The Crown of Darkness

Each one of these eight pillars held a mark of the Nine, save for the 'Void Mother' who had already left her's elsewhere.

The pillars continued to grow bigger and bigger until even his immense soul was trapped from all sides. This was purely a spiritual experience but somehow he could feel his chest getting tighter, making it harder to breathe.

And then the pillars began to ooze the same substances that surrounded the attendant's heads. They fell onto his soul before slowly penetrating further in. They were mixing with his soul in a way that nothing else ever might, tainting its purity with their own truths.

They were inside the deepest part of his being, darting through his very essence and he had no choice but to allow this invasion.

They wanted him to understand and accept that no matter how powerful he might become, or how far he might go, there would always be parts of them ingrained into his very soul.

It could never be undone and they were making sure of that.