Moon regarded the man before him with a deadpan expression, unable to say anything. He wasn't quite ready to feel anything either, so he simply did nothing, watching and waiting silently.
It had taken a while for him to accept the strangeness of this place, but whether he was dead or alive did not really matter to him at the moment. He simply wanted to get far away from the chasm, as far as possible, even if all it would do was allow his soul peace.
The man sighed and stood up, dusting off his crude and tattered white garments. They were torn in more places than Moon could count and patched in a few, but what stood out most was how ancient the robe looked.
If anything, he looked like a fallen noble from a very distant past, though his body told another story. This dweller of the depths did not look much older than Moon, too young to be able to father him.
"Stand up, lest you want a fate worse than death to befall you."
Moon suddenly flinched, revealing the first hint of emotion since waking up. The man's words had stirred something within him, a hint that made him tremble. It wasn't simply new memories settling in his mind either; his shock stemmed entirely from the never-ending curse of knowledge.
He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, hoping to ponder it later should he manage to make it out alive. Yawning, he stood up and calmly walked towards the man standing a short distance away.
When he got close enough, the man extended his hand, beaming a smile at him. The smile seemed quite mischievous.
"Call me Viviric. I shall be your guide through the underworld."
Moon suddenly stopped halfway through reaching for his hand and looked him in the eye.
"Are you the Grim Reaper?"
Viviric's face faltered, and his smile vanished, leaving behind an expression no different from Moon's. But the smile returned just as quickly as it disappeared, this time wider.
He grabbed the boy's hand and leaned closer.
"What is a Grim Reaper?"
Moon smiled back at him.
"It's just a fairy tale."
Viviric turned to the side and stroked his chin thoughtfully. He mumbled a few words, nodding to himself several times before turning back to Moon.
"Well, you're oddly fascinating. It seems that the vile torment you faced only served to make you more resilient, not break you."
He raised his hands and clapped a few times.
"Splendid. I would expect no less from a divine vessel. And one of the newest generation, no less."
Moon's hands trembled. Silence settled between them as he faced the chasm, trying to hide his widening eyes. A storm of emotions raged within him. Things were starting to click together.
Where was it that he had first heard the term Divine Vessel, and the name Viviric?
'Am I dreaming?'
Viviric's voice soon drew him out of his daze.
"If there's nothing you would like to say, then I would suggest we get moving. It is best that you're ready when the next gate opens."
With that, he turned around and began walking away with steady steps. Moon stared at Viviric's back for a fleeting moment, carefully considering the man's words when something suddenly drew his attention to the side.
Turning his head, he gazed at the wall to his right, where the sound of something hard striking stone echoed from the other side. Occasionally, an agonizing growl followed.
However, they sounded less like growls and more like inhuman sobs the longer he listened. There were words hidden within those barely audible cries of horror, disappearing into the darkness of the chasm.
Moon's lips parted as he tried to make out the only word he could understand.
"Kill..."
"Believe me, the mysteries of this place are ones even I could never uncover. Normally, I would suggest you keep your eyes peeled, but here it is best you narrow them."
It was Viviric calling out to him, standing only a few steps away. The scratching and wails from the other side of the wall stopped the moment he began speaking, drawing Moon out of his trance once more.
He threw one last glance at the wall before quickly walking over.
"I'm sorry."
Viviric nodded and continued forward.
Moon followed behind, taking careful steps as they climbed a small hill. They made several turns, jumped down to lower ground where they could, and even scaled walls a few times.
And throughout that journey, Moon came to realize something.
They were trapped in a maze of sorts, with nothing but endless darkness above them. Ancient beings dwelled here, each one a terror in its own right. Viviric remained the only reason he was still alive.
They stopped by a narrow cliff to rest. Moon leaned against the wall, watching a blue light flicker in the unfathomable depths below. The path was barely wide enough to fit the two of them, and Viviric stood nearby, leaning against the wall.
Moon sighed and looked at his gauntlets, where a dent had appeared after he tried to shield himself from the blow of a fearsome humanoid beast. He couldn't tell its Soul Rank, its Class, or whether it even had a soul. But the damage was gone now, repaired by the armor's passive enchantment.
He caressed the spot where the dent had been only a minute ago. His voice was raspy.
"Where are we going?"
Viviric continued to stare into the distance, not sparing him a glance. But a word escaped his lips, even if it was barely more than a whisper.
"Paradise..."
His voice sounded wistful, but he quickly turned around, still as warm as ever.
"Since we don't know when the next gate will appear, I plan on taking you somewhere safe. It is also the easiest place through which one can travel around this godforsaken place."
Godforsaken, huh... This is all starting to feel a little too real.
He stood up, leaning slightly against the wall.
"Then let's hurry. That was all the rest I needed."
Viviric's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he continued forward without a word. Moon clenched his fists, unable to control his breathing—or the thought of what the future held for him should his hunch prove true.
As his breathing grew louder, Viviric shifted uncomfortably, rubbing his ears slightly.
They continued to descend along the narrow cliffside, the path gradually widening. After what felt like an eternity, Moon finally set foot on flat ground.
However, something caught his attention.
The road stretching endlessly before him was illuminated by bright azure lights, their glow greater than any he had seen so far. The rocks around him were wet, and there was soil beneath his feet, causing them to sink slightly the moment he stepped off the cliffside.
There was life here.
Flowers bloomed along the roadside, healthier than any flower should have been. Life didn't merely exist here—it thrived. It flowed with such intensity that everything basked in its vitality, blooming brighter than anywhere else.
'How cruel...'
Whenever he got close to a flower, it moved, as if reaching towards him. The reaction grew stronger the closer he got. The flames burned brighter as he approached, though they seemed hesitant, flickering as though unsure whether to welcome him.
But it was the opposite for Viviric.
Whenever he drew close, the flowers receded and the flames waned. A few even withered, and some torches went out completely, only to revive once he was out of reach.
They rejected him.
Viviric turned his back to Moon and knelt before a withered flower, carefully plucking it. Watching him from the side, Moon saw something glint in his eyes as he raised the flower to his face. It seemed as though he was yearning, longing for something forever beyond his reach.
Gently placing the flower back on the ground, Viviric stood, smiled, and gestured for them to continue.
Their journey was smooth and short. Soon, Moon found himself standing before a golden gate, ivy creeping around the pillars that held it in place.
The gate was plain, though it glowed faintly. A profound presence resonated from somewhere beyond it, washing over his being and relieving him of every bit of pain he felt. He found himself strangely drawn to the gate, to the mystery that lay beyond.
But no matter how much his heart called to him, Moon did not move. He didn't even blink, completely frozen.
For so long, he had tried to ignore it, hoping he was wrong.
What a relief that would have been.
But this...
This was the final nail in the coffin.
This was no dream.
It was far beyond his imagination to be one.