The message disappears from my view, and I’m left viewing my pod. Though I feel the creeping dread tapping on the back of my mind telling me to look at the pod. Moving over to the pod, I look down on my person in the pod. There is some movement on the floor of the pod as a black liquid rises. Where is this liquid coming from? It soon reaches the torso. The pod won’t open. Why won’t it open. Soon the liquid covers the face. I feel the black entering my lungs, coughing the black fluid. My vision starts to dim. Am I going to die?
Opening my eyes, I find myself in a canopy bed decorated with flowing lace. Looking around the room, it has the same style as the abyssal palace, noticing a full mirror across the room. I move the cover and rise out of bed. Standing in front of the mirror stands my avatar but more. It’s hard to explain exactly, but before drinking the bottle, this body was only an avatar. Now, it seems this body currently holds power. I must test this as soon as possible, but before I can, there is a knock on the door.
“Mistress I’m coming in,” said a soft voice as a servant door opens revealing a maid holding a freshly pressed dress. Her skin is grey with red hair done in a working bun with ram horns at sides of an elegant face. She gives a curtsey then proceeds to the dresser grabbing new undergarments and a comb. Understanding what is to happen, I raise my arms a let the maid do her work. Brushing aside the details of the treatment I’m now standing in a fashionable black dress which reaches the knees with the Lady’s Robes draped to the side.
“What’s on the schedule for today.”
“Since you’ve been gone for so long Mistress, Val’ goth has offered to give you a tour.”
“Who’s Val’ goth?”
Giving me a surprised look “He’s the head butler as well as your adviser.”
“Very well, I wanted to explore the city anyway,” the maid nods at my words then bows out of the room. Leaving my room behind I stroll the empty halls looking at the shadowed portraits hanging there. My wandering leads me to various places of importance, lying unused as if waiting for their chance. The grand ballroom is a grandiose room with glittering chandeliers but sad like a solo dancer moving to silence. Continuing down the halls, I find the familiar doors of the throne room ever beholden with endless war. The guards are feeling my presence get one knee facing the floor. I move to open the door and find that they are not as heavy as I thought they would be. Entering the room, the crier announces my name, resulting in everyone in the room to halt and bow. I could get used to this kind of thing. Making my way to the throne, I sit upon it. I eye Val’ goth standing in the shadows waiting for me to call him. I motion him with my finger to come beside me.
“Yes, my mistress,” he says, speaking softly.
“I am accepting your request, please do be thorough with your tour.” he nods and motions a butler over. He conveys his order and butler goes to fulfill them.
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“While we wait, why don’t we have some entertainment.” As he says this a side door opens, revealing two guards are dragging an unconscious man. From the looks of him, he has been tortured and beaten to an inch of his life.
“Where did you find this pitiful creature.”
One of the guards speaks, “One of the patrols found him in the darkness struggling with a dying light source.”
“What did you find out,” motioning to state the man is in currently.
“He says that he is a “beta tester” and he is only playing a game, what a fool.” giving the man a kick to the back waking him up.
“Your new job is to entertain the mistress until she leaves this hall and then we good back to have more fun.”
The man starts looking around the throne room with bloodshot eyes scanning the face trying to see anyone he would recognize but only the demons stare back. Then he looks at me, and he perks up a little, and he seems to know me.
“I know how you are. You’re George, the one who got the first god position.”
That is a bit startling to know that he recognizes me even though I’m no longer that p- WEAK HUMAN anymore. What was that voice I just heard coming from the back of my mind? That must have been the inner demon that hasn’t been fully integrated yet. I hope that it won’t change me too much, but that is for another time.
“Leave me,” I say to everyone in the room. I motion for Val’ goth to stay by my side. The look of disappointment is shown on all the leaving demons. I return my gaze to the man who averts his eyes. Once everyone leaves, I get up from my throne to get closer to him. The first thing I notice is a grave brand upon his bloodied shoulder. The mark of my throne lays bare. He is my property; it would seem to me to do with as I wish. Also, I can feel an energy inside him that also bears my mark. It would seem that even death itself cannot let him escape. I’ll ask him a few questions of my own.
“How do you know who I used to be?”
He gives me a look of worry but quickly switches to a neutral expression. “I was there when you created your avatar a few days ago.”
A few days ago. I must have been asleep a lot longer than I thought. That doesn’t matter, though.
“How did you get here,” at this point circling the prey like a hawk.\
“I was in the city of Teyr when a cultist was being burned at stake, and then a wall of black flames took me and then I was here.”
Oh my, I had forgotten entirely about the cultists in the game I’ll have to contact them later. Though is story sounds a little far fetched but don’t sense any deceit from his soul. Hmm...
“Do you want to leave this place?” He seems to have suffered enough trauma from recent events.
“YES PLEASE SEND ME BACK.” He shouts his answer and breaks into the face of a shattered man who begins to weep loudly — covering his face from view the tears stream down.
“I’ll send you back but do know that when you die, you will return to me and this place.” He shows relief and anguish in the same expression, unable to decide which he should be feeling.
Before he can thank me or curse me, I put my hand over his eyes and close mine. I search for a body that this soul is connected. Finding it was the natural part but putting it back in would surely be more difficult. I imagine my hand plucking is a soul from here and depositing it in the vessel.
When I opened my eyes, he is gone from view and the realm.
“Was it alright to send him back to his place of origin with the knowledge he has? Val’ goth asks a bit of worry in his voice.
“No, he will find this to be a lesson to learn from since one must see depravity before they will appreciate life itself.”