Where the war is fought.
Realm 01
The Live Realm
The human plane — made of positive Vis, the life-energy that flows through every living soul. It sits at the center of everything, between Paradiso above and the Abyss below. Its survival is the stake of the entire war. When a person dies, their Vis is meant to return here while their soul crosses over for judgment. When that process goes wrong, everything goes wrong.
“As you may know, the Live Realm comprises positive Vis. When you die, your soul and your personal Vis leave your body. The Vis is supposed to return to the Live Realm, and the soul needs to enter the Room of Apofasi to cross over.”
— Awoke
Realm 02
The Abyss
The afterlife domain of the Want — and of every soul that fails judgment or surrenders itself to darkness. A barren mirror of the living world, stripped of all Vis. It was never designed as a prison, but the souls trapped there made it one. And it leaks. That leak is the engine of the entire conflict.
“The Abyss isn't a secure prison. They always find ways out.”
— Awoke
Realm 03
Paradiso
The afterlife realm for souls who pass judgment. The counterpart to the Abyss and the third realm the Balancer is sworn to protect. Peace here is not given — it is earned.
“The Abyss, Paradiso, and the Living Realm all serve a function to preserve a balance in this universe.”
— Awoke
Realm 04
Ager
The otherworldly realm that houses the Kyrios — their headquarters, training ground, and base of operations. A realm apart from the living world, where the Grim Reapers are stationed between assignments. It exists in a permanent twilight, cobblestone paths lit by a soft silvery light at the horizon. From here, the Kyrios cross into the Live Realm to do what must be done.
“A realm currently in twilight. The horizon gleamed with a soft, silvery light, casting long, whispery shadows on the cobblestone paths below.”
— Awoke
Who fights and why.
The Want
Not a place — a state of becoming. When a soul is so bound to the living world by anger or grief that it refuses to cross over, it holds onto its Vis past the point of return. That Vis warps. The soul warps with it. What emerges is a Want creature — something that was once human and is now a monster clawing back toward the world it can no longer inhabit. The Kyrios fight to contain them. They keep coming back.
“There are times when a soul is so tied to the Live Realm that their anger about dying changes them. They hold on to their Vis, which changes them physically until they are the beasts chasing after you today.”
The Divine Order
Above the Kyrios, above Ager, above everything visible in the war — sits the divine hierarchy. God as architect of the entire system of balance. The Seraphim (Phims) as the highest celestial order. The Archangels (Archs) below them, a separate department with their own agenda and authority the Kyrios do not have. In the beginning, some grew jealous that humankind was given a world of its own. That jealousy has never fully resolved. And Drachen — once a high-ranking Phim, now the leader of the Want and ruler of the Abyss — is the proof of what happens when it doesn't.
“Just remember, your title is the Balancer, not the Destroyer. We already have one — his name is Drachen.”
Vis
Spiritual life-energy carried by every soul. The Kyrios wield it as power and weapon. The Want consume it to survive.
The Balancer
The fabled role that keeps the realms from convergence. Katya's title — and her burden.
Room of Apofasi
The judgment realm where a spirit's fate is decided after death. Every soul passes through here.
Soulbind
Vis restraints used to contain a Kyrios. A prison built from the same energy that gives them power.