Demon of the Fold

Inexplicable, almost illusory to the creatures within, an opening lay bare upon one of the many callous-cold cavern walls.

With a conscious glance, it did not appear dissimilar to any other within the vast underground space.

But there was something unique about its lightless, soundless, even listless presence that imposed a fine, trickling fear into the minds of the monsters that resided nearby.

Like the distressful sands of a fractured hourglass, their discomfort would gradually trickle and grow into a pressureful pain they sought deeply to wean themselves from.

Whether it was inadvertent or not, the beasts would do anything to prevent their fragile minds from shattering under the pressure of that sand.

Needless to say, this hollow opening in the wall was avoided completely without thought.

But now, for the first time, a faint and nearly inaudible sound came from within, given away more by the small current of air pushing on the fine, smooth layer of dust that blanketed the ground.

Over the course of days and weeks, these stagnant waves propagated outward, thinning into obscurity. Were they the final trickles of that hourglass?

The pressure in the air was palpable, but the cave appeared as temperate as ever.

The thick black stone of the walls was like the skin of this cave, and like a luminous light pushed against its flesh, a faded reddish glow faintly permeated its walls.

It would easily go unnoticed if not for the now undulating flow that coursed deeper within, as if beckoning inside.

There were numerous flows; it was like viscous blood was pumping from the unseen, unheard heart of the world, except each vein had its own disjointed rhythm—its own corrupted majesty.

The room was like a synesthesic cacophony unplayed by any hand.

Tracing these lines deeper within revealed a crystalline structure embedded within the wall, cocooned from behind by those numerous veins.

With each oscillation, the structure would experience microscopic tears across its surface. Each of them grew at a visible pace, each crack merging and sullying the once beautiful, shining, golden surface.

The build-up was now not so subtle, and suddenly it shattered apart, with thousands of jagged pieces scattering across the ground, their light partially fading.

A small body, vaguely hidden in the mirage of ephemeral dust, began to fall forward. It was unconscious and uneventfully fell to the ground with a dull thud, scattering some of the remaining shards clinging to its body across the ground.

Its matte-deep-blackish scales could be seen flexing unconsciously with their new-found freedom, and at the same time, its clawed hands began to grip the ground.

Pushing against the surface, its head raised and brilliant amber-gold eyes focused on the surrounding world.

From one shell to another, it was the new lack of freedom that first made itself clear in the creatures mind.

It climbed onto both legs, and its imp-like form hunched over, only shallow breaths escaping its barely parted lips.

At this point, only one thought escaped her mind...

"Where am I?"

At least, that's what she intended to say; instead, a gravelly growl escaped her and broke into the world's ambient silence.

For some reason, an intense feeling of confusion flooded her mind. The feeling that her surroundings were wrong—alien even. She felt that the world around her was a profound antithesis to her common sense. But...

"I can't remember anything..."

There were so many feelings—feelings without thought, without a memory of experience to draw from—it felt quite hollow and meaningless.

But wait...

'name'

What is a name?

'her name'

Our name

'my name'

_My name?_

_Syrin. Yes, that's my name._

The weight of that confusion fell from my shoulders, yet still remained beside me, and like an ember in the empty darkness of my mind, it constantly drew my attention. It was enough to spark my curiosity.

_Who... am I?_

_What am I?_

With these thoughts, another feeling made itself present to me.

Loss... A cold and incessant sensation that weighed down my heart enough to bring my hands to the ground again.

_Who am I?_

_No, who was I?_

_And... why is everything not lost to me?_

While these thoughts were swirling in my mind, I found my attention captured by a dim reflection.

There were numerous crystals scattered across the ground, each embodying some kind of dying crimson light.

On instinct, I crawled forward, and my hind claws hissed against the ground as I intuitively figured out how to move my body, but in reality, my sole conscious focus was on the shard in front of me.

Quickly, I grasped it in my hand, only for it to begin melting into my scales.

A sharp gasp resounded in the open air, and I tried to drop it to the ground; however, the fluid now seemed bound to my scales by an unyielding tension.

_What is this stuff?_

It had a slimy, cold sensation, akin to that of putting on wet gloves. I felt it fall through the gaps and seemingly into my body like some kind of drain, causing the colour of my scales to deepen, becoming slightly darker, and giving way to a more ethereal mystique that looked quite beautiful.

Perhaps the feeling changed, or maybe my impression of it changed, but it was... warmer now, comforting even.

Looking back down, I saw that all of the others had now melted into the ground, and I frowned.

_Disapointing..._

A faint red line to the side suddenly caught my attention. It was embedded in the ground, wriggling like a worm towards an area behind me—towards where I fell from.

I turned around slowly, and as I did, a smirk crept its way onto my face, revealing my sharp black teeth to the open air.

_Heh._

I couldn't help but let the glee come out in my voice and face at the sight of the enormous gem now encompassing my view; at the same time, I found myself quickly scampering over to it with some courteousness, as if I were being watched and didn't want to appear too eager.

Regardless, my eyes were wide and I was taking it all in, in all its glory.

Licking my lips subconsciously, I reached out with my hand.

However, before I even brushed it, the stone began to melt and ripple as if dancing in excitement. The closer I got, the more iratic it became until it resembled the surface of a lake in a rainstorm.

The moment my finger caressed its broiling surface, the fluid halted, as if it were elastic this entire time and suddenly, violently pulled taught.

It was a perfectly smooth, amber-red membrane. Within were many intermingling shades blending into and against each other like the turbulent flows of weather viewed from a great distance.

One by one, the colours emulsified, and the fluid began rolling over my arm with the same now familiar sensation.

It gradually ran through the crevices of my scales and covered my body like a diaphanous sheath of scarlet silk.

_How riveting..._

I bathed in its warmth for what, unfortunately, felt like mere moments, and it disappeared from my senses.

_What is that?!_

Emerald green, its glow appeared to tint the room.

I wanted to be disappointed, but my heart barely held the space for shock at the strange, translucent window before me.

_An illusion?_

It was the only thing that came to mind, but I felt a vague sense of familiarity with the thing.

_But is that familiarity coming from its form and style, or from its nature and the words highlighted upon its surface._

[Remnant of the One: System Interface

[Name: Syrin] [Level: 1/10 (0/10 exp)]

[Health: 32/32] [Mana: 12/12]

[Bloodline: Imp]

[Soul-type: Inner-world (Unawakened)]

[Class: None]

[Special Class: Contractor]

[Stat Points: 0]

[Strength: 3]

[Agility: 5]

[Mind: 3]

[enyin: 5]

[exyin: 5]

[Abilities:

[Scratch lvl1] [Scale-cast lvl1]]

[Titles:

[Synesthesic] ]

_Huh?_