Chapter 1: Hell Bound
Opening 3: Play Casey Edwards - Bury the Light.
-Bury the light deep within. Cast aside there's no coming home.-
Shadow was seen kneeling in a dark background with his sword drawn. He opened his eyes, lifting it up on his left shoulder.
-We're burning chaos in the wind. Drifting in the ocean all alone!-
Hien soon shined brightly in orange flames, forming the title of the story. Shadow held a ready stance to attack as the flames surge.
-Through vacant halls I won't surrender. The truth revealed in eyes of ember.-
Shadow was seen with his hair longer than his usual style, wandering through the decrepit ruins of a destroyed city. His red eyes had a light shine from Hien on his chest.
-We fight through fire and ice forever. Two souls once lost, and now they remember.-
A female figure was seen near him, alongside Tiffania. An expression of uncertainty came to his face till he showed realization.
Soon, a horde of creatures that were made of darkness and wind were appearing near them. Shadow held his sword in its fire form, slicing down the creatures. The female figure was shown wielding a gun, firing what appeared to be bullets at the creatures with a sword made of fire. Both were exhausted from the fight as they wiped the horde of the creatures down.
-I am the storm that is approaching. Provoking. Black clouds on isolation.-
Shadow soon used his water and wind powers to create a rain of death. His enemies were skewered from the ice spears as they all dispersed in the wind with a dark cloud.
-I am reclaimer of my name. Born in flames. I have been blessed. My family crest is a demon of death!-
Using his elemental abilities, Shadow's left hand glowed brightly with the familiar runes. He clenched his left hand into a fist before launching a fireball to the viewers. The scene shifted to a large creature that had its fork obscured, but the fireball suddenly exploded, coating the creature in fire. Shadow soon unveiled his sword, swinging with such ferocity, his hair began to dance in the wind.
-Forsaken, I am awakened. A phoenix's ash in dark divine.-
Shadow soon looked up to the sky, longing to meet Tiffania. He held a vase of the Eclair D'Amore flower, which glowed in a bright yellow light. Hien kept burning bright, turning in a gold color.
-Descending misery. Destiny chasing time.-
The world suddenly began to shift to a hellish landscape. Shadow watched with shock as the very sight became hostile to see. Not wanting to give up, he marched forward, holding his head high to keep his mental fortitude.
-Disappear into the night. Lost shadows left behind.-
Shadow was soon joined of the mysterious female figure, awaiting the hellish sight that befell on them. Several dark creatures appeared and roared. Both were ready to fight back.
-Obsession's pulling me. Fading, I've come to take what's mine!-
Shadow held on to his chest, having a strong determination to continue fighting forward. He refused to get on his knees, despite the wounds that were shown bleeding. Holding a Chaos Emerald, he lifted it above his head, ready to fight another battle.
Shadow continued to wander across the landscape, trying to find a library or archives to find what happened to the city of Tristania. Everywhere he looked, the buildings were too decrepit to hold any information of importance. Not willing to give up, he continued his search.
"There has to be an information library or anything similar in this abandoned city. We have to keep looking." Shadow said.
"I couldn't agree more. Chances are looking slim due to how damaged the area is." Hien commented.
"I know, but we're bound to find something that could give us answers." Shadow spoke.
The exploration took a sudden halt as more of the dark creatures began to appear. Shadow equipped Zenyōso in its fire form, ready to slice them down.
"More of them... They are persistent..." Shadow noted.
(Play Jak II OST Under Attack in Dead Town)
The dark creatures revealed themselves as the same ones he confronted. They made disturbing neighing sounds as they assumed their combat stance. Shadow felt somewhat unnerved, hearing the beasts roar.
'They sound almost demonic... There's bound to be an answer as to how they came to be.' He thought.
Pushing the need to understand them aside, Shadow used his supersonic speed to quickly cut the creatures down. More soon followed, making him focus on the battle.
"They don't let up easily, do they?" Hien commented.
"They don't seem to do so. Time we take them down." Shadow said.
Channeling fire, Zenyōso morphed into its fire form. Shadow swung with precision, cutting any of the creatures that dared to get close to him. They dissipated in purple clouds and faded away with the wind. However, Shadow hasn't fully recovered, causing him to take a brief breather.
"Ugh... Looks like my body hasn't fully healed yet. I'm still overcome with exhaustion." He commented.
"It shouldn't take a moment longer. Your body is almost done healing." Hien reassured.
(Under attack in Dead Town OST ends here)
Shadow grunted in understanding. Walking through the ruins of Tristania, he soon felt a presence that kept him on guard.
"I know you can sense it, Shadow. We're not alone it seems." Hien said.
Shadow nodded quietly. He hid himself behind a debris wall, anticipating who or what was watching him. Using his wind powers, he masked his presence. The being in question that was following him soon revealed itself. It was a female figure, evident by the clothing she was wearing. She had dark hair, appearing black. Her eyes were a sharp red orange color, depending on the lighting. The clothes she wore consisted of a black sleeveless shirt with a breastplate, a black skirt with red highlights, a choker with several interlacing threads of leather around her neck, a pair of orange earrings, and black traveling shoes. On her back, she held a bow made of steel that appeared black with red highlights. Her ears were longer than a human's, suggesting she was an elf. She appeared to be in her early teens.
"Strange... I thought I sensed someone in here... Now the presence is gone." The girl said.
Unable to find Shadow, the girl soon left the premises. He waited for a moment or two till he soon phased to visibility, canceling his wind power of invisibility.
"Looks like we're not alone after all... There may be others outside of this abandoned place." Shadow said.
"It appears so, Shadow. That elf girl somehow feels familiar. Yet, I don't see a correlation." Hien commented.
"We'll worry about that later on. Let's get moving. This town is making me feel uncomfortable." Shadow said.
Soon, Shadow felt an ominous presence from all over the abandoned city. A sudden shaking of the grounds began to happen. He felt his body being in pain as a loud sound echoed in the air. It sounded like an alarm blaring.
"What's happening? My body hurts..." Shadow grunted.
"This is...!" Hien said with shock.
Both soon saw what was happening. A dark aura blanketed the area, appearing as though night has fallen, despite the sun being visible moments earlier. The pain became too much even for Shadow, causing him to collapse unconscious.
######
(Play Silent Hill Homecoming - Hell Descent)
Shadow woke up to a sight he felt most disturbed. The very ground appeared cracked with glowing magma flowing within. The abandoned buildings were rotted away, leaving behind frame skeletons of where they once stood. The air was notably hot. He noticed a red tint of the sky, but appeared dark.
"What is this place...?!" Shadow exclaimed in question.
"Whatever this place is, it's tainted with darkness. I never seen anything like this." Hien said, showing some fear.
The world looked openly hostile. Much of the foundations from where the ruins were once shown now appeared rotted. Some parts looked warped as though something dissolved the buildings to make them unrecognizable. Shadow was treading through this dark world.
'This feels more hostile than it already was...' He thought.
He soon heard what sound like an infant crying. Shadow hesitated for a second before tracking the source of the sound.
"I know we heard a baby crying here, but who would leave one in a place like this...?" Hien questioned.
"I got a bad feeling..." Shadow said.
Soon, a dark creature made its presence known. It looked like a human child, but its body appeared ash black as though it was charred. The creature's eyes glowed in an otherworldly purple that glowed in the dark. It soon bellowed out a disturbing cry of a child screaming that sounded distorted and demonic. Shadow reacted by slicing the creature down with his sword. More were soon appearing.
"Whatever these things are, I wouldn't want them near me." Shadow commented.
Soon, they began breathing purple flames at Shadow, forcing him to dodge. He knew those flames were dangerous to touch, due to the ground starting to erode into ash.
"This makes things direr than they seem. We have to flee." Shadow said.
Having no choice, Shadow dashed through the hellish landscape, avoiding the child-like creatures. He was forced to hide due to the numbers becoming unmanageable, even for him.
'There's too many to overcome... I can't fight them all, especially since my wounds haven't fully healed. Their abilities are destructive so I can't get caught in them. What's worse, there's no end to them.' Shadow thought.
The creatures scurried through, missing Shadow nearby. This made some breathing space for him.
'This is practically Hell on Earth... In this case, Hell within Halkeginia.' Shadow thought.
He soon felt his arm grabbed by a hand. Turning his head, he saw the same girl he encountered earlier.
"Who are you?" He asked with suspicion.
"Come with me if you want to survive." The girl said.
Shadow soon complied, knowing she wanted him to stay alive. He was dragged with the girl, but he didn't care. He had more important thoughts to deal with.
(Hell Descent OST ends here)
######
The girl and Shadow soon reached what appeared to be the outskirts of Tristania. Shadow could see the sky was now a raging thunderstorm with a glowing red color.
"I'm thankful you saved my life, but you haven't answered my earlier question." Shadow said.
"My name is Mary. How about you?" The girl named Mary asked.
"Shadow. Shadow Westwood." Shadow introduced.
"Shadow Westwood? It's the same family name as mine." Mary said.
"We'll worry about trivial details some other time. More importantly, what happened to this world?" Shadow asked.
"I'll answer what happened so be ready to listen." Mary said.
"Might as well hold the discussion for now. We got company." Shadow said, watching dark auras forming.
(Play Silent Hill Downpour OST - Basement Fight)
The creatures of darkness soon made themselves visible. They soon converged to form an eldritch looking creature. It looked like a giant mollusk, which bellowed disturbingly like a human child.
"We can't fight this thing... We need to flee." Mary said, showing some fear.
"Then let's run!" Shadow agreed.
Both were running at incredible speeds, something that Shadow noticed from Mary. However, his curiosity as to how she kept up was cut short as he heard the abomination from behind.
"That thing can keep with us!?" He questioned with surprise.
"Not just that. It's lethal to even touch them." Mary confirmed.
Both continued to run from the chasing creature. It's disturbing, child-like bellows were sounding close to them.
'What a nightmare to hear or even see...' Shadow thought, shaking.
The duo soon came up to a passage that seemed to expand, leaving little for them to escape. It's as though the very plane of existence is trapping them.
"What the hell is with this world?" Shadow questioned.
"We'll worry about that later. More importantly, surviving this is our main concern now." Mary said.
They managed to find a small passage to squeeze through and fled from the creature.
(Basement fight OST ends here)
Both took a breather as they escaped from the eldritch monster. They made sure to keep some space away from the passage they squeezed through.
"You alright?" Mary asked.
"More or less... What the heck was that?" Shadow questioned.
"You're filled with questions trying to understand what you saw... I know how you feel. I've dealt with this for quite some time." Mary said.
"I wouldn't want to be in your shoes overcoming this...nightmare." Shadow commented.
"My father taught me how to handle it, but I'll admit, it has been a fearful adventure." Mary said.
"We should find a safer region than here. That creature is trying to reach us and I rather not stay here for long." Shadow said.
"I wouldn't say more about that." Mary agreed.
Soon, the ground began to give away, creating a hole. Both Shadow and Mary screamed as they fell.
######
"Whoooooaaaaaah!" They bellowed.
They landed on a ground that was slippery. They were forced to ride their way down the 'slide'.
"What the!?" Shadow exclaimed.
Obstacles with sharp wall spikes and gates were shown on the slide. Shadow knew that he had to steer away from them, lest he got skewered. Some were overhead, limiting his jumping.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhh!" Mary screamed in fear.
Shadow couldn't slow down from the slippery slide. He was forced to watch as Mary almost got nicked by deadly obstacles. They soon encountered wicked looking gates with spikes that they almost collided.
"What is with THIS PLACE!?" Shadow screamed.
They soon opened with a rusty screech. Both were frightened as the slide soon ended, showing the next area they were in.
######
Catching their breath from the adrenaline rush they experienced, Shadow and Mary soon noticed the area around their sight. It looked like a steel refinery with hot gusts of fiery air blowing all over the area.
"This looks like a giant refinery, but who or what made it for?" Shadow asked.
"It's not a refinery, Shadow. It's like a personal hell that we have to overcome." Mary said.
"A personal hell?" Shadow asked curiously.
"Yes. This phenomenon has been plaguing the lands floating in the sky. Most of the regions experienced what is called the Hell Bound. It's a separate reality, filled with the victim's worst nightmares from their subconscious." Mary explained.
"Every land floating in the sky? Do you have a map of the regions?" Shadow asked.
"The maps won't be of use. When the world changes, the maps also change as well. We need to find a way out of this so the Hell Bound disappears." Mary said.
Having gotten the information he currently needed, Shadow decided to team up with Mary to overcome the nightmarish landscape.
'With honesty, I wouldn't survive after everything I've encountered so far. It's frightening enough that these creatures can even take my life just by a single touch.' Shadow thought.
Mary and Shadow began to look around the area for anything unusual. Soon, Mary noticed a rusty lever and pulled it. Rumbling was soon heard. They soon looked to see a passage that formed near the west section of the area they were in.
"Not like we have other places to see. Let's go." Shadow said.
The duo soon crossed through the passage.
######
Shadow and Mary were soon at a long passage once again. They soon saw a glowing blue orb of light that caught Mary's attention.
"There! We have to reach that light to escape the Hell Bound. It's the only way." Mary said.
Soon, the familiar cry of the eldritch monster echoed. Shadow and Mary looked back to see the creature's mouth bellowing like a human child. This forced them to run away in fear.
"RUN!" Shadow screamed.
Both panicked as they reached towards the orb. The distorted giggling from the mollusk-like creature made it more difficult to remain calm.
"If we can reach the light, we can say goodbye to this world!" Mary said.
"Then hang on tight! I got the speed for it." Shadow commented.
Mary leaped on to Shadow's back, causing him to briefly crouch before adjusting. He soon channeled his Chaos energy within his body to perform a fast quick away.
"Light Speed Dash!"
Shadow dashed in a blur as the creature watched with surprise. It screamed like a child wanting its toy back. The screaming got louder as Shadow and Mary touched the orb of light, disappearing from the hellish landscape.
Ending 3: Play Cold Bullet Blues by Kurosaki Maon
-"Mou yami ga owaru" to kuraku yodomu kimi no me ga tsubuyaku-
Shadow was seen sitting on the ground in despair. The weather was raining heavily as his crimson eyes were shown with hopelessness.
-tada kuzureta sekai ashita e no ikiba sura nakushite-
The world around him shifts from the peaceful Halkeginia to the decrepit state he's now seeing. He's now walking with a burden on his shoulders, conveying a sense of failure to protect the people he cared for.
-dakedo mamorubeki hito koe ga michibiku namida wo mou minai to kimeta toki-
While walking, Mary fades in to view. Her face bore a stoic expression, having seen the hellish landscape. Her sclera were red, having shed tears of despair. Shadow soon feels a hidden sense of obligation to protect her.
-kokoro no kase kowashite-
Shadow's fire soul has changed into a dark color, causing him to scream in the air. With his willpower alone, he fought against the darkness as a bright light began to erode the dark aura off of Hien.
-ima kogoeru kokoro wo honoo de tokashi jyuuwa wo nigirishimeru-
Channeling his power with Hien, Shadow began to burn brightly with fire. An icy wall surrounded both him and Mary, till it began to melt away. Shadow held Mary close, wanting no harm to come to her. He soon procured a gun on his left hand, ready to take aim.
-ima furueru yubi wo jyuutsume no kuro ni tsuyoku ategau-
Shadow held his aim at an invisible threat. His hand faltered due to his weakness from using a lot of his power. Mary helped him up and balanced his body to take careful aim. His index finger slid to the trigger, ready to fire. Shadow's face had a cold expression.
-kono inochi wo tada kyouki no tama ni kaete-
The gun made a flash as a bullet was fired, producing a visible recoil. Shadow and Mary watched as the world suddenly shifts from the hellish landscape to the normal, albeit ruined world. Both stood with a sense of hope, ready to fight this new threat.
Note: Sorry it took me a while. Writer's block is a pain. More to come.