The longevity of a soulbeast couldn’t be understated. Even a class six soulbeast could live for over two hundred years if left to their own devices. A class seven soulbeast could live for five hundred and a class eight soulbeast could live for over a thousand years. A mid-stage or late-stage class seven could live for even longer.

But longevity was not equal to immortality. As a lifespan of a hundred years had an end, so did a lifespan of a thousand years. Even a class eight soulbeast would seek for a natural end in a place of their own choosing.

For those close to the end of their natural life span, they wished to meet their end in a place where their descendants could still be given the last ‘gift’ they could spare.

That place was...