Shards, like shattered glass. They fell around Angus like a terrifying downpour. The shards were white, pure white. The very ground that he'd been standing on?
Everything had fallen so fast, now he was falling with it.
In between the bright shards was infinite darkness, the contrast between the two extremes sent his head spinning further. His last conscious thought before falling further was of his friends... and that... thing.
________________________________
-An hour earlier-
"What do you mean a crack? Like what we heard?"
"No, not a sound. Like an actual crack. Like a break."
"A break in what though? There's nothing around here to break, and we've all been standing together too scared to move since our eardrums almost burst."
"Just come and see, it's easier to show you."
They walked together in a tightly-packed group. The only one who'd been brave enough to go explore whatever made that sound was Dan, who had since returned and convinced the others to follow him back to whatever he'd found.
"See? Crack." Said Daniel, turning back to the gang, arms outstretched at his discovery like an excited toddler with his first solo toilet experience.
"The fuck?"
What lay before the group was, for all intents and purposes, a simple crack… Which just so happened to have formed in midair… and seemed to be growing.
“Does anyone else see that thing moving, or have I finally lost it after all this time?”
“Nope, that thing sure is pulsating. Kinda like a vein?”
“Bro, gross.”
“What?”
Chloe stepped forward to inspect it further. Sharp dark lines danced through the air, forming a contrast never before seen in the white landscape. Looking at the crack from all sides yielded the same perspective- impossible perhaps- but they were all used to the impossible by now.
The edges of the crack drifted in and out like ocean waves, pushing the boundaries of the crack further with each pulse, it almost looked like tiny insects eating away at the world. The speed at which it expanded was dismal, but present nonetheless.
Turning her attention to the widest portion, she peered into the break in reality. Beyond the veil was a void not unlike the one they currently resided in, only flipped. It was an infinite blackness- blacker than black, the night sky pales in comparison. Attempting to look deeper sent shivers down Chloe’s spine. Whatever the place was on the other side of this thing, she didn't like it.
She turned, the others were still bickering and gesturing over to the new addition to their world every so often.
“-What I'm saying is that this could be a way out!”
“No way, I'm not going in there! It's bad enough being trapped in endless light, imagine being trapped in an endless darkness! That right there’s a death flag, Angus.”
About to go join the commotion, she took a step forward.
*Criiik*
Silence. Everyone turned to the horrified expression across Chloe’s face as she looked down. Dark extensions of the crack had extended below her, it looked like a partially frozen lake, threatening to swallow anyone daring to put enough pressure onto the surface. Nobody moved, nobody breathed.
As of right now, Chloe stood about 3 meters from the others dead still. The original fissure half a metre behind her, and an intricate network of spider web-like cracks forming beneath her. The ground, feeling like it would give way at any moment. Things were obviously worse than they had imagined. The crack was not the beginning, it was the end. Whatever had been previously making up this environment had been eaten away by something, the appearance of blackness was not a window into another place, it was a window outside of their own situation. The only thing holding them back from disappearing into the darkness? A thin sheet of white, too thin to even walk across.
*SMASH*
Another crack formed, behind the group this time, larger than the first.
*CRASH*
And another, this one high above them. It was almost as if there was something tearing reality apart with colossal fists.
*BOOM*
Chloe was the first to go. The floor finally giving out, their world practically shaking with the impacts of whatever force tore the place apart. Without any time to scream she disappeared downwards.
*BANG*
Too fast. Everything happened too fast. Sam was next. Then Tahlia, followed by Dan. The world they had lived in for so long crumbled. Sure, they didn't have the best life there, but at least it wasn't this!
________________________________
2 minutes… 2 minutes of complete silence, he'd counted. The smashing and shattering had stopped and it had been 2 whole minutes since the last friend fell to God knows where. Angus sat hunched, head ducked and arms around his knees.
He was floating on the last piece of the old land, one last Eden of white- the thing he’d hated for so long, the only thing keeping him afloat like a piece of driftwood.
Angus raised his head. Sick of counting… that, and he could feel something staring at him. He looked up, and met the gaze of The Devil himself.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It was more of an- an indescribable feeling that put a name to that featureless face. If one could even call it that. The only thing that signified this entities presence was a blood red outline of a lean man, it was like looking through a special effects filter of a camera- or seeing something in thermal vision. With nonexistent eyes the entity stared down at the still hunched Angus, and the boy returned the gaze with one of hatred and disdain.
“Ơ̟h̬̫͇̯̹̝̫.̬̩̥̙.̥̟͙̹͡.̞̱̹̼̜ ̘̺̘͎̳s͇͖̜͙̳̤̙o̠̱̮ ̻͚̤̮̱̫ͅy̪o̷u̲̮̳'̷͖͕̪r̝͙̬̩̖͘e̘̲͎̘ ͇̻̭̺̞̪t̪̩̭ḥ̼͎ͅe͎̺͕ͅ ̫̗̱̣̣̜̜ó̘͍̖̱n̟͍̦͉l͉̬͢y̭̝̟͔ ́o̫̹̼͖̭n̼͎e͖̯͎͚̪ ̪̫̦̯͇̬̲l҉̻̞͎e͏̼͉͍͕͉͙f̷̠̟t̀.̯̺͎.͚͎̮̥̝̤͢.͔̼̼”
It spoke in a ghastly broken tone. Like a scratched record playing an old radio broadcast.
Angus did not respond, though his hatred did not falter. At this the creature almost… smiled?
“S͚̞̭̙͞p̟͕̼̖̹̮̹í͕̘̜̙̹te̙̤̪͉̜f̹͓̞̙̞̯͟u͔̱̲͖̪̻͢l ̣̲̦̠̻̮͢ͅl̙̘̖̞̯ͅi̥t̯̻̼̪ͅt̲̟̩ͅl̤̺͇͡e̡̠͔ ̗b͓̫̻a̪̞̳̞͖͔s̶t̘͕a̧̮͉͎͉ṛ̡̺d͔͍͎̣̭̗̘́,̣̗̫̤͟ ̩͔͓̣͍͔̕á̼͎ŕ͙̣ẹń'͓t̵ ̝̝͎͙͘y̪͍̮̯o̶̼u̦̕ͅ?̧͓̠̦͉̤ͅ”
…
“W͓̗ͅḛ̢͉͓̝ͅl̖͚̪̞̠͠ļ̦̣̣͎̯̬̼,̖ ͕͍̗͉͎͞ņ̲̣̮̹͔o̖̠̥̗̣t̰͚̤͔̰ ̗̬͙̟̪l̻̭̟͟i̠k̲̫̲͈̰̙̼e͕̳̫̬̼̖ͅ ̫̮͍̮͖͝i̧t̹̻͙̻̩ ̶̰m̰át̲̗̩͝t̞̗̺͕͡er͟s͢. I҉͖͔ ̹̰̠̻̟͍̻h̛a̤̫͕̠͚v̨̫é̫͈̣͈͚ n̗͖̥͡o͘ ͏̠͎͚̳̬̩ͅu̯̞͚̻s̮̭͙̺̥͎e̲͉͎̘̮̭͉ ̦̖̮̤̳͉͘f̸͍͖o̬̝r̛̟ ̱̦̜͎͕͎̮t̥͈̤͓͉͜h̷̦̯̫e̝̺͉̮͖̮͖ ̭̣̥̰͞w̨̦͎͚͎̟e̱͉̣̫̠̭͡ͅa̘ķ̰̠̟̖̯ ҉̹̖̹͇̲̼̘a̬̬̭͔̣̖ͅn̻͉̟̩̜͈͞d̶͕ ̪̕d͎̝͢ȩ̤f̸̯̩̞̬̫̖e̳̭̟͜c̳ti̻̠͎͈̕v͏̞̹̰̯̖͔̼e̤̼.̱̗͉̞͢ͅ
̵̜̘̬A̗͇͈̳̥n͕̯̦͍̖͕͠d̖͈͓̱͈̠͘ ͏̬̭ỳ̯͖̲̤̖o̱͈̜̬̠̘̖u̘'̹̠̘r̲e͏̪̼͖͓ ̡̙̞p̥̻̙͉͓͙͞o̧͓̰̟s̳̘i̱̤̫̟̟̗͝ͅt̯͕͞i̹̮̫͕̭̠̺v͜e̲͓̞̝̜͠l̹̮͉̫͞y̷̹̣̖̟̮ ̛̜̪ͅp͏͇̜͚̹̩ͅo̱̱̘̙͜w̰͇̗̬̜͉e͙͍̲̞̲r͕͎̺̞͠l̪͍̲̺͕͜e̹ss̨̮̬,͍̱̳̟̣̠͈͘ ̖̳̭̤̫̀a͖̝̗̰̩͟ŕ̹e̩͉͝n̶̘̙̥'̩t̶̯̩͍̠̞ ́y͙̺̩o̫ụ ̰͙̙͈̗m̮̘̘̞̱̞̰y̥̻̯͕̺͝ ͉̩a̘̙n̮̭͍̮g̬̤͓̝͖r̨̘̤̟͓͇͔̟y̪͎ ̺̯̞̰l̯̬̖͖̗̣͢i̦̺̼̼̫tt͔͚̝̦l̟̪̬͘e̢̞̯ ̘̳͙͓͚͕̪f͎̯͓̩̦r̵̜͈̹i̶̺̟e̢̤̝̥̳͔̰n̜͓̩̟̯d̸͇͎?̶̪͎̠̘”
What did this guy mean by that? Of course he was weak! Not only was he alone, but the only baseline for comparison was literally the devil. But there was something else in that broken voice. A hidden meaning in the supposedly obvious words. Was it pity?
The devil’s red silhouette reached out with a disturbingly human hand towards the boy’s face. And then..
“A̤͕a̲̰a̼͕ͅa͉̩̪̲͙͖̩r̷̭̼̼g͈̬͓̙͠h̬̝̙̘̟̕!̸͕͉
̸̱L̞̲i̝̺̯̪̻̰̝t̖͘t͈l͏e͟ ̘͍͕̮͜f̙̞͙̩̝̟u̹̲̙c͙͍͇̦͢k̛̰̫̳ͅe̘̘̲͞r͍͉̺̥͙̩̹͡! ͈̤̰͞W͓̯̰ͅẖa̸t͕̹̝͓̭ͅ'̭̜̣d̘͙̰̜͕̠̲ ̫̼͖͇̙̝͔͟y͓̼̳̺͙͈͚o̱̜u̸̹ d̥̙̩̠o̜̘̞͖͢?̧̮̻̰”
The hand recoiled in pain, sizzling as if it'd been burnt badly, though it showed no signs of damage.
A rumble, what was left of the world shook once more.
“H̨̪͍͕̗̳͎̞àh̫̼̘̥̙̰̀a͕̳̯̱̣!̜͉̘̬͓̼͠
̤͖W̨h̝͢o̧͕͇'̨͈̱͚̤̳̬͚s̳̠̱̮̺ ͚̗p̨ŕ̖̻̙̘̣̮͙o͇̠̱t̼̫̜̻̰̀ȩ̥̯̻̥̞c̫̠̩̮̲̗t̢͓̯͉̼͚̙͙í̝̙̲͍̟ͅn̨͙̝͈͈g̢̮̹͍̦͇͉̻ ̡̦̹̘̳a͏͍̼ ̯̹͙̘̫̣͟s͖͔̟͓ͅḿ͍̜̗͉ͅál̙l͓̯̫̙̥͚͞ ̤̲ͅf͖͍͎̗̰r̳͈͔y͉͓̝͍͇͞ͅ ̷͙̳̥͇͇̘l̥̖̯̠͡i̱̞͙͈k̦̯̹̲̕e̢͓̫͈ ͎̬y̨̹̫̺o͜u?̦͚͚͖̮!͔̬”
A familiar sound echoed, shattering glass. The last island he stood atop of had cracks running through it.
He was dragged down.
“W̶͖ę̮͚̜͖͇l̥̬͇̟͠l̹̞̰̗,͠ ͚̬͕̜͉n͈͓̰̦͉͜ͅo̴̜̞̤̭̩̮ ̼̹̞m͓̗͕̹͞ͅa͖͠t̩̤t̳e̳͓̱͕̫̰̮r̢͉͙̮ͅ.̷͎̠̲̫͍
͍͔̯̫͉̱͝H̩e̟h͕̣̟e̖͘h͓́.̳̠̬̤͚̟̩ ̼͉̳̱G̲͇̩̦̟ue̹̮̪̦̝s̤̪s͇̜ ͔̭̣̟͈͙ͅI̘̯'҉̺͇̖̺l̛͈̪̘͈̱̱͙l̠̤̝͉̩͎͎ ̛̳s̙̟̲̳̟̪e͚̩̮̗͔e͘ y̯̠̟̳o̻̩u̱̙͖ ̬̗̱͇̘̥͎s͖͉̙͈͚͈͉oo̰̼͇̜n̛̼̟̖̣,̸̳ ͈̠̺̻͙̺͟b͖̟ͅu͖͔̻̝̙̻d̲̝d̹̹͔͕̼́ͅy̰͜.̯̲̟͡”
The Devil’s voice followed him down the chasm, around him the final shards of white fell with him.
His only friends were missing.
Satan had a grudge against him.
And now he was losing consciousness.
What a shitty day.
________________________________
He was cold when he awoke from his first sleep in what felt like months, the idea of rest was almost an alien concept to him- even if it was forced. His body was heavy, his eyes refused to focus for a good few minutes, and he instantly remembered how much he had always hated waking up.
“Nice to know some things never change.” He muttered through dry lips. Another peculiar familiarity, he had not drank, slept or eaten for an undetermined amount of time, wherever he was before had seen to ridding their need to do so.
Oh…
The others. They were nowhere to be seen. Though neither could that thing, so silver linings.
Taking in his surroundings, Angus appeared to be standing on solid, tangible ground for once. Beneath his feet were patches of grass sticking out between impossibly old stone bricks. To his sides were walls of similar material, overgrown with vines and moss.
Above him, a bright radiating sun beat down on what he supposed was a temple of some kind, which was honestly the most normal thing he'd seen in a long time. Next to the sun was… a moon? Not like a moon in the daytime sky either. There was a distinct border between a bright day and a dark night sky above him, dividing the land into two halves.
“Okay, less normal.”
Before he could explore his first featured surroundings however, two overly large doors opened behind him. They stood around the size of a double story house, and from where he stood- about 20 meters back from the opening entrance- he could see it had been designed with intricate swirling patterns, some of them not unlike the ones seen on the black runed circles that had first trapped them. It was through Angus’ silent watching that he soon realised there was no visible mechanism present. There were no people, no wires, no cogs, and strangely enough despite their size, only the faintest sound of scraping to announce their invitation.
“Oh how I just love the impossible.” He whispered to himself.
Taking one final look around, he began his trek towards the entrance.
“Well, Ghibli Gang. Or Ghibli Guy, rather. Let's see where in the world we are now…”
________________________________
It was an eerily familiar atmosphere inside the temple, Angus had never set foot there nor had any indication of its existance before this point, though it almost felt like returning to a long abandoned homeland.
There were lit torches lining the walls, who or what had lit them was of no concern to Angus- judging by the phrasing of the Devil’s last words, his disappearance was not planned- so that thing was unlikely to be anywhere around- the only thing that he really cared about was having distance between him and it. The sounds of his footsteps echoed through the dimly lit stone halls, reminding him just how much he’d missed such simple things like natural light and sound.
Rounding a corner presented angis with a massive chamber. The entire back wall was a flowing waterfall, and to either side of him were openings in the walls allowing the respective lights of the sun and moon to flow through. The closest thing he could compare it to would be something from Indiana Jones or the like. It was breathtaking.
At the base of the waterfall was a small raised platform, it was a different colour to the rest of the temple, white and reflective like marble, though it had streaks of light blue running through it. The platform held a number of things. A statue of great height, almost reaching the ceiling of the chamber, a number of ornate columns with similar patterns as the doors, a large mirror in the corner decorated with elaborate swirls and edges, much like the old Victorian designs he’d seen once.
Though there was one thing that stood out among the others, something that caught his eye and refused to let go.
There was a person seated at a large stone table. Alone and unmoving, and despite his initial thoughts was undoubtedly alive. The person did not turn to look at the boy, and instead continued to stare straight ahead and off into space.
Looking closer, Angus could see it was a man, an elderly one at that. A long flowing white beard and balding head was evidence enough for that. The man was draped in large robes of simple design. Contrary to the fantastical decor of the temple and his surrounding objects, the man looked rather ordinary.
“Now Angus, you should know that it is not polite to stare for so long.”
He flinched at the sudden voice. It echoed through the stone room, seeming to bounce off every surface and directly into his head- he thought it was not unlike how the thing from before spoke, though was undoubtedly clearer, and without any hint of malice from what he could tell. The voice was so gentle it was almost soothing.
Wait...
“Yes, yes, I know your name. Is that really the most peculiar thing you've seen thus far?”
“Wai-”
“And before you ask, yes, I can hear your thoughts... You need not be concerned for your safety. He cannot enter this domain.”
Before Angus could question any further, the old man gestured across from him, another seat at the table high had not been there before now sat where he motioned.
“Please, sit. There is much to discuss young soul... the fate of your friends may depend on your next actions...”