image [https://i.imgur.com/6x5vkxp.png]
CHAPTER 3
NO LIGHT, NO LIGHT
Nightingale’s feet pounded against the earth as she ran through the meadow, taking almost the exact same path as she had done a few hours ago.
A few hours that felt like a lifetime.
The night was slowly coming to an end, but Nightingale didn’t hear the chirping crickets or the occasional hoots of owls; the wind howling in her ears as she dashed forward and the blood pulsing through her veins drowned out all the peaceful sounds that might’ve calmed her.
As the trees of a small grove engulfed her, she stopped for a second to catch her breath; she rested her hand on the rough bark of the nearest tree trunk and bent over slightly. And with that movement, she felt something crinkling in her pocket.
Furrowing her brows in confusion, and panting slightly, she reached into it to find an unfamiliar crumpled piece of paper.
Anxiety and suspicion rose in her chest again like a cold tide as she unfolded it.
‘doesn't it feel like you're losing your mind?’
A shiver ran down her back and she looked around her tentatively, but all she could see was the young trees standing still and calm all around her.
She crumpled the note in her hands again and let it fall to the ground; with a deep breath, she started running again, diving between the trees.
The paper rustled in her pocket again, and she clenched her jaw, but stopped to pull it out and unfold it again. He was playing tricks on her, she knew that, and she was sure the previous note was still laying on the ground where she left it, dampened by the night dew.
The one she was holding in her hands right now, was, however, just as real.
‘they cannot help you.’
She crumpled the note, a little more aggressively this time, and threw it to the ground. And she ran.
Another piece of paper moved in her pocket when she stumbled down a slope from between the trees, into a big open field.
‘turn back. do not get him involved.’
She crushed it with her shoe before dashing forward.
Another one crinkled in her pocket when she ran through the field, seeing a yellow light beam of a beacon in the distance, towering above the mangrove trees that lined Butter and Syphus’ park.
‘you're dying.’
She clenched her jaw again, and tore the note to shreds in a few quick, angry motions, letting the scraps fall to the ground.
She felt another piece of paper in her pocket after only a couple of hurried steps forward.
‘you cannot stop it.’
She barely glanced at the written words before throwing the note away. Fear and panic might’ve been coursing through her veins and she was panting heavily after the run, but she could still try to fight back. Try to not let him get into her head. So she wasn’t going to read anything else, even if the notes started to spill from her pockets.
And the Entity must’ve realized that, too, because his voice echoed in her mind as she walked onto the sands of the prehistoric park.
…You must not be getting my messages.
She stayed silent, quietly walking across the park. It seemed unfinished, but a few huge exhibits stood in the middle; a giant framed chunk of sandstone with a gray round fossil and with a few smaller specimens standing in front of it, a figure of a long-necked and long-tailed dinosaur made from some kind of a light brown stone, with spikes growing along its spine and with some vines hanging from its body, and a huge skull full of sharp teeth behind it.
I wonder why you're at the devil's home?
She’d never realized how passionate Butter and Syphus were about prehistory, to the point of creating an entire park dedicated to it. It was almost funny - two extremely powerful beings, an angel and a Demon Lord, studying dinosaurs in their free time.
“You’re not gonna get me”, she mumbled quietly, letting her gaze drift across the dark green, subdued, willow-like branches of the mangrove trees bordering the park.
I already did.
A shiver ran down her back and she clenched her fists; even though by now she’d gotten fairly used to hearing this otherworldly voice echoing through her head, the feeling was so unnatural and jarring every time, like a splinter stuck in her finger.
Do not hang your head, the Entity said almost gently. You still have use.
She slowly walked past the smaller fossils standing on elegant pedestals, glancing at the signs hung in front of them. A piece of something that looked like a brown-gray rock, labeled "Alan Hills, 4.1 B Years Old". Another rock-looking thing rested on the next pedestal, light in color, marked with thin, darker stripes. "Acasta Gneiss, 3.58 B Years Old".
“You will not get anything else from me”, she whispered, not looking away from the signs.
I don't need anything else from you, the Entity replied matter-of-factly. You simply being around people now is enough to spread my sight.
A sudden gust of wind swayed the hanging branches of the mangrove vines.
And coming here was a mistake.
Nightingale shivered and quickened her pace, heading towards the entrance of the park - a wooden archway with vines and glowberries hanging down like a curtain.
“You're just…” she spoke up finally, trying to gather her thoughts and find something she could fight back with. “...trying to get me to go away.”
She parted the vines and stepped outside the park, onto a long, wooden pier, with chains as railings and lanterns placed every few feet.
You wanna hear a secret?
She didn’t want to hear anything else from this cursed voice. No secrets, no truth, no lies. She wanted silence. So she avoided the question, parrying it with her own. “You're scared of him, aren't you?”
The Entity, however, ignored it. The Gatekeeper thinks he's in charge, he continued, as if he didn’t hear her. But the Gatekeeper's life is coming to an end. And someone's going to have to take his place. If you fill that role, you won't die.
She clenched her jaw as her feet thumped dully on the wooden planks.
Whaddya say?
“What do you-” she spat through gritted teeth, shaking her head. “No, no, no. Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up-”
The last thing she needed right now was the Entity trying to make some goddamn deals with her. After she’d already gone into the rift and doomed herself, along with Butter. Even if he promised her to fix it up somehow, she knew it would only make it worse.
Come on, "Nightingale", the Entity murmured softly, his voice rumbling across her mind like a heavy, low-lying thunder.
“He’s gonna help me.”
Oh but he can't.
“He’s going to help me”, she repeated sternly, knowing she’s trying to convince herself of that just as much as the Entity.
Do you want to die?, he asked sharply, and an involuntary sob escaped her lips. You trying to talk to him will just give me his sight. He’s going to be just like Butter. Or Orix. And when I begin to see what he does, you’ll know.
“No it’s not!” she protested desperately, turning right on the dock, close to the beach house now. “You said I have to touch him.”
Things changed, the Entity said. Fabrics of reality have gone thin. I’m a virus, now.
Nightingale stepped down from the dock onto the soft sand of the beach, heading towards the white modern house.
And you caught it.
“You’re just lying to get me away from here”, she sneered. “You’re scared. You’re scared of him.”
The inside of the house was empty, just as she expected, even despite some last shards of hope that she will see Syphus standing in the middle of the room. She took a step backwards from the entrance and turned around, facing the prismarine swimming pool and the endless moving sea behind it.
Scared? Fine. Talk with Syphus.
Was it really a good idea to have come here?
I already told you: I'm a man of my word.
A pang of doubt and anxiety tore through the milky veil that surrounded her heart. What if it was a bad idea? What if Syphus isn’t strong enough, after all? Butter was no match for the Entity, and even though she wasn’t sure how similar the two of them were in terms of strength, she knew the angel was much stronger than Nightingale herself.
Last chance to back out, the Entity hummed casually.
What if it was a mistake? What if she doomed Syphus just as she doomed Butter just by coming to see him?
Oh God, what had she done?
“Shit, shit, shit-” she hissed through gritted teeth and dashed towards the house, opening the birch fence gate and letting herself in. She rushed to the chests standing in the corner of the main living room and lifted the lid with a creak; she did feel a bit guilty about going through things that didn’t belong to her, but she was sure Butter and Syphus would understand.
She quickly scrambled through the contents of several chests; bones, string, arrows, iron ingots, emeralds, seeds, dye bottles… until she finally found what she needed: a sheet of paper, a quill and a bottle of ink.
She kneeled on the red brick floor and flattened the curled-up sheet against it, dipping the quill in the black, oily ink with her other hand.
A letter?, the Entity asked skeptically, but she didn’t answer, too busy with trying to find the best and most concise way to relay the important information to Syphus.
‘Syphus’, she finally started, her handwriting rushed and messy from the shaking of her hands.
‘it’s Nightingale. it’s urgent. there’s an entity
Butter got trapped in the backrooms
it took my soul and wants to target your daughter
i don’t know if i can talk to you safely
please help us, i’ll be waiting on the docks.’
This is depressing, the Entity commented as she picked up one of the small, empty chests, putting the letter inside, and moved to place it right at the entrance, so that Syphus could see it as soon as he arrived. Again, she stayed quiet.
You can go talk to him, the otherworldly voice spoke up again. She didn’t know if it was getting annoyed with the lack of responses from her, or if it would keep talking to her no matter what, happy to just mess with her mind and make her doubt her every step, but she continued to remain silent, leaving the beach house’s patio and stepping down onto the grassy shore. I’m not stopping you. Just know the risks.
She followed the shoreline, squeezing past mangrove trees’ roots and ducking under their vines, until she felt sand under her feet again and the wooden docks appeared in the distance, over the sea surface.
What will it be, vessel?, the Entity’s voice whispered, carrying through her mind like a branch-moving breeze. Will you take the risk? Or will you run like the coward you once were.
She clenched her jaw.
She hoped to God that it was gonna be the former.
And she hoped to God that she wasn’t making a grave mistake.
As she sat on the edge of one of the piers, her feet dangling a few inches above the water, her gaze fixed on the beach house in the distance, separated from her by the sea, the sun slowly rose above the horizon. Blinded by its rays, she lowered her head, and her eyes caught the sight of her own reflection; she gasped. Her skin, eyes and hair had lost their color, turning pale and ghostly, almost transparent; a wisp of fog that would soon burn and disappear in the rising sun.
She was fading like an old photograph.
And as the waves moved and rippled, something else appeared beside her in the reflection - a pair of neon purple eyes above her shoulder, surrounded by pillars of smoke.
I hope you don’t cause his downfall, the Entity said, and she turned around sharply, but aside from her, the docks were empty. She looked back down on the water and was greeted only by her own reflection again, pale and faded.
“I won’t do him any worse than you would”, she responded this time, closing her hands tightly into fists to keep them from trembling.
The Entity chuckled dryly.
Heh. Witty.
The sun had already climbed up to the highest point of sky when Nightingale finally noticed some movement around the beach house; she immediately perked up, squinting in the blinding sun rays and trying to see if it was really Syphus. She could feel hope starting to glimmer somewhere inside her, but just like everything else, it was dull and dim.
The dark figure shot up into the air, and Nightingale scrambled to her feet, backing up and lifting her head to follow it; she could now see the short dark hair, the black mask covering the lower half of his face, the empty white eyes, and wide-spread wings made out of some kind of a dark matter that dispersed into small fragments and disappeared as he landed on the wooden docks some distance in front of her. The planks under her feet shook from the impact.
She used to be terrified of him. She remembered the times when he used to terrorize the area near Belkyndron, hunting people down, speaking of ‘contracts’; she’d never really known what that was about, but she still vividly remembered hiding in her own cottage, terrified out of her mind, as she heard his voice chanting mockingly right outside, ‘Itsy-bitsy Nightingale doesn’t want to come out…~’
He would've killed her right there, on the spot, if it wasn’t for one of her sheep getting in his way and slowing him down for a second. She’d been hearing his voice in some of her nightmares ever since then.
And now he was her only hope.
“What is this, Night?” he asked; his voice was low, but confident and commanding, fitting for a Demon Lord.
There he is! The man of the hour, the Entity exclaimed triumphantly, with satisfaction, which made Nightingale’s insides twist.
It was a mistake.
The Entity laughed, and this sound, heard by Nightingale for the very first time, sent shivers down her spine.
Oh, this is getting good.
“STOP!” she called out, taking a few quick steps backwards. She didn’t know how close she had to be for the Entity to affect Syphus, but she knew it was best to keep her distance for now.
Syphus furrowed his brows and stepped forward, heavy footsteps thudding on the wooden planks.
“WAIT!” Nightingale mirrored the action, quickly backing away again, keeping the distance between them, and Syphus stopped. “I don’t know if I can talk to you safely.”
“What’s in this letter…” the demon held up a piece of paper she left for him. “Is it true?”
She nodded. “Yes. It says it spreads… like a virus.”
How is he going to believe you?, a question echoed through her mind, and if it wasn’t for the otherworldly feeling accompanying the Entity’s voice, she would almost mistake it for her own thoughts. Exactly, how?
“He- I don’t-” she stammered, clasping her hands together in front of her chest, desperately scrambling for the right words, for the fastest way to explain everything.
I'm telling you. This is a waste of time.
“Syphus, I- It’s all my fault”, she called out, taking a few more steps backwards; she tried to distance herself from Syphus to keep him safe from the Entity, but hadn’t she already doomed him by coming here? Maybe there was still time to turn around and leave, but how would she fix this mess by herself?
“Butter is trapped now-” she continued, her voice shaking slightly under the weight of tears swelling in her throat. “And I’m scared it’s gonna take you too- But I don’t know where else to go! I’m going to die in a few days-”
Syphus furrowed his brows, this time with more anger than confusion, and she could feel the air between them growing thick with tension.
“Syphus, I’m sorry!” she cried, slouching forwards, as if the weight of this entire situation finally started to weigh down her shoulder.. “I never should’ve come here… You don’t need to save me- But Butter is stuck there because of me…”
Syphus leaned forward slightly, as if he wanted to step towards her again, but realized she’s just going to back away. “What? No, Nightingale. I’m going to save everyone”, he said, his voice unusually calm and collected, especially compared to the state she herself was in.
She guessed that was the difference between a mighty Demon Lord and a tiny tawny bird.
Or was it because he didn’t care as much as she expected him to?
Syphus doesn’t care about you, came a whisper, so well masked between her thoughts again. All he cares about is saving Butter. You’re just an obstacle.
“I’m just… an obstacle…” she whispered, blinking away the tears that started to blur her vision, turning Syphus’ silhouette into a smudge of black and magenta.
Get closer to him, the voice commanded. Let me in. Walk closer.
“What does this ‘rift’ want to do with me?” Syphus asked, keeping his distance, and Nightingale felt the muscles in her legs tense, as if they would start moving on their own at any moment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Demon Lord taking a few steps forwards.
“No! Stop!” she cried out, raising both of her hands to her head, gripping the short hair. She didn’t know if it was directed at Syphus or the Entity.
LET ME IN, NIGHT.
Maybe it was both.
“Please- please, no- He’s trying to-”
Night. I need to see. Please!
She was going insane.
“What does it want to do with me?” Syphus repeated, sounding more stern and irritated this time.
“He’s–” she choked out, feeling her chest clenching from the lack of oxygen, and she realized she wasn’t breathing. “He wants you-”
“Why?”
This one simple word contained the entire authority and power of the Demon Lord. It wasn’t a question; it was a demand for an answer. Had she been in her right mind that moment, it would intimidate her, bring her back to her senses, remind her of the times she hid from him in her little cottage.
But instead, whispers started to surround her, bordering at the edge of audibleness, driving further the sensation of going insane.
Syphus is holding us hostage!
Chester is hosting a Peace Party. You should come!
Your contract is ready, Night!...
I don’t think I want to go on anymore, Flynn.
It’s probably best you stay out of it, really.
Who’s “the Watcher”?
That girl fled town with her things. Ran away from everything.
And she was never seen again.
They grew louder and louder, and she gripped her head tightly, squeezing, squeezing, squeezing, until she thought her skull was going to crack in her hands, until the voices ended abruptly and silence rang in her ears for a tiny moment.
LET ME IN, the Entity hissed.
“Syph… I can’t-” she cried, barely noticing a tear sliding down her nose. “He’s trying to- make me-” Her throat tightened suddenly, and she coughed a few times, trying to gasp for air. “Go closer- to you… He wants me to let him in–”
The pressure on her throat and lungs suddenly lifted, as if the Entity loosened his grip on her, and she gasped, finally able to take a deep breath.
Night, it spoke eagerly. If you get closer to him, I will personally fetch your soul from the rooms and return it to you. I swear!
She just shook her head, pressing her hand against her chest.
This might be my only chance! Please!
“You’re not-” she choked out, putting one of her hands on the docks’ railing, grasping the cold, wet chains, trying to ground herself. “You’ve lied before-”
I will set you free! The voice insisted, having seen a window of opportunity. I will leave your body alone!
“Syph, he’s talking…” she cried, but the Entity grasp on her body and mind grew stronger again to keep her attention on his words.
I have not lied! Your soul is free! It is happier than ever! You are your consciousness!
“Can you… hear him?-”
But I can return your soul! You can live forever!, the Entity urged. Just bring him to me!
Even if she wanted to reply, the burning in her throat as she tried to take a breath left her rasping and coughing, bending over even further, gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white.
Night! Please!
When she failed to reply one more time, the Entity sent another wave of pain through her nervous system, making her gasp and clench her teeth as she arched her back, straightening herself up immediately. This is my only chance, Night! You have to bring him to me!
“Stop! Stop!” she managed to cry out.
I will restore you!
Was Syphus still there? She narrowed her eyes, but her vision was too blurry, both from the haziness caused by the pain and by the tears that kept welling up in her eyes.
Don’t you want your body to live?!, The Entity roared, the growing frustration and fury obvious in his voice. BRING HIM TO ME!
“SYPHUS!” she screamed, doubling over, her voice raspy, filled with fear and desperation. If the Demon Lord was still on the docks, he probably watched, helpless, not being able to help her, not being able to come closer. What was she even begging for?
This is my only chance, Night! You have to bring him to me! The voice begged again, and the docks swayed under her feet, as if a giant tide moved them. I will restore you! Closer!
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
She took a breath, and as the air filled her lungs, the world around her became clearer; the sea was calm and level and the docks were still, and she realized she must’ve gotten lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.
I have to be closer!
The muscles in her leg tensed again, as if they were about to move on their own, to take a step forward. Step closer. To Syphus?
YOU CAN HAVE THEM ALL! JUST BRING HIM TO ME!
“I will not-” she managed to find her voice again, raspy and breathy. “Make the same-”
A jolt of pain interrupted her, drawing an involuntary hiss from behind her clenched teeth.
THIS ONE WILL NOT BE A MISTAKE! I WILL SET YOU FREE! The Entity’s voice thundered through her mind; it was causing her discomfort now, like a pressure building up in her head, a ringing in her ears, urging and insistent. I WILL RESTORE YOUR EMPTY BODY!
“BUT YOU'LL IMPRISON HIM!” she wailed in response, forcing herself to stand up straight on her wobbly legs.
NO I WILL NOT!, the Entity promised eagerly, but she shook her head, a light shaky smile appearing on her lips.
“You said you’ll trap him,” she panted defiantly. “I didn’t forget.”
The world slowly stopped spinning, and her vision cleared enough for her to be able to see Syphus still standing on the other side of the long wooden pier. She narrowed her eyes, breathing heavily, trying to blink away the rest of the haziness.
That will happen regardless, the Entity responded, his voice low and threatening. Night, you have to let me get him.
Get him. She shivered at those words. Get him. Own him. Hurt him.
Why was he just standing there? She could see his large frame at the end of the dock, standing straight and motionless, his white, glowing, empty eyes fixed on her, his head slightly tilted to the side. Did he enjoy watching her writhing in pain? What guarantee did she have that it wasn’t the same demon that hunted her down to kill her, after all?
BRING ME TO HIM, the Entity demanded desperately. PLEASE, NIGHT.
He’s not gonna help me, she realized. She shouldn’t have come here. The Entity was right all along.
And in that moment, as she was clenching her teeth, preparing for another wave of pain, Syphus took a step forward.
“NO!” She immediately yelled, putting her hand up to stop him, the other one still tightly gripping the railing chains. “No! Don’t!”
I AM BEGGING YOU.
“What in the world…?” she heard Syphus muttering under his breath, his voice booming and low enough to reach her ears. His tone was more curious than concerned, and Nightingale felt desperate tears stinging her eyes once again. Desperate and resigned.
He was her last shred of hope, and now this hope was dying out, like the last sparkles of a firework.
“He wants me to-” she rasped, her senses growing dull and hazy again, as if the Entity’s growing anger was dimming them, depriving her of them. “Get closer-”
“To me?” Syphus asked, his voice serious and grim, but Nightingale barely heard it over the constant begging in her head, pleading, asking… demanding.
“So he can take you…” she panted, and suddenly the world went silent. She narrowed her eyes, seeing Syphus’s head moving slightly and gesturing as he talked, but she didn’t hear anything - not his voice, not the wind, not the soft murmur of the sea waves…
Only him.
I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR SOUL BACK, he snapped, desperation mixing with growing annoyance and impatience. I WILL SET BUTTER FREE. PLEASE-
She furrowed her brows, lifting up her head. That was new. That was her only goal - at this point she didn’t care anymore what happened to her; the only thing that mattered was fixing this mess she’d made, fixing the mistake of bringing Butter to the church.
She should’ve perished on her own, not involving anyone else in her fate.
“Set Butter free…?” she repeated quietly, and the Entity responded immediately, desperately latching onto this opportunity.
YES I WILL FREE BUTTER, I WILL RESTORE WHAT YOU LOST. PLEASE.
Or perhaps… there was a way to save both Butter and Syphus.
“Syphus… he’s talking…” she called out, putting every ounce of her strength into raising her voice loud enough for the Demon Lord to hear.
“What is he saying?”, Syphus growled.
“Can you…” she panted, having to force the words through her throat, as if the Entity was trying to keep her silent, to not reason with Syphus anymore. To be quiet and obey his orders.
JUST BRING ME TO SYPHUS. PLEASE. I’M BEGGING YOU, it repeated over and over in her mind, making it impossible to focus.
“Can you set Butter free on your own?” she yelled desperately, as a strong gust of wind ruffled her hair. It carried to her Syphus’s determined, confident response.
“Yes. I can.”
“Then you need to go!” she screamed, putting both of her hands on her chest, trying to convey with her entire body how important it was, and how desperate she was, torn between latching onto the last scraps of her own free will and being pulled away from them by the Entity’s overpowering presence in her mind. “Before he-”
NONONONO HE CANNOT, the Entity’s roar sounded in her mind, loud, desperate and furious. HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO!
The wind picked up, howling in her ears, but still not loud enough to drown out the otherworldly voice overwhelming her, taking over her entire mind, her thoughts, until it was the only thing she could hear, the only thing she could focus on.
…HE TRIES TO FREE BUTTER…
A loud noise suddenly joined his chanting, a roaring, hissing thunder, and to Nightingale’s horror she saw a wave as tall as mountains rising up on the horizon, behind Syphus. Gray clouds swarmed above her head, tumbling and plummeting, and the wind wailed all around her, tugging at her hair and clothes.
…HE WILL TRAP HIMSELF…
The wooden docks under her feet suddenly split in two with a crack as loud as lightning; she cried out in surprise and outstretched her arms to keep her balance, and panted heavily, looking all around her, as the wood cracked and splintered. She turned around to look at Syphus, her eyes wide open and terrified, but he stood still, the planks under his feet still intact and unmoving, just like the fragment she herself was standing on.
…AND BUTTER WILL BE JUST AS TRAPPED…
The wave rose above Syphus’ head like a concrete wall, blocking the already dim light, massive and monumental, and Nightingale lifted her head up to follow it, standing with her legs bent slightly to keep her balance, her eyes widening in terror, wind yanking her hair and clothes violently. And then, like a wall, it fell over both of them, slowly leaning forward; a giant’s hand ready to crush them.
“NO!” she screamed out desperately, reaching towards Syphus; she took a step forward, but another crack broke through the docks right in front of her feet. She could only stare into Syphus’s empty, white, emotionless eyes as his silhouette disappeared under the wave’s deadly impact, swallowed by the black water.
…YOU HAVE TO BRING ME TO SYPHUS!...
She shut her own eyes as tight as she could, ducking her head, curling up into herself, waiting for the water to hit her body with its entire force… but nothing happened. She carefully opened one of her eyes and gasped with surprise.
…PLEASE!...
The shattered fragments of the docks were now floating in the air between her and the Demon Lord, rotating slowly with the pained creaking of the straining wooden planks, sand slipping off them and falling gently into the… nothingness. The ocean disappeared, replaced by a gaping void, darkest than the deepest shade of black; some of the docks fragments were slowly lowering down into it, the oak wood broken into sharp splinters. She backed away from the edge of her tiny island and looked up at Syphus, through the jagged pieces floating between them, and he, in return, tilted his head to the side.
…IF YOU WANT TO FREE BUTTER… IF YOU WANT YOUR SOUL BACK…
She pressed her hands to her mouth, shaking her head slightly, tears welling up in her eyes. It was… too much. Too much. She didn’t understand anything anymore, as if nothing else existed, except from her, Syphus, and this voice in her head, this awful, horrible voice, urging her to go forward, go forward, go forward, to bring demise to the Demon Lord.
…JUST BRING ME SYPHUS!...
Entity’s voice bordered at the edge of fury now, and it sent chills down her spine, a terrified sob escaping her lips; she couldn’t, she couldn’t. She shut her eyes tight again, her hands moving from her mouth to clutch the sides of her head again, and she shook it over and over, praying to whoever was listening that it will all turn out to be a nightmare; she’s gonna wake up in her bed back at the Gables, her cats chirping happily at her sight, and nothing bad would’ve had ever happened.
Her room at the Gables wasn’t what she saw when she opened her eyes a few moments later, but it brought her a sigh of relief still; she saw the docks, fully intact again, standing still above the calm blue sea. Syphus was still standing motionless on the other side, watching her emotionlessly. Was it all a dream, just now, then? A hallucination? Was she going crazy, after all? Or was it the Entity’s doing?
“Syphus, please, go”, she choked out, not sure if the words even left her mouth, or if they were even audible.
The relief, however, didn’t last for long, as the Entity was quick to remind her of his fury; she could feel it in her mind, like a rising wave of heat, a deafening ringing in her ears that barely let her hear Syphus’s voice. “sick- entities- me and my family-” were the only words she could make out.
I WILL HURT YOU, I SWEAR, the Entity growled, and before terror had the time to properly set in her veins, a fresh, sharp wave of pain jolted through her body.
She opened her mouth as she bent over, but nothing came out aside from a restrained, choked sound.
NO, STOP, she wanted to scream, but the pain took over her entire mind and body, taking her voice away, taking her breath away, taking her thoughts away for one agonizing second that lasted a lifetime.
BRING ME SYPHUS!, the voice roared, louder than ever before, and her knees hit the sand-covered wooden planks of the docks, as another wave of pain washed over her nervous system. It was far worse than before, paralyzing her, filling up her entire mind until all she could do was writhe in pain on the damp wood, gritting her teeth in a pained grimace.
BRING. ME. SYPHUS!, the Entity’s otherworldly, echoing shriek filled her mind again, sending stabs of pain through her body with every word, cruelly accentuating them. She curled up into herself, as if tensing her entire body could help ease this unbearable pain; her vision was tinted red, and the only words her frenzied mind could think of were ‘no no no no no’ and ‘please please please please’ repeating over and over as she waited for the agony to end.
The pain eventually lifted up enough for her to regain control of her own body; she rested on her knees and elbows, her forehead pressed against the wooden planks, as she panted and gasped for air, tears trickling down her nose.
Heaven, help me, a thought ran through her clouded mind, oddly familiar, I need to make it alive.
A strong grip grabbed her short hair tightly, violently yanking her head back up, towards the sky. Her eyes opened wide in terror as she took in the sight before her; the gray overcast sky was gone, and in its place stretched an endless crimson vastness, as if reality itself was falling apart. A bright, burning orange sun blazed from above, furious and sickly, and the light that it cast against every surface was black, as if it was sipping life from everything it touched.
A vast array of silhouettes crowded against a blood red background; mostly humanoid in shape, black and featureless as shadows, with blazing crimson eyes. They moved and rippled like waves, leaning down from that space beyond worlds, inhuman and sinister in their silence. Some of them towered above the others, ancient giants, their massive size almost incomprehensible, as if they measured in some other laws, not belonging to this reality.
Tears of terror gathered in Nightingale’s eyes; she tensed her muscles, trying to press her head to her mouth to silence the scream that threatened to leap out of her throat, but she was frozen in place, the grip on her hair still strong and unwavering, tilting her head up, forcing her to look at the hypnotizing dance of the otherworldly beings.
A distant murmur of an explosion reached her ears, and with it a chorus of screams, terrified, pained screams. They seemed to come from everywhere, surrounding her. They seemed to come from above, from the black silhouettes, though they remained unmoving, only wavering slightly, like the ground in the shimmering heated air.
The world was ending, and she was the cause.
She wanted to sob, but her breath hitched in her throat.
NOW!!, the Entity roared, and the grip on the back of her head violently pushed it down, bringing it against the oak planks with great force; she cried out as her face collided with the docks, the pain blinding her momentarily.
It was a different kind of pain, tingling and prickling, and tears immediately blurred her vision; from hurting, or from fear, she couldn’t tell. She tried to get up, but the grasp on her hair kept her head down, pressing it forcefully against the wood. She thrashed and whimpered, panicked instincts kicking in, trying to get free.
NOW!!!, the voice echoed painfully across her mind again, simultaneously a deep and terrifying bellow, and a high-pitched furious shriek, similar to those she’d heard coming from the rift. It was deafening, overwhelming, unbearable. She sobbed involuntarily, a short, rasped, agonized cry, as her head was jerked upwards again, and then slammed down against the wooden planks one more time, with even more force. The pain exploded behind her eyes, but this time she was able to shakily lift herself back up on her knees and elbows; through her hazy, blurred vision she saw dark patches of blood where her face collided with the docks.
BRING ME TO HIM!
She lifted a trembling hand to touch her face, and when she brought it up to her eyes, she saw blood, dark and deep red, trickling down her fingers. She could taste it on her lips, the strange metallic taste and smell overwhelming her senses, surrounding her completely. There wasn’t enough blood for the smell to be so strong, but she didn’t have time to wonder about that.
She was… so thirsty.
The air scraped against her throat as she breathed in, and a coughing fit overtook her lungs, bending her over in half; more droplets of blood splattered on the planks under her as she rested on her elbows, gasping for air. Her gaze wandered over to the surface of the water, moving steadily under the docks, red beneath the otherworldly sky, close enough for her to reach. Thirsty.
She crawled closer to the edge of the dock, and for a split second she saw her own reflection staring up at her, changing and breaking apart in the moving waves. It was enough to see the black, scorched skin sitting tight on her cheekbones, splitting and cracking, her empty, white, lifeless eyes standing out bright in the middle of it.
She reached down and dipped her hand in the water, trying to scoop up a small amount, enough for her to drink. It was dense and heavy, and trickled down her fingers slower and lazier than it should. She brought it closer to her face, and realized the red color wasn’t caused by the reflection of the sky; the thick metallic odor hit her nostrils with renewed force, and she recoiled, shaking the blood off her hand as she crawled backwards on the docks.
I WILL KILL YOU, I SWEAR.
A muffled, choked sound leaped from her throat; she felt the blood gathering in her mouth, the now-unbearable smell suffocating her, filling up her lungs. She brought a hand to her face again, touching it hesitantly, as if she was afraid of what she might feel. More blood spilled down between her fingers - from her nose, her eyes, the edges of her mouth, all pouring down onto the docks, staining them with even more red; the ocean drank it, feeding off of it even more, blood joining blood.
BRING ME TO HIM, DAMMIT!
She lifted her head, kneeling on the docks, and looked at Syphus again, trying to focus on his silhouette despite terrified tears blurring her vision and the reality breaking apart and crumbling down all around her. The distant explosions rang in her ears like thunder, the panicked screams of dying crowds, the faint whispers of the pantheon of entities staring down at her like judges, like predators eyeing their prey, like executioners waiting to strike.
The docks swayed under her feet again, and the world together with them. It was too much. Too much. Too much.
FOR FUCK’S SAKE, JUST BRING ME TO HIM!
Syphus twitched, and in a blink of an eye he moved forward, stepping closer to her, though still standing calmly is his relaxed pose, with hands folded behind his back, looking down at her with empty, emotionless eyes.
Nightingale returned his stare, her own eyes open wide, tearful, horrified; she wanted to speak, to tell him that she’s sorry, that it’s all her fault, but no sound came out of her tightened throat. Perhaps there were no words anymore.
The Demon Lord opened his mouth; his black mask moved with his jaw, the fabric stretching. Nightingale thought he was going to speak too, to say something, but his jaw kept moving down, tearing the mask apart, opening his mouth wider and wider, unnaturally wider, horrifyingly wider. Her insides twisted and turned as she watched, frozen in place.
Syphus’ head twitched, an unnatural, jerky spasm, and tilted to the side as his jaw detached itself from the rest of his head with a sickening crunch. The mask had been torn apart, revealing the inside of his mouth - an abyss filled to the brim with razor-sharp teeth, some rusty with what Nightingale guessed was blood.
“Your contract is ready, Night,” Syphus rasped, his voice strained and hoarse, high-pitched and low-pitched at the same time, as if multiple beings spoke in unison; his jaw moved as he talked, despite being barely attached to his upper head and twisted at a grotesque angle.
Nightingale’s stomach churned; pure horror paralyzed her, the pain from her injuries forgotten as adrenaline pumped in her veins in the face of this sickening monstrosity.
She didn’t even have the strength or willpower to crawl away, even as multiple crooked, twisted limbs tore through Syphus’ skin, growing from his back, his ribs, his stomach, ending with claws sharp as knives.
She didn’t have the strength to recoil as those limbs reached down to grab the wooden planks of the docks in their deadly grip, crushing them into splinters, bringing Syphus’ disfigured body closer to her, closer to her, his abyssal mouth opening wider and wider, until all she could see was the bloodied, razor-like teeth.
“Come closer to me, Night,” the monster croaked, a chorus of voices leaping from his throat, a jarring dissonance of high and low tones. This time she could hear the Entity’s voice amongst them, too. “Let him in. Let him kill me.”
She pressed her hand to her mouth again, muffling another agonized sob.
“Let him tear me apart from the inside,” the chorus wailed. “Why wouldn’t you? Isn’t that what you wished for when you were hiding from me in your little cottage?”
She shook her head weakly. Not for this. Not like that. But she couldn’t say that, she couldn’t speak.
“Itsy-bitsy Nightingale doesn’t want to come out…~” the voices sang the familiar line once again, and that was the last straw.
She wrapped her arms around her body tightly, kneeling on the docks, her entire body shaking violently with terror and sobs. She just wanted to go home. She wanted to be back in her cozy bed, under the green cotton blankets, a soft, warm glow from a lantern illuminating the pages of the book she’s reading. She wanted to hear the purring of her cats curled up next to her, and soft, bell-like chiming of the allays hiding in the leaves under the roof of her bedroom.
She didn’t know if her home existed anymore, or if it too had been swallowed by the ocean of blood, torn apart by these monstrous beings, wiped off from the face of the earth by an explosion.
Either way, she was not going to make it out alive. She was never going to see her home again.
So she shut her eyes tightly, and she wailed.
She screamed and screamed and screamed until her voice broke, until a coughing fit stole the air out of her lungs, until the painful scraping against her throat drew tears out of her eyes. And then she screamed more. She screamed against the crimson sky, so that her voice could reach the unmoving silhouettes, she screamed against the bloody ocean, the sound carrying far over the waves, she screamed against the monster that was once Syphus standing right in front of her, his twisted limbs bending and twitching, she screamed louder than the explosions ringing in her ears.
She screamed until she couldn’t anymore, and then she fell down onto the docks.
She didn’t know how much time had passed until she found the strength to open her eyes again. The sun blinded her, hanging low in the sky, and she furrowed her brows and blinked a few times, trying to get adjusted to it, like someone waking up from a deep sleep. Silence rang in her ears; there were no more explosions, no more pained screams, no more deep thunder-like rumblings of the world cracking open, of reality falling apart. There was just… the sound of the waves, and the light wind touching her skin through the milky glass sheet of her soullessness.
And his voice.
You disappoint me.
The words stung more than she would’ve liked; after all he’d done to her, his disappointment still weighed down heavy on her soul.
Her soul? She didn’t have one anymore.
You will never get your soul back, he sneered sharply, as if he heard her thoughts, burning venom and hatred dripping from his every word. You can say goodbye to that fuckin’ dream.
Her muscles flared up with pain in protest as he slowly lifted herself up on her elbows, her entire body aching, and she raised her head to look around. The wooden docks stood firmly above the calm, blue, ever-moving sea, reflecting just as blue sky above it, dotted with small, white puffs of clouds. The Demon Lord was nowhere to be seen.
She carefully moved her legs under her, expecting the planks below her to break or disappear at any moment, and tried to put her weight on them, but suddenly sharp, agonizing pain exploded in her side, as if someone kicked her in the ribs with a great force. She let out a loud, hoarse and broken cry, and fell back down on the docks, gritting her teeth. Her lungs spasmed, not allowing her to take a breath.
A waste of time, that’s all this was, the Entity spat, his voice filled with disgust and blazing fury. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, sobs wrecking her body, as she waited for the pain to ease; she tried to muffle her cries, not wanting to risk enraging the Entity even more, but the tears kept flowing down.
It hurt. Everything hurt. She was never good at dealing with pain; a broken arm or wrist was all she had ever had to deal with, after some unfortunate falls from high tree branches, or a deeper cut she’d earned by being careless. It was never anything like this, never anything even close to this.
The pain had always terrified her. The unavoidableness of it, the control it had over her entire body, the helplessness that came when all you could do was writhe on the ground as you wanted for it to end, in agony, not knowing if you’ll be able to handle this for much longer.
I thought your existence at stake was enough to bring out your true strength, but you’re just as weak!, the Entity growled again. Had he known? Could he see the fear of pain when he had entered her mind? Could he distinguish it from all the fear that had been a part of her life for as long as she remembered?
That was the life of a bird. Always in fear, always in flight.
Until she had come to this place, and until it had taken her wings away.
You may as well bury yourself now.
The pain in her side eased enough for her to be able to breathe again, reduced to a constant pulse, sending jolts through her body with every heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter, and whimpered, as more tears fell down onto the oak planks.
She just wanted to go home.
You’re more useless than you could ever be, the Entity snapped again; the sight of her small, hurting form curled up on the docks, whimpering and sobbing must’ve looked pathetic to him. She could feel him wanting to hurt her more, to release his fury on her, but for now there were no more hits, no more kicks, no more punches, no more head smashed against the wood. Was her blood still there? She was too scared to look.
“I am…” she panted, and her voice scraped painfully against her throat, raw from coughing and screaming, barely above a whisper. “I am… useless… But he is… safe-”
No, I’m going to kill him another time, the Entity sneered viciously, and more tears welled up in her eyes. She was trying so desperately to believe it all wasn’t for nothing, that all that torture at least allowed Syphus to escape the Entity’s influence. She was trying with all her might. Meanwhile, you’re gonna put up your own tombstone, dig a hole, and bury yourself thousands of blocks from civilization.
She thought about this. Maybe it was what she deserved after dooming two of the most powerful beings in this place, one of which treated her like family, and immediately agreed to help her, knowing full well she’s endangering herself.
A grave, somewhere at the end of the world, forgotten and forsaken. No one to remember, no one to care about her memory. After all, she was just a fading photograph.
“That sounds… About right…” she whispered, the weak fluttering of her breath moving a few grains of sand on the wooden planks.
You know what? I’m glad it was you, the Entity continued; she couldn’t see him, and his voice only echoed across her mind, but she could almost feel him leaning above her, his neon magenta eyes seething with fury and contempt, each words meant to push her down to the ground even harder, to crush her. Because now we all see how big of a waste you are.
“I am… a waste…” she breathed out, shutting her eyes tightly, as if preparing herself for another blow; but instead, she heard a cold, dry, contemptuous laugh.
Correct! About time you got something right!
She gritted her teeth, trying to stop another muffled sob from escaping her.
And then she felt the docks shaking under the weight of heavy footsteps.
Oh, there we go, mused the Entity, his fury melting slightly to just an annoyed tone, as if his attention shifted to something else. Now I have you both. Good.
No, Nightingale thought. Not after all of this.
Both the girl, and you, ‘Demon Lord.’
“Syphus…” she tried to whisper, but her voice lingered on her lips, too weak to even hope to reach his ears. “Go… please…”
“Where is she?” Syphus bellowed, his voice sending vibrations through the dock’s wood, just as his footsteps did.
Who?, the Entity asked innocently, and Syphus growled. Nightingale managed to lift her head up slightly, and looked cautiously at the Demon Lord through her blurred vision. He was terrifying, but in the old, familiar way. No hanging jaw, no twisted limbs, no torn skin. He stood confidently some distance away from her, looking around, as if expecting to see the Entity.
“My wife!” He sneered, and his white, empty eyes glowed stronger for a moment, fueled by anger. “Why are you doing this?!”
Oh! The angel! The Entity gasped with mocking realization, pretending to have only just now remembered who Butter was. She stepped through the rift of her own accord.
Nightingale’s head thunked dully against the planks as she lowered it down again, not having the strength to keep it up, and she gritted her teeth on the impact. Her world started to spin around her, even when she shut her eyes tight; she felt as if the docks started to float freely on the sea surface, rocking her gently with them.
She banished herself.
She tried again. “Syphus… please- go…”, she croaked weakly, putting every last ounce of her strength into the effort or raising her voice loud enough for it to reach the Demon Lord. And again, she failed; the only sound that came from her throat was a dry, raspy whisper.
Doesn’t matter now, Night, the Entity hummed to her, his fury subsiding for now, dying down from blazing fire to quiet, burning embers. You don’t have to beg for him anymore. I have you both.
She tried to shake her head in desperation and despair, but it only made it spin more, and she whimpered quietly.
“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her or I will erase you from existence,” Syphus snapped, his low, deep voice full of barely restrained fury. “You hear that, rift?” Nightingale would’ve been terrified by the mere sound of it, if her mind wasn’t hazy with exhaustion and pain, and if it wasn’t for the thick glass casing that’s been separating her from her feelings ever since her soul was taken.
I am not the rift. I am just what’s through it, the Entity replied sharply. I see through your eyes now. I got what I wanted.
No, Nightingale tried to whisper, but no sound came out of her tightened throat.
You’re both information brokers for me now.
“WHERE IS SHE?! RIFT!” Syphus roared, taking a few heavy steps forward, closer to where Nightingale laid motionless against the wooden planks; she felt every thud in her bones. They shook her entire world.
Again, I am not the rift. I am simply what’s beyond the rift, the Entity replied, his now-calm tone a mask hiding the anger beneath it. She could still hear it. She’d always been good at reading between the lines. And if you want to know where your sad little girl is, you will not refer to me as a ‘rift’.
Syphus replied. She heard his voice, but the loud crashing of the waves against the shore drowned his words out. Or was it her own blood pumping deafeningly in her ears? Were the docks being washed away with the ocean? The world around her rocked and spinned so hard, they must’ve been.
She lifted her hand, trying to reach forward, to find something to grab onto, to steady herself in the middle of this chaos, but it fell limply against the wood, as the sound of the crashing waves swallowed her mind whole.
The feelings came back slowly; the hardness of the oak against her body, the loose grains of sand under her cheek, the cold, numb touch of the sea breeze on her skin. She stirred slightly, cautiously, expecting the pain to explode in her body at any second, but it was much lighter now, a dull throbbing in her muscles. She dared to open her eyes.
The sky was dressed in the shades of red and yellow over the horizon, fading into dark blue above her head; its evening attire. The calm sea mirrored it. She was alone; Syphus was nowhere to be seen.
‘Alone.’ She was never alone. Not anymore.
“Entity…?” She called out weakly, gathering the strength to get up; first the hands, pressed down carefully against the ground, then the knees.
What?, came the reply. His tone was sharp and annoyed, and she almost flinched at it, but like every feeling now, the fear watered down before it reached her heart.
She failed him. Both him and Syphus, since the Entity got him in the end anyway, if his words were to be trusted. It was all for nothing. The pain, the torture-
A distant scream echoed in her mind, along with the image of the splitting docks, of the shadow beings from the other world, quick as a heartbeat.
She lifted herself up on her knees, slowly, slowly, carefully. She’d proven to be useless to him. She’d thrown away every chance for being spared, for getting a lighter sentence than the rest of the world when he takes it in his reign.
And that’s probably what she deserved. A lone grave, somewhere at the end of the world, forgotten and forsaken.
“Why not just… kill me, then?” She asked.
His reply was fast and confident, cutting down like a scythe. I want to watch you fade away.
She froze.
I want to see it hurt.
She shut her eyes tightly again, expecting another wave of pain, another punch, another kick. No more, she thought desperately. Please.
Oh and believe me, it will.
Her shaking hand reached out to grab onto the chain of the docks’ railing; she gripped it tightly, tighter than was needed, until her knuckles turned white. With gritted teeth, she slowly lifted herself up, her muscles straining painfully, but it was nothing compared to the pain she’d felt a few hours ago. Nothing at all.
“Why…?” She whispered towards the sea, even though she knew why. Because she failed. Because she was useless. Because she disobeyed.
Because you deserve it. The words struck again, like a blow.
“I…” she breathed with a shaky voice, tears slowly gathering up in her eyes again. There was no hope for her anyway. In a few days she was going to disappear, like a faded memory, like the first snow melting away. “I deserve it…”
I will leave you now, the Entity informed curtly, as she struggled to put weight on her shaking, weak legs. The chain groaned in her grip, slippery from the mist carried with the sea breeze. I'll be back to watch you die.
With a last shaky exhale, she straightened herself up and let go of the chain. She lifted her head up. And instead of the sea, she saw endless, pale, yellow corridors stretching infinitely before her.
“Oh, God,” she sobbed, and the tears filling her eyes spilled down her cheeks as she pulled her lips backwards, trying to stop herself from wailing out loud. She wouldn’t even have the strength to scream, having scratched her throat dry earlier.
It wouldn’t do her any good, either. She was going to die here. She wasn’t going to see her home anymore, hear her cats purring. She wasn’t going to kiss Wraith on the forehead again, she wasn’t going to watch the stars with Flynn again, she wasn’t going to pick flowers with Aerona again. A lone grave, somewhere at the end of the world, forgotten and forsaken.
I wish it didn't have to end this way, Entity’s voice carried through the corridors, clearer and closer, as if the barrier between him and her was thinner, or as if there was no barrier at all. She shivered at the memory of the purple, neon eyes dashing towards her. Was it him? She was too scared to ask. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know.
I was hoping you'd be a bit more cooperative, given that I freed your soul.
“You… took it from me,” she protested weakly. “Leaving me as an empty vessel…”
She felt his rage flaring up even before his voice screamed out in her mind, echoing all around her. YOU ENTERED THESE ROOMS OF YOUR OWN ACCORD!
Her body reacted instinctively, curling up into itself, her arms wrapping around her torso, her head ducking down. His scream bounced off the pale walls again and again, surrounding her, coming from all directions at once. YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING YOURSELF INTO!
“Because you promised I’ll be free of the pain!” She cried out, and whimpered as the words scraped painfully against her raw throat. “Just to give me more of it!”
And your soul wanders these rooms for eternity without any of the pain!, the Entity retorted; she could tell he was tired of having to explain it to her again and again. You are not what I said I'd free!
“No…” she sobbed helplessly again. She wanted to fight against it. She wanted to scream with fury, she wanted to punch the walls and tear the tapestry until she found a way out. This is not what I agreed to, she wanted to yell. I’m not dying here. But after everything she’d seen, after everything she’d felt, she knew that it wasn’t how this was going to end. “Please…”
I want you to be stuck here for eternity thinking about your mistakes, the Entity’s voice sounded in her ears, flat and empty, devoid of any sympathy she’d heard when it was tempting her to step inside the rift. Inside the cage. Stupid nightingale, fooled by the easy promises and a chance to escape. How easy had it been for her.
“There must be something…” she breathed, looking around her desperately, but wherever she turned she saw the empty, pale corridors, stretching further and further. “Please, that can’t…”
She leaned against the wall, and slid down, wrapping her arms around her knees, hugging her legs tightly to herself, searching for any bit of comfort she could find.
“That can’t be how it ends…”
There was no comfort. She lowered her head and buried her face in her legs.
“Not my story…”
Her desperate, dejected sobs echoed through the endless corridors, until they became broken and hoarse, until they grew weak and quiet, until there was silence.