Lunar’s room, despite having been here for less than an entire week, already “felt” like a room fitting for someone like him. The entire dimly lit room, embellished with scattered occult books and artifacts was tinged with the smell of leather and cigarettes wafting off a smoker’s clothing. On the right side of the wall, a large, brown-coloured dreamcatcher hung over his dishevelled bed.

He closed the door behind me as I stepped inside. And as if the reverberating sound of the door closing caused me to discern the room closely, I soon realized a large, occult circle with intricate carvings painted on the ground, right before my feet.

I nervously gulped before sounding my words. Lunar had been a close friend for many years… However, just like Vaelen, I never really managed to wrap my head around his strange hobbies, or better said, activities of interest. Nevertheless, knowing who Lunar was and how much he cared for me as a comrade, that dreadful sensation was soon washed away.

“How’d you know about this portrait, Lunar?” I said with a now carefree tone, burying my left hand in my pockets.

“You seem to have forgotten my obsession with the occult,” he chuckled as he passed me by. Attempting to fish something out of the sea of objects in the far right corner. “Things like this are as insignificant as blinking unconsciously.”

“Right…” I chuckled along. “I totally forgot.”

“Ah, I forgot to ask you,” he responded, pausing momentarily. “How did you feel today? Managed to recover your mind from the recent events?”

“To a degree, yes…” I sighed, dropping onto his bed.

“Hm, given you’ve most likely had a good conversation with your brother, you must be feeling quite better, I presume. Quite commendable considering you weren’t given that much time to recuperate your mind.”

“I know, right? Soon after waking up, besides the drowsiness and feeling light headed, I could consume the amount of information Vash gave me well. So it really is both weird and commendable.”

“Do you remember anything prior to collapsing?” he said, turning towards me as he held various of dark objects in his arms. “Was there anything you saw?”

“…Good question,” I responded slowly, averting my eyes. “I can’t remember, honestly.”

“Is that so…” he muttered. “Well then. If anything happens to rise up your mind, don’t hesitate to tell me about it.”

He turned back to his corner full of objects and finally fished out a dark red chalk stick that was wrapped around in a black piece of paper.

“Dreams can have many interpretations; it may be about a dangerous figure chasing you, saving a cat, being hung on a cross…

…the possibilities are endless.”

“…Anyway,” I retorted. “The portrait?”

“Right,” he nodded. “The portrait. Have you ever heard about it?”

“…Not really, no.”

“As said before,” he began. “This is an ungraded artifact. Meaning that it is not bound to the grading system—therefore there isn’t a specified danger level or the sort associated with this artifact.

You may have gotten intrigued by the last part of its name: ‘All’. In simple words, this is a magical portrait that has the answer to everything and anything you are supposed to know. The reason why it has ‘All’ in its name is speculated to be because the portrait’s knowledge is infinite, and infinity equals to All, the Golden God.”

“I see. So all I have to do is ask the portrait what my abilities are?”

“Precisely,” he nodded. “You’re lucky since this is your first time using this, since there exist an invocation rite one must go through before being able to even speak to the portrait. You don’t have to do anything other than speak to it as soon as I summon it.”

“Got it.”

He walked towards the occult-like symbol and signaled me to take a seat within it.

“Take a seat in the middle of this circle. This is going to take a few minutes. I’ll have to perform the ritual and make you repeat what I say. You will eventually be brought upon the portrait itself.

One thing before we start: It might seem frightening for the first time, but I can assure you that nothing awry will happen to you. All you’re going to want to do is simply ask the portrait what your current Sequencer abilities are.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“…Okay.”

As I took my seat and crossed my legs, I closed my eyes and closely listened to Lunar as I was told to. I could feel his body encircling me, presumably gliding that chalk stick over the circle, or drawing additional symbols… I couldn’t tell.

It felt as if the atmosphere of his room started to slowly pull itself into my own body. He didn’t sing a magical chant or play a magical instrument in order to enchant me. His soft and calming voice was enough to inebriate me in his atmosphere. And right before I knew it, he gently placed his hand on my forehead.

“Repeat after me.”

I frowned slightly after he said this.

What was it…? Something… something like a small, burning sensation that originated from the depths of his palm, lightly grazing itself against my forehead just enough for me to feel it.

It must be something related to this ritual somehow, I thought to myself repeatedly before Lunar would speak again. Sadly, when he did begin to speak, I was left with no room to think for myself.

“Our Father who sits above The World.”

“…Our Father who sits above The World…”

“’He’ whose breath and word gushes life.”

That burning sensation grew stronger, as if this incantation became flames meant to burn me who had to repeat the words.

I frowned harder this time, desperately attempting to spew out the words.

“…’He’… wh… who…”

Right as I voiced out those three syllables…

…Something clicked.

Even though my eyes were already closed, it felt like they were closed “again”. A double darkness, one I had only seen twice so far.

It felt as if a black vortex suddenly materialized beneath me, and sucked everything around me in complete darkness. I tried to open my eyes, yet the darkness never wavered. As if I needed to open my eyes “again” in order to see properly.

I grimaced, twisting my face as I pierced the air around me with a loud scream. However, that “scream” only existed in my head. In reality, I hadn’t moved my mouth, nor opened my eyes even in the slightest. Everything happened… inside of me. As if I grasped consciousness of my own soul who became the victim of this unearthly sensation.

I screamed and I screamed, rolling and looking around to see where Lunar was, until something clicked once more, causing me to stand frozen on my feet.

Small, light footsteps were then approaching me slowly from behind in this world of darkness. I then remembered Lunar’s words, that “Nothing awry would happen to me”. Trusting his words, I gulped and turned around, and voiced out my confusion.

“…H…He-”

Wait…

…I don’t feel that burning sensation anymore…!

Is it… because of this place?

I only realized too late.

My speech was impeded by this sudden realization. I felt no pain anymore, nor did there seem to be any wounds on my body.

It all seemed to just be in my head…

However, right when I wanted to talk again…

…A second voice emerged from the darkness.

“The burning… has ceased.”

Followed by the feminine-sounding voice, stepping into my field of view was a young, slender woman, who was blindfolded by a white cloth that matched well with her gray hair and weathered old robe of the same colour. She had a strange looking complexion; it appeared light blue, but not quite discernable due to how dark it was.

Nevertheless, I decided to not feel afraid of her appearance. This must have been someone related to the portrait, or someone significant in relation to the ritual.

“Pardon me. Is this… the Portrait of All I am speaking to?”

“So… it was you,” she spoke with the same unsettlingly direct tone. It caused me to remain silent for several seconds before speaking once more.

“S- sorry… I have come to… ask you something.”

She remained silent in response.

Because of this, I took one step forward, and stretched my right palm in the air in explanation.

“I want to know what my Sequ-”

…Hands. Dark, dark hands.

No, perhaps, tentacles. Something similar to tentacles.

I couldn’t see what they were. But I could feel what was happening to me.

From below, a dozen of “things” resembling hands or tentacles clutched onto my legs, and started crawling their ways towards the upper half of my body, like the hands of tormented souls desperately trying to pull me down to the Abyss.

I shockingly strained my body, looking around me to see what was happening, or who was getting a hold of me. Despite my attempts, the prevailing darkness that encapsulated me and the lady in front of me seemed like it was spectating the moment with silent laughter at my purposeless attempt to free myself from this entanglement.

I screamed once more as I stared at the lady, who simply stood in complete silence, wordlessly listening to my desperate sounds of agony.

“H…help…! Ngh…mmmh!!!”

One of those “things” wrapped itself around my mouth, blocking it entirely. I was forced on my knees, and eventually fell on my back, my eyes widening in complete despair.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think. Nothing made sense anymore. Just a moment ago, I was in Lunar’s bedroom, attempting to get me to speak to the Portrait. Yet this was no portrait, this was a demon, or… someone who meant harm to me…

Even wriggling around was no option for me. I was like a piece of soulless wood being tangled by numerous ropes, strongly being pulled downwards. I became a statue, unable to process any form or concept of motion.

And before I knew it…

…The darkness consumed me once again.