May Hay

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Lennon 'Bladed Monster' Hull

"Where do you reckon we are?"

Glancing at Edward, the man who riles up my heart, getting it beating in anticipation for a future duel he promised me, I examine his features. He knows far more about this place than me, and I know he's hiding something. The way his eyebrows are furrowed yet not entirely stressed holds a hidden meaning.

Gauging his thoughts is the best thing I can do right now.

"Seems as though Eli managed to complete the teleportation device Ed Summers spoke of the last time we met. Though, I remember him saying that it would require the man to be nearby. It's probably his true body, too. I doubt one of those Vessels could power such a thing."

I raise an eyebrow but decide not to comment on the fact that Edward spoke with Ed Summers not that long ago. Instead, my heart ramps up in volume as I prepare for a fight with Eli Weiss. Yet, it is quickly stifled as the room comes to life.

As if awakened by our presence, the symbols on the walls that we disregarded as simple engravings come to life in a breathtaking display.

Eagles, wolves, bears, and boars materialize out of thin air, their forms illusory and evolving with mesmerizing grace. Each corner of the room hosts a different aspect of these animals, their essence captured in intricate detail. My eyes squint as I look closer, finding what appears to be a lever at each corner.

The transition from a seemingly ordinary chamber to a room of dynamic symbols is nothing short of astonishing. It's as if the very walls have come alive. The animals seem stuck within the engravings, breathing as they watch us.

"What Ether control!"

I can't help but gush over it. As someone with nearly zero control over their Ether, this is nothing but impossible. The animals each move in lifelike patterns, utterly different from each other as they exude power.

Edward, beside me, nods thoughtfully as he comments on it as well.

"Yes. It is impressive. But it is also dangerous. I feel a threat from each of those levers. This is likely some kind of puzzle we have to solve. Eli has always been into tests of intelligence, but this is truly odd."

I nod back at him, even if I have my own reasons not to entirely trust him. He agreed to that duel to the death, but I don't think he'll ever let it get to that. He's too clever. He's the type to aim for the perfect situation to strike. Our shared mentor would never let anything less go into his son's mind. Maybe he'll try to kill me down here alone? No. He's not that stupid. That'd only serve to get us both killed.

We share a past, yet that won't stop either of us. I can feel myself approaching a tipping point. A few more near-death fights, a couple more bone-stirring clashes, one more deathly touch, and I'll have it—another Absolution.

Once I have that, the Eighth Step is open. The 8th Sigil. Some months might have to pass before I'm prepared to take the step, but changes are coming into this world—massive ones. I've gathered hints from others that the collapse of the Lighthouses will mean disaster for humanity, but there is a chance that will not happen.

What if, with the Lighthouses falling, a different path to power is opened?

I strive to reach that point. Sigils are stepping stones to something more significant, and the Lighthouses do precisely as they are named. They guide us. But what if there are other paths?

What if things have been hidden from us?

What if the light shrouds the darker paths?

I've never been one to tread lightly. I much prefer the bone-breaking trials.

I ignore Edward as he strides forward to one of the levers, a finger on his chin as I contemplate closely. I don't know why, but this place gets my mind racing. Is this part of the Ether in the room? A purposeful effect? Doesn't matter. The schemes and inventions of Eli Weiss are endless. I can only imagine what the Greatest Mind accomplished in his time as the second Prime. Besides inventing black powder and living alongside the First, little is known about him. The Timewarped Delver is as much a mystery as the original Prime. If only he hadn't died on those damned peaks.

Shaking my head, I refocus on what I want to think about. This room must have some mental effect as I usually don't get distracted easily. I won't remove it from my system, however. The insight it brings is welcome.

The current paths available to us are restricted heavily. There is only one. That is to grow Sigil by Sigil, gaining Absolutions and Proofs along the way. Surely there is another way forward?

The world is vast, near limitless, in fact. For it to be so heavily limited, I worry it is not the universe that does so, but it is instead the Mother Below that does. We already know she suppresses and limits us, but how far does it honestly go?

Do the Lighthouses merely ignite the path that is easiest to follow?

I think that may be the case. The Motherbound do not follow our rules. Their strengths far outweigh their Sigils, and while that may be from their God, it might not be.

If there is a more arduous path to follow...

Then I should follow it, right?

I've never known anything easy. Nothing I have ever touched has been effortless. The sluggish, agonizing, and burdensome climb is all I've ever known.

That has to be it. There is another path for me, and that is why this one has always felt so odd. I don't know what to do, but once those Lighthouses fall, I'll stumble my own way through the dark.

The light of others simply blinds me from my own path.

The luminance in my mind suddenly dissipates, and I almost feel it leave. Gazing around, I examine the room with a hurried pace, wondering what happened.

The chamber's walls are adorned with a mesmerizing display of shifting symbols, each one representing a different animal. Eagles, wolves, bears, and boars dance across the stone, their forms constantly morphing.

In the corner of my eye, I witness Edward pull one lever down, the man's brows furrowed and thoughtful. The moment he does, however, I see his whole form flinch as he vanishes and reappears a foot backward. A gout of flame replaces where he once was, Shiver, saving his life.

At our level, Dzils are expected. Not all Angels have them, but without them, they are lesser. That is why I do not think of Johnny as a challenge. Tomas could be, but he's too young. A few more months and our fight could be plentiful, but I worry I'll have far surpassed the level where it would matter by then.

A small silence hangs as the flame sinks, and then Edward glances at me.

"Any ideas?"

I shrug my shoulders as I draw my blade, my Ether surging to follow my heed. Monster forms in only a fraction of a second as I swing the Claymore stolen from that Councilmember's body. My target is the stone wall. Aiming for the ceiling would be stupid, and if this place is a puzzle, then there must be an exit. I'll just have to try every direction until I find it.

Yet, as my blade hits the stone of the wall, it doesn't cave like it should. Instead, a slight divot is cut into the rock as my whole arm rebounds, suffusing my body with pain.

"Fuck!"

Cursing, I backstep and hold my arm, investigating the minimal damage as Edward spins around to take a gander at the entire room without any exits.

"I don't think we can break out. You're strong, but I bet we're hundreds of feet underground. Not to mention, I'm confident this whole place is built with materials suffused and charged with Ether. Help me with this thing, okay? We ain't breakin' out any time soon."

Sighing, I step over to him and agree. It never hurts to try. Well, it might, but we're tough enough to stick it through.

"Fine. I just figured I'd try."

He doesn't react to my words, and instead, he teaches me about the symbols, running his hands over them with caution.

"I'm not sure what each means, but I think it's based on location. The symbols are constantly shifting, with bits and pieces of animals replacing each other, but every once in a while, they combine to create the complete animal. Just then, I tried to pull the lever on the eagle but misjudged the timing of the lever."

Makes sense. I walk toward the corner opposite him as I watch the symbols flash and shift, most of them composing a bear.

"So, we just wait till they are all correct and pull the lever?"

Edward nods from the other side.

"Yeah. It's not much of a puzzle, to be honest. I don't understand why we were put here... hmm... do you feel that?"

His thoughts mirror my own, but Edward mentions feeling something odd. I shake my head to indicate I don't know what he's talking about, and the man cuts a slight line of blood onto his thumb that he spreads on his forehead.

"Odd. Sancture didn't stop it. It's like... my mind is being enhanced. You... are you doing this?"

Edward's voice raises as he becomes suspicious. Slightly annoyed as I attempt to focus on the symbols, I shake my head again.

"No. I did feel that earlier, though. It's why I stood still—I was busy thinking about life. Stop being so accusatory. Do your damn job over there."

The Bloodied Beast doesn't reply to me after that, and I continue to observe the symbols as they shift. Minutes pass before the time comes, and I take full advantage, flipping on Monster as time seems to slow. Ether bulging my veins from pure volume. The symbol fully depicts a bear, and I pull the lever to synchronize with it perfectly.

But something happens when the lever is pulled all the way. The symbols on my side twist and contort with displeasure. The bear grows angry from its languid state, their wrath manifesting in a sudden, overwhelming surge of pressure as it roars.

The room darkens, the very air growing heavier around us as I'm forced backward. I hardly keep my footing as the pressure intensifies rapidly, bearing down upon me with a crushing force that leaves me gasping for breath. My legs give way beneath me, and I find myself on my knees, struggling to endure the agonizing weight that presses against my chest.

It's as if the gravity has been dialed up to a hundred.

Beside me, my ally grapples with the same suffocating force, his face contorted in pain. We exchange desperate glances of thought. Edward doesn't blame me or anything. Instead, his mind seems to find an answer as his eyes turn back to his shifting animal.

With trembling hands and every ounce of strength I can muster as Monster returns, I reach out for the lever that controls the pressure. It's within arm's reach, but the weight of the room makes every movement feel like an insurmountable effort. Yet, the moment before I reach it to pull it back and remove the pressure, Edward shouts through the heavy air.

"STOP! It is a test, not a puzzle! We have to bear the pressure! Move to the boar!"

The pressure, relentless and unforgiving, continues to grow with every passing moment. It is a palpable force that threatens to consume us. I can hardly think as my mind questions Eli Weiss.

What monster!?

This alone could crush nearly every non-Angel I've met! Deploying this on a battlefield... it's like a Power or Dominion of some influential figure, annihilating the will and defenses of any and all that are even moderately below them. There must be some restriction to it, or else we'd have seen this long ago. Hell, Clarence would have had it in Pridestead.

I can feel the strain in every fiber of my being as I make my way to another lever. As I walk, however, Edward sinks his lever down, and everything becomes twice as awful. The room's darkness deepens, and the symbols seem to writhe in displeasure as we approach the final phase of this grueling trial. His eagle shrieks to the sky, and I feel cuts open on my arms as the weight descends even further.

Edward and I share a knowing glance, an unspoken acknowledgment. I want to fight him to the death, and he wants to kill me before we reach that point. It's something we both know but don't tell anyone. He doesn't say anything as he knows what will happen if I'm let loose. I say nothing, as it's more fun that way. How else will I get the challenge needed to grow?

But for now, we must work together. With every step, the pressure builds, and I can feel blood pounding in my ears, my vision narrowing to a tunnel. Even with Monster, the pain is excruciating, and I'm aware of blood flowing from my ears, my eyes threatening to burst from their sockets.

But I push forward, driven by the knowledge that there is no turning back. Edward has already left his lever to reach the last. We have to go all the way. My body protests, bones cracking under the relentless force, but I reach for the levers with unwavering determination. This feels more like a training session than any of those with Kate.

The moment my hand makes contact with the lever, an unbearable agony courses through me. My vision blurs, my senses overwhelmed by the searing pain. I glance up to check the symbols, but they aren't ready yet. The boar is still shifting, missing a few key pieces, so I hold on. Seconds pass as blood flows from my hand, my nails opening wounds from my tight grip.

Out of nowhere, the pressure doubles again, and I fall limp, my hand still wrapped around the lever. This is insane. Absolute insanity. How is this possible? How can Eli create a room with such pressure that it brings me to my knees?

Forcing myself not to cough, worried about what might come out, I focus on the symbol. And the moment that I see it prepared, I summon every ounce of strength, every last vestige of willpower, and pull the lever with a final, gut-wrenching effort. The click of the lever resounds with that of my bones shifting under the weight of the air.

And then, as if by some miracle, the pressure vanishes as abruptly as it had appeared as if it had never existed. The room is bathed in an eerie silence, the symbols on the walls returning to their dormant state. Pivoting my eyes over to Edward, I see the man drenched in blood as he manages to reach his feet once more. I'm not concerned for him, however. Blood holds no different meaning for him than sweat does for me.

A part of the wall slides over as I stand as well, revealing a walkway that is free for us as the sound of clapping resounds. My eyes squint as I'm careful not to overdo it while releasing Monster, and I find the man I'm looking for. I used quite a bit of it—roughly five seconds. It'll take at least an hour for me to recover the time back.

Eli Weiss, in the flesh, the true flesh, steps into our room with slow, audible, and almost mocking claps, revealing himself from the dark.

"Impressive. Impressive. The two students of the Bloodhound never cease to amaze. I wonder... are you two aware that you are the only remaining students?"

Both Edward's and I's gazes harden as we come to a similar conclusion. My heart accelerates as, for the first time in a very, very long time, hate overrides my desire to grow.

"You killed Laura?"

Eli shakes his head, the wrinkles on his face vibrating as his cane holds him aloft. He seems weak, almost pitiful, but he is anything but.

"No, no, no. The Nahullo did. She came in to support you, Edward, but she was just a tad late. Well... she isn't dead yet, I suppose, but not even she, William, and Remy can't hold off the army approaching Blackstone. I'd say... they have an hour or two at max before everyone dies."

Edward strides forward as my hands tighten and my Ether swirls, preparing for a condensed Monster to ruin this man. Blood drips in massive clumps from the Bloodied Beast as his Claymore leaves his hips, fangs of crimson built into the longsword.

"You held us here? To guarantee their deaths? You are not human. You are a disgusting—"

Eli interrupts Edward's shout and lifts a hand that, out of nowhere, is covered in dense metal as his right eye glows silver. That hand continues to grow and covers Edward's blade, seemingly without effort.

"I am no traitor. I held you here to guarantee you wouldn't fuck up the most important thing to ever happen in all of humanity. You hate me. You hate what I have done. That is fine. Some things must happen, and this is one of them. Come for my head after. I welcome you, too. But first, Vincent must rise and illuminate the path."