Once again, Amneris found herself running for her life. She was exhausted—no, exhausted didn't even begin to cover it—and wanted to stop but couldn't. The Void Beasts were chasing her like there was no tomorrow. Maybe there wasn't a tomorrow. There didn't seem to be a concept of time here, whatever that meant, but now wasn't the time to be thinking about it.

A snarl came from behind. Amneris whacked the Void Beast's head with her staff. Its entire body shook and it retreated, only for another to take its place. Amneris leapt out of the way as its massive jaw chomped down on her. She was barely on her feet when tentacles slapped down on the ground, kicking up dirt. Amneris raced forward, legs aching, as she tried to escape. There was nothing she could do but run and she couldn't keep it up much longer.

Amneris reached the top of another hill and dropped to the ground, sliding all the way down and running once again, her staff still clenched tightly in its hand. There was something up ahead. A ledge of some sort. Amneris glanced behind her, at the swarm, and cursed. It was better than nothing.

Amneris leaped over the ledge, rolling through the dirt until she reached the bottom of the stope. She scrambled back up the hill, pressing her body into the sand, her head close to the top so she could listen. Amneris watched as the Void Beasts flew overhead, pausing in their flight, almost like they were confused.

That confusion was short lived. The Void Beasts whipped around, all their eyes baring down on her. Amneris gasped, frozen. She was trapped. There was nothing she could do. What would they even do to her? Eat her? Amneris clutched her staff in both hands, knuckles turning pale. There was no fucking way she was going down without a fight.

The Void Beasts charged. Amneris readied herself to go down fighting—

A dark figure leaped over the ledge. They smashed Their fist into one of the Void Beasts' heads. The Void Beast growled, pulling away, something embedded in its eyes. It flew to the sky, some of the others following. The others surrounded the figure.

"Use your Supernova!"

Amneris blinked with wide eyes. "What?"

A Void Beast attacked the figure. The figure pulled a strange-looking spikey sword made of pure black stone from their back, catching the Void Beast's teeth on the blade. The figure glanced over their shoulder, a worn hood obscuring their face. "Use your Supernova!"

"But—"

"NOW!"

Amneris charged her power into her fist and raced toward the Void Beasts. She leapt to the air, coming back down to the ground, and yelled "Supernova!"

The ground erupted. Amneris grabbed the figure and ran as fast as she could. The Void Beasts screamed, trying to escape the blast. The shockwave blew them into the darkness above, Amneris and the figure sprawling to the ground, groaning.

"You need better control of your power," the figure muttered.

Amneris rolled from her back to her front, then pushed herself onto her hands and feet. "Yes, I know—" Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the figure's face. "You!"

The figure was none other than Nephthys Kaylee, wife to the Dark King and Amneris' mother. Amneris had banished her to the Void years ago. She looked so different now. Her face was worn, her age finally beginning to show itself. There were more scars on her face than before. Her curly red hair was now trailing down over her left shoulder, the right side shaven away. Her clothes were practically rags.

She appeared about as happy to see Amneris as Amneris was to see her.

Amneris charged toward her mother with a roar, slamming the head of her staff down on her mother. Nephthys rolled out of the way, retrieving her sword and catching Amneris' next strike on it.

"Would you stop and listen?" Nephthys asked.

"No," Amneris spat. The two pulled apart and clashed again. "You should be dead."

Nephthys gave her famous twisted smile. "You gave it your best shot, darling child, but failed." Nephthys pushed her away with the blade of her sword, and rested it on her shoulder. "We have other things to worry about."

"Not right now!"

Amneris charged forward again. Nephthys avoided each of her blows easily, only to receive a strong kick to the stomach. She gasped. Amneris moved faster. She punched the woman's face and stomach, then sent a jab into her throat. She spun on the spot, whacking the head of her staff into the side of Nephthys' head. The woman fell to the dirt, spitting up blood. It evaporated the moment it touched the ground.

Amneris, with a cry, slammed her staff down on Nephthys—

Only for the woman to catch the strike on one of the many spikes of her blade. The two growled at each other—

A shadow loomed over them. Slowly, the two women faced it. A Void Beat hovered beside them, mouth wide and hungry, its many eyes staring.

Nephthys whispered, "We should run."

Amneris nodded. "Yah. Now."

* * * * * * * *

Nephthys led Amneris to a cave. The Void Beasts quickly swarmed outside but soon became bored. Amneris, keeping an eye on them from a small alcove in the wall, let out a relieved breath as they left, and followed Nephthys further into the cave. The pathway sloped down. They were somewhere underground.

The cave opened up into a wider area. A small living arrangement, Amneris realised. A makeshift bed lay in the furthest corner, a firepit was in the centre of the room, a circular stone hanging from thick branches over the top. Smaller stones of varying shapes looked like seats and a table. A pile of clothing lay neatly in a corner, and a few weapons were close by.

"Nice house," Amneris said.

"It's the best one can do here," Nephthys said, removing her cloak. "Others are not so lucky."

"There are others nearby?"

"Yes." Nephthys used a fye-stone to bring the firepit to life. "Many more have arrived in recent time."

Amneris cautiously moved closer to the firepit, holding her hands over the flames. "So, this is where you ended up, huh?"

"After you pushed me in? Yes."

"Oh, I had no idea where you were going."

"How long has it been?" Nephthys asked.

"Since you kidnapped my daughter and tried to kill me again?" Amneris asked. "Six-seven years, give or take. Not that long." She smiled at the flames. "My sister is a great Queen and Guardian, and there is peace between the God Worlds. You would be so disappointed. How have you been?"

Nephthys glowered at her daughter's sickly-sweet smile. "Surviving the Void after you sent me here. So glad to hear things are going so nice for you. I'm sure you have other things to worry about than what your dear mother has been doing."

"Yes," Amneris agreed. "I have other things to worry about like getting out of here."

"The door is right there."

Amneris gave her mother a sour look. "I wasn't expecting your help, anyway. I'm sure I can find a way out myself."

Nephthys laughed. "You wouldn't last five minutes out there."

Amneris tapped the tube her staff rested in, currently clipped to her belt. "If you want to go another round, I'd be happy to do so."

Nephthys grabbed a long, thin stone from beside the firepit, stirring something in the bowl. Amneris' nose wrinkled at the scent. Whatever it was, it did not sound good. "The Void is unlike anything you have experienced, girl," the woman said. "It's nothing like Creation. You will not survive on your own."

"Uh, in case you forgot, I'm literally immortal—"

"I have seen those with long life spans fade with a snap of the fingers"

"—And it's not the regular type of immortal, it's the 'I can destroy my body and it will reform' kind of immortal," Amneris finished. "I'll be fine. Oh, and there's no fucking way I need your help, so byeeeee."

Nephthys grabbed her wrist as she turned to leave. "If you go out there now, the Beasts will eat you whole. Even if you stay away from them, the effects of the Void will catch up with you. This place is different from Creation."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed."

Nephthys lifted her shirt. The side of her waist was entirely black and shimmering. "The Void pulls apart anything made of matter."

Of course. The Void was the opposite of Creation. Void Beasts, like the world they came from, were made of anti-matter. Back home, the Void Beasts would retreat before their very existence was cancelled out just by being in Creation. It made sense beings made of matter would suffer effects in the Void without proper protection. That was why species who tried to cross worlds created Tears or Void Ships, though the former was far more effective.

Nephthys had been here for years and fading, but she was part Lyriumian. She had a natural resistance to antimatter to an extent. All Lyriumians had the same. It was necessary – to travel through Creation, one was bound to have a little exposure to the Void a few times, but never would it happen on this level. Was it possible her immortality was the only thing protecting her? Wrong question, Amneris realised. Was it possible that, given enough time, the Void would actually manage to kill her? If so, that was a problem.

Amneris almost laughed. Not too long ago, she welcomed the idea of death and would've done anything to get rid of her immortality. Now she actually had a reason to live. She had a family and friends and a job and a planet to look after,

She had to find a way back.

Amneris pulled her wrist from her mother's grasp. "I'll take my chances finding a way back, thanks. Anything is better than being here with you."

Nephthys stepped away. "Do as you please, and don't expect me to save you again."

Amneris waved over her shoulder. "Never expected such a thing. Chao."