A long time ago, every name on Earth carried a meaning. Death at the end of life, control of order, hunger as the inevitable need to eat. Every thing, every place, every concept had a name that defined it and bound it to existence. But… what about octopuses? Why am I talking about them? In some cultures, these animals are known as *pescado del diablo*, reflecting what is abnormal and unsettling about them. They have even been associated with the worst of Greek mythology—Medusa, the horror of many eyes, tentacles, and divine punishment.
Of course, in some places they are simply food. An exotic dish, a delicacy. But that is not our focus here. We are not speaking of a place distant only in geography, but distant from what the human mind considers normal. We are going to the Deepnest.
Where is that? Well, if you know the world of *Hollow Knight*, then you know exactly what that means. One of the most hostile environments in all of Hallownest. A place where light barely exists, where silence is broken only by wet sounds and the cracking of chitin. Only the spider tribe, planned by Herrah, can truly live there. A territory that has one of its entrances guarded by the three Mantis Lords. A place where almost everything that enters… dies.
…
The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed through the caverns. To the environment itself, it could have been just another of the many creatures of Deepnest feeding. Something common. Routine. But soon it became clear that this was not one of the native horrors.
Its appearance clashed violently with everything seen before in the vast kingdom of Hallownest. It was… almost human. Almost. What betrayed its true nature was its left arm, formed by a black tentacle that split into three, creating a kind of living claw. Its suckers glowed a nearly bright red, a color far too vivid for such a suffocating place. Its chest was bare, and from it burst other tentacles that tore through its ribcage, wrapping around its torso like a grotesque natural armor. From the base of its spine emerged a larger tentacle, thicker than the rest, dragging along the ground like a tail.
If one ignored all of that, it looked like a normal young man—perhaps still in high school. Straight black hair fell over his face, hiding it partially. But his eyes, visible beneath the fringe, were completely black, with a single scarlet-red pupil that pulsed slowly, as if alive.
"I'm still hungry…" the creature rasped, its hoarse voice echoing through the cave.
It completely ignored the fact that it was naked. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the hunger. It had already devoured whatever stood before it. Creatures of Deepnest, crushed without effort. When attacked, it used its tentacled arm to restrain its prey and then crushed it with terrifying strength, shattering shells and bones before feeding on the pale flesh hidden beneath.
"Hungry… why… am I… so hungry…" it muttered, not really asking anyone, but the void itself.
It felt as though there were an eternal hole in its stomach. An invisible stake driven into its abdomen, constantly reminding it that it needed to fill that emptiness. Eat, or suffer. Eat, or lose itself.
Then, something changed.
A sensation rippled through its tentacles. It looked around, alert, but saw nothing. Still, one of its suckers opened, deforming until it became an eye. That new eye lifted, staring upward.
Six eyes glowed in the darkness, a neon orange hue.
They were not looking directly at it. They were looking beyond. From their point of view, the octopus-like being radiated a seductive, oppressive aura, red and black intertwined like hunger and desire given form.
Without warning, from the darkness, a spider larger than normal leaped at it.
It ran across its body, biting and tearing at its flesh. A scream of pain echoed for the first time. Instinctively, tentacles burst free from its torso, grabbing the spider and hurling it against a rock with brutal force. The impact produced a dry crack.
The creature dropped to its knees, gasping. It hurt. It truly hurt. This was the first time it had felt real pain since taking that form.
The spider moved, revealing a crack in something like a mask or skull. An orange liquid leaked from the fracture. Instinct screamed at it to leave. To flee.
It ignored it.
It approached, grabbed the creature by the head, and with a single finger pierced its shell. It pulled, tearing part of the carapace away as the spider let out sharp, desperate screams. It did not care. What lay beneath was all that mattered.
Pale flesh.
But different. Orange veins pulsed beneath the surface.
It began to eat.
When it finished, something finally changed. For the first time since awakening in that living nightmare, it felt something close to satisfaction.
"I'm full…" it said, a hint of joy in its voice.
On the ground lay a small red cloak. It picked it up, examined it, then tossed it aside. Too small. Still, its mind felt clearer. A brief moment of lucidity. It began to walk, using its faint natural glow as guidance. It reached a fork in the path and went left… stopped… hesitated… then turned back and went right.
…
Further ahead, it walked calmly, almost indifferent to the world around it, guided only by its newly ordered instincts. The sensation returned. That same feeling of being watched. It looked around, but saw nothing.
Then it looked forward.
A small figure stood there, wearing a green cloak.
It was small. Fragile. Silent.
"Who are you…" the creature asked, its voice tired but steady.
There was arrogance there now, born from survival. But not enough to become foolish.
The small figure did not answer. It only stared. Its hollow, black eyes reflected the creature's own eyes perfectly, like a soulless mirror.
Then, suddenly, it ran.
It vanished deeper into the path, slipping into a narrow tunnel. The creature watched it disappear into the shadows and did the only thing that seemed sensible.
It followed the small "ghost."
…
Anoth
er book added to the count. If it's good… we'll have goals for bonus chapters.