Ren and Cella rested within the darkness of the Underdark. So high within its depths, there was no growth to be seen. Only barren stone lined the area around them. Within the emptiness, a warmth came from the small fire and food the two shared.

He sat with legs crossed before the flame, a small trickle of mana left him to sustain the small blaze.

Cella sat with her legs outstretched still admiring her new form. The mark left by the essence of change had allowed her to transform. Just like elves and goblins are, she too was now marked and so her physical form changed. She was marked by her own will, Unlike elves, who were marked by their divine ancestry.

Her ascension marked her now at a similar level to Ren. With eldritch eyes and analyze both activated, he evaluated her.

Human Lvl 15

She was the same level as him, though Ren could tell she was weaker by the merit of having had such weak development earlier in her life. Starved, and half dead, she was a shell of a person. Now, he saw the vibrancy, the very affinity for life energy within her eyes. Before, her eyes had taken him aback with their inhuman color and oddity.

Ren smiled as she looked at him. She spoke. “Well, I have to say, it does feel a lot better being a normal person.”

“You were always human, it’s just… being underground for so long changes things. I’m glad you’re happy with yourself, when I used the item, I was panicking and afraid that I would turn you into a monster.”

“Nothing could have been worse than being the little decrepit thing I was before. Whatever monster you could have turned me into, it would have been better than being a half-step above the goblins.”

“You were never anything like those nasty little things!” Ren’s face went red as he imagined the vile little creatures compared to her.

“I know, I know, it’s just… change is good. I never imagined becoming something more than what I was born to be. I always dreamed of it, sure. But I never really imagined it being a real possibility.” She gave a gentle smile as she glanced at him, then looked down at her hands.

“I’m happy for you. I have a question though…”

“Yes?” She turned a curious gaze towards him.

“Well, are you stronger? A lot stronger?”

“Uh, I believe so. When ascending every attribute a person has becomes more valuable. Even a wizard will become faster even if they never trained in such a thing. Even a barbarian will become more intelligent and their will shall become stronger. Sure, they still won’t use mana, but they will understand all the minute details of combat better.”

“So, do you think there's anything different about your fighting?”

“Well, I feel a lot more power within me, before, being starved for many years, and being so short too, it was difficult for me to fight in melee. I can now, I’m sure my melee abilities are much stronger.”

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Ren stood and slowly let the fire fade. Within the darkness, his eyes could still see. Most of all, he could see the light behind her eyes. The light that he lacked.

Cella stood as well, she readied for travel as they began to head back from the cozy hiding spot, returning to the long hours of travel.

During the climb, they spoke. Ren talked of his experiences that led him to the Underdark, and how he was chased out, which led to his own death.

Cella listened carefully and acknowledged him.

Ren spoke of the time he spent with Tayin and Hollwin, how all of it seemed so long ago now. He spoke of his first days alone in an alien world.

Cella was quiet now. She listened intently, a hint of concern playing on her face.

Ren sighed, then spoke. “All I remember from my last day before coming here, it was strange… I had lost people I loved, I blamed myself for it, and I was still hurt by whatever happened. Physically I mean, but also mentally. I resented that I had lived, that they had died. I felt so free while out in nature, and so I decided to run away from it all. I wanted to go somewhere I could hide from all my problems. I did. I wanted to live anew, but I had nothing to pay for that dream. I wished that I could live a new life. I wanted it even if it cost the skin off my back, and my very own soul to pay. Well, I paid that toll, and now I’m here.”

Cella looked at him, she gripped tightly to her shirt and looked intently at him and water came to her eyes.

“And.. now I am the hand of an Eldritch God. I am what will burn the world, I am what will poison the sea. I am what will bring the void into this world and devour its God. I am damned, I wished for death, and I have become it. I have dreamed of a life where I have the agency to decide. I have become the hand of fate. Isn’t it poetic?”

“Ren, you don’t have to be that monster…” She sniffled as she watched him.

He turned to her. “Cella, you saw the power I have over such damned creatures as the ones who ate everyone you loved. I am that monster, all I can do is dominate that power and take it for my own. When I went into that abyss alone, into the mouth of that wretched little hole where the insects nested, I fell into an abyss. I should have died, but I was bound to an ancient and vile being who served Alkyri instead. Now with that thing, I will try to stop this eldritch God from taking me over and devouring the world. My only hope is to become the monster so the other one won’t kill everything and everyone.”

Cella wept as she looked into his eyes, she hugged him and his anger fell away.

“If you truly believed that you would become the monster yourself, then you should kill yourself long before that. I have seen will within you. You are no monster and will not become one. You can stay yourself and stop what is happening. You can let them seal the power, or even willingly bring the Eldritch One to the Goddess to slay.” She looked up at him.

“No, to bring it into this world, I would be the vessel, I would have to die. I won’t die, I can’t. They wouldn’t want me to.”

“Who?”

“ My-” Ren’s mind went blank as his memories were torn away from him. He stumbled as his patron’s hand tore at his mind. His memories, the ones he loved, were they ever real?

The image of the woman, stolen from his mind by the shapeshifter, flooded into his mind. Ren used the fourth energy, the eldritch energy, in a vibrant hue of purple to shield his mind. The image was clear for long seconds before the energy faded and his memories again were ripped from his mind.

“Ren! What is going on?” Cella panicked as he fell to the ground.

“I saw her, I saw her… It took her away from my mind, I’ll kill the fucking thing!” Rage brought Ren to his feet.

Ren began to push his way up the slope towards the surface. “We need to get out of here, its influence on me is much stronger when closer to the body below. I won’t be able to fight it so long as we’re trapped in these depths.”

“Your patron? Was it in your head?” Cella’s face was covered in concern.

“Yes, I tried to fight it, but it was no use. It’s like getting yourself wet to keep water off you… it’s hard to explain. When we get out of here, I can try again.” Ren pushed forward and Cella hurried to stay at his pace.

They passed through the unending and unchanging depths. The climb would have been far from the realm of possibility to ordinary humans. They were tireless in the pursuit of freedom beyond.