Ethan crouched beside Amy, his voice low and steady, giving just the right amount of urgency and emotion to manipulate her.
"Hey, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here, we'll figure this out together. So listen to me, Amy," he said, gripping her shoulders gently. "That thing? It called itself a demon. And if evil things like demons are real, then good things…" He let his words trail off, waiting for her to reach the conclusion.
Amy swallowed hard, her tear-streaked face full of fear and hope. "Then… good things like gods and angels must be real too," she whispered.
Ethan nodded, feigning just enough uncertainty to make it feel like he was figuring this out alongside her. "I read about it once. Some gods use mortals as their avatars—champions that act in the physical world for them." He met her eyes, his voice soft but insistent. "If we can reach one of them, we might stand a chance against this demon."
Amy hesitated, but Ethan could see the desperation settling in. She wanted to believe.
She needed to believe. She would desperately grasp at any chance to survive this nightmare.
Still, he needed to sell it completely.
"We could even save Rachel," he added. It wasn't entirely true, and he didn't really care, but Amy did.
She inhaled sharply, her grip tightening on her torn sleeves. "…What do we do?"
Ethan's lips curled slightly. 'Hook. Line. Sinker.'
Ethan sorted through every piece of mythological knowledge stored in his mind.
The Egyptian pantheon would be the easiest to contact of those who used Avatars. They solely believed in not interfering with themselves, but rather using Avatars or mortals with limited power who would act in their stead.
The Ennead had a long history of interacting with mortals, and unlike some of the stricter gods, they weren't as bound by rigid cosmic laws.
Looking at Amy, trying to figure out which God or Goddess would respond to the girl he landed on one name—one that fit perfectly.
Nut.
The primordial goddess of the sky, protector of souls, the great mother of the heavens.
If they were in a realm of darkness and hunger made for a demon to feast on souls, then Nut—who embodied the vast, starry sky and was a protector of souls—would be the ultimate counterbalance.
She was a motherly deity, kind but firm, and she had been depicted as a protector of the dead.
And what was this realm, if not a graveyard of stolen souls?
Ethan thought of all the items or totems that could be used to try to form a link to Nut through prayer.
The Starry Night Sky – She was the personification of the heavens, arching over the earth. So a ritual under a starry sky would be best, but that option was out since they were trapped in a dimension with a red sky.
The Milky Way – In mythology, she was seen as the cosmic body itself. It would be possible to recreate constellations using some objects.
The Scarab Beetle – Symbolizing rebirth and protection. There were many insects crawling in this twisted version of the school, but sadly, none of them were beetles.
A Water Jug – Representing the life-giving nourishment of the sky. This could be found and made.
A Ladder – Some myths said she provided a ladder for souls to reach the afterlife. Also, another easily found object in a school.
So the Milky Way, a water jug, and a ladder. Ethan could make this work.
He just needed to create the right conditions.
He turned to Amy. "I need you to trust me. I have an idea, and if we do this right, I think we can get out of here."
She nodded hesitantly, but her hope was growing.
Ethan quickly scanned their surroundings.
Ladder? There had to be a janitor's closet somewhere nearby.
Bowl for water? The cafeteria might have something.
Stars? He could find glowing materials to simulate constellations or maybe even a star map in the science room.
The pieces were falling into place.
He turned back to Amy. "We're going to set up a makeshift altar, and when we do, you need to pray. But not just any prayer—you need to make it personal. Call to her with affection as you would our own mother, ask for her protector."
Amy nodded, swallowing. "What do I say?"
Ethan thought for a second, then carefully crafted a prayer that would give them the best chance of getting Nut's attention.
[O Great Mother of the Heavens,
She Who Holds the Stars,
Lady of the Celestial River, Keeper of the Night's Veil,
I stand before you in darkness,
Lost beneath a sky with no light,
Trapped in a place where shadows devour the living.
You who stretch your hands across eternity,
You who embrace the lost and guide them home,
Hear me now, great Nut, mother of the gods.
I am small, but I seek your shelter.
I am lost, but I seek your path.
Grant me your gaze, lend me your hand,
And let your sky shield us from the consuming void.
By the stars above and the river of souls below,
I call to you.
Protect us, O Celestial Mother.]
Ethan repeated it out loud, waiting for Amy to commit it to memory.
Then he looked at Amy. "Got all that?"
She exhaled shakily. "…I think so."
Ethan gave a reassuring smile. "Then let's get to work."