"...I really can't believe they tricked us like that."
Feyd flopped into his bed, his hair still wet from his bath.
"Hmm, although it was unexpected i wouldn't say it was uncalled for. Honestly if this is all there is to their measures to keep spies and traitors out than I would be dissapointed."
"What do you mean? I would've never expected that all of that was just a ploy to test us!"
Feyd got up and protested Ray's claims.
"Yeah ofcourse you wouldn't have been able to you dimwit, however that doesn't mean others couldn't have. If someone had insider help or even just a bit more information in sure they could've deducted some things by themselves."
"Unlike us who have basically no information to work with they would've had much more. I'm sure they have something more which we have passed somehow buy I'm not sure what it could be..."
"...But enough about that, I'm more so worried about how they knew I could sense things through shadows."
Ray was deep in thought, slowly muching away at a baguette.
"I don't think it matters much really. We would've had to reveal our powers eventually anyways, what difference does it make if we revealed it now or later?"
"I'm more so interested in Albert! His powers were similar to yours right? Not just controlling rocks I assume but moving things how he wishes?"
"It should be something similar, the feeling the floating debris gave me was similar to when I lift something, but also very intrinsically different."
"Jace himself confirmed that he is not a normal Vice Captain, in that case how strong do you think Albert is? He must be atleast Division General level."
"Hmm im not sure, what if we're just really weak?"
Ray replied with a mouth full of baguette.
Feyd shook his head in disagreement. There's no way that they were weak!
"I'll make sure to ask him tomorrow. Anyways what Energy do you want to learn?"
Feyd uncapped a water bottle beside his bed to drink while looking at Ray who seemed to be contemplating about what he had just asked him.
"Well although it's not confirmed we will get to learn an energy I would prefer to learn Ki."
"Oh really? Why not Mana or Aura?"
"Did you read the data about the three Energies I compiled?"
Feyd slowly averted his gaze before replying.
"No..."
Ray glanced at Feyd before reaching over the table nearby and tossing a book over to him.
"Go read this before making any decisions, though in sure they'll give you a simple break down before hand the information i gathered is probably more detailed."
"Alright!"
"I chose Ki since it has the most potent effects of the three. While Aura can be used for a mental pressure like attack and spells can be cast with Mana, Ki can heal injuries and wounds."
"Ki gives the greatest boost to damage and defense, as you may have observed during the fight with Jace. Although it's much simpler than the other two it covers up my weaknesses and doesn't have any overlap with my abilities."
"What do you mean?"
Feyd began to flip through the book while covering with Ray.
"Well Aura has a mental pressure application, which I can presumably do in the future, and Mana gives me more versatility, which I do not need since my Shadows and Psychic powers are versatile enough."
"Instead Ki which boasts the greatest enhance of damage and defense would fit me better in my opinion, since my attacks are not very potent currently."
Feyd lightly clapped for Ray as he spoke in an impressed tone, "Woahh, you put in a lot of thought into this."
"Ofcourse, it's not like we can choose again if we regret things. But at the same time it's not too important for us, atleast as compared to others, since we already have two sets of powers to develop."
"Fair point."
"Anyways I'm going to bed, remember to turn off the lights before sleeping."
"Kay."
Ray then curled in his bed, tightly wrapping the blanket around himself while Feyd quickly read the few notes Ray had written down near a lamp.
"What's this? Aura might have greater applications?"
Intrigued, Feyd continued to read the passage.
"Aura seems less powerful than Mana and Ki... However it is still one of three major Energies recommended out of the rest–the military has other energies? That's interesting–thus it may have a more advanced application that warrants it's recommendation..."
"Hmm, Aura seems interesting!"
Feyd was about to ask Ray something when he frozen for a moment, before slowly turning back to the book.
'I forgot he was sleeping, I probably shouldn't be talking out loud. I'll just ask him tomorrow.'
'Anyways I should also think about the other Energies...'
'Mana is versatile, but it would require me to learn magic, and spells, to properly utilise it.'
'I might also pick Ki, it would improve the potency of my sword strikes and maybe even my flames even further, and give me some better survivability.'
'But Aura does have a mental suppression effect. I have no attacks that attack the enemies mind so it might be useful to diversify my uhh... Uhmm, damage types."
After reading through the other information scribbled down in the book, like how was the Energy acquired, how is it trained, different applications, their nuances, etc. a few more times, Feyd calmly placed the book on a bed side table and turned off the lamp.
He then took in a deep breath while looking up athe the ceiling.
'Yeah I have no clue what to pick.'
'I'll decide later...'
Feyd slowly drifted off to sleep, unaware that Ray had disappeared from his bed.
...
Ray's eyes opened slowly as he felt a strange weightlessness, although he felt some sort of ground beneath him.
He immediately got on high alert, his eyes darting around while his muscles stiffened.
He immediately got up, though the strange weightlessness he felt causes him to wobble as he faced difficulties keeping balance.
By the time he had regained his footing he had already assessed the situation and realised where he was.
'Im back in the Abyss.'
He then began to look around, ascertaining the changes from his previous visit.
'This place feels less... Physical now. As if I really am surrounded by a large mass of shadows.'
As he was trying to understand the nuances in the changes of the Abyss Ray heard a voice, an unfortunately familiar voice.
[I did not expect you to have survived that Aberrant, nor did I expect you to have save your friends in that last moment. How impressive.]
The voice did not sound impressed in the slightest. Instead, it sounded almost amused.
Ray felt a difference in the voice though. Although it previously had an ancient feel it wasn't truly substantial, as if it didn't truly exist. However now he could feel the weight of each of its words, a difference that was made clearer with each line Eribos spoke.
[But don't you feel my control over you growing? You must've noticed it by now, as obvious as the changes are.]
[The hair, and the eyes. Eventually you WILL be taken over by me.]
Ray listened intently, waiting for Eribos to speak further.
However after realising it had nothing more to say he scoffed at him.
"Is that all you have to say? What a terrible attempt at demoralisation."
"Do you really think I don't know that you can't do much anymore? I've heard you lamenting before, about how you're at your 'wits end against a mere vessel'."
The Abyss responded in silence.
"And this influence of yours? I will easily brea–"
[I may have been at my wits end before, but how sure are you that I have no cards left up my sleeve?]
[Shouldn't the mere fact that I can take over you for brief moments show that I have more that I can do then i had previously led on?]
[Your friend also stopped questioning your disappearances didn't he?]
Ray's eyes immediately furrowed.
'I can't tell what's he trying to do... Maybe disturbing my mind can allow him to increase his influence?'
[You wouldn't be wrong to assume that, though I'm just attempting to engange in a nice conversation with you.]
For a moment Ray didn't react much to Eribos' words, untill he realised something. He hadn't spoken his thoughts aloud.
His eyes trembled slightly as they shrunk into pinholes while his fingers trembled for a moment.
[What? Afraid I can read your mind now? I always could...]
Ray's mind immediately began to race, attempting to discern the truths in Eribos' words.
'Can he really read my mind!? No no no, that wouldn't make sense, otherwise he would've tried to mess with my plans already.'
'No what if he already has and I didn't realise it!'
'Wait does he really even have the ability to hear my thoughts? What if he's just messing with me?'
'No that wouldn't explain why he knew what I was thinking. Wait, what if he was 'shadowing' my thoughts process... Can he even do that?'
[Over thinking now are we? Ofcourse I can read your mind...]
Ray's racing mind immediately began to slow down as his thoughts calmed. He knew he had to evaluate matters clearly.
'I never believed he was at his wits end, ofcourse he isn't! He's a God while I'm simply a mortal, it was just a trick to get me to lower my guard. Something that would be great if it worked by didn't matter if it didn't work.'
'Every action of his must benefit him somehow. He must've expected me to have been able to save Feyd, but he attacked him with the same mindset of if it works it's great, if it doesn't it's fine... Because he wasn't aiming for that!'
'There's no reason for Eribos to specifically go after Feyd, no no no, he must be aiming to further his corruption on me! He's playing the long game!'
'I can't tell what plans he has in store, nor can I contest against a God in terms on capability...'
A sense of despair began to wash over Ray.
Eribos, sensing the changes in Ray, felt a twisted satisfaction.
However Ray didn't plan on giving on so easily.
"Alright... I understand what's going on."
[Oh? And what is that?]
Ray didn't answer his question, instead he looked up at the darkness ahead of him, feeling Eribos' presence most clearly from that direction.
"Even if it doesn't matter whether I try or not, even if defeat is guaranteed, I will still push on!"
Ray raised his arm up and pointed at the darkness.
"I will delay your revival, I will persist against your corruption. Untill the day comes that i find someone that can kill you."
"It won't matter if you can control me once in a while, or exert your influence on me! I won't be the one killing you, I'll be the one delivering you to death's door!"
The Abyss was silent was a moment before a deep, ancient and visceral cackling began to crack the surroundings.
Suddenly two giant eyes emerged from the darkness.
Their white sclera was dotted by strange shadowy masses that slowly swirled around endlessly dark pupils; pupils that looked like violent shadows tearing at each other.
The moment the eyes appeared the Abyss seemed to begin tearing apart, as if it couldn't handle their presence.
['I' will be watching you earnestly Dark Elf, but you have already lost]
Ray's mind blanked the moment he saw those eyes. He felt infinitesimally small in comparison. They were as large as his vision could accommodate. If he darted his eyes to the left, they were still there. If he turned around, they were still there.
Eventually the mental pressure from the sight, along with the growing instability of the Abyss caused Ray to be sent out by force.
The Abyss shattered, leaving behind only an even darker void. It was an inky darkness, clinging to itself and the body that the eyes belonged to.
The only thing left was the echoes of the Shadow God's frenzied cackles slowly being consumed by the surrounding darkness.