When the tunnel vision finally expanded outward, Tetsuda found himself in a cavern. It resembled Crystalline in a way, yet it was far larger, with a great amount of blue light and an even greater amount of water. He sat upon a thin strip of rock jutting out from a wall, and though Erectus was at his side, he was completely nude. Where was this place? Was he in—?
A black arm shot out from the water and took a sizeable chunk of Tetsuda's platform with it. The incubus jolted and scooted back as far as he could. A set of yellow eyes peeked out over the water's surface, and gradually the rest of a massive creature towered high above Tetsuda. It had no mouth and very little shape, yet it was large and visibly not friendly.
As he grabbed hold of Erectus, sense drifted into his head. That was wrath monster, and this had to be Tyrannus's mind. He had a weapon now, so he could damage the wrath creature, yet he couldn't alter the surroundings without potentially ruining Tyrannus forever. He needed to find Tyrannus's soul, and quickly.
The creature swung its fist toward Tetsuda, taking out more of the platform. Before it could retract its arm, Tetsuda jumped atop it and ran toward the head. The Ira in Cosiyan had explained that the more severe the wrath, the more solid the beasts within the mind. If this thing's skin was completely together, there was no telling what awaited him further in.
It was massive, but it was also slow, and Tetsuda managed to jab Erectus between its eyes before it could even think to throw Tetsuda off. The beast made no sound of pain nor duress—simply, it melted into the water.
Tetsuda jumped back onto a floating rock, watching as the blackness drifted about—and turned into dozens of ratlike creatures with scorpion appendages that skittered their ways across the water.
Mild panic filling him, Tetsuda slashed and stabbed blindly as they approached. Their bodies dissipated into steam after his blade made contact with them, yet their numbers were higher than his stamina, and it wasn't long before a few ghosted across his ankles.
"Hey!" cried a child's voice. "Jump in the water!"
"Who are you?!"
"Just jump! And swim to the bottom! You'll be safe down there!"
He had so many more questions, but with time and its grotesque cohorts working against him, he couldn't argue. After kicking away another creature, Tetsuda leapt from the platform and into the water. His skin prickled and bristled the moment he entered the icy pool, yet he swam downward as quickly as he could. Multiple holes dotted the walls of the chasm, yet one at the very bottom caught his attention, for rather than blue, a faint pink light emanated from the opening.
Briefly he looked over his shoulder, and his eyes widened as he viewed the creatures swimming down after him. He increased his pace as much as he could, yet the further he traveled, the colder the water grew, the harder it became to move—and the creatures didn't seem the least bit affected.
"Just a bit further," said the voice. "Just keep going!"
I can't, he thought. It's...so cold…
"Yes, you can! You're almost there!"
Shaking his head, Tetsuda continued onward. Slow as it was, he managed to reach the opening from which the voice seemed to emanate. No matter how hard they tried, the pests couldn't pass through the water with him.
Tetsuda landed on his hands and knees, and his breaths came in pants. The cavern wasn't nearly as warm as he was used to in Iyan, but anything was better than that water.
"I'm sorry about that. Things have been so hectic here as of late, it's...difficult to tell good from bad."
Tetsuda lifted his head. Standing above him was a human girl with short brown hair and warm eyes. She was in her early adolescent years, and she had an aura of kindness about her.
"Who are you?"
"My name's Kanako. I'll act as your guardian while you're here."
"Kana...ko…?"
Her smile faltered a bit. "I'm not surprised he never mentioned me. I'm a...sore spot for my brother."
"Brother...you mean Tyrannus?"
"Well, more his human form, but yes. Tyrannus is my brother."
"What are you doing here, in his mind? And why are you still a human?"
"I never became a demon after dying. Instead, I went to the Afterlife, but I've always been watching Soui—Tyrannus in Iyan. After he absorbed Tairo, I couldn't sit still any longer, so I inserted myself into his mind."
Slowly, Tetsuda nodded his head. "Why haven't you been killed yet?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's wrath demons all throughout his mind. How haven't they attacked you yet?"
"Well...the ones that attacked you up there were sent by me. His mind's already very fragile, and I fear any more intruders will ruin him completely. Rapax and Praedicare have both attempted inserting pieces of themselves, but I've managed to expel them. I'm such a positive force that I can overwhelm the weaker wraths and use them as protection. As long as I stay here, in this part, I won't be harmed."
"Then why haven't you saved the real Tyrannus?"
She looked a bit guilty. "I can't. I'm not strong enough by myself. But now that you're here, we might be able to save him together."
"So you're willing to help me?"
"Of course I am. He may have changed, but he's still my brother. Seeing him suffer upsets me, and I know you feel the same way." She outstretched her hand. "Follow me?"
He wanted to trust her—she seemed too innocent and genuine to be anything but truthful. Yet deep down he knew better; for all he knew, she could be another wrath embodiment in disguise. He'd play along with her, but he'd keep his hand on Erectus the entire time.
Tetsuda took her tiny hand in his. Her touch was warm, reassuring and sweet. Had he a heart, it surely would have tingled. She tugged gently on his wrist, and he followed her down the corridor. "I'll warn you, though, it's...very hard to see."
"Can't be any worse than how he is now."
"Maybe."
The corridor continued for a bit, then opened into a massive space with a domed ceiling and three tiers of flooring. The walls were a sleek cerulean at one point, yet rot and mold had completely corrupted them. Various mirrors stood at various points, each frame covered in verdigris and every glass plate severely cracked. Throughout the space, shadowy beasts ranging from pygmies to dragons crawled around as if the place were a dumping ground. At the third tier there stood a wooden gazebo, its roof riddled with shadowy termites and the spindles grievously splintered.
"What...is this place…?"
"The Hall of Memories," Kanako said. "Everyone has one, though they're usually not so...dirty. This holds all of Tyrannus's memories, but the mirrors represent the most significant ones."
"And the...the wrath demons? What about them?"
"They won't harm you as long as you're with me. In fact, they won't even see you." She looked over her shoulder and smiled up at him. "You're in a lot of these mirrors, you know."
A small part of him tingled at that, yet longing quickly replaced it.
"You can look, if you want."
Nodding slowly, Tetsuda allowed her to lead him to a mirror. Behind the glass, a man with light blonde hair dressed in fine robes lay on a chaise in a luxurious lounge. Accompanying him were men and women in various states of undress.
"Who's that?"
"Tyrannus. His human form, anyway. He was an emperor before becoming a demon, but he was more of a tyrant than a leader. He was very smart and strong, but also selfish, and he had a habit of executing anyone who disagreed with him."
"He liked orgies, I see."
"Yes," she said with a tiny grimace. "He did."
They moved to the next one, and Kanako looked away. Tyrannus battled with peasants in a ransacked room in the palace. He fought just as well in his human form as his demon form, though with far less beauty. He shoved an enemy aside and thrust his blade forth, landing it in the chest of…
"He killed you?"
Gravely she nodded. "He didn't mean it. It was my fault, really. He...he told me to evacuate, but I didn't listen. He was fighting and didn't realize I was there, and…" Shaking her head, she led him to the next mirror.
A demon now—though with a shaved head and a plethora of welts—Tyrannus stood on his hands and knees, bound and gagged, as Tairo raped him. The Avaritia laughed, yet Tyrannus's face remained stern and solemn. Not a tear fell from his eyes, even as blood spilled from his anus.
The next mirror. Tyrannus, skin scorched and eyes bloodshot, stood in a pit of ashes. A Superbia with purple skin and golden armor adorned with jewels hopped down and approached. Eyes twitching, the Ira shot forth and dug his claws into the Superbia's eyes, then ripped and tore until the Superbia was nothing but blood and bone. Tyrannus licked his hands and arms of blood, and somewhere in the middle of it all, he released onto half a skull.
"Iacto's murder."
"And the first instance of Anima Effusio. For a Superbia, he wasn't all that bad. Being in Tyrannus's mind really humbled him."
Next, Tyrannus and Basileus, both armor-clad, locked hands as an audience of supporters cheered. Then the image flickered to Tyrannus, beaten, laying at a cliff's edge. Tairo and a red-skinned demon Tetsuda assumed was King Jousin stood above him. Jousin kicked Tyrannus off the cliff and walked away with Tairo. Just moments later, Tyrannus, now with black wings, bright blue eyes, and an even more menacing Falce Mortis, rose from the abyss and impaled Jousin.
They passed a few more, Tetsuda not observing their events, yet his feet went leaden at the one just before the gazebo. It depicted the first time Tyrannus received Tetsuda in bed, just after their five-year separation. Tetsuda's throat dried, and the longing in his chest grew stronger. He was still there; somewhere, Tyrannus—his Tyrannus—was still there.
"Where is he?" Tetsuda asked.
"The floor opens," she said, pointing to the gazebo. "You'll find him there. Or, at least...what's left of him. I can't go down with you. I don't know why, but I'll be singed if I go inside the gazebo. It's all up to you."
"I understand." He crouched a bit and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for everything. I'll save your brother, I promise."
"I never had any doubts."
He wished he could say the same.
