After watching her prey disappear from sight around a corner, Nyx released a long screech-like cry that resonated down the narrow hallway before her body exploded forward. Shards of stone tumbled into the walls and ceiling before dropping to the ground as her sharp claws tore jagged scards into the stone floor. From these cracks, thick black ice rapidly formed and spread outwards as the temperature plummeted.
The mist swirling around her body clung tenaciously. However, a small amount broke off, trailing behind Nyx and further distorting her shape as it masked everything but the flickers of lightning emanating from her eyes and the glowing blue vein-like cracks snaking outward from the centre of her chest.
Having released the dark essence restricting the energy absorbed by the dungeon core, Nyx's body became a battleground for the two powers. Each trying to claim it as their own while vaguely listening to her direction. While the dark essence held dominance in the beginning, it was rapidly being beaten back having been almost exhausted in Nyx's previous fights. Muscles, flesh and tissue were continually destroyed before being hastily rebuilt in a near-constant cycle.
By the time Nyx reached the end of the corridor, the wall opposite her had begun to freeze over. The black ice faintly glinted in the dim light provided by the surrounding glow stones. Their reflection making it seem as if countless eyes, each at varying distances, were staring from a dark abyss beyond the thin layer of ice.
Without slowing or trying to turn, Nyx lept and twisted her body. As her feet slammed into the wall's surface, shattering the ice, large cracks rippled outwards as she readjusted her position and momentum before ricocheting down the adjoining corridor.
Catching sight of the group fleeing, Nyx's gaze settled upon the back of the man a the head of the group. His fail from swayed unsteadily due to his vigorous movements. Though he was much thinner, just seeing the back of his bald head brought memories from the depths of Nyx's mind. As she reminisced of her awakening, anger and a tingling sense of excitement started to bubble up from the depths of Nyx's core. Joining the rising emotions, a faint, odd sensation, as if something existed but didn't, started to spread outwards from the centre of her chest.
Nyx's eyes flickered to the ground as the smile on her face turned a little more predatory. While there wasn't much in it, the gap between them had started to diminish gradually. Looking back up, Nyx's thoughts became more focused as the surroundings began to fade from her attention.
The occasional, terrified glance of some of the armoured men trailing her target, briefly looking back over their shoulder before seemingly gaining a burst of energy, only caused Nyx's excitement to grow as the pulse of her core became faster. Along with each pulse spreading throughout her body came a deep stinging sensation, similar to a wasp sting but far more painful. At the same time, Nyx could feel, more than hear, tiny cracking noises emanating from the surface of her core.
A wave of what felt like blood threatened to erupt from Nyx's throat. Swallowing hard, she forced it back down but not before she could taste a cold, sweet metallic tang that caused her stomach to lurch.
"Typical." The smile fell from Nyx's face, only a small twitch upwards in the corners remaining. "It only when you have something of value that death demand's his due."
Thoughts of the perception of grey energy when she fell in Welshmar, the demanding, disgusting emotions felt before the darkness had chased it away, made Nyx grit her teeth and release a quiet hiss.
By the time she had turned another corner, the group still slowly losing ground but not looking like they would fall within her reach in a short amount of time, the waves of energy rippling from Nyx's core seemed to have merged into one. Along with the vibrations caused by the near-constant pulse, the cracking sounds started to sound like a swarm of angry insects.
Sucking in a deep breath of air, Nyx continued to charge onwards as the mist surrounding her figure began to tremble with the vibrations, causing her outline to further blur. At the same time, the air feeling extremely hot and dry as it stung her throat and lungs, Nyx vaguely noticed that the stone floor and walls were becoming rougher and seemingly aged with dust and cobwebs.
Nyx's movements slowed for a mere moment before returning to their previous speed. "Little piggies, little piggies~ Just where are you leading me~?"
Upon projecting her voice, Nyx couldn't help but snort when one of the men released a slightly high pitched shriek before they all sped up. With their increased speed, the sound of their rasping breaths soon reached Nyx's ears.
Her smile returned, seemingly ignorant of the bursts of pain racked her body. It grew once more when Nyx reached the halfway point down the next corridor, the floor tilting downwards at an increased angle to the previous hallways, as one of the men towards the back of the group stumbled and fell. Screaming as if he had seen his worst nightmare come to life, the man reached out and grabbed hold of the collar of his nearest companions. The sudden weight from behind seemed to supprised the man as it pulled him off balance, and the pair tumbled to the floor.
Just as they managed to regain their feet, Nyx's claws tore through the pair. Without slowing down in the slightest, Nyx continued her pursuit, not even sparing the recently deceased men a momentary glance. A grisly hail of blood, bits of flesh and the remnants of an arm spinning haphazardly in the air crashed towards the floor and splattered up the walls.
As she ran, the blow of air caused by her forward momentum forced a small amount of blood, which had coated Nyx's body as she sliced her way through the two men, to trickle down her face and into her mouth. As the blood mixed with her saliva, Nyx's tongue shifted slightly and came into contact with the droplet.
Unlike when she had tasted her own blood, Nyx's tongue quickly withdrew as her body violently shivered. Releasing a low hiss-like growl, Nyx's pupils abruptly dilated as the spikes along her back and arms stuck out as a faint blue, scale-like pattern seemed to glow on their surface through the covering mist. Her fluid movements and predatory gait were instantly disrupted, letting the fleeing group make up some lost ground as they pulled around the next corner.
However, within a couple of steps, Nyx's movements smoothed. She appeared to return to her previous state as the pattern faded and her spikes receded, but the sharpness in her eyes remained. A pang of yearning that was hunger, but not, rose within her stomach as strange thoughts began to form. Those that one would expect of a monster.
While the nagging, hesitant feeling that something wasn't right simmered at the back of her mind, Nyx decided to ignore it as she focused on the numbing effect her newly found bloodlust seemed to provide. The more she focused on it, the more her pupils narrowed, becoming more draconic in their appearance while the surrounding blue glow intensified.
It wasn't long before the gnawing pain that was taking over her body at an alarming rate started to recede as the desire to kill and devour became more dominant. A strange thought, one where if she gained enough viable mass and energy, she could stabilise her body and the essences rampaging within, surfaced but she couldn't place where it originated from. While the feeling at the start felt strange, it quickly started to feel more natural. The thought soon falling into the same notions as breathing, walking or sleeping.
Shaking her head slightly, the movement causing her balance to shift shakily, Nyx forced herself to focus on other things. Excluding the pain that had been reduced, there was no other change in the discomfort coursing through her body. She had lost the sense of touch across most of her skin while her body felt incredibly heavy, yet strangely as light as a feather at the same time. "Looks like this body is just about done for."
By the time the pain, exhaustion and bloodlust had fallen into some sort of equilibrium, a small trace of saliva had trickled from the corner of Nyx's mouth as the ideas she tried to ignore kept resurfacing. When she turned the next corner, the orientation once again leading downwards at an even steeper incline, a small droplet had escaped. The moment it touched the floor, the saliva hissed and smoked as it started to dissolve a small, uneven hole in the stone.
Not seeing this, Nyx swallowed with difficulty as she quickly regained her balance after inadvertently tilting to one side and rebounding off the left wall.
"Not yet."
A single thought fluttered across Nyx's mind as she found it increasingly difficult to take a deep breath. With a quiet grunt, she sped up for a brief moment before gradually slowing back down. After reaching another intersection, Nyx's speed continued to decrease as vivid azure liquid started to bleed from the blue cracks across her upper body.
"Not. Yet."
Nyx's voice echoed in her mind, half serpentine hiss, half beastial growl. As if opposition to her thoughts, moments later Nyx's vision flickered and she stumbled.
Biting the side of her cheek, releasing a mixture of black and blue blood, Nyx quickly regained her balance and continued onwards. However, her speed was much slower than before.
A small frown appeared on Nyx's forehead as she realised that even with her failing body, the gap between her and the group she was chasing seemed to remain relatively constant. However, when her gaze fell upon the man at the front, her doubts and hesitations started to fall away.
"One kill, and I can rest. One kill and I can go home. Kill the fat man, and I can rest. Even if it's temporary. The others... will have to wait."
At the thought of resting, memories of the abyss started to become more vivid. After a couple of steps, Nyx felt her muscles begin to relax. As they did, her pace began to drop quicker.
"No. Not yet."
Nyx growled as she shook her head, causing the two coloured blood to splatter up the nearby wall from her bleeding cheek. It was only as the fog descending upon her mind slightly lifted that a single thought caused her to feel a chill. "But... I don't even know if I can go home. Not after all these changes."
This thought helped Nyx's mind to sober as her desire to lay down and rest vanished. It wasn't long before she started to think of the regrets she would have if this were to be her final life. Something she had not done in a very long time. The first thing that floated to her mind was a list of people she had sworn to kill.
"Kill."
Nyx's voice resonated in her head like the boom of thunder. Her gaze, which had started to lose some of its sharpness, refocused. Memories of her previous incarnations, the countless dead that defined the success and worthiness of her lives, surfaced. "I must... complete my mission."
"The fat man."
The image of the fat man back in the dungeon flickered across her mind's eye. Though she believed it was because of her brain starved of oxygen, Nyx felt she could smell the acrid stench sweat as she remembered the haunting sound of slapping flesh and his pig-like grunts.
Yet, instead of focusing on the event, Nyx's mind quickly wandered to the mysterious man who she had first seen when waking in her current body. The scar on his face and greying hair, details she hadn't concentrated on before, seemed particularly noticeable.
"The one with my soul stone. Who pulled me from my home and trapped me in this prison of flesh. He must die. I must reclaim my soul."
A grinning angel, with devastated buildings burning around him, standing above her body as her eyes slowly closed. In his hand was a strangely shaped black crystal. Yet, from what she felt in her chest, Nyx vaguely felt the image of the core felt wrong. The object in his hand was too small. Too smooth. Too normal.
"Her... Him. The cause of my suffering and pain." Nyx's thoughts returned to the man as his image overlapped with an aged woman. "The one who wants to become a god. The one who threatens my home, peace and existence. Who created the monster I have become."
Seething rage bubbled up, causing a growl that startled the men running ahead. Their pace quickly increased as the looks over their shoulders became similar to a nervous twitch.
Granny, Harold, Timur. One by one, Nyx's mind seemed to drift to the people she had met in her current life. Finally stopping on two people. Regent and Dimi.
While the others triggered emotions ranging from intense loathing and hatred to chilling indifference, these two prompted something different. The young Regent elicited feelings of pain, a strange sense of commitment and regret. The image of Dimi resulted in confusion, fear, attraction and a glimmer of hope. Hope that her instincts were correct, that Timur had spoken the truth. That, even though they had briefly met and not spent a lot of time together, she could be trusted. Nyx hoped deep down that Dimi had not betrayed her and felt a lingering regret that she had kept her distance during their journey.
"I want to know."
The desire to survive started to grow alongside Nyx's spiralling bloodlust. "To kill those that would harm me, bring me back, threaten my peace... and know. For once, before I die, I want to know the truth. Did I chose correctly."
Tiredness, but not from her body, seemed to weigh heavily upon Nyx as the urge to be connected to something grew. A vision of Welshmar appeared but was quickly replaced by the forest Nyx had spent ten years. This vanished and was replaced by the towering citadel of the Mad Summoner. Soon, Nyx had glimpsed at most of the places she had experienced. Deserts, oceans, bustling cities and quiet villages yet Nyx felt there was something wrong with them and her mind did not linger. Eventually, Nyx saw a small town nestled upon the cliffs of an enormous mountain.
Icy winds buffeted the barren landscape, as the snow piled against the sides of the houses. Smoke rose from the chimleys as the occasional roar from some terrifying beast echoed in the distance. A small distance from the town, an abandoned stone temple rose out of the snow and ice. Memories of when she had sought refuge from the elements in the prime continent's wildlands flooded back, and Nyx felt a sense of belonging. It wasn't to the degree of the abyss, but it felt like a place she could exist happily.
Nyx's thoughts were broken as she blinked away the fresh blood that sprayed across her face, frowning slightly at the two halves of the man she was throwing to each the side. Hazily she remembered him turning around and charging her after he saw that she had almost caught up.
However, moments after Nyx's mind regained its clarity and excitement bubbled up from seeing her prey so close, she felt her vision wavered as darkness threatened to take over.
Small star-like motes of light glittered in her peripheral as she lost balance. Before Nyx could entirely focus, her legs and arms tangled together and she fell.
Crashing to the floor, Nyx rolled as her body twisted in a seemingly impossible way. Sensing that if she stopped, she would find it incredibly challenging to get up, Nyx used the rolling momentum to push herself up on her feet and continued half running, half falling in an upright position.
"Just~."
Nyx forced a deep breath, sending agonising pain rippling through her body and increasing the cracking noises. Drawing upon all the essence under her control, she directed it towards her organs and legs. As she did, Nyx felt the non-essential parts of her body dissolving, the energy being reclaimed fueling her efforts.
As her body became lighter and the muscles and organs received the new energy, Nyx regained some momentum and soon caught up. Swerving slightly to the right, her eyes searching for any weaknesses, she chose her target.
"Keep~."
With a slight lunge, Nyx's arm shot forward as her claws easily pierced through the man at the back of the group's armour. This forced her back onto two legs as agonising pain erupted from her muscles as they stretched and reformed to accommodate her posture.
Her hand passed through the man's spine and heart before slicing through his rib cage. Nyx's hand continued, the man's falling body helping her close the distance between her and the next man.
The tips of Nyx's claws cut through the man's armour and flesh just as his momentum carried him out of reach and the deadweight on her arm bringing her to a stop as she almost tripped.
"Killing~."
After trying to pull her arm back but finding that the body seemed stuck, Nyx flung her arm to the side. With a sickening plop, the man's corpse shot off Nyx's arm and crashed into the reinforced dirt wall with a heavy thud.
After it collapsed to the floor, a small amount of loose dirt fell from the ceiling. Nearby, the man who's back she mauled screamed out in pain as he rolled on the ground. His legs twitch uncontrollably as blood seeped from the five bloody gashes in his ruined armour and quickly expanded outwards in a bloody pool. As it spread, the blood started to darken as the edges became black and sludgy. The stench of rot seemed to fill the air even though it had only been moments since the change.
Just as the first echos of the man's cry died, the two closest to him spun around and furiously charged towards Nyx. The action was incredibly precise and synced, instantly drawing her attention as she pulled back while defensively lifting her arms.
The moment the duo got close enough, they struck out with their short swords. Fear and determination danced in their eyes, yet Nyx couldn't see any hatred, despair or hope. Nyx found it strange, having faced many types of people in their final moments yet having never seen the expression they were revealing. However, even as she studied their eyes, Nyx's movements were unhindered. Her body twisted elegantly, dodging their first strikes before closing the distance between her and the man on the right. As her vision wavered once again, Nyx repeated the impromptu mantra that seemed to keep her wandering mind focused.
"Just keep~."
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As Nyx crushed the man's head with her hand, having ducked under his sweeping, somewhat brutish swing, she felt a dull pressure on the left side of her chest which was quickly followed by a loud clink.
Looking down and to the side, Nyx saw a small amount of blade connected to a hilt sticking out of the left side of her chest. Black and blue blood, strangely separate, seeped from the wound and flowed down her mostly numb body.
As Nyx's gaze traced up the arm that was holding the sword before meeting the owner's terrified gaze, she smiled as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "Hmm?"
"How?" The man let go of the blade and stepped backwards while moving into a martial arts pose. "I... I pierced your chest perfectly with an enchanted sword. Not even an undead lich could survive that. They lied... they said this would be dangerous, but we had a chance..."
The man's image overlapped with another, a figure surrounded by a bloody battlefield. The broken man looked back as if Nyx was a monster, terror etched on his features as he stumbled back across the corpses of his fallen brethren.
As she stared, Nyx's train of thought started to wander as her vision slowly dimmed. Looking down, Nyx studied her right hand. While the mist hid most of the details, the constant dripping red blood with bits of bone and brain matter falling to the frozen dirt floor revealed a gruesome sight. One which triggered more long-forgotten memories. Most sad, but a few strangely happy. When her targets had earned not only her Master's ire but her own.
As time seemed to slow to a crawl, Nyx's gaze slowly moved to the haphazardly placed glow stones in the dirt wall. As she watched, she saw that they were slowly dimming as wisps of black smoke converged around them. Small, vein-like black lines were rapidly spreading across the surface of the glowing stone. Turning her head slightly, Nyx saw that the corridor behind her seemed much darker, to the point where its end could no longer be seen. As the crystals on each side slowly faded, the darkness seemed to be slowly catching up like a beast stalking its prey.
Letting out a rattly breath, the hole in her chest slightly whistling, Nyx felt the pain in her chest gradually fade. A strange, yet surreal sensation, one she was familiar with began to take hold. Nyx's smile became less terrifying and more natural, the torn edges of her mouth slowly knitting together and returning her features and silhouette to a more humanoid and feminine appearance.
Just as Nyx's eyelids were slowly closing, she felt a loud snap as her vision turned sideways while her body refused to move. The sudden pain caused the warm, blanket-like feeling to dissolve as the sights, sounds and pain came flooding back with such force that she almost fainted from the overload of information.
Sucking in a lungful of cold air through her teeth, Nyx frowned as she watched the man who had been standing nearby staggered backwards, red and yellow energy slowly fading from his left leg. When she looked into his eyes, the emotions she had seen earlier were amplified into unbridled horror. A sight she was much more familiar with.
"Just what..." No longer bothering to take a pose, the man retreated. His body visibly shook as his breathing changed to short, almost panicked gasps. "are you?"
Nyx strained the muscles in her neck, feeling a slight tearing pain, though nothing compared to the renewed agony from her chest. Slowly, accompanied by hair raising grating noises, her vision returned to normal as her head returned to its natural position with a loud click.
After taking a deep breath, Nyx slowly removed the sword jutting from her side before dropping it. Blood spirted from the wound for a few seconds before slowing to a trickle and finally stopping. Stretching her neck, the temperature surrounding Nyx and the man rapidly fell as the light stones began to flicker.
Nyx's gaze looked through the man as if he didn't even exist. At the edges of her consciousness, she felt as if she had broken through a barrier, yet had no clue what the feeling meant. "Ha... to think I almost succumbed without knowing... seems like I have been taking it too easy."
Nyx's pupils narrowed as a hiss of air escaped through the gaps in her teeth.
However, before the man or Nyx could react, the surrounding shadows shot towards the man as pointed spears of ice rapidly grew from the nearby ground, walls and ceiling. The ice spears formed in the man's direction at a blistering speed, piercing his body before. He died with a confused, somewhat surprised expression etched on his features.
The man who had been trying to get back up and join the fray faired no better. His body was riddled with shards of ice as dark mist crawled in through every available orifice.
Nyx blinked, looking between the body on the ground and the one hanging listlessly. It was only after a few seconds that she noticed that the ice and shadows seemed to be fighting for dominance over the corpses. As they seemed to push each other back and forth, tiny flashes of energy rippled from wherever their fight was strongest.
Snapping from her daze, Nyx stopped frowning and scanned her surroundings. Her target and his last two companions were nowhere to be seen.
Deciding that whatever was happening wasn't her concern as she seemed to have no control over the battling energies, Nyx started to move when the surrounding ice essence suddenly flew at the hanging corpse. At the same time, the dark essence fell upon the body on the floor. The process was violent, and the bodies shook as ice formed over one, while the other was shrouded in shadows.
The hanging body became more stout, ice-like armour covering his body while the figure on the floor became more slim and feminine. Even though his appearance couldn't be seen, two bulges formed on the shadow corpse as the waist and width of its shoulders shrunk.
Watching the rampaging energies, Nyx took a step back as her eyes flickered between the two corpses and the tunnel behind them. Sensing that while she had avoided death for the moment, it was only temporary in her current situation, a sense of urgency started growing as a deep frown appeared on her features.
With a thud, what appeared to be a knight made of ice dropped as the spikes holding the corpse cracked and were absorbed into its body. The silhouette of the corpse could still be hazily seen within yet it the knight's armour and helmet seemed to mask any discernable features.
Moments later, without any visible aid, a femininely shaped shadow, floated up and into an upright position. As it opened its eyes, glowing red orbs were revealed with the same serpentine pupils as Nyx.
The two figures turned their heads to gaze at each other as the surrounding energies became peaceful, and a deafening silence descended.
"Move." Nyx's eerie, hiss-like voice echoed off the walls as the two figures turned their attention to her. As Nyx spoke, the spikes along her arms and back started to rise as the hum from her chest increased.
"Be at peace, Princess of Shadow. I bring a message from Olympus. Turn back or return to your domain. It is not time." The shadowy figure paused a moment before giving a dramatic bow. Its feminine voice was harsh, and the tone sounded more like a threat than a request. "This is the will of Zeus."
A wave of cold air erupted from the ice knight as he released a snort. Seemingly ignoring the burning glare from the shadow woman, he folded his arms. "Rejoice lost soul. Your commitment to the hunt, battle and unconquerable spirit has drawn the attention of the house Æsir. The supreme god Odin and the mighty Hel both offer you a place at their tables. Forsake the whimsical gods of Olympus and swear fealty. Dine in the halls of Valhalla and embrace the eternal battle."
The ice knights voice was extremely cold, lacking any emotion, and seemed to reverberate within the ice, causing dust to fall from the dirt ceiling above.
"You dare proposition a daughter of Night? Right under Zeus's gaze?" The shadow woman released a hiss as black claws slowly extended from her misty form. After hissing at the knight, she turned back to Nyx as the claws retreated back into the shadows of her hands. "Princess, we are already breaking the rules by communicating with a non-ascended entity. Both pantheons are. Heed my words."
The shadow briefly glanced at the knight who was standing silently. "Listen and obey. You must go no further. Retreat and recover or return to your domain. If you continue onward, you shall be labelled as a Titan and forbidden from entering the holy land of Olympus."
"Meaningless." The knight spoke up as he stepped forward and let his arms drop to his sides. Small flakes of ice fell away before swirling around him lazily. "Will Olympus still give her recognition as one of their own if she joins Æsir? I do-"
"Yes." The mist clinging to the shadow woman swirled like snakes, accumulating on the side of her body nearest to the knight. "The Princess has already been accepted by the Night. No matter what path she chooses, Olympus will not stand by if her existence is threatened."
Nyx looked passed the duo. There seemed to be no more corners as the tunnel gently curved to the right and further down into the eath. Thinking of her prey, the distance between them growing, Nyx revealed more teeth as her shoulders lowered slightly and her head leant forward.
"Only her existence? Does that mean that she will not have Olympus's support if she refuses your demand?" The knight's movements paused, Nyx getting the unsettling feeling he was staring at her. Silence once again fell upon the tunnel.
As Nyx drew energy to her muscles, her eyes scanning the bodies of the two blocking her path, the shadow woman broke the silence. "Correct. The Princess Nyx will be defined as a Titan and exiled until called upon."
"Then it's simple. She will join Æsir. There is no detriment. We are allies in the war of realms anyway."
As she continued gathering energy, barely listening to the conversation as she searched for weaknesses, Nyx felt a strand of strange power rise from within her core. It wasn't hot nor cold, and it didn't give any indication of any essence she had manipulated before. Instead, it felt as if she were manipulating nothing. Yet while she could feel nothingness, she could somehow sense the energy existence.
"Disgusting. Are Æsir and Vanir so deficient in talent that they snatch the children of other gods now?" The surrounding shadows became agitated, the light stones on the wall further dimming.
"She isn't a bloodline. Olympus might try and mask it, but they have nurtured a natural god. One born and bound to a plane which has never housed divinity before. The first of her kind. Free to join and serve whoever she pleases." As the knight spoke, a thick white mist seemed to rise from freezing surfaces surrounding him.
"Blasph-."
The shadow's voice was drowned out by a deep, rumbling growl. The lightening in Nyx's eyes flickered intensely as her black, draconic iris turned from black to that of the abyss.
Before the knight could react, Nyx's figure flickered in front of him, and the palm of her hand landed somewhat gently on his chest. A shockwave on energy blasted outwards, scattering ice everywhere as the knight's body shattered, leaving only his head crashing to the floor. In the air before Nyx, howling cracks sucked in everything they could before quickly closing up and vanishing.
"I said..." Nyx's voice echoed in the minds of the two messengers. "Move."
A chuckle came from the rapidly melting ice, revealing the dead man's head. "It seems... we were too late. This realm's gods... are in for a surprise."
The flickering lightning in Nyx's eyes diminished significantly as she slowly turned around towards the shadow.
"Congratulations. Darkness will always be your friend and Ally, Princess of Shadow. Please understand that what is to come is your own choice and not the will of the Night nor Olympus." After a hurried bow, the shadow figure dissolved and the corpse fell listlessly to the ground. The surrounding darkness wavering for a moment before slowly vanishing.
"We shall blind the sight of this realm's gods, but it won't be long until they discover your existence. Resolve what you can and come to peace with what you can not. Many things change during the slumber of ascent." The shadow figures voice whispered in Nyx's mind, soon followed by the ice knight's.
"Stike without hesitation and leave no regrets. I look forward to the battle we shall have when we can meet in the physical world, young Valkyrie."
Nyx stared at the same spot for a few moments before glancing at her shaking hand. The one she had placed on the ice knight. The mist was long gone revealing tiny, somewhat polished black scales with a faint icy-blue line defining them. After turning over her hand, Nyx gaze traced where the scales gave way to less shiny black smooth skin.
While there was still mist clinging from her elbow upwards, Nyx saw small pitch-black tendrils waving upwards and seemingly devouring it. Looking at her feet, she saw the same thing was happening to the ice that had built upon the ground. However, while the tiny amount of mysterious energy seemed to be consuming the dark and ice essence, it left the others alone.
Nyx's frown and unease deepened. Even with the pain and exhaustion wracking her body, her stomach felt as if it were squirming and rolling. The sensation that something significant had happened, but not knowing what it was worried her. It was the same feeling, though vastly more pronounced, as when she revived in the Welshmar Capital.
At the same time, Nyx felt as if she had lost something important. That, in that fleeting moment when she drew upon the strange energy, she had forever changed and could never return to what she once was.
"Do not waste time, Princess." At the shadow's words, Nyx released a hiss. Memories of the Fat man calling her Princess surfaced and the concerns of what had just happened were pushed aside as she stifled a groan and forced her body to move.
Nyx's eyes widened as she found she was moving far faster and with less effort than before. While she felt weak and feeble, her figure was gliding down the corridors effortlessly. At the same time, she could feel the unknown energy slowly spreading from her core and right arm.
The moment it came into contact with any ice or shadow essence, the energy would violently devour it. It was so aggressive that it was causing massive amounts of internal damage which Nyx's regeneration could barely keep up with. However, after the power had swept through a section of Nyx's body, the pain from the surrounding muscles and bones vanished. In its place, Nyx had the sensation that she was made from the strange essence which was entirely under her control.
"It's not enough." Nyx felt her body becoming unstable and allowed the parts of her body that had seemingly been converted to shrink, the conversion rate of the dark and ice essence abysmally inefficient. Confusion flooded Nyx's mind as she went over the conversation of the two messengers and what she knew. However, the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. For a brief moment, she regretted not asking more questions but knew that if she had chosen to do so, then there was very little chance of her sending the fat man on his way before succumbing to whatever was happening to her body.
After a couple of minutes running at full speed, Nyx slammed into an invisible wall. However, even though it slowed her significantly, it quickly broke. Nyx fell forwards, only barely catching her balance. The moment she passed the barrier, the vision of the tunnel beyond shimmered before revealing three figures.
Before Nyx, the survivors of her hunt stared at Nyx in horror as they leaned against the wall, panting for air. However, instead of instantly jumping upon the winded men, she momentarily ignored their petrified faces as she turned back to gaze at the crumbling wall of yellow light that had flickered into existence. A tiny, almost invisible to the naked eye, pitch-black ice-like substance seemed to eat away at the hole that she had created at a rapid pace.
"The... the... the barrier." A croaky, somewhat disbelieving voice, sounded out from Nyx's front. "It didn't last a second..."
Turning back, Nyx tilted her head to the side as the smile returned to her face upon seeing who had spoken. "Fat man~. You've lost weight."
A sudden, loud crack rippled from Nyx's chest startling the men. As if it had been the sound of a starting gun, they turned and sprinted away as first as they could. As they fled, they were yelling various panicked shouts into the yellow-white crystals that had appeared in their hands.
Unable to comprehend the sounds coming from the men's mouths, Nyx released a hiss as she clutched her chest and fell to one knee. Her sharp claws pressed into her scales but didn't cut or damage them as she took deep, shaky breaths. With each breath, Nyx's vision got worse, and her stomach rolled until she couldn't stop herself any more and vomited.
The two colours, black and blue, of the vomit seemed to repel each other as they fell towards the dirt. However, before the fluids had reached the ground, Nyx was sick again. This time, a tiny amount of pitch-black liquid shot from her mouth. The moment it touched the other liquids, it started to devour them rapidly.
The two liquids seemed to be trying to escape, but before Nyx could even comprehend what was happening, only a dark, chilling blue liquid remained. Nyx felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end as she stared, feeling an ominous oppressive sensation.
Suddenly, the liquid moved, and Nyx tried to close her mouth. However, before she could, the liquid seemed to defy physics, and it flowed upwards. Rushing into her mouth, it raced down her throat before she felt the liquid disperse and head towards her core.
Shuddering, Nyx blinked away the tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes as the intense dizziness started to fade away. While she felt weaker, her body felt more stable and her condition not as life-threatening as it had been.
As she swallowed, her throat feeling as if it were on fire, the sound of the fleeing men returned and grasped Nyx's attention. Looking up, Nyx bitterly watched the men's backs getting smaller. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to her feet. Taking one last look over her shoulder at the destroyed barrier, noticing the near-invisible curved runes hastily carved into the wall, Nyx started to jog after them.
"What the hell is happening to me?" The nothingness she felt from the new energy had slowly gained a cold and dark tint. Initially, she felt slightly disgusted by it, as if something had been tainted, but that feeling soon faded as she focused on catching up.
Shakily at first, Nyx's movements became smoother, and soon she was running at full sprint. Nyx soon noticed a marked improvement in speed, the weightlessness of her body and the reduced strain of her actions.
Just before she caught up and grabbed another man, an even louder crack emanating from her chest caused her to crash to the floor where the previous process repeated itself. However, this time she felt the energy she had available to her reduce drastically.
Returning to her feet much faster than the first time, Nyx continued to chase as she circulated the remaining essence in her body to gauge how long she could last. After circling the remaining ice and dark energy through her core, from the bottom up, eleven times, she felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. Both essences hit a block before reaching the twelfth layer. It was if the two layers above did not exist anymore.
After suffering for the third time, this time the pain and dizziness so great that she was forced to lean against a wall as she barely remained conscious, Nyx discovered she could only circle her essence up to the tenth layer. It was at this point that she realised that it wasn't the tunnel that was gradually growing larger, but her body shrinking as she continued to maintain her form with the energy available after the new essence had seemingly destroyed and replaced her flesh, bone and organs.
After taking a deep breath, which came easily compared to earlier, Nyx released a chilling growl and thew a sideways punch at the wall.
A deafening thud resonated in the enclosed space as Nyx was thrown back. The reinforced dirt wall cracking away and revealing ancient, large slabs of stone with eccentric runes and patterns carved into them. Strands of weave-like metal could be seen emerging from the dirt as a brown essence slowly dragged it back into place.
As Nyx shook her head and pushed off the opposite wall in which she had been thrown into, she watched as the dirt wall rebuilt itself and returned to normal. "So... this place really is a trap."
Nyx staggered to her feet. "But~ It feels like I have been running for days. Just where are they leading me? Is it far under the town or have we already passed the barrier and are in some ancient ruins in the plains."
Frowning, Nyx looked from her hand to the wall before shaking her head. "And... that didn't feel like a defensive mechanism... it was as if I hit too hard, and the counterforce threw me away. What the fuck is happening to me. Is this body dying or not?"
"Fuck it... too many unknowns. I guess if I keep going, I can get some answers." Taking a deep breath, Nyx started shambling down the corridor. Every time she tried to gather the energy to run, it would somehow be drawn back and into her core. Frustrated, Nyx's mood only slightly brightened when she saw a glowing rectangle in the distance.
Falling several more times to the loud crack, being sick and the new composite energy returning to her body, Nyx finally reached within a dozen meters of the doorway. The interval between attacks had halved each time, making her progress painfully slow. The room beyond seemed to be illuminated as if it belonged at the centre of a sun.
Using one hand to stabilise herself on the wall, the nails of her claws having retracted to give her hand an almost human silhouette, Nyx panted as she slowly blinked. Her vision grew and shrunk as it tilted to each side as tiredness enveloped her mind and body. "I guess that the sleep they spoke about happens at thirteen... when I'll have no more layers to my core. How the fuck am I meant to ca-"
"Why isn't it working." A familiar voice cut Nyx's thoughts off and brought a small smile to her face. With it, came a short burst of energy causing her movements to speed up.
"Somethings interfering with the portal." A young, panicked voice responded. "It needs all the elements to be in tune, or we won't be able to pass through the barrier."
"I don't care." The sound of something metallic being kicked echoed from the room. "Just get me the fuck out of here. I only agreed to be bait because you said our escape was guaranteed."
Nyx continued to push herself forward. Her body was no longer in pain but with the strange numbness, became increasingly difficult to move. "I guess I'll have to settle for revenge."
A loud sigh caused Nyx to frown. While she couldn't read the flow of essence very well due to her current condition, she knew that it belonged to a powerful person. One that she had not been chasing.
"I think you already know what has happened." A deep, tired voice spoke. "It seems not only are we bait, but an offering."
A mad, almost crazy laughter abruptly rang out. "Lies, why would he do that? We served him well and even hold key positions in the Sect. When it comes time for his take over, he will need us. We are indispensable."
"More so than a holy barrier of light? Of using up the leverage over a Hall Master? A loyal dungeon core? Triggering the war for the Fourth continent early and distracting the Guardians? Hell, he even sent this brain-dead overgrown cat here for a reason." The man's voice cracked. "We are all pawns... We always have been. We weren't sent to kill Nyx or trap her soul. No, we were sent to be decorations for this oversized cage."
As the man spoke, Nyx faintly felt she had heard his voice before. After a little thinking, mainly because she wanted to conserve as much energy as possible while she slowly approached, she remembered. The grey-haired man with the scar.
With the realisation of who he was, Nyx abruptly stopped. A frown appeared on her face as she felt the sudden urge to retreat. While she was willing to walk into a trap, now that two of her targets, one supposedly with her soul stone, had appeared she instinctively knew who was pulling strings from the shadow.
As if to confirm her fears, a masculine laugh, one that was light and happy, echoed from the door, silencing the bickering men. "You were always one of my more impressive subordinates Reu, but please be quiet. My most treasured possession has finally arrived."
Nyx faintly heard the gasps of surprise and fear yet didn't process them as she closed her eyes and swallowed.
"Don't be shy, my dear. Step into the light and greet your Master."