Chapter Text
A man sat in the living room of a little cottage on the moors, his back against the wall and his knees up to his chest.
Dried tear tracks stained his cheeks as he scrolled through the contact list on his phone, clicking on one that said 'Koschei', calling it.
A loud pitched tri-toned beep followed by, "We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service," announced its failure.
He stared at the phone blankly, running back through his contact list to dial again.
"We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service."
Click, clack, click.
"We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service."
Click.
"We're sorry, but the numb-"
"Enough of that," snapped a young woman with bushy brown hair, plucking the mobile from his hand.
"I need that to call-"
"He's not coming back!" she snapped at him, a hard look entering her eyes.
"Of course, he is!" he suddenly yelled, a fire in his eyes, "he always comes back, even when he doesn't want to!"
"Not this time, Doctor," the woman spoke in clipped tones, "No-one can survive the Veil of Death."