All seemed to flow as one towards a low, expansive structure in the near distance. Its purpose, like so much else, remained veiled. Grixi noted his wondering gaze and made gentle clarification within his mind. "That structure is our community's nourishment hall. A time for sustenance now beckons."

Upon entering, Mordax froze in stunned silence. An oppressive cavern greeted them, dimly lit by ropy, writhing tentacles upon the ceiling.

At the center boiled a vast lake of viscous fluid. Scaffolds lined its bubbling expanse, where workers stirred enormous ladles without physical contact.

A flying platform caught Mordax's eye as it came into view, bearing a cauldron and two workers. Reaching the lake's middle, they upended the cauldron with a great hissing splash. Hundreds of creature macabre spilled forth.

The brew seethed and roiled, a maelstrom of flesh and bone as smaller beasts tore violently into the newcomers. Blood and organs drifted upon the surface like remnants, remnants of an obscene aftermath.

Behind barricades, diners observed apathetically, awaiting their own meal.

Mordax stared aghast, lips parted in silent horror, as unrelenting savagery reigned beneath the eerie glow.

After witnessing the gruesome spectacle, the siblings sat at a small organic table, the surface softly pulsating in soothing hues. Then Grixi ordered two steaming bowls of Mirrigen broth.

The bowls floated towards them as if with magic.

Mordax peered into the murky blue liquid, where bulbous crustacean-like creatures bobbed and blinked with translucent eyestalks. As he watched, the animals stretched and contracted their gelatinous bodies to stay afloat.

"Brother do you remember how we eat?" she said as she gently stirred her broth with a rigid fork-like appendage, the creatures danced gracefully around each other in the waves.

One floated up and let out a melodic series of clicks, as if singing the morning's praises in its peculiar language.

Mordax shook his head from side to side.

"We call these little guys Mirrigens." She explained their symbiotic relationship – how the creatures' secretions achieved the drink's complexity, while the broth provided their habitat.

Grixi lifted her bowl to sip the thick, viscous broth within. Her eyelashes would have fluttered if she had any. She let out a satisfied hum as she swallowed.

After dipping just the tiniest of sips, his taste buds danced with an explosion of flavors. It was a flavor that transcended all he had ever known.

Grixi's massive jaws parted in delight as she watched Mordax savor each sip of broth. The simple pleasure of sharing a meal with her brother after so long apart brought her unspeakable joy.

Her gaze became piercing, as if she was trying to etch every detail of her beloved brother into her memory. How she cherished these fleeting moments of innocence before the shroud of lies must fall again.

It had been a long time since she had seen her brother like this, naive and ignorant of the world. Then she composed herself, she shouldn't show her brother that face, YET.

Her eyes then became soft and gentle, her gaze became filled with adoration and tenderness.

Sensing some chill, Mordax glanced at his sister, only to find her giving him that creepy smile she always gave him. 'Is she trying to look warm and affectionate this time?' he thought, as he couldn't figure out her expression.

As both of them finished their meals, the little translucent creatures just flew away to the lake once more.

"I have some questions Grixi, can you answer them for me?" he said.

"Of course brother, you may ask me anything." Grixi replied. "Let's walk while talking though, I want to show you the physician, I checked your condition yesterday but I have to be sure."

Mordax wrapped his delicate hand around Grixi's thicker digits. "No. We will talk while sitting. I feel fine, aside from my memories healers can wait." He signaled for her to sit back down with his other hand.

Grixi smiled on the outside, but her eyes betrayed a glimmer of hidden tension. She complied and took her seat once more, "As you wish, my dear brother. I exist but to assure your wellbeing."

They touched fingers in order to converse more freely, then Mordax began. "My memories are returning to me slowly. I know that we call ourselves Vrosqui, and I know how those platforms float in the air."

"Yesterday I was so confused so it did not occur to me, I woke up while strangling from the ceiling," he stated.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Tell me, why would someone who proclaims that they are my sister, would ask me a question about why I did such an act?" he asked, meeting Grixi's wide gaze directly.

"Instead, I should be the one asking you the same question, why, as my sister, you don't know why I did an attempt on my own life?" Mordax continued.

"Tell me why you are withholding information from me," he pressed, fingers intertwined.

The knuckles on the hand Grixi had under the table turned pale. 'He has changed.' she acknowledged internally. She had been expecting change from Mordax, but not to this extent or without her "guiding hand," of course.

Grixi shifted in her seat, her eyes darting away momentarily as she carefully chose her words. "If I tell you, your view about it may change, so it will be for the best if you remember everything slowly and through natural means."

Mordax sighed deeply. "I will respect your decision," he replied then smiled gently. "Now let's forget about this conversation. Show me everything you wanted to show me," he urged.

Outside, the siblings made their way towards the healers' spire, as they hopped on one of the metallic platforms that looked like an open elevator. The worker on the platform used his telepathic powers and ascended the duo to their destination.

After walking down twisting stone corridors lined with glowing iridescent lichen, they arrived at their designated healer's large moss-covered door.

Grixi pressed a button and the door receded inward with a sigh, revealing a large round chamber within.

Mineral stalactites hang from the ceiling, their points slowly dripping healing elixirs into mushroom-lined catch basins below. Moss-covered shelves line the curved walls, holding fossils, fungi, and delicate glass vials of remedies.

A stentorian yet soft voice bids the siblings enter, "Greetings Mordax, I am Healer Zyzzl. Please, be at ease and tell me how I may help."

Hearing an another voice inside his head for the first time startled Mordax. Still adjusting to the concept of telepathic communication, he concentrated his mind and saw the purple line connecting Zyzzl with his brain. He focused on it and began speaking.

"Hello Zyzzl, I trust my sister can explain better, May I take a look around while you speak?" Mordax said and without waiting for an answer, he began exploring the healer's sanctum, much to the shock of its other occupants. This behavior was rather unlike the Mordax they knew.

What drove his actions was half a sense of confidence, and half intense curiosity. All the beings he saw today resembled himself and Grixi, yet their demeanor implied his sister or both of them held some distinction.

'I can't quite put my finger on how we differ from other Vrosquis, aside from Grixi towering above even the largest females I have seen. Maybe she has a special status.' Mordax thought.

And curiosity because this place thrummed with a potent life force that stirred something in Modrax's mind.

'The Heavenly Way is a foundational practice focused on establishing a balanced physical, spiritual, and energetic foundation through harmonizing one's being with ambient natural energies.'

'So it was real after all.' Modrax marveled.

"Brother, come lay here for your checkup, and treatment."

He settled onto the moss-lined table, shivering at its chill. "What kind of treatment is this?"

"More of a soothing massage, brother, to ease the bruises on your neck. The nurses will also examine you thoroughly and lightly scan your mindscape." Grixi said.

Meanwhile in an adjoining chamber, three Vrosqui engaged in passionate discussion. Their palely glowing eyes shone crimson in intensity while polished crimson chitin plating adorned their alabaster skins. A sense of urgency permeated their pheromone-laced dialog.

The first nurse's jaws unhinged as she laughed. "I don't think I can hold myself back; I am going to devour him whole," she said. Her jaws opened as big as her head, revealing her jagged teeth and extremely long tongue.

The second nurse slapped her head. "Bitch, control yourself. We don't want to scare him away. Let's make his visit special so he will come back in the future."

"Since this is once in a lifetime opportunity for us. Here, take this sisters." The third nurse passed each of her sisters a small bioluminescent vial containing a vivid crimson elixir. With hearty gulps, they downed the tonic. Then she continued. "Maybe he will choose us as his personal..."

As Mordax was sent through a small hole, he saw a white room in this dark world for the first time.

Clacking noises filled the air as the nurse-warriors approached. Rather than a bipedal stance, they moved gracefully with digitigrade legs, ending in elongated feet armed with razor-sharp talons.

Their bodies were streamlined, like a shape that allowed them to move through water easily. They had four muscular arms, two of them emerging from their mid-section.

Covering their bodies was a tough, Carapace-like chitin made of interlocking segments, which protected them without restricting their movements. On their heads, they had bony crests that resembled dreadlocks and emitted a soft, glowing light.

Piercing xenochrome eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence from within hooded sockets.

Seeing these predators approaching him filled him with dread at first then confusion. Because just in front of his eyes, they were transforming.

Gone were the jagged armors and spikes; most of the hard chitin armor had disappeared. Instead, in their place were jiggling and bouncing thighs and breasts.

They had become a sight to behold. A perverse mix of beauty and horror.

With their squishy bodies they got up close and personal, long forked tongues slithered out from their mouths. ready to explore every inch of his body.

All of them established telepathic links to him. speaking directly into his mind.

"Young Mordax, know this— it is our first time doing this," Nexa said as her slick tongue glided over his bruised neck. He couldn't help but feel a strange sensation where pleasure and horror intertwined, as if being trapped in a sick and twisted nightmare.

They licked and tasted every crevice, every sweaty pore, relishing in his sweat and odor. They were like erotic vultures, feasting on his helpless form, their huge eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and hunger.

Their tongues explored deeper, tracing the contours of his body, leaving trails of wetness in their wake.

Their soft and squishy skin pressed against his, their chitinous armor scratched and scraped against his flesh. Making him moan and squirm.

"Shouldn't there at least one person who is experienced in order to guide you or something?" He managed to ask amid pants.

"Aaaaah, he is so naive and so cute. I can't hold myself back anymore." Nyxra exclaimed, as she bit on his feet.

"Bitch, suck lightly, don't leave any marks," Nezla said as she nibbled on his ear. Then her tongue slithered into his ear canal and from there into his brain.

"Young Mordax, trust us. We are very experienced in treating the wounded and the sick. However, this is not the usual treatment for anyone. Oh, this is a very special treatment that we are doing only for you." Nexa said.