Abode

The battle was well fought for both of us. Well for me who took a long time to try and fight back I was, well satisfied with the result. Though I may have been cowardly in the act of running away from the fight. I somehow managed to win the battle, that's what matters right?

I extended my shaking hands forming a thumbs up towards Y. I didn't notice when my hands became so bloody with deep burn marks that penetrated through my skin.

"Wrong, what matters is how you fought your opponent and you showed an embarrassing performance" Y snorted at me. "However, congratulations on extending your living misery in suffering with the material world." He shakes his hands in a giddy fashion while his face shows torment contrasting his statement.

Not that much significance in the result…

I listened with profound pain and shock that thoroughly ran inside my body. I could not respond to him right now and just silently went on my knees with my back slouching with exhaustion.

'I think I am gonna die in this state…' My honest thoughts as I experienced the numbing pain once again. My teeth clattered and my jaw uncontrollably twitched as I stayed motionless.

'Where even is the exit for this room?' My fatigued eyes tried to wander around the darkness but were unable to focus on anything.

When suddenly loud rattling sounds erupted adjacent to where I impaled the shade. The walls crept as slow, steady progress of mechanical gears provided the incremental movement of the wooden structure gently opening. Bright light passed through the tiny gaps that slowly became bigger with every loud machinery-clicking noise.

"Tch, as always Nocturne, hiding stupid things in stupid places even making the door camouflage as soon as you enter the room." Y glared at the contraption that soon opened into a pathway of light.

'Is this heaven?' I asked myself as I saw shining light coming in that luminously gleamed the darkened room.

I forcefully raised my body and staggered my way out of this abysmal area. As my whole body came out of the room the door behind me shut with tremendous force that made me fall to the ground.

I lay there on the ground in a prone position where my left arm was bulging with dark veins and transparencies were present along its path. The infection was spreading but I didn't have the proper strength, and power won't be able to cut it this time.

"Well aren't you in a tight spot" I heard a ghastly voice to my side I looked to my side and saw Y lying down on his side staring at me.

'Not the eye-to-eye contact you would want' I thought to myself.

"It's all over now, right? Just rest and let fate do your bidding" He said to me while smiling brightly.

"..." I wasn't able to mutter a single word even if tried my body didn't listen to me it was as if I was paralyzed.

The only thing that I heard was multiple footsteps, possibly running towards me at a swift pace as they got closer and closer as I succumb to drowsiness. As I went to sleep once more, I felt a tingle of warmth and wonderful sensation that came over my body, it was gratifying and smooth. The electrifying pain and injury that I felt from the fight waned away from each second that I was engulfed in this rejuvenating feeling, and I decided to sleep in this comforting heat.

It felt like a few hours has passed since I slept with tranquility. I opened my eyes and found myself in a foggy, misty environment where trees grew tall than the sky and boulders were on guard with unmoving presence.

'The abode, my abode…The Cradle of the Lost? Did I accidentally open a mass invitation to everyone in the area again?' I frantically looked around and found myself in a silent place where no one was present except me.

'That's strange I don't think there is anybody here, or are they hiding somewhere in the shadows?' I pondered and went around the area to survey the scene that is visibly suspicious.

The trees went far and beyond as I can see, and the scenery never gets old and spine-tingling going down the pathway that was naturally made.

I continued to walk along the path that was seemingly brighter compared to the rest of the forest. It intrigues me to know that something of this bright could exist within this domain. Although it wasn't that captivatingly bright it was an outlier in the dimly lit foggy environment that was vaguely powdered with a light blue hue.

I quickly went to see what was the light all about, like a moth attracted to the flame blindly following the charming light. As I came closer I found the light began to brighten in a much more alluring light.

Passing through a tree I discovered that the light was still far, it was uphill. I quickly ran through the steep hill gripping passing stones, roots, and barks from trees. I reached the top of the hill and found the radiating light that came calling up to me.

It was from a stone hut, dull, unrefined but bittersweet delightful. It was far from me and I had to go downhill to reach it. Things were pleasant, peaceful, and no chaos. Everything that came from the hut was radiating home with a sweet allure that came from the shining light.

The place was soothing even from afar. I sat down on the ground mainly focused on the light that the hut diffused. I was in a daze from the relaxing scenery that I saw. Among many things that surround the hut, it was conspicuously engaging. The fog dissipated when it comes to contact with the light, and the trees that were displayed in an ornamental-like state added aesthetics to the hut.

Sitting down far from the hut was a remedy for myself, my soul, and my being. Things were out of place in my life and this was treatment to my existence. As I sat down on the ground dark heavy footsteps approached me I glanced at the figure that was leisurely walking to me.

"Hello Y, what brings you inside the abode? Well, Cradle of the Lost" I corrected myself as I initiated the conversation.

"Stop calling it like that the term Cradle of the Lost was only there to shed meaning into an abode of a Sovereign…It was long lost before the Quincentenary even started" Y calmly replied to me.

"So it's kinda like a metaphor of some sort? It did exist right so what exactly is it and why do people say it's locked by the past voices" I asked regarding him.

"The Cradle of the Lost was a powerful empire buried that was led by a wise, respectable king. It was a sovereign that lead the empire, it had a deep history of those afflicted with injustice, insanity, and abandonment thus it took the name as so. It had advanced types of machinery of its time and wonderful cultivation for the future which made other kingdoms unite to take down the empire, burying everyone in ash and dust." Y paused for a moment and continued to explain.

"The empire in a devastated state made the Crowned Sovereign take oath, a curse to take revenge in the stead and injustice that it chose to carry the burden of its people. The cursed intentions of the sovereign with the willing and unwilling souls of the living…and dead ravaged the kingdoms. Hatred and passionate emotions affected the 'world' and out from it were monsters born from its abominations from that day overnight tall sky-grappling trees emerged from the ground, the depiction of the very emotions that contaminated the world. It enveloped the castle that once was its stronghold and its king forever bound in the seat consequences of its curse."

'What exactly was his oath or curse that made him like that' I wondered as I listened to Y.

"In the past when the seven figurative voices were present, they sealed the king's power in what is called The Omphalos, the throne that the dreaded king now resides deep within, I don't know what he hopes to achieve since his demise, but it is for sure still raging deep in the 'world'". Y finished his story telling and silence began to talk.

"Birds flock in dark clouds earlier this afternoon when you were carried to the infirmary as they went in every direction." Y continued "It seems the king will soon be awakened once more and with that the true force of the Oscillations".