The skeletal colossus and its three tongue-less followers trudged through the howling winds of the icy wasteland. Snow swirled around them, creating a near-impenetrable curtain of white, but the towering creature moved with uncanny precision as if it could see through the storm’s fury.
The three corpses followed close behind, their movements stiff and unnatural but obedient. Their lifeless eyes stared vacantly ahead, and the grotesque smiles never left their frozen faces. The skeletal figure grinned as it marched on, a dark purpose driving it toward a place known only to those steeped in ancient, forbidden knowledge.
After what felt like hours, the storm began to ease. Jagged rocks and towering cliffs loomed like dark sentinels through the veil of snow. The skeletal creature slowed as it approached a narrow path carved into the base of a cliff, its skeletal fingers trailing lightly along the stone. The path led to a cavern, hidden from the world by the harsh wilderness and the endless storm.
The cavern’s entrance yawned like the maw of some great beast, the air inside thick and still. As the skeletal figure entered, the storm outside seemed to quiet, as if the elements held their breath in anticipation. The corpses followed, their lifeless feet dragging across the frozen ground.
Deep within the cavern, the walls narrowed, twisting into labyrinthine tunnels. A chamber opened wide at its heart, bathed in an eerie, pulsating darkness. In the centre of the room stood a creature unlike any other. If one had to guess, it looked similar to an Abyssal but also slightly different as it could morph its shape, unlike an Abyssal.
It embodied pure shadow, its form barely discernible against the darkness surrounding it. Tendrils of black miasma coiled and writhed from its body, seeping into the very stone beneath its feet. Its eyes—if it had any—were lost in the black void of its presence. It stood still, a looming figure of oppressive malevolence, waiting.
The skeletal colossus grinned, its teeth grotesquely displayed like jagged stones. It approached the dark being with a gleeful sense of purpose.
“Mmmm… there you are,” it whispered, the words slipping from its gaping mouth like oil. “I’ve been waiting for this.”
With slow, deliberate steps, it entered the cavern, the darkness within seeming to thicken around it. At the heart of the cavern stood the dark being, a figure of pure shadow, its body exuding an oppressive, inky fog. Its eyes, or what might have been eyes, remained hidden beneath the swirling blackness.
The skeletal creature approached, stopping just short of the dark being. It tilted its head, regarding the creature before it with perverse admiration. It then circled the dark being, its bony fingers tapping lightly against its chest.
“Ahhh… such magnificence,” it hissed, its voice carrying a note of greed. “I’ve travelled so far, through wind and storm, and here you are, waiting so patiently.”
It raised a hand, its long, bony fingers twitching with anticipation.
“I’ve brought you an opportunity,” it continued, its voice thick with excitement. “Something to make your life… mmm… a little easier.”
The shadowy figure remained silent, its miasma swirling lazily around its form. The skeletal figure chuckled softly, its body shaking with glee.
“Yesss… I will make the connection for you,” it purred. “The boy… the one you seek. I can help you find him, link you both. Mmmm… imagine it, your wish will come true… And I’ll get the power, the blood… oh, it will be delicious.” It trembled as if aroused from just the thought.
There was no response for a moment, the dark being standing motionless. But then, ever so slightly, it inclined its head—a gesture of agreement. The skeletal colossus grinned wider, its crooked teeth gnashing together with excitement.
“Excellent,” it crooned, its voice now a rasping whisper. “Just a little piece of me… to make the bond… stronger.”
With a fluid motion, the skeletal creature reached into its own chest, clawing through the sickly, grey skin. From within, it pulled a sliver of something—a shard of its very essence, its soul. The shard pulsed with an eerie light, writhing and twisting in its bony hand.
The colossus moved toward the shadowy being, its skeletal fingers trembling with anticipation. Gently, it pressed the sliver of its soul into the creature’s heart, the shard sinking into the dark form with a soft, sickening squelch.
For a moment, the air seemed to hum with energy as the skeletal figure stepped back, waiting for the connection to form.
But nothing happened.
The skeletal creature’s grin faltered, confusion flickering in its eyeless face. As it clicked its teeth together, it reached out, probing the air between them, searching for the bond that should have formed. But there was no link, no thread connecting the dark being to the boy.
“Mmmm… disappointing,” it murmured, its voice tinged with frustration. But then, almost immediately, it brightened again, a chuckle bubbling up from deep within its chest. “No matter… no matter. The boy’s blood… not quite strong enough yet, mmm? But it will grow. Oh yes… it will grow. And then… then we’ll have what we want.”
The shadowy being remained still, its silent acknowledgement a simple nod.
With that, the colossus turned, gesturing to the three corpses. They followed obediently as the creature led them back through the cavern’s twisting tunnels and into the icy storm.
As they disappeared into the swirling snow, the winds howled once more, the storm closing in around them. The dark being remained in the cavern, a silent, looming presence, waiting.
Stolen story; please report.
The connection had not formed today, but the skeletal creature’s promise lingered in the air—a whisper of things yet to come.
☪︎ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･❂
The storm in the North howled, carrying with it echoes of ancient power, but inside the study, where the fire crackled softly, there was only the weight of past sorrows.
Sullivan and Kie sat naked and entwined, the room filled with the soft crackle of the fireplace. The study was cloaked in a warm glow, though it did little to lighten the heaviness in the air. Kie shifted slightly in his arms, her back pressed firmly against his chest as she looked down, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the chair’s armrest.
“I remember it all,” Kie began, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a tremor in her tone, the weight of years gone by pressing down on her.
“I remember every detail, every decision, every mistake. Heishi… I tried so hard to calm him, to make him see reason. The rage in me—oh, it was there. But I knew we couldn’t be reckless, not with the Empire’s eyes on us. I begged him not to do anything foolish.”
She paused, biting her lip as if trying to contain the flood of emotions threatening to spill out. Sullivan remained silent, his hand gently rubbing her arm in a quiet gesture of comfort. He could feel the tension in her body, the raw pain that hadn’t dulled even after all this time.
“He agreed,” she continued, her voice cracking. “At least, he said he did. But behind my back, he gathered forces. He was too proud, too determined to fight. And someone… someone tipped them off. The Empire’s Soulweavers came down on them like vultures. They slaughtered everyone, every last one of them.”
Kie’s breath hitched, and she took a moment to steady herself, her shoulders trembling. “They… they found Heishi. They laughed as they gouged out his eyes. They didn’t kill him, no… they poured that cursed Degradation Salve into the sockets. It made sure his eyes couldn’t regenerate. He was blind—a punishment worse than death. And then…” she choked on her words “And then they made him eat his own eyes… Forced them down his throat.”
“A tear slipped down her cheek, but she made no effort to wipe it away. Her voice dropped to a broken whisper. “I hid my tears behind a mask, Sullivan. I stood there, held back by his sister, who was dealing with her own anguish. She knew as well as I did what was happening, but she was powerless to stop it. I was afraid of dying. I am a coward, so, that’s why I didn’t run to him. That’s why I didn’t try to save him. I watched as they dragged him away, as the boy I’d cared for, the boy I loved like a son. It felt like something precious being torn from my hands, and I was powerless to stop it.
Kie’s voice broke as she shifted in his arms, her hands trembling. “After that day… I couldn’t live with myself. The guilt, the shame… It crushed me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him, Sullivan. I saw his face, his pain and his cries. I tried to bury it, to move on, but I couldn’t. And one day, I just… snapped.”
Her fingers tightened on his arm, her nails digging into his skin as the memory took hold. “I couldn’t endure it any longer. I broke into the Empire’s stronghold, Sullivan. I killed my way through, blinded by rage. I didn’t care if I died. I wanted revenge, even if it meant my life. And it almost did. I was on death’s door, my body broken, my blood spilled on their floors…
Sullivan lowered his head, his lips brushing the top of her hair. He murmured, "I know."
She swallowed hard, her gaze locking onto his. “You saved me. Of all people—you, the enemy. The last person I ever expected to help me, let alone spare me.” Her eyes softened as if the weight of that moment still baffled her. “I didn’t understand why, not then. I didn’t know what to think.”
Kie shifted slightly, leaning back into his chest, the warmth of his body steadying her as she continued. “I hated you, Sullivan. For everything you represented, for everything you’d done, even if you had saved me. I despised what you stood for, what you were a part of. But…” She hesitated, her voice growing softer. “As time passed, I stayed with you and heard your side of the story. I saw something I hadn’t expected. I saw your guilt, your pain, your regrets and your remorse. It was like a mirror, reflecting everything I felt inside.”
At first, I clung to that hate because it was easier than admitting what I was feeling. You were the enemy. You were supposed to be the monster, but… you weren’t. And that terrified me more than anything."
Her hand slowly moved to his, their fingers intertwining as she spoke, her words fragile yet filled with a deep vulnerability. “I don’t know when it happened. Those years we spent together—something changed. It was slow, so slow that I couldn’t even tell when or how. But… I fell in love with you.”
She lifted her head slightly, her tear-filled eyes meeting his. “It wasn’t something I planned, and I fought against it for so long. But your pain… it became mine. Your sorrow, your guilt—it was like I could feel it as my own. And somewhere along the way, my hate turned into something else.”
Her voice grew firmer, her resolve clear. “That’s why I’m here, Sullivan. I get it. I… I understand what drives you. And I want to help you, even if it means my death.”
Kie’s hands clenched into fists, her knuckles white from the strain. She turned her head slightly, glancing up at Sullivan, her tear-filled eyes searching his face. “You’re planning something, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice hardening with resolve. “I see it in you. You’re not just sitting idly by. And I want to know. I want to be part of it.”
Sullivan said nothing, but his brow furrowed slightly as Kie continued.
“Whatever it is… I want in,” she said, her tone fierce despite the tears. “I want my revenge. I don’t care if I die. I need to do this. I need to make them pay for what they did to him. For what they did to me and what they did to you.”
She shifted in his arms, turning to face him fully now, her face inches from his, her eyes burning with a fire that hadn’t been there moments before. “Tell me, Sullivan. Whatever it is you’re planning, I’m not asking to be spared. I want to see this through. I want them to suffer, just like we have.”
Sullivan’s gaze locked with hers, the crackling fire reflected in his deep, unreadable eyes. He could see her expression’s pain, regret, and fierce determination. She was offering herself to him, to whatever path he’d chosen, no matter how dangerous. Even if it meant her death.
He exhaled slowly, his hand brushing away the tears on her cheeks. His voice, when he spoke, was soft but firm.
“Kie…”
But before he could say more, she cut him off.
“I’m not afraid anymore, Sullivan,” she whispered. “Not of death, not of what’s to come. I just want to be a part of it. Please.”
There was silence for a moment, only the distant howling of the wind outside the study breaking the stillness. Sullivan’s hand lingered on her cheek, his thoughts turning over as he stared into her eyes.
Finally, he nodded, a quiet, sombre acknowledgement of their bond—of the pain that had shaped them both and the path they were now both destined to walk.
“Alright,” he murmured. “We’ll do this together.”
Kie saw something else in his eyes—a hope for a chance at redemption and probably the sweet release of death—a wish that mirrored her own.