Heart of Darkness IV

Echos beneath my feet sounded, rippling far in wide as cold, distant whispers slithered into my ears, hissing and wailing. I could practically taste the coppery tang of blood, something I'd never experienced before. Blood was always savory or sweet, and at rare times depending on the blood type, it was both. But now…

My eyes narrowed through the pitch-black corridor leading down, and the pool of blood, about eight centimeters thick, rippling.

"Lord Snow, allow me to take point." Zax suddenly said. "It's dangerous—"

Something flashed, and a harsh echo followed by a grunt filled my ear. My eyes snapped to Zax as I saw a ghastly apparition brutally pressing his face against the wall. Blood spilled from his brow as he glared at the Apparition hissing.

"Run, Master. Head back up, I've—"

Vanishing before my eyes in a swirling vortex of space, I shuttered and backed away, trying to stop my heart from reeling in fear.

What the hell just happened? Zax, you bastard, you better not be dead! And what the hell was that? Zax was a higher being! How is it even possible that…

My fist clenched into a ball and around Noctem as I looked back up towards the top and down towards the pool of blood. The hairs on my neck were standing on end, but I still took that step down into the blood and proceeded through a towering set of doors and into the temple.

Ignoring my instincts screaming at me, I pushed down such unnecessary fears and took a stroll. While the gut-wrenching sensation plagued my mind and soul, screaming, kicking at me to leave. Even Path of Abyssal Night had begun to tremble.

Something was… Something was down there. Something very powerful.

Slowly, as I progressed, I began to notice the various apparitions appearing and vanishing but did not attack me like they did Zax. They would often stare and growl but never struck or attack. But I was not one to throw a gift away. If they aren't clawing at me, then I'm stealing everything.

"Times like this, I wish Lilith was here. Maybe she could spread some light on—"

"Fixed-Fixed-Fixed!!" Said a shakenly cold voice. "Time is Fix-Fix-Fix! A fixed event! It is!"

Feeling something hammer against my throat, I gulped and glanced around, unable to find anyone… Was it an echo?

"Hello?" I stupidly said.

Come on, Arsene, you've seen movies. Don't be stupid! Don't be— Damn it.

"Hello!" I said louder, smiling at my stupidity. "Who might you be?"

My heart dipped with unease as I investigated the outskirts of the monastery, finding only blood but no remains. The Darma seemed to be quite simplistic in both design and lifestyle. There was practically nothing in their rooms, only a statue of Tenebrae and a mat on which to worship.

Gods, I can't do this. This shit reminds me of the Amish. Now they got some dedication. I can't. Man, that lifestyle just seems too hard. Mad respect, though.

"Fixed!" The strained and weak voice said. "You-You-You must betray! You must betray to save!"

"What the hell does that even mean?" I said, raising my voice with the help of my divinity. Shaking the very walls of the monastery.

"The Black Suns… The Azure Abyss…"

Dashing through the blood, I ignored the various apparition appearing one by one, checking everything I could. The classrooms, the kitchen, rooms, the physical temple, and the garden, when I finally came upon the Libary.

Bleeding an array of foreign energy, I pushed through the double doors to a blazing vacuum of flames and divinity spiraling in a fixture of radiant essence dancing like fire upon the sun.

"No more," I said, glaring at the spiraling essence, watching as the hundreds of apparitions howled, clawing at the aberration of unknown essence.

"They call for you!" Said this thing. "They call for you."

I stepped into the library, stretching high up as far as the eye could see, and a cold grip seized hold of my soul, almost as if to be judging my existence.

Pulling out the shard of Laevatein, I stared up at the swirling vortex as the shard began to pulse. And finally, I understood.

Lifting Noctem to my chest, I placed the Shard of Laevatein over its edge, watching it merge like an object sinking into a pool of water. It rippled for a second or two and vanished.

Noctom shuttered like a beast trembling before a dragon; it began to release a strange black haze that coiled and slithered up my cheek, hissing its song.

"Now for the Heartstone," I said, shuttering as I looked up at the ghost.

"So that's what happened. That's why you… Oh, Father. How I very much would like to kick your pompous ass." A weak, very weak voice said in such a dull whisper. I couldn't make out who or what said it. "I wonder if we'll meet again as I travel backward?"

"YOU!"

Snapping my eyes to my flank on both sides, only darkness and this spiraling vacuum awaited me.

"traveling through time… Is this the instance where the trio just got rocketed backward? Crowe's voice when he spoke to me was normal and strong. Whomever this voice was was abnormally weak. If that is the case, it means… the voices I heard here were from future times. Echos of the Future. And this Heartstone belonged to Laevatein… or the Mother of Demons, Liliths."

I frowned, but this didn't explain what happened to Zax. Where the hell is he? Jesus… Wait, we gave the twins a system. Did we also link it to the Heartstone?

Eyes brightening, I pointed my spear towards the spiraling vortex and smiled as Noctem pulsed and rippled, shaking as if it were about to shatter. The dark coloring it held began to turn obsidian as cracks began to cover its edge, one after another.

When all of a sudden, a voice echoed into me. A familiar voice yet different at the same time.

"FINALLY!!!!! YOU FOUND ME!!!!!"

"Lilith?" I said, a little unsure, as the Heartstone above me began to fade into the spear of Noctem.

"You got a weak spear Arsene. Weak as fuck. Don't worry! I, Lili, will help you out. Don't worry. I'll do it for free!"

"Your Lilith's inner voice! Wait, how the hell are you alive!"

"Did she finally pop that puss? I guess she did. Seeing I'm the System admin for your kids. But was she good? Oh, and I go by Lily with a Y instead of an 'i'."

"That makes no difference," I said, baffled by what I was hearing.

"Of course it does. That's why I'm saying it," Lily said sporadically. "How've you been? And just how good are you giving it? No, what I mean? You dicking up my ex-girl Lilith?"

"Dear god!"

"Is that how she moans? Little generic, but I get it. Nice. I await a good show."