"Uncle," I sighed, my voice heavy with resignation as it echoed off the cold, damp walls. "Have you, too, been corrupted by me?"
The illusion of my chamber unraveled like a thread pulled from a tapestry. Gone were the grand canopy bed, the golden-framed mirror, and the polished floors that reflected the light of an imagined sun. In their place stood cold, jagged stone, wet with condensation and streaked with something darker—something that stank of death.
Chains hung from the ceiling, their ends adorned with rusted hooks that swayed slightly, as if remembering the weight of their last victims. A faint, sour smell lingered in the air, the unmistakable stench of rot mingling with old blood. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by torches that sputtered weakly, their light barely penetrating the oppressive darkness.
My uncle stood just beyond the bars of my cage. His long, white hair, dampened by the dungeon's moisture, clung to his angular face. His single, piercing blue eye gleamed in the dim light, sharp as a blade, while the other remained hidden beneath a leather patch that seemed more a badge of his cruelty than a wound.
"How long?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. The weight of his aura pressed down on me, suffocating and relentless.
Crimson threads spread from me, digging hunggrily into the ground, crawling and merging with everything in its sight. As it reached the dark, cold metal bars, a blue barrier activated, repelling the thread vines. It recoiled and attacked again fiercely.
I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow in the gloom. For a fleeting moment, I let my mana rise, a faint golden glow emanating from my chest, trying to push back against his crushing presence. But the memories returned—memories of what I'd done, of what I'd become. Crimson thread vines began to infect the golden core glowing within me, and my eyes began to turn crimson slowly.
My mana began to surge ravenously, prompting me to suppress my mana. I sagged against the chains that bound me, my smile empty and cruel. "Ever since you brought me into this pit," I whispered, my voice laced with mockery. My golden eyes glimmered with defiance as I locked gazes with him. "You forget, Uncle, the reason I am here. The reason you fear me."
The crimson threads became thicker and thicker, finally forming into tentacles. They thrashed continuously at the blue ethereal barrier. My vision began to waver, a stark contrast between black and crimson echoing in my sight.
His lips twisted into something resembling a smile—a cold, calculated expression that held no warmth. "Leave us," he commanded, his voice echoing in the silence.
The guards hesitated, their eyes darting toward me as if expecting something monstrous. I couldn't see them, but my mana has been spread across the continent itself, causing the continent to wither away. The only reason why I wasn't killed was because of Uncle's presence, which probably serves as a deterrent. I could tell the expression of worry written on their faces just by their mana signatures. My uncle glared at them, causing them to scramble along nervously, the heavy door slamming shut behind them.
The room grew silent once more, save for the faint drip of water and the ragged sound of my breathing. My uncle lowered himself to the floor outside my cell, leaning against the bars that had held me captive for what felt like eternity.
"You've grown brave," he said softly, his gaze distant as if recalling a memory long buried.
"He's lying," a voice hissed, low and guttural, slicing through the air like a razor.
The crimson tentacles started trashing more aggressively, causing cracks to appear on the barrier. My uncle stood watching silently, his eyes full of sadness. The eyes that once held love for me now had eyes of pity like the ones one would give an enemy who you knew, no matter what he does, how he does, could not escape from you. The inevitable end of a prey before its natural predator.--Why are you looking at me like that? Why those eyes? Please look at me, uncle!!!!---.
Rage! Utter Madness, Devour!, the ceiling started closing in on me. Rage filled me, causing the vines to thrash around even more, finally breaking the barrier. They charged furiously, wrapping tightly around my uncle. Uncle's face darkened, his hair covering his eyes and his familiar rugged eyepatch. Uncle breathed out an exhausted, brief sigh.
My body tensed as I turned toward the corner of the cell, where Brian materialized, his form warped and grotesque. His white robes, once pristine, now hung in tatters, stained with blackened blood that dripped endlessly onto the floor. His red eyes burned like embers, their glow illuminating his face—a horrifying blend of human and something far more sinister. His once-youthful features were now a twisted mask of decay, his skin peeling away to reveal sinew and bone beneath.
"You trust him?" Brian asked, his voice dripping with venom. His lips twisted into a grin far too wide for his face, exposing rows of jagged, yellowed teeth. "He'll kill you. Just like the others."
"Be silent," I growled, my voice shaking.
"Talking to yourself again, nephew?" my uncle asked, his tone cold. His blue eye narrowed, shining through his messy hair. He studied me.
Brian's laughter filled the room, a sound that made the very air shiver. He stepped closer, his movements unnaturally fluid, his form flickering like a dying flame. His fingers, elongated and tipped with claws, brushed against the bars of the cage, leaving behind blackened scorch marks. Brian turned into dark mist, slowly appearing beside me.
"Look at him," Brian whispered, his voice a sickly sweet poison as his claws struck my face lovingly. My eyes were glowing a dark crimson as I watched my motionless uncle wrapped around the crimson tentacles. "He hates you. Always has. And yet you cling to this pathetic hope that he might love you."
"Stop it," I hissed through clenched teeth, my chains rattling as I struggled against them.
"Why?" Brian purred, tilting his head unnaturally far to one side. "I'm only telling the truth."
"Enough!" I shouted, the sound reverberating through the dungeon. The moon shifting into crimson caused a commotion outside. I could sense the panic, the fear. It all smelt exhilarating. I wanted more, feeling nothing short of kinship for the people who abandoned me.
My uncle stiffened but said nothing, his gaze unreadable.
Brian crouched beside me, his twisted face inches from mine. The stench of rot wafted from his breath, making my stomach churn. "You're nothing without me," he whispered, his tone both mocking and tender. "Let me in, and I'll end your suffering. Together, we'll tear this kingdom apart."
My uncle, fully infected with crimson threads like veins on his skin, still watched me with cold, unmoving eyes.
I closed my eyes, my body trembling. "Kill me," I murmured, blood trickling from my nose and mouth. "Kill me, Uncle." My voice changed, singing the song filled with polyphony. Dark clouds filled the sky, crimson as blood, winds blowing with one major intent to devour, catching my uncle's attention. He watched the crimson clouds before finally watching me.
My uncle's face darkened, his jaw tightening. My uncle's sapphire eye glowed intensely. He stepped in front of me, drew his long-bladed cutlass, the blade etched with runes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
Brian laughed, his voice a symphony of malice. "Do it!" he hissed, his claws digging into my shoulders, though my uncle remained oblivious to his presence. "End this farce and free us both."
"No!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "You don't understand!"
But my uncle ignored me, raising his blade high.
"Heed my words, O gods of the Abyss…"
The incantation sent a cold shiver through me, causing me to stiffen. Brian's laughter grew louder, echoing in my mind, drowning out everything else.
The sword fell, and the world began to spin. I then hear a thud. I then try to mention my uncle's name, blood spilling from my mouth as my vision goes darker. ---Wait, what's his name?---I cant remeber--- Ahhh I didnt even know his name------.