CHAPTER 56: WENT DARK.

The frown on my face deepened. ’It was... bowing before the statue.’

I froze, mouth agape, as my brain scrambled to process the surreal sight before me.

’What the... Don’t tell me the bastard isn’t sacrilegious!’

The thought sent shock rippling through me. But considering the unease I held towards the grade of its bloodline, in retrospect, its level of intelligence and battle prowess, I felt it was very well plausible.

’But...’ A deep scowl marred my features. ’The statue wasn’t that of a God. So why was it worshipping it?’

I pondered hard on it. However, no matter how hard I pondered, I couldn’t seem to arrive at a logical conclusion.

Shaking my head, I turned and began the cautious descent down the hill.

My work here was done anyway.

Tak, Tak--!

I glanced at the ground beneath me, heart pounding at the sickening realization.

A single misstep, and I’d be nothing more than a mangled heap. The thought alone sent cold chills down my spine.

"Hah..."

Each step I took was measured and calculated. As if a single mistake could spell my doom.

Finally, a long exhausting while later, I made it to the ground. And how relieved I was to feel the sand beneath me once again.

"Hah..." It felt so... great.

Shifting my gaze to my surroundings, I scanned through the terrains. After a while, probably a few seconds to a minute at most, I nodded.

There were no lurking horrors. At least none that were nearby.

Perhaps it was the presence of the nightmarish scavenger that kept them away. Or maybe there were other reasons—reasons I really didn’t care to dwell on.

With a sharp exhalation, I turned towards the hill, taking a glimpse of the shadow stretching across its surface.

The shadow was moving farther and farther away, leading me to the conclusion that the nightmarish scavenger was probably returning to its lair.

So far so bad, I didn’t think there was the greatest of chances of defeating the nightmarish aberration.

"At least, not with our current level of strength," I muttered under my breath.

"...."

Without a second thought, I exhaled, and... stepped into the endless darkness before me.

***

Tak, Tak–!

I didn’t dare pause for a single moment, not even to catch my breath.

My steps were swift and agile, my body roaring in protest with each movement of mine.

Although I was sure there wasn’t any nightmarish creature this close to the necropolis, especially when considering the fact that the dark mist would soon return, drowning the land in deep darkness, I still didn’t dare to be complacent.

Hence I pushed myself beyond my limit.

Faster. Harder.

Before long, I made it out of the line of sight of anyone within the necropolis. But even after that, I didn’t stop running.

Step, Step–!

I dared not stop running. I couldn’t afford to.

Thump, Thump–!

With a shuddering breath, I plunged into the endless darkness before me.

***

The oppressive dark seemed to grow thicker with each step of mine, slowly pressing against me like a tangible force.

It forced my breaths to come out in short, ragged gasps.

"Hah... Hah..." I struggled to breathe.

Still, I pushed on. The pain- sharp and hellish- was nothing new.

The agony clawing through my muscles? It was familiar.

Every step was a reminder of what this place, of what this wretched and cursed land demanded of one:

To adapt or... Die!

***

Moving through the stifling quiet, with the only constant being the deafening echoes of my heartbeat, and the sound of my feet struggling to keep up with its frantic pace, wasn’t really comfortable.

If anything, it sent cold chills slithering down my spine.

I shuddered. But even then, I didn’t stop running.

To escape this wretched and cursed land, I knew this was but just the beginning. And I had to brace myself for the horrifying horrors yet to come.

In that moment, I just had this weird feeling that my life would be nothing short of a walking nightmare.

That strange feeling was really hard to explain in words. Only that it made me uncomfortable and uneasy. However, there was one thing I was pretty damn sure of:

I clenched my hands together. ’No matter what it takes me, I am going to survive.’

My thoughts dissolved into the rhythmic pounding of my feet. Right about then, I felt something move beyond the horizon.

Shadows twisted with unnatural grace.

Ba- thump, Ba- thump–!

My chest tightened at the sight, hands trembling violently as terror snaked its way through me.

...There was no trick or anything of sorts. I knew they were there.

Waiting. Watching. Moving.

And every step they took sent fear rippling through me.

I knew I was seeing the shadows of the nightmarish creatures. And although they were probably all headed towards safety, the thought of being caught by one of them still prompted me to run even faster.

My body screamed in protest, my lungs burning with each breath that I took. Yet I kept pushing my body beyond its limit, and eventually...

"Kgha, Kha...!"

It failed me. Staggering, I coughed out a mouthful of blood, dyeing the ground red as my vision wavered.

My steps grew chaotic, and for a second there, I thought, no, I knew I was really going to faint!

’No!! I can’t... I can’t fall asleep. I can’t!’ I bit on my lower lips, biting hard until I could taste blood.

The jolt of pain seemed to be enough. If only barely.

A fleeting smile crept up my face. I could see it now.

Thump... Thump...

The dune structure the others resided in.

Step, Step—!

I was almost there.

Fighting against the pain and the agony rippling through every fiber of my being, I continuously bit on my lower lips. Just enough to keep the flow of blood in my mouth.

Drip, Drip–!

Blood dripped down the corner of my lips, however I didn’t stop.

Tak, Tak--!

I kept going. I couldn’t afford to stop.

I could feel the nightmarish creatures closing in on me.

...My vision wavered, and my steps faltered, yet I kept my grip on my lower lips tight.

Drip, Drip–!

Blood clouded my vision, and I could see a blurry form of Mia waving towards me. With how she was, I knew she was probably urging me to run faster.

’But,’ A weary expression marred my features. ’I couldn’t. Any more and I’d really collapse.’

That I was pretty much sure of.

Right about then—

"...!"

From beyond the horizon, the cracked sky began to gain an azure shade, its crimson shade vanishing into the endless darkness. And with the crimson’s moon retreat came something.

Ba- dump, Ba- thump!

Something horrifying and dreadful. Something that sent me spiraling into despair and desperation.

Thump... Thump...

S-something that solidified the fear pressing down on me from all sides, turning it into a suffocating pressure that threatened to take my breath away from me.

...A-and with the crimson moon’s retreat, came the dark mist in all its endless glory.

An endless surge of dark, churning mist emerged from the horizon, swallowing vast chasms of land, and natural terrains, both high and low- none was able to stand in its path.

For a second there, I stood frozen in shock, the very act of breathing eluding my grasp.

"Hah... Hah..."

The Dark mist crushed onwards with unstoppable momentum, and each moment, every single second I stood there paralyzed, felt like an eternity to me.

But I was able to regain my bearings. Shoving down the paralyzing fear that clung to me, I started running!

Step, Step—!

’Dammit, move faster!’ I screamed. ’Just fucking move faster!’

I could feel it.

Despair.

It was slowly igniting within me.

"..."

I glanced at the incoming dark mist, and then back at the towering dune structure which the rest of the cohort resided on. And... the despair only grew even more paralyzing.

’I wasn’t going to make it in time. I—’

But even that didn’t stop me from running.

Tak, Tak–!

I had rather go down with a fight than go down like a pathetic bastard. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself to run even faster.

And,

Thump... Thump...

I could hear her voice now, faint and frantic:

"Dean, run! Don’t stop!"

Mia- There she was.

Waiting. Hoping.

That knowledge lit something within me- a spark of warmth amidst the suffocating darkness.

The emotion which I couldn’t quite place my hands on.

It burned through every fiber of my being, prompting a light bluish glow to ignite within me.

’I can do it. I can make it... I can.’ With a guttural growl, I pushed even harder, my muscles roaring in protest.

The dark mist roared ahead of me, its shadow stretching closer with every passing second.

Amidst the deafening echoes of my heartbeat, to the sonorous tremors that ran through me, I eventually made it to the base of the dune structure, my body tethering on the edge of collapse. But I was able to hold on. If only barely.

Gripping tightly the azure dagger, my vision blurred as I lunged forward, plunging into a crack in the ancient structure.

Right afterwards, I rapidly ascended.

***

The ascent was nothing short of grueling. Each push and pull was a battle against the suffocating darkness pressing in on me from all sides.

Below, the dark mist raged furiously, rising higher and devouring everything in its path. Unseen shadowy hands coiled around its surface.

Waiting. Watching.

Fear crawled its way towards me at the eerie sight, but...

Thump, Thump–!

I didn’t stop.

Clang, Clang–!

I couldn’t afford to.

Amidst the pain, to the agony that rippled through every fiber of my being, I eventually made it into the dune structure.

The effort nearly broke me, but here I was.

A fleeting smile touched my lips. My vision wavered as blood dripped onto the ground beneath me.

Drip, Drip–!

My legs finally gave way...

"Ugh." I collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving up and down.

The consequences of pushing my weak body beyond what it could take was finally catching up to me.

"Kgha, Kgha!"

Coughing out a mouthful of blood, the last thing I saw was Mia rushing towards me, her face a mixture of relief and panic.

A faint smile crept up my face.

And then-

"...."

Everything went dark.