~ Chapter 26: Hidden ~

[Tuberculus’ point of view] [Moments before...]

Kasimir Azafassar Teruk Despino, the Crown Prince of the Despino Republic, the one who led the united army through Yandrea’s dungeon for the Ritual of Suppression. He was the hero of the negvar elves, the undisputed royal who would one day lead his country. He was also the terrorist who wanted to harm my wife and destroy the home she built.

We were his stepping stone towards his glory. We were his opponents that should have been defeated with ease.

Nobody expected us to rebel, to bare our teeth back at him, yet... here we were, vicious enemies who were ready to kill him and his entire army.

We were winning, I could tell this... We were winning, yet what was this uncertainty feeling in my heart? What was this unease that was consuming me?

I was preparing to attack him with my snakes as soon as he moved closer, but sometimes... our carefully planned strategies failed before they had the chance to prove their worth.

This insufferable Prince was now smirking.

Why? I furrowed my brow and then followed his eyes.

The target of his cunning gaze was the top of the Golden Pyramid where Yandrea’s body was located. In that split second when he was out of my sight, he dashed towards it.

“STOP!” I shouted at him as I sent my [Shadowless Snake] after him.

“IF I DIE HERE, I’M TAKING YOU ALL WITH ME!” he shouted as he avoided the first one, while the second one shattered his Magic Armor.

All of his Magic Energy was made to flow into his sword until it began to glow from all that power.

I remembered the powerful attacks he used against me.

There were many types of Supremes out there, some focused on long ranged attacks, others on support, and then there were those who put everything into a single attack, whether they were mages or swordsmen or even brawlers. An attack from them was terrifying, no one under Supreme Rank could survive it.

As he got close to the pyramid, he took out a small device from his pocket. I recognized it.

“The Chains of Submission!” I said as I focused on a spell that would propel me forward, to stand as a barrier between him and Yandrea.

“With this, I will have my WIN!” he declared and then shouted “GOLDEN CHAINS OF SUBMISSION!”

“YOU BASTARD!” I shouted at him and launched myself forward with the spell.

[Local Warp] was the spell’s name, and it was a modification of the [Teleportation] spell that brought me here. It worked by warping the space around the user and then propelling them forward over a short distance. It was different from the spell [Blink] that just pushed you forward with a ridiculous speed that would sometimes even result in your own Magic Armor shattering if you were not careful. How this new spell worked exactly was something that I could hardly wrap my head around, however, it was something that Yandrea showed me by dismantling the [Teleportation] spell. It required a lot less energy and the coordinates could be set to be extremely precise, although they mostly relied on your own perception of the environment. Unlike [Blink], it had no detrimental side effects.

I was now in front of him, Yandrea was behind me, but we were still far away from her. When I looked at the Prince, he was smiling, a strong confidence in his own victory was revealed in his eyes. The energy in his sword was at its peak.

Oh no... I thought as I realized what he was about to do, who he was aiming at.

“[Endless Sword Slash]!” he shouted as he released a wave of energy in the form of a sword attack.

“[Seven Stage Barrier]!” I called out, casting a series of [Layered Barrier] spells in front of me, but his attack was faster and the last one was destroyed while forming.

In that fraction of a second from the moment his attack touched my barrier, I knew that they were not going to hold, so I moved my arms forward to stop it, fueling my Magic Armor with all of my remaining Magic Energy. Behind me was Yandrea’s Crystal Body. If it reached her, those enchanted barriers of hers were not going to last. As for her Magic Armor... I did not want to take a chance.

So, I prayed... to whoever was listening, to help me stop him.

The barrier spells were destroyed one after another; his attack cutting through them like a knife through butter. Then, at the last one, I sensed a fluctuation of power in the attack. It got weaker. The attack continued and reached my Magic Armor. I tried to grab and tighten my grip on the sword’s blade as hard as I could. The sharp edge made of condensed Magic Energy pushed into my Magic Armor, creating a clash of energies, in which both sides tried to cancel each other out. It drained me, but I held on. The power leaving my body as it struggled to put up a defense against this attack.

I was no fool, and I focused on the front part, right where this magic attack connected. The energy on both sides dissipated fast, but I prevailed in the end.

“Hah! Hah!” gasping for air, I felt tired and weak, my Magic Energy pool almost completely exhausted.

“Stay there and wait for your death! I will deal with you soon!” the Prince said as he flew past me.

“Huh?” I looked back at him, his sword was charging up again.

There was no way he could unleash another attack like that, however, if he could... I feared the outcome...

Clenching my fists, I did not hesitate and flew after him.

“[Sanctimonious Slash]!” he called out and a flash of bright light came out of his sword, striking the top of the pyramid.

Only the front pillars were cut in half, while those at the back were safe. This meant the attack did not go through. There was only one thing in the middle that could stop such an attack... Yandrea.

I was terrified of what this meant, of what would happen if I let it pass. The reinforced glass barriers could not survive such an attack. They went through, this much was certain, but was her Magic Armor safe? Was it still there, protecting her or was her body left bare to suffer from even the weakest attack?

Please... Please be safe... I thought and at that moment... time seemed to slow down.

From the corners of my eyes, I saw the Prince pulling his arm back, ready to throw his sword that was glowing with Magic Energy. The target was Yandrea. I knew... I knew that there was no attack that I could cast that could deflect his or interrupt him. There was not enough time... Mages had always been at a disadvantage against melee fighters like him. They were even more at a disadvantage if they were in peak shape and knew how to use long range attacks like he did.

He probably stayed behind, preserved his strength, kept his focus somehow. Or maybe I was simply at a high disadvantage against him... To be honest, I never expected a duel against him. I had hoped he would fall before reaching this floor. After all, Tuberculus Firerage was a scholar, was a teacher, more recently was a husband and a leader... I was no warrior. I never was and never will be...

If Nanya was here... she could have fought better than me.

If Illsyore was here... my child... maybe he could have figured out a better way to use traps. He was quite something with his creations... That easy dungeon of his really took me by surprise, and I was proud of him.

I lived long enough... I thought and cast [Local Warp].

The target was right between Yandrea’s Crystal Body and the incoming attack. My body moved just as he launched his sword like a spear at her.

I came out of the warp, facing the bright shining light covering the metal projectile. My hands moved forward to catch it. My Magic Armor had not recovered and my Magic Energy pool had reached rock bottom. This was it... my final struggle...

When I touched the sword, my body cried out, my Magic Armor twisted but held on as much as it could. My whole being struggled like it never did before, pushing through with everything I had.

The sword’s blade moved forward, slicing through my Magic Armor. It shattered, so I focused on my strength.

I was no warrior, but my body was that of a Supreme Rank. My muscles cried out. My bones creaked. Yet, despite all the force I was putting into stopping this, I was still being pushed back.

My body slammed against something hard, it shattered once, twice, thrice... The glass barriers Yandera made. My back was against her Crystal Body... I was the last barrier.

The sword’s energy was being depleted fast, so I had to fight, I had to stop it.

The tip reached my chest. It slowly pushed through... It cut through my clothes. It pierced my flesh. It cut my muscles and bones.

“RAAAH!!!” I shouted as blood spilled from my mouth, my frail arms pushing with desperation, with everything that I had against this tidal wave of merciless power.

I felt it... the attack... I was winning against it. Even if it cut through my body, I could not let it go through my wife’s... through her... through the woman I loved... through Yandrea...

Ah... I really do love her, don’t I? After all, for whom else would I make such a sacrifice? I thought as revelation struck me, the final barrier that kept me away from her finally faded away.

How ironic…

[Bond of Trust] accepted.

There was a burst of energy coming from within me; a power that I did not know I possessed...

A power, which I used to the last drop to stop the sword from reaching her... I would not let it...

Even if my arms were broken, even if my body was scarred, I would not let it!

The sword finally stopped. The energy faded away with the last bits of energy floating out of it.

My hands were trembling, and although I knew I had been impaled by that sword, I could not feel any pain.

My breath was stuck in my chest. All I could taste was blood. My vision was getting blurry, and I could tell that I was about to pass out.

With my remaining strength, I turned my head and looked at her... A small pink light appeared from within the Crystal Body. I smiled... and closed my eyes...

She was safe...

[Forglore Soldier’s point of view]

“Grah! These blasted nelves and their absurd quest for glory!” I shouted as I hid behind a tree.

A fireball struck the tree trunk behind me. Bits and pieces of it flew out in all directions. I held my sword close to me and focused on refueling my Magic Armor. There was only one reason why our pelts were dangling here by the branches and cliffs, the nelves wanted glory! We knew that this was going to be a dangerous mission, our prince called it. He pointed out the problems like a child points out the unseen colors to those with two eyes.

Looking to my right, I saw a reiss bandaging his leg. His body was hot, blaring hot red with heat from all the effort he put into running away from our foes. I could not blame the rodent. They were fast on their feet, but they could not see the colors and heat like we did.

“Got any more energy in ya?” I asked him.

“A bit.” he replied as another fireball struck close by.

“Just hold on! The nelf prince is gonna win his battle and return here to clean up the junk!” I shouted back at him.

“That is if we still have our tail by then!” he retorted.

Sometimes, it was hard to figure out the unique figures of speech of the reiss or the nelves, but other times, like now, it was easy to tell what he meant by that. He feared that we would meet our end at the hands of the enemies. He feared death.

On this expedition, there was no one who had not been marked by death. It became our companion, our deranged follower and reckless abuser. It mattered not if you were nelf, forglore, or reiss, death would strangle the life out of you all the same. The only difference was how it came to you and whether or not you would suffer for long.

An ice attack struck between the two of us. Ice shards flew towards me, forcing me to lift my hands up to protect my face. They shattered against my Magic Armor, lowering its strength by a lot.

The reiss jumped around the tree, and shot a wind spell at the enemy. It was not powerful enough to shatter their armor, but it was enough to make them wary of us. It was a chance for us to flee. I took it and dashed forward, looking for cover between the trees. The reiss was close behind.

I prayed… and hoped that our struggle in this cursed dungeon would soon end.

Then, like a miracle, I heard the voice of my Leading Officer, Karius.

“His Highness has won! His Highness has won!”

The announcement brought a halt to the enemy attacks while a cheer erupted among our allies.

We won? Could we really have such luck?

[Samraus’ point of view]

My right shoulder was injured, my left ankle was twisted, and my Magic Energy was all dried up. The only reason why I was still alive was thanks to my mate, Mystera.

“It feels unreal…” she said through her gasps while looking back at the forest.

The shouts of our enemies were far, but they were there.

“I can’t believe it… how did it happen? What sort of trickery did that bastard use to make the Great One lose the battle?” she cursed and snapped her tail in the air.

There were deep and shallow cuts all over her body from when the prince returned and launched his merciless attack on us. That skill of his was something we’ve never seen before as countless blades of light formed in the air, each with enough power to shatter the Magic Armor of one of our soldiers. A second attack would just cripple or kill them. Mystera, my love, took on several of those attacks to protect me, who was weakened and tired after taking out several of their leading figures on the battlefield.

“We were so close…” my words escaped through groans of pain.

“It’s not possible… she couldn’t have lost… The territory is still here.” she pointed out.

“We can only pray and hope then…” I said as I looked up through the tree branches at the fake sky above.

The Great One’s Dungeon Territory was still here, we could feel it. This meant that she was not dead yet… There was still hope.

“As long as she stands, there is still hope. The best we can do is follow the plan for evacuation. All of us are now running away, fleeing to the hidden paths.” I said as I looked at Mystera.

She looked back into my eyes and nodded.

“We should go…” she said and helped me up.

In order to safely retreat our army, rather than having only a single path leading to the Hidden Floor, there were countless paths spread around the entire Core World, which interconnected with a series of tunnels in a maze-like structure. They were barely big enough for the average Lion Emperor to pass through.

Once inside, if an enemy tried to follow, there were many ways to collapse the tunnel behind us. By now, most of us were already underground… We were among the last, we were the bait that led our foes away…

[Tamara’s point of view]

“Meow~!” I called out and the world came to a halt.

Color faded and the monotone gray washed over all that was living. My paws touched the soft grass of the Core World, and I could feel the joy of the land for having a divine present here. Nature rejoiced like a child arriving at the playing ground.

With a single leap, I landed on the head of a negvar elf or nelf as others called them. They looked so similar to el’doraws, but most of them smelled of the corruption of their foolish past.

Looking up, I saw the Prince of their land, the nelf called Kasimir, a foolish man with a foolish agenda. His mad eyes were glaring towards the forest where the remnants of Tuberculus’ army were hiding. The ground beneath their feet was an ant’s nest with tunnels that slithered through the ground, intersecting at odd angles, pushing through rock with the unhindered madness of a Dungeon.

Ah, if only that foolish man could see what I can… The faint emotions of rage, madness, sorrow, regret… and suffering… that tainted the creation of this place.

My husband’s creations were once like that… The Darkness tried to take control of him, but he pushed it back… no… he accepted it and made it his.

I jumped on a floating leaf, casting one last glance at the nelf prince. The tendrils of a cursed fate were slowly coiling around his neck, wanting to strangle him… How dare these mortals taint the meaning of a hero!

With another jump, I was now on the top of the golden pyramid.

In my eyes, the tragic sight of two unfortunate lovers was reflected. Tuberculus was leaning with his back against Yandrea’s Crystal Body, now no longer floating above the ground. A tragic embrace… but it was not over yet, was it? The breath of life was still there…

Tuberculus… the father of my husband… made a sacrifice and a last prayer that brought me here.

“Meow~!” I called out to the one who deserved the title of a Hero.

He who without a care sacrificed his own chance of running away, fooling himself more than anyone else that he needed to stay, that he needed to be here. The foolish hero who not even once realized the beautiful bond he had created with the people of this land… his friends, his subjects, his wife’s children.

“Meow~!” my call echoed in this place, the shadows of the past, the souls of the dead, the spirits of the land, all answering within an instant in this moment detached from the Law of Time.

I looked up.

The Gods… they were watching. They were judging them. Melkuth was angered. The gods of justice and light, of honor and nature, of crafting and freedom, they looked down with disapproval on the reiss, the forglore, and the negvar elves.

I looked back at Tuberculus, the one recognized by this entire world as a true hero… An old man, a grandfather by now, who did not know that his actions, his teachings, his warmth, his very being brought peace, serenity, prosperity and most of all… hope to the people of this dungeon under the ground.

He was their savior who was now guiding them towards the light of the surface. Without asking for anything in return. Without putting weight on all he had to sacrifice to bring them hope. The fool who fooled himself in order to make everyone happy…

The fool who forgot that by dying… he would end up making someone precious to him unhappy…

I closed my eyes and looked towards the future… The Tree of Existence behind me trembled, and a single branch spread out to me, gently touching me on top of my furry head, between my two fluffy cat ears.

The world I saw was one in which they died here. The survivors were soon caught. The collapse of the dungeon, however, brought chaos to this entire continent. Death, destruction, war, famine, and plague ruled the future of these species. The ellyarians, the ornaks, and the lion emperors continued to pass down through word of mouth the story of Tuberculus and Yandrea until he came here.

I saw the future in which my foolish husband, Illsyore Deus, found this land and heard their story. He found their remains, and with tears in his eyes, he brought the remaining civilizations of the reiss, forglore, and negvar elves to an end with magic so powerful that it reshaped the entire continent.

Regret for being unable to find him in time… for not even once thinking about him… for allowing himself to forget about his only father in this world would remain with him for centuries to come…

This was… an unpleasant future.

I opened my eyes and then looked back at the Tree of Existence, where the stars and worlds of the entire Universe were being born, reborn, forged and reforged over and over again on its each and every branch. If Yggdrasil was the tree that sustained the world… then my tree allowed the very concept of Yggdrasil to exist, without which not even a single spec of matter would try to form in that direction.

I saw within it the branches of other temporal lines, most of which were being blessed with a different path, one in which these two did not have to die… and in which… they would come to play an important role at the very end of this world, when the seas would dry, and the gods would leave the planet…

“Meow~!” I called out to the tree, to ask it whether the Universe allowed this change or if it preferred this tragic end.

A single leaf fell off the branch of this current timeline. I watched it disintegrate and within it, I saw myself holding in my arms a dead Illsy… I closed my eyes… a future among many that I had avoided so far…

However, I did have my own concerns… Was it alright for so many gods and goddesses to intervene on this one mortal world like this to the point where time lines were being restructured on the spot?

I opened my eyes, the Tree of Existence was reflected in them.

Ah, right! We are merely a single branch on this entire tree… and our own future, no matter how powerful we are as gods, is only a leaf. I thought and then let out a soft mew.

It was now time to make another change.

I turned to look at the fallen Crystal Body of Yandrea and with a single leap, I jumped inside her. My body falling deep within her Inner Mind, beyond her barriers, in the dark place where she was hiding.

I landed with my front paws on the invisible floor and looked up at the crying woman with soft white skin and neon pink hair. A simple white dress was covering her body, a symbol of her innocence, of her pure soul.

“Meow~!” I called out to her.

[Yandrea’s point of view]

Despair… Darkness… Pain… These were my colors now. They defined my nature, my being, my very existence.

Out there, outside… he was no more…

The rays of life had been exhausted like the petals of a flower stomped on by greedy and uncaring adventurers.

There was no need for me to try anymore, no need for me to struggle… everything was gone now… everything…

So why? Why was I still alive? Why was I still here, trapped in a cage of darkness and forced to relieve the pain that was showing me time and time again just how powerless I was in front of those from the surface? What did I do to deserve this? Was I wrong?

Was I wrong in wanting to create a place of mine?

Was I wrong in wanting to be free?

Was I wrong in wanting to have friends?

Where did I go wrong?

Where did I make a mistake?

Should I have bowed my head to them?

Should I have cried more?

“Maybe… maybe if I went up there… and let them torture me… if I suffered instead of Tuby… instead of my children… maybe they would have let us go?” I spoke out loud.

In the end… it seemed that only when I suffered and had my hopes and dreams destroyed could I be spared from seeing my friends die.

I looked up at the darkness above. I could not see anything anymore… The light in my Inner Mind had faded away like a candle snuffed out in the wind.

This was the truth was it not?

If one wanted to have friends… if one wanted to be free… if one wanted to express themselves… all they had to do… was suffer. Those above you were in the right… the royals, the nobles… they were always right, that was the lesson… Go against them and you would suffer even more by seeing what you loved the most crushed before you.

How could one dare to hope for something better when all they were offered for trade was the death of what they cherished the most?

Maybe I was broken? A flawed Dungeon who could not even form a simple bond…

“Meow~!” the sound of a creature, so foreign yet familiar reached me.

In this place, where there was only darkness, where I had lived for who knows how many years now… there should not have been anything alive. There was no creature in this place but me, there was not even a single trace of organic or inorganic matter… So how… how was it that this creature was before me?

My eyes fell on her, a creature no taller than an ornak’s ankle, no bigger than Tuby’s arm. She was covered with shiny black fur that was a different shade than all the darkness around her. It was as if it was made of the fabric of space itself, of the void between the stars. She had a long tail, fluffy and slowly moving left and right. Two pointy ears were on top of her head, and her face was similar to a lion emperor’s just… cuter?

The most distinctive feature of this creature was probably her eyes. It was as if I was staring at my very own existence… deep, endless, containing all the life in this world, all the possibilities and impossibilities. But… how could such a thing be possible?

Despite never having seen a creature like this before, or maybe I had? A long time ago… when I met Tuby, maybe? I knew what she was… a cat.

She showed me a feline smile and then turned around, her tail urging me to follow her.

Was there a reason for me not to?

No… In this place… in this hell… there was nothing, so I followed her.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as I flew behind her.

The only reply I got was a soft mew.

I followed patiently… through this endless… empty void.

Maybe a day later or more, we reached… something?

There was some kind of gate that was bigger than anything I had ever made, with chains made out of bone and flesh wrapped around it. A lock in the shape of a heart held it all together. The gate behind it lacked any sort of symbol, but I could tell… that it was hiding something… a part of me.

“This… what is this?” I wondered and stretched out my hand.

My fingers only slightly touched the lock and the pain of a thousand cuts assaulted me.

“AAA!!!” I screamed out.

My hand recoiled, and I took a few steps back. With a gasping breath I looked down at the black cat who guided me here. She was sitting down, her tail swaying behind her, and her eyes that seemed to see everything were casting a gentle gaze on me.

“Meow~!” she called out to me and then looked at the lock.

I could tell… she wanted me to open it, to see what was beyond this gate… what it hid, no, what I hid.

Looking down at my trembling hand, and remembering the pain I just experienced, my heart was pounding, telling me what I did not want to hear… This pain, this suffering of mine, was something I ran away from… something I hid…

“I could stay here and cry myself a river or…” I looked back at the locked door. “I could see what’s in there…” a pained smile formed on my lips “Does it even matter anymore? After I lost everything? It’s just another cup of pain added to an ocean of suffering…” I then stepped forward and touched the lock.

“GYAAA!” the pain, once again, made me scream, but this time, I grasped the lock, unwilling to let go of it.

The gate fought back against me like a tortured soul tossing attacks at their torturer with everything it had. I could feel it. This was my gate. This was my creation. It was the barrier that helped me forget, that helped me keep my sanity… what use was it for me now?

“JUST SHATTER ALREADY!” I cried out as I clenched my hand on the lock shaped like a heart.

CRACK!

The lock gave in and shattered into a million specs of light, releasing the chains it was holding onto. The sharp, hard sounds of the metal links striking against one another echoed throughout the darkness of my Inner Mind.

Then, the gate, together with the loose chains, faded away like ashes in the wind.

What was left behind was a single sphere of light the size of a fist, which lasted for only a fraction of a second before it exploded, filling this entire vast void of nothingness with colors, forms, and… suppressed memories.

“W-What is this?” I asked as if I did not know… no, I only wished I did not know.

These are… my memories… I thought.

All those other sapient species could fool themselves with what they knew and what they wanted to forget. They could tell a lie and act as though it was the truth. However, Dungeons were different. Even if we wanted to… even if I wanted to… I could not deny what was true and what was not in my own Inner Mind.

Before me was the image of a cell at the top of a tower. It was a vision from a time long forgotten by all those who were both on the surface and underground. It was a time from the period when there were more than three nations above the ground…

Around my Crystal Body, at that time just a small spherical orb of 40 cm in diameter, white and lacking the strength that I currently possess. Yet, I was not bound by chains nor was I shackled by magic. I was free…

In front of me was a little girl, a negvar elf with blonde hair and an angelic smile filled with the innocence of a child.

Anyetta… my first friend…

I knew this place, this land too… This was the small country of Fassar, where the negvar elves, the reiss and the forglore all lived together in harmony. I was not the core of their society, I was a helper of the royal family, with whom I had a friendly relationship.

Looking past this young child, I saw an image from a long-forgotten memory, my birth.

I was born in a dark cold cave with only the platform of beginnings there. While I had no idea where I was on this planet, I was offered enough information so that I could understand myself, what I was and what I could do. I was a Godlike Dungeon, a creature capable of transforming the world around me into any type of environment I pleased.

There were a lot more Dungeons on this continent back then, ranging from the weakest to the strongest. I was somewhere in the middle of their rankings; however, I was friendlier than most. Thanks to this, I was one day approached by a king, the ancestor of Anyetta… He offered me a home in exchange for help with my building and weapon forging skills. I agreed… Thus, a friendly relationship was born.

Unfortunately, I did not realize at that time how important increasing my level was. So, when the Despino Empire attacked, I was powerless to protect the country that took me in as an ally… as a friend.

The Despino Imperial Family tortured me and behaved as though I was nothing more than an item to them. They somehow obtained powerful artifacts that could break my will and chain me down, the Chains of Submission series. They wanted to rule the world, and what better way to do so than to have a Godlike Dungeon like me at their command?

They failed, but they noticed that I had a weak spot for the previous royal family. They brought Anyetta before me, now a skinny woman with scars and bruises, a sad form of what she once was. Her job was to convince me to bow my head down to them, however, she tried to convince me that I was more than any of them could imagine, I was beautiful, I was bright, I was someone who could bring a lot of good to the world not just destruction.

One cold winter, Anyetta brought me a blanket. She did not have much in terms of possessions, as the Despino Empire stole everything from her. That blanket was bought with what little money she had… a gift… for me. She used it to keep me warm. To her, I have always been a friend… never an item… never a tool.

In that winter, she caught the eyes of one of the Despino princes and her end was… Ugh… she… she should not have gone through such things! She should not have had to suffer like that! And I… I could not save her… I could not help her… My strength was not enough… My reach was too little…

I was brought her remains… and was told that if I did not submit, this would be the end of all those around me.

It was then when something changed in me, when something shattered.

It was then when my memories began to feel… weird…

I could see it now, the way I saw the world, the way I felt life, was as if I looked through a cracked mirror. It was distorted. It was reversed. It was pieced together as if my mind was desperately struggling to find a strand of logic or sense in my own existence.

What use was all my power if I could not even save a single friend with it?

What use was all my knowledge if I could not use it to help those who treated me with kindness?

What use was being a Godlike Dungeon when I was anything but a God-like entity?

I was young back then… too young to realize what was needed from me…

As for my torture and torment, that was the beginning.

The Despino somehow got it into their head that a woman by the name of Anyetta was the key to it all, more specifically, the gender and the name.

They brought little girl after little girl before me, all of them carrying the same name as that of my deceased friend. Those poor children, innocent and unknowing, were all met with a cruel fate, while I… I was forced to watch it all.

The Despino, in their attempts to break me, they sent their ripped arms to me, their decapitated head, their mangled corpse… the tortures they submitted them all were too much. They should not have ever been forced to suffer like that… and… and it was all my fault…

It was all my fault because I had a friend by that name.

It was all my fault because I wanted to share kindness.

The message was clear: submit to our will or innocents will die.

If only they stopped here…

In their madness, they even gave the name of Anyetta to an imperial princess, whom they sent over to me in an attempt to reproduce the bond that formed between me and my friend… then… what followed was the same cruelty.

Did I submit?

How could I not? However, my words… they never believed me…

In the end, a century passed like this… How many lives were taken? How much cruelty I was forced to suffer? Back then, I could not tell, but now… now I do…

3207 children were killed through torture. 6445 adults were killed through torture. And I was forced to witness it all, since I was unable to stop them at all.

Eventually they gave up on this method and magicians were brought from all over the empire. They used mind control spells and everything else they could think of to force me to submit. The Chains of Submission did most of the work, always keeping me in a weakened state.

It would take them a while before they realized what these ancient artifacts actually did.

As time went by, I began to believe their lies more and more. I wanted to run away from the suffering I had to witness. I wanted to be spared of their cries and the image of my friend in need and despair. I wanted… freedom…

Even when they had confirmed that I had submitted, their mages still continued with their torture… Was there anything else left to break in me?

They moved me from that tower to the place that would later become my dungeon. Back then, it was right in the middle of their mighty capital. I was buried underground and forced to create for them.

The greed and madness of the Despino Imperial Family had them commit countless atrocities throughout their lands. Their desire to conquer the entire continent continued while they slowly changed the mind of their people so that it would match theirs more and more. Or at least, this was my impression as time went by.

At one point, because of an internal struggle, the Despino Empire went through several civil wars that split the entire nation apart. This, alongside several border wars, led to the total collapse of the Despino Empire. From its ashes, however, the Domeris Republic was born, while the scattered pieces of their former land became a part of what was now the Vespora Kingdom and the Zebrazil Kingdom.

From then on, as I continued to run away from these memories, the lock on my heart was formed and all these things that I had experienced were hidden from me. I began to believe their lies. I began to follow their senseless commands. I began to see them as superior to me.

In a way, this was my true subjugation…

“Meow~!” the call of the cat pulled me back to the present.

How long was I here… just watching these awful memories? I wondered and then turning my attention to the feline, I saw her walking towards… someone?

“Who are you?” I asked as I did not recognize them, however, she was wearing a battle armor the likes of which I had never seen, with smooth surfaces and an intricate weave of magic spells carved around its edge.

The colors of black and blood red gave her a fierce aspect. Her long pink hair was tied in a ponytail with a clasp that had spikes on it. The fierce gaze in her eyes was that of a warrior, of a fighter, not like mine at all. The weapon in her hand was a spear that appeared simple in appearance, but which I could tell was powerful enough to shatter any fool who dared challenge it.

“I am you. I am the warrior in you. The aspect of your consciousness which you have forgotten. I am Warrior Aspect!” she struck the spear pommel on the invisible floor she was standing on.

“Warrior Aspect?” I furrowed my brow.

“I guarded the gate which you opened. I guarded your Sanity. I guarded your Dreams. I guarded all the other Aspects that make up your True Self.” she then pointed her spear to her left.

I turned around and saw the other versions of myself. I could tell who each and every one of them was: the Mother, the Daughter, the Friend, the Enemy, the Creator, the Builder, the Artist, the Caretaker, the Wife, the Lover, and many others. However, among them, there was only one who was kneeling on the floor, pinned down by a massive weight several times her size.

“Who is she?” I asked.

“The Adult.” The Warrior Aspect replied.

“Why is she like this?”

“You suppressed her just like you did with all of us. The gate hid us from your Conscious Self and only allowed the Fear and Lies to lurk around you… Love as well, because she could not be chained.”

I approached the kneeling Adult Aspect and pushed the giant weight off her back, a boulder of twisted fear and disgust, with the same ease I would push off a ball of cotton.

She then looked up at me and said: “So far, you were incomplete… shattered… ripped apart by time and the mental tortures you were subjected to. We all felt that pain. It was yours as much as it was ours. Every emotion you felt, was filtered through us…” she stood up.

This was the first time I saw myself looking so… different. The look in her eyes, mature and full of confidence. Her posture radiated elegance and strength. She was someone who did not run away from responsibility or the dangers she had to face. She was someone I wished to be.

“Will you accept us all this time? Or will you run away just as you did before?” she asked.

I looked back at the memories of my past, the broken Yandrea who was tormented by monstrous beings that took up the form of sapient creatures. I looked past this at the joy and happiness I shared with my friend, Anyetta. Her smile still vivid in my mind as if it was yesterday. Her body showing me that she was not afraid of me and fully accepted me for who I was back then. Even when she was suffering so much, she still cared for me.

“I don’t want to lose anymore friends…” I confessed my biggest fear.

No, it was just a part of a larger complex of fears and traumas. I did not want my creation to be destroyed. I did not want to see my friends die. I did not want to feel helpless in front of those who came to destroy me. I did not want to experience the darkness of this world because I felt… powerless against it.

It was now when I felt someone tugging at my sleeve. Looking down, I saw the Child Aspect, a little girl of no more than 12 years old, with short pink hair, and innocent eyes filled with sadness.

“It’s time to let go of me… You will be fine now… with them.” she turned her head towards the other aspects. “I will remain with you as part of your Inner Child… Be free.” she showed me a soft smile.

It was in that moment that I felt as though I could truly let go of her. After all, what was happening here, while I could vaguely understand it, I was also partially aware of it. These other versions of myself were all processing the emotional baggage, the traumas and fears that were created by those moments in my past. They were trying to heal me.

So, I knew what to do…

I gently touched her little cheek and returned the smile. In the next moment, I felt something was released inside my chest and the Child Aspect turned into particles of light that were absorbed into my body.

“I feel free now…” I looked back at the other aspects.

They nodded, then one by one turned into particles of light as I finally accepted them as a part of me. There was no need to run away now from the past, from those memories. There was no need to run away from all that pain and suffering I felt. I had to accept it as being what it was at that time and then move on.

The final one to go was the Adult Aspect. She smiled and bowed her head to me before vanishing like the rest.

I closed my eyes and clenched a fist at my chest.

Through my mind, through my heart, through my whole being, all of these emotions and tumultuous memories were resurfacing and being healed by the passage of time and most importantly by Tuby.

Unknowingly, he saved me… he rescued me from myself… he offered me that gleaming spark of hope I had always prayed for… the hope of being able to love again, of being able to call out to my friends again, of being able to enjoy the world again.

“Am I foolish?” I asked as I looked at my Warrior Aspect.

“No.” she shook her head.

“Who is left?”

I now knew there was someone else here, someone powerful but also the opposite of my current self.

“If you meet her, there is no turning back. She will be free. She is dangerous. She is powerful. She is vile. She is everything that encompasses the darkness in you. That is why I stand here. I guard the world from her.”

Hearing this, a wave of uncertainty washed over me.

Maybe it was better to stay away? I wondered and then looked down at the black cat.

She walked up to me and then looked towards the one behind the Warrior Aspect. I could not even see her, but I knew she was there.

“If she is there, then… this means she is a part of me too. I want to be whole again, with both the good and the bad. In order to choose between them, I must first be aware of them.” I clenched my fists and nodded.

“Very well. Then I shall now become a part of you and with this… there will be no more locks to keep her down.” she bowed her head and then turned into particles of light that were quickly absorbed by me.

I then took a deep breath and walked forward.

With each step I took, I felt as though the world around me was turning into something else, a substance that was black in color, icky and slimy. It was vile and stomach churning, like a plague that had washed over the entire world, consuming every spec of light and hope from it.

The black cat did not follow me here… she was gone.

This was my battle. Whoever she was, for whatever reason she appeared here, there was no way I could depend on her forever. She brought Tuby to me. She helped see my true self. She did enough for me… now, it was my turn.

In front of me, the dark ooze formed a humanoid shape.

“You finally came.” her voice held the hint of madness that was infectious through the very curiosity and also dread it stirred inside me.

“Who and what are you? Answer me!” I demanded.

“Oh! You are feisty now, I love it!” she cackled, a distorted sound that was neither organic nor mechanical.

“Who and what are you?” I asked again, this time putting more strength in my words.

The entity before me stopped for a moment, her red eyes then glowed bright and for a fraction of a second, there was a complete silence enveloping us.

“I…” the moment her mouth opened, the voice that came out thundered all around me, the viscous icky black fluid trembled violently, and from within the entity herself, tentacles of pure madness sprung out, rushing past me as if wanting to cut off my escape.

I had no need to flee. I was here to confront her.

“… am” she took a step forward, and I could feel the space around me cracking, threatening to shatter and alongside it to spill into the rest of my Inner Mind, contaminating it with everything that constituted her vile being.

“… your Darkness.” she stopped in front of me.

I felt like my whole being was stabbed by that terrifying gaze of her.

“All your fears, all your negativity, all your vile thoughts, all your disgusting ideas, everything in you that is pure evil, malicious, traumatizing, fearful, scared, cowardly, wrathful, maddening, sadistic, and corrupted. I am Darkness. I am Dread. I am YOU!” she then reached out to strangle me.

The touch of her hands around my neck felt just like the attack of the Golden Chains of Submission. I inwardly screamed. My being was being shredded to pieces by this pain. I could feel her… my fury. I could feel my hate. I could feel my desperation. I could feel my anger and wrath and oh, how powerful and delicious they were… The pain flowing through me was now mine to keep… and spread.

My thoughts, corrupted or not… Maybe this was my real self? A creature of darkness distorted by the world around me, by the sight of the living, by the stupidity and madness of the living. Despising all those who approached me, fearing all those who tried to get close to me.

The world was a danger to me, a trap that brought me only pain and suffering. The world outside was the enemy… I was the victim… I was the weak one… I had to flee… I had to save myself…

“AAA!!!” I screamed as all these thoughts and emotions washed over me.

Do you know what the definition of insanity is?

Insanity is the glorious escapade of the madness created by the world around you, giving it colors, sounds, and shapes with the sole purpose of pulling the strings hooked into the meat of your fragile sanity until you can no longer discern the difference between the lies you are being told and the lies you tell yourself.

What about corruption?

To be corrupt or to corrupt means to boil down your insanity into a pile of broken and charred ideas which you then smear over all those around you who have the glimmer of life and sanity in their eyes. Insanity is the paint, corruption is the art itself, while madness is the apostolic skill that allows you to create the beautiful art of flesh and blood that was once life. All the while, you yourself direct it all with a sneer that resembles a fallen angel’s smile of kindness.

Insanity and corruption were the characteristics of my Darkness.

I could feel it all, as I was drowned by it. There was so much here, so much to take in, to accept, to absorb, to heal… I could not do it.

There was no way anyone could do it.

Unfortunately, I could not flee from it now… I could not run away… All I could do was drown…

“Meow~!” the cat’s call, it pierced through the Darkness.

It reached me.

I opened my eyes and was met with the red eyes of the Darkness, but… she was crying.

Tears of blood? No, those were normal tears.

She was all the pain that I had kept inside. All the suffering I could not let go of, and she felt it all…

“I’m sorry… I forgive myself for holding all of this inside… I accept you for who you are as part of me…” I wrapped my arms around her

The murky dark hand vanished, splashing on the ground.

The one I hugged was the one hidden behind this vile substance, a fragile woman, skinny and weak, with fear in her eyes, and a battered body from all the painful traumas she went through. Her tears were my tears. Her pain was my pain.

“I accept you…” I said again.

The woman, Darkness, cried and with her tears the oozing substance vanished as well.

I stood like this, holding her in my embrace, like I would my own daughter, and waited until she calmed down, until all the darkness around us was gone and the light that once shone throughout my entire Inner Mind returned.

It was only then when she showed me a smile and vanished into particles of light, returning to me.

Now… I was finally whole.