The stench of blood and smoke carried on the wind as it swept past Nyx, causing her black hair to ruffle and blow across her face. As it did, the clash of steel, enraged shouts and a few loud pops and thuds erupted behind her. Without looking back, she climbed up the debris created when the wall had exploded. Trailing a few steps behind her, the barbaric-looking man stared at Nyx while revealing a complicated expression.
The leather straps that crisscrossed the man's scarred upper body were filled with weapons. His pants looked as if they had seen countless years of wear and tear. Only a few patches were a faint brown colour while the rest seemed to have been repeatedly stained by blood.
After reaching the summit of the pile of rubble, Nyx turned and walked towards one of the narrow corridors that run along the inside of the arena's thick sandstone walls. Compared to the street outside, the hallway was dark and foreboding. The only light source being the murky-yellow stones set every ten or so meters along the outer wall.
Even though daylight fell through the newly formed opening, making it pretty bright compared to the gloomy interior, the dark zone between the breach and the nearest light-stone was unnaturally dark. The air seemed to faintly shimmer and distort.
As she turned, an arrow whistled past Nyx’s head, mere inches from her clipping the tip of her left ear. However, unlike the man following her who had ducked, Nyx didn't flinch. She carried on as if she were out on a scenic stroll. The moment she entered the corridor, the light stones nearest to Nyx violently flickered as if they were about to explode or go out. Nevertheless, by her second step, the lights had already returned to normal.
Seeing this, the man that followed seemed to relax, a small smile forming at the corners of his lips. However, the smile that was steadily growing vanished soon after.
The moment Nyx's body was no longer visible to the outside world, she suddenly staggered as she clutched the remains of her left shoulder and fell towards the outer wall. Her eyes were squeezed tight as she took a rattling breath through clenched teeth. Sweat rapidly formed and beaded on her forehead while her body visibly shook.
The abrupt change in Nyx caught the man off guard.
After drawing a long, curved dagger from his belt and scanning the corridor twice, he discarded the knife as he flicked it into the floor and reached out to support Nyx. However, when his hand was a few inches from touching her, the man shivered violently as his movements froze. He had the faint, horrifying sensation that if he moved even a single step further, he would suffer a fate worse than death.
The man took a deep breath. "Envoy. Are you-."
Before he could finish his sentence, Nyx violently vomited a thick, tar-like black liquid. As it splattered on the floor, the vomit spread to reveal dull-white shards that were barely glowing. After a second or two, the black liquid hissed and bubbled.
Without any warning, the fluid then started converging on the semi-digested shards. As it reached the remains of Angelica's core, the liquid began to erode the fragments and release a toxic-looking smoke.
The man retracted his outstretched hand while revealing a stunned expression, looking between Nyx who was resting against the wall and the bubbling liquid on the ground.
"That…" The man paused for a moment, his lips moving as if he was struggling to find the right words. "Are you… drawing out your essence by poisoning yourself with core shards?"
The man shuddered. "Isn't that incredibly painful?"
"And having my arm blasted to pieces isn’t?" Nyx slowly opened her eyes as she drew a deep breath. She had stopped shaking but was still making a pained expression as she clutched her shoulder. After staring at the man for a few seconds with a look of ridicule, she turned her gaze to the darkest shadow nearby.
Under her gaze, the shadow seemed to come alive as it condensed and formed into a dark figure that was similar to Nyx's Nightmare form. While the general outline was the same, the shadow was much smaller than Nyx. It was around half her height and had no defining features like eyes or mouth.
The man glanced over before returning his attention to Nyx as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
As the shadow-Nyx slowly glided forward, its shape became less defined as it turned into a mist-like substance. By the time it had reached Nyx, in a couple of seconds, the shadow-Nyx no longer had any definable form. It effortlessly twirled into a small cyclone as it flowed towards Nyx's left shoulder and was rapidly absorbed.
While he had not appeared shocked when the shadow-Nyx had appeared, seeing it vanish into Nyx's wound caused the man's jaw to drop. "You can absorb other Divine Envoys?"
After spitting a lump of black, congealed matter onto the floor, Nyx turned her head slightly. "From the Darkness, they were born, to the Darkness, they shall return."
"The Goddess created them?" The man's eyes widened as he looked at Nyx with an awe-filled expression.
"My mother?" Nyx's eyes slightly narrowed. "Do you think she would create such simple, mindless beings?"
The man's eyes seemed to sparkle as if Nyx had become something priceless. "You mean that they are your creations and not other children of Darkness?"
Nyx glared at the man, causing him to take two steps back.
However, instead of being afraid, he seemed to be excited. The man shifted his weight from foot to foot as intensely stared at Nyx. "Are you the true child of the Goddess?"
A loud explosion caused the grit from the ceiling to shake free and the light-stones to flicker.
Nyx tilted her head in the direction the sound had come from, the breach in the wall, as her long ears twitched a couple of times. After a couple of seconds, she sighed and turned away and seemingly ignored the man's question.
Closing her eyes, Nyx sucked in a deep breath as the muscles on her body visibly contracted beneath her skin. Soon after, they started to wiggle and move in a somewhat disgusting, unnatural way.
The small worm-like tentacles that had been covering what remained of Nyx's left shoulder started to make an eerie hissing noise as they began combining. Soon, creaks and pops resonated from her wound, barely covered by the din of conflicted outside. As the black worm-like threads came together, they started to form into black bones which continued to grow outwards and replace the missing parts of Nyx's shoulder and arm. As the bones extended, black blood vessels, flesh and muscle started to form around them.
The man held his breath as he watched the scene. The whole process was incredibly fast, yet he still found himself looking up at Nyx's face to see if it was painful.
While he was able to tell that the processes seemed uncomfortable, his attention was drawn to Nyx's cheeks and eyes as they slowly became gaunt and sunken. Soon she appeared as if she hadn't eaten anything for an extended period. Glancing at Nyx's hand, the only other part of her body that was exposed, he noticed that it also looked skeletal. By the time his sight returned to Nyx's forming arm, even the well-fitting leather armour Nyx had been wearing appeared to be a size too big.
Within a few breaths, the bones and flesh of Nyx's left arm had been regrown. However, it didn't look anything like her right, which seemed human. Instead, the black, demonic-looking arm and hand resembled its Nightmare form. As the last few scales covered the black flesh and muscle beneath, the claws on Nyx's left hand slowly extended.
Watching this, the man started to mutter under his breath as he thumped his right hand on his chest four times.
Nyx clenched her new hand a couple of times as a thin, barely noticeable black mist seeped from between the scales and obscured their shape. "Seems like you owe me an arm, Hallmaster."
After shaking her arm, Nyx looked up and into the man's eyes. "Why are there so few of you?"
"Sorry?" The man startled at Nyx's question, having been staring at her new hand with wide eyes and not paying attention.
"Where is the rest of your cult?"
"Cult!" The man seemed to be momentarily enraged. However, his eyes flashed to Nyx arm as he took a deep breath. After exhaling, the man revealed a flattering smile. "Apologies Your Grace. We lost more than we expected to defeat the dungeon lord. A few more fell when we removed the core, and the monsters rioted. The rest of my brothers and sisters are waiting at the dungeons teleportation circle as you instructed."
Nyx loudly sighed as she pushed herself away from the wall. "As I instructed? I never gave that order."
The smile on the man's face warped into one of joy. "Then… Was it the Goddess? The Darkness looks after its own after all."
Nyx frowned. "I advise you to stop testing me. It isn't conducive for your life span."
Another loud explosion shook the corridor as the sounds of fighting outside intensified. However, the man seemed not to notice as he stared into Nyx's eyes. "Yes. Apologies Your Grace."
"Where's the core?"
The man pulled a sizeable light-blue stone from the pouch at his waist before offering it to Nyx. The core was at least twice the size of Angelica's and had barely noticeable runic carvings running along its surface. A faint icy-mist drifted from the gem as small snowflakes seemed to form in the air around it. As they floated away, they would melt in the air, or the moment they touched the floor.
Nyx reached out to take the core. However, just as she was about to touch the stone, her hand paused as she revealed a conflicted expression.
Her gaze slowly moved from the core to the man's dark green eyes. "Did my Mother say anything about... what I plan to do?"
The man shivered with excitement, becoming visibly more excited every time Nyx mentioned her Mother. "The Goddess communicates to us through dreams and visions. As they are from a divine entity, they are quite hard to interpret. But the Goddess has made it clear that she fully supports you and your actions. She even personally visited my brothers, who are fighting outside. I don't know what they have seen, but I know they are ready to die for you."
"Even if this body has been corrupted by the other elements?"
"This." The man frowned for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right words. "It is not a bad thing. From what I have seen, it seems that all demi-gods must find their own source of faith and energy. If they don't, they end up competing with their parents. If that happens, it's easy for their consciousness to be accidentally consumed. A young god cannot compete with an ancient. Normally this is circumvented as a new god will have two parents meaning their essence and source of power is mixed, however, for those that are born from unique circumstances, it can be perilous if they do not consolidate their own unique energy."
The man took a breath. "The elemental bite, or what cultivators call elemental poisoning, is a sign that you are too close to a God's natural law. The essence has become so pure that it can easily transfer their will, which starts overriding yours."
Seeing Nyx remain silent, the man relaxed somewhat. "Even before the other Envoys, I mean your summons, contacted us, the Goddess was already pushing for us to secure the dungeon core and deliver it to you. Along with this information."
A radiant smile bloomed on his face. "However, it seems that it was unnecessary. The daughter of a Goddess is genuinely something to be reckoned with. It appears that you already subconsciously knew this and had started taking matters into your own hands. Even without the Goddess' support, you would have found your path."
"What a lot of information you have for someone who can only 'interpret' the meaning from vague visions and dreams?" Nyx's eyes narrowed as her thin tail flicked menacingly behind her. "And it almost sounds like my Mother wants me to cultivate the ice core. Why would that be?"
The man's smile faulted for a moment. After an uncomfortable few seconds, he sighed. "The Goddess cares deeply about Your Grace. Out of every ten visions, at least eight are to do with you. Also, ice and Darkness are a good combination. They do not conflict and can even strengthen each other. They also fit perfectly with yo-."
Nyx tilted her head slightly as the man abruptly closed his mouth and stopped speaking. "My what?"
The man shivered. While Nyx had not revealed any hostility, his skin crawled. His breath seemed to want to catch in his throat, yet he was able to continue speaking. "I'm sorry, Your Grace. I cannot tell you that. The Goddess does not want to force you on a path that is not of your choosing. But worry not. No matter what you pick, I am certain she will never shun you. You bear her name, after all."
The pupils in Nyx's eyes narrowed, becoming more serpent-like as she stared into the man's eyes. After a few breaths, she took the core.
As Nyx's claws lightly scraped his skin, the man flinched. Though they did not cut or damage him in any way, and his hand had become somewhat numb from the ice-cold dungeon core, his heart still unexpectedly lurched at the brief contact.
Withdrawing his hand, the man slightly bowed as he thumped his chest in a similar manner to what he had done earlier. "Your Grace. My name is-."
"Prophet." Nyx didn't even look in his direction as she gazed at the core in her hand. There was a hint of a sad smile etched on her lips. "Did you think I wouldn't know who you are? Not only are you my Mother's high priest but the most famous gladiator in town. The man who can 'Predict' the result of any battle or conflict."
Prophet bowed once again. "I am truly honoured that you have heard of me, Your Grace."
Another explosion occurred behind him, this time a lot closer. After glancing over his shoulder, he stepped towards Nyx. "We should leave. They won't be able to hold very long. I sense three of my brothers has already returned to the Darkness. Do you… need support?"
Nyx glared at Prophet as she turned and took a shaky step, wobbling a little as she did, in the opposite direction. "My name is Nyx. Use it."
"Apologies Your… Grace. We dare not utter the Goddesses name. If we think about her as we do, we draw her attention and distract her with the mundane matters of mortals," said Prophet as he quickly followed behind Nyx. His arms were slightly outstretched and ready to catch her if she fell.
"You're lucky I have bigger fish to fry." Nyx's voice was quiet, but Prophet was able to hear every word.
"Your Grace! How have I offended you?"
Nyx didn't respond as she continued to walk. With each step, her movements became smoother and more graceful. After passing two of the light-stones, she was moving as if she hadn't been grievously injured a couple of minutes earlier.
The hallway was curved, matching the circular setting of the outer wall. It wasn't long before the natural light entering the breach behind the pair could no longer be seen. As they continued to walk in silence, the only sound being their footsteps and of the battle that was gradually growing dimmer, they passed a couple of corridors. Nyx didn't even glance in their direction as she moved onwards.
As they moved, Prophet seemed to become more and more nervous. He opened his mouth a couple of times only to slowly close it. As they approached the fifth junction, he finally spoke. "Your Grace. Do you know where-"
Nyx held out her demonic-looking hand, instantly silencing him, as she stopped. Slowly she dipped her head as her upright ears relaxed and drooped down. As they did, they twisted slightly allowing the auricle to point forward.
Prophet was about to speak again when he froze. While he couldn't hear it at the start, he now sensed the faint sound of multiple footsteps and the squeak of leather armour. "It must be the jailers. I didn't think they would find us missing so soon with all the commotion outside."
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Nyx rolled her eyes as her ears perked back up and flattened against her side of her head "Idiot."
A group of five people, four men and a woman, turned the corner. They were wearing the standard brown leather armour for the town guard and carrying the same, plain-looking swords.
Upon seeing Nyx and Prophet, the group slid to a halt. Their eyes seemed to pass over Nyx's small body and focus on Prophets larger frame behind.
"It's the ringleader, Prophet. Get him." The grey-haired man at the front charged forward while raising his sword. The other four quickly followed, though they could only run two abreast in the narrow corridor.
Just as Prophet was about to draw another weapon from his belt, he saw Nyx's body flicker in his peripheral. A split second later she reappeared beside the light stone between the two groups before vanishing again.
When she appeared again, her foot had slammed into the knee of the man leading the charge. With a blood-curdling crack, the man released an ear-piercing scream as his leg bent in the wrong direction. At the same time, he released his sword.
The moment the sword left the man's palm, Nyx had already grabbed it as she stepped forward. She was now so close that it appeared that it would be impossible for her to dodge. Just the man's forward momentum alone made it seem as if she was about to get flattened.
However, at the last moment, Nyx's body abruptly shifted to the right as it spun in a circle.
As the man fell past her, Nyx's elbow slammed into his temple, caving it in. As her movement came to an end, the sword flew forward and slammed into the face of the man who had been following close behind. The force of the impact snapped his head back, letting his legs carry on.
Nyx's body once again appeared to vanish. Though this time Prophet was barely able to see that she was moving at an incredible speed with jerky, confusing moments.
Strange shadowy areas, like where the shadow-Nyx had been standing earlier, seemed to warp the surroundings further. In the dim light of the corridor, this mirage-like effect enabled Nyx to blend in with her surroundings. The further she moved away from Prophet, the easier it became for him to see her movements. After the initial shock, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. "So... this is how you use Darkness to fight."
When Nyx reached the side of the second man's body, which now appeared to be floating mid-air on its back, she swept the blade away. Due to the angle and momentum in which she snatched the weapon, the man's head seemed to explode and sent bits of brain, bone and hair into the face of the third man who was in the process of sliding to a halt.
Unable to see, the man could do nothing as Nyx effortlessly beheaded him, sidestepping his blind thrust before moving onto the woman who was the fourth in the lineup.
As the momentum of Nyx's sword swipe was so great it had carried her sword off to the right, Nyx struck out with her left hand. Surprisingly, even though the woman's face revealed that she was terrified, she was able to block Nyx's clawed hand.
Sparks erupted, causing both Nyx's and the woman's pupils to shrink.
Before the woman was able to take a step back and regain her footing, she flinched as a black shadow entered her peripheral on the right. Instinctively, the woman moved the sword to intercept, yet was only able to reveal a trace of surprise as the black object seemed to shatter and fade away upon contact.
Surprise turned to horror as the woman felt two hands clutch onto her shoulders, one causing her to gasp in pain due to the long nails that easily penetrated her armour and digging into her skin.
As the sword Nyx discarded crashed into the wall, the woman was able to release a shrill scream just before Nyx's forehead smashed into the bridge of her nose. After a brief moment of resistance, the woman's head caved in as bloody mist sprayed into the air.
The woman's body dropped lifelessly to the floor, seconds after three other thuds resonated behind Nyx. However, instead of continuing the attack on the last surviving member of the guard group, Nyx's slowly straightened up.
Nyx wiped her face, covered with the woman's blood, with her human hand. While she was able to remove most of the gore, the bloody streaks crossing her face still revealed a terrifying visage. "Now~ That's what I call a fight."
After licking her lips, Nyx's gaze moved towards the guard who had fallen to the floor and was displaying a look of despair.
"Demon." The guard whimpered as he tried to push himself backwards, seemingly forgetting that he could stand up or turn around.
"I prefer to be called a monster." Nyx chuckled as she stepped forward while revealing a warm, somewhat captivating smile. "Killed too many demons and devils to think they are anything special."
"Please." The guard continued to drag himself backwards. However, even though it didn't look like she was moving fast, Nyx appeared at his side effortlessly. Looking up, he stopped moving as his bottom lip trembled. "Please... I have a family."
"Worry not." Nyx flicked her finger outwards, and the guard's movements stiffened. The tip of a black, spear-like shadow had suddenly appeared sticking out the man's right eye. "I'm sure they will be joining you shortly."
Prophet seemed to regain his senses as the man's body flopped listlessly to the floor. As he looked at Nyx's smile, he shuddered. "By the Gods. If you are like this, what are the demi-gods of Death like?"
"Lazy." Nyx continued walking, passing the junction where the group had appeared. "They let others do all the hard work. Time, a sword, random accident, it doesn't matter to them. They only care about the result, which is pretty inevitable for most. If I hadn't met one constantly pestering me to 'return to the natural order' I would even doubt they even exist."
Prophet jogged to catch up, skirting around the bodies but unable to avoid the rapidly spreading blood. However, when he heard Nyx's statement, he almost tripped. "You have met a God of Death?"
Nyx frowned and looked up at the sandstone ceiling. "Huh, how the hell did that not piss them off?"
"You really met one?" Prophet ignored Nyx's muttering as he caught up. "A genuine God of Death?"
"Yeah, nothing really to write home about. Mother chased him and the beast-god-thing away when I was lingering between this world and the void while waiting for this body to evolve or whatever it was doing." As Nyx spoke, she tilted her head to the side and listened. However, after a few seconds, she frowned when she couldn't hear any thunder.
"My Grace, is something wrong?" Unlike earlier, Prophet was walking beside Nyx as he watched her facial expressions intently.
"The Guardians seem to be… ignoring me."
"The Guardians?" Prophet stumbled as his jaw fell. "You are in contact with the Guardians? Were the rumours true?"
Nyx slowly turned her head as her eyes glared into Prophets eyes. "Ever heard the proverb' Curiosity killed the cat?'"
"No." Prophet's smile faltered. "Though I can probably guess the meaning behind it."
"Good." Nyx was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm pretty sure this isn't a good sign."
After they had passed another light stone, Nyx took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder at Prophet. "Do you know why Mother doesn't come to me directly?"
"That.." Prophet went silent for a moment. "... I do not know."
Nyx's footsteps became slightly more oppressive as the light stones nearby started to flicker. "Don't know or can't say?"
"I really don't know, Your Grace." Prophet blinked, realising that Nyx was now a couple of feet in front of him. As she continued to walk down the hallway, every time Nyx passed through the shadowy area between lights, her body would mysteriously move further even though her movements wouldn't change.
Prophet found himself jogging through the zones of dim light while returning to a fast walk when they passed one of the light stones to keep pace with her.
At the next intersection, Nyx turned down it. Here the lights were closer together, making it easier for Prophet to keep up.
"Make sure you don't leave anything behind."
"Leave what-" Prophet flinched as a flash of black light flickered from Nyx's leg. It only lasted a second, but when it was gone, the leather leg guard fell to the ground. A few heartbeats later another flash appeared over Nyx's right foot. As the remains of her boot fell away, Nyx continued barefoot, covered in what looked like sporadic, black lightning.
Realisation dawned on Prophet as he bent down and quickly picked up the discarded armour and items of clothing. He continued picking up items smoothly until the moment when Nyx's leather trousers and the binding that wrapped her chest fell to the ground.
Prophet had been looking at the ground when he caught sight of this. So when his gaze rose, the first thing he focused on was the back of Nyx's foot. From there, he traced the black, spider-web-like veins that covered Nyx's pale white skin upwards. His gaze quickly travelled up her thin, stick-like legs, slightly lingering on the area between which was more visible due to his half-crouched position, before moving over her bony hips and up her back. Finally, his gaze settled around the discoloured area where Nyx's skin merged with the pitch-black scales and her demonic-looking arm.
The vein-like lines on the nearby white skin looked like cracks in marble. Prophet could also see a slow, steady pulse in which they expanded and contracted rhythmically.
After taking a deep breath, Prophet's sight moved back to Nyx's spine, which was slightly protruding from her back due to Nyx's gaunt figure. After staring for a second, the image of when Nyx had regenerated flashed across his mind's eye.
"I wonder, should I take one or both of your eyes?"
Upon hearing Nyx, who hadn't turned back but had known he was staring, Prophet flinched before quickly collecting the remaining discarded items and looking away. "I'm sorry, Your Grace. Your Divine beauty dazzled me for a moment."
Nyx snorted loudly but didn't say anything else as she continued forward.
"Your Grace. Can I ask, what are you doing?" After picking up the last item of clothing, Prophet caught up. He scanned Nyx's body out of the corner of his eye but refrained from speeding up and remained a few steps behind. As he walked, his gaze would occasionally drift to Nyx's left shoulder or her rear.
"Keeping the enemy off balance."
Prophet frowned as he quickly glanced at Nyx's naked back. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I have already set their expectations, so now is the best time to change the rules of engagement. If they don't know the rules, how can they hope to win the game."
"Are you really going to fight them naked? While Divine, I don't think your beauty will give you the edge you are expecting." Prophet's eyes went wide as his mouth slammed shut. His arms, still carrying Nyx's discarded armour, rose in a defensive position.
"Yes but not in the way you are imagining." Nyx chuckled before revealing a wicked smile while taking a glance at her left hand. "Plus... when your body is a natural weapon, why would you want to hinder it."
Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, which was much more difficult due to their length, Nyx turned another corner and stepped into a short corridor that had an extremely narrow, dark staircase leading upwards at the end.
Squatting beside it, a foot or so smaller than the shadow-Nyx she had absorbed earlier, was another shadowy figure.
The moment Nyx lifted left arm, the figure shot towards her as its outline dissolved into mist. By the time Prophet had turned the corner, there was no sign that it had ever existed.
"At the moment, the Twilight sect believe they are fighting a human. Even if the way I fight is a little strange." Nyx clenched her left fist, dispersing the small amount of residue mist from the shadow-Nyx. "It won't be long before my enemies fall apart and flee. Trying to hide in any available nook or cranny as they cower in fear."
The strange but captivating smile Nyx had revealed earlier returned. "Ah~. I'm looking forward to the expressions they will make when they realise that they are not facing a human but a monster."
"Your Grace! Calling one such as yourself a mons-"
Nyx's glare stopped Prophet words before they had even left his throat. After swallowing hard, he forced himself to stand a little straighter. "You will never be a monster to the Church of Night."
After staring into his eyes for a few seconds, Nyx's head tilted to the side. Suddenly, she took a step forward, closing the gap between them. Due to the height difference, she was looking up into his eyes, but Prophet could not feel any sense of superiority. Instead, he felt as if he were walking upon the edge of a blade.
"Let me make this clear. You serve my Mother, not me. She is a Goddess while I am a monster. A nightmare to the living. The only reason the Twilight Sect is foolish enough to face me in this manner is that they don't understand what they are dealing with." Nyx's eyes seemed to glow. They were so intense that a blue hue was visible on Prophet's tan skin. "I will make them understand, and remind those that have forgotten, of what it means to hunt me. Of how, even if they win a battle, they can never survive the war."
Prophet swallowed, the image of Nyx filling his vision. "But... Do you really want to be feared that much?"
"Do I want to be feared?"
Nyx moved back a little, causing Prophet’s eyes to flicker as if he wanted to look down.
"Yes, I want them to fear me. I want any who even think about me to lay awake at night, jumping at shadows and cowering under their bedsheets. To waste away their lives in anguish as they await their inevitable fate. For even if I fall, they will only end up counting down the days until I return."
"But why fear? Surely there are other ways? More productive ways?"
"More productive?" Nyx snorted. "Fear dulls the mind and senses. It causes hesitation and spreads like an infectious disease. It's a primordial emotion shared by the masses. Just as small children fear the dark and refuse to enter its domain, I want people to feel terror if they even contemplate entering mine."
"Take the man cowering in the Twilight Sect. I don't even need to lift a finger as he tortures himself while spreading my infamy and hordes the items I dislike. All that suffering which can be treated as interest when I finally collect the debt and his head."
"But…" Prophet hesitated for a moment. "You could move much easier if you weren't acting in such a high profile manner. By doing this, you are drawing all the major powers attention. Doesn't it just breed a never-ending cycle?"
Nyx laughed as she shook her head. "Never-ending cycle? Only until all the ignorant are culled. Grudges can only last lifetimes, and that is a problem for you mortals. For those that sit at the side, watching the others commit suicide, they will be able to see the truth. Even those pompous arseholes in the prime continent eventually saw the light.
Prophet opened his mouth, his brow set into a frown. It appeared as if he wanted to argue, but Nyx's next words interrupted his train of thought.
"I don't care too much if I am killed or if my possessions are destroyed, worst case, I will just take the lives of those responsible when I return. But, if you ever try to capture, control or manipulate me…"A savage grin spread across Nyx's face. "Then I will burn your entire world to the ground before salting the earth. Not even the cats and dogs will be spared."
"You.. what...." Prophets mouth opened and closed, indicating that he was at a loss of what to say next. As he watched Nyx turn around and start walking towards the stairs, he felt his body relax as he let out a foul breath of air.
"Fear," Prophet muttered the word as he placed his hand over his rapidly beating heart and looked down. Slowly, he looked back up at Nyx's back.
"Looks like we are out of time. If you can communicate with my Mother…"
Prophet nodded his head as he wet his dry lips with his tongue. "I will let the Goddess know that you are thinking of her and wish to communicate."
Nyx stopped walking as she turned her head so she could see Prophet. After staring at him for a few seconds, she sighed and took a deep breath. "There is a young boy who answers to the name of Regent. If he survives this, collect him and teach him the ways of Darkness."
Prophet frowned. "But isn't he one of your followers?"
Nyx shook her head as the few light stones on the wall faintly flickered. "Do you think a monster can have followers? It is far better for him to aid Mother with whatever it is she is trying to do."
Nyx turned away. "While this was a nice dream, it's time to wake up and turn it into the nightmare it should have been. Look after the boy, I… his ancestor made one of my lives more enjoyable than most. I hate feeling like I owe him something after ending his life."
The lights abruptly dimmed as a vast amount of black mist seeped from Nyx's body. The black veins that had crisscrossed her pale skin became darker and spread outwards as loud, cracking noises resonated.
Nyx started to grow taller as her tail became much longer and thicker. Small scales pushed through her skin, quickly replacing the soft whiteness. Her arms and torso started to stretch, maintaining a natural aspect ratio in regards to her increase in height. Two rows of spikes began to extend from her back, before wiggling slightly and laying flat. The same thing happened at her elbow joints.
The sound of human teeth, if a little pointed at the end, hitting the floor drew Prophet's attention before being recaptured by the changes happening to Nyx's head. Her ears seemed to become longer and thinner as her face became much sharper and predatory.
Stumbling backwards, Prophet watched with wide eyes as the slim six-foot-tall figure grew before him. After the transformation completed, a thin layer of dark mist started to cover Nyx's body and obscure the finer details.
A quiet, feminine growl, sounding too soft and gentle for her current form, resonated from Nyx's throat as she started to stretch out her body, her tail swaying, curling and occasionally whipping out as she did.
"It is best you forget everything you have seen and heard."
Nyx's voice appeared in Prophet's mind, causing him to flinch and look around. Her voice sounded like it had come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and brought along with it a slight headache.
"You're a Mage?" Prophet shuddered. From what he had seen, he knew Nyx was a cultivator. After struggling with his emotions during the short interactions he had with her, he didn't doubt the Twilight Sect's disciple's claim that Nyx was an empath and thus a witch.
However, if Nyx was directly speaking into his mind, the only logical explanation he could come up with was that she also had the abilities restricted to mages.
Not getting a response, Prophet loudly swallowed as he wrung his hands in front of his body. "A demi-god is far different from us mere mortals. The rules of the world do not apply."
Seeing a single glowing eye from Nyx's half-turned head, Prophet jumped. "Of course, Your Grace. Even under pain of death, I will never reveal any of this. This entire encounter will forever stay between me, The Goddess and Your Grace."
Prophet felt as if he could hear a sigh in his mind. Soon after, Nyx's voice resonated in his head. It sounded much colder and somewhat serpent-like as it became more hiss-like. At the same time, he could sense that there was a hint of pain masked within.
"Only dead men keep secrets. You are lucky you are one of my Mothers~. Tell her I won't compete. Whatever faith is, she can have it all. I'm not that ungrateful of shameless after everything she has given me. As you are already using it, treat the sigil as hers. I have a feeling that mine will change soon anyway."
"That's not-" Before Prophet could finish, Nyx's figure blurred, and all he could see was a dark shadow disappearing up the stairs.
Prophet blinked in confusion before he grabbed his head and screamed as he let Nyx's armour scatter on the ground below. Black liquid started to seep from his ears, eyes and nose as he dropped to his knees. "My Goddess… I'm sorry. I did- did not mean to cause your daughter distress. Please… calm your anger."
After a couple of seconds, the pain seemed to subside. Prophet shakily got to his feet and glanced at the stairway as he wiped the black liquid away. After composing himself, he bowed to the stairwell. "May the Darkness protect you, Nyx, Goddess of Fear."
Without warning, Prophet grasped his head again while grimacing. "But my Goddess, it's evident by her powers, mindset and abilities that her path is set. It is only a matter of time before she awakens."
As before, the pain seemed to vanish after a few seconds. After catching his breath, Prophet started thinking about his interactions with Nyx. While his thoughts started innocent, he soon found his mind wandering to the point where she had turned and approached him. It was then that he remembered the brief glimpse he had caught of the area between her legs.
With a dull pop, Prophet's right eye exploded, sending its gooey contents running down its face.
After screaming out and staggering for a few moment's Prophet regained his senses. "Apologies my Goddess. I meant no disrespect. Please forgive me."
After shouting to the empty corridor Prophet turned and ran towards the junction completely forgetting about Nyx's armour and clothes scattered on the floor. As he reached the corner, he turned towards the opposite direction from which they had come earlier. As he did, his shoulder slammed into the corner, having misjudged the position due to his missing eye. However, Prophet didn't slow as he ran as fast as he could.
Shortly after he left, the sound of clanking armour and weapons started to get louder and louder.