Chapter 66 The Drifted Grey, the Courier and the Forest Spirit
Phoenix
Dr. Lazarus pulled a small key from the pocket of his lab coat.
He walked up to the red door and turned the key. It slowly creaked open, but I couldn’t see a thing—the light pouring out was blinding.
“Good luck, Phoenix.”
The second my feet crossed the threshold, my eyes squeezed shut from the intense brightness. Cold air hit me like a slap, and everything went dead quiet. When I turned around, the red door had vanished.
I reached out into empty air, hoping to find it again—but it was useless. I needed to focus. There was a reason I came here.
In front of me stretched a dark gray concrete path with railings on each side. A bridge, I guessed. I walked to the edge and leaned over, confirming it was indeed a bridge—though I couldn’t see the bottom thanks to the thick fog rolling beneath.
I glanced up at the sky—if you could call it that. It looked like some alternate dimension version of the real thing: overcast and lit with silent flashes of lightning. No thunder. Just eerie silence, like a fake sky in some video game.
“You new here?”
I jumped.
Behind me stood a tall, pale guy—skinny as a rake. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties, maybe. The way he dressed screamed 1960s. I figured he’d been stuck in this place a long time.
“Just got here... like five minutes ago. What is this place?”
“The Drifted Grey,” he said. “A limbo for supernatural souls—drifting between worlds. Too lost for Valemoon, not dead enough for the spirit realm.”
“And you are?”
“The Courier.” He grinned, flashing sharp, pointed teeth.
I raised a brow. “Do I look like a package to you?”
He chuckled. “Funny kid. But yeah, you kinda are. You’re my delivery—either to Valemoon or back to the living. That part’s up to you.”
“Well, if it’s about choices, I’m choosing to go back. Dr. Lazarus said my wolf is here—I need to find it.”
“The old doc told you that?” He rubbed his chin, leaning against the railing. “Weird. Thing is, I haven’t seen any wolves come through here.”
My stomach dropped. It felt like a trap—like I’d walked straight into someone’s twisted game. And the worst part? There was no door in sight to return through, no way back.
“So... what’s your deal, back in the real world?”
“I’m in a coma. Hospital bed, no wolf, been stuck like this for six months.”
“No, I mean before all that. Did you lie to someone? Hurt someone? Kill anyone you weren’t supposed to?”
I went quiet.
I knew the answer. I’d hurt Phoebe—even if she was the one who wished I didn’t exist. Still, that didn’t make it right. I stared into the fog, feeling the weight of my guilt slam into me all over again.
Hurting her... it wasn’t just a fight. We’re twins. Sure, we didn’t always get along, but I should’ve never messed with her feelings like that.
“Alright,” he said suddenly. “Maybe I can take you somewhere.”
I snapped my head toward him.
He pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a drag. The smoke twisted up toward the sky... but then weirdly reversed, flowing right back into the tip like someone hit a rewind button.
He looked like something out of a Neil Gaiman fever dream, and I was somehow supposed to trust this guy? Apparently, yeah. Because he was the only one offering directions out of here.
“There’s a valley down there,” he said, gesturing beyond the edge. “That’s where the animals hang out. Not all, but some. You get what I mean, right? Your wolf might be down there.”
“You can take me?” I asked, trying to hide my impatience. “Isn’t that your job?”
He smirked. “Sure. Thing is—I’ve never actually delivered anyone down there before. My jobs are usually... easy. The tough ones? That’s when the soul is stubborn.”
The way he hissed his words made my skin crawl.
“Look, I’m getting desperate here. Ever since you said you haven’t seen a wolf, I feel like I’m wasting time. Should I be listening to someone else before I end up stuck in this limbo forever?”
He sighed. “Alright, alright. I’ll quit messing around. Time to get serious.”
Finally.
Was he seriously joking this whole time?
After a long, quiet walk toward a staircase at the end of the bridge, I ended up telling him about the fight I had with Phoebe.
Everything in this place felt like a flipped version of the real world. I was just glad the stairs weren’t upside down or floating mid-air or something. But the wind—it kept picking up the farther down we went.
The Courier led the way, careful with his steps. His shoulder-length black hair whipped wildly as the cliffside wind howled around us.
“Ugh. This is karma,” he muttered. “I made fun of Mr. Port for being slow, now I’m stuck in this mess. You still good to walk?”
“Who’s Mr. Port?” I asked, stomping down confidently on the giant orange stone steps. “And yeah, I’m good.”
“The old boat captain. Slower than a snail. Now everyone’s behind schedule for their trip to Valemoon.”
“...Oh.”
Eventually, we reached the bottom of the canyon. The fog was lighter down here, and the scent of tree sap was strong. I saw what looked like an upside-down version of a forest.
The trees had brown leaves, but their trunks were... green? Weird. Who the hell designed this place?
“We’ll need to greet the guardian of this place,” he said. “Don’t stare into her eyes. She hates that.”
“Wait—who’s the guardian?”
“A forest spirit. Just bow your head. Trust me, it’s better than getting zapped.”
I pictured some giant angry insect, like those bug-queens from fantasy movies that go berserk when you mess with their nest.
We kept walking until we reached a massive pond, glowing with soft blue fireflies fluttering in unison. In the center of the water stood a huge willow-like tree. The Courier knelt at the edge and gently tapped the water with his knuckles.
“Silia, may I speak with you?” he asked softly.
From inside the tree, a creature emerged—part jellyfish, part nightmare, with too many eyes scattered across its translucent body.
I instantly looked down, just like he’d told me to.
“Who did you bring, Lott?” the spirit asked.
“A young werewolf. He’s looking for his wolf. They got separated, and I figured this might be where the wolf ended up. Have you seen any strays pass through here?”
“There is one.”
For the first time in forever, relief washed over me.
I couldn’t hide my smile. But then I messed up.
Silia lashed out a long tentacle and wrapped it around me, lifting me several feet off the ground.
“I told you not to look at her!” The Courier shouted, still bowing toward the spirit.
“Sorry! I forgot! What do I do now?” I shouted, flailing in her grip.
“Beats me! I never piss her off!”
“Didn’t you look at her?”
“Nope. I kept my eyes shut the whole time.” He dashed toward me and started prying the tentacle off.
“Try not to struggle. Maybe she’ll pity you if you stay still.”
“I DO NOT LIKE BEING LOOKED AT BY A MORTAL LIKE YOU!”
Her grip tightened. But just then, I heard it— A howl in the distance.
“Nyxam...? Is that you?”