Abyssal Awakening

Jumping into this ethereal shroud, Alice and Ria could feel a chill invade their bodies while faint shadows slithered across the mist.

Keeping close to one another, they navigated the veiled lands.

Ria was on edge. Each step into the unknown was a risk and the moment she let her guard down, a beast could jump out and kill her before she reacted. This was the danger of the Howling Depths layer.

"There's nothing near us so far. Just be careful where you step. Some of the vegetation that aren't considered beasts can still kill." Alice warned while using the mark on her arm as a guide.

Within this realm of mist, a series of circular gates slowly revealed themselves. Each gate was broken and covered in vegetation while signs of carvings could still be seen etched upon the surface.

Approaching this gate, Alice could feel the link between her mark and the gate.

"Is this what you've been looking for?" Ria asked curiously.

"I think so…"

The circular gates were suspended in midair. Upon touching the gates, the etchings radiated a soft blue glow that bathed the mist in azure lights. The luminescence was not just decoration as the surroundings were enveloped in a strange power similar to Abyssal power that flowed through all Sigil users yet more potent and powerful.

With a connection formed between Alice and the gates, it now pulsed with an erratic echo. They could feel the push of power across their body as the two jumped back in surprise.

"It's turning on." Alice muttered, understanding that this strange device was now activating.

The stones crackled with Abyssal energy and the mist slowly dispersed as the energy stretched outwards from the gate.

With the veil no longer obscuring the floor beneath them, they now see the space for what it truly is.

A large platform decorated with the corpses of thousands.

Radiant tendrils of light burst out from the gates, stabbing downwards while Alice and Ria watched with a mixture of fascination and caution.

Alice in particular, could feel the gates trying to form with the realm itself.

Turning themselves horizontally, the gates layered upon one another, seemingly attempting to drill a hole into the Abyss.

*BOOM!!!

With a loud thud, two gates collided with one another as a pulse of purple light exploded out, lighting up the Howling Abyss.

*BOOM!!!

Another gate collided and once more, the lights exploded out.

Unable to pull their eyes from this spectacle, the two could only watch in silent fascination.

One by one, the gates continued to collide as energy started to gather within the core. Separating from one another, it winds up for one last collision.

An ocean of energy washed over the area as Alice and Ria felt suffocated by the presence of such power. Purple lightning crackled around the gate and Ria realised the power was now similar to what her grandfather had demonstrated in the battle against the White Death.

Before she could warn Alice of the build up in power, the gates slammed down.

*BANG!!!!!!

It ruptured the space with the final collision as the air crackled with a volatile surge of power. The realm itself was torn apart as a gateway down to the depths of the Abyss was formed, a malevolent swirl of untamed energy roared out as both Alice and Ria collapsed on their knee, unable to stand against the pressure.

Alice widened her eyes as unfamiliar emotions surged from her body, a deep longing for the depths and darkness. A sense of desire and want.

The path pulsed with an unsettling rhythm as though they were hearing the heartbeat of the realm itself.

Tears began to form around the edges of Alice's right eye as she slowly reached out with her hand, wanting to reach into the void.

An influx of power roared out from the Abyss, sending chills down their spine as Alice could see a distant name, slowly manifesting itself from the depths.

A deep bloodthirst ravaged the realm as the name became clear. #

[Dreadmaw Harbinger - ✦✦✦✦✦✦]

'Six stars!' Alice paused in shock as her mind cried out for her to leave.

From the tear, elongated fingers slowly emerged, creeping and slithering around the edges of the portal, attempting to grab on firmly. The fingers were like long gnarled branches of a withered tree, crackled and dry. Each joint was pronounced and clear as it pushed against the thin layer of skin.

"We need to leave! NOW!" Ria shouted out but she knew it was already too late.

They could feel several pairs of eyes, locking onto them and preventing them from moving. It felt as though the gaze of a god had descended upon them. Their survival was merely mercy from such a being.

*CRACK!

Unable to support itself, the gate started to split apart with the edges fracturing the and realm restabilising itself. An invisible force crashed against the edges of the gate as the pathway to the depths collapsed in on itself.

The fingers, unable to hold onto the tear were unfairly pushed back as a deep guttural cry of anger pulsed out from the void before being sealed.

The swirl of power that filled the air dissipated, leaving only echoes and remnants of its presence.

Around them, the realm returned to normal as the gates lost their power and the mist rolled in one more.

Free of the presence, Alice and Ria paused in silence and shock while cold sweat covered their back.

"Let's get the f*ck out of here before whatever that was comes back." Ria shook her head and stood up, not wanting to spend another second in this place.

However, Alice wasn't responding.

The beast wasn't the only thing that tried to escape from the depths of the Abyss. In front of Alice, floated a broken crown of black obsidian. Countless splinters hovered around the diamonds that made up the spikes while a single fractured ring held the diamonds together to hold their shape.

Once again, unfamiliar feelings surfaced in her heart. The joys, the excitement, the fear, the sorrow and at the end of it all, nothingness. Coldness filled her heart as changes occurred to her body.

Just like what happened before, a similar crown manifested above her head while both of Alice's eyes turned black and purple.

"[My crown… A symbol of the peace I offered to my residents. Forever looked upon as safety in this realm. And yet… It now lay splintered and broken just like my kingdom, my subjects.]" Alice muttered but Ria did not recognise the tone of voice she was using.

Furrowing her brows, Ria was about to say something when 'Alice' reached forward and grabbed the crown.

"[May this be the sign. For a new inheritor. May you rebuild what is lost. May you lay claim to everything I have left behind.]" Alice smiled softly as the crown broke into several pieces before being embedded into Alice's chest.

As the pieces of obsidian melded with Alice's body, they slowly disappeared one by one and Alice was returned back to normal.

She kneeled down with pain surging through her body. Gritting her teeth, Alice could feel something foreign invading every part of her body, overwriting and taking over but soon, a warmth washed over her as the pain faded away.

Pulling her shirt forward, Alice could see a black star on her chest.

'What did she do to me…' Alice thought with a frown.

Shaking her head, she glanced down at the mark on her hand. It now laid dormant and didn't react to the surroundings at all.

The gate was broken and unresponsive, the beast has been sent back to the depths of the Abyss and a broken crown was now merged with her body.

"Are you alright? What was that? Who was talking just now?" Ria frowned. She knew that there were secrets that she wasn't privy to between Alice and Allura and perhaps this was one of those moments. However, the fact that such a dangerous beast was this close to breaching the surface followed by a foreign entity taking over Alice's body, she's wanting some answers of her own.

"Mnm, I'm fine. Let's get out of here first. I'll tell you on the way back." Alice nodded, taking one last glance at the broken gate that lay in this world of mist.

"Alright."

Tracing their steps back, Alice started to explain the relationship between her and Allura.

How Kaden was the one who freed her from the Zenia family. How she was thrown into the Abyss to fulfil a promise she does not know the details of.

The existence of Cayla and Ayr.

Allura's old master who governed a kingdom in the Abyss.

Staying silent, Ria digested all of this information as more questions filled her mind.

"So… With that special Eye, you can see things in slow motion, see the names of the Abyss Beast and how difficult they are. But only up to six Sigils right now. Ayr is Allura's old kingdom, Kaden is her old friend who rescued you and dug out your eye before throwing you into the Abyss as a slave.

Zenia's have no connection to Allura or Kaden, you just hate them because of everything they've done to you. You can copy Sigil abilities by drinking their blood… Is that part of Cayla's power?" Ria asked but Alice shrugged.

"I don't know. It's something very recent to me."

"What the f*ck. Do you realise how absurd that combination of scenarios are right? You have a ghost in your body that might wake up whenever you come into contact with these… relics of the past. And considering the gate led to the f*cking depths of the Abyss, perhaps that past is filled with Abyss Lords like Allura.

Who the f*ck knows since the beast, for all we care, could be 9 star difficulty." Ria questioned while scratching her hair.

"Then we take into account the things you can do. Flames that burn away Abyss power that no one has seen, heard or known of. Not only that, but because this weird Raven guy, who dug out your bloody eye and implanted the Eye of a dead person into your body that's called Cayla, the Abyss is acting all weird?"

"Seems correct." Alice nodded.

". . . Can I have some of your mead? I need something to wash down what in the flying f*ck you have just told me." Ria groaned while Alice gave her the flask.

Ria had to admit that these circumstances scared her, especially the beast that was about to break out.

However, she couldn't deny that a part of her was intrigued.

This unknown history of the Abyss.