He jolted from his bed, first clutching for his chest. Pain, un-imaginable pain echoed through his lung, his arm, his head and his chest? He looked down at his night shirt balled up in his own fist. He squeezed then released it. No blood. His flesh still was intact; there was no injury, no pain. Where was he?

The sunlight gleamed through the window shutters. The wooden floors creaked silently outside the bedroom door. A small click and Valentine turned his head to the east side of the room. The door hung just ever so slightly off the latch shining more light into the bedroom. What time is it? He pondered as his pushed his hair out of his face. He rough fingers glazed over a scar on his cheek and then ran through his hair. Yes! He felt over his head again. Nothing too grimy and nothing mated together. He quickly adjusts to look and lift up his pillow.

Nothing again,

Not dirt, or oil, or blood seeped from his dreams into his pillow. It was pure white, just as his hair was. He stared at his hands again examining them. Old and faded scars looked as if they had sunk into his skin always on the verge of vanishing but always recovering the next morning. Calluses and other dead skin patches made his hands rough they reminded him of the effort he puts forward. His nails were trimmed at a feeble attempt to keep himself clean and proper, but since there was no one the stare at his hands it was more of a vain habit of his. On the back of his right hand stared up the Voyance rune. All was in order.

Valentine swung his legs over the side of the bed moving the heavy comforter blanket to the side. Once his feet reached the floor he could feel the winter chill hit him. His toes curled as he rose and quickly walked over to his dresser. He knew where everything was in here. From the bed against the south wall to the eastside door and the other assorted bedroom details. It was his house after all why wouldn't he know where everything was? …right?

It could have been the nightmare he had, but he just didn't feel right about this morning. After finding a pair of socks, Valentine went for the door. He never slouches when he walks his walking is that of a solider always on his guard. That's why this morning felt…odd. He stumbled when he walked tripped on a pillow that laid on the opposite side of the bed. Unmade…again.

He scoffed to himself and opened the door.

"Valentine Morgenstern? …I've heard of you. You were the man who stood up to the angels and god himself! All to prove that you were just as powerful as Johnathan Shadowhunter... Is that why you named your sons Johnathan so you could prove a point?"

"I was only trying to help the Mudanes—the mudanes and the Shadowhunters! They needed me to at least try to persuade the angel to help."

"You're hot air will leak out of your ears next, since your mouth seems to be spouting fire." Their tone hushed him. Why should he argue with a demon?

"Morgenstern…Morgenstern…Morning star oh how you have fallen just as Lucifer. You were born for the purpose of making a fool of yourself. It is such a pity I wonder if those of the living pity you. If anyone mourned the morning star,"

What death? My death?

A soft wind blew over him, he felt as if the world around him shifted. From a dark empty box of a room to a dim lighted ocean cliff. He could see! He could see everything now not just here's or there's. At first he felt hope and then he felt his nausea overcome this tattered body. He balanced well on his toes all until they gave out on him. He was usually stronger than this. He hasn't vomited in years but now here he was on his hands and knees making a mess of himself in front of the same voice that taunted him.

"Oh poor man… tch tch tch" Their tongue clicked at him as if he was a child whom was bed ridded after catching cold. "You have given me your name so I suppose I should help you.."

Help, yes please "Tell me where I am" He looked up from the ground. Blades of grass between his fingers and toes, the smell of the sea, Where was he?

"Poor poor Mourning Star I promise you I'll be gentle to your broken body…" They ignored him. Their hands brushed under his chin again he felt the tingle of his beard being brushed, but it wasn't normal it did not feel of skin.

He squinted his eyes to look up at the voice to maybe gain some ground. An idea of who he was talking to. But all he could see was the black void he saw before when he looked at them. Coward, hiding in the shadows!

He coughed "Show yourself to me, how am I to trust the nothingness?" He was turning to fear, which only lead to anger for him.

"My dear Mourning Star I have already shown you a new world, One that you should be familiar with…What else do you need?"

"Your face –"he hacked and sputtered tasting the vile in his mouth.

The void seemed to stand up straight and lower their tone of voice to something booming and serious. "That would not be wise, human. You may have seen unworldly events or monsters in your time but I show myself to no one"

"C-coward!" He stuttered clenching his stomach. Unable to support himself Valentine toppled over into a puddle of vomit and his on blood.

"You dare call me a coward?! You a pathetic mortal, you are the coward unable to rise up from your own death to admit your faults! Your falling has only shat on your ego and caused you to become a shell of a man—"

Valentine let out a pained sob before rolling on his back. He could either cry and accept himself or wonder off in his own mind. I wonder what it would be. To accept his fate, where would it lead him? To the abuse of this demon, one he couldn't even fight off? What good would running do?

A pained laugh echoed off in each direction. It sounded sad, desperate and above else shattered from within.

"You dare to laugh at me now?! Valentine Morgenstern I should send you to your worst nightmare than try and take pity on a man with no respect—"

"ha..haha…Please..Shadow Before I vanish, tell me your name if not your face"

An inhuman growl loomed over the land. The ocean had stop all noise. True power over this domain belonged to them, there was no doubt, but Valentine always had to push, always had to have something in his grasp before ending anything.

"You stain on heaven's gate! I have no name! I have no face! I have no Sex or gender! Nothing That could possible Link back to you wretched, inferior, filthy humans!"

"Ah—haha How sad for you…" He took in a shaking breath and stared up. Hoping to see stars but it was nothing but the void again. Their anger has brought them back to this ugly box of a room.

"Sad, you think I am sad, Mourning Star? I am not sad I cannot express those emotions to you. I can express my being to you. You could never comprehend what I am."

"I once thought you to be as an evil but you are more of a Neutral existence.."

"If I am anything to you humans, you mortals, I would be called death. A Reaper of spirits and souls and nothing more…"