Into The Darkness

Story

The smoke and cinders had mostly dissipated by now, revealing what little was left of her former home. I could feel but just a cool breeze shift over my shoulder as we began to trog through the ash and rubble. My legs ached and were about to give out. Miya, however, showed no such feelings of weakness as she continued on ahead of me. Perhaps, the sense of urgency was what brought about this second wind within her. Yet, I think I could be feeling the same if I didn’t have to bear the weight of a second body for half of our journey. Nonetheless, whatever remaining energy she has within her remains of little use. We were too late from the start.

 

I noticed a tail of some type of rodent, pinned to the ground by a large piece of charred brick that had fallen from the structure that would have been standing in front of me. The last breaths of life in the once city of Venira had already been given. What was once a powerful nation, had now been reduced to scattered corpses and shattered marble. The absolute silence of this once roaring civilization was deafening, and the scent was suffocating. Nothing but the sounds of my own breath and my own heartbeat could I hear. 

​

“Ren!” I heard echoing in the distance.

​

Of course my energy would spike for a little at the sound of my own name. It seemed unlikely that there would be anything remaining of possible interest, but Miya wasn’t one to raise her voice over nothing. I could see her small figure hunched over something on the ground in front of her. Her long dark hair covered her as if she were but a ball of fur. She looked back at me.

 

“Ren, look at this” she said in almost a whisper as I reached her.

​

I peered over her head to match her gaze. A long stairway stood before us, reaching deep into the depths of the earth. If I had to estimate, it was about three meters wide and had a ceiling about five meters from the ground. Looking around, I notice a fragment of a familiar stone visage on the ground beside us. It was covered in red markings I had never seen before. 

​

“This is where Venira’s ritual temple stood.”

​

I can recall the many times in my life I have visited this structure and there had never been any sub-levels at all, the earth is too soft in this region to support them. So how is it possible that one now stands before us? I stared into the unending darkness. It was not possible. 

​

“What do you think could be down there, Ren?”

​

I could not answer her. I had but only a feeling that whatever was down there should be left alone and forgotten. 

​

“Do you think we should go check it out?”

​

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

​

“Why not? Everyone is gone, we are completely alo-”

​

Miya’s eyes were filled with tears. She had managed to remain composed since we arrived, but it was only a matter of time. We were completely alone after everything that had happened. I could not help but hold her close to me. Miya’s body feels incredibly frail and delicate. Our eyes meet. Her face is still colored with her sorrow. 

 

“You will never be alone, Miya” I say to her. She rests her head against my chest, while my head finally relaxes on top of hers. We embrace quietly as the sky begins to grow dark. I suppose I could afford to relax just for a little bit. 

​

I feel a cool bead make contact with my forearm. 

​

“Miya?” I say as I position my head to view her face.

​

“What’s wrong?” she replies calmly.

​

I then feel another fall onto my hair. It then occurs to me then and there that we have not yet established a shelter for ourselves. Embarrassed for being so easily side-tracked, I get up and focus my attention for a place to take refuge from the growing downpour. Miya gets up and joins me. However, we can find nothing but rubble and ruin in our vicinity. My attention then turns to the stairwell Miya had found earlier.

​

“I thought you didn’t want to go down there”

​

She spoke the truth. Even with this as our only option for shelter, I was still hesitant to venture down there. 

​

“We will only go as far down as needed to avoid the rain. Once it is over we can leave.” 

 

Despite my mind lingering elsewhere, my body would not let me forget our lack of rations. At every toss and twist there would be a searing pain at my side. Meanwhile, Miya remained comfortably curled up in her corner, relishing in her dreams. She could not be bothered. However, the issue remains that we had not found any source of nourishment before the downpour. At the brink of dawn we will be able to search for food.

______________________________________________________________________

 

Ren knew the night was going to be restless, but found comfort in the imminent arrival of dawn. He lay listening to the pitter-pattering of the rain. Faintly, another sound was audible though the stone, a slow progressive thumping as if the earth itself had a heartbeat. It slowly grew louder. No, it grew closer. Ren got up, primed to grab Miya from her slumber. On the ground, a figure could be seen gradually moving closer. From the darkness, a large rat scurries frantically up the steps. 

​

The thumping sound, however, continued. Further down the depths there was something large, something sinister. Ren’s ears were met with an ear-shattering shriek coming from below. The sound was enough to wake the unconscious Miya. The disoriented girl bolted up off the ground and glanced down once again into the abyss. 

​

“What is happening, Ren?”

​

“I don’t know, but there is definitely something down there.”

​

Another roar jetted through the corridor, sweeping the two of them off their feet. A distinct crack could be heard as they made contact with the floor. Miya looked up, a crimson trail trickling down the side of her head. With a concerned expression, Ren crept over to her.

​

“I’m okay, it’s just a scratch” she reassured him. “But we need to leave, I don’t think I want to know what’s down there any more.”

 

In agreement, the two of them rose from the blood covered stone and dashed up the steps towards the light of the entrance. The two of them ascended what seemed like a never ending staircase. The light before them only felt as though it only grew more and more distant.

​

“We couldn’t have been that far down, could we?”

​

“No, we only went far enough to avoid the torrent. We should have reached the surface by now.”

 

Both of them recognized that there was something else at work. No matter how far they climbed, they were no closer to reaching the exit than when they started. The earth furiously shook once more, sending dust from the ceiling down upon them and forcing the two back down to the muddy ground. This time, both of them were left in a paralyzing daze. 

​

“This must have been a trap. Someone must have known we were coming.” 

Miya began to cry. “I’m sorry…” she mumbled. ”I shouldn’t have brought us here… I brought us to our grave.” 

​

“It wasn’t your fault, if you hadn’t found this place then there was a good chance I’d have.” 

​

Ren turned around and stared down the dark corridor once more. He knew nothing about what lay in the bowels of this ominous chamber, but was frozen with fear.

He began to understand the two of them had but one option, although he was afraid to admit it. Mustering up his courage, he proclaimed to her.

​

“We have to go down there, Miya.” 

​

She was shocked at what she had just heard from him. “Down there? With that thing?”

​

The idea of meeting face to face with whatever demons lurked beneath them was insane.

​

“We don’t actually know what it is that’s down there, for all we know we could be overreacting.” 

​

Ren didn’t believe in the words that were coming out of his mouth, but he had to say something to comfort Miya at this time. He stretched his arm out to grab hold of her. She extended her arm out of grab hold of his cold soft hands. The pair rose once more to their feet and gazed into the obscurity. Ren began to take some steps forward. Miya began to follow but then hesitated.

​

“Do you think going further down is going to be safer than staying here?”

​

“Probably not, but we are trapped here regardless. We will starve to death or die of thirst if we simply stay put.” Ren once again extended his arm towards her. “We will probably be safer if we stay together.”

​

Somewhat assured, Miya began to follow him. 

 

The rumbling relented as the two made their descent into the unknown. Regardless of the twists and turns along the corridor, there always seemed to be enough light to see. Ren began to cough as the air gradually became musty and thick. A discernible warm glow made its presence known and its heat radiated through the air as if they were entering a recently activated furnace. The walls and floors remained the same etched stone they had been, but with markings in red beginning to appear. They were the same as the ones Ren had seen at the entrance, of some language or culture not known to either of them. It is unknown how long the two have been traveling, but it did feel to them that there was an end to this labyrinthine passage. 

 

The light at the bottom grew brighter with each step. The two began to hear the voice of something, no, someone. Their first encounter with life since the rat was approaching. They resigned to their fate for whatever they were about to encounter as there was no ability to turn back now. It shouted in frustration and torment sending waves of energy in all directions. Despite this, Miya was no longer afraid and kept moving forward in spite of her earlier resistance. Ren trailed behind her, closely monitoring both the path ahead and the path behind for anything that could possibly occur. 

​

“What do you think it is, Miya?”

​

“I don’t think either of us would like the answer to that.”

​

They both felt it within them that they were but a puppet to fate, as though they were being observed from the start. Ren had felt for some time that something beyond their understanding was studying them. The markings on the wall began to glow a bright orange as they reached the end of the stairwell. Everything pointed toward the corridor before them to find their peace. Ren and Miya entered the room.

 

Despite the incredible luminance as the pair approached from above, the interior of the room was dim. The ceiling raised a couple meters further and the room widened to the size of an average home. Pillared torches lined the room with a distinct violet gleam, despite the rose colored flames which burned. The red markings, which were now acertainably enchantments, lined the walls and floors converging at an elevated platform. Their footsteps echoed as all sound which previously inhabited this room had somehow vanished. As Ren looked around the room, Miya approached a pedestal at the room’s heart. 

______________________________________________________________________

 

It happened so suddenly, I could clearly distinguish drops of her blood suspended in the air as her body fell to the ground.

​

“MIYA!” 

​

Once again I was too late. A long dark arm caught Miya just before she hit the ground and dragged her back into the air like a ragdoll. The ichor in her veins dripped onto the ground. I stared into the eyes of the demon who grasped her.

 

At last. The soul of an Eridan. With the forged with the souls of a thousand humans, and now sealed with the soul of a divine. My vessel is complete.

 

As Miya’s body was laid, the runes began to adopt a deep violet hue. The earth trembled with rage. 

​

No, something is wrong. Something is missing. The runes have activated but have not revealed their truths.

​

The demon turned to me. I continued to stare back. Its form sprawled over the ground, wrapping around the pillars. The demon sunk into the floor as dark tendrils raised from the earth poised to strike. Thinking quickly, I leapt out of the way as I watched the ground where I had just stood be impaled. My luck ended there, however, as from beneath me the creature sprung from the shadows. I felt a distinct crack as my head landed on the altar. My vision began to blur and my mind went blank. 

 

“It seems that your time has come little one.” I heard in a soft but deep tone.

​

I opened my eyes. My ears were ringing an insufferable tone. The bright light made it difficult to make out what was in front of me. I could make out the form of a bearded man staring down upon me. My eyes could not stay open. Was I dead? Was that the end? 

​

“Get up!” I heard him say.

​

I pushed down with my arm but could not muster the energy to drive my body. I couldn’t move.

​

“I cannot”

​

“Your body is dying, but your soul lives on.”

​

“So I am dead? But what about Miya?”

​

“The girl lives but only just. You can save her…”

​

My eyes opened once again. Upon a second look, I saw no man, but only the shape of one. I could not determine the true form of the voice that reached me. I remained in the room where we had just been, but with a certain emptiness to it. 

​

“Only a resonant soul can hear my voice. I have awakened once again.”

​

“Is this what the demon wanted?”

​

“That monster is not capable of truly wielding me, for it has no soul of its own. No matter how many more it brings, it will never be able to hear me.”

​

“But I can hear you”

​

“Your body fails you. But the girl, she still lives. If she is able to reach me, she can be saved. You can save her.”

​

“How?”

​

“Your spirit is strong. You’ve stepped on the line between life and death but have not yet crossed. There is no way to undo that which already has been lost. As admirable and bright as your fervor, the voice that ties you to this world is that of my own. You must bring her to me.”

​

These words, I understood their meaning but not their intent. What was told of me seemed impossible in the state that I was in. My body lay frozen and cold. 

“Your spirit is strong. Go to her.”

​

Try as I must, I could not gather any strength within my body. Never had I exerted my will in such a manner. I then felt the warmth within me grow. It flowed throughout my chest into my head and my limbs. I felt light from head to toe. I began to float into the air, until I was completely off the ground. I looked down to see my body underneath me. The form I currently took was that of a foggy silhouette. I peered over towards the platform to see a small ornate blade laying on the altar. It was clear that what the creature was after lay right before me. However I wouldn’t be able to bring the blade to Miya as I am incapable of holding it. But I can reach out to her spirit and bring it towards the weapon. The air around me moved with fervor. Once again have I found myself within the violet glow of this insidious chamber. My return to the mortal plane had been a success.

​

I moved towards Miya, time seemingly catching up as I moved further from my original body. With haste I flew towards her. The darkness within the ground took physical form once again and glared. With unrelenting violence it flew towards her. I covered her with my body. The monster’s assult was deflected as its body split and flew past us towards the opposite wall. Its body was seared at the various points of contact it had with me.

 

What form of otherworldly magic is this?

​

To that I had no real answer, but this seemed to work in my favor. I grabbed Miya’s arm and extended it towards the dagger. Miya suddenly jolted up with panic and looked towards me. 

​

“I can’t! Please, just let me die.” she said as tears began to roll down her face.

​

I did not understand. Was there something else that I wasn’t aware of? Terror filled her face but her body lay still. Something within her was attempting to reject what was happening.

​

“PLEASE!” she cried once more.

​

I let go of her completely, but it was too late. The blade flew towards her on its own into her right hand. She let out an ear shattering shriek and began to shake as the dagger remained firmly in her grasp. The blade eminiated a deep scarlet glow as Miya’s injuries began to heal themselves. Her body was healing, but her soul… I could see her life being drained from her silver eyes. I impulsively grabbed her, but at the touch something began to burn. Letting go over her I backed off. Miya raised her arms towards me.

​

“Don’t leave me.”

​

 I wrapped myself around her as she lay on the ground still shaking in anguish. I began to share her pain, one which exceeded that which an individual would be able to handle. Her breathing was heavy but controlled. We lay together until the pain began to subside. I slowly began to let go of her, only to notice her pain beginning to resurge. 

​

“You saved me Ren.” she said.

​

While I was not there in physical form, she clearly recognized my soul.

​

“You saved me from being consumed.”

​

I initially assumed she alluded to the monster, but slowly realized that the greater threat lay between her fingers. 

​

“It seems we are at an unanticipated stalemate,” I heard a familiar voice say.

​

The bearded man’s voice whispered in my ear.

​

“Let her go and she will be saved. Your soul will never rest while you keep hold of her.”

​

“I am where I belong, you will not have her.”

​

“You cannot stay here forever, everyone has their time. Her divine blood will not expire before your soul. Once your time has run out, I will have my vessel. Until then…”

______________________________________________________________________

 

It became silent once more. Miya lifted herself off the ground. Her hair and skin have darkened and her once silver eyes grew a more reddish hue. Draped around her body like a cloak was Ren’s soul in material form, a wispy darkness with a faint but hot glow. She could not hear him but could feel his presence next to her. The form radiated a blinding heat. Miya’s head turned towards the corner and stared intently. The creature that had once been their hunter had been backed against the back like a cornered prey. 

Miya’s eyes glowed brightly as she licked her lips. The creature hissed in a futile attempt to dissuade her. Miya pounced on her prey.