Inside a large hall….
The walls were a dark shade of navy blue, torchs littered on them, giving off a dim orange light, that was hardly enough to illuminate the entire seemingly empty hall. Up above, hanging from the ceiling, a chandelier lights up the center, giving off a much brighter orange light, enough for one to be able to see what's within the hall.
At the very end was a throne made of obsidian, scratch marks on it that was very much visible. The throne was big, three adult humans could sit side by side without having to worry about being squished, maybe even four. It was empty and dust was visible on the seat, as if nobody has sat on it for a long, long time.
Behind the throne was a large heart-shaped object made of black goo. It was so vast, that it put the throne and even this entire hall to shame, reaching beyond the ceiling. The most distinguishable feature being, however, that it was alive. The heart was beating, the throbbing sound audible throughout the hall. It was eerie and disgusting.
From the entrance, footsteps was heard. The footsteps was uneven, as if the person making them was limping. Soon, from the darkness, the maker of the footsteps revealed themselves.
It was a Nihileth, the void-like body with milky drops made that much evident. But the curvy nature of their body and the long hair revealed that the Nihileth was a women. Number three, to be exact. However, she wasn't the same alluring and terrifying assassin she was.
The earlier explosion had tore off one her arms, the other arm severely injured, but still intact. To defend her body from suffering much major damage, number three had to sacrifice her arms, using them to block out most the Shockwave released from the explosion, as a result, her arms were now useless. Well, the one left was.
"Fuck…"
She murmured, leaning heavily against a wall. Lord Tanmi still hasn't awakened. Even as his soliders were suffering to defend against this assault by the surface-dwellers. Number three couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration.
From the shadows, another Nihileth revealed himself. Number one. He had a single broken arm, but otherwise, looked fine. If you ignore the broken fingers he endured during the torture, that is. He had managed to flee with his life, but how long will that be?
"How is number five?"
Number three asked, noticing the presence of number one. Who gritted his teeth and responded.
"He's unconscious and pushed him to the limit by keeping up that duplicate form. He won't be able to assist us any longer."
Number three was silent for awhile, then nodded her head solemnly.
"I see…."
Silence filled them both. Not a comfortable silence, a silence of unspoken tension, anxiety and fear. Number one broke it after a few seconds, his voice coming out softly, yet carried an edge of resentment and frustration.
"Three, we can't keep going like this."
Number three narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing number one with doubt.
"What are you trying to say?"
Number one sighed, his tone dripping with frustration, as he raised his voice and raised his hands, gesturing to the surroundings.
"This! All of this! Ever since we were taken from our homes and placed here, we have been suffering! Lord Tanmi has done nothing to return us bac—"
Number three slammed her fist against the wall, then winced slightly due to it being broken, but still remained firm, her tone biting.
"You do not speak badly about Lord Tanmi."
Number one gritted his teeth, clenching his fists, careful not to damage his already injured fingers.
"I watched four die. I watched seven die! And….and I wasn't able to save two and six. Do you still believe that Lord Tanmi can take us back? Can give us freedom from this game? He can't! We are stuck here! We are done for…."
Number one looked up, meeting number four's eyes, burning with fury, pain and frustration.
"Those surface-dwellers will eventually reach us. They will find a way up here, im sure of it. When they do, we will just have to die. They will destroy the heart, our only hope of getting out. It's all over, three."
At last, number three spoke up. Her voice rising.
"Then, WHAT DO WE DO?!"
She slammed her fist against the wall so hard that it broke, her arm that was barely holding on by strings of flesh, severing and falling to the ground. But number three didn't even care, she looked down, tears streaming down her face.
"We….we need to—"
Number three looked up and cut number one off.
"I know. You'll go through. I'll power it with my corrupted essence."
Number one's eyes widened in horror, as he took a step forward.
"No! You'll die if you try to! I can't….I cant lose you too, three."
Number three wiped her tears and slowly pulled herself off from the wall, making her way towards number one.
"N–no….I won't allow you to!"
Number one reached out to stop her, but Number three shrugged his touches off, slowly making her way to the Abyssal Heart.
"This is the only way."
Number three thought to herself, drowning out the pleas from number one, as she dragged herself towards the throne, her eyes fixed on the massive heart-shaped black goo, known as the Abyssal Heart. Their way home. The only chance they could return back to where they were taken from.
However, just at that moment, a door swung open, causing both number three and number one to freeze in their tracks.
The massive door to the room beside the throne, a door that hasn't been opended for over a decade, has opended. And from it, a giant-like figure outlined themselves, slowly walking up to the throne, their posture and manner of walking spoke of authority and confidence.
Slowly, they walked up to the throne, the chandelier on the ceiling finally lighting up their figure. It was a man. A man with the same body of a Nihileth. Void-like, with milky drops of white littered all over it— but at the center, where the chest should be, is a symbol. What was similar to a pure-white seal forming an eye that was crying. At the face of the giant Nihileth, instead of two eyes, he had three. One massive eye on his forehead. He also had six arms, three for each side. The fingers being as sharp as the claws of a bear.
With his three eyes, the giant Nihileth looked down at his throne and clicked his tongue.
"Dusty,"
He said simply, before raising a hand and then swiping it. Just the mere force of this physical action caused the wind to splash outward like a whip, clearing out the dust staining his throne, making it as shiny as it was before. With a satisfied smile, the giant Nihileth slowly sat down comfortably on his throne, then regarded number three and number one curiously.
"Lord Tanmi…"
"L–lord Tanmi…."
They both simultaneously stuttered out, amazed at the sight, instinctively getting on their knees. For the first time in decades, Lord Tanmi has awakened from his mysterious sleep. Number two and number three were dumbfounded by this.
"Ah, three. You are one of the retainers, no? Where is seven?"
Number three snapped out of her thoughts at being addressed. Suppressing her anger and resentment, she spoke;
"Dead."
Seemingly unsurprised, Lord Tanmi gave a brief nod. Looking around, he had just come to realize how many of them had died.
"I see. Alot dead. Are the surface-dwellers this time fierce?"
The way Lord Tanmi just disregarded the lives of his own servants, the servants that has been risking their lives to protect Lord Tanmi who was in a slumber, made number one and number three's blood boil. Yet, they held their tongue.
"Yes, my lord."
It was number one who responded, his voice trembling. All he could do now was hope Lord Tanmi didn't hear about all the things he said behind Lord Tanmi's back, otherwise, his life was as good as over.
Lord Tanmi hummed thoughtfully, mulling over everything. He was curious. He wanted to ask more, but he didn't. Instead, Lord Tanmi rose to his feet and leisurely made his way towards the beating Abyssal Heart behind the throne. Three steps, four steps. And now, he was standing before it.
Number one and number three didn't look up, sweat was dropping down their faces to the ground. Nervous, anxious and afraid. Number three didn't even feel the pain from her wounds, as the fear was too primal. She has seen Lord Tanmi many times before, but even then, she couldn't stop her racing heart whenever she saw him.
Lord Tanmi was the very definition of intimidating. Atleast, to the poor Nihileth, he was.
Reaching out tentatively with one of his six hands, Lord Tanmi allowed his fingers brush against the black goo substance of the Abyssal Heart, feeling the way it throbbed in rhythm to his touch. Lord Tanmi felt a warmth radiating from inside it, proof that this stranger thing was alive.
"Are you the only two left?"
Lord Tanmi asked, not even bothering to turn around and look at them.
Number one and number three both exchanged nervous looks, that held a deep resentment within. What will Lord Tanmi do to them, once he realizes they are of no use? Both number one and number three didn't dare think about such a thing.
Eventually, it was number three who responded.
"We aren't. There is still number five, but he is no longer in shape to continue fighting."
Lord Tanmi nodded thoughtfully, turning around and facing the two of them.
"Is that so…."
One of his upper arms to his right came up to rub his chin, as he regarded number three and number one with curiosity.
"Are the surface-dwellers still here?"
The two of them didn't look up and gave a brief nod.
"How many?"
Number one spoke up, his tone fearful and trembling.
"Four, my lord. We haven't been able to….kill a single one."
Lord Tanmi showed no reaction, but by the change in the air around him, anyone would of been able to tell he was furious. Lowering his hand, he slowly began walking towards them. His six arms clenching, as if readying to kill his useless servants.
Terrified, number one crawled a few steps back. Number three quickly spoke up, her tone hurried.
"Lord Tanmi! Please wait! One of the surface-dwellers have a connection to Movarathos!"
At the name 'Movarathos' Lord Tanmi suddenly froze and regarded number three with a fearsome gaze, that made her shiver and wish to crawl up in a ball where she wouldn't be subjected to that stare. Taking a breath, number three continued carefully.
"One of the surface-dwellers…..managed to find where Movarathos is being kept. I know him. If you keep us alive, we can….we can help you identify who it was."
Lord Tanmi seemed to relax, a small smile forming on his lips at what number three had said. Leisurely, he walked towards her, crouched down and one hand patted her head.
"You will?"
Number three swallowed and nodded her head quickly.
"Y–yes, my lord…."
Lord Tanmi's smile widened at her words. But then, suddenly, his large hand grasped her face with ease, then crushed her skull under his fingers. Killing her in an instant.
Her limp body fell to the ground, blue blood splattered across the floor. Number one stared at the corpse in pure horror, before looking back up at Lord Tanmi, tears streaming down his face, filled with rage, resentment and fear.
"You….you bastard…"
Getting up, he rushed forward towards Lord Tanmi and raised his hands, in hopes of trapping the giant Nihileth inside his pocket dimension.
However, Lord Tanmi was too quick. Looking down at the pitiful number one with indifferece, Lord Tanmi had blinked forward in a flash, then delivered a crushing blow to number one's jaw, decapitating the Nihileth, sending the head flying across the hall.
Looking down at the corpse, Lord Tanmi scoffed.
"Useless. So, utterly useless."
Deliberately pressing his feet and walking on the dead corpse of number three and one, he made his way back to where the Abyssal Heart was.
"I will identify this surface-dweller myself. Once I do, I'll use Movarathos's spirit essence and escape. It should be enough to fuel the Abyssal Heart into hatching…."
Slowly and tenderly, Lord Tanmi ran his fingers across the black goo-ey surface.
"The time of being able to return home is growing near."