Jesse was first aware of a hard stone floor under their cheek. It felt slightly wet- but cold-wet, so it wasn't their blood (probably).
That was good, at least.
"They are awake."
Jesse jolted a little at the unfamiliar voice. No, wait- it was a little familiar, but not enough for Jesse to be able to immediately lock on to who it was. Their mind spun a little, rattling like some weird slot machine, trying to align the voice to a person that they had met.
And then it did.
The party. Being knocked out.
The keys.
The doll.
Jesse bolted upright- and instantly regretted it, as it felt like someone had just taken a piping tube and squeezed hot lava all along the seams in their skull.
They squeezed their eyes shut, then opened them again, too scared to keep their eyes closed for too long.
The walls and floor were made of smooth stone (thankfully not rough, or Jesse's entire face would probably have been bashed up), so seamless that Jesse almost couldn't see the seams of the building around them. It was almost dull, except that the stone was dark- almost black, so dark that the torches on the walls seemed to have their light be simply swallowed up.
The doll was standing off to the side, regarding Jesse with a blank face. Jesse couldn't tell what it (they?) was thinking.
They couldn't even tell if PAMA was capable of thinking of anything except their orders.
"Hm. You certainly don't look like much."
The voice was raspy and almost hoarse, but at the same time had some phantom quality to it. One that Jesse couldn't explain, couldn't explain why it compelled them, couldn't explain why their head snapped around to focus intensely on the speaker.
Though it was very easy to explain why Jesse immediately had to swallow a scream.
The man in front of them was tall. So tall that he would've easily towered over Jesse, even if they were standing. Most demons looked at least mostly healthy; he looked like Jesse could've given him a good shove and he would've keeled over dead on the spot- gray skin, bags under his eyes...
Red eyes that were mottled with something sickly- the sclera had almost turned violet, which really made Jesse wonder what was making him so ill.
And yet, despite his sickly look, there was something sinister, dangerous about him. Jesse had the distinct feeling that he was a spindly spider sitting in the center of a web, waiting casually for the flies to land in a perfectly woven web.
He stepped closer. Jesse wanted to scramble back, but they were frozen- they vaguely could feel both fear pumping through their bloodstream, making them tremble but also locking their limbs tight, but also the lava pulsing against the seams of the brain was making standing a wee bit difficult.
The demon crouched, regarding Jesse with those sickly red-purple eyes. They met his gaze, even though every cell in their body wanted nothing more than to launch themselves out a window just to escape this guy.
"You don't look so good. Maybe you should take an aspirin."
Jesse blamed the October Children for giving them the bravery (stupidity?) to say that, though the demon's lips curled up in a wide grin at that.
"A welcome price to pay, to welcome our true master into this realm. I'm sure that he'll recognize my... ah, devotion."
The demon glanced away to look at PAMA, face still mere inches away from Jesse's. So close that Jesse could smell the sickly sweet stink on his breath. "PAMA, you're sure they're powerful?"
"Yes. I watched them in action at the Death Bowl," PAMA intoned.
"Mm. Dolls aren't the most useful for surveillance... but perhaps you're right." The demon ran spindly fingers along Jesse's cheek. Jesse resisted the urge to bite his fingers off.
"I am certain, sir." PAMA's face was devoid of any real emotion- different to the stiff smiles and frowns that PAMA had given them before.
Even though they had been stiff... somehow, they'd felt a little organic. A little natural.
Not quite there, but... almost.
The demon nodded, looking back at Jesse. His lank, black hair dripped into his face, almost obscuring those sickly eyes. That would've been a relief, honestly, looking into them just made Jesse's entire heart feel like it was being submerged, drowned in despair.
"Why am I here?" Jesse asked, trying to make their voice sound stern and firm but coming out weak and a little trembly.
He laughed a bit. "Why should I tell you? You'll be nothing but dust soon."
"Well, I think it'd be a bit more polite to at least give me an iota of information," Jesse said, the sarcasm slipping out far faster than their brain could even think to process that they had to shove it back in.
The demon threw his head back and laughed. Jesse could see the rotting molars in the back of his head and had to bite back a slight shudder.
"Polite... oh, you're quite funny. And yet, I suppose it'd be more amusing to watch you be afraid knowing what your fate will be..."
Is he gonna monologue like an anime villain?
"I am Abrecan," he said, a contemptuous sneer coming over his face. He looked almost like he was considering quashing them like an ant.
I think he's gonna monologue like an anime villain.
"I am more than a mere demon."
He's totally monologuing like an anime villain.
These thoughts were helping Jesse at least keep their cool and not be sobbing their eyes out, which was undoubtedly what this demon wanted, so that was something on the plus side.
"I am the storm that'll wipe away Cosmos as they know it."
Jesse was tempted to ask 'they?' but realized that might betray curiosity, so they just stared back at him, trying to keep their breathing even.
It was something of a feat, considering they could feel fire searing the inside of their skull.
"The negative energy... I've been communicating with it, so to speak," Abrecan said, gesturing to his left.
Jesse turned to look.
... the gates.
They were tall, shining things in the dim torch light, but even that seemed blinding compared to the dark stone around them.
Four huge, thick chains, shimmering iridescent in that way that made Jesse aware that it was a spell, were fastened in an elaborate, beautiful knot over the handles, with five locks shaped like snakes interlocking together.
And that's when Jesse noticed two of the huge locks had been unfastened, leaving little stray bits sticking out.
"It's been a chore waiting for the opportunity to get the keys, rather than playing into those stupid lords' hands... but now, there's nothing stopping me from opening the door and unleashing our true master. That negative energy... the power, the potential it has to control everything... consume everything..."
Abrecan looked almost like he was going to drool at the idea. "Oooh, it sends shivers down my spine at the very concept..."
Jesse stared at him.
"What?" Abrecan sneered at Jesse when they just looked at him for a few minutes, "not going to tell me I'm insane?"
"I don't think there's any point; you'd just do it anyway..."
PAMA's lips might've twitched, but when Jesse managed to glance at PAMA through their peripheral vision, they were blank- just as always.
"I'm wondering more about why you thought that was a huge reveal when the lords already guessed what you were doing..."
PAMA, this time, made a sound that was almost a beeping laugh. It quieted down when Abrecan glared at them.
"Hmph. You really don't know what the master is capable of, if that doesn't even scare you." Abrecan leered back down at Jesse.
He took ahold of their chin, jerking their face so close that Jesse had no choice but to stare directly into his eyes, which immediately caused a wave of nausea to start pounding through their body.
Ugh, their head...
"Master has promised me unfathomable power, if I am able to fulfill his requests. With that kind of power... I'll be able to rip apart Cosmos. Destroy those weak lords..."
If they're weak, why do you need his help? Jesse very much wanted to ask, but they hastily bit their tongue before it could slip out.
Truth be told, the nausea also made them not particularly want to open their mouth, since they had the vague feeling they'd just vomit on the floor instantly.
"Tch. Corruption is corruption, and I can see it in every single one of those lords. Chosen? Hah. Please. I'm sure Ivor's just bringing people into a circle of influence..."
Okay, jealous much? Now Jesse's vision was blurring, bad. They tried to pull away, but Abrecan gripped tighter, bruising.
Abrecan chuckled, probably seeing the look on Jesse's face. "It's really, really too bad. With Master's power... I'll eradicate the lords. I'll build a world that is fair and just, with my power at the helm."
Okay I think this guy is nuts. Jesse managed, through the lava slowly creeping along every bone in their body. Simply breathing was agonizing.
"Guh..." Jesse managed, trying to stay focused.
PAMA shuffled, but did nothing else.
Abrecan laughed. "That being said... he's been locked away for centuries, and he needs something to feed upon. A nice, tasty vessel with lots of power."
Jesse could only vaguely think that this perhaps was a bad thing. Their jaw was slack, eyes half-rolled into their head as they fought to remain conscious, to cling to the last shreds of awareness.
"I was hoping to get one of the lords, but... it needs to be a fresh kill, so you'll do."
This time, there was no response from Jesse. No sassiness, no frustration, no anything.
It is hard to be any of those things when your eyes roll up into your head as you collapse.
Abrecan chuckled and kicked Jesse's prone body. The little human's head lolled slightly. "This power is so simple to use... PAMA. Keep them restrained until the keys arrive. It won't be long now."
PAMA nodded, a sharp, almost mechanical nod. "Yes, sir," it replied crisply.
Xara was sitting quietly with Romeo.
With the extra time bought by the herbal mixture Aiden had concocted, Hadrian had had enough time to regenerate his teleportation ability and teleport everyone back to the Oasis, due to the fact that a lord being in such a vulnerable state meant that that secret would get out quickly.
Mevia had decided to oversee Narvid in Romeo's place, considering how... volatile the Underneath could be politically.
"Scary," Harper had told her solemnly, before Mevia had swatted her and told her not to be a smart-alec. She'd received a smile at the jab.
Mevia kept the communication orb up constantly, each lord keeping it up so that she was just about up-to-date.
"Thought you hated his guts," Mevia spoke up presently, making Xara jump a little.
Xara looked back at Romeo for a moment. What skin she could see was pale, sickly pale, except for dark circles under his eyes and black veins creeping all up his body, the ones that weren't slowly darkening.
She looked away again, abruptly sick to her stomach. Last thing they needed was her to throw up on the spot.
"I was angry," she said, truthfully, quietly.
Mevia was quiet. The other orbs were the lords quietly talking to each other, to the people at the party, trying to figure out where Jesse was, trying to figure out where they were because Romeo was dying
"About Fred?"
"What else would I be mad about?" Xara mumbled, but her voice had no real snap to it. Actually, it might've trembled.
Mevia nodded, listening silently for a bit.
She finally looked back at Xara. "You don't hate him, then?"
Xara looked at Mevia sharply, but there was no judgement. Not even her usual snarky sort of smile.
"... thought I did," Xara said, after a long moment, and stared at her clenched hands.
He'd talked about how politically charged everything was in Narvid- which it was.
He'd said he'd sent her and Fred messages, but nothing had happened.
She certainly hadn't got any of that. It had to be fake. It had to just be... him making things up, right?
It hadn't sounded like it.
Her knuckles were white at this point, from how tightly she'd squeezed; she forced herself to relax her hands, taking in a shaky breath. She was trying to calm her down, but her mind was whirling, around and around, until she was dizzy with the force and speed and danger of every thought.
What if he had sent messages?
What if something had simply... blocked them?
What if she and Fred just hadn't gotten them?
What if she'd hated him when there was someone else she was supposed to hate?
She took in a brief, gasping breath, blinking hard, tears pooling in her eyes and threatening to spill.
Fuck, she was pathetic.
She managed to squash the urge to cry, taking in a deep, shuddering breath and stared down at the floor. The wooden floor was slightly scuffed by all the people that had come in and out of the infirmary over the past few days, without any pause to allow the servants to polish it.
Please let me be wrong.
Please let there have not been a reason he was angry that I should've been angry about, too.
Please don't tell me I should've trusted him this whole time.
If she found out that someone had framed Romeo, or that there'd been a misunderstanding caused by a stranger that had led to one of her former(?) best friends with creeping veins and gasping breaths and poison blood...
"Now I'm not so sure."
Hell would have no fury quite as angry as her.
A/N: No, this is not Romara, before anyone asks hfksla;fhdsa
Sorry for the delay y'all! I've been busy working on the dating sim... 43k+, and I'm still not done with one of the routes...
Responses to reviews!
Darkbeast Dend: Aww, thank you!
Guest: A big oof indeed haha
TheAmberShadow: He'll be fine. I think. / Indeed. / They actually don't learn magic this way; they're taught essentially that it's just magic and inner power. Ivor learned the old way, which was lost when soul magic was forbidden. / Hopefully! / Lol / They are, but sometimes voicing things out loud just makes it worse haha / It might be worth looking up the meaning of the word. Gave a huge hint in this chapter lol. / It is, but I am biased haha
Toni42: :3 / I am now no longer in Taiwan or on holiday haha
jessicanightmarewolf: Barely haha. / Burying it would be a terrible idea, as if it got taken by a being with negative energy, it could potentially infect the key, thereby infecting the next person who found the key. / To be fair Xara was too mad to notice haha. / Ty!
That's all for now! See ya, so long, and g'bye!
x.X. A.L. X.x
