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Chapter 7 - reality fades away

Acetash's voice trembled with a mix of fear and curiosity as he questioned the eerie surroundings, "What is this... place? Where am I?" The atmosphere was thick with a sinister aura, shadows lurking and eyes watching from the darkness. Suddenly, a faint, haunting voice echoed, "Hey... Hy... hyh... hy," sending chills down his spine. Straining to locate the source, Acetash moved cautiously, his footsteps echoing ominously as he advanced through the desolate ruins. As he finally reached the heart of this nightmare, his gaze fell upon a solitary figure—a woman seated on a shattered throne, her presence both regal and menacing, her eyes gleaming with secrets long buried. The air grew heavier as he realized this was no ordinary place—it was a realm of shadows and destiny, where every question led to deeper mysteries, and every step could change everything forever.

Acetash's breath caught as he gazed upon her, noting her haunting beauty that seemed almost ethereal, yet unsettling. Her delicate features contrasted starkly with the abyssal darkness of her eyes, which mirrored the depths of Oblivion itself—vast, endless, and unfathomable. Her lips curled into a smile, serene yet laced with secrets that made his skin crawl, as if she knew everything and chose to reveal nothing. An overwhelming wave of dread and awe washed over him, making him feel minuscule, almost as if he were shrinking into himself, powerless against the mysterious force that emanated from her. It was a moment suspended in time—one where beauty and darkness entwined, and Acetash realized he had stepped into a realm where nothing was as it seemed, and every glance could undo him.

The woman's smirk deepened as she softly echoed, "Now... there you are," her voice dripping with sinister amusement. In a flash, her hand moved with terrifying precision, shattering the skull of some unseen victim, the fragments falling like dark rain. Her hand was bloodied, yet the crimson was no ordinary red—its hue shimmered with a deep, unnatural purple, pulsating as if alive with dark energy. She looked at Acetash with piercing eyes, her smile widening as she taunted, "Why are you scared?" before licking her blood-stained hand with an evil, predatory grin. The act sent a shiver through him, as her words revealed a twisted delight—her pain and darkness were not burdens but sources of power, warming her in this cursed realm. Acetash felt the weight of terror and fascination collide, realizing he was face-to-face with something far beyond the mortal realm—an embodiment of chaos, pain, and seductive evil.

Acetash's voice trembled with a fierce mixture of defiance and dread as he demanded, "Who the hell are you!?" The Queen of Darkness, Xinj, her eyes shimmering with malevolent power, revealed her sinister identity with chilling pride: "I am Xinj, the Queen of Worlds Darkness... the embodiment of fear itself, the dread that consumes every atom and soul." Her voice echoed like a dark prophecy, dripping with menace as she licked her lips, savoring her own evil. "Oblivion is mine," she whispered, a promise and a warning intertwined, and her gaze fixed upon him with relentless certainty, sealing his fate in a realm where darkness reigned supreme and only the brave—or the broken—dared to challenge her.

Acetash's voice quivered with desperation as he cried out, "What is happening to the world?!" His words were swallowed by the swirling chaos around him. Xnj's sinister smile widened as she leaned back, her eyes gleaming with malevolent glee. "You will feel what it's like to be born heartless," she whispered, her voice echoing with dark promise. As her chilling words hung in the air, the environment transformed abruptly—snow and rain began to fall in a relentless storm, obscuring everything in a bleak, icy darkness. There, amid the cold, relentless snow, she sat calmly, her figure a stark contrast to the tumult around her, embodying the cold, merciless despair that now gripped the fractured world, a testament to her dominion over chaos and hope alike.

Xinj's voice was a cruel whisper as she murmured, "See? This pain and blood keep me warm... from the snow, my...wrench," her words dripping with dark satisfaction as she caressed her bloodied hand, reveling in her own torment. Acetash, trembling with fury and confusion, shouted, "What the hell do you want?" but her only response was a mocking Tch-tch, a sound of condescension. Suddenly, the surroundings plunged into utter darkness—an all-consuming blackness that swallowed everything. The only sources of light were her shimmering, piercing eyes and the glint of her cloth, shining like a dark star against the void, illuminating her sinister presence. In this abyss, the universe seemed to hold its breath, bearing witness to the malevolent power she wielded—a realm where darkness reigned supreme, and chaos was her only companion.

Xinj's smirk deepened as she whispered, "I am the light here," her voice smooth yet ominous, as if savoring her own dominance. "You are part of my darkness," she continued, her eyes gleaming with malevolent intent. She leaned forward, licking her lips slowly, a sinister promise lingering in her words, "O... you will be..." Her voice trailed off, inviting him to unveil his deepest fears and secrets, demanding he elaborate himself in the face of her overwhelming power. Acetash, trembling yet defiant, stared into her eyes and responded, "You know me... better than anyone else. Alus Sula Ser Silse Sin a via." His voice was steady, despite the chaos, as he vowed, "I will tear you into pieces of seven seas," a fierce declaration of resistance against her dark embrace. The atmosphere crackled with tension, the battle of wills raging as the shadowed realm held its breath in anticipation of the clash between light and darkness.

A shiver ran down Acetash's spine as a haunting, icy coldness seeped into the air, wrapping around him like a shroud. The sensation of an unexplainable feeling—an agonizing mix of dread and longing—flooded his senses, while a cold moan escaped his lips, his breath forming tiny icicles in the frigid atmosphere. Her hands, cold and relentless, sank deeper into his chest, pressing against an emptiness he couldn't comprehend. Desperation clawed at him as he cried out, "My chest... my heart... I don't have?" Panic surged through his veins as confusion and fear overwhelmed him, his voice breaking into an anguished scream, "Huh!?? My hands—what is happening to me?!" His body convulsed in a tumult of chaos, caught between reality and something far darker, a primal struggle against the chilling forces that threatened to consume him entirely.

Xnj's smug face twisted into a cruel smile as she taunted, "You're just paying your rudishness against the one who granted you your power... now, you will be my pawn." Her eyes gleamed with malevolent intent, and in that moment, the air crackled with impending chaos. Acetash's grip tightened, fury burning in his eyes as he surged forward, unleashing a torrent of energy. Lightning crackled around him, shadows twisting as he summoned every ounce of strength. Xnj's dark aura flared, her smirk unwavering as she summoned her own dark powers, shadows coiling like serpents around her. The battlefield erupted into a furious clash—blades of ice and shadow colliding, thunderous explosions echoing through the void. Acetash fought desperately, pushing back against her overwhelming darkness, each strike fueled by defiance and rage. The realm trembled as their powers collided in a cataclysmic struggle—one seeking to dominate, the other fighting to break free from her sinister grip. The battle raged on, a legendary duel between the forces of chaos and resistance, where only one could emerge victorious from the depths of darkness.

As Acetash's hands erupted in darkness, a hellish aura blazing around his forearms, the very fabric of his being seemed to warp and twist with unholy power. His once mortal hands now manifested into devilish, serrated claws, glowing with an ominous red and black energy that radiated raw, destructive force. His eyes burned with fierce determination and wrath as he roared, "Leave me alone, you bastard!" his voice echoing like a thunderclap, resonating with the unleashed fury of a demon. The ground beneath him cracked as his dark power surged, threatening to engulf everything in a storm of chaos and vengeance. With a swift, brutal motion, he charged forward, his new monstrous strength ready to tear through her darkness, fighting not just for survival but to shatter the very chains that bound him to her sinister will. The clash of dark versus darker was imminent, a battle that would shake the realms and determine the fate of all that remained.

In the midst of the chaos, Xnj's sinister whisper echoed through the shadows, her voice a cold caress of malice, "Whisper, whisper... You now me... I know you..." Her words seeped into the very fabric of the battlefield, sending a shiver down the spine of the fractured realm. From the darkness, lugubrious laughter erupted, echoing like the howling wind of despair—an ominous chorus that mocked the futile hopes of resistance. A voice, strained and desperate, cried out, "Who understands the shattered heart... feeling the oblivion inside..." as if summoning the deepest pain and darkness buried within. Acetash's body trembled, his darkened hands fighting against his own will, grasping and clawing in a savage struggle, fighting to break free from her malevolent grip. "Struggle...," he rasped, voice cracking as he fought against his own limbs, desperately trying to resist the infernal power surging within him. Sparks of dark energy clashed with his will, his muscles ripping and tearing as he battled to regain control, each moment a brutal clash of the human and the beast, the light and the shadow. The battlefield became a warzone of internal and external chaos—every scream, every clash echoing the epic struggle of a soul fighting to survive against the abyss, to reclaim its fractured heart, and to end the reign of darkness that threatened to consume everything. The fight intensified, a relentless storm of power and despair, where only the fiercest would prevail, and the fate of worlds hung in the balance.

Damn you!... Acetash roared in fury as he lunged forward, but in an instant, she vanished into the shadows, only to reappear directly behind him, her sinister presence looming over his shoulders. Her voice, a silky whisper tinged with menace, slithered through the air, "You cannot... run from me," as her fingers ghosted over his skin like icy blades. Acetash spun around, eyes blazing with defiance, shouting, "What the hell—?" but her mocking words cut him off, "You cannot surpass me." His fists clenched, muscles trembling with raw power as he demanded, "You thought I would give up? Answer my question." A deep, resonant voice echoed from the darkness—Wm's voice, cold and commanding—resounding with ominous finality, "I'm the one who gave you Oblivion, boy." The air thickened with a malevolent energy as the truth sank in, and the battle intensified—each confrontation a clash of wills, a deadly game of power, as the shadows closed in around him, threatening to drown him in eternal darkness.

Acetash's voice trembled with a mixture of defiance and rage as he sneered, "Huh huh huh? What do you want?" His fists clenched, eyes blazing with a fierce resolve despite the chaos surrounding him. Xnj's sinister smile stretched wider, her voice silky yet venomous, "Maybe no one knows anything about you… but I know everything you carved for," she purred, her gaze piercing into his soul. A cruel smirk played on her lips as she continued, "It seems… you weren't that worthy after all," her words dripping with contempt and mockery. The air thickened with tension as her words pierced through his defenses, igniting a furious fire within him. The battle was no longer just against her darkness but against the doubt and shame she sought to sow—an epic fight not just of strength, but of willpower and resolve to prove his worth, no matter how much the shadows tried to consume him.

Acetash's eyes flickered with a mixture of defiance and hidden resolve as he scoffed, "I'm sure she's just bluffing." His voice was steady, daring her to underestimate him. "Oh yeah? You know what I've learned? What all I ever feel?" Her words hung heavy with unspoken pain and determination, daring her to see the depths of his truth. Xinj's voice echoed with mocking certainty, "Yeah, I know everything you've got... You can't fool me. I know you know how to write a magic... or even more—write Magic Systems, right?" Her tone dripped with sarcasm and a smug, bastardly grin that challenged him to prove his strength beyond mere words. Acetash's response was a simple, dismissive "Tck..she knows." but behind it lay a storm of unspoken power and resolve—ready to ignite when the moment demanded, as the battle of wills continued to escalate.

Xnj's voice echoed coldly across the shattered battlefield, her tone laced with sinister finality. "You have two choices," she declared, her eyes gleaming with malevolent intent. "One: surrender yourself to me, submit to my will, and accept the missions I give you—show me your worth, or…" she paused, a cruel smile curling on her lips, "I will destroy you." Her words hung heavy in the air, a stark ultimatum that left no room for hesitation. Acetash's hands, once glowing with dark energy, reverted to their normal state as he clenched his fists, the intensity of his resolve burning in his eyes. Without a word, he lunged forward, grabbing her by the neck with brutal determination. But Xnj, swift and ruthless, kicked him hard in the gut, her foot smashing into his ribs with vicious force. Blood spattered from his mouth as he was sent sprawling to the ground, battered and broken, the pain radiating through his body. Yet, despite the blow, a flicker of defiance remained in his eyes, burning brighter than ever. The moment was a brutal test—a clash of wills, power, and survival—where surrender meant death, and resistance was the only path to salvation. As he struggled to rise, battered but unbroken, the relentless shadow of her threat loomed, signaling that this war was far from over and that the true battle for his soul had only just begun.

Acetash's face twisted with anger as he clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with fierce determination. "Fine," he spat through gritted teeth. "What do you want? I'll give it to you. But you must answer me—why didn't I get that mythical sword, Arlegenon?" His voice trembled with a mix of frustration and resolve, demanding the truth that haunted him. Xnj's cruel smile widened, her eyes glinting with mockery as she stepped closer, her voice dripping with condescension. "You thought you could simply take such a thing?" she mused, shaking her head slowly. "My, my… how foolish of you." Her words cut deep, a taunt meant to crush his spirit further, fueling the fire of his resolve as the battle of wits and wills intensified beneath the shadowed sky.

Acetash's voice trembled with a mix of rage and despair as he snapped, "Stop mocking me, you wicked witch!" His fists clenched tightly, eyes blazing with defiance despite the pain. Xnj's expression darkened, her voice echoing with divine arrogance as she lifted her hand, striking him hard across the face. "I'm Queen… a goddess… a lord of the void," she proclaimed, her tone a lethal blend of superiority and menace. "Know your place, mortal," she sneered, her blow leaving him bloodied and staggering. Gasping for breath, Acetash's resolve wavered, and with a grimace, he forced himself to speak through the pain, "Fine… I'm done… Pgha… spare my life…" his plea hanging in the air, trembling with desperation. The moment teetered on the edge of brutality and mercy, a cruel dance of power where his very survival depended on her mercy—if she chose to grant it.

Xnj's voice dripped with cold authority as she looked down at Acetash, a cruel smile curling her lips. "I'm sure now you know your place, mortal," she sneered. "Now, listen carefully…" Her gaze sharpened, emphasizing her dominance. "I have no time for you, kid," she added dismissively, turning her back with a dismissive flick of her hair. Then, her tone softened just enough to carry a sinister promise, "Now, that's more I like it." Stepping closer, she leaned in slightly, her voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. "For your first mission, I want you to find something for me," she commanded, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Fail, and I'll make sure you regret ever crossing me. Now go — prove your worth, or stay broken." Her words left no room for refusal, only the promise of pain or the chance to serve under her dark rule.

Acetash's voice trembled slightly, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. "Then why do you need it?" she demanded, her gaze fixed on the shimmering gem projected before her. Xinj merely smirked, a chilling sound that sent a shiver down Acetash's spine. "Because I want it," she replied, her tone devoid of any hint of negotiation.

Acetash's eyes narrow with cautious suspicion. "You're not serious?" he mutters, doubt flickering across his face. Xinj, smirking slyly, tilts her head with a sinister grace. "Of course I will," she replies, her voice dripping with mockery and promise alike. "As I promised, huhuhu... I'll give you some time." Her eyes glint with dark amusement. "You know what I mean." Her tone turns cold and commanding. "Bring me that gem, and I will repay you generously." The weight of her words hangs in the air, a deadly promise wrapped in a tantalizing challenge—win her favor, or face the consequences of failure.

Suddenly, without warning, she vanished into thin air, and the realm around him dissolved into nothingness, the oppressive atmosphere lifting as the weather shifted to calm and normal. Acetash blinked, disoriented, finding himself inexplicably back in his bed, the familiar surroundings a stark contrast to the chaos he had just endured. The moonlight spilled softly through the window, illuminating the quiet darkness of the night. He lay there, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, the echo of her words and the strange disappearance lingering in his mind. It was deep into the night, the world outside silent and still, leaving him alone with the weight of unanswered questions and the uncertain path ahead.

Acetash, voice trembling with confusion and frustration, mutters under his breath, "What the fuck was that..." his words trailing off into a mixture of disbelief and exhaustion. Overwhelmed by the strange ordeal and the relentless stress, his body finally gives in to the fatigue, and he collapses back onto the bed, uncontrollably slipping into sleep. His mind spins with unanswered questions and haunting images as darkness consumes him, the night echoing with the echoes of her cryptic words and the uncertain future awaiting him.

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