1. Macabre Marmalade (COMPLETED; EDITING)

XXXIII (15.2)

The swirling mist slowed its spinning forming into the large creature without legs and with the huge arms. It retained amorphous, gaseous texture as it flew a few inches above the dark rock. It had no neck, the head growing from broad shoulders while its eyes glowed burned orange.

"What are you?" Todor asked stepping back from the creature and dropping his sword into fool's guard.

The creature laughed as the gas swirled inside of its transparent body.

"You could say, I am the rage, fury, savagery," it chuckled again, "The Passion. You have my approval, mortal. You made the first step in becoming the Avatar of the Unlikely Three. Now go Sanginuon Geistroch."

Before Todor could say anything the world morphed again and bright lights returned. He tried to stand upright but he couldn't. Covering his eyes he dropped the sword which disappeared. He clutched his face with his palms but it didn't help. The light turned cold and started biting not just his eyes, but every inch of his skin. He screamed as he fell. A moment later hit the wooden floor. He grunted as he got up trying to reorient himself. Were those my real names? Sanginuon and Geistroch? If every wizards name is as silly as this, no wonder they hid them even from themselves, he mused as the vision normalized around him.

He stood in an empty apartment. There was no furniture, just bare walls, and a wooden floor. Oh no, not this, the thought came as he recognized the place. Jillian's place after she ... she went away. It was the month after he started his startup. His girlfriend at the time, Jillian, and he got into a huge fight. He said some mean things, she said some mean things back. Funny, I don't even remember what we were fighting for at all. We were together since elementary school, as friends. Later met again in that bar, carrying our swords and became more than friends. He sat on the naked floor, memory and emotions rushing back like an avalanche.

I drove her way, I always do it, don't I? Just push my own way and hope everyone around me will just follow. After her, I just went back inside of myself. Swirling inside of him he saw the past as clearly as if it happened now, and not years ago. I just told her to go away, and she did. Boy did she went away. He didn't call her for a week after the fight. His pride didn't let him. So when he finally gathered the courage she wasn't there. Her phone, her emails, her social media pages, everything got deactivated. When he came to her apartment she was gone. Gone from his life forever.

Will I do that to Cassandra as well? Just push her away until she has enough and vanishes from my life? Suddenly he saw it. Cassandra and him yelling at each other in the living room, her throwing stuff at him, her Morg rage inflamed by something he did. Him not remorseful at all, he is never wrong after all. She exiting the door with a loud thump and never returning. His newfound friends turning their heads and they too fading away into nothingness. Leaving him alone again.

The voice whispered in his ear.

"What a person must do when they are lost?" the voice asked.

"I don't know," he mumbled trying to push the images he saw. He was alone again.

"You must know, otherwise you will be lost forever," the voice whispered again.

"I don't know," he yelled slamming the fist into the hardwood floor. "If I knew I wouldn't be here, alone. With everyone else not here."

"What a person must do to reach the place he wants?" the voice was insistent.

"I ... walk?" he replied mockingly.

"In jest truth lies. Do what is most crucial to be what you want," the voice proclaimed and the world morphed.

He stood on the rocky plateau, shadows dancing around him. He stared at the forms those inky creatures took. All the people he knew and respected turning their heads in disgust at the sight of him. He turned his head to the wall of mockery and abuse that swirled into existence. He looked around seeing that he was in a cavern. On the other side, he saw the light. There the glowing figures waved at him and nodded with respect. But as soon as he saw the encouraging display ground in front of him crumbled creating a large canyon between him and welcoming apparitions.