290 290: The last hallway [pt2]
The battle had no end. It was one wave of monsters after another and Rita was getting exhausted. She knew that she could not allow herself to fall since she was the first wave of defense.
But it was tough to deal with these monsters without her magic. She had never needed to fight for this long either.
Their side was slowly losing energy but their enemy had not even broken a sweat. Horas, the last overlooker was just standing at his place and not even moving. It was a hurdle that seemed impossible to overcome at their current level.
But Rita was not going to give up. There was no way she could afford to give up here and now. Not when so much was at stake here.
“This is a reasonable attempt by you to make me give up but humans cannot overcome their limitations on their own. Even you all will fail in the end.”
Horas seemed convinced that he would not be defeated today but Rita knew that would not be the case. She will win at any cost, even if she has to lay her life down.
/////////////////////////////////////
“Stop it. They’ve had enough of our fight. I don’t want them to suffer.”
Aurora knocked against the water bubble she was being held inside. The outside view she was being subjected to was a crude scene. No matter where she looked, people, Aurora knew were being killed off.
The abyss was hungry and it was coming for humans to sate itself.
Besides Aurora, the black-haired child, the very essence of the abyss sat. she giggled every time a human was killed off and her eyes shined when their energy was absorbed.
Aurora did not want to associate with the abyss’s reincarnation but she had no other choice.
After all, she was the one who had brought forth the abyss in this world. It had been through her body that the abyss had been able to absorb enough energy to cultivate a body.
“What is wrong? Don’t tell me that you are feeling sympathy for those insects. Don’t look at them too much because they are our food.”
With a single flick of her finger, the abyss sent everyone falling. Solid ground broke apart to cause magma to rise.
People were dying left and right.
“There is no need for you to do this, right? You will get your nutrition anyway, so why use this torture to get what you want? Besides, you have enough energy to leave this earth, right?”
Aurora could feel the centuries of energy this abyss had cultivated. It was leaking out from every pore of the abyss and added even Aurora’s body.
And because Aurora could feel all that, she also knew that there would be no way for her to win from the abyss.
The only way she would ever be able to call her situation a victory was if the abyss decided to take a step back.
“You can never have enough energy. But that is not why I am making all these humans into fodder. I am just trying to find a nice body to occupy because my primary one decided to abandon me.”
The abyss looked straight at Aurora as it said that. There was accusation and blame in her gaze which made Aurora look away.
She very well knew that she held a large part in what was going on around her but Aurora was hesitant to take responsibility.
Aurora still had so much to do and so much to explore. There was a world out there that was waiting for her and there were also loved ones Aurora wanted to talk to again.
“You should make up your mind. Look, I don’t think your party would be able to keep up with Horas any longer. Your brother is in a bad mood today.”
The abyss pointed out just as Horas slashed Rita’s shoulder. It was a shallow wound that left Rita reeling back in shock.
Red was flowing down her shoulder and she cupped it. But the flow of blood was not stopping. Rita would bleed out if she was not treated in time.
“Stop it. Tell Horas to step back right now.”
Aurora could not watch it all happen any longer. She wanted everything to stop but nothing was in her control.
The more Aurora tried to hold on to her control, the more it slipped through her fingers.
The abyss was taking away everything from her but time was not slowing down.
“You know what you can do to make everything stop. All you have to do is to accept me inside your body, merge with me and continue to exist in some other place. All these people will be saved if you did that.”
The abyss was such a temptation, its voice calling out to Aurora to accept. But she did not want to give in.
There was too much at stake on both sides and Horas was doing what he had been ordered to do.
Rita was going to get killed when Clove jumped in between her and Horas. It was Clove’s chest that was slashed as a result and everyone looked stunned.
The most stunned one was Aurora herself since she had not expected that. Her heart gave a pang of pain as she watched both of her precious people bleed out.
“Time is ticking out. You only have so long before everyone ends up dead. So, what is your decision?”
There was not much of a decision to make there. Aurora was being pressed to accept the abyss inside her. All she could do was sit back and agree with the abyss as it dictated what needed to be done.
“Fine, I accept. But I want one last thing before we merge. I want a chance to talk with the people I am going to leave behind.”
The abyss did not look happy and Aurora knew that it would not agree with her. There was no real need for the abyss to agree with Aurora’s demand since it held the real power here.
However, Aurora’s fears were laid to rest once the abyss turned toward her with its head tilted toward the right side and looking at Aurora right in the eye.
“You have one day to say your goodbyes. That will be all the time I give you before we have to depart for a new world. Prepare your heart because there will be no do-overs for either of us.”
Aurora was surprised to get this second chance but she was not disappointed.
Truthfully, this was more than Aurora had expected to get since she was talking to the abyss. But it just highlighted that the abyss thought well of Aurora and was willing to trust her.
“Call Horas back right now.”
“No, I will not. Horas will go with you to keep an eye on you. I do not trust that you will keep your word and come back.”
Aurora could hear humor in the abyss’s voice. It was jesting with her but there was a warning in there as well.
The day Aurora would get to spend with her family will be the last for her. After that, she will need to leave this earth while carrying the abyss within herself. She was not sure where she would be headed but Aurora knew that she would never be able to return.
“Now then, accept me inside you, and let’s go.”
Aurora took the hand she was being offered. The abyss was a heavy presence inside her mind but it was not overpowering.
Aurora was really lucky that she had enough endurance to not faint as soon as she felt all the sensations that were going on inside her body.
‘Enough talking around. Hurry up and show me the outside world.’
Aurora had a bitter-sweet realization – she will never be able to escape the clutches of the abyss no matter where she went now. All her hopes and dreams to perform a miracle were gone now.
But the last chance to have a talk with everyone and clear the air out remained.
The abyss parted around Aurora like it was a part of her body. She could feel the energy coursing inside the depths of the darkness and Aurora had never felt more powerful before.
Each and every core she had within her body pulsed and gritted against each other. It created a network of power that Aurora appreciated.
And Aurora was sure she would never be able to forget the expressions of joy and relief she saw on her party’s faces as they watched her come back alive.
They did not realize what was wrong with her but Horas did.
And since Horas realized, he stopped his attack in time and all the people on the ground were safe.
“Aurora, you are back?”
Rex whispered but everyone heard him. It had gotten just that quiet around the area.
“Yes, I am back. Let’s go home.”
It was a temporary victory but a bitter one.