The Prime Evils
As we were pulled into the vortex, the world around us twisted and turned until we were suddenly deposited in a new and mysterious realm. The first thing that caught our eye was the towering mountains that loomed above us, their peaks disappearing into the shadowy expanse of the Endless Night. Everywhere we looked, the landscape seemed to be crafted from the same dark, foreboding material, as if it had been chiseled from the very essence of Tenebrae herself. The air was heavy with a sense of otherworldliness, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we had stumbled into a realm beyond our wildest imaginations.
"Tenebrae made this?"
Eve gave a stern nod. "Yes… However, I'm not sure how she managed to create such a space."
"Her blood," I told them, perceiving the realm through her knowledge. It was stunning, a perfect training ground for those who did not carry her knowledge like myself.
And more than that… Ves, who'd opened his beady eyes, seemed to like it. So much so that a strange thing occurred as we watched him open his tiny fingers, grab a small orb of 'space,' as though it were tangible, and swallow it.
Lilith looked a little concerned, but after the little man gave a cute belch, he giggled and fell back asleep. We grinned, and my fingers couldn't help but squish those fluffy cheeks.
Such fluffiness would be perfect for stew. Such a shame he's my son. Aren't I just the best papa bear?
"What?' I asked, feeling Lilith's domineering eye on me.
"I just felt like you were being a narcissist." she expressed as if such a thing was conceivable.
"Me a narcissist? Come now, my dear," I declared, tiptoeing back, sensing Lilith's every intention to kick me in the nuts. "I always put you and my children first."
"Two things can be true, you know."
Eve carried her eyes between us, smirking. "Do you two always flirt like this?"
"Just a daily conversation between us, Snows," I told her, suddenly taken back by a stir within me. A gentle quiver of a nameless whisper that bore no name or presence, yet it called, echoing from the depths of…
I blinked, turning to face the vastness of this Shadoscape of a realm locked in perpetual night. Finding myself tensed by some nameless existence.
"A sinful being like yourself ought to have felt the presence of the Prime Evils," Eve softly expressed before space shifted around us, transitioning us before an intricately woven wall etched by mythical constellation whirling into a convoluted structure of ruins, glyphs, seals and more.
"Holy shit." I spewed out, unable to even comprehend the nature of this wonderful tapestry.
"Shit indeed," Lilith mewled. "This is… Outer Magic. Abyssal, and God magic. Tenebrae made this?"
Outer Magic?
Eve nodded. "Yes. A few aided her, but she did the most of it," she said when her eyes snapped towards me, almost as if she wanted to catch this Pimp Hand. "Don't get too close. Sinful creatures like you tend to ignite the seal."
I'm going to teach Ves to be a Pimp…
"Why are you smiling," Lilith asked me.
"Just enjoying being a father…" I said, shaking my head. "Every time I think of something, it goes back to my kids in some way. It's fun."
Lilith seemed to stare at me for a while, her lips perking up as she hummed, turning her gaze towards the 'wall.' a curious glow flickered across her eyes as she focused on a particular section of the seal.
'Is that a crack?"
I glanced at it. And indeed, there was a crack.
"Yeah. It happened a while ago. Tenebrae said it wasn't something to worry about," Eve said as my eyes narrowed.
"A while ago? How long ago?" I wanted to ask but stayed my tongue overcome by a sudden sense of forewarning. A primal instinct towards the unknown.
That question is probably best saved for Tenebrae. And yet, why do I sense such danger?
As I attempted to shake off the feeling of unease, I turned my attention to Eve, who was completely engrossed in contemplation, staring at the seal with a deep sense of concentration. Her lips were tightly sealed, accentuating the lines of strain on her jaw, while her eyes carried an air of melancholy as if burdened by the weight of regret.
"You went mad for Abel… Have you found his soul in the Hells or the Heavens yet?"
Eve did not answer, and I suspect she never would. Such a question was not something she'd reveal. Although… from her to give such a meaningful look… I don't think she ever found him. And to that, I was sure that was her ultimate punishment.
"The Prime Evils are all locked in a perpetual state of hibernation. This seal is linked directly to Tenebrae's life force. So long as she lives, it will forever exist. And since she's immortal—truly immortal—it will exist forever."
And my eyes seemed to turn towards the crack to find Lilith's smile. "Indeed. Tenebrae is immortal. It's quite a system, but… Is there a backup plan?"
"Mephisto asked the same question before he took it upon himself to invent one, though I can't be sure what it entails." Eve shrugged. " Mephisto has never been one to share his plans with anyone."
I couldn't agree more. That bastard goes out of his way to wipe his own mind just so those who are omnipresent don't understand his intentions. Honestly, If I didn't have some of my old memories of Mephisto, I wouldn't believe the shit he taught me before I died at Aldrich's hands.
It really makes me wonder who is stronger now. Zero or Mephisto when it comes to schemes.
"Alright, let's head to Eden. I'm sure that Bastard Mephisto is eagerly waiting for his chance to enter Arcadia."
As I took a deep 'breath,' I felt a surge of energy coursing through my veins, awakening my senses and sharpening my awareness. It was as if a soothing elixir of knowledge had been infused into my being, spreading like a gentle ripple across my consciousness. Gradually, my mind was freed from all distractions, allowing me to focus on the present moment with clarity and ease.
I reached into myself, towards the Goldly Qi billowing like an undying flame, and pushed out my sense in a sort of domain across the Shadowscape of this inescapable realm.