Plot Hooks

Darkness shrouds my view like a black fog. I hear a cold sharp voice through the thick mist.
"Shock, trauma to the head, disorientation, amnesia, immense blood loss past fatal levels, radiation poisoning, broken bones in eighteen different places including but not limited to the head, left and right arms, left and right kneecaps, pelvic bone, spine and ribs, stab wounds to the lungs and heart, frostbite in the lower half of the body, chemical burns to the eye, twenty-four bullets lodged between the shoulder blades, eight pieces of shrapnel in the liver and kidney, extreme amounts of cyanide found in the throat and stomach, cerebral compression, tetanus infection in the chest, gangrene spread in the right leg slowed by third-degree burns over fourty-one percent of his body, secondary drowning, tissue necrosis over ten percent of the flesh and spreading and severed tendons in the left arm. Summary, he should have died yesterday. The subject will do nicely."
The piercing and clinical voice is amused. Strange. The voice seems to be describing me. But I don't feel any pain. Just numbness. Heavy. My body is heavy. A figure passes over me, a silhouette of black upon black. The figure has too many limbs to be right. It exhales upon me and its cold breath makes me shiver. My eyelids feel heavy and, as if guessing my thoughts, he reaches and closes my eyes. Just before my eyes shut, I see-
You see nothing.
I see nothing. The world goes black.

"Here." Death passed the paper across the table. Life frowned as he read it.
"Experimental necromancy?"
"What else would you have me name it? This is not traditional necromancy where the caster raises the dead. The subject is typically alive, but dying. This magic is strangely murky, even to our senses. It is hard to detect its functions."
"What should we do about this then?"
"I am pondering that. It violates the unspoken rules. Traditional necromancy involved both of us giving the subject our blessings but this... I cannot tell if the subject is dead or alive. It is as if they are neither."
Chaos' eyes widened. "If Death herself cannot feel whether a target is dead or alive, then this is surely cause for alarm. Who is this necromancer?"
"I... do not know." This was stunning news. Death could not tell who was committing these unnatural acts. "I am increasing my search, but it is difficult to do, what with the plague reaching a climax. The number of souls that I collect each day is getting more and more."
"Are you having trouble collecting them?" Chaos asked softly.
"I.." She rubbed her head. "Yes. I left a few on the streets because I... could not cope." She paused, unwilling to admit her inability.
Death looked ready to break down, if that was possible.
"Do you need help? We could always resort to..." He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.
"No. No. I will cope. I have in previous disasters. I have grown lax." She stood up. "I will go now. If I do not collect them soon, I fear that I will have to hunt them down. And that will be even worse."
The other Personas nodded as she disappeared. Evolution sighed.
"I think, if this carries on, whichever of us have too heavy a burden, perhaps we could bring mortals in to aid us. Willing mortals? Or perhaps, our progeny could aid us. After all, they have nothing much to do."
Chaos inclined his head. "That was my intention. Who here requires an assistant?"
Decay raised a gnarled and withered hand. He looked like a mummy, just without bandages. Desiccated and dry, he looked horrible to mortal perception.
"I require some help." He croaked out. "The Kylmiri people are too sick to take care of their dead and burn them and now the amount of decay I need to enable is overwhelming. But a single assistant would do."
"Of course. Anyone else?"
"I think the Mistress ought to have an assistant, whether she wishes it or no. She is far too prideful to accept one, even though it is quite obvious that she needs one." Evolution commented.
"I shall go and meet the children and see which of them are willing. Hopefully we will not have to find regular mortals." Chaos disappeared.
Seeing their de facto leader leave, the Personas left after several conversations with each other. Their work was eternal.

Hey. Stop drinking. You've already drunk too much. You need your wits about you.
"What? Why?"
Because we're going to meet Alice.
"Since when!"
I just decided. Libys' voice was stern and brooked no argument.
"Well, you're not the one controlling this body." Raewyn replied sullenly and not just slightly drowsily.
How much are you willing to bet on that? Libys suddenly jerked up Raewyn's right hand. As she stared, she suddenly felt what equated to a mental scuffle.
Foul daemon! Do not take possession of her! She may be bonded to you, but she is still the one in control!
Yeah? You can take your blessed words and stick them up your-
"Damn it, will you two knock it off!" She took another long draught of her oru wine.
The taint had already spread to her chin, her waist and reaching her elbows. She had spent many days brooding and just drinking through. She had tried to apply Nova's salve, despite Evolution's words and the salve had no effect on the taint.
Raewyn. His voice was gentler now. When are we going to see Alice? We have to. Soon.
"I don't know." She spoke forcefully. She suddenly felt very tired. "Not today. Soon." She lay down to sleep, knowing that it would do little to ease her emotions. And at the thought of emotions,
"Liryc." She jolted awake and reached for her phone. She sent a quick message to Arguil, asking for details of her arrival. Liryc was the saddest woman Raewyn had ever seen. The most beautiful voice, singing the saddest tunes, plucking her exquisite lyre to accompany the melancholic song. Raewyn missed her the most, of the entire guild.