"Nnnyyyyyyxxxxxx~."
The muffled echo of an enraged masculine voice reverberated in Nyx's mind as she gradually regained consciousness. While she could understand the intent behind the sound, the noise was long and drawn out, as if someone were speaking exceptionally slow.
Eventually, after what felt like an indefinite amount of time, the voice trailed off as the exhaustion Nyx felt in her body and soul threatened to drag her back into the depths of slumber. The only thing keeping her awake was the vague, unsettling sensation that something disastrous would happen if she let go.
Nyx felt like she was drifting in a void, her arms, legs, tail and hair slightly trailing her body from the front as she slowly floated backwards. The abyss continued to wrap around her like a warm, safe blanket as the nagging sensation that something was wrong gently faded along with her troubles and desires. As she continued to drift, her awareness spread outwards with constant, gentle drum-like pulses while her conscious continued to blur and relax.
Sensing the faint pulses of intent from nearby souls washing over her body, a feeling that she was very familiar with, Nyx frowned. While her hazy mind couldn't put her finger on it, trying to focus on her scattered thoughts like trying to catch a swarm of flies with one hand, the sense that something was not right continued to grow. Because of this, Nyx's thoughts cleared somewhat, and she was finally able to recognise that she was in the abyss.
A dazzling smile bloomed on her face, revealing pointed, predatory teeth. While she still felt something was wrong, Nyx's tense muscles relaxed as she released a soundless sigh.
"I... Died."
Her ears that had been standing upright drooped until they were in the same position as a soft-eared wood elf, nearly horizontal to her head, while Nyx's tail lazily flickered back and forth as she continued to flow backwards seemingly without purpose.
"It's over."
A feeling of contentment seemed to bring a little warmth to Nyx's chilled, almost frozen limbs. The sensation, that seemed extraordinarily wrong and alien but natural at the same time, causing the smile to fade by a small margin.
Shaking her head slightly, Nyx let the thoughts scatter as she revelled in her discovery.
"I'm home."
At the same time as the feeling of relief was washing over her, Nyx felt a small amount of discomfort. The nagging sensation that she hadn't tied up all the loose ends and what that would imply stopped her from completely letting go. Regret, like a weed, started to sprout in the depths of her heart. As it did, Nyx's thoughts continued to clear.
The memory of Lucifer, his wings wide open, standing on the platform in the middle of the golden hall caused Nyx to flinch as she started to remember what she considered to be her last moments.
A quiet, almost silent hiss escaped from Nyx's lips, causing the smile to diminish as a small frown marred her forehead. As her thoughts became clearer, the feeling that something wasn't right continued to build. It had risen to the point that Nyx could no longer ignore as she began to focus on the unsettling sensation.
It was at this moment that an extremely familiar pulse of energy washed over Nyx from her front. With it came the intent and emotions that she had been feeling moments before.
"I... Died." Relief, joy.
"It's over." Reluctance, happiness, regret, concern.
"I'm Home." Acceptance, weariness and once again, relief and a great deal of worry.
The smile on Nyx's face cramped as her body tensed. She could feel the spikes that had been lying flat in the grooves of her back and arms lift as the nails of her claws slightly extended and curved. Keeping her eyes closed, something she had only just realised she had been doing, Nyx took a deep breath. She didn't exhale as shock and fear caused her body to shiver violently.
"This energy? My soul?" As the familiar pulse before her once again washed over her, Nyx clenched her fists. As she did, her nails dug into her palm painfully but didn't break the soft velvety black skin that seemed extremely resilient. "I... have a body."
"Impossible."
Nyx finally understood what had felt so wrong. Not only was her soul not with her consciousness, but somewhere further ahead, but she had a body. Things she believed to be impossible in the abyss.
"My soul?, I... have a body... Impossible." The next wave of energy all but confirmed Nyx's fears. However, unlike the ones before it, the pulse was turbulent and destructive. Earlier where it had felt like a warm summer's breeze, it now felt like the stinging winds of a raging hurricane.
As the pulse raced outwards, followed by others now the drum-like tempo had increased, Nyx felt the souls that had been slowly gathering around her shudder before fleeing in all directions. It seemed that the size and quality of the soul didn't matter at all as they all displayed the same response. That of prey when they met an alpha predator. At the same time, Nyx could strangely sense that they were not trying to outrun her energy, but each other.
Nyx shivered at the strange sensations appearing in her mind's eye. Never before had her pulse been so overbearing. Even the mighty entities she had sensed in her early times spent in the abyss, with their overwhelming energy and god-like volume, didn't come close to the savageness of her power as it destroyed any other pulse it came into contact. Her suspicions only grew as she realised that some of the smaller, weaker souls had slowed down and were seemingly falling apart. As they dispersed into nothingness, they released pulses of fear, agony and confusion.
And with each soul's destruction, Nyx felt slightly better and more complete.
As she focused on all the information coming in, stabbing pains started to appear in Nyx's head and soul. Eventually, the pain became unbearable as she clutched her head and curled up. However, the moment she stopped thinking about the pulses and the souls, focusing entirely on the pain, it vanished.
Slowly uncurling, her mind not even registering that she could open her eyes in the abyss, Nyx started thinking about the souls again. She started with one before gradually increasing the number until she could feel the pain beginning to re-appear. She then focused on a wave, ignoring all else, and discovered that the pain would start after it had reached a certain distance and continue to grow until she couldn't bear it any longer.
"I... need to grow stronger." A thought rose from the depths of Nyx's subconscious as she sucked in another deep breath of the abyss without releasing the previous one. As she did, she felt the strange yet familiar energy she had experienced in the physical world diffuse through her lungs and into her bloodstream. From there, it travelled around her body as it slowly merged with the consolidated ice, dark and abyss-like essence circulating through her meridians, energy channels and the small cavity in her chest where her core should be. At the same time, she could feel sluggish, somewhat dirty essence flow into her lungs from her blood vessels.
"So... that energy in the real world...was from the abyss? But how?"
Focusing on this strange process, which was similar but at the same time, very different from cultivation in the physical world, Nyx calmed her mind and emotions. As she did, the new pulses generated in front of her soothed and returned to their previous state. The old ones that had travelled an indeterminate distance faded into nothingness as if they had lost all energy.
At this point, the pain in Nyx's mind and soul, as well as the strange discoveries, had thoroughly roused Nyx's consciousness. Her awareness that had been expanding outwards contracted rapidly before dividing between her body and a circular object in front.
The more condensed her awareness became, the better her senses got. At a certain point, not only could Nyx feel every smooth edge of the gem-like orb but each scale on her body if she focused hard enough.
With a mere thought, Nyx felt her perception shift. While she could still feel her body, she was now looking at it as it slowly drifted away. Nyx had never seen her Nightmare form before, at least this clearly, and was captivated by the sleek, deadly and somewhat seductive devilish appearance. A faint blue hue leaked from under her eyelids, slightly illuminating her small nose and sharp cheeks.
"And her eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming." Seeing her body, suspended in the void, a poem from Nyx's past floated to the top as her mind. Just as she was about to try and open her body's eyes so she could gaze into them, Nyx's attention was drawn to the golden light spilling out from the orb and into the abyss as an inky-black, liquid-like substance grew from the light's edges.
Seeing the abyss invaded slowly, a conflicted feeling of joy and fear fluttering in her stomach, Nyx released the breath she had been holding. The same inky-black mist, with countless fragments of pitch-black ice, seeped from her mouth and spread outwards.
The nothingness surrounding Nyx's body, as well as the orb, was slowly getting replaced. In the inky-blackness, the fragments of ice floated as Nyx sensed the temperature dropping. This area, though extremely small compared to the endless expanse surrounding her, felt extremely safe and familiar. In it, Nyx felt as if she held absolute power.
"My domain."
Feeling something approaching her, but from within what appeared to be her soul, Nyx turned her attention inwards only to feel her body taking in another sharp breath of air.
When she looked inside, Nyx discovered that she had a three hundred and sixty-degree view of the hall she had been in before awaking in the abyss. However, due to being able to see all around, Nyx's perception felt wrong. Her mind struggled to put the images together. Because of this, she couldn't make out too much detail other than the multiple gargoyles, three figures cowering in a corner and a giant hand growing ever closer.
Behind the hand was a somewhat familiar face but due to the various angles she could see it from, it was distorted and unnatural. It turned out that the closer something was, the harder it was for Nyx to focus on, and soon she felt her head hurting with the overload of information.
As the hand slowly drew in, moving as if it was trying to push through a thick, almost solid, liquid, the feeling of disgust and revulsion Nyx felt multiplied exponentially. The thought of someone touching her core, especially Lucifer, felt like it would be a violation of the highest degree. At the same time, a tiny, almost non-existent part of Nyx yearned for what felt like the ultimate intimacy.
"Dooooo youuuu reallyyyyyy think youuuuuu caaaan escapeeee myyyy grasppppp?" Nyx's viewpoint only further warped the enraged look on Lucifer's face.
The loneliness that had been steadily growing vanished upon hearing Lucifer's voice. Instead, the pulses emanating from the orb increased while revealing a murderous intent.
"Lucifer!"
Nyx's eyes abruptly shot open as her perspective changed. However, before her eyes could adjust, Nyx was forced to close them again as the golden light blinded her.
As her eyes adapted to the light, Nyx could see a faint blue hue spreading through the darkness in her peripheral as she glared at the brightly glowing orb floating in what should have been nothingness.
Changing her perspective to that of the orb while trying to maintain the focus of sight from her eyes, Nyx felt intense pain in her head. After recoiling back to her body, Nyx had a strong feeling that while she could change her perspective, she could only focus on one at a time. Her mind, or soul, could not multitask. It wasn't a limitation of her strength or ability but something natural.
After releasing a growl, the audible noise startling and distracting her from Lucifer's approaching hand, Nyx's eyes suddenly noticed the small motes of grey-white light faintly glittering in the darkness. Sensing a wave of energy passing through them without registering any context, Nyx frowned.
At the edge of her mind, Nyx knew she should be focusing on Lucifer, but she couldn't help but be drawn to the strange lights. It was at this point that Nyx felt a small tug on her chest and she stopped drifting backwards. Looking over her shoulder, Nyx could sense more than see, a clear divide between the blackness spreading outwards and the abyss of nothingness.
Returning her gaze to the glittering motes of light as they floated in the inky blackness, Nyx felt a pang of sadness that the home she had once known intimately was changing before her very eyes. Just as she was contemplating if she should try and stop whatever was happening, one of the motes flickered abruptly before going out.
As it did, two others seemed to appear from nowhere. With their appearance, the darkness nearby increased its spread into the abyss. Nyx's musings cut short as the sensation of disgust continued to grow, and she felt the orb slightly shudder in response.
Nyx returned her focus to the source of the golden light, her eyes having finally adjusted, and noticed that it was almost the exact shape of the core she had in the physical world. Though it was hard to see, small flickers of blue lightning danced across its surface, illuminating thirteen pairs of deep blue and black lines that faintly glowed as they wrapped around it. Between each of the lines was a streak the colour of the abyss, similar to a pitch-black colour but not, flowed like tiny cracks.
Not knowing what she could do to stop Lucifer's approaching hand, Nyx raised her own only to discover something strange. As she reached out tiny lines, the same colour as the motes of light, appeared. They seemed to connect her chest and core. From the centre, they spread out like a spider's web connecting the specks of light.
Like a fly attracted to a luminous light, Nyx couldn't help but touch one of the lines. The moment she focused on the strand, Nyx hissed angrily as a tsunami of emotions and images flooded into her mind.
Anger, despair, fear rampaged as images of burning buildings filled her mind's eye. She could hear the screams of civilians and the roars of undead as they tore into them. She could also feel that the soul she somehow connected with hated her to its core. However, even though the hatred felt almost tangible, Nyx realised that a small amount of power was slowly flowing into the abyss. It travelled down the strand from the mote of light before being absorbed by the core. After that, a sliver of the minimal amount of energy would find its way to her body.
While it was too small to notice on its own, now Nyx was paying attention, she could feel her soul being slowly repaired and nourished.
Glancing back and discovering Lucifer's hand had still a long way to go before it reached her, and having no clue on how she could stop it, Nyx focused on another strand. Her instincts were guiding her as she felt the strange energy was the key to her predicament, that if she could understand it better, she would find a solution.
This time, as emotions and images erupted in her mind, Nyx was only able to catch a glimpse before the person died. As the connected mote flickered and went out, a massive surge of energy flowed down the strand before being absorbed into Nyx's core.
Shuddering slightly, mainly because she focused on the sensations, Nyx felt a warm burst of energy within the core. Not only could Nyx feel much more substantial improvement in the quality and health of her soul, but at the point of death, she felt as if a tiny crack had appeared in the inky-darkness. One that she could slip through if she so desired.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, another abruptly appeared. Without any seeming context, Nyx instinctively felt that she would only be able to exist in the physical world for a short moment without her core, that the world and its laws would instantly reject her and force her back.
After glancing back at the slowly approaching hand, Nyx's frown grew. "A couple of seconds at most... Not enough. But my core is there so I should be able to maintain my form. The question is, how do I get back?"
The sensation that the solution was close, just out of reach, irritated Nyx as she looked for a crack in space near her core. As she did, she noticed the tears created by the death of motes of light would rapidly repair themselves and vanish without a trace.
In the end, Nyx was disappointed as she found no traces of any damage in the space surrounding her core. While she felt she could connect with her core the moment Nyx tried to drag herself forward, overwhelming fatigue assaulted her senses as the warm feeling in her soul rapidly faded.
Seeking a path or a more substantial source of energy, Nyx continued to scan the strands of light connecting her with the motes. As she did, she became more familiar with the process, and the jolts of thoughts, feelings and images became less jarring. While she traversed through the minds of hundreds of souls, the sense of omnipotence slowly built up. As it did, the energy she lost when attempting to manifest her body gradually restored.
After glancing up at the image of the hand drawing closer to her core, Nyx's actions sped up as the omnipotence feeling was washed away by a sense of crisis.
As she flickered through the strands, Nyx started to make out a similar trait of all the lights. It was that either in thought, voice or emotions, that she could hear her name.
"Nyx!" "NYX." "Nyx." "Nyx~." "Nyx~." "NYX!" "Nyx!" "Nyx."
Noticing that there wasn't much time left, Nyx grasped all the strands and hundreds of voices echoed in her mind. Male and female, young and old, healthy and dying. They all called out to her. Most were curses or obscenities while a few were begging or prayers for mercy.
"Faith."
The single word bubbled up from the depths of Nyx's subconscious as she finally understood what the lights were. They were connections to the souls of those that believed in her, both negatively and positively.
The more one believed in and thought of her, the more energy Nyx could syphon from their souls and the stronger she would become. While they lived, it was a constant, if varying stream. When they died, especially if they were thinking of her, she would get a small burst.
Nyx picked one of the thicker strands, only to hear the voice of Regent. "Nyx... Master. Please. I will do anything you ask of me. Anything. Just let me and my mother survive this."
Nyx's hand paused for a moment, her left eye slightly twitching. The urge to help Regent mixed with the hurt she felt about his seeming betrayal. Although they had only known each other for a short time, and it was unreasonable for Nyx to expect Regent to pick her over his birth mother, she still felt hurt. If that wasn't enough, she still felt angry that he had bent a knee and kissed the hand of her enemy.
The image of ripping out the core of the valkyrie flashed across Nyx's mind as a small amount of satisfaction eased her disgruntled feelings. Still, she decided not to act.
Shaking her head slightly, Nyx moved her hand to the thickest line. Compared to the others, even Regent's, it was almost double the size.
"You Fucking Slut!" Lucifer's internal thoughts echoed in Nyx's head as rage, anger and embarrassment exploded in equal measures. "You shall never escape me. You're mine. MINE. I will tell you when to live; I'll tell you when to die. I'll tell you when to take a shit. Think you can hide? Think you can run. Just wait. I was going to let you rule with me, but if you want to be nothing better than a slave, you can be my dog. A bitch kept on a collar. Licking my feet as I rule the world and expel the false gods."
The obscenities continued, seemingly not in sync with the slow-moving hand that was now inches away from touching Nyx's core. With each sentence uttered, vivid images of Lucifer torturing, raping, killing and doing all manner of horrific things to Nyx flashed in her mind. The content of the fantasies increased to the point where even Nyx felt disgusted.
While at the start, Nyx didn't show any reaction, in both soul and body. The corner of her eye started to twitch as her lips pulled back by the time Lucifer was imagining staking Nyx at the bottom of a nest of flesh-eating ants nest after removing her limbs. As his thoughts spiralled out of control, Nyx couldn't help but release a rumbling growl as the spikes on her body vibrated and stood on end.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Today... one of us will die."
A blood-chilling screech erupted from Nyx's throat as her grip tightened around the thread of energy. As if she were taking a deep breath or trying to suck in her stomach, Nyx pulled on the strand as she willed her body forward. There was a moment of resistance before a small pop came from the strand and a wave of energy coursed into her body.
Where she had passively been absorbing energy previously, now she was trying to suck as much of it as possible as she urged her body forward.
Pain filled Nyx's mind, transferred through the connection but instead of pulling back a savage grin appeared on Nyx's face. While she felt what Lucifer felt, the mere thought of him being in pain only encouraged her further. However, no matter how much she tried, her body only moved forward at a pitifully slow pace. If she maintained her current velocity, he would reach her core first.
"Not enough."
Growling, Nyx lifted her other hand and grasped the remainder of the strands. At once, hundreds of voices, images and emotions flooded her mind, all screaming out in agony as she sucked away at their soul energy."
"MORE!"
Nyx's body jolted forward as if it was forcing itself through an invisible barrier. The space around her seemed to tremble, and even the pulses from her core were affected.
"MORE~!"
A terrible blase of energy erupted from her core, spreading outwards at an incredible speed. It quickly reached the furthest any of her pulses had reached and continued onward mercilessly. Slamming into the souls that were milling at the edge, seemingly still interested in what Nyx was, the wave devoured their existence as explosions of new energy appeared within her core.
After the wave had consumed most of the nearby souls, Nyx's physical form seemed to turn into a mist as it swirled before charging into the core. Without any hindrance, it seemed to pass through as if flying out of an open window.
Nyx watched, from her core, as tiny blue flickers of lightning erupted out into the hall. While Lucifer was still pulling back in a painfully slow manner, the lightning moved in real-time. Within moments, the blue light had formed the outline of a human's circulatory system. As it did, Nyx felt her viewpoint began changing as Lucifer, the gargoyles and the men in the corner seemed to speed up.
Nyx felt satisfaction as Lucifer gripped his chest while staggering backwards and screaming. Blood flowed from his eyes, nose and ears.
"I can do this. His life is mine~." Nyx's thoughts no longer naturally projected outwards as her body rapidly started to form. Icy black mist seeped from her core and began to build pitch-black bones. At the same time, Nyx felt the inky surroundings in the Abyss retreat as it was sucked inwards. By the time the pitch-black bones had formed, the inky-black mist had moved onto creating muscles and skin.
Loud cracking sounds, like ice fracturing under enormous weight, rang out as Nyx's perception started to become blurry and distorted. It wasn't long, half a second at most before it began to become clear again. However, Nyx quickly realised she was no longer looking through her core, which was now surrounded by flesh, but eyes.
Nyx vaguely paid attention to the gargoyles rushing towards her, shattering to pieces as black bolts of lightning attacked anything that got to close, as an unsettling feeling came from her core.
"It's not enough. I need more..." Nyx moved off instincts, flicking a half-formed, horrific hand in the direction of the three men cowering in the corner. Black streaks of lightning erupted forth and slammed into them. A flutter of regret assailed Nyx, but it vanished as Lucifer's scream rose in volume. "As long as I can kill him, nothing else matters."
Agnoised howls, not far different than the one coming from Lucifer erupted from the trio. Along with it, Nyx felt a portion of her soul return as a small stone on the chest of Reu shattered. As the fragment of her soul was small and weak, having not grown alongside Nyx over her long life, it did little to repair the damage. However, for the first time in memory, Nyx felt complete, and her confidence soared. She felt unstoppable as she returned her focus to the man kneeling a short distance away.
Within moments, the trio's bodies and souls were no more, and the lightning retreated to Nyx's hand. As it did, Nyx felt a swell of blood essence enter her body before quickly dispersing to the various muscles and bones that had not completed.
"Hahahahah~." Nyx's maniacal laughter projected both audibly and projected, echoing off the walls of the enormous hall as she raised both hands on each side. With the influx of energy, she felt unstoppable like a god descending upon a desolate world.
At the corner of her peripheral, Nyx spotted other bolts of black lightning absorbing the remains of the gargoyles. While their form and mass were more significant, giving more energy, the quality was much lower than the three men. When she absorbed the murky-grey energy, Nyx had to force herself to accept it. As she did, her laughter stopped, and a disgusted look appeared on her face.
"Filthy."
It had only been fifteen seconds after Nyx enraged and grasped the thread of soul energy linked to Lucifer, but her body had already fully restored.
After tensing her muscles, small popping sounds ringing out, Nyx lifted her head and took a deep breath as a pulse rippled from her core. At the same time, her scales retracted, her hair grew to her lower back, and she retook her humanoid appearance. For some reason, she felt more exposed in her natural form than that of a naked human, especially in front of her greatest enemy.
A small smirk appeared on her face, not realising that while she had regained her human appearance, the vibe she was giving off was far from it. "Isn't it fitting? The being that caused so much dread killed by a weak-looking woman?"
The dusty remains of the gargoyles blew backwards as the pulse passed and Lucifer cried out again as he clutched his head. The flow of blood from the five orifices on Lucifer's face, which had been on the verge of stopping, burst forth.
With bleeding eyes, he glared at Nyx as he struggled to stand. After a few attempts, he fell wearily to both knees. As he did, his hands performed a strange gesture on the stone floor, but nothing seemed to change. "You... What have you done?"
Taking another breath, the feeling of invincibility and power almost intoxicating her thoughts, Nyx chuckled and started walking forward. At first, her bones creaked and groaned in protest as her muscles squirmed under her skin and readjusted themselves, but within two steps, she was walking normally. With each step, the core in Nyx’s chest pulsed, the sound more akin to a drum seemingly making the space around her quake.
After coming within a few steps before Lucifer, her essence sweeping his body and finding nothing threatening, Nyx slowly reached out. With a single finger, she lifted the kneeling Lucifer's chin until their eyes locked. From his, she could see her own glowing, draconic eyes staring back, causing a shudder of excitement to sweep across her skin. "You know..."
Nyx's tilted her head as her smile grew. It was too wide to be human, and her jagged teeth and predatory, glowing eyes made her seem like a monster from a nightmare. "I always knew... In the end, I'd be the death of you."
The anger on Lucifer's face flickered before vanishing, a brilliant smile of his own replacing it. "Oh, Nyx~ You always liked to jump to conclusions."
A foreboding feeling appeared in Nyx's core as her stomach lurched. Not waiting a moment longer, a black bolt of lightning erupted from her finger. "DIE!"
However, she was already too late. Lucifer had vanished.
The bolt tore through the hallway before slamming into the sandstone wall on the opposite side. As it did, the entire room shook violently, and large cracks appeared on its surface, seemingly devouring the runes and sandstone blocks.
Just as it looked like Nyx's essence was about to eat through the wall, silver runes started to appear on the ceiling, wall and floors. As they grew outwards and connected, the damaged wall repaired, and Nyx's energy began to violently hiss as it burnt away
Blinking at the space before her, Nyx's outstretched hand suddenly clasped as her body seemed to erupt in black flames. As her hair wildly fluttered as if caught in a storm, Nyx exhaled shakily. The glow from her eyes was so intense that a blue hue cast on the surrounding walls.
Nyx's human form snapped and distorted grotesquely as her nightmare form burst through her skin. However, unlike her small figure earlier, she was now around two meters tall. Her spiked tail slammed into the floor, creating a deep crack that quickly repaired itself.
"LUCIFER!"
Nyx's howl caused the room to shake once more, and the silver runes glow to intensify. Bolts of black lightning flew from her body, slamming into the walls only to be seemingly absorbed.
"LUCIFER~."
The violent energy swirling around Nyx started to diminish as it was gradually exhausted. There was no dark or ice essence, let alone abyss energy for her to replenish her reserves yet Nyx couldn’t help but vent her rage at the surroundings.
"What was it you use to say?" The screen on the left-hand side of the platform at the centre of the hall flickered. Lucifer's voice was tense and sounded as if he were in a great deal of pain. "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day?"
Slashing her claws in the direction of the screen while releasing a loud, blood-chilling screech, the flames on Nyx's momentarily grew as they rolled about her body as if searching for something to destroy.
The five black streaks released from her claws shattered the screen and carried on before hitting the wall. However, just like her previous attacks, the large gashes were quickly repaired, and the silver runes glowing on their surface seemed to multiply as if reacting to her power.
Releasing a venomous hiss, Nyx stomped towards the platform. With each step Nyx took, the stone floor under her feet would dissolve and repair at an equal rate.
"LUCIFER!"
The feeling of being so close, and failing just because she toyed with her prey caused despair within Nyx. This time, when she could have solved all of her problems, she could only blame herself for her failure.
"No matter where you run to, I will kill you."
"No Nyx, you won't." Lucifer panted for breath on the other side of the remaining screen. The image was revealing the sky of Corban. Where Nyx's mark had been, now a gaping black hole swirled with menacing destructive energy. Flickers of black lightning, similar to the ones Nyx had released fell from the sky, obliterating anything they came into contact with.
In the corner of the screen, Nyx could see Lisa running forward and offering a hand. Her face was pale, and she seemed to be shocked at whatever she was seeing. An army of undead seemed to surround her.
The view. seemingly from his eyes, shook as Lucifer shakily got to his feet. "I built that place as a home for you. And if you didn't fall into line, a prison. However..."
Lucifer's hand moved and covered the screen for a moment. After a couple of seconds, it pulled away and revealed vivid red blood. Mixed with the blood, tiny black lines battled with varying coloured essences, seemingly trying to destroy each other.
"You... you have already ascended. But you are not a god of this world, are you, Nyx? No. You are one of them. An invader." Lucifer's voice turned cold. "It seems I was mistaken, but my efforts shall not go to waste. Enjoy your solitude."
“Mast-” Lisa’s figure flew from sight after being backhanded by Lucifer.
Nyx continued to growl as the screen focused on the fist that was slowly clenching. "Goodbye, Nyx. When I become powerful enough, I will return and put you out of your misery."
The image vanished as the screen cracked and turned to dust before falling to the floor. At the same time, the room shook as more and more runes covered its surface. The golden lights turned silvery-white, and Nyx felt an incredible weight pressing down on her. Even though she could barely move, it felt as if she had become stuck in time.
Watching the various runes settle into place, Nyx's eyes fluttered over the corner where the Reu, the fat man and the boy had stood. For a brief moment, she regretted letting them die so quickly.
After her eyes scanned over the three doors, the passing interest on where they might lead quickly killed by sadness gradually building up, Nyx sighed. "I was… so close."
Looking around slowly, feeling nothing but the overbearing pressure and oppression of the restrictive formations increasing, Nyx froze for a moment before a small smile appeared on her features.
With a flash of black light, Nyx's figure sucked inwards. Moments later, her core clattered to the ground before coming to a rest atop the platform. Due to the increase in runes, the black surface of the core and the blue flickers it released were the only colours in an overwise silver world.
Back in the abyss, Nyx's body slowly reformed. Unlike before, the surroundings were illuminated by the silver light emanating from Nyx's core. The small specks of light nearby had nearly halved in number and appeared much weaker than before. Not only that, but they were going out quickly.
During her body’s reconstruction, Nyx's anger had faded. It had been replaced with melancholy and regret as she slowly analysed her surroundings and ignored the fluctuating stream of light representing Lucifer. For some reason, Nyx felt she already knew what she would find.
Touching one of smaller stream's Nyx witnessed the bolts of black lightning falling from the tear in the sky above Corban obliterate a hulking zombie. As it did, she felt a small surge of power appear in her core. As she continued to watch, Nyx thought that the lightning acted as if it had a life of its own. The individual bolts seemed to target any living thing below, turning and seemingly chasing their targets as they fled.
While the strikes gave a small boost in immediate energy, helping to recover some of the amount lost during her return from the physical world, Nyx was concerned about what would happen if all of the motes of light extinguished.
Taking a deep breath in, the ability to do so still confusing Nyx, she remembered the abyss energy diffusing into her body. After focusing inwards, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was also helping her recover but at a much-reduced rate. It was over a thousand times less potent than the power coming from the small motes of light.
"It seems... even without these? Links? I do not have to worry. All I need is time." A sad, lethargic pulse rippled out form her core as Nyx glanced at it while remembering the need to absorb flesh and blood to form her body. "My physical body, however... will be more difficult."
Remembering the restrictions on the mysterious hall, Nyx pushed the thought of returning to the back of her mind.
Absentmindedly, Nyx's hand brushed against the stream of energy representing Regent's faith. Prophet and a few others flattened the tall grass in front as Regent dragged his mother along by the hand. He continually glanced back and up at the lightning that was crashing down. The entire time praying to Nyx to forgive him and save his mother. In the distance, the golden dome had vanished entirely, and pillars of smoke billowed up into the air accompanied by screams.
The noise from Regent’s thoughts, almost like a chant, caused Nyx’s eye to twitch as the anger that had been fading found a place to vent.
Nyx tracked one of the forks of lightning splintered off and headed towards the small group. Just as she was about to move her hand away, Nyx sneered as a thought crossed her mind.
Regent, as well as Prophet and the men in front, flinched as if an explosion had happened in their heads, seemingly feeling Nyx’s intent. Just as the lightning was about to hit, Nyx tensed as her thoughts exploded out of her core with the next pulse.
"Begging the one you have betrayed. Ha. Dying is easy… Living with the consequences of your actions..." Nyx’s thought momentarily drifted to the smile on Lucifer’s face as he escaped. “Is not.”
As if the bolt had heard her, it abruptly changed direction and slammed into Regent's mother. Unlike the other strikes, that left a medium-sized crater, only her body turned to ash. Regent stopped running as he stared at the grey powder in his hand. Within the span of a few seconds, even that had vanished leaving nothing behind. However, although it had obliterated a body, the lightning hadn't hurt Regent in the slightest.
Feeling confusion and pain surging through the connection, Nyx felt instant regret as her temper cooled. Her action had been on a whim, lashing out due to her misery. Nyx’s thoughts drifted to Dimi’s face as the light faded from her eyes.
"NYX!"
Regent's roar rose into the sky as he dropped to his knees, his thoughts processing what had just happened. As tears started to trickle down his face, he abruptly lifted his right hand before chopping down on it with his left. Black-red energy erupted from the edge and easily sliced it off.
Clutching his wrist, making no effort to stop the bleeding, Regent growled in pain and sorrow as he glared at the black mark on the back of his right hand, its lines twisting and shifting. "Nyx! I hate you. I hate you..."
Seemingly unable to say anything else, Regent kept glaring as Prophet stepped forth and started to bandage the wound while regularly taking fearful looks up at the sky.
Nyx chuckled sadly, the thought projecting and stunning the members of the group once again. "Every action has a consequence, each choice, a repercussion."
While she felt regret, Nyx was able to cover her real thoughts and emotions and instead projected an air of indifference. While she thought it wasn’t too convincing, to the group that were running for their lives and the distraught Regent, she felt it was enough.
As if to prove her thoughts, Regent stood as he continued to glare at the black tear in the sky. "Nyx… One day, somehow, I will destroy you!"
Regent's thoughts and emotions roughly matched Nyx’s own from earlier when Lucifer had escaped. She briefly wondered if she was any better than him, the notion that maybe she was worse nagging at the edge of her consciousness. At the same time, the strange thought that making an enemy that would hunt her down and maybe break open her prison wasn't such a bad idea.
Nyx projected another chuckle, this one containing slightly more mirth than the last. "Good Luck."
After letting go of the strand, Nyx she watched more lights flicker out of existence. When there were less than a hundred left, she took a deep breath and decided she had put it off for long enough. With her left hand, she reached out to grasp the beam of energy belonging to Lucifer.
The moment she did, she could only feel distorted and jumbled thoughts and emotions. Intrinsically, she understood that it was because she had severely damaged Lucifer's soul. After trying for a few minutes only to discover she couldn't understand or do anything, Nyx she turned and gazed into the abyss as the light behind her illuminated her silhouette.
"It seems... " For the first time, Nyx felt time flowing through the abyss as the inky-black liquid-like mist expanded in all directions. The realisation caused Nyx to feel a pang of concern as she discovered that she couldn't sense or feel any other existence other than the waves of hatred coming from the remaining motes of light. "I got what I wished for."
After what could have been seconds or years, Nyx's body flickered and reappeared a vast distance away. Before Nyx was a familiar scene, the one she had seen in her tribulation. However, instead of standing between the two, she was now firmly within the abyss.
Reaching out, trying to move from the nothingness of the abyss to the emptiness of space, Nyx felt a strong repulsive force. Just like her premonition of if she were to appear in the physical world without her core, Nyx understood she would not last long if she continued. While she felt she would only be forced back to her core, the realisation that the fabric of reality rejected her caused a bittersweet smile to appear on her face.
Nyx stood there, her glowing blue eyes like haunting lanterns in the endless nothingness, as she watched the pagoda style realities and dimensions. Some moved faster than others, their existence starting and ending in the blink of an eye, while others moved so slow Nyx hadn't seen any noticeable change.
Nyx sighed loudly and watched tiny fragments of black ice from her breath float from the abyss into space. As it passed through the barrier that had stopped her, flickers of energy flickered on their surface for a brief moment before being accepted.
As Nyx watched the fragments drift away, she took a deep breath before her body flickered once again and she reappeared next to her core. As she floated listlessly, her eyes slowly closed.
Gradually, the pulses emanating from her core changed into something with more rhythm as Nyx's sad, lonely voice and intent resonated outwards.
"The spirits are whispering a name, their tears falling from the sky."
"Death sits upon my shoulder, singing haunting lullabies~."
“This lonely road runs straight to hell. I curse the day and blame the world.”
“Yet when I fall to my grave, I realise the choices are ones I’ve made.”
“The darkness I keep inside is surely killing me, yet it keeps me alive~.”
“It’s a slow~ farewell. One that leads straight to hell.”
====
On the second from the highest plane of the pagoda style realities, in a world bathed in perpetual twilight, the Goddess of Night stood along the banks of a calm lake. The night sky reflected in the clear waters, along with the stars and nearby planets.
Standing beside her, was a shadowy feminine figure with her hands behind her back. Red, glowing eyes scanned the sky as if looking for something. After a while, she coughed. "Mistress, I still can't sense her? Are you sure the godly tribulation didn't destroy her soul?”
The figure glanced to her side. “Not that I doubt your choice, but not many can keep their sense of self when melding with their domain. And she isn't of divinity. The chances of success without aid are minuscule."
Nyx's head, a silhouette with two large, starry eyes slowly turned and looked down on the figure that was half her size. A slow smile, like the waxing of a new moon. slowly appeared on her face. "Enough. She may not be of my divinity, but the darkness and ice still have blessed her. My newest daughter is currently residing within her domain, a place where no god or mortal can enter, building her strength. When she is ready, she will return."
"When?" The shadowy figure seemed to relax.” And why did you not warn her about the trap?”
Nyx, the goddess of Night, shook her head slowly. As she did, shooting stars covered the night sky above. "She isn't bound to the same rules and laws as us gods. While she may have lost the freedom of her physical body, there is no place in the nine realms safer for her at the moment. Her prison is actually a fortress. One in which our enemies will guard attentively. As for when she will return, I do not know. We can only wait and pray."
"But she is of our pantheon? We need gods like her on the eternal battlefield. And why should we pray? You have already given her enough faith to keep her soul intact during transformation."
Nyx's figure flickered as a gentle breeze crossed the lake. As it did, the hole torn in the sky above Corban appeared in its reflection. Blue lightning from twenty-four guardians fought to contain it. At the same time, men floating in the sky made strange hand gestures as the light seemed to fly from their bodies and form runes in the air. Swarming in the surroundings, thousands of humanoid figures were working together building arrays and formations. Fear and determination etched onto each of their faces. The ones that seemed to be working the hardest were golden knights, led by an almost glowing, beautiful woman, Eos. "Pray that whatever returns, still holds some fondness for our existence."
After taking a deep breath, the shadowy figure scratched her chin. After a long time, she sighed. "The strongest weapons are often the most unstable. It seems Zeus took a big gamble this time."
After uttering the last sentence, the figure blurred and vanished.
Upon hearing Zeus's name, Nyx's left eye twitched slightly as another wave of falling stars crossed the sky. Looking up, her eyes not focusing on anything, the smile returned to her face. "Nyx, my daughter, Enjoy your rest. This will be a far different place when you return."
"The mortals are rebelling again." A deep, masculine voice appeared behind Nyx, but she didn't seem flustered or surprised.
Heavy steps sounded out as a towering man, dressed in furs and adorned with multiple medieval-looking weapons appeared beside Nyx. His black, bushy beard scraped against leather as he also looked up in the same direction. As he breathed out, the very air seemed to freeze alongside a large portion of the lake.
"Let them." Nyx's voice turned almost as cold as the rapidly plummeting surroundings. However, she turned to make eye contact and nodded her head. “Uller.”
The large man laughed, his hands resting on the handles of the axes strapped to his sides as a sharp glint came from his only surviving eye. The other seemed to have been destroyed. A long scar ran down the left side of his face. "Yes. You are right. What does it matter? We will defeat them, the renegade gods and the nonsensical laws left behind by the creator. Then, when our daughter returns, Ragnarok can finally begin."
Nyx chuckled as she turned away. A few moments later, the man was standing on the beach alone.
"We shall see~." Nyx's voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "The heroes rising from the mortals this time are not the same as the past. Some have even discovered ways to replicate the destructive nature of the abyss. If we are not careful, it won't end in a draw this time but our loss."
"Pfft." the large man grunted noisily. "That's why we have invested so much in the girl. With her, no matter the schemes and trickery those cowards utilise, our victory is assured."
Without another word, the man vanished into a puff of icy mist, and the lakeside fell into silence.