Black Butler: The Lich's Compass

The Forgotten Realms of the Immortal Soul

"In the depths of time, when the earth was yet young and the fabric of existence thin, there were beings born not of angels nor demons, nor reapers who tread upon the souls of mortals. They were not creatures forged in the flames of Hell or the heavens' light. They came from a place beyond the eyes of those who think themselves rulers of life and death. They were the Liches."

"The Liches are not born of the blood of demons, nor were they cradled by the wings of angels. They are not the cold-blooded agents of death like reapers, nor the twisted contracts made in shadowed corners. These beings, neither alive nor truly dead, exist as a forgotten thread in the grand tapestry of the supernatural, woven by forces long before the gods and monsters walked the earth."

"What is known of them is scant, for their very existence is often dismissed as myth—only whispers remain, carried by the winds of time. The name "lich" is a mere echo of their true essence. They are immortals, not by pact, but by purpose. Unlike demons who trade their souls for power or angels who bask in divine favor, the liches seek something far deeper, an understanding of death and life that transcends the limits of mortal comprehension."

"Their origin is diverse, scattered across ancient cultures and forgotten rituals. In some lands, the lich was said to be a high priest or sage, one who, through forbidden rites, could bind their soul to the earth itself, denying death. In other corners of the world, they were blessed by gods long lost to history, given eternal life for reasons unknown to those who still walk the earth. They are not immortal by the curse of necromancy, nor by the whim of a demon's pact, but by the will of something older—forces that transcend the common understanding of life and death. A blessing, a curse, a choice—they are something different entirely."

"While demons and angels dance their eternal battle in the heavens and the underworld, and reapers claim the souls of the dead, the liches have stood quietly, observing, waiting. They are often mistaken for ghosts, revenants, or shadows, for their presence is intangible, like a forgotten memory or a distant dream. Yet, unlike the spirits of the dead, the lich is very much alive—or at least, not dead. Their hearts still beat, their breath still rises in the cold air, but it is not the same as mortal life. They are beyond such definitions, tied to forces that are incomprehensible to those of flesh and bone."

"The liches do not seek to rule, to conquer, or to be worshipped. They have no armies nor divine retribution, no celestial missions nor infernal schemes. Their existence is solitary, enigmatic, and eternal, and while they may cross paths with the reapers or the demons, they are not bound by their rules. They are not the servants of death—they simply are."

"In some cases, their immortality is gifted not by dark powers, but by gods whose names have faded from history, deities of death, of time, or of nature itself. These liches are considered sacred, protectors of ancient secrets, or custodians of forgotten knowledge. But not all are blessed; some are cursed to walk this earth in endless solitude, their souls tied to a fate they did not choose."

"The true nature of liches remains elusive. Some believe they hold the keys to life's greatest mysteries, while others fear they are the very essence of death that walks among us. In the eyes of demons and angels, they are an anomaly—beings who do not fit into the neat order of the celestial realms. Reapers, too, have no answer for them, for liches do not succumb to the ordinary laws of the afterlife. Their souls are beyond the reach of scythes and chains."

"And so, the liches remain in the shadowed spaces, existing beyond the veil of death and life, their motives and their origins as mysterious as the first breath of dawn. They are not the reapers' prey, nor the demons' pawns, nor the angels' allies. They are simply a forgotten presence, a reminder that not all things that exist can be neatly categorized by those who would claim dominion over death."

"For where demons, angels, and reapers hold sway, the lich stands apart, untethered and eternal, untouched by the boundaries of mortality."

"And that is what truly terrifies the world of the living: that death is not as simple as it seems, and that not all things end when the reaper's scythe swings, nor when the demon's pact is broken."