When Samantha began her descent, she really didn’t know what to expect. Horrors beyond her imagination? Definitely. Incomprehensible terrors that shook the earth? Without a doubt. A black hole that threatened to consume everything? It wouldn’t be a trip into madness without one. Not seeing any of that or a single other inmate was a possibility but not one she would have put her money on. The sudden change back to utter and absolute nothingness honestly surprised her. It wasn’t just her perception or the jail changing due to her will, wherever this first prisoner was they existed in a place deliberately devoid of anything, neither matter nor anti-matter. It gave her the impression of a cage never designed to be opened once closed. Samantha might have questioned how she could then open a door that shouldn’t exist, but she was someone who existed in absolutes. She WOULD not die until her appointed time, and she IS the Deep Jailer so why wouldn’t she be able to travel where she pleased. Unfortunately, even if this Deep Jail listened to her, it still existed with some rules or requirements such as the need to travel to her destination but that was fine, walking was something to do after all. So she did, moving deeper into the pit of all pits without a care in the world. After a full day of travelling down the deep dark steps, the edges of something started coming into view. It began as a single impossibly old and outrageously thick chain that came out of nowhere and continued far into the darkness ahead. Then there was another, and another, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands all pulled taut and pointing in a single direction, the epicentre of the Deep Jail. After one more day of travel Samantha reached the end of the path which cut off abruptly, the space beyond just an empty void.

“That’s it?”

This was the oldest prisoner? Nothing? Was this supposed to be poetic or something? What about all those chains she saw? They randomly stopped appearing some ways back, but Samantha didn’t notice with her focus dead set on the end of the path. And it was just a big black void of absolutely nothing? What a rip off. Like a petulant child Samantha stamped her feet and kicked at the air ahead only for her leg to stop dead as it hit something directly in front of where the path ended. It was like a brick wall’s older brother who had done time and was out on parole. Samantha inched up to the impenetrable wall that escaped her vision and set her hand upon it, it was cold, freezing but not in a physical sense, it was a spiritual one. Oddly the sensation only appeared when she pressed herself against the nothingness and as soon as she took her hand away the feeling faded. Ever the scientist, Samantha tested the bounds of the freezing effect using one then two digits ultimately increasing until she was hugging the nothing wall itself. It never grew in intensity or changed temperatures due to her own body heat, it was simply coldness distilled and impossible to overcome.

“So… are you the oldest prisoner?”

Was it another symbolic idea? The first inmate was the idea of cold or its core? That couldn’t be it either, cold still existed back home and it was even on her bucket list to see snow. Real snow, not magical or conjured ice, the kind that fell from the sky and melted on your tongue.

“Hmmmmm.”

Don’t do it, don’t press your tongue against the wall you don’t know where it’s been. With thoughts of licking the cold nothing wall out of the way, Samantha instead looked around trying to find its end but all she could see was the void expanding ever out. It must have a limit otherwise she wouldn’t have needed to walk this far to reach it. Straining her eyes, she peered out into the distance and after a second found her sight adjust until she could just about make out a curve to the wall. It was so distant and far Samantha barely saw it but to either side the wall curved around to a bend. She tried willing the path to take her round the wall, but it didn’t move, it refused to move. She backed up to look at more of the wall, but it was massive and seemed to go on forever. Perhaps the reason there was no inmates here was because whatever this was took up far too much space.

“Yeah…yeah! That’s why I had to walk all the way here!”

It suddenly made so much sense and without a moment’s hesitation Samantha began to run back the way she came eventually falling into a full-on sprint as she took in more of the sight. As she travelled up the path, she took occasional peaks behind herself and finally noticed what she thought was a curved wall was just a small part of something far different. After an hour-long sprint, that didn’t tire her out, she turned completely and saw the unbelievable sight before her.

The “wall” wasn’t a wall, it was the torso of a creature, a massive being that eclipsed everything the shadow user had seen up to that point. Mountains paled in comparison to the magnitude of the thing before her. She couldn’t put it into words, but Samantha felt she was to it as a flea was to an elephant. The awesome figure towered for miles and miles, and she realized its frame must have gradually began to appear within the darkness but Samantha couldn’t notice as she was simply too insignificant. Running farther up the path, she tried to view as much of the thing as possible. It looked humanoid and was terrifyingly broad, with a wingspan that could be measured in mountain ranges. She couldn’t see how tall it was but given the bottom of the path reached to just below where its heart should be there was no doubt this thing could scrape the clouds lying down. Its blackened skin was pulled tight across its bones as if no organs, muscles or veins existed beneath. Both arms were held aloft as far away from the main body as they could stretch with an uncountable number of chains embedded into its skin rather than wrapped around preventing the appendages from moving a nanometre. It wasn’t human given by the head that was like that of an ox skull with two great horns that jutted out on either side and an emptiness filling its head. The rest of its body appeared to be covered in furry patches with tufts of dark hair along the arms and around its neck flaring out like frozen flames, strangely these too were bound in place. It was not the most complex of creatures and yet staring at it Samantha couldn’t help but feel… she could feel…

“W-what?”

It was a sensation she was intimately familiar with but hadn’t experienced in a long time. A feeling that was part of everyday life yet held no sway over her anymore. Despite this, looking upon this impossible creature stirred something within Samantha, deeper than instincts it was like the fundamental calling all living species shared. An intrinsic part of nature that drove survival, innovation, social necessity and the need to improve. Samantha thought she had changed, evolved, escaped that base instinct as she no longer had a need for it, but she was wrong. For the first time in just under a year, Samantha was scared, terrified even. Looking at this creature was like seeing death incarnate. No, it was death to death. Every atrocity, every evil, every sin and curse was just a pittance to this thing before her. Samantha fell to her knees and could feel tears running down her cheeks. She was beholding the one who would enact the death of everything, the end to all life and creation and it would be her end too. It was enough to make the most staunch non-believer break down and beg for salvation but before this thing the divine too would shudder. Samantha wailed and panicked throwing herself to the ground as she desperately shut her eyes to block out the horror. Before the creature however nothing was inescapable, and she was on the verge of throwing herself into the void to escape its presence. Life didn’t matter anymore if it meant living in the same world as this thing and death was preferable if it only meant she was free from any pain it may inflict.

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“Wait a minute.”

And then she remembered. Immediately her tears ceased and the fear gripping her soul evaporated like it had never existed. From the very fringes of despair, Samantha remembered her origins and the unequivocable fact of her life. This thing wasn’t going to be her end, that was something else in the future, she was going to live and get out of here. It was the fundamental truth from which she was reborn and nothing living, unliving or otherwise could convince her otherwise. Samantha stood up and dusted herself off before wiping the moisture from her eyes. It was a good thing no one was around to see her; she was a bit of an ugly crier and might have made a mess. Unfortunately, one set of eyes did rest upon her, and they saw EVERYTHING. Feeling an unsettling gaze, she looked back to the creature and found it was indeed looking at her. It fought against the restraints to shift its gargantuan head to stare directly at her, directly into her soul. Tears fell unbidden and she felt the terror grip her all over again, then just as quickly it was gone. Her absolute assurance in her short-term immortality wavered but did not break in the face of this unimaginably large monster. She stared at the unblinking creature’s eyeless skull and did possibly the stupidest thing she could.

“Hi there! My names Samantha! Nice to meet you!”

She greeted it, yelling into the abyss while frantically waving at the terror inducing sight. The thing angled its head slightly in the universal sign of confusion. Samantha couldn’t quite explain how, but she believed the thing before her was amused that someone, anyone was saying hello to it of all beings.

“I don’t suppose you know the way out of here, do you?!”

She shouted again hoping for some clue or direction to follow. The great beast returned to its prior position, becoming like a statue. Then without warning it shifted both arms, pulling at the chains that bound it. Despite what must have been a monumental effort the tethers would not break and in fact several hundred more appeared out of nowhere to lock the beast further into place including a number which wrapped themselves onto the creature’s horns preventing any and all movement.

“I’ll take that as a no!”

Samantha called out, feeling guilty for forcing the creature into yet more trouble. It was worth a shot, if even this stupendously ancient thing couldn’t give her any clues then what was there to do. It wasn’t like she could just say ‘I want to leave’ and an exit would appear.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

A path appeared perpendicular to the descending stairs that lead somewhere far into the distance with a mini dot of light at its end. It occurred to Samantha that while she had wondered how to leave she had never out right thought or said that was her intention. This place was finnicky and she would be glad to be rid of it. She made to walk to the exit, then turned her gaze back to the trapped creature of incalculable destruction. It really looked like a statue now and likely couldn’t move at all. She doubted it could even pass air through its lungs, if it breathed that is. Not a very pleasant position to be in and it made Samantha feel just a little guilty. Even though it was probably a bad idea, if she could help that knight then maybe she could lessen the burden on this thing. Even just a smidge.

“Great destroyer um… you the guy in front of me. I unbind you. JUST a little bit.”

She had to be careful with her words here, she didn’t want to accidentally be the person who unleashed this thing. Not now at least, maybe in a few years. Her efforts were met with nothing, no chains broke, or bindings loosened. Was it because she didn’t know its name?

“Hey, Mister monster guy. What’s your name?”

No response, not even a head tilt, not that it could anyway. Well now she really felt bad, she was about to leave this poor defenceless creature of the end times bound tight and she didn’t even get its name. Maybe it needed a more direct touch? Those were some hefty chains far outclassing the sword she pulled earlier. Running back down the path, Samantha tried to climb up the monster’s wall like chest, only to slip and fall several times. She couldn’t summon her own chains here what with no shadows to speak of and the path still refused to move anywhere else. After another series of failed attempts to climb the monster of all monsters, Samantha gave up and sat at the end of the path with her head resting against the monster’s freezing chest. She lamented her inability to help, she had power here, not a lot but enough to do something for others but not the biggest prisoner of them all. Staring up, she could only see the beast’s toothy maw hanging over its giant frame. Which was odd because she couldn’t earlier until she stepped back a fair distance. Actually, she was able move along the path much quicker than before as well. Was she getting better at being a jailer or was it because she knew what she was looking for now? This place was so confusing.

“Sorry big guy, I can’t help you. I wish I could, but I don’t know how.”

Samantha felt the cold gnawing at the back of her skull, it almost hurt but like everything here couldn’t do anything to her, not really. Death didn’t exist in this place and this poor animal had been forced to endure eternity all alone without a single friend to talk to.

“Say, do you want to hear a story?”

If she couldn’t free it, she could at the very least keep it company for a little bit. And so, she described the one subject she knew the most about: herself. She wasn’t one to brag but without any other topic available she could only fill the time describing her journey. Beginning with her birthplace in the mine, she explained the daily toil and all about Papa who taught her most of what she knew. She talked about gaining the aspect of Shadow which allowed her to escape the mine. Her meeting with Valerie and the killer punch she received to her skull in the process. Picking up momentum, she talked about gaining another aspect, their numerous hunts, the journey to the capital, its people and so much more. Everything that mattered to her she explained hoping it wasn’t too boring for the old monster. There had been a slight rattle from its chains when she mentioned her dream of the end and how Albert said it was a sign from the gods, it was the only reaction she ever saw it have.

“…And then I fought Smashing Harry Hammer, it didn’t go well. He tried to kill me and then I ended up here, which brings us to now. So, what do you think?”

No reaction, not that it could without a voice, face, or any ability to move freely.

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘That Harry sounds really tough, are you sure you’re ready to go back out there and face him again?’”.

She pantomimed putting on as deep a voice as she could manage. Truthfully, she was hoping to avoid Harry, meet up with Valerie and then get out of dodge.

“I’m just not strong enough.”

It was a problem she always had but never needed to worry about because she had Valerie. Then when she truly needed her, Valerie couldn’t be there because Samantha had to do something stupid like hit Harry in front of his men.

“If only I was big like you, then I could be strong and never need to worry.”

She said slumping to the ground to stare up at her silent audience. Her worries lasted a second before they disappeared as all anxious feelings inevitably did. Even if she couldn’t beat Harry she would live, but what was living if she couldn’t defend herself? She would have needed to face this eventually someday, but she just had to accept that contract and return home.

“Contract. Contract. Con…tract. A contract?”

Funny word that, it held so much power and sway dictating the terms of just about everything. It didn’t even matter if it was a verbal agreement or a written one, contracts could do just about anything. Samantha suddenly shot up, a crooked and ill thought-out idea forming in her head. It was the most insane, reckless, utterly ridiculous idea she had ever thought of and that was saying a lot. Despite all this, she decided it was worth a try and after all it’s what Papa would have done. Running back up the path she made it to a point where she could behold all of the bound creature. It couldn’t directly look at her, but she felt the all-consuming gaze fixed solely on her. Alright Trapper, game face time. Breathing deep Samantha put her all into her voice and shouted deep into void.

“HEEEEEEEEEEY! LET’S MAKE A DEAL!”