Getting down from that stone pyramid was tough, but after a lot of effort and careful footing, he managed it. He had been walking through the cave for quite a while now, heading back to the waterfall.
Finally, the glow of the campfire came into view. Only embers remained, and as soon as he arrived, he had to feed it with a few more branches left in the corner.
Nikki was still unconscious, but now she was clutching the ivory fang like it was the most important thing in the world. It was definitely cute, but also a little unsettling.
With great care, Oliver removed his trusty everyday jacket. It had been rolled into a ball and tucked away. As soon as he unwrapped it, a white-scaled egg appeared. It was starting to grow cold, so he used the blade to pull some embers over and made it a warm little bed.
The egg trembled slightly, almost as if it were thanking him.
"The little things in life, huh... Nearly dying to a colossal snake, saving the most violent girl in school, going back into the snake's lair, discovering her entire family is dead, and now kidnapping one of her babies. Yeah... the simple things in life..."
As soon as his body touched the ground, he shut down. Oliver was completely drained after the battle, and the stress of everything that had happened only made it worse. He didn't want to believe everything he'd read on the walls was true. If it was, then his whole team was probably already dead.
His body began to float. Clearly, he was having another nightmare. This time, he was aware of it, but he just let it happen. His eyes followed a scene as if he were a spectator.
Vast plains were being invaded by ships that looked like they came out of Star Wars, yet at the same time, had a uniqueness of their own. As they neared the ground, cannons emerged from hatches, and a bombardment of countless energy blasts incinerated everything below.
Oliver had to squint to see what was down there, but soon it became clear. There were thousands upon thousands of soldiers, all armored and wielding a wild variety of weapons, from classic swords to bizarre, gelatinous-looking tools. A chaotic mix of styles.
And they were all being wiped out. The scene resembled a full-on military carpet bombing, the kind that would wipe out entire armies if they weren't hidden in trenches.
The destruction continued until something deeper in the field shifted. A figure began to levitate in the air, a mature woman with long white hair and even whiter eyes. Black fissures marked her non-human nature, not to mention the tight white-scaled armor clinging to her form.
She looked like a snow goddess, floating in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield. Her hands rose to her chest, and her gaze locked onto the fleet above. A cold voice, full of hatred, escaped her pale lips.
"For the honor of the Patriarch, and vengeance for the Prime Minister."
It was a short sentence, not shouted but spoken low and calm. Still, it carried a power that made Oliver question if this was truly a dream and if he was even safe.
His soul froze.
He wasn't the only one paralyzed, the entire battlefield halted. The world turned white, like a canvas stripped of color, and then everything collapsed.
The ships fell like frozen meteors, crashing down as the world regained its color. But this wasn't the end. No, this was just the beginning.
From high above, far beyond the clouds, a sun of pure fire and light descended.
Oliver's very soul twisted. He could barely keep his head up; his flesh felt like it was about to turn to ash. Then, between the blinding light, his eyes picked up six pairs of wings surrounding a figure of pure light, towering over ten meters tall.
"Take up the swords of the Gods, so that you may stand firm against the schemes of the unclean. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the hybrids of evil, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms!"
The heavens responded to the prayers of that gigantic angel of light. A massive sword began to form from the very clouds, and all the surrounding light was pulled into it. The world around turned pitch-black, illuminated only by that sword, a contrast just like the forest.
An unknown energy erupted from the woman in the scaled armor. Her body began to shift.
A colossal creature took form, hundreds of meters long, with radiant scales more beautiful than anything Oliver thought possible.
"She... don't tell me... she was the one on the throne!"
The white world unleashed by the serpent clashed with the angel's light and shadows. Everything began to shatter, like a screen cracking under pressure. Oliver felt his soul break apart.
Just when he thought he'd go mad, two constellation-shaped eyes formed in the middle of the chaos. That powerful voice spoke to him again for the third time.
"So that was the fate of Queen Clarisse..."
"That voice... it's no longer frightening. Just infinitely powerful."
"Thank you, rising mortal. She was one of my closest friends. But now, you must rest... I will be watching."
There was gratitude in the being's tone.
Oliver's mind was beyond exhausted. And with those words echoing in his ears, he fell asleep instantly. This time, the world stayed dark for a long while. Until...
Beep!
His eyes opened to the sight of a cave ceiling and the sound of a waterfall crashing against rock.
"These nightmares are getting way too real... I seriously thought I was gonna die back there."
His eyes drifted to the nearly-dead embers and saw the egg with white scales resting calmly. Just ahead, near the other end of the cave, Nikki was still clutching the fang like a plush toy.
Finally, he looked at his forearm.
[95:59:59]
"Down to double digits... It's coming to an end."