Chapter 2 : The Spider and the Fly

Anthone was bewildered and confused of what Albina had spoken. "What do you mean we doctors are the reason? I don't have such a clue of that idea." "Hmmmmm, I can sense it inside... YOU LAIR!!!"

"How could you be so sure that we, doctors, are responsible for this?" he protested. "You humans are capable of experimentation and we know you beings are the one of the reason why did this plague had happened!!!" she replied. "My blood boils whenever I see you... humanity causing endless war, the reason others had to suffer. You enjoy drinking wine and eating the children of Mother Nature, and yet we starve to death because you broke the oath you solemnly promised to us. We gave you food, water, medicine, fuel and protection. And yet you gave us nothing in return, only to spoil our lands with corpses of the ones you reject and your disgusting victories.... Leaving the land barren and broken. Now you're here with me, I won't allow you to escape from my grasps nor for you to see another day.... Heh, hahaha.... GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAGH!!!!!!!"

She grabbed her bow and aimed it towards him, her eyes are blazing with rage as she pulled a few arrows. Anthone tried to struggle but he can't break free from the chains. She shot him with the arrows, purposely missing him to shatter the chains and enjoyed watching the frantic doctor, staggering his way in the dark. Groping in the blind darkness, he felt the rough walls and cold bars, it seems he is somewhere in a prison.

"Need a LIGHT?!!"

Flaming arrows starts flying towards him and he wondered, "It's impossible for a person to shoot someone in complete darkness, let alone someone who have the same hearing of a bat!" he thought. As he came stumbling in the vast darkness, he heard some rocks seems to be falling. He looked for an exit of the very prison as Albina's footsteps are now approaching nearby to where he was in. He started touching the ground with his hands full of bruises until he felt a small hole, enough for him to hide in.

"Found you!!!!"

She let out a barrage of arrows and smiled, but it faded as it seems her prey is no longer in sight. She screamed in fury and laughed, "You can run but you can't hide from me~"

Meanwhile... Anthone was sweating bullets in the hole he was hiding. His heart raced faster than before, it started to ache while he tried to calm himself by chewing a tablet of aspirin. As soon as he tried to recover from his fear and exhaustion, he heard her footsteps began to retreat until it became faint. He gave himself a sigh of relief and checked the surface if she's gone. It seems the mad elf left her lantern overturned during the rush. He picked it up and nervously walked into the dark corridors. Skeletons and rotting corpses are left hanging on the prison walls, with their innards dangling out from the ribs and chests of the recent ones. Some torches are still lit but gave a dim light, almost dying out. He looked ahead and saw a wooden door, a light can be seen from the floor of the room inside. He stepped further and further until he opened the door, only to find an empty shelf and a journal, sitting on a table with information of the infected but no hints of the source of the infection nor a cure. He hung his lantern on a hook, nailed on the wall as he read every page of it. He read something of a discovery, that they found out that they can infuse a human soul into an object to become an immortal being. They found out they can take the semen of a hanged man and mix it with a seed to create screaming plant-like abominations, The Mandrakes. Some are classifications of fairies, gnomes, ents, and wisps. And the last part goes as it says, "The Darkness fear the Light, but the Light can be corrupted by Darkness itself. He who will tell the tale if he lives to see another day.... Shall spark a path to those who are left astray." He pondered on to those words as if what that elf had said to him was the truth, then why did his two mentors didn't mention anything such as that. He studied with them for a year to master the techniques in medication and the importance of giving great care to patients who couldn't afford any pay for free. It seems she was right all along. Humanity is one of the reason why this kingdom fell into decay. He looked at the window and stared at it in despair. He'd never thought that he was in a dungeon, in the depths of Ravaged Ruins in the middle of the night. Stories been told that the Ancient Elders used the Ruins to imprison corrupted spirits from terrorizing humanity. No one was allowed to enter the Ruins because anyone who'd set foot in its sacred grounds will end up as a host for the spirits to cause havoc in Meru. Their powers are said to become strong when the full Moon is up on the sky. Now he began to analyze for a solution to escape the dungeon and avoid getting noticed by the possessed elf.

"Come out, come out where ever you are~ "

Those words began to haunt him as it struck fear in his heart. He panicked as he locked the windows, put out the lights and barricade the door with the shelf. He stood behind the shadows as he heard the footsteps became louder and louder, imagining a huge explosion coming from the door. But it stopped, no sound or anything happened and it made him thought, "Did she just went to a random room by mistake?"

He sighed and sat on the ground in relief. He was spared by Fate, and he thanked the gods that they gave him a life to live another day. His tears flowed as he is rejoiced to be safe for his first night and get to eat some berries that he gathered earlier in his wallet.

DID YOU LOCKED THE WINDOWS AND DOORS? NOW WE'RE BOTH LOCKED UP FOR THE NIGHT~

Those words became dark and sinister. The air became cold but Anthone was soaked in tremendous sweat. His eyes swelled in horror, his hands were shaking that the berries fell to the ground. His face went pale and blue as he turned around, face to face with a twisted image of the elf standing from the ceiling above, laughing demonically and unhinged. Tentacles flung from shadows and wrapped his body, dragging him to his adversary. His fate was sealed, betrayed by the gods, and unfazed as he knew nothing more but to surrender and submit himself to Darkness itself. He shut his eyes and knew his time has come. There is no escape and there is no home.... Just the abysmal void awaiting for his arrival...

THE DARKNESS FEAR THE LIGHT

BUT THE LIGHT CAN BE CORRUPTED BY DARKNESS

HE WHO WILL TELL THE TALE IF HE LIVES TO SEE ANOTHER DAY

SHALL SPARK A PATH TO THE ONES LEFT ASTRAY

He remembered those words, the Shadows fear the Light. One thing came up to his mind, Fire. If he could build a fire, he might survive until day time. His eyes were open wide, witnessing an image of a literal demon inside someone's body.

"Do not give up... Never lose hope! Look for another way around! Think outside of the box!"

He must survive, he struggled and tried to break free but no avail. Every time he moved, the tighter the grip may become. He no longer had a choice, he bit the tentacle and the demon shrieked in pain. He sunk his teeth in those slippery limbs, letting it slam him to any direction until it let go of him.

"Insolent fool!!! You really wanted to die just like the rest of them?!!!"

He threw a flask directly to the demon but it shattered into pieces as the fluid inside had hit her in the face. She grabbed his leg with another and swung him around the room, little did she know that Anthone opened another one and spread the room with the contents in it. She threw him off and the door exploded, resulting to injure his arm. He stood up to looked around and eagerly took a flaming torch before he was dragged back into the room. The tentacles began to choke his neck, suffocating him slowly as she laughed the way he squirmed.

ANY LAST WORDS, HUMAN~?

"He who will tell the tale if he lives to see another day.

Shall spark a path to the ones left astray."

He dropped the torch as he is now on his limit, the floor went blazing with fire, engulfing the body of the damned elf. Her scream was as loud as Banshees, deafening to the very tone. She was burning into crisps as she wailed across the prison, leaving trails of fire where ever she went. Anthone hid himself under the table and asked the gods for protection. The dungeon started to crumble with dust and debris came falling from ceiling as the fire continue to rage on.

"Never lose Hope, rookie. Believe in yourself."

"You will never be alone, we will watch you until our deaths."

"You've done well, rest assure and believe..."

Anthone can no longer stand up or move due to the damage had cost to his body. He closed his eyes and waited on to what would happen next as he became restless and injured from his first night to escape Death itself.