"Eyes in the mirror that cannot be mine. " - When Demons Come to Life; Halocene, Lauren Babic
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The following morning, Ren wakes up early. She climbs out of bed quietly and kisses Clea gently on her head.
"I'll be right back," she whispers, and the woman simply stirs lightly in her sleep.
Ren takes flight and makes her way to the Strange Academy in New Orleans in search of Illyana Rasputin, the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo. The succubus lands outside the school, taking a seat on a wooden bench as she patiently waits for the sorceress to make her appearance.
"Raptus," Illyana greets her, using her X-Men code name.
"Magik." Ren turns to her with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry," her friend says, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Me too. I'm not too sure what happened...shit I don't even think I wanna know what happened," she sighs and the blonde woman shakes her head.
"It's a convoluted tale, one best explained by Clea," Illyana remarks, prompting a heavy sigh from Ren. "I understand your purpose here, but I'm afraid I can't be of assistance. To the best of my knowledge, he's not in Limbo," she adds, her tone carrying a tinge of sadness. Ren nods in acknowledgment.
"I figured as much...was worth a try anyway...but I came by to ask you how Limbo is doing, actually. The power shift in the Heaven's Citadel was... intense. It had a minimal effect on Hell as far as I'm aware, but you know Limbo tends to be much more sensitive to these things," Ren says and Illyana shakes her head.
"No more madness than usual, thankfully," she comments, earning a nod from Ren, who studies her friend for a moment, lost in thought. "I recognize that expression, Samael. You're gearing up for some reckless endeavor, aren't you?" her friend inquires, and Ren responds with a smirk. However, her smile fades when Magik shakes her head resolutely, causing the succubus to sigh in frustration.
"Well, there's only one place left..." the succubus argues.
"Ren, you cannot go there."
"But if he is there..."
"No. There's a good reason why celestials aren't meant to come out of The Unknown. It's perilous, even for someone like you. You understand that," she warns solemnly.
"If Jackal was able to climb out, then why in the fuck, as God, could I not pull Stephen from there?" Ren argues and Illyana shakes her head.
"You don't even know if he's there, Ren," she says, and the succubus huffs.
"Only one way to find out." Ren shrugs and stands up, releasing her wings and taking flight again.
Illyana yells out to her as she flies away. "Just try not to die on us again, Raptus!"
