Sigil | Ghost The Band

Solace

Calliope finally accepted that her break from reality was over when she reached her room. It was comforting to pretend that her life wasn't in danger. But she knew that sooner or later she had to turn back to what was important.

As much as she didn't want to.

Tucking some of the books she took from Terzo's room under her arm, she stepped outside for what felt like the first time in forever. The wind was chilly, and she knew her assumptions of autumn approaching were correct.

Her trek up the small hill overlooking the graveyard wasn't too difficult, despite the sun beating down on her bare shoulders. She took a moment to admire the view from where she stood. Past the graves, past the treelines of the dense woods, there lie mountains upon mountains, still a lush green despite the seasons changing.

The picturesqueness of the sight knocked the air out of her lungs, and she stared at it for as long as she could before retreating into the shade of the willow. She wasn't used to the sun anymore, that much was evident.

Grunting as she lowered herself onto the clover-clad ground, she took it all in one last time before turning to the books. Much to her frustration, the book in her hands wasn't categorised. Nor was there an index page. Everything was mixed, there were traces of what she was looking for here and there, but nothing definitive.

Which frustrated the living hell out of her. I'll be dead long before I find something remotely close to what I need.

Despite her feeling discouraged, she kept reading. If not for the ritual, then for her own interest. Her mind wandered away from her as she read, unable to wholly focus on the words before her.

Why had she stopped caring about it? Was it because she knew that it was inevitable? Or because it was too much to handle? These were questions even she couldn't answer.

Why is my own mind foreign to me?

The thought raised a million more questions that she couldn't bring herself to even consider. Calliope glanced back at the church. It felt... more intimidating in the daylight... as though it didn't belong in anything resembling light.

And it didn't. I'm talking from experience here.

A figure moving through the graveyard caught her attention. They were walking in her direction. She squinted, trying to figure out who it was. All she could make out was that they were pale, and they were wearing a green shirt or sweater.

As they neared, Calliope felt a sense of familiarity. She definitely knew them- him. She realised it was a ghoul, judging by the tail swishing side to side as he walked. Omega?

It was most certainly him, given his build. She awaited him curiously and quickly assessed his unmasked face as he stood in front of her. A jagged scar stood out to her, stretching from his jaw to above his eyebrow, the cut was deep but healed. Is that new... or had it always been there?

She had no way of knowing, as this was her first time seeing him.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, she waited for him to speak.

He stared at the tree behind her for a moment, his hands in his pockets before his icy blue gaze darted to her. "Why are you outside in a nightgown?"

"Why are you outside at all? I thought you hated the sun."

"I do," He admitted, offering no explanation as to why he was here.

"Sit down, won't you?"

He wordlessly obliged, staring ahead. She followed his line of sight, realising what he was looking at. A small cross - from what she could make out - stood out among the treetops. "What's that?"

"Sister location. We bury our dead in their graveyard."

Oh.

She remembered what happened, and his mood made sense to her. "How are you holding up?"

Omega shrugged, his eyes expressionless but tortured all the same. "I'm... here, I suppose. I need to move on some time or another."

"There isn't a time limit on grief, Omega. You're entitled to, I don't know... feel what you're feeling," Cal muttered, placing her book off to the side. The sun wasn't at its peak anymore, the cheerfulness of the day gone.

"It's not so much grief as it is guilt," He murmured, leaning his crossed arms on his knees.

Her theories immediately came to mind, and she knew that she had indeed been correct. The burden of Alpha's fate rested on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry that you had to... go through that."

His fangs dug into his bottom lip as he stared at the clovers. "Yeah." His response was hushed, a raspy sound like it physically hurt to say it.

"He was a fucked up son of a bitch, but by Satan... he didn't deserve that," He chuckled darkly, shaking his head to himself.

Calliope nodded, not certain what to say. She wasn't the person to go to for comfort, and she was sure her demeanour made that evident but seeing him like this? It was horrible. Unsure of what else she could do, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk it out? Say what's on your mind? I know it sounds dumb but it helps," She offered, lightly squeezing his shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, uhm... what haunts you? Bothers you? What keeps you up at night?"

Omega considered this, nodding slowly. "The screams. It's unlike anything of this world."

Not what I meant but that's even more terrifying.

She didn't have to say anything as he continued. "It terrifies me to know that I took his life away from him. His soul has returned whence it came but his mortal form... he can't return. Ever. To the rest of the world and myself, especially, he's dead."

"Death... it's a tricky subject for me. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."

"It should," He cleared his throat, blinking rapidly before wiping his eyes. "It's not always permanent, though, especially if you dwell in specific circles."

She could tell he was straying from the topic of Alpha and into the logical part of his mind. Even consumed by grief, he was still himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Resurrection, obviously. Necromancy is Secondo's life's work. He wants to understand it, desperately. But he is primarily human, and humans are feeble-minded," Omega replied monotonously, running a hand through his messy hair. She observed the rest of his attire, ignoring the fact that he wasn't in his usual uniform, he was otherwise - undoubtedly - unkempt.

"You don't say," She murmured, glancing to her small collection of books. "Maybe that's why he wanted to kill me. Murder me only to bring me back."

"Maybe," Omega agreed half-heartedly, not appreciating her attempt at humour. "But he wouldn't have gone through offering you to Malphas if he was trying to bring you back."

"Maybe he was making a deal with them," She shrugged. "'Here, have this mere mortal in exchange for your infinite wisdom. But also... share her with some other demons... and also bring her back, you know, just to validate your power.'"

He nodded, but Calliope could tell he wasn't really listening. So, she took that as a sign to shut her mouth.

She just stayed with him, leaving him to his thoughts as she disappeared into hers.