Soul Census - War of Shadows - Book 1

by AJVega

Rated: 13+ · Book · Fantasy · #1877118

Paranormal fantasy set in 1930s. Elements of Reincarnation, Soulmates, Mythology & Nazis

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#776557 added March 11, 2026 at 2:26pm
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Chapter 1.3 - Orientation

Earth Date: 9th of April 1933 CE
Location: Reflection Room, Soul Sphere, Earth

Maddock listened as the Director and Wolfe spilled it—stuff about life after death, something called reincarnation, and some dingus called a Soul Sphere. He rubbed his temples, trying to will a throbbing headache away.

“Are we boring you, Willem?” Wolfe said.

Maddock glared at him. Something about the way he said it. Before any of the suits could react, Maddock charged at Wolfe, grabbing him by the collar and bullying him into the wall.

“Mr. Maddock!” he heard Black say.

He was up close to Wolfe, who stared back with a smirk that demanded a pasting. Just as Maddock pulled back his fist to land one, the wall caved in—like stretching rubber. The two of them went falling through it, outside of the room.

They landed on the floor in a hallway. Maddock lifted himself up slowly, taking in his new surroundings. The hallway went down about twenty feet in both directions and was similar to the room in appearance. Same black-onyx floors and walls that were either smoked glass or matte white. One different thing, though, was the ceiling: it draped down in waves, almost like a fabric hung from it, but the texture looked more like… seashells.

Wolfe jumped up before Maddock and rather unexpectedly offered him a hand up. Maddock slapped it away, glowering at him on his way to standing.

“Maddock,” Black said, stepping in between them. “Do you want a job, or do you want to go back into the streets to be rat food?”

In the better light of the hallway, he could not help but notice her pretty hazel eyes, along with silky black hair that hung past her shoulders. As he looked down, he noticed upon closer inspection that she had nice bubs.

“Are you listening to me?” she said, snapping her fingers in his face. “Up here.”

A group of agents crowded in on both sides of the hallway, all dressed like Wolfe. Maddock counted about seven; some appeared to be carrying heaters. Might be a good fight if it wasn’t for the guns.

“I can easily have you shoved back out into the streets to starve and die,” she said.

“Bullshit,” Maddock said. “I was on my way to getting a good job when I had to save you and your goof from getting pasted in that alley.”

Black tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

Maddock could tell she was not believing it. Truth was, she was right. He really did not have any future out there. He glanced around at the strange place, the agents, and finally settled his sights on her. This was an unexpected evening, and for once it was a set of events he could not predict. And he liked that.

“All right… on two conditions,” he said, then looked up, thinking. “Actually, make that three conditions.”

“You’re in no position to make—” Black started, but he cut her off.

“First, I don’t want to hear any more history lessons—I learn better by doing, so just throw me into the fray. I’ll learn as I go.”

Black crossed her arms and nodded silently.

“Two… I need some java and a ciggy. I haven’t had either in hours, and I get real mean without them.”

“Fine, then,” she said.

“And three—”

“That was three already,” Wolfe jumped in. “‘Java and a ciggy’—that’s two things.”

“I guess he can’t count,” Black said. “Go on, Mr. Maddock. Spill it so we can get this over with.”

Maddock walked up to Wolfe, who tried to step back, but this time, his back was against a wall that didn’t bulge. Holding him by the collar, Maddock brought him up close. Face to face, he smiled as Wolfe twitched.

“Three …” Maddock said. “I gotta have one of these here spiffy suits.”

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