Darkness... Pain... Sorrow... Avria struggled to breathe, engulfed by relentless waves of anguish that felt like the tearing claws of a storm. Curled into a ball on the cold, damp grass, she writhed, her cries for her mother and father piercing the night. She lifted her trembling hands, now stained with her own blood, and saw them as the hands of a child. She begged for death, pleading with the great spirits to release her from this unbearable torment. How could she endure this? How could her frail body survive the relentless onslaught of pain?

She scanned her surroundings, only to confront a darkness so profound it seemed to consume all light, an abyss that was unimaginably deep and encroaching ever closer. Memories surged; her being devoured by the demon, its razor-sharp teeth shredding her flesh before she was swallowed into the void. She gasped for air, but her lungs filled with nothing but despair. Then, the screams and torment of millions of souls filled her ears, their cries gnashing and wailing, a cacophony of eternal suffering.

She had escaped from her death by falling into her Dunem Dae Espa. But it followed her here, and had corrupted everything in sight. The closer the darkness came to her the more feeble and terrified she felt. Now she was a child, and her last glimpse of sanity was slowly being chipped away. She couldn’t fathom it… being consumed by that darkness again.

Then, from the void emerged a figure; a woman with grey skin and hair like pearl-white silk. She seemed eerily familiar, and Avria winced, struggling through the haze of pain to remember her. “M-mother?” Her voice was barely a whisper, feeble as she extended a trembling hand towards her, craving any escape from the relentless agony. “Please, help me.”

Her mother's eyes, filled with the same indifference and fierce coldness Avria remembered from years ago, before her tragic death, bore down on her.

“You are fighting in futility…” Her voice was as cold as a winter's bitter wind, leaving a silence in its wake that nearly stopped Avria’s heart. “You always have… the champion of nothing… the daughter who always left me wanting. You thought that coming here would save you? That you would somehow escape the void and fire that awaits you now?”

“What?” Tears carved paths down Avria's cheeks, each word from her mother slicing deeper than the last. Avria had never known much warmth from her, nor tenderness for her or her brother, but her mother's death had still left her devastated. Now, here she was, adding to her torment and pain. Twisting the knife in her weakest moment. “Please... mother, help me!” She begged through her sobs.

“I am…” Her mother's smile was a grotesque tear across her face, stretching from ear to ear. “You are a stubborn little one… but you will give in…”

“Y-you’re not my mother.” Avria's mind, muddled by pain, fought through the fog to grasp this truth, yet doubt lingered. “Please!” She screamed, her fingers digging into the grass, clawing at the earth beneath her. “Make it stop! Help me!”

Her mother, or the entity masquerading as such, let out a laugh, dark and vile, the sound like venom dripping into Avria's ears. This monster before her wore her mother's face like a mask, tormenting her in her darkest hour.

Then, suddenly, the pain, wailing, and laughing ceased, leaving Avria gasping in the unexpected silence of relief. Her vision cleared, focusing on a pair of sandaled feet before her. Her gaze climbed the folds of simple, unadorned robes to meet the eyes of a man; his gaze a piercing blue, neither cold nor cruel, but filled with a knowing warmth.

"Who?" Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and reverence. A human? Why is a human here? she thought. "Who are you?"

The man knelt beside her, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. At his touch, clarity washed over her like a morning tide, pulling back the fog of her mind. "Favor has found you, Avria, daughter of Telmos," he said, his voice as soothing as the sweetest wine. "So, do not despair. For within you burns the spark, the light of life that ushers in new eras."

Avria's heart, beat with a newfound rhythm, and a warmth spread through her, bringing peace she had never known. "I..." she whispered, her voice steadier now, "I need help... please... I don’t know how to escape… I…” She looked out into the boundless nothing, and the fear came rushing back. “Don't let the darkness claim me… please."

His crystal blue eyes swept over the darkened expanse around them before returning to her. "Eternal darkness awaits those who shun the light. Those without purpose, without sacrifice, will gnash against the void in vain. But you, one who has paid in blood to save those who would save your world, have been granted grace." He stood, offering his hand.

Avria found strength within her to rise, her hand clasping his, pulling herself to her feet. As she did, she felt her body transform, returning to her adult form.

"Darkness cannot extinguish light," he declared, his voice resonant. "No matter how faint, how dim, it persists. You need only to kindle it, and your soul will be illuminated anew."

She gazed down at his hand within hers, watching as it slipped away like a faint but powerful memory, leaving her touch bereft. She glanced back to where the man had stood, but he was no longer there. Panic surged through her, her eyes darting through the void, but only the relentless darkness embraced her. Her fear, now twice as fierce, escaped in a whimper, "Please! Please don’t leave me here alone!"

Yet, in that moment of despair, she felt a warmth where his hand had been, like the lingering kiss of sunlight on a cold day. She turned her palm upward, and there, nestled within, was a tiny light. It flickered like a candle in a storm, so fragile, yet familiar. It was the same light she had seen in Daniel’s Dunem Dae Espa, the very essence she had touched to mend his mortal wounds. A sudden resolve hardened within her as she gazed upon this feeble glow. Brighten it, she thought, kindle it. Her hand closed over the light, and she lifted it high like an offering to the heavens.

She concentrated, her power converging on that small beacon. Then, with a force akin to the birth of a star, a burst of light exploded from her. The screams of the tormented souls faded into silence, their cries drowned by the dawn she summoned. Her Dunem Dae Espa, once dimmed, now shone with the radiance of the sun above, casting away the shadows that had bound her.

The pain that had once consumed her was no more, and in its place surged a power she had never known, vibrant and untamed, a river of light flooding through her, illuminating not just the darkness around her but the darkness within. She stood, reborn in this new-found strength, a beacon in the night, her heart beating with the rhythm of life itself.

Without warning, Avria felt a visceral tug, her body, her very soul, being dragged into an alien realm. The lush, verdant meadows of her Dunem Dae Espa vanished, replaced by an expanse of infinite sky where she floated, devoid of weight. This new world, though vast and open, was tainted by the same corruption as her own, the stench of malice and darkness like a festering sore in the air.

“Who’s there?” A voice, tremulous and uncertain, called out from behind her.

Avria spun around, her own body glowing in this shadowed sky, illuminating a pitiful figure curled into a fetal position, adrift in the darkness. She propelled herself closer, her eyes narrowing to discern the form. It was a man, unmistakably human. Recognition dawned on her, and with it, a surge of anger. “Robert?” she questioned, her voice quivering with a mix of emotions.

“Who’s that?” Robert's voice was laced with fear, “I can’t see you. Is that you, Dio? Let me out of here!”

She floated nearer, the light from her form revealing his eyes, cloaked in a thick, black smoke that seemed to writhe. What is he doing here? She pondered, her gaze sweeping the desolate expanse. And where exactly is ‘here’?

“I won’t help you,” he declared, his voice gaining a steely resolve. “I told you already, I don’t care what you do to me.”

“What are you talking about?” Avria's response was sharp, her tone harsh.

Robert’s face contorted with confusion, then a flicker of recognition at her voice. “Avria?” He shook his head, rejecting the possibility. “You can’t trick me, Dio. That isn’t going to work.”

“I’m not Dio, or whoever you think I am.” She spat, then felt a sudden urge. A small voice within her, that compelled her to use her power on him. Why do I want to help him? She thought, struggling against this instinctive surge. She looked at her hands, then to the darkened sky around her. She could feel his despair, then. Like a festering wound that seeped bile; she could sense it. The feeling was nearly overwhelming at first, but she steeled herself and confronted it. He was afraid; tormented by darkness that had nearly consumed him. Like she had been, just a short while ago. She lifted her gaze above him, looking for the sign she hoped to find; a faint light, flickering in the darkness. At that moment, she felt she knew him. More profoundly than she thought possible. She saw his heart and soul, bare against the struggles and suffering he had endured.

No, she thought. This man killed Oros… This man betrayed you. Destroyed your world, and… Her rage battered her senses like crashing waves in a storm. This monster! She snarled within, this… demon… A sudden feeling of immense guilt and pain stabbed at her. No… this is what they want. He isn’t a demon… he’s a man… misguided and afraid. She gasped as the feeling of anger started to subside, replaced by the warm and gentle pull of… mercy?

Robert gasped, as if in pain. “I-I feel something. What are you doing?”

She wasn’t sure where she was. If this was some kind of test or if she had already gone to rest with the great spirits. But the feelings and emotions were so powerful here; she could sense his thoughts, his fear and guilt. It tore at him from within. It was tragic for her, to see such despair in a person. Yet he fought against it, challenging the tormentor who had clearly imprisoned him here. She sighed, allowing herself to embrace the small pull that had led her out of the darkness, here.

She extended her hand, touching Robert's face, and like a morning mist under the sun, the darkness around his eyes melted away. He blinked, his gaze now clear, confusion washing over him. “Avria?” he managed to utter, his voice cracking, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“It’s a long story,” she replied with a simplicity that reminded her of Daniel. “I’m not completely sure, to be honest with you.” Her eyes drifted to the faint, almost ethereal light above him. “But I believe I’ve been sent here for a reason… if indeed this is real.”

Robert's eyes followed hers, looking up. “Dio’Mar imprisoned me here,” he confessed, his voice heavy with dread. “They have such horrible things planned.” He squinted, seemingly noticing the light for the first time. “I need to stop them. But Dio… I can’t beat her. She’s too strong; she’s in my head.”

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“You’re talking about the spirit,” Avria clarified, a flicker of memory surfacing. “That’s the patron spirit of Rexun, is it not?”

“She’s not a spirit,” Robert corrected, his voice laced with deep-seated anger. “She’s a demon.” His eyes locked onto hers, his expression hardening with a steely resolve. “What is that light up there?”

“I think it’s the answer,” Avria said, feeling an intense, almost magnetic pull towards the light above. It was as if an invisible force was urging her to reach for it. “I think it’s called the spark of life.”

“The spark of life?” Robert echoed, skepticism coloring his tone. “That sounds crazy.”

Avria ascended towards the light, extending her palm outward. The light flickered once more, then settled gently into her hand, its glow was weak, like a tiny flame fighting against a draft. The words of the mysterious man echoed in her mind. “Darkness cannot extinguish light,” she murmured, almost to herself, “No matter how faint, how dim, it persists.” She brought the light down, holding it before Robert’s face. “This is your spark,” she declared with conviction, “Take it.” She didn't fully grasp its nature, but it had healed Daniel when he was on the verge of death and saved her from the engulfing darkness. Despite the pain and suffering this man had caused her, she now felt compelled to save him, no matter the cost.

“Take it?” Robert strained, his voice tense as if exerting all his will to move. “I still can’t move my limbs. Fucking Dio has me trapped here.”

Avria shook her head, her eyes scanning the vast, empty expanse around them. She inhaled deeply, then pressed her palm against his chest. Robert gasped, his eyes suddenly widening in shock or revelation.

“What the—” the words fumbled out of his mouth. But soon she saw the warm recognition and understanding in his expression. He closed his eyes and let out a guttural yell. As if straining against the chains that bound him in place. Much like her own experience. She saw light begin to flood from him, casting the shadow of the darkened expanse away. The stream of light became a torrent, and he wrenched his arms up with a triumphant cry.

Avria had to shield her eyes from the brilliance that flowed from him, only to open them and see the sky of his Dunem Dae Espa had become a bright and beautiful sunrise. Robert blinked away tears as he gazed upon it as well. Disbelief and happiness on his face.

“H-how is this possible?” His words were full of emotion. “I can’t feel her anymore. I feel… nothing.” He breathed in deeply, shuttering as he exhaled.

Avria smiled, but started to feel something within her. A slight pinch in her abdomen. She pressed her hand to it, then felt another pull, far more painful and urgent this time.

“Avria?” Robert asked, sudden concern on his face. “Are you alright?”

“I…” Avria tried to speak, but the pain was too intense. She screamed as she fell to her knees. “No!”

“What the hell’s going on!?”

~

Avria's eyes snapped open, her vision swimming back to reality, only to be met with an overwhelming pressure that seemed to squeeze her very soul. She was engulfed by an impenetrable darkness, the void she had escaped from, after being devoured. Her body refused to move, bound by an overwhelming force, her heart pounding with a terror that tasted like bile in her throat. I'm still in Oo'lak! she thought, the realization slicing through her like a knife.

She clenched her jaw, defiance flaring within her like a beacon against the dark. She reached inward, seeking the power she had found in her Dunem Dae Espa, hoping it wasn’t a dream. She felt a flood of relief as she found the light, which pulsed like a heart made of starlight. With a guttural grunt, she unleashed this energy, a blinding wave that shattered the oppressive gloom around her. The darkness groaned, the pressure fracturing like glass under a hammer. A scream tore through the void, a sound so foul and vile, it caused her to gag, bringing a wave of nausea that she fought with a growl.

Summoning every shred of her will, Avria channeled her Dunamis again, the force erupting from her like a supernova. There was a sound like the world itself being torn asunder, and suddenly, she was falling, landing hard on a bed of grass, now a grotesque tapestry of entrails and black, oozing blood. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes darting back to the source of her escape.

There, writhing in agony, was Ool'ak, the demon, clutching at its guts, a yawning chasm where her power had ripped through it.

"Demon!" Avria's voice was a roar of vengeance, her hands thrust forward. Lightning, no longer the blue she was accustomed to, but a fierce, golden-white, erupted from her palms. The light was blinding, the sound like thunder clapping inside the demon's skull. The Dunamis seared into Ool'ak, its flesh charring, its screams a cacophony of pain and defeat. She poured her rage into the attack, unrelenting until the demon slumped, lifeless.

Before her lay the ruin of Ool'ak, its body a grotesque sculpture of charred flesh, its mouth locked in an eternal scream of agony, the last echo of its existence.

She fell to her knees, her breathing heavy, feeling nothing but her blood pumping through her body. She took a moment to look at her surroundings. She was in a forest. Most likely still in Baa’Yega, she thought.

The sound of feet pounding through the underbrush snapped Avria's attention away from Robert. She turned to see Greyson, Ashley, and Dorian burst through the tree line, their momentum carrying them to a sudden stop in front of her.

Greyson's eyes widened in shock, darting between her and the grotesque remains of Ool'ak. “You!” he exclaimed, his hand instinctively reaching for his blade. Ashley and Dorian mirrored his action, white bone glinting in the dim light. “How the hell did you—”

Avria didn't let him finish; she unleashed a surge of electricity, the force of it crackling through the air. She could feel her strength pulsing, rekindling like a stoked fire. All three humans countered with their own abilities, weaving defenses of their Dunamis. They retaliated with a barrage of their own attacks, lightning, blades of water, and stone spikes clashing against her golden power.

Frantic, she scanned for her blade, which must have been lost either on the battlefield or still lodged within the demon's charred insides. She'd have to fight without it.

A thunderous explosion erupted to her left, a wave of black energy slamming into her, sending her tumbling. She tried to roll with the blast, using the momentum to regain her footing, but she stumbled, crashing into a tree with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Pain seared through her as she gasped for air, but her breath halted when she sensed a presence far more ominous than Ool'ak had ever been. With a mix of fear and dread, she turned towards the source of the explosion.

There, floating in the air, was a woman encompassed by swirling black smoke, her face devoid of eyes, an abyss where they should have been.

“Foul little creature…” the being hissed, its voice like the whisper of death as it drifted closer.

“Dio!” Greyson's voice cut through the tension, his figure appearing beside the monstrous apparition.

Dio… Avria thought, her heart sinking into her stomach as she connected the dots. Is this… monster, Dio’Mar? Yet, she willed her heart to steady, her resolve to harden like bone. She had just clawed her way out of a fate worse than death; she would not succumb to this creature.

She rose to her feet, embodying the fierce spirit of a Lokkon warrior, her stance unyielding against her adversaries.

A chilling, distorted chuckle escaped from Dio’Mar, the sound grating against Avria's senses. “I sense the power of Daniel within you… very curious…”

“Is that how she survived!?” Greyson gasped, his breath heavy, his eyes reflecting a storm of doubt and fear.

“You are the first Dae…” Dio’Mar's voice carried a mocking edge, “to ever slay a demon… even a lesser one as Oo’lak was… Avria of House Regios… I am impressed…”

“Silence, you foul creature!” Avria's shout was defiant, her body tensing for attack, though her words rang hollow even to her own ears. This entity was beyond comprehension, beyond what should exist.

Dio’Mar raised a pale, almost ghostly hand towards Avria, her eyeless face twisting into a grotesque smile. “My words… are the least of your worries. For your crimes and defiance… I will keep you alive… trapped in a hole so deep… you will never escape… your screams and torment will be music to my ears…”

Avria's eyes widened, horror dawning as dark energy pooled in Dio’Mar's palm, the very air shivering with the anticipation of the coming blow. She found herself immobilized, panic seizing her. She cursed silently, her mind racing with the realization of her possible end. How can one fight against something so powerful?

“Dio!” A voice thundered beside Avria. She spun around to see Robert materialize from nothingness, his form caked in mud and grime, his hands raised in defiance. “You won’t have her.”

Dio’Mar’s eyeless visage contorted in what could only be shock as she swiveled towards him. “Robert… This is a surprise… so you were able to escape your prison…”

“You have been in my head for far too long,” Robert seethed, positioning himself as a shield for Avria. “Since the pit, was there ever a time you weren’t manipulating me? Dripping your poison in my mind? I fucking trusted you!” His eyes flared with an inner fire as he spoke. “When I had nothing… when I was at my lowest point… I found you. I thought I had someone I could confide in. Someone I could believe was with me when everything else was a fucked-up mess.” He clutched his forehead, barely containing his rage. “But it was all a lie. You were the parasite I should have avoided at all costs.”

“You think… that I controlled you?” Dio’Mar hissed, her voice like venom. “You… think that I made you do the things… that keep you awake at night? You are a fool… account for your sins… Robert… I was only the breeze that whispered… you were the force that made it all so… Do not hide from what you have done…”

“Bullshit.” Robert placed his hand on Avria’s shoulder, his touch grounding her. “We’ll see you soon, you fucking piece of shit. And when it happens, we’re going to destroy you.”

“You… are a fool…” Dio’Mar aimed her hand at him, and a high-pitched ringing sliced through the air, assaulting Avria's ears. She winced but stood firm.

Dio’Mar’s face twisted further into confusion. “You… are different…”

“You can’t control me anymore, bitch.” Robert spat, his grip on Avria’s shoulder tightening. The air around them began to shimmer, distorting like heat waves on asphalt. “Let’s go,” he whispered to her, and with a speed that seemed impossible, they were propelled through the air, several feet above the ground, leaving the malevolent presence of Dio’Mar behind.

~

“No!” Greyson yelled, his voice cracking as he watched Robert and the Dae princess vanish into thin air. His eyes darted frantically, searching for any clue of their destination.

“It’s not possible…” Dio’Mar hissed, her voice like the sound of glass shattering under pressure. “How did he change?” She let out a howl of rage, so vile that it forced Greyson to his knees, the sound like a physical assault. “Summon your familiars… find them… they cannot be allowed to escape!”

Greyson, struggling back to his feet, began slashing his sword through the air, each swing creating a portal. Ashley and Dorian did the same, their movements synchronized as they opened their own portals. Within moments, dozens of demonic familiars materialized, their forms grotesque and eager, awaiting their orders.

“Find Robert and the Dae princess who’s with him,” Greyson commanded, his voice stern. “They couldn’t have gotten far. Look for any signs of their passing.”

The creatures responded with a collective growl, then scattered into the forest in all directions, their dark forms melding with the shadows.

Greyson exhaled heavily, dread like a vice around his heart. “Fuck…” he whispered under his breath.

“How the hell did he escape?” Ashley asked, her steps echoing beside him.

“I don’t know…” Greyson admitted, his head hanging low, “I’m less surprised about how he escaped than how the Dae girl survived Oo’lak.”

“Nothing like that’s ever happened before,” Dorian remarked, sheathing his blade with a sigh. “Oo’lak has devoured dozens of Dae since he joined us. And probably hundreds or thousands before that.” He shook his head in disbelief. “She fucking ripped out of him, and blew him apart.”

Greyson glanced back at the charred remains of the lesser demon, a sight that defied his understanding. “I didn’t even think that Dae could kill demons. Cast them out, maybe… but this?” He gestured towards the corpse. “This shouldn’t be possible.”

“Dio’Mar said she had the same power as Daniel,” Ashley mentioned, her arms crossed, her face contorted in disgust at the mention of the name. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know!” Greyson's frustration erupted as he kicked the ground. “All I know is that we’re down two humans now! Lauren’s fucking dead, and Robert has the ability to hide from everyone.”

“She’s not—”

“She will be!” Greyson interrupted, his voice sharp. “She’s in the heart of their city. She won’t last long.” He clenched his fists in frustration. “We need to change our plans.” He faced Ashley and Dorian, his eyes gleaming with determination. “We aren’t going for the Visoth main gate. Our new target is in the Spirit Forest.”

“The small one?” Ashley questioned, “I thought Dio said it wouldn’t be enough to do anything. We needed the big one. If we open that, then all of them open.”

“We don’t have a choice.” Greyson spat out. “Without Lauren, and without Robert, we don’t have enough power to do it. This one will have to do. If we kill enough Dae, we can siphon their power, maybe making up the difference.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Dorian agreed with a shrug. “If we don’t… we’re screwed.”

Greyson’s heart plummeted at the thought of facing Mu’Dok with this news. “Yeah… we really don’t have a choice anymore.”