Hex stood by himself in front of Macabre Hearse, waiting for Elaine to show up after asking one of her subordinates to bring her out. He was still terrified of being killed because he still had his god powers. He still hated her, but technically she did save his life. He saw Elaine walk out and walk up to him.

“Why would you call me at this time of night?” Elaine asked, it was hours after it turned dark.

“I was just guessing you’re nocturnal. We need to talk.” He folded his arms.

“Okay, what is it?” she questioned further.

“Doesn’t this whole thing tire you out? Being a vigilante and all? Aren’t you tired of being on the run all the time?” he asked.

“I’ve been doing this since I was in my preteens, if you are trying to change me now, it’s a little late for that. I’ve been doing this for over half my entire life. Besides, you hate me, don’t you? Why are you suddenly so worried about my lifestyle?” she asked.

“You’re right, I still do dislike you, but holy shit even having a taste of this war we’re in is a constant subject of limitless stress. I don’t know how you do it.” He had been constantly worried ever since he got his magical powers, it took a long time for him to relax afterwards, especially after the Demon Hunters broke into his house.

“I’ve already resigned myself to the fact I will never lead a normal life. I live my life as a vigilante, doing the things this shitty justice system won’t do. Lyserge is a sinking ship, I’m just here putting corks in the holes.” She smiled sadly.

“Aren’t you constantly scared? How do you handle the fear?” he asked.

“I’m powerful enough to hold my own, you are too but… The source of your fear right now is probably your god powers.” She sighed.

“Doesn’t it bother you sometimes though? Having the entire justice system be against you? Do you ever have time to yourself?” he questioned further.

“I never said it didn’t bother me. I’m just doing something about it. And yes, I barely have time to myself, but it’s fulfilling work, even though I’m pretty sure the holes in the justice system will never get fixed, which only means that I will never not be needed,” she said.

“I know, it’s the so called ‘justice’ system, and I use the term loosely for them. Having an entire branch of government be so shitty that being a vigilante is viable is disgusting, just goes to show how broken this system is. I can agree with you that the way the world works right now is broken and needs to be fixed somehow, but I’m not so sure about killing people.” He frowned.

“You have to understand how bad it is, You’re going at this from an outside perspective, but I’ve been knee deep in the business of fixing by force for a long time now, and even killing corrupt judges doesn’t work. They are always replaced by a new, sometimes even more corrupt judge, I don’t know where they’re finding them all, or what factory they’re made in.” She chuffed.

“Those people may be corrupt, but they have families, I don’t know how you can kill with such impunity. I wouldn’t be able to do something like that, it just seems heartless.” He shook his head.

“I’m not going to say the ends justify the means, because that would be a shitty excuse. Don’t you think I feel guilt for what I do? Or do you think I’m just a hollow shell of a woman?” she asked.

“I’m not so sure you can feel guilt.” He didn’t know if she was empty inside or not, but he was leaning toward thinking as such.

“That’s harsh, Hex. It’s like working in any field where people die, though. Eventually you have to learn to live with the grief, coping mechanisms and all.” She bared her fangs as a pained expression came across her face.

“It’s going to catch up with you eventually, you know.” He was inadvertently shaming her for her choices without even thinking about what he was saying.

“You tell me that you aren’t sure that I can feel guilt and then tell me that the guilt that I may not feel will catch up to me eventually, which one is it?” she said.

“Not your guilt, your crimes.” He shook his head again.

“You tell me how shitty and ineffective the justice system is and then tell me such a system can catch me? Don’t you think I’d want to live in a world where they could? And if you’re so worried about my wrongdoing, why haven’t you ratted me out?” she asked.

“I was going to, before you showed Pain to me. I’d rather keep you around so you can warn me if anything bad is about to happen to me,” he said.

“So you’re using my feelings for you against me, wonderful,” she said.

“What?” he asked.

“I guess Pain didn’t tell you he and I are dating. He’s the closest to the real thing I could ever get.” She lowered her head.

“You… You have feelings for me? Then why did you fake Din’s death?” he said.

“For one, I didn’t know she was your girlfriend, and two, I was going to tell you the next day that I had her. Thirdly, there weren’t any bones, I thought you would discern it wasn’t really her, and that I had transported her to me instead of you.” She looked back up.

“That still doesn’t answer my question, why did you do it?” he questioned her again.

“I didn’t know you’d try to kill yourself, I didn’t take that into account. I may have went back in time one day to show you Pain, but I couldn’t do it for that, going back in time is dangerous, I had to live with my mistake. You know I’m still sorry about it, I really am,” she said, her voice wobbling from time to time.

“I still can’t forgive you for that, you know that,” he said.

“I know,” she said, pain in her voice.

“So, I know I can’t make you help me, but what can I do about my god powers? Can you seal them away again or something?” he asked.

“You say that like I won’t help you,” she said.

“Do you have anything in mind?” he said.

“Something to help both of us, but for that you’d have to go somewhere I cannot go. I’ll call up Zlyena. Come inside.” She gestured him inside.

He walked with her past the black Greek pillars that towered over their heads. There were similarly black Greek pedestals in between each pillar that had bouquets of red roses in black flower pots. Everything but the roses and the door in front of them was black. The door, which he believed to be to her room, was classic looking, and seemed to be made out of mahogany. He was led into the room by her.

He saw her take out a purple flip phone, the same kind that Zlyena gave him to contact her. She dialed some numbers, and put the phone up to her ear.

“Zlyena, it’s me... Hex needs to go to the Golden Sands... Yes, I’m serious... Hex wants to get rid of his god powers... He’s afraid he’s going to be killed... I know you’re still angry at me about Pain’s creation, but there seriously wasn’t any other way to prevent what happened. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and I swear to god I’ll do it again if it happens a second time… Alright, I’ll wait.” She closed the flip phone.

“Well?” he asked.

“She’ll be here in a second,” she said.

A portal opened up next to her, and Zlyena stepped out of it.

“So you want to go to the Golden Sands? Why?” Zlyena asked.

“My mother can exchange his god powers for immortality, all he has to do is ask,” Elaine said.

“Wait, immortality? Really? I can have that?” Hex was surprised, he didn’t think that getting rid of his god powers could win him eternal life in return.

“You could ask for something else, if you wanted, but you don’t have much time to think about it, the forces of evil are already plotting against you,” Zlyena said.

“Forces of evil? What do you mean?” Hex asked.

“You remember Pain? The reason why he was created was that Turbuk found out about your god powers, and called on one of the worst Demon Hunters to take you out. Even now he’s trying to find an opening to attack,” Zlyena said.

“Well, fuck. I think I’ll stick with the immortality thing.” He did want to become immortal, to a degree, he was half-scared for death and half-wishing for it. He thought that if he had enough time in the land of the living he could turn his life around, probably kick a few vices along the way. He was so stressed out he was itching for a smoke at the moment.

“Alright, I will open a portal to her world. You may want to not touch the sand if you have sinned too much, it might burn you.” Zlyena opened a light blue portal, and gestured Hex to go through.

He entered the portal, and immediately found out why it was called the Golden Sands. The sand was like tiny shiny grains of solid gold under his feet. He looked around, and saw no one. He took off his glove, and while he was still looking behind himself, reached down to touch the sand. He wanted to know if he had sinned to much. He felt the coarse sand touch his fingers, it was warm but not too hot. He sighed in relief.

“What are you doing?” a young sounding female voice asked.

He quickly stood up and turned his head back around,

A small girl with long blonde hair and pearl colored robes with pale blue skin stood in front of him. She had two vertical markings under her eyes that were like scars, but they were glowing white. She had small segmented stone wings that were like floating plates, the pieces floating close together but not touching. Her eyes were closed.

“Who are you?” Hex asked.

“My name is Cara, why are you here?” Cara asked.

“I was told that Elaine’s mother could trade my god powers for immortality,” Hex said.

“Elaine? Did she send you?” She questioned further.

“She recommended me to you, are you Elaine’s mother?” Hex asked.

“One and the same. I can tell your god powers are causing you trouble. I myself have such powers, but god powers without immortality is a deathwish.” She said.

“That’s why I’m here, I want to trade it in for immortality.” Being able to not worry about the finite amount of time he had in the world of the living was something that interested him, he wasn’t going to do anything to himself anymore, at least he didn’t think he would. He believed he learned from his past.

“Very well, stand still.” She raised her hand, and white sigils sprang from her palm, pointed in the direction of his Core.

He felt a slight sinking feeling, but he didn’t want his god powers if they were going to get him killed, so why?

“All done,” she said, the sigils went away and she lowered her hand.

“By the way, why are your eyes closed? Can you see me?” he asked.

“I can, I have second sight, also, if I open my eyes, I will blind you. I was given light magic powers by someone, but there needed to be a part of me that I had to cover, so I chose my eyes.” She smiled slightly.

“My girlfriend has light magic powers, but she doesn’t need to cover up or anything like that,” he said.

“They aren’t advanced light magic powers then. For example, Dr. Gage has special socks because he chose his feet to be the thing to cover up. Shai, who you probably have not met yet, chose her entire body except her head, and her torso in her human form,” she said.

“I never knew that.” He was surprised, this new trade of covering up something for power was intriguing to him, but he himself wouldn’t want to do something like that.

“He wouldn’t have told you about it, I’m sure.” She shook her head.

“So is that all? Can I go back now?” he asked.

“I would have thought you’d have more questions for me, since I am Elaine’s mother,” she said.

“Oh, I don’t want to pry, I’d rather her family stories were kept secret unless she wanted to tell me herself.” He didn’t feel right asking Cara about family matters since he wasn’t a part of their family.

“Alright, I will open a portal back to where you were.” She raised her hand again, and a portal opened up

“Goodbye.” He walked up to the portal, turned and waved at her.

She smiled and waved back.

He went back through the portal, and said goodbye to Elaine, then went back home. He tried to hold back his need to smoke, but found himself standing outside his house with a cigarette in his hand again. He was smoking a lot more than he would like recently. He chocked it up to his body trying to cope with the stress from trauma, after all that had happened to him.