Next Step

"Amelia, didja bring the telescope?"

The young detective hugged the apparatus tightly in her sweater sleeved arms. The glimmering stars dotted the sky in abundance, entrancing her until she heard her brother from atop the hill where he and her mother stood. She felt the warmth of a hand on her shoulder, taking away the coldness of the night breeze.

"Need some help, kiddo?" her father asked, holding her little brother with his other hand.

"I'm ok," she replied, smiling.

The three had climbed up, the lights shining from the town below. Amelia remembered this place fondly. The Watsons had made it an annual tradition to stargaze here, the self-proclaimed "best spot in town" by her father. Amelia couldn't agree any less, the hill was truly a beautiful place. From the top a person could see her hometown, a humble community, fairly distant from civilization. The horizon stretched in the distance, piquing Amelia's interest in the world outside her quiet town.

When they had reached the top, Amelia was face to face with her pet dog, Bubba, who followed her as she set the telescope down next to her brother.

"Thanks for carrying it here, dear," her mother ruffled her hair.

"It's no big deal," the young detective giggled.

Amelia took a seat on the ground, the grass swaying with the wind. A leaf from a nearby tree fell on the palm of her hand. Bubba stepped in front of her, taking the leaf and sitting down with eager eyes looking up to the sky. Amelia embraced the dog, cuddling with him as watched the sky as well.

Her brother, accompanied by her mother, looked at various constellations with the scope. He recited different names, all of which Amelia had recognized from books she had read at school. Her father sat next to the young detective, lying down in the grass.

"Having fun, Ame?"

Amelia nodded. "It's always so beautiful here."

"That it is," he smiled. "Y'know, me and your mom met here."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

He sat up, chuckling. "Yup. When we were both kids we played tag up here with the other kids in town. When we started dating, I went on picnics with her at this spot. When I knew the time was right, I proposed to her here."

She giggled. "That's amazing, I wish something like that'll happen to me."

"Hey, who knows? Maybe you'll find a special someone like this, under the stars."

"Wait a second, so that's why we always come here on you and Mom's anniversary…"

"Smart, Ame. You'll make a fine detective one day."

Amelia stared down at Bubba, patting his head. "But I'm not as good as you or Grandpa. What if I never…"

"Cheer up, kid, you've still got a long ways to go. You'll do great out there."

The young girl chuckled. "How can I do great out there when I don't even know what out there looks like."

"You'll find out one day, and when you do, you'll show them what it means to be a Watson."

"Out there, huh…" she lifted her gaze once more.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Do you think there's life out there, in space?"

Amelia's father went silent, his daughter waiting in anticipation.

"We can't be alone here, that's for sure," he replied.

-

Amelia woke up, feeling someone tugging at her clothes. Lifting her groggy eyelids, she turned to see Gura pulling the sleeves of her dress shirt. Pain was the first feeling that hit her when she tried to stretch. Though her broken leg was healed, it ached like she had never felt before. Sitting at the driver's seat, Emma was parking the car. They had stopped at the apartment Ina had resided in.

Sitting next to the manager, the high priestess unbuckled her seatbelt and threw open the passenger door, stomping out of the car and back into her home. Gura and Emma stepped out, offering to help Amelia out of the backseat.

She shook her head. "No, I think I'll be-"

As she stood up and took the first step, Amelia could feel her legs tremble, immediately collapsing. If the two hadn't been there to catch her fall, she would've passed out then and there from exhaustion.

"Yeah, you're definitely gonna need help," Emma remarked.

"Hold on to my shoulder, alright Ame?" Gura helped Amelia up.

Together, they helped the detective up the stairs and into Ina's home. The priestess had been searching the house for anything that could have been stolen in her absence. Gura and Emma sat Amelia down on the couch, where she panted.

"Has anything been stolen?" the demon asked.

"Fortunately, nothing seems to be missing," Ina sighed in relief, taking a seat on the couch opposite to Amelia. "…Would anyone care for tea or coffee?"

"Alcohol would be nice right about now," Emma sat next to the detective.

Gura sat quietly at the kitchen counter.

"You look tired, Gura. Why don't you take a rest in my room?" Ina offered.

Without a word, the Atlantean trudged over to the door to the Ancient One's bedroom before disappearing inside.

"Could you explain to me what the hell happened there?" Emma asked.

Amelia sat up. She gave the manager a rundown on the events that led up to this point, meeting with Ina, Mori's unexpected arrival, the chase, and the showdown. Upon hearing about the cause of the fire, Emma tightened her fists.

"So that explosion and all that smoke…that was…"

"Gura's submarine. Mori destroyed it."

"That bitch," the demon gritted her teeth.

"She almost got me. But then," Amelia hesitated, her sight fell to Ina's feet, "she saved me."

Emma crossed her arms. "Nice to meet you, high priestess."

"Why're you calling me that?" Ina asked, genuinely confused.

"Wait, she doesn't-"

Amelia nodded.

"While we're on the topic, you promised that you'd explain what was going on once we were all safe," the priestess reminded.

"This may be difficult to believe," the detective started, "but you're a descendant from an alien race called the Ancient One."

Ina was taken aback. "Wait, what?"

"It's true. Your people had magical abilities, and you used them to keep the universe-"

Amelia swallowed her words, unable to continue for a moment. The image of the high priestess standing in front of a wall of dancing flames scorching the remains of her home flashed in her mind. Like a debilitating sickness, the memories of destruction weathered her mind, haunting her to no end. The fact she was talking to the person who killed her entire family and decimated her home deeply discomforted her. She wondered what her parents would think of her now. There was no doubt in her mind that they were angry.

"You used them to keep the universe…peaceful."

It was obvious to Emma that Amelia struggled to say the last word.

"You ok, Amelia?" the manager placed a hand on her shoulder.

The detective shook it off.

"I…I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Ina leaned towards Amelia, concerned.

"I said I'm fine."

"Did something happen?"

The blond girl shot up from her seat, glaring at Ina with distaste that made the priestess freeze up.

"You happened," she snapped.

Ina recoiled at the harshness. She placed her hands together on her lap, stunned to absolute silence.

"Amelia…" Emma began, but was unable to find the words to continue.

"I'm…" the detective's lip straightened. "I'm going to sleep."

Placing her broken watch on the counter, Amelia walked into Ina's room. She crashed next to Gura, facing away from her. Closing her eyes, she could hear the Atlantean softly crying as the detective drifted off to sleep.

-

Ina played with her fingers, the fragrance of coffee filling the room. She didn't think she was a bad person, but Amelia's outburst told her otherwise. She sighed, why did she have to overstep her boundaries?

Emma took back her place on the couch, placing a mug on the coffee table. Noticing the shame in Ina's face, the manager knew she had to say something.

"Why's Watson angry with me?" the priestess asked.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Emma knew she needed to choose her words carefully.

"You see, Ina, Amelia's from the future."

"The future?" the Ancient One raised a brow. "That's crazy."

The manager laughed. "You used magic, met a shark girl, and fought a reaper. You think time-traveling's farfetched?"

Ina chuckled. "Good point. So…did something happen between us?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Look, there's no easy way to say this but…you did something bad to Amelia."

"What did I do?"

"That's for her to tell you. I can't."

Ina frowned. Nobody had ever been that hostile to her, but knowing there was a reason behind it made it harder to take in. The priestess pondered just what kind of heinous act she committed onto Amelia. Her eyes began to water slightly, the weight of knowing she did something horrible to another human being was too much for her to take in all at once. She never knew what it was like to be hated by someone else.

She wiped her eyes. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

Though she knew she was staring at the girl who killed Amelia's family, the vulnerability and utter sorrow in Ina's expression told Emma a different story. Despite the fact they had just met, Ina didn't seem like a malevolent monster. If she had reacted this way after telling her that she did something bad to another person, she couldn't imagine how Ina would react if she knew the truth.

"No…you don't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing."

"Huh?"

"Amelia only knows the you in the future, but something tells me you're nothing like that person. She's just scared. Give her time to process all this."

"You really think that'll help? She already hates me."

"Then show her the person you really are. Prove to her that you deserve a second chance."

Ina's lips curled into a small smile. "Thank you…Emma, was it?"

"No problem. Now then, let's discuss everything that's happened up to this point."

-

Stretching her aching arms as she stood up, Amelia picked up her watch from where she left it on the counter. Emma stared at nothing, lost in thought. The detective couldn't blame her, the events that had transpired since their last meeting were a lot to take in. Hanging the watch on her skirt, Amelia heard her stomach growling. Gura slid over a sandwich from across the counter, the Atlantean eating one of her own in silence.

Taking a small bite, Amelia began to relax. The battle had worn her out, both physically and mentally. Even a good night's sleep wasn't enough to ease the throbbing pain that pulsed throughout her body every time she stretched. She could tell Gura had been crying, her eyes red and puffy. Amelia wanted to say something, but she had no idea what to. She understood the pain of losing something important, but she could not even begin to think what it did to a person like Gura, always so bright and happy.

From the kitchen, Ina walked in with a tray of freshly brewed tea and coffee. She placed down a cup next to Gura, who gave her a hushed "thanks". She placed the steaming mug on a coaster atop the coffee table.

She approached Amelia.

"Here's some tea," she picked up the last cup with a gentle smile.

The detective raised a hand, avoiding eye contact with the priestess.

"I'm not thirsty."

"You sure? It's Ina-credible," she attempted to lighten the mood.

The blonde girl was unamused.

"I'll just leave this here then," Ina sighed.

Amelia watched as a slight frown appeared on her face as she disappeared into the kitchen. The cup sat next to her, unclaimed, steam wafting into the air.

"So what now, Amelia?" Emma began, turning over to her from the couch. "You found the person you're looking for, so what's next?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I was just told to find Ina."

"Oh right, what was that thing's name again, Yo-"

"Yog-Sothoth."

"Can we even trust it?"

"Still not entirely sure. I do know is that it knows more than it's letting on, but it's helping me get closer to something."

"It could be just manipulating you."

"Like I said, I don't know, but it's the only thing giving me guidance. Without it, I'd have no idea where to even start."

"We should go talk to it, maybe it can tell us more."

"I'd love to, but we have a problem."

"And that is?"

Amelia raised her watch. "The only way to get to Yog-Sothoth is broken."

"Then let's find another way."

Amelia chuckled, "You make it sound so easy. It said it lived in a realm out of time and space, we can't just pull up at its place and say 'hi'."

"Well how did you get there in the first place?"

The detective examined the large crack on the front of the pocket-watch. "You see, when you want to use the watch, you need to think of a destination before you make the jump or else things could get messy. I focused all my energy into leaving that place in the future, with no direction in mind. Not only that, but the watch was already in pretty rough shape even before I traveled back. That's probably the reason why I ended up in a place outside our reality's concept of space and time."

"So why don't we repair the watch?"

Amelia chuckled. "You don't think I haven't thought of that yet? A lot of the watch's history in the Watson family is a mystery. We understood that it was an important tool to help us in pursuing justice, but we had no idea where it came from."

"Then we'll find out. Together," Emma stated simply.

"Where would we even start? There isn't even anything on the watch that would indicate its origin. All there is are some strange markings."

"You know what they mean?"

"Nope, we've brought the watch to lots of professionals, but none of them were able to decipher them. It's in some sort of language not even the most experienced professionals know about."

"Wait," a voice came from behind the detective.

She flinched, not expecting another person to chime in, especially not from right behind her. Ina leaned over Amelia's shoulder, staring at the symbols etched behind the watch. She reached for it, but the detective moved away from her slightly.

"Hey!"

"May I please have a look, Watson?" Ina outstretched a hand.

"Fine, just don't surprise me like that again," Amelia gave the watch over.

"I've seen these before…" the priestess commented, her fingertips tracing the inscriptions.

"You have? From where?" the detective questioned, her eyes wide.

Seeing the anticipation painted on the faces of the other three, Ina sighed, returning the watch and walking over to her bookshelf, pulling out some manga and books. The priestess pulled out a dusty, worn journal with loose papers sticking out from the confines of the pages. Amelia watched beside her as she opened it, revealing archaic, pages of brown paper that had been weathered by age.

For some reason Amelia felt like she was being observed by something as she examined countless depictions of strange, alien creatures drawn in stunning detail. She had no idea whether to be amazed or terrified with the sheer amount of monsters she had seen. It felt like she had just opened Pandora's box and learned forbidden knowledge no human should ever behold.

Finding the page she was looking for, Ina pulled it out, scanning through its contents. Amelia read the first line at the top of the stack of papers, written in neat letters.

"The Great Race of Yith?" the blonde girl asked.

Ina looked back up at the detective, nodding. "Yes, see these glyphs?"

Sure enough, comparing the marks on the watch to the written characters on the page proved that the language used was one and the same. Astonished, Amelia leaned down to pick the book up for further reading, but Ina slapped her hand lightly.

"Sorry, but you can't read this," the priestess explained, holding the book between her hands as she stood up. "It's too dangerous?"

"Why's that?"

"When I still lived in the orphanage, someone stole this journal. They had to be taken into the mental hospital after just ten minutes of reading it."

The detective's eyes widened. "Good to know. Thanks for the warning, I guess."

"Where'd you find that book anyways?" Gura asked, taking a seat on the couch next to Emma.

"I've had it ever since I was a child. I was told by…someone…to protect it."

"Someone?" the manager repeated.

"I…I'm not sure who told me to do it, but I've upheld it throughout my life. It's just something I live by now, I guess."

"If the book is that dangerous, then wouldn't you have lost your sanity by now?" Amelia questioned.

"I've had that same question for years, but yesterday's really given me a lot to think about. As of now, I believe me being an Ancient One has something to do with my ability to stay sane."

"That would make the most sense."

"I've read and reread this journal and these pages countless times, but I never thought their knowledge would ever come to use. To be honest, for a while I thought they were just ramblings of madmen. That made me even more confused why I felt so compelled to keep the book," Ina's breath caught in her mouth, "Wait, do you think all those monsters…"

"They're probably real," Amelia finished.

The four could never imagine the scale of how many these abominations existed. They had met and battled many monsters, but knowing that there were much more creatures out there in the universe was unreal. Amelia was always a skeptic, not keen on believing everything she was told and wanting to experience something firsthand to believe it, but after meeting creatures like Yog-Sothoth, the Deep Ones, Cthulhu, the Star Spawn, the Elder Things, and the shoggoths, she could believe in anything Ina's journal showed her.

However, the existential dread that would normally accompany the revelation of humanity not being alone never struck her. She made the quick conclusion that having firsthand experiences with otherworldly monsters eased her into the realization, assuming it was the same for the others, as they acted with similar indifference.

Amelia moved on. "So this Great Race of Yith, how can they help us?"

"I might have an idea."

"And that is?" Emma inquired.

"If the markings on the watch are Yithian, then we ought to pay them a little visit," Ina explained.

"So you think meeting these Yith people will help us fix the watch?" the detective hypothesized.

The priestess nodded. "I still need to work out how we're going to get to them, though."

-

Though Amelia was not in the mood for fun, she couldn't help but tap her foot to the melodic and catchy beat of a J-pop song. She peered out the open window of the front seat, her head leaning against the side of Emma's car as she eyed the passing buildings and looming skyscrapers. Gura snored quietly as she slept in the backseat.

"Where're we going?" Amelia asked, glancing towards the driver.

"We're going on a mission, right? It'd be best if we stock up on supplies before we leave."

"I'm guessing you know where we're going?"

Emma nodded. "To HQ."

"You sure we'd be allowed in?"

"I don't think so. Let's just say a colleague of mine doesn't trust you. I think it would be best if not many operatives see you, things could get messy pretty fast. Luckily, the boss gave us all a day off, so everyone's out of the office for today."

"So we go in and out with all our stuff."

"Right."

"Sounds good to me."

Emma stopped at a traffic light as silence settled back in. She swallowed, now was the time to ask.

"Hey, Amelia."

"Hm?"

"Do you trust Ina?"

The detective flinched. She was speechless, not expecting that question from the manager.

"I…don't. She's just a temporary ally for now."

"Who knows how long 'temporary' is gonna be? It wouldn't hurt to put a little more faith in her."

"How could I, Emma? She killed everyone I loved."

"You sure that girl's the same person you're talking about?"

"She could be lying. It could all be nothing but a facade."

"Either she's one good liar or that's the person she truly is, and I believe the latter."

"You wouldn't understand, she didn't destroy your home."

"True," Emma turned to Amelia, "but people change. The person who she is now isn't the person she is in the future. Try to understand her better."

"I can't-"

"Amelia," the manager interrupted with a sharp tone, "just try to give the girl a second chance, please."

The detective sighed. "Fine."

Reaching Cover Corp's headquarters, the three made their way inside, Emma leading them down the elevator to a restricted floor underground. Finding themselves in an empty control room, the manager activated a panel on the table, opening a hidden pathway. Walking through a hall, Emma swiped her ID, granting her access into the room. Amelia could hear her footsteps echo as she strolled into the spacious area.

Resembling a warehouse, tall racks filled with crates of different sizes were laid out in rows. Curious, Gura lifted the lid off one of the boxes, met with the shiny stock of a hunting rifle. Amelia did some exploring of her own, finding a crate full of MREs next to Gura's.

"Woah, cool!" the Atlantean took another out of the box, "Always wondered what these tasted like."

"Let's take some. Oi, Emma," the detective called out, "you got a bag or something to carry this stuff in?"

Someone's head peaked out from the corner of a building, but instead of seeing shiny glasses of the hardworking manager, the two instead saw the surprised face of a girl with purple and blue colored pigtails. Stepping out into the light, she nervously held a broom close to her chest. Her maid outfit was of particular interest to the detective.

"Who are you two?" the girl asked, attempting to sound menacing.

Amelia and Gura looked at each other, not knowing what to do. The Atlantean shrugged.

"Wait a minute…" the maid squinted her eyes, "Amelia Watson?"

The detective gulped. Her hand hovered above her revolver.

"How do you know my name?"

The maid dropped her broom, drawing two submachine guns with unparalleled swiftness that caught Amelia off guard. However, she also drew her revolver, locking the two into a showdown. Gura held her breath, poised to rush the mysterious girl down.

"Woah, woah, woah, let's all just calm down," Amelia spoke, pointing the barrel of the gun straight at the maid's head.

"Watson, you're coming with me. You're wanted for questioning."

"Sorry, but I'm not going, now put the guns down. It's two versus one, the odds of you getting out of this alive don't look too good."

The maid stood in place, unbending. "You don't think this is my first rodeo? Please stand down, I really don't want to hurt either of you."

Footsteps clapped against the concrete floor from behind Amelia and Gura. Snapping back, the shark girl spotted Emma approaching them.

"Hey, heard you calling from far away, need somethi-"

The manager immediately dropped the bag of supplies she hung over her shoulder upon seeing the guns trained on the two.

"Aqua?"

The maid's eyes widened. "Emma?"

Amelia turned to the demon. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she's an operative."

"What the hell's going on here, Emma?" Aqua questioned, still aiming her guns at them.

"Alright, I can explain, let's just put the guns down everyone."

The detective and the maid lowered their firearms, holstering them. Gura lightened her stance, relieved. Aqua crossed her arms, a baffled expression on her face as she approached the three.

"Why're you down here in the supply depot, Aqua? Isn't it your day off?"

"I decided to tidy the place up before I went home and played games. What are you doing here and why are you with Amelia Watson?"

"It's complicated."

"You're gonna have to give me a better explanation."

Emma sighed. "We have to go somewhere and we need supplies."

"Where're you going?"

"Somewhere."

Aqua raised a brow in speculation. "Somewhere?"

"Look Aqua, could you just trust me on this?"

The manager looked into the maid's eyes pleadingly. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Emma and Amelia, as if trying to decide whether or not she would stop them.

"Oi, Watson."

"Yeah?"

"I read your file. Is this all really to save the world?"

"Damn right it is."

Aqua nodded. "Fine then, I'll help you gather supplies. If Emma trusts you this much, then you're someone I can trust. C'mon now," she began walking away, "Let's get what you need."

Loading up duffles with MREs, bottled water, and even sleeping bags with the help of Aqua, the three were set for at least few weeks with the amount of resources they amassed. Amelia finished fixing a bag for Ina, pulling it over her shoulder. She felt the heaviness of carrying two bags weighing on her shoulders, but she could manage. Emma expressed her gratitude for the maid's assistance.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. Just be safe out there," Aqua advised.

"We will, thanks again for the help."

The three returned to the surface, covertly returning to the demon's car and driving away. Amelia heard Gura's stomach growling from behind her and soon felt her own rumble.

"Sounds like you're hungry too, huh?" Emma remarked, turning the corner.

"Wanna grab a quick bite to eat?" the detective suggested.

-

Though it was nothing special, a burger from McDonald's was enough to satisfy Amelia's appetite at any time of the day. As a traveling international detective, she didn't really have the commodity of time to cook herself something to eat. In many cases, fast food was the most convenient option for her. She could remember multiple times when she found herself in a foreign land on an investigation, and a quick bite at a fast food joint would nourish her.

However, when she tried to recall specific instances, no matter how hard she tried her mind shot a blank.

Amelia was perplexed as to why she forgot.

Shaking her head, she rationalized it as memories involving fast food not being exactly memorable, and thought nothing of it. Instead, she turned towards Gura sitting right across from her as she took a bite out of a chicken nugget. Emma was outside on a business call, leaving the two together.

"Hungry?" the Atlantean asked, seemingly to nobody.

Amelia was shocked to find Gura's bubble-encased shark friend floating onto the table from below. Gura ripped off a piece of chicken and presented it with a smile, which the little guy gladly took.

"Is that Bloop?" the detective asked, still surprised.

The shark girl nodded. "Yup, the one and only."

"But I thought it was caught in the ex-"

"I thought it was too, but when the battle was over, I saw him floating towards me."

"Thank goodness."

Gura silently watched Bloop as he ate.

"Ame."

"Hm?"

"Why'd you think Mori destroyed my home?"

Amelia was taken aback. Even though it was inevitable they were going to talk about it sometime, the detective saw this coming out of left field. She organized her thoughts, not wanting to mess her response up and making Gura sadder than before.

"While it was screwed up, I think Mori had no choice but to do it."

"No choice? Mori could've chosen not to attack us, not to chase you down."

"Right, but she has to do all these things because in her mind it's the only way she can go home."

Amelia remembered the absolute rage she felt for Mori after she had obliterated Gura's home. Her anger blinded her from understanding the reaper's perspective. Now that she had time to think about it and contemplate, she gained newfound clarity about why Mori would do such a thing to her.

"Mori hasn't been home in centuries. She finally has the opportunity to do so, but it involves doing things she doesn't want to do. Her demeanor's proven that to me."

"So she can't do anything else…"

"Exactly, she's a victim of circumstance. She took the first opportunity she could to return home because-"

"She was desperate," Gura finished.

"I'm not trying to defend Mori. What she did to you was definitely messed up, but you have to remember there's a reason behind why she does the things she does."

"Got it," the Atlantean nodded.

"Don't worry, once this is all over with, we'll find somewhere for you to stay."

"Maybe we could go to Atlantis and I can give you the grand tour."

Amelia's smile faltered for a moment. "Yeah…let's do that."

Gura chuckled. "Well, you should eat, your food's gonna get cold."

-

"Any luck?" Emma asked as the three entered Ina's home.

"Still working on it."

The priestess sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Her journal sat in her lap as she read through it. Amelia dropped her duffel and Ina's next to the girl, crashing onto the couch. Lugging those bags around did quite a number on her shoulders and could feel them slightly ache.

"Whoa, what are these?"

"Supplies," Amelia promptly answered.

"So, what've you found?" the manager sat down at the counter, curious.

"We're definitely going to need a portal to wherever the Yithians are living. I've been looking through some rituals, but they all require blood sacrifices," Ina explained in a nonchalant tone.

"Pleasant," Gura remarked.

"Definitely a no on rituals, but incantations seem promising."

Amelia stood up, picking up her bags. "I'm gonna store them inside your room, if that's fine with you, Ina."

"Sure."

The priestess rifled through the pages, searching for one in particular.

"Hm, let's see…"

Ina quietly recited the words neatly written into the page. As the last one rolled off her tongue, bright purple erupted from the book, startling everybody. The priestess's eyes lit up with the same color.

"Hey, what's going on?" Gura asked, nervous.

"Oi, Ina, you alright?" Emma began to get off her seat.

A purple portal appeared at the center of the room. The entire place erupted into chaos, furniture and books being blown everywhere. Gura saw her feet being lift off the ground, pointed towards the gateway. She gripped the counter she sat near with all the strength she could muster. Emma followed suit after realizing the same thing as the shark girl. They grimaced as they were being sucked toward the portal.

Amelia struggled to get away. The only thing that kept her grounded were the heavy bags on her shoulder. Letting them go would prove disastrous, but she could feel herself being slowly pulled towards the portal despite the bags weighing her down. A chair flew off the ground, catching the detective off guard as it smacked against her chest, striking her off balance.

Amelia's body disappeared into the portal.

"Ame!" Gura yelled.

"No!" Ina shouted, pushing herself off the floor and running into the gateway without hesitation.

-

Amelia was falling, purple lightning on all sides except forwards and backwards. The abyss only stared back at her as she fell further and further down the tunnel. It was a scene not unlike when she first met Yog-Sothoth. She turned around to find Ina chasing after her, her arm outstretched to the detective. A white light appeared in the distance, expanding and enveloping the two, blinding Amelia.

The next thing she knew she was thrown out, her body tumbling across dirt and rocks. Opening her eyes, she saw the twilight sky above, the sun beginning to set in the distance. She sat up, hearing groaning next to her. Ina lied nearby, stumbling onto her feet.

"Are…" the priestess panted, "Are you ok?"

"Like hell I am!" Amelia shouted, frustrated. "What happened?"

"I accidentally opened a portal," Ina sheepishly explained.

"Accidentally? How do you accidentally do that?"

"I had no idea even whispering the incantation would actually work."

"Shouldn't you know that by now?"

Ina narrowed her eyes, putting her arms on her hips. "Well I'm sorry for being inexperienced, it's not like my powers just awakened yesterday! Maybe I should be prepared for next time three strangers barge into my life and tell me all about this crazy stuff magic and monsters!"

The priestess glared at Amelia.

The detective sighed. "Alright, sorry. We shouldn't be fighting right now. So do you know where we are?"

"I'm not sure. I could only read the incantation, everything else was too faded to read."

"Then it's time to explore."

Picking up their bags, they set off. Buildings of varying shapes and sizes stretched into the sky, their architecture unlike anything Amelia or Ina had ever seen before. The howling wind and the absence of any noise other than their footsteps told the detective that this place was desolate, devoid of any inhabitants. There were no lights, nobody on the streets, just dead.

Passing through an open door, Amelia caught the sound of rustling echoing from inside, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to Ina and the two nodded to each other. With the priestess following behind, the detective stepped into the pitch black room. She pulled out her magnifying glass, turning on its built in flashlight. Looking from side to side as they made their way further, Amelia examined countless books stacked on top of each other on thousands of shelves, dust caked into their spines.

They had set foot in a library.

Fascinated, Ina approached a shelf, pulling a book out and flipping through it. Neither of them couldn't read it, as it was written in the Yithian language. The priestess slid the book back in place, and they moved on.

As they explored the great library, a loud noise abruptly interrupted the peaceful, yet eerie silence. The two jumped, scanning their surroundings.

"What was that?" Amelia asked.

"It sounded like something fell," Ina whispered.

Returning back from where they came from, the detective found a pile of books lying on the ground. She was sure that they hadn't touched anything since they entered, and what they did take was safely placed back into where they belonged.

Amelia felt like they were being watched.

She looked up at the ceiling high above, seeing something dart away from the circle of light that illuminated the roof.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place," Amelia commented, "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed."

Leaving the library, the two kept exploring. Climbing a metal ramp led to a flat area shaped like a square. Amelia found nothing of note, not until Ina pointed out a strange apparatus sitting at the center. Examining it closer, the machine was composed of a console and a large pad. The detective and the priestess had planned on trying to read what was on the computer, but knew it would all be in Yithian and it would be a futile attempt. Before they left, Ina saw the monitor flicker to life, stopping Amelia as she continued to walk.

The two approached the machine once more. The console began talking in a language unknown to either of them, Amelia assuming it was Yithian. Ina leaned in closer, and a grid-like light covered her body. The detective watched in anticipation as the computer scanned the priestess. The process had ended, and after the computer's voice said something else, the entire square they stood on turned golden, the sound of machinery piercing through the silence of the abandoned city.

Before Amelia could comment, the sound of hissing filled the air, grabbing both girls' attention. What began as one hiss turned into two, then to four, then to eight, and so on and so forth. Soon the hissing was louder than the machine they stood on. Amelia and Ina held their breaths as the horrible sound increased in volume.

From the corner of the building, yellow dots appeared from the night, pouring out by the hundreds. Soon what looked like tens of thousands of tiny, hissing creatures flooded the skies.

And they were getting closer.

Amelia ran over to Ina. "We need to get the hell out of here!"

The hissing was deafening, the detective dreaded to think what would happen once they descended upon them.

"Where should we go?"

"Anywhere but here!"

Amelia turned to her side to see something fly into the space. She couldn't make out all of its details because of the darkness, all she knew was that it had a myriad of eyes, all looking towards her. It slithered in the air like a snake, with squirming tentacles. It opened its mouth, revealing a circular row of teeth. The detective pulled out her revolver, shooting the creature down.

"We can't stay here!" the detective shouted. "We have to go!"

Ina shut her eyes. She had seen this device before, but had no idea where. They needed to leave, but the priestess felt like she was forgetting something important. She gripped the sides of her head.

'This machine…go somewhere,' she thought.

Then it clicked.

"Take us to the nearest Yithian ship!" Ina shouted.

The console flared to life, and within seconds a yellow portal appeared at the base of the pad. Amelia and Ina bolted, running into the gateway.

The detective landed on her feet as they exited the wormhole.

Before Amelia's sight could adjust to her new environment, she felt a jolt of electricity strike her entire body. She collapsed as her legs gave out, her body hitting the floor. As her head throbbed, she could feel herself fading into unconsciousness.

The last thing she saw were three shadowy figures, each with three orange eyes staring down at her.