It was a day of mourning for Castle Nightmare.
Thousands of multicolored balloons burst from seemingly nowhere, a large feline taking immense pleasure in scratching, biting, and using firecrackers to explode each and every one. The now-shortened collection that made up the components of Girania were closing in a circle, pulled by a gravitational force. Once they were tightly bound together, a green glow outlined the silhouette of the fish nightmaren, reforming xir destroyed physical form.
Xir's shrunken body hissed and growled with frustration, launching xirself in a flurry of attacks at the other second level for a taste of revenge. Xe would have bitten the cat in two if he hadn't scampered away with his tail between his legs. A snap at Clawz' hind legs forced the feline to crash into the den's wooden table, breaking it in half. Girania, now the size of a human car, laughed at the nightmaren's injuries.
"Silence, prithee! Your annoying ruckus is distracting me." Both second levels paused their playful act at the sound of the high-pitched voice. Another of their kin laid in an armchair, sorting through intricately detailed cards the size of patio doors. One by one, an orange glove picked out the needed, specific tarot cards from the fanned out deck, gliding them across the air in a certain order. "How quaint. . ."
Clawz, after carefully stepping over the now shattered table, approached the cartomancer with curiosity brimming in his dark blue eyes. "Purr-ay tell," his ear flickered as he heard Girania follow, "what do purr cards read?"
"Nothing joyful as of yet." The large nightmaren drew the final card from the deck, frowning all the while. They glanced over the thirteen present, translating the advice and information they gave silently. Once satisfied by the answer, they reshuffled them with the rest and put them in their glove. "Master Wizeman. . . will not return."
As soon as those words slipped out of Jackle's mouth, the atmosphere darkened drastically. The other two second levels could only stare agape at the Mantle. "For. . . For sure?" Girania dropped xir voice to a whisper, not wanting to accidentally deafen the feline with xir booming volume. "He won't be back?"
"I pray them wrong, but no such occurrence has happened." Jackle shook their head, a saddened expression present on their nearly invisible face. "They were right about everything thus far. The Red Ideya's presence, NiGHTS' rebellion, and her defeat of Master Wizeman."
"I see. . ." With that, Girania vanished beyond the large doorway, returning to xir realm to go over this newfound information. The castle and all of it's populace were currently grieveing over the loss of their Master, their creator. Lord Wizeman the Wicked's defeat had spread with quick news, most not wanting to believe their own sibling would do such a thing. Many second levels were still in recovery over their own battles with the rebel jester. It had been nearly a seven dreamcycles since the downfall of the Nightmare God. His final words rang untrue of the nightmaren falling with their Creator.
Jackle floated towards the towering doorway Girania had left through, pausing the catch Clawz' attention. "Prithee comen, dear sibling. We should check on Reala. The news of His death has left hir utterly distraught." Once they heard the feline bounding over, they continued through the doorway and down the eerie halls.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The sounds reverbetating off of the stained wooden doorway gained the attention of the occupant inside. The two nightmaren waited patiently for an answer outside, silhouetttes barely visible within the darkened hallways. Neon lights splayed in specific words and designs gave way to the only light, but for any onlooker it seemed more eye-straining than helpful. The Castle's lights had dimmed dramastically over the past few days, due to the low energies from the residents and missing presence of the Castle's owner. A muffled groan followed suit, Jackle taking that as a cue to enter the room. Sounding their entry, the door creaked loudly in disapproval from the forceful opening. Clawz quickly followed the caped conjurer, not wanting to be shut out.
"Reala?" The chamber was even darker than their previous location, the moon that forever circled the realm of Nightmare producing the only light, beams shining in through the window. Although the nightmare entities were used to living in darkness, their eyes still had to adjust to the change of brightness. Slowly approaching a spare bed pushed into the corner of the small room, the Mantle shoved a gloved hand out to pull down the blankets. "Apropos, sulking away from grief in your chambers alone will do nothing but worsen the pain you feel."
The owner of the room lifted a clawed hand off of hir face, glaring at the taller nightmaren. The cold leaking in from the window bit at hir unclothed arms as ze was pulled out of hir cocoon of warmth. "What else am I supposed to do. . .?"
"Not this, my dear sibling." Jackle took residence at the edge of the black and red patterned bed, gently rubbing the crimson clad jester's arm in a soothing motion. Clawz followed, curling around his two siblings, a look of deep concern present on his face. Everything has been broken, thrown out of order. They all had to see out the consequences of their rogue sibling's actions now. "Comen out of this chamber room with us. It's bleak and melancholic, exiting from here will certainly improve your mental state."
"Yes, we haven't seen purr face for a long time! We can recover from the fall of Meowster Wizeman together." The feline nightmaren gently nuzzed hir face, attempting to comfort the saddened nightmaren. Reala scrunched up hir face from the action, the black fur of Clawz tickling hir.
"Alright, alright." Ever so gently, ze pushed hirself up into a sitting position. Hir body felt beyond sluggish, hir movements slow and uncalculated after having not moved around too much for the past few dreamcycles. Some of hir old wounds ached from the battle with their traitorous twin, a grimance matched their painful call to attention. Suddenly, Reala looked up at Jackle and blurted out, "what did your cards say?"
The expression present on the cartomancer's face was all that was needed, the first level's shoulders slunking down - hir only hope shattered once again. "Let's not dwell upon the issue. It's near time to gather the others." A nod was given in response, the three exiting the room of Reala rather quickly.
Turning down the hallway, Seapo greeted the trio quite frantically. Rambling and stumbling over words from nervousness - being in the presence of higher ups, it certainly didn't want to be the target of their rage - it finally made comprehensible the issue at hand. Parts of Castle Nightmare were starting to crumble and tear apart, falling into the swirling void of Consciousness located below the island. A few of their kin had been sucked down with the rabble. The Consciousness had completely destroyed the souls of a so-called immortal species.
"Gather the other third levels and tell them to group in the main room." Reala commanded softly, watching the retreating form of the seahorse as it sped off to follow the given orders. The feline among the group slowly backed off, finding it as his cue to gather their siblings as well. Clawz ran off down the hall, intending to find Girania's realm first. Jackle looked at the crimson clad jester quizically.
"What is it you plan?" The two demons sped off down the dimly lit hallways, twisting and turning down certain pathways to reach their destination. Castle Nightmare was a large maze - if one hadn't spent their entire life in this dark Utopia, they'd be lost to the suffocating fear the building let off - not to mention the occupants who would devour any Visitor who dared step foot in an instant. The residence was now self-destructing, no doubt from the absence of Wizeman.
"Evacuation. This place will be completely obliterated in a few cycles. We'll take refuge at the many different bases set in Nightopia." Entering through the door, the room itself was a giant auditorium. The same swirling mist that floated around the castle seemed to coat thicker than before. A few third levels who were quick to arrive bowed their head respectfully towards the now Lord of Nightmare, as ze made hir entrance known.
By the time the entire populace was present, it was late into the night. Gulpo was the last to enter with a few of his underlings, as his room was at the farthest end of the building. Chatter filled every corner of the room of what this meeting could be about. It seemed most were still unaware of the decaying state their homeland was thrown in.
"Nightmaren," Reala addressed, a quick hush falling over the restless crowd. "My siblings. . . Thanks to the fall of our Master, our Utopia of darkness is no longer safe. The east wing has collapsed, brought to our attention by the one who hailed the third levels here. A few of our kin has been lost to the Consciousness." A dead silence passed in respect for the fallen, before the other continued. "We will evacuate to our headquarts in various Nightopias. Split into seperate groups of eleven. I want each second level with one, as I will also watch over one group. Third levels are dismissed, meet outside of the castle grounds immediately."
As soon as the first level had finished speaking, all of the lower ranks scrambled towards the exits, not wanting to anger hir. Ten individuals were left alone in the room with Reala. "You know where to go. Choose a group and head out." With that, the crimson clad jester flew out of the room with the rest.
Things were going to only become worse for the nightmaren species, but Reala refused to give up hope. Ze'd build another kingdom of Nightmares if it was required. The current Lord would make sure to follow Master Wizeman's wishes to corrupt the Dreamworld and take over the land of Visitors, with or without NiGHTS interfering. Most of all, ze would make sure to lead hir siblings to a brighter future, both literally and metaphorically. Only time could tell what will happen now.