Deep Within

(Traytora POV)

I don't know how long I was unconscious for but I eventually woke up. I felt terrible as I did my best to open my eyes as everything ached in pain. I heard a voice calling my name but I could barely hear anything with the ringing in my ears.

At some point I fainted again and ended up in a dream.

I was floating in an infinite black abyss.

I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel anything.

I just knew that I was. I didn't know anything besides that.

I had my memories. And I knew I hadn't dies as I would have most likely gone straight to hell if I did.

The last thing I remember was someone shouting my name. Probably Cythistia if I had to guess. I wish I didn't have to worry her so, but I don't seem to be able to leave or escape wherever I am. I can't even more.

All I can do is wait. Either until something happens or I leave. I don't know which will happen first but I'm hoping it's the latter.

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I don't know how long it's been but it feels like a really long time. Nothing has happened and I still can't leave this place, I tried but I don't even have a body here, only my mind.

I tried to use my mind to manipulate the space around me like I had some sort of kinesis ability, but no, nothing still.

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I have no idea how much time has passed, nor do I have a way to tell. All I know is that I feel tired. I don't know why, I just feel tired.

'I think... I'll just... Go to... Sleeepp...'

...

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When my mind had rested for long enough it awakened in the same black abyss as before, but now there were two semi translucent beings in front of me. One red, one blue. They didn't have solid shapes, and just had forms made out of coloured lines.

For some reason, I wasn't afraid when I saw them. I don't know why, but it felt like, they were a part of me.

Then the red one came forth and asked in an ancient and tempting voice.

"Do you know who I am?"

"N-No?" I replied, stunning myself as I realised that I could talk, something I wasn't able to do before.

That's when I realised that I could also see. I looked down and saw that I had a similar appearance to them, made out of various coloured lines with no solid shape. The only difference was that I had multiple colours, ranging from white to red, pink, purple and even a little bit of blue as well.

"Hmm, I thought you'd recognise me." The red being replied.

I couldn't quite make out their forms as they seemed to be both disfigured and blurry at the same time, although the red one seemed to be a bit clearer than the blue one. I could tell that they weren't like me, they seemed to have a more monstrous appearance

And as I stared at the red one some more, a thought came into mind.

"Nachash?" I asked nervously.

And then I could see who I now know as Nachash, smirk. And I then immediately realised that I could see him a bit better now as well.

"Good, good." Was all he said.

"Good?" I responded in confusion.

"It means you are becoming more compatible with this remnant of my power." He explained.

"...I- I don't understand."

"You will in time, but for now, you must unlock more power within both of your roots."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"You must fully embrace the power of your ancestral bloodlines. as well as the hidden potential of your soul. That way, you can embrace both of us and inherit our powers as well as our legacy."

"Wait, legacy? Are you two dead!?" I shouted in shock.

I saw them look at each other before the red one replied to my message.

"In a manner of speaking yes, but that wouldn't be entirely correct either. I can't say more for now, but when we next meet, I may be able to tell you more. For now though, you should wake up."

"Eh?"

I then felt myself being pulled from this black abyss. I felt myself slowly being pulled up and away from the figures.

"Oh, one last thing before you go, we have a little gift for you, here." He said as two small balls of seamless energy flew off of both of them and merged with my rapidly ascending body.

And soon enough I could feel myself returning to a much more natural state of being.

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(Cythistia POV)

It had been a day since we'd killed the boss of the first floor and Traytora still hadn't woken up. No-one had moved out to explore the second floor due to the fact that we were all still recovering.

I'd healed her of all of her wounds and some of the necrotic poison that pervaded her body, at least, I tried to, but the best I could do was keep it at bay with my own magic.

I don't know how long she'll be unconscious for, but I hope she wakes up soon. I'm really worried about her. I'd want her to… to… to…

*Sniffle*

I started crying out of fear that she might not ever wake up again when suddenly I felt movement in my arms.

I opened my eyes to see her starting to awaken. I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my embrace, still casting my magic to hold the necrotic rot inside her body at bay.

"I'm so glad you're okay, I-I thought y-you wouldn't e-ever wake up again..." I cried as I let out my emotions.

I felt her arms embrace me back, albeit weakly, as we both sat there in each other's embrace for a while.

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(Traytora POV)

After that weird experience in that bizarre place, I could once again experience reality as I should, and felt myself in someone's arms as a warm and serene flow of mana entered my body, making it feel extremely relaxed.

I knew who it was that was holding me so I tried to open my eyes to look at my love, but struggled to do so. And then I felt her hugging me, so I did my best to hug her back, and although my body struggled to do so, I did manage to wrap my arms around her.

We hugged each other for a bit before she forced me to lean back against her as she continued casting some magic on me.

"Wha-" *Cough* *Cough*

I tried talking because I could in that black abyss and for some reason though I could here, but that ended up damaging my throat slightly. I had thankfully recovered enough to the point where the damage wasn't that great and there was only a little blood that came out.

"Ah! Please try not to do too much, your body is infected with necrotic energy right now so you're very weak. I've done my best to counteract it, but all I can do is stop it from getting worse." She hurriedly explained to me.

I looked down at myself and saw that she was right, my body felt awful, and there were several patches along my tail that felt like they were rotting away. I also noticed that the mana that Cythistia was constantly imbuing into my body was being directed at these patches of rot.

I looked at my skin and saw that it was also very pale, and that some of my muscles had even shrunk a little.

Looking at my current state was depressing, so I tried to figure out a way to counter this necrotic rotting with the powers I had. Then I remembered that I had gained some extra power from those two beings, Nachash and... The other one.

So I opened my Soul Scroll to see what I could use.