On a small mound in an Ash-colored World, a figure was chained.
The figure had a pitch black body, divided by joints, and its head was a Pure white mask.
Spikes were embedded in its limbs, preventing any movement, the spikes themsleves being tied to The White-Red tree behind him, almost like roots.
"fifteen years…" The Pure Vessel muttered.
It had been fifteen years since He left the the Cohort. He didn't even know if the others actually escaped.
But that wouldn't change the fact that he was here, alone, trapped by the chains of his so-called patron.
He knew, in the end, he was simply a tool for the Lord of Shades to regain his authorities.
Yet, why did he feel so much…Relief ?
Even tough he was here, at least, he wasn't a coward who had saved his own skin over his Friends.
Friends in plural too, even tough that flaw wanted to make him think they were strangers, even tough he didn't feel any real meaningful connection to them.
Did that change all the moment they spent together ? Did that change all the time they risked their lives for each others ?
And so, he still hoped
Hoped that they were probably all in the outside world, living a proper life. Probably having been taken in by a great clan, too.
And he was here, rotting, chained to a treee he didn't even know somehow had divinity in it.
He didn't know if the Inheritor of Shadow would show up today, tommorow, or in ten years.
What a wretched existence.
Well, at least he wasn't completly alone.
"Kyaahh"
"My rhhLord, Jjust aaa Littleee more, the wretched phhhony's Heir wiiiill arrive soon, I purrrromise"
A small voice was heard, talking in broken english.
The voice came from a small ball of red visible near his chest, possessing no form yet visibly cheering on its master.
The grimmchild was still with him
He didn't know how something could be this loyal so as to actually keep company to its master for more than a decade, staying put, never leaving the confine of his cloak.
Knowing that someone was still there with him,some warmth made its way into Zero's Void Heart.
And so, The duo of Nightmares and Void waited, still fighting, still trying, to escape Their bindings.
Salvation was an endless abyss.
An abyss They craved.
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As soon as they left the familiar confines of the labyrinth and stepped into the vast expanse of the ashen wasteland, Sunny felt strangely uncomfortable. It was as though he had unknowingly turned slightly agoraphobic while traveling through the complicated madness of the crimson maze.
He had grown accustomed to being surrounded by tall walls of coral, with endless tangled paths stretching in all directions for as far as he could see. Despite the fact that the labyrinth was hiding numerous dangers, it also offered a strange sort of safety.
At least in the case of Sunny, who had the advantage of being able to see beyond its twists and turns thanks to his stealthy Shadow Scout.
Now, with grey sand beneath and nothing to break the line of sight, he had lost that advantage. The idea of not being able to hide from the enemy made him feel naked.
"This place…Its empty" He muttered to himself.
Yet, the thought was strangely creeping him out. For a place in the dream realm to be devoid of nightmare creatures, that meant that something, or someone, made it that way
What made them so eager to avoid this place?
Nephis was walking in the front of the group, with Sunny right behind her. The Echo was in the rear, moving at a slow pace. He looked around and, after a bit of hesitation, said in a low voice:
"I don't like this."
Nephis glanced at him with her usual indifferent expression. Turning away, she simply said:
"Stay alert."
They continued forward in silence, sand squeaking under their feet. A dozen or so minutes later, Changing Star raised her hand, gesturing them to stop. Turning to Sunny, she asked:
"Has your shadow noticed anything?"
He shook his head.
"No. There are some irregularities here and there, like small knolls or shallow pits, but nothing is moving. Mostly, it just seems flat and lifeless."
In some cases, her keen hearing was more effective than his shadow sense. When they were caught by the strom, Cassie had been able to sense that something was wrong long before her seeing companions noticed anything.
He turned to Cassie and asked hesitantly:
"Do you hear anything?"
In some cases, her keen hearing was more effective than his shadow sense. When they were caught by the strom, Cassie had been able to sense that something was wrong long before her seeing companions noticed anything.
After a small pause, Cassie replied grimly:
"…Yes, I hear chains. A rustling of chains."
Immediatly, a serious expression appeared on Nephis and Sunny's faces, before sunny asked:
"Wich direction ?"
She quickly answered
"North"
The direction of the huge tree.
The tree was white, with some red tinges clinging to its trunk and leaves, it exuded a pale, calming glow, that would make anyone feel at peace.
It was at around half a day of walk, they could get there by late-afternoon.
"We're not fucking going there"
Sunny immediatly shut off any thought of actually checking it out.
Curiosity killed the cat, and the awakened.
"Its in straight at the middle of where we need to go"
Nephis countered.
The dark city Cass had dreamed of was up there.
They had two choices, either go straight through it, or do a massive roundabout that would cost them a LOT of time.
"We don't need to take unnecessary risks, let's just—"
———
Meanwhile the group bickered about where to go, Zero had already spotted them.
Using his Soul Sense, he imbedded a message in it.
"Help me…"
The group froze stiff.
"Come to me"
Sunny started running in the opposite direction, before freezing.
After a short while, the three escaped their frozen state, yet instead of running away, somethingweirder happened.
Sunny looked at cassie before saying:
"We should check out that tree"
Nephis replied,
"It indeed does seem pretty interesting."
And so, the the Star, the Shadow, and the Oracle, went to meet The Abyss.
(end of chapter)
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author note
GUESS WHO'S BACK AFTER ACING HIS MID-TERMS.
ITS MEEEEEE.
Sorry for lack of chapters. I had skipped 2 weeks of school cuz of my trip to france and had to catch up (since I had a week to prepare for mid-terms)
I ACED THEM.
I got one of my grade in advance, wich is 95 percnt in Science. YIPIEEEE.
I seriously thought I was gonna fail all my classes.
Well, thanks for the support even tho no chapters.
As you can see, I decided to timeskip after discussing it to some people on discord. I'll release what happened in a big bomb when the OG cohort gets to dark city.
Anyway, Ima take some well-deserved rest. I wanna sleep so bad.
sorry if the chapter seemed choppy, I'm really sleepy.
Please add some reviews, I really need them for the Algorythm and it really just attract people. It also motivates me. Give fair critism tho ;
Good night pookies