At the end of all things, as the yellow Flame of Frenzy burns the world to nothingness, Melina traces the steps of the Lord of Chaos. She will deliver them what is theirs. But in her mind, she retraces the steps of the Tarnished. Her Tarnished.

The night goes on. The chaos hasn't reached the Undercity. Jinx has to go somewhere. Sevika sits. She smokes. She considers all that she has to do. Then that nook where that damn brat lurks creaks with her presence, and she resigns herself to a headache.

On her sternum is a circle of letters spelling out "NOELLE!" They're branded in a shimmering light that tints her fur a bright, deep red. A soulmate mark. Or a soul mark. The first words her soulmate will say to her in the first place they'll touch, written in the color of their soul. Visible only to her. Honestly, you think with so many clues she would have found them by now.

Contrary to what Berdly (and mom sometimes) says, they aren't thoughtless. They have thoughts. These are some of their more memorable thoughts.

Life is a game with infinite players and no rules. Ignotus Antioch Cadmus Peverell has been given a particularly difficult game. But he is determined to win the game, no matter what anyone says. So, let's watch the game unfold. This will be... interesting.