Chapter 18
Chapter 18: Ninth Circle: Treachery – "The Frozen Lake of Betrayal"
The shimmering barrier to the Ninth Circle dissolved, plunging Nycresia, Drave, and Arriane into a world of ice and darkness. The temperature plummeted so rapidly that Nycresia felt her breath freeze in her lungs. Before them stretched Cocytus, the vast frozen lake of Hell, its surface a mirror of black ice.
Drave's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the desolate landscape. "The frozen lake of Hell," he muttered, his voice tight with concentration rather than fear. "Home to the traitors."
Countless souls were trapped in the ice, their faces contorted in eternal agony. Some were submerged up to their necks, others completely entombed, visible only as dark shapes beneath the surface.
"We need to keep moving," Nycresia urged, her teeth chattering. "If we stop, we'll freeze."
They pressed on, carefully navigating the treacherous surface. As they progressed, Drave consulted the ancient tome he carried, its pages seeming to turn of their own accord.
"The lake is divided into four concentric rings," he explained, his voice steady despite the howling wind. "Each represents a different type of betrayal. The closer we get to the center, the worse the treachery."
As they entered the second ring, the ice began to crack and shift beneath their feet. Nycresia stumbled, nearly falling into a widening fissure. Drave caught her arm, pulling her to safety with surprising strength.
"Run!" Arriane shouted, already sprinting towards what looked like more stable ground.
They raced across the fracturing surface, leaping over widening chasms and dodging falling shards of ice. Just as they reached the edge of the third ring, a massive crack opened up behind them, swallowing the path they had just crossed.
The third ring was dotted with what looked like black holes, each emanating an otherworldly cold. "Trapdoors," Drave said grimly. "One wrong step and we'll fall through, trapped in the ice forever."
They inched forward, testing each step. Halfway across, Arriane suddenly cried out. Nycresia turned to see her friend sinking into one of the black holes, the ice around her feet having given way without warning.
"Ree!" Nycresia lunged forward, grabbing Arriane's arm. Drave was there in an instant, adding his strength to hers as they struggled to pull Arriane free.
"Let go," Arriane gasped, her eyes wide with fear and resignation. "Save yourselves."
"Not a chance," Drave growled, his jaw set with determination.
Nycresia's mind raced, searching for a solution. "Arriane, your mushrooms! Can you use them here?"
Understanding dawned in Arriane's eyes. With a look of intense concentration, she summoned her power. Tiny, luminescent mushrooms began to sprout from the ice around them, their roots spreading and interlocking, creating a stable network beneath their feet.
With a final heave, they pulled Arriane free. The three collapsed onto the now-stable ice, gasping but alive.
"Quick thinking," Drave muttered, helping Arriane to her feet. His eyes betrayed a hint of warmth, quickly masked by his usual calculating gaze.
They pressed on, finally reaching the edge of the fourth and final ring. In the center, barely visible through the swirling ice and snow, they could make out a massive shape.
"Lucifer," Drave whispered, his voice filled with a mix of awe and cunning. "The source of all treachery."
As they approached, the shape became clearer – a colossal figure, trapped waist-deep in the ice, with three faces and six wings that beat constantly, creating the freezing winds that swept across Cocytus.
Lucifer's central face turned towards them, its eyes blazing with infernal light. When it spoke, its voice was like the grinding of glaciers.
"SEEKERS OF THE PATH," it boomed. "YOU HAVE COME FAR, BUT YOUR FINAL TEST AWAITS. TO PASS, YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE. ONE OF YOU MUST REMAIN HERE, TRAPPED IN THE ICE FOR ETERNITY, SO THAT THE OTHERS MAY PROCEED."
Nycresia felt her heart drop. She looked at Drave and Arriane, seeing her own horror reflected in their eyes.
"There has to be another way," she said desperately.
Lucifer's laughter shook the very foundations of Hell. "THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. CHOOSE, OR ALL OF YOU WILL REMAIN HERE FOREVER."
Drave's eyes flickered to the ancient tome, his mind working furiously. "Wait," he said, his voice steady. "We reject your choice, Lucifer. The tome speaks of another path."
For a moment, silence fell over Cocytus. Then, to their amazement, Lucifer began to laugh – not the bone-chilling sound from before, but something almost... appreciative.
"CLEVER, MORTALS," the fallen angel rumbled. "YOU HAVE PASSED THE FINAL TEST. THE PATH IS OPEN TO YOU."
With those words, the ice beneath their feet began to shift and crack. But instead of plunging them into the depths, it formed a staircase leading upwards, towards a point of light in the distance.
As they ascended, leaving the frozen horrors of the ninth circle behind, Nycresia felt a warmth growing in her chest. They had done it. They had survived Hellbreak's Inferno.
Drave turned to her, a mix of triumph and something deeper in his eyes. "We made it," he said softly, allowing himself a rare smile.
Arriane rolled her eyes, but there was unmistakable fondness in her voice as she said, "If you two start kissing, I'm throwing myself back into Cocytus."
Laughing, the trio continued their ascent. As they neared the exit, the light growing brighter with each step, Nycresia knew that whatever challenges awaited them beyond Hell, they would face them together. They had been forged in the fires (and ice) of the Inferno, and emerged stronger for it.
As they emerged from the blinding light back into Reverie Camp, Nycresia, Drave, and Arriane found themselves disoriented by the abrupt transition. The familiar surroundings felt surreal, almost dreamlike, after their harrowing journey through Hell. Their sigils pulsed with newfound power, an otherworldly energy that seemed to course through their veins, both invigorating and unsettling.
An Overseer materialized before them, its kitsune mask an impenetrable barrier hiding any hint of emotion. "Congratulations, contenders," the figure intoned, its voice a disquieting mix of amusement and something darker, unidentifiable. "You have survived the first Hunt. Rest and prepare, for the challenges only grow more... intricate from here."
As the Overseer vanished, Nycresia caught a glimpse of something beneath its mask - a flash of inhuman eyes that sent a chill down her spine. She looked at Arriane and Drave, seeing her own exhaustion and confusion mirrored in their faces. They had forged a bond in the depths of Hell, but now, in the harsh light of the camp, doubts began to creep in.
Arriane broke the silence first, her usual cheer sounding forced and brittle. "Well, that was... something. I vote we never do that again." Her laugh was hollow, eyes darting nervously around the camp.
Drave's response was measured, his gaze alert and wary. "I have a feeling we won't get much choice in the matter, dear Ree."
Drave's eyes scanned their surroundings, his mind already plotting their next move. "We need to gather information," he said quietly. "Find out what other contenders experienced, what they know."
Nycresia nodded, her mind racing with questions that seemed to multiply by the second. "We also need to figure out what this was all about. Why put us through that? What are the Enoch really after?" As she spoke, she noticed other contenders emerging from their own Hunts. Some looked triumphant, others shell-shocked, but all bore the same haunted look in their eyes.
The camp buzzed with activity as Overseers tended to the wounded and prepared for the next phase of the competition. But beneath the surface, Nycresia sensed an undercurrent of fear and mistrust. Whispered conversations fell silent as they passed, and more than once, she caught glimpses of hooded figures in the shadows
Arriane stretched, wincing slightly. "Well, whatever comes next, at least we know we can handle it. Though I vote for somewhere warmer next time."
As they made their way through the camp, Nycresia couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
We did it, she thought, allowing herself a small smile. We actually survived.
As they made their way through the camp, seeking food and rest, Nycresia couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The sensation intensified as they passed a group of contenders huddled around a makeshift fire. One of them, a gaunt woman with haunted eyes, grabbed Nycresia's arm.
"Did you see it?" the woman hissed, her grip painfully tight. "The truth beneath the ice?"
Before Nycresia could respond, an Overseer appeared, gently but firmly separating them. As the woman was led away, still muttering about "truth" and "ice," Nycresia noticed a symbol etched into the ground where she had been sitting - a complex glyph that seemed to writhe and shift when looked at directly.
Drave's hand found Nycresia's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever comes next, we face it together," he said softly, echoing her earlier words. But there was a tension in his voice, a flicker of doubt in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Arriane pretended to gag at the gesture, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Alright, lovebirds. Let's find some food and a place to rest. I have a feeling we're going to need all our strength for what's coming." As she spoke, her gaze lingered on a group of contenders who seemed to be arguing heatedly, their voices carrying words like "sacrifice" and "necessary evil."
But as the camp bustled around them, preparing for the next Hunt, Nycresia knew that this was only the beginning. The true challenges of Hellbreak Conquest lay ahead, and they would need every ounce of strength, wit, and trust they had built to survive.
She glanced at Drave, noting the determined set of his jaw, the glint of scheming in his eyes. There was still so much she didn't know about him, so many secrets he kept close. But she trusted him, despite it all.
Arriane bumped her shoulder playfully, breaking Nycresia out of her thoughts. "Stop brooding, sis. We've got this."
Nycresia smiled, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "You're right. Whatever comes next, we face it together."
Drave sat with them, the ancient tome open on his lap, his eyes scanning the pages for any information that might give them an edge. Despite his cool exterior, Nycresia could see the protectiveness in his posture, the way he positioned himself between the sisters and the rest of the camp.
When the night fell, they found a quiet corner to rest, but sleep proved elusive. Nycresia's dreams were a chaotic mix of hellfire and ice, betrayal and sacrifice. She woke with a start, heart pounding, to find Drave sitting up, staring into the darkness with an unreadable expression.
"Can't sleep?" she asked softly.
He turned to her, and for a moment, Nycresia thought she saw a flicker of someone - or something - else behind his eyes. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a weary smile. "Just thinking about what's ahead," he said.
Nycresia's mind whirled with possibilities. What other nightmarish realms would they have to navigate? What was the true purpose behind Hellbreak? And how were they going to survive it all?
As dawn broke over the camp, bringing with it the promise of new challenges, Nycresia couldn't shake the feeling that they were pawns in a game far larger and more sinister than they had imagined. The true nature of Hellbreak Conquest remained shrouded in mystery, but one thing was certain - the trials they had faced in Cocytus were only the beginning.
The camp stirred to life, but the atmosphere was thick with tension and unspoken fears. As they prepared for the day ahead, Nycresia overheard fragments of conversations that sent chills down her spine:
"...saw something in the ice, something ancient and terrible..."
"...heard whispers of a 'final transformation'..."
"...think the Enoch are even human?"
Each revelation, each unanswered question, added another layer to the psychological burden they carried. The horrors of Hell had followed them back to the world above, blurring the lines between nightmare and reality.
As an Overseer approached to brief them on their next challenge, Nycresia steeled herself. Whatever lay ahead, whatever dark truths awaited them in the depths of Hellbreak Conquest, she was determined to face it. But as she looked at Drave and Arriane, she couldn't help but wonder - how much more could they endure before the cracks in their unity became chasms?