Chapter 10

That night Ryder couldn't sleep well, though honestly who could?

It was still an odd feeling for him, sleeping in this world, resting in a body that didn't truly belong to him.

Up until this point he'd only gotten by resting for 2 to 4 hours at any given point. Yet the eeriness of it mixing with this rush of emotions made it hard to properly rest.

It already felt odd enough inhabiting an avatar custom made to you for therapeutic reasons but this… this was different.

To him it felt like being a parasite in someone else's mind, feeling their body smothering you as if they were nothing more than some cheap costume.

He felt especially sick as he thought about the body he was in… no it wasn't actually his body after all.

Once his mind finally did drift off properly the odd dreams would snap him back awake.

Dreams, visions of unrecognizable places and events, things that just could not make any form of sense to him.

He saw worlds burning, being destroyed by their own greed and pride as they massacred one another.

Universes colliding and turning into new realities, ones that shouldn't exist.

Felt the terror of watching a loved one die over and over again, being unable to do anything.

All of it rushing by in the blink of an eye, overloading his mind with each new scene that would form in front of him.

It made no sense, it was like watching sped up clips from a show out of order.

There was no rhyme or reason, only unending chaos that burned its visuals into his mind.

Then there was silence, everything came to a stop.

It was as if someone or something had plucked the confusion and overwhelming chaos right out of his mind as a new visual came into view.

A long grassy plain stretched out as far as the eye can see, the grass rolling with the soft breeze.

Clear blue skies hung overhead, not a cloud to be seen… nor any birds.

Nothing could be heard aside from the wind.

Ryder couldn't stop feeling like he was being watched though, as if someone had been standing behind him this entire time.

Slowly turning around he saw a breathtaking sight.

Standing before him was a tree larger than even the tallest skyscraper in the world.

He couldn't recognize what kind it was, it didn't look like any he'd ever seen before.

Its bark was a dark grayish brown, looking oddly resilient and tough.

The branches that seemed to cover the sky held dark greenish blue leaves that seemed to float gracefully to the ground every so often.

Ryder could see bits of teal on the branches as well, all grouped up in certain spots… fruit perhaps?

Lastly, starting from the ground and going up only about a quarter of the way was a tree hollow formed in it.

What was this tree and where was it? There was no clear indication that there was anything else around it at all, not even a single landmark.

Then he noticed it, the person who'd been staring at him this entire time.

It was a kid, no older than 10 at most… they were wearing an oversized green hoodie that almost looked like a tunic with brown pants and black sneakers.

They had perfectly brushed and cared for brown hair that sat just above their shoulders and bright emerald green eyes that matched the tree surprisingly well.

Slightly worn glasses rested on their nose making their eyes seem larger than they really were.

This kid seemed a bit scared of Ryder, clutching tightly at what seemed like a brown leather bound journal in their arms, it almost looked like a spellbook in their arms.

There was something important about it, he could feel it.

As if this kid and the journal held the answers to the mysteries surrounding this place.

Yet Ryder couldn't bring himself to move an inch as he looked at the kid.

Nothing but pure fear rested in those green eyes, they showed no hesitation to run at the slightest sign of aggression or attempt to move closer.

It was as if Ryder was an uninvited guest in their home, their shelter from the harsh world around them.

Not wanting to terrify the child Ryder simply did what he thought would be best in this case, he simply sat down on the ground before lying on his back and looking up at the branches above.

Surely the kid wouldn't be scared of this and he'd get to rest a bit longer.

This was just a dream after all, not like doing this would mean much in the long run, if anything he'd probably forget it when he wakes up anyways.

Yet he still couldn't bring himself to scare the already frightened kid, it just didn't feel right.

Letting out one long sigh he puts his hands behind his head and begins to fully relax, letting his mind drift a bit as he just gazes up at the sky and branches mixing overhead.

Whatever this place was, it was definitely a safe spot, there was no way anything terrible could happen here.

The sound of footsteps caused Ryder to loosely look over to where the kid had previously been.

Now seeing them stepping a bit closer, with that fear still clear in their eyes but now a look of cautious curiosity as well.

Their grip on the book loosened just enough to where a bit of lettering could be seen.

'Vi-' was all he could make out, the rest of the name was still blocked off.

Well at least the kid wasn't as scared anymore, he thought to himself before closing his eyes and fully relaxing.

Whatever this place was, real or digital, it was honestly the most relaxing place Ryder had been to.

He had hoped to find it again after waking up, maybe it was on the main continent somewhere? Or possibly even was a hidden location with another guardian.

Maybe the kid was the guardian?

Ryder shook his head a bit, no way.

It was a ridiculous idea, especially with the way the kid held themselves in comparison to the guardian.

It was also equally ridiculous that any of this dream would apply to their situation at all.

All it likely was is just his exhausted mind running through trying to make sense of anything that's happened.

Not to mention he was sleeping in Fulldive VR, which was like dreaming inside a dream, it's always been known to have funky effects on the mind.

There had to be a logical explanation for all of it…

There had to be…

"Ryder, wake up! It's already half past noon!" Lily's voice suddenly shouts into his ear, practically smacking him awake.

His eyes shoot open and he sits up in a panic, looking around confused at what just happened.

As he settles down to process what he's seeing he realizes that Lily is indeed in his room, that ever present overjoyed smile on her face.

"Oh good! You're finally awake!" she happily says while slightly backing up. "I was starting to worry we'd have to delay the plan."

Ryder just sits there in stunned silence for a moment, still processing what just occurred before sighing. "First real rest I've had in here and I get woken up by that…"

"Well sorry, you weren't waking up to the more gentle methods so I had to use some form of force!" Lily replies rather nonchalantly. "Besides, I figured you wouldn't want the plan delayed, right?"

"Wait, does that mean Aranea actually got it greenlit?!" Ryder asks, now practically forcing himself awake.

"Yup! No one had any real objections to it, most concern that was raised was you getting offed by the NPC… which is why Feros and I will be helping you with the fight when it's time!" She casually strikes a pose. "With us by your side you have nothing to worry about in the slightest!"

"Well that's good, at least I know I have some allies to rely on then… but now for the biggest part of the plan" Ryder stands up now, stretching slightly as he does so. "Getting geared up and seeing about making that pact…"

"You're seriously going through with that plan?! I figured we'd just level you up and then be good to go!" Lily practically cries in protest as she watches Ryder walk towards the door.

"Unfortunately I doubt leveling up will be good enough in this case, if this NPC is as strong as you all say then we'll probably need every advantage we can get."

With a sigh of defeat Lily reluctantly follows Ryder out of the room and down the stairs into the main lobby of the inn. Much to Ryder's surprise both Aranea and Radogan were waiting there for him, both with oddly positive looks on their faces.

"Well well, look who's finally awake." Radogan jokingly said while waving at Ryder. "Figured you'd be sleeping all day at this point."

"Honestly I probably could have if Lily didn't wake me up… I was having such an interesting dream too." Ryder replies while walking over to them. "So, what are you two doing here?"

"For starters we're here to get you properly prepared for the journey ahead." Aranea states while holding up a leather bag. "This has the memoirs you need to level up plus a few extras I included to help out."

"I brought you some new armor, don't worry, it's fully repaired and upgraded a bit." Radogan says, setting the armor on the counter. "Now I would've made you some custom pieces but I've been running low on supplies and this was all I really had sitting around."

Ryder smiles and walks over to the counter. "Oh don't worry about it, this is good enough for me." he casually picks up the armor and equips it on the spot, his mixture of metal and leather turning into a new form.

His new armor consisted of mainly silver plate mail with a bit of beige cloth peaking out, alongside that was a new dark gray hooded cape as well, though it looked like it'd seen better days.

To put it bluntly it looked like it'd been cut and burned to hell but could still barely function.

"The helmet option is a hood? I'm not complaining, it just feels a bit weird considering the rest of the set." Ryder comments while slightly moving around, trying to get a feel for the mobility of his new armor.

"It looks good on you, makes you look like some kind of hero right out of a fantasy book!" Lily replies happily, clearly trying to cheer him up a bit while walking to his side.

"I don't think that's a good thing in this world Lily… usually those archetypes die pretty quickly in the dark fantasy setting…" he replies while looking back at her.

"Well I doubt you have to worry about that, you already came back from 'dying' once! So what would actually kill you then?" She retorts jokingly while smiling.

"Getting stabbed by our mysterious NPC probably would…" Aranea interjects with a slightly worried smile on her face. "But all joking aside, I do wish you luck on your journey and we'll be waiting to see your safe return."

"And remember, if you ever need any repairs or upgrades, I'm your guy!" Radogan says with a rather proud smile on his face.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind… and I promise, whether this part of the plan works or not I will still try my hardest to beat that NPC." Ryder promises while looking at both Aranea and Radogan.

"Before that just come back safe, alright?" Aranea replies while softly smiling. "Now then, get going before you lose more daylight." she motions to the door behind them.

"Right… we'll return as soon as possible!" Ryder says before marching out the door, leather bag in hand and Lily close behind.

As the two set out Ryder takes a moment to really take in the smell of the fresh air in the fields and the sun shining down on his skin.

It still was an amazing feeling to him, no other fulldive world felt as… real, as alive as this.

His eyes loosely went up to the bluish gray sky where a couple of birds flew around, the sound of their cries being ever so faintly heard.

The rustling leaves from the trees swaying lightly in the breeze, the sounds of all the footfalls from passerbys.

It all felt so real, like some long forgotten memory.

Even the occasional jingle from the leather bag in his hand felt natural.

As if reading his mind Lily spoke up. "Crazy huh? Even for a vr freak like me these views still catch me off guard."

Ryder just nods his head a bit and hums in agreement, still a bit awe struck by everything.

"Hey don't worry, you'll get used to it soon enough, especially with peaceful areas like this." She offers him a brighter smile than usual as she motions around them. "Everyone has been giving it their best effort to make this place safe for pros and newbies alike!"

"I can tell, I'm honestly impressed with the work you guys have done." he offers a small smile in return.

"We probably could've gotten more done if that NPC hadn't been such a roadblock… but that's fine! We'll make it past him soon enough!" Lily's optimistic voice lifts his spirit a bit.

"You're incredibly optimistic, you know that? Like surprisingly so at times." Ryder replies before looking forward again.

"Well you gotta stay positive no matter what! Can't expect other people to be positive for you after all." she smiles and looks at the bag in his hand. "So, what extras did Aranea pack?"

"Oh right, I forgot to check…" Ryder mumbles while holding up the bag and opening it up.

Inside the bag was a couple of glass bottles holding some kind of teal looking liquid, alongside those was a small ragged book and what appeared to be a grappling hook.

Ryder pulls out the grappling hook with curiosity, feeling the weight in his hand as he lightly swings it around.

It's light enough to not be a bother but seems durable enough to block a weapon.

"Are you already thinking about how to use it differently?" Lily asks while now staring at him with slight concern. "Seriously, first it was the flare stone, then your cape, what next? Are you going to use that as a weapon?"

Ryder slides the grappling hook back into the bag and just shrugs a little "Maybe, it is an option."

"I was joking! You can't seriously be considering it!" she responds in shock while walking in front of him.

With a smile Ryder just strolls past her, as if affirming her claim.

Sighing and being unsure what to think she simply follows behind him, watching as he uses the memoirs to level up on their way.

Though he does spend a lot of time selecting his points, as if being overly cautious as to what needs to be picked.

"Oh yeah, what kind of build are you going for?" Lily asks, walking up to his side. "I don't think I've ever asked before."

"Personally I'm going for a mixture of dexterity and strength, that way I can use most weapons." Ryder says while closing his journal. "I've found that it usually helps me out more in the long run."

"Ahh, that makes sense, you don't seem like you'd be focusing purely on one stat magic type builds, like Demea!" she happily states as a reference.

"Nah, I usually try to go for a little bit of everything once I'm at a high enough level." Ryder responds before looking to his right, seeing the woods leading into the castle approaching. "After all, you never know when a magic item might come in handy either."

Upon approaching the woods it's clear that it's calmer than last time, all the magical creatures seem to be hiding deeper in.

Without an ounce of hesitation Ryder walks in, unafraid of getting lost again like last time.

Surprised, Lily just follows behind him, trying to see if he memorized a way through already.

The two walk quietly for a moment until Lily spots something, the creatures from before, they aren't running away from him… they're cautious but not fleeing.

A slight smile crosses Ryder's face, as if a theory had just been proven correct in his mind while he keeps passing them, showing no ill will.

"How did you know this would work?" Lily asks as a fairy flies right past them.

"I didn't, I only had a hunch they wouldn't be as scared now." he replies while approaching the gravesite once more. "And when they're not afraid the forest isn't your enemy."

"Woah you really lead us through… everyone else has still had a hard time getting in or out, usually takes thirty minutes or so." Lily replies while examining the swords again, her eyes softening a bit, a bit of sorrow lurking beneath the surface.

Lightly he follows her gaze, a bit of sorrow also filling him. "Really wonder what happened around here huh? Place seems like it probably has a lot of history."

Lily nods quietly. "Yeah… hopefully we can find out what happened one day." without another word she moves to the lift inside the cave and waits on Ryder.

Cautiously he steps on and rides up the lift with her, making note of her rather sudden mood change.

Part of him wants to ask what's wrong, but he doesn't, for he feels it's not his place to ask that, not yet anyways.

After all, who was he to ask that of her? Especially when it might be something personal…

She may see them as friends but he feels like he hasn't earned that right, not yet.

The castle seems a lot cleaner and a bit noisier as well, people can be heard talking, some sit on the stairs reading scrolls and others seem to be carrying weapons around looking for something.

"So, where do we need to go?" Lily asks looking back at Ryder.

"Same spot I dived off last time…" Ryder says while walking up the stairs, looking at all the players he passes. "What's with all the people here?"

"They're trying to uncover the mysteries of this place, hopefully to find anything useful." Lily replies while following behind him. "It's all they really can do at this point, especially with the mainland still being inaccessible."

"Right, well at least we have people working on decoding these texts." he replies before continuing on.

The two continue through the halls until making it to the balcony where Ryder pulls the grappling hook out and gets ready.

"We're seriously going to descend here? Isn't there another way?" Lily asks while looking over the edge at the barely visible anomaly below.

"As far as I know there isn't, so we're going to have to go this way." Ryder replies while hooking up the grappling hook to the railing and throwing the rope over. "Now then, are you ready to see what's on the other side?"

Lily hesitates for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Yeah, let's just hope we can get out quickly… I don't want to go missing for a month."

Quickly Ryder grabbed the rope and began slowly sliding down the side of the mountain, the anomaly below growing closer and closer until it swallowed him whole.

With Ryder now gone Lily saw no option but to follow him in, quickly descending the rope as well.

Though nervous she didn't stop, reaching the anomaly faster than anticipated and felt its grasp drag her down off the rope now forcing her into a freefall.

The normal world seems to quickly glitch and fade away into a pitch black abyss as she falls deeper down into the nothingness, her fear growing until suddenly the falling stops.

What was once a freefall has now turned into an odd feeling of suspension… no, floating would be the better word for it, as if she's been dropped underwater.

Drifting among the darkness she floats there, confused as to what this place is.

Oddly as well she doesn't seem to need to hold her breath or even need to breathe here, in fact most of the hud has completely vanished.

The cool water-like substance was relaxing, soothing almost, yet it certainly wasn't something natural.

No, Lily recognized this feeling all too well, it was something felt only in her deepest dreams.

Something that only occurred to her when on the line between life and death.

Why was she feeling this here and now? What was this place? Why did it exist?

Seeing the briefest amount of light shining from below her she quickly swam down, hoping to find the exit to this odd space. As she swam ever closer to it, that's when she saw something peculiar, half sunken buildings below the water's surface, gray skies hanging overhead, then the strangest sight of all.

Ryder stood there, standing on the surface of the water, only moving once spotting her.

Not wasting a moment he knelt down and stuck his hand back into the abyss, reaching out for her.

Lily takes his hand and begins emerging from the abyss, surprised to find herself incredibly dry and the water to now be solid enough to stand on.

She taps her feet against it a few times, while the water does come up almost to their ankles it's surprisingly solid and feels almost like walking on glass.

Looking up she sees the gray skies and dark abyssal water stretch out endlessly into the horizon, the buildings all around them seemingly being remnants of whatever this place once was… a scraped area perhaps? No that's not right, this area wasn't just left over… this felt… deliberate, something put here on purpose.

To her it felt like a dream, the flashes of a mind submerged in their own thoughts while comatose.

"Ryder… where are we?" Lily asked, her usual chipper attitude clearly gone now replaced with worry and concern.

"Wish i could tell you… all i know is supposedly this is a place between realities according to Yuria." Ryder replies looking around, his own eyes being filled with a bit of anxiousness as he looks around. "I can really tell now… that she wasn't lying."

"Lying about what? This being a separate reality?" She looks to Ryder confused as he crosses his arms.

"Not just that, but the fact that time doesn't flow normally here." he shifts a bit, clearly uncomfortable. "I couldn't notice it the first time but now I can… have you ever had that feeling where 2 minutes feels like an hour? Or sometimes even the opposite?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it I am getting that odd sensation… but that doesn't mean anything, right?" she looks around nervously "surely it's just our imagination."

Ryder shakes his head a bit. "I don't think we'd be that lucky, especially since I spent most of my time here in that month I was gone."

"This is so confusing! Why, why does this exist?!" Lily cries out while walking towards one of the buildings.

"If I had to guess? The creator was probably hiding something, and this is a result of whatever that is." slowly he follows behind her, seeing his markings from before were still there.

Lily traces her fingers along the various cut marks formed in the building, as if trying to figure something, anything out about this place.

Yet no matter how hard she tries she can't shake that feeling from before.

"I doubt we'll find anything else out now, besides our top priority is trying to make that pact." Ryder says while looking around, clearly looking for something.

"Right…" Lily halfheartedly replies before walking back to him and following his gaze to the distance. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out how to get the guardian to show itself… because we can't move forward until it appears." his eyes focus on one spot, the building he had last been when the guardian had spawned initially.

Lily watched in curiosity as Ryder took a deep breath before yelling out into void. "Guardian! Show yourself!"

She stares in disbelief, watching him stand there after seriously yelling for an unknown entity to show itself, as if that'd work.

Much to her surprise though it seems that it might've worked as the ground begins to shake and the water ripples under their feet.

Soon enough across from Ryder a towering figure emerges from the water, something incomprehensibly large and humanoid towers above them.

It appears to be made of the pitch black liquid and it's only a top half and nothing can be seen below the waves.

The entity's head is featureless save for two glowing yellow lights for eyes that seem to stare into Lily's very soul.

Her body tenses up and hands begin to shake at the sight of it, yet the lights… they don't seem harsh, cruel… somehow… it almost seems like they hold empathy and sorrow behind them.

As if the creature didn't want to fight, like it was just tired of being here.

Its eyes spoke a thousand words to the duo in complete silence, its body not even moving an inch while just gazing down at them.

"We did not come here to fight you." Ryder spoke up, motioning to his sword which was still in its scabbard. "We only came in hopes of making a pact with you, to gain your help on our quest."

Shifting its focus entirely onto Ryder the entity looks at him curiously, as if perplexed by his words.

"All we want is the ability to keep others alive and to make it home in one piece… to prevent any more needless deaths!" Ryder took a step towards the entity. "I know not your name or purpose but a friend said you might be able to help us, so I'm willing to take that chance."

Silence fills the dreamscape as the entity just stares at Ryder, seemingly processing the request before something happens.

A voice speaks to them, though saying it's a voice is putting it generously.

It's more along the lines of a deep rumbling, yet they could still understand it clearly.

[Omen; Fragment of the End]

[This is the name I've had since the beginning of this nightmare]

The entity's eyes begin to glow brighter, seemingly readying an attack of sorts as the water begins to act more violently around them.

It focuses full attention on Ryder now as it judges him.

[Will you accept the weight of my name? To be the Harbinger of the end times?]

[Those who know of my existence will see you as a threat to everything]

[You will become the enemy of creation itself]

Lily looks to Ryder, concerned at what might occur but pauses when she sees the smile on his face.

He is undaunted by this show of power or the claims the entity has put forward, no fear is in his eyes.

"To be honest with you, I still don't know what any of this means." Ryder takes another step forward. "But frankly I don't see you as bad as you say."

The entity pauses, perplexed and trying to figure out what he means.

"There's a difference between darkness and evil after all, and frankly while you may seem to be darkness there's no way you're pure evil." Ryder crosses his arms. "After all, your darkness didn't terrify the magical creatures like that evil book did."

[Child of man, what point are you trying to prove?]

Ryder crosses his arms and thinks for a moment. "I guess what I'm trying to say… is that you're not evil, just darkness incarnate." Ryder looks up at the entity, maintaining eye contact. "You are a natural part of the universe, just as the end of everything is."

"Ryder what-" Lily starts but is cut off as Ryder just looks at her.

"It's okay Lily, I think I know what I'm doing." Ryder shifts his attention back to the entity before pointing at it. "How about it? Was I right?"

[....]

[Indeed you are]

[You have passed the trial]

The entity's waves slow down and its eyes seem to glow much softer.

[I am Omen, the darkness incarnate]

[I am a Fragment of the End, for darkness is all that shall remain in the end]

Ryder nods, seemingly following along with it. "And because of that, those who don't understand view you as a creature of evil, trying to manipulate you for certain goals or attempt to strike you down."

[Like the priest who came before, driven mad by the knowledge the darkness holds]

[Darkness is not evil, nor is it good, it simply is]

"It's only as good or evil as the person wielding it… and only those that understand should be able to walk within it."

The entity's eyes seem to light up a bit more now, seeming to be overjoyed about what Ryder states.

[You are an interesting one, only one other has been able to come to terms with my existence]

Suddenly the entity lowers its hand to the grounds in front of Ryder.

[I ask you again, child of man, will you accept the title of Harbinger?]

Ryder looks at the hand for a moment before approaching and placing his own hand on top as best he can. "I will, I don't care how anyone sees me, I'm going to use the power of darkness not for destruction but to free my friends and any innocents from this place."

The ground beneath them begins to rumble once more as the entity glows with an odd yellow light.

[Then carry this burden with you till the end of time, let the mark of darkness be engraved upon your very soul]

Suddenly the entity grabs Ryder, clutching him tightly within its fist, until suddenly it bursts into a ball of pitch black flames and the entity vanishes.

Where the entity's hand once was now stands Ryder, covered in these pitch black flames, eyes lightly glowing with a yellow tint.

"Ryder?" Lily asks, cautiously approaching him, unsure of what to think.

"I'm fine… I'm still me." Ryder replies, letting out a sigh of relief. "Honestly I didn't know what to expect from that but it certainly wasn't this…"

"Well at least you're alright… but how do we get out of here now?" Lily looks around, clearly looking for an exit.

"Last time I got washed away by Omen… but now that I have their power I wonder…" Ryder puts his hand forward and snaps, causing the abyssal waters to lift up and form a portal. "Huh, good to know."

"How did you do that?" Lily asks, walking closer to the portal. "This is something only a game master should be able to do."

"Once again, no clue, I'm just winging it… I don't even know what abilities I got from Omen… but I at least know these flames will be helpful." Ryder states while stretching a bit, the flames and glow now vanishing from him. "Come on, we should probably make sure we weren't gone super long."

Lily nods as Ryder approaches the portal. "Right, I'm sure Aranea and the others are waiting on us."

"Yeah." Ryder looks at the portal. "And we've still got an NPC to fight."

With that the two step into the dark portal, venturing into its shade to return to the outside world.

It's darkness being an odd comfort but where it'll put them? Neither knows.

All they can do now is hope for the best as the darkness begins to part and reveal their surroundings.