruled supreme, and she lived like a spoiled brat. Marie had seen her give impossible orders to her subjects several times just to watch them struggle. They seemed to be used to it, but obviously couldn't say anything. While Marie should have found it hilarious to see a crocodile imitate a horse, deep down she felt a little sorry for them.

  Self-centered, saccharine, and scatterbrained, Serpentine had all the traits of an eccentric girl from a good family. Everyone responded to her wishes without question. Marie suspected, however, that she was more composed than she appeared, as evidenced by her infinite patience when her servants failed to understand her convoluted requests. Though above all, she was much more stupid than her race would suggest. In her world, snakes symbolized intelligence and cunning, but after seeing Serpentine eat a moldy fruit to “check its taste,” even though she herself claimed she “didn't need to eat that kind of thing”, Marie had realized that this snake was as calm as she was stupid.

  “I hope so, for both of us. I don't want to get in trouble because of you.”

  Serpentine didn't answer, but the bag shook as she giggled. Marie snappily told her to calm down. She felt like the spirit weighed a ton, and somehow, feeling her move made the bag, which was already barely lift-able, even heavier.

  The interior of the building Serpentine had led her into was actually a shopping mall. A huge and very bright shopping mall. Neon lights of all colors gave the place a magical atmosphere. Marie had to blink several times to adjust her vision. Stores paraded before her, each one stranger than the last, with names and signs that Marie was unable to decipher. Strange, she would have thought that since she understood the language, she would also be able to read it. Unless humans spoke another dialect? No, Serpentine would have warned her (maybe).

  Marie wandered around this strange hypermarket. Shops selling clothes, armor...cogs? And axes. She felt like she was in a children's toy store. The clothes looked like they came from a hideous carnival, with fluorescent-colored suits and dresses straight out of the pre-war era. The use of futuristic (electric?) neon lights to illuminate the center couldn't have been more in keeping with the theme of ugliness.

  Marie caught the eye of a salesman wearing a candy pink hat, who threw a mosquito-shaped gadget at her that exploded near her nose.

  “Ouch?!”

  She barely had time to recover from her surprise before she felt a weight lift. She stifled a cry when she realized that her handbag had been stolen during her brief moment of shock.

  “H-hey!”

  Outraged, she called out to the person who had stolen her bag. She looked in all directions and saw a man running in the opposite way. Without thinking, she set off in pursuit, shouting at the top of her lungs:

  “Hey! That's mine, you dirty thief!”

  The man managed to lose her in a crowded hallway of the mall. Not known for her athletic abilities, Marie had to stop for a few moments before resuming her chase. Finally, she left the mall and looked around again. The street was deserted.

  “Ah. This time I'm really lost...”

  Without Serpentine to guide her and no trace of the thief, Marie wandered aimlessly through the bleak streets of the city. She randomly asked passersby if there was a police station or anything that served as law enforcement here. Each time, people looked her up and down, grimaced, and walked away without even bothering to give her an answer. Well, she figured she probably looked a little too much like a tourist among all these ultra-sophisticated people. Finally, she made her way to the huge cathedral that stood in the middle of the city. Given how important the building seemed, maybe she would find more people there, and therefore, some help.

  “Hello... Um... Hello?”

  “...”

  In front of her, guarding the entrance to the cathedral, stood two guards in white armor. Marie immediately thought of medieval times, even though the two men's attire resembled more what she had seen in her brother's fighting games, with spikes and an overly elaborate design, rather than actual 14th-century European armor.

  “I assume you are part of the police force?”

  “...”

  “My purse has been stolen. Could you help me find it?”

  “...”

  No response. Perhaps their enormous helmets prevented them from hearing her. Marie stood in front of them for a long time. Finally, as was too often the case, her temper got the better of her, and she raised her voice.

  “You may not hear me, but you can see me perfectly well! Stop pretending!”

  “...”

  “Seriously, what's your problem?! I'm telling you I'm in distress and you're not even lifting a finger! Not even a gesture of sympathy!”

  “...”

  “Ah! You, soldiers? Cowards, yes, I'm sure you don't even know how to fight!”

  Still no reaction. Marie turned tomato red, her exasperation at its peak.

  “Fine! You know what, I'll find that thief myself, and you'll have my death on your conscience!”

  Then, seeing that the guards were still ignoring her, she punched one of them. The impact of her hand against the metal armor made her scream in pain. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the soldier she had hit. Her heart skipped a beat when finally, he and his comrade moved. Both of them materialized a spear out of thin air and used it to tap on the ground. Then they stood at attention in perfect synchronization. Marie turned, realizing that they were looking at something behind her.

  “What...”

  A most astonishing procession advanced toward them. Surrounded by numerous townspeople in colorful clothes, some of whom Marie had surely encountered in the streets earlier, a parade of soldiers marched straight toward the cathedral. Instinctively, the woman hid behind the immense stature of the guard she had struck, who seemed to prefer not to comment. The huge doors of the cathedral opened, giving her a clear view of the new arrivals.

  As the crowd of townspeople stopped respectfully a few meters from the cathedral, shouting “hurrah” at every turn, the members of the small army entered the huge building one by one, allowing Marie to clearly distinguish each of their features:

  Like the two guards at the entrance, all the soldiers wore huge armor and helmets that hid their faces. While most of them looked identical, she noticed one who stood out from the crowd: at least two meters taller than his comrades, his armor was ebony black and his long red cape was tattered, a far cry from the silky condition of his comrades' capes. When he passed by her, Marie was convinced that he turned his head toward her for a moment. A shiver ran through her, but the moment lasted only half a second, as the rest of the procession captured her full attention.

  Tied to a huge log held by several soldiers lay a giant wolf, dead. The creature, undoubtedly a spirit, had midnight blue fur and a perforated belly. Despite its immobility, it was easy to imagine that in life it had been magnificent. The crowd's cries grew louder, clearly excited by the barbaric display. Marie felt sick to her stomach when the soldiers brought their trophy into the cathedral. Then she felt sick again when she saw who was holding the other end of the log. He didn't see her, too focused on his task of helping the soldiers carry the creature. He paid no attention to the crowd either, who chanted his title vehemently. But he smiled proudly, as he always did when thanked for a service rendered, with his bright and execrable grin.

  The crowd shouted, “Chosen! Chosen!”

  Marie's heart, meanwhile, sobbed, “Gabriel.”

  ????

  She couldn't remember how long she walked the streets of White-Church after that macabre parade. Now that she knew where her brother was, she had no reason to look for Serpentine. Since, at first, she had decided to play along with the fire spirits so they would lead her to her brother. But seeing how Gabriel was doing, cheered on by a frenzied crowd, pleasure visible on his face, she found herself unable to return to him.

  Why bother? To spend a new life in his shadow? He didn't seem to be searching her anyway. There, accomplishing feats and playing the hero, he was where he had always dreamed of being: on a pedestal. Even now, he was fighting the video game monsters he loved so much with his bare hands! The gods had given a second chance to a guy who already had everything, what was the point of that?

  What was the point of Marie being there at all? Even so far away, in a completely different dimension from her birthplace, she didn't belong. She didn't belong anywhere. She never did.

  “Oh? You finally found me.”

  Her footsteps led her into an empty alleyway. In her dazed state, Marie barely registered that her shoes were soaked in warm blood and that the smell of burning flesh was stinging her nostrils.

  The familiar voice made her look up. Spread out on the ground, a half-shredded body blocked the passageway. Standing over him, naked but holding the bag stolen from Marie a few minutes earlier, was the beautiful white-haired woman who had saved her from the werewolves on the day she arrived in this world. Marie's heart raced.

  “Ser...pentine?”

  To you, shadows, keep in mind that the light of Hor will consume you. - The Truths of Djehuty