Floor ??? - The Abyssal Nexus
In the heart of a cosmic void, where stars danced in an endless waltz and nebulae swirled in hues of amethyst and sapphire, a vast platform hung suspended in the emptiness. At its center stood the lich. Before him loomed a towering portal, three times his height, forged from an alien metal etched with runes that pulsed with an eerie, dark purple energy. The runes hummed, a low, resonant thrum that seemed to draw the very essence of despair from the surrounding void, feeding it into the portal's swirling maw.
"It's not enough," the Lich rasped, his voice a hollow echo that reverberated through the abyss. "I need more negative energy."
A ripple in the fabric of space announced the arrival of another. A portal yawned open behind the Lich, and Joel stepped through, his casual stride belying the tension in the air. The Lich didn't turn; he already knew who it was.
"You called?" Joel said, his tone light but edged with weariness.
The Lich's bony fingers twitched, still facing the portal. "Joel, what of the meddling rats sniffing about the residue of our teleportation circle? Their incessant scurrying grows tiresome."
Joel ran a hand through his disheveled hair, frustration etching lines into his face. "I'm working on it, but those rats are persistent."
"Persistent?" The Lich spun, his hollow eye sockets flaring with a sickly green light. "They are gnats! Normally, I'd relish their foolish intrusion—let them wander these halls so I might crush their souls and bind them to my will. But the Plan nears its zenith, and I will not have distractions!" His voice rose to a shout, the air trembling with his fury.
Joel winced, rubbing his neck. "Okay, okay, jeez, give me a break. I've been doing the most work while the others just sit and watch that stupid orb all day."
The Lich's aura darkened, and the space around them shuddered violently, as if the stars themselves quaked in fear. "Are you raising your voice at me?" he hissed, his tone low and chilling. A crushing pressure descended, forcing Joel to his knees. The platform beneath him cracked, spiderwebbing outward as the weight intensified.
Shit, Joel thought, panic flashing through his mind as his bones creaked under the strain. Blood trickled from his mouth, staining the fractured stone.
"You were given this task because it is your part," the Lich snarled, his voice cutting like a blade. "The others have their roles, and the Plan will succeed. Watch your tone, boy." The pressure surged, and Joel's vision blurred.
With a snap of the Lich's skeletal fingers, the force vanished. Joel collapsed, gasping for air, his body trembling from the ordeal.
"Now that you understand," the Lich said, his voice calm but laced with menace, "get to it. And do not fail me."
"Y-yes," Joel stammered, pain lacing his words. He summoned a portal with a trembling hand and limped through, the rift closing behind him.
The Lich turned back to the portal, its runes pulsing faster now, as if sensing his resolve. "The Plan must go on," he murmured, his voice a low vow to the void. "And I will see to it that it happens, by any means necessary."
Floor ??? - Labyrinth Of The Deathly Embrace
Adonis trudged through the endless corridors of the labyrinth, his boots scuffing against the cold, uneven stone. The air was thick with the weight of forgotten ages, and the faint hum of magic prickled his skin. He turned a corner and froze. Ahead, a door glowed with a soft, beckoning light, its radiance cutting through the oppressive gloom.
Heart pounding, Adonis rushed toward it. As he crossed the threshold, the light seared his eyes, forcing him to shield them with a calloused hand. When his vision cleared, the stone walls were gone, replaced by an endless expanse of scorching sand. The air shimmered with heat, and a blistering wind howled, carrying grains that stung his exposed skin. Behind him, the door had vanished, leaving only the desert's unrelenting vastness.
Where am I? Adonis thought, his throat already parched. With no choice but to move forward, he began to walk, the sun beating down mercilessly. Hours bled into one another, each step heavier than the last. Sweat soaked his clothes, and thirst clawed at his insides. The wind grew fiercer, a furious tempest that nearly knocked him off his feet. Sand pelted his face, threatening to blind him, but Adonis summoned flames to his eyes, a blazing shield that incinerated the grains before they could reach him.
Through the haze, he spotted a small cave, its shadowed mouth a promise of respite. He stumbled inside, collapsing against the rough stone wall. His stomach growled, a desperate reminder of his hunger. A faint scuttle caught his attention—a scorpion, larger than any he'd seen, its carapace glinting in the dim light. It lunged, its tail striking his arm, but Adonis's innate "Poison Immunity" nullified the venom's bite. Grimacing, he seized the creature and bit into its head. The taste was vile, like ash and rot. He spat it out, gagging, then roasted the scorpion with a flicker of fire. The aroma improved, and he forced himself to eat, the charred flesh barely palatable but enough to sustain him.
Exhausted, Adonis slept, the cave's coolness a fleeting mercy. When he woke, he pressed on, driven by a stubborn will to survive. The desert stretched endlessly, but in the distance, a shape emerged—a dilapidated shack, its windows clinging to their frames, its door ajar as if inviting him in. The structure looked ready to collapse, a relic abandoned to the sands.
"What is an abandoned shack doing in the middle of this forsaken desert?" Adonis muttered, his voice hoarse. He approached cautiously, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade, ready for whatever lay within.