Lord of Madness

Raven stood frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what was happening. The shock was like ice in her veins, but it quickly melted into a flood of overwhelming fear. The man she had married, the man she had trusted, was gone—replaced by the one being she had feared her entire life. "No..." she whispered, her voice trembling as her body began to shake. But the fear quickly twisted into something else, something raw and desperate. Her eyes flared with dark energy, her hands crackling with power as she summoned everything she had.

With a scream that tore through the night, Raven unleashed a massive blast of energy at Trigon. The force of the blast shattered the windows, blew the door off its hinges, and sent Trigon hurtling through the walls of the mansion. The air around them warped and crackled as the energy surged, ripping through the forest and obliterating everything in its path. Trigon crashed through trees, the impact sending shockwaves that leveled the surrounding forest. But when he emerged from the rubble, he was smiling—an amused, twisted smile that made Raven's stomach churn.

"Is that all you've got, Daughter?" Trigon taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. Raven gritted her teeth, her fear fueling her rage as she launched herself into the air after him, her hands glowing with dark power.

She attacked again, sending blast after blast of energy toward him, each one more powerful than the last. The ground below them cracked and shattered under the pressure, the earth crumbling as the shockwaves spread through the area. Trees were uprooted and thrown into the air like twigs, and the sky itself seemed to tremble as Raven poured every ounce of her strength into the assault.

But Trigon just laughed, easily dodging or deflecting her attacks, the smile never leaving his face. He wasn't even trying—he was toying with her, playing with her desperation like a cat with a mouse.

"Pathetic," he sneered, sidestepping another blast. "You've grown soft, Daughter. All that time pretending to be human... Did you really think you could escape what you are?"

Raven ignored his words, focusing only on the power building within her. She gathered it all, every bit of her strength, and unleashed a final, devastating blast—a wave of dark energy that surged toward Trigon with the force of a hurricane. But Trigon didn't even flinch. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a red barrier that absorbed the attack effortlessly. The energy slammed into the barrier and dispersed, leaving Raven panting and drained. Before she could react, Trigon reached out with Mark's power, a blue energy field wrapping around her body, yanking her through the air toward him. She struggled, trying to break free, but his grip was like iron. He caught her by the throat, his hand clamping down as he shifted their position, holding her horizontally above the ground.

"Enough of this," Trigon growled, and then, with terrifying speed, he plummeted toward the earth, dragging Raven with him.

They hit the ground with the force of a meteor. The impact created a massive shockwave that obliterated everything within a mile radius. The forest was reduced to splinters, the ground split open, and the surrounding homes were flattened like paper. Dust and debris filled the air, and for a moment, everything was silent—nothing but the sound of destruction echoing in the night.

Trigon slowly rose from the crater, dragging Raven's limp body behind him. He flew back toward the ruined mansion, the once-grand structure now nothing more than rubble. With a casual flick, he dropped Raven at the base of the ruins, her body crumpling to the ground.

Raven tried to push herself up, but the pain was overwhelming. She could barely move, her body screaming in agony. She looked up at Trigon, her vision blurred, and saw the satisfied grin on his face.

"This is where you belong," he said coldly, his voice devoid of any affection. "Broken. Defeated. Just like you always were."

Raven stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock, as the full weight of the situation bore down on her. The man she loved, the man who had been her anchor, was now possessed by the one entity she had feared her entire life. Her initial shock quickly transformed into overwhelming fear, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Please," Raven whispered, her voice trembling as she stepped forward. "Let him go, take me instead, just... let Mark go."

Trigon laughed, a deep, mocking sound that echoed through the shattered remains of their home. "Do not worry, daughter," he sneered, his voice dripping with cruelty. "I do not plan to inhabit this body for much longer... it isn't suitable for my purposes." Hearing those words in Mark's voice, twisted into something dark and sinister, made Raven's heart ache. The man she loved was trapped, his body and voice being used as a puppet by her father. It was almost too much to bear.

"What do you want?" Raven asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

Trigon's grin widened, his eyes glowing with malevolent intent. "What I've always wanted... freedom." With a wave of his hand, the ruins of their home were blown away, the ground shifting and reshaping itself into a twisted throne made of earth and debris. Raven was pulled toward him, unable to resist as she was forced to her knees before the demonic figure.

"You know the story, don't you, daughter... of the last war? How those accursed angels and their allies trapped me," Trigon began, his voice filled with venom.

"Everyone knows," Raven bit back, her fear momentarily giving way to anger. "And they're happier for it."

Trigon ignored her jab and continued, his tone growing darker. "There is something you don't know, however. After they trapped me, they used a spell... an ancient one, one I still have not even begun to understand."

Raven's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Trigon. For the first time, she saw something almost like fear in his expression, something that unsettled her deeply.

"The spell forced mortality on me, but not in the way you'd think. I am an immortal existence, a demon god, the Lord of Madness. But this spell shifted my perspective, my mind, limiting me to the experience of a mortal." Trigon's voice grew more intense, anger radiating from him in waves that scorched the ground beneath them.

"Do you understand what that means, daughter?" Trigon spat, his eyes burning with fury. "For thousands of years, I was forced to experience the mind of a mortal, driven mad by the constraints of that existence while trapped in a prison that kept me awake and in constant pain. Every hundred years, I would degrade to the point where I had to erase my own mind, lest I turn into a savage animal, I'd keep the important memories, but my mind became incapable of enduring infinity."

Raven was horrified as Trigon raged before her, his anger barely contained. His madness was clear, the result of eons of suffering that had twisted him even further.

"What does this have to do with Mark?" Raven asked, her voice shaking.

Trigon's lips curled into a sinister smile. "He was the perfect vessel at the time. He was heavily injured when my followers tracked him down, whatever technology he had in his body tried to keep his body going, acting in place of his heart. My followers placed the necklace on him, and I healed him enough for his own body to take over. But I also slowed it down and kept his memories from resurfacing."

"You're the reason Mark doesn't remember anything!" Raven shouted, anger surging within her.

"I needed him to stay with you," Trigon replied, his voice cold and calculating. "It was luck that he happened to be so close by, but it was I who kept him from leaving. I needed you two to meet, so I broke through your flimsy spell and allowed him to see you."

Raven felt tears welling up in her eyes as she processed what Trigon had done. "Why?" she asked, her voice breaking with emotion.

"I've given up on my original form, daughter," Trigon said with a dark chuckle. "It's a cursed existence. But I won't settle for any new body."

"You can't have Mark!" Raven shouted, her power surging as she tried to break free from Trigon's hold. "I'll kill you and erase your soul!"

Trigon laughed at her defiance, shaking his head. "You're foolish, daughter. I don't want Mark's body. My new vessel will be of my own blood."

Raven felt a chill run down her spine as his words sank in. "Me..." she whispered, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Not exactly," Trigon replied, his eyes glowing with malevolent glee. He raised his hand, a bolt of red energy shooting from his fingertips and striking Raven in the abdomen. She gasped in pain, collapsing to the ground as she felt something begin to change within her. Her belly started to grow and expand, as if she were suddenly pregnant.

"A vessel containing the perfect evolution of a Viltrumite and my own heritage," Trigon said with a sinister laugh. "It won't be at the same level as my own body, but it will be eventually." Raven screamed in pain and horror as the transformation continued, her worst fears realized.

Raven's screams echoed through the night as she writhed on the ground, the pain radiating through her body, overwhelming her senses. Around her, the once-quiet forest came alive with movement as figures in red cloaks emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath their hoods. They moved in unison, forming a semicircle around the throne that had risen from the earth, their heads bowed in reverence as they chanted, "Lord Trigon... Lord Trigon..."

One of the figures, larger than the rest, stepped forward, his steps deliberate and measured. He knelt before the throne, his head bowed even lower as he extended his arms, presenting two objects that seemed to pulse with light energy; the Spear of Destiny and the Helmet of Nabu.

Trigon, wearing Mark's form, grinned wickedly as he looked down at the man. "You've done well," he said, his voice reverberating with dark power. "When I enter this world, you shall all be rewarded."

The chanting grew louder, the voices of the cloaked figures filling the air with a fervent energy. They swayed slightly, their hands lifted in worship as they continued to repeat Trigon's name, their devotion clear.

Trigon's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he turned his gaze back to the man kneeling before him. "Is the spell ready?" he asked, his tone expectant.

The man with the spear nodded eagerly, his voice trembling with excitement. "Yes, my lord. The only thing left is the catalyst."

Trigon's grin widened as he looked toward the town below, already in chaos from Raven's earlier outburst. Panic had spread through the streets, the people of Bayview running in fear as the sky darkened above them. Raven, who had managed to push the pain down enough to get to her knees, looked on in terror, her eyes wide with horror.

"Please," she begged, her voice barely a whisper, her hands trembling as she reached out toward Trigon. "Don't do this... Please..."

But Trigon was unmoved by her pleas. He raised his hand, and a small sphere of fire appeared in his palm, its light flickering ominously. Without a second thought, he flung it toward the center of the town, the force of the throw causing a shockwave that rattled the trees.

Raven watched in horror as the fireball sailed through the air, her heart pounding in her chest. The sphere reached the town in seconds, and as it made contact with the ground, a massive explosion erupted, tearing through buildings and streets, consuming everything in its path. The screams of the townspeople were drowned out by the roar of the flames as the town was obliterated in a matter of moments.

The energy from the destruction surged through the air —all of their deaths acting as power— converging on the ruins of the town. A dark portal began to form in the center of the wreckage, swirling with malevolent energy. The cloaked figures around Trigon chanted louder, their voices filled with a twisted joy as they witnessed the ritual come to life. Raven's tears streamed down her face as she watched the portal grow, the reality of what was happening crushing her spirit. "No..." she whispered, her voice shaking with despair. "Please, no..."

But Trigon only laughed, his voice filled with triumph. "It's too late, daughter. The ritual is complete, and soon, I will be free."

Raven fell to the ground, her strength gone, her body wracked with sobs her vision darkening as the pain both physical and mental was too much. Trigon's eyes narrowed in disgust as he looked down at Raven's unconscious form, her body limp and vulnerable on the ground. He commanded his followers to take her through the portal, his voice carrying an ominous weight. The larger man, the one holding the Spear of Destiny and Nabu's helmet, stepped forward with reverence. He kneeled before Trigon, his head bowed low in submission.

"Be honored," Trigon intoned, his voice resonating with dark power. "You shall hold my spirit before I take my new body."

The man trembled with a mix of fear and awe. "It is an honor, Lord Trigon," he replied, his voice quivering as he accepted the necklace from Trigon's hand. He placed it around his neck, and as he did, his eyes glowed with an unearthly red light. Mark's body, still connected to the necklace's power, collapsed to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Trigon looked down at Mark's crumpled form, considering ending his life then and there. He raised his hand, dark energy crackling around his fingers, but paused. A cruel smile spread across his face as a more sadistic idea took root in his mind.

"No," Trigon murmured, lowering his hand. "I'll let him live. Let him see the destruction of all he holds dear. His suffering will be far sweeter than a quick death." Trigon also planned to leave behind a few false memories that'll make the destruction of this town even more painful. With a malicious laugh that echoed through the devastated landscape, Trigon ascended into the air, his immense power distorting the very space around him. He shot toward the portal, his laughter fading as he disappeared into the otherworldly rift.

————————————————————

Mark felt like he was drowning in an abyss, a deep, suffocating darkness that wrapped around him, pulling him down further and further. It was as if the world had collapsed into a black void, and he was stuck at the center, sinking with no hope of resurfacing. His mind swirled with confusion and fear, every attempt to reach for clarity only making him sink deeper.

Slowly, sounds began to pierce the thick darkness—crackling fire, distant and muted at first, then growing louder, sharper. The smell of smoke invaded his senses, harsh and acrid, burning his throat and nose. The heat from nearby flames brushed against his skin, pushing him out of the void. His eyelids felt heavy as he forced them open, blinking against the stinging smoke.

Mark groaned as he pushed himself up to his knees, his body aching with every movement. The world around him slowly came into focus, but it was a world that didn't make sense. He looked around and saw the town—his town—reduced to ruins. Buildings were nothing more than smoldering husks, and the sky was thick with smoke, obscuring the sun.

"What... what happened?" Mark muttered, his voice barely more than a rasp. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled, forcing him back down. His eyes darted from one burning structure to another, taking in the total devastation. Then, like a hammer to the skull, flashes of memories assaulted him. His own hands, covered in blood. Buildings crumbling as he unleashed powers he didn't fully understand. Screams—terrified, pleading screams—echoing in his mind, and the faces of the people he knew, twisted in fear and pain.

"No... no, no, no," Mark stammered, shaking his head violently as if he could dislodge the memories from his brain. "This can't be real... this can't be real!" His breathing quickened, becoming ragged as panic set in. He clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms so hard that they drew blood, but the pain was nothing compared to the horror growing inside him.

"I did this... I killed them all," he whispered, the reality of his actions crashing down on him like a tidal wave. His mind tried to reject it, to deny what he knew deep down was true. But the memories were too vivid, too real. He could still feel the power surging through him, still hear the snap of bones breaking under his fists, still see the life fading from the eyes of people he had once called friends. "No! NO!" Mark screamed, his voice cracking under the strain. He tore at his hair, desperate to rid himself of the images seared into his mind. "This isn't me! I'm not a monster!" But even as he said the words, he knew they were lies. The truth was right there, burning in front of him, and there was no escape from it.

He staggered to his feet, swaying unsteadily as his eyes locked onto the ruins of what had once been his home. His chest heaved as he looked at the bodies—charred, broken, unrecognizable—and he let out a guttural sob, the sound of a man breaking apart. "Please... please make it stop," Mark begged, tears streaming down his face as he dropped to his knees again, clutching at his chest as if he could tear out the agony that was ripping him apart from the inside. "I didn't mean to... I didn't want this..."

[Warning... processor... dam...aged. Rebooting.]

A robotic, female voice echoed inside Mark's head, the words distorted, glitchy, like a broken machine trying to sputter back to life. The sound was grating, pulling him out of the dark pit of despair just enough to make him aware of something other than his own misery. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog, but the voice persisted.

[Warning... mental intru...sion detect...ed. Compensating.]

The voice was still glitching, but less so now, becoming clearer with each passing second. It was as if something inside him was rebooting, kicking back into gear after being offline for too long. Suddenly, Mark's mind snapped into focus. The crushing weight of guilt lifted just enough for him to see through the haze. The memories—hovering above Bayview, the destruction, the deaths—they were real, but there was something off about them, something twisted and manipulated, made worse than it was.

"No... no, this isn't right," Mark muttered to himself, his voice trembling as he clung to the fragments of truth buried beneath the lies. He could still see it all so clearly—his friends, his town, everything reduced to ashes—but now he could sense the intrusion, the tampering with his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision as he choked back a sob. "They're gone... I killed them..." The clarity only made the pain sharper, cutting deeper into his soul. He mourned for his friends, the people he loved, the life he'd destroyed.

[Warning... nanosuit... has degraded significantly. Replication process has begun. Consume high... protein meals... for the next few days.]

The voice was back, drilling into his head with its cold, clinical tone. Mark winced, gripping his skull as a sharp headache flared up. It felt like his brain was being poked and prodded by needles.

[Warning... neural pathways severely degraded. Regeneration commencing.]

"Ahhh! Shut up!" Mark shouted, squeezing his eyes shut as he pressed his palms against his temples, trying to drown out the incessant voice. The pain was unbearable, like someone was drilling into his mind.

[Silent mode on.]

The voice cut off instantly, leaving only the ringing in his ears and the pounding of his heart. He let out a shuddering breath, the silence almost as jarring as the noise had been.

"Raven..." The name slipped from his lips, a sudden rush of panic gripping him as he snapped his head up, looking around frantically. His eyes fell on the massive portal that was slowly beginning to close, the edges of it crackling with dark energy.

"No, no, no!" Mark's voice rose in desperation as he pushed himself to his feet, his body screaming in protest. He launched himself off the cliff with a loud crack, the ground beneath him shattering as he slammed down where the portal was.

It was too late. The portal flickered, shrinking smaller and smaller until it was gone, leaving nothing but the empty, ruined space where it had been.

(AN: So it has begun. We are in the endgame now, Raven has been taken by Trigon as he plans to leave his eternal tournament by placing his spirit into a new body. Obviously he'll also be absorbing the energy from both artefacts pushing his body further into godhood. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)

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