The Abyss

I was in total darkness after that, put into a dream like state that I only awoke from when I started seeing different colours of smoke appearing. I opened my eyes and saw that the smoke was just lights shimmering off this crystalline structure in front of me, the source of these strange colours.

I reached for walls, but I felt so small at the time that I couldn't do it in one try. My instincts told me that I needed to get out. I accidently opened my mouth and the most foul-tasting liquid started rushing in. I was covered in this smile like substance and it only hastened my need to escape from this new prison I found myself in.

Once I managed to reach the walls, I had to use my hands to bash and claw my way out. Once these flesh-like walls started to crack, it only strengthened my resolve to hit harder. I breached the walls and grasped for air, but it was no better then tasting the liquid.

The air was hot and sticky and tasted of ash. Climbing out I couldn't believe me eyes, I thought I must have been back in the simulators in Japan. But I could feel my heart beating, and I was not in combat. This was nothing like the dystopian landscape I came from, this was apocalyptic, and I definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore.

The temperature was hotter than any place I had been to so far, the sky was blackened, and ash drifted throughout. The ground was cracked with obsidian rocks and there was no plant life in sight. I turned to look at the tomb I had crawled out from and I saw myself in the reflections of the glass. I saw my true new self now.

I was child like again. With a body that didn't feel like my own. My skin had blackened with a scale like texture and when I looked to my hands, there were these long growths that made the nails look like claws. When I touched my face, I could feel these two hardened lumps that had erupted upon my scalp.

The air smelled of fire and brimstone now and this is when I noticed there were other crystalline formations in the thousands all around me. I could see figures start to break out of them just like I had done. Some took longer than others to wake and some were even surrounded by this magma looking substance.

I was higher up than most of the creatures, so I had a clear vantage point to observer what they decided to do. The ones that broke free first started to consume the parts of the crystal they broke free from, and then screamed into the sky as if it was a joyous occasion. I had then looked to the parts of the shell that I had broken free from too, I thought it couldn't be worse than eating a hard candy. But eating the crystal tasted more like a charred steak with no seasoning.

Then came the memories, the inherited ones. The stories of hell were true, and I came to comprehend the basic knowledge of where I was, and that I was no longer who I was. No longer a slave to a corporate master. But I did die, and I would no longer be able to see my brothers or my Father.

The last truth to my inherited memories was the most important. My True Name. 11 Words, the last one being Hope. From the manga I read from my previous life I knew it was special, and I couldn't just tell it to anyone unless I wanted them to have power over me.

I knew I needed to survive now, so I started to climb down the ridge where my shell was, using the skills from my previous life to sneak past the unhatched demons. But I still observed the behaviour of these beings.

One creature, much larger than I had these four insects like legs went over to one of the unhatched demons. He picked up a stone and started smashing the shell in, hitting the demon inside in the process. The demon within franticly tried to escape, but it was to late.

What I saw next I didn't expect, a dark crystal rose from the dead body. The demon was salivating at the mouth as he eyed the gem, licking his lips, and picked up the gem only to drop it in his mouth. When consuming it, the creature started to visibly grow. In my gut I knew that what I just saw was a soul being eaten, a way to truly die.

There were two sides of this beach path I walked, to my left was this bubbling green and blue liquid, an ocean of sorts. And to my right was actual magma, I was not traveling through either of these, so my options were limited.

There was no cover on this path, but it was in the opposite direction of the demons I came from. There were multiple paths to choose so I was optimistic that no one had followed me. What I did not expect though was for flying demon to meet me halfway.

The demon was much larger than I was, holding a weapon that seemed like a scimitar. The creature flew down to me with a crooked grin on his face. Carefully placing one foot down before the other. The demon told me that I didn't belong this way with out wings, pointing to the ones on his back. I tried explaining that I wasn't aware but then the grin turned into an open mouth smile with shark like teeth prodding above the lips.

He told me he could sense that I had a true name, and that If I didn't know this path death trap for those without wings It meant only one of two things. Either I was a fool, or I didn't have the demon memories of the ones who came before.

Meaning that I had the memories of a reincarnation instead, which meant to this demon that my soul was much more valuable, and I was a fine dining experience. This creature had a weapon though and was much larger than me. I had to move faster than it on the ground or I'd lose my advantage if it went to the air.

I ran as fast as my heart could take it, moving faster than I had ever gone before. He was humanoid so there wasn't much difference in the advantage he had, and I did manage to take his weapon from him with a disarm. There was a moment of surprise at first for the demon, and then an even wider smile.

The blade then shook in my hands, pulling my fingers back in some unnatural way. Breaking my fingers and hands off the blade. He then kicked me back, laughing as he did. He let me know that this scimitar was a soul fragment weapon, something I wouldn't know about since I didn't have the memories he did.

The kick shattered my rib cage, unable to bear the strength of the demon. He then walked towards me with lust in his eyes. And then while on my knees, waiting for this final blow. The ground shook and the hellscape beneath me suddenly collapsed.

I was cast into a sinkhole. The demon looking over the edge, staring at me as I fell. I could only imagine the look of disappoint on his face as he never had the chance to consume my soul. The fall was long and this action felt like an eternity.

There was this slow building pressure being applied to my body as I fell, making me feel crushed under its weight. And as I fell, waiting for my second life to end, I gently landing on a patch of snow instead. I looked all around me. At first, I could only perceive the darkness above with falling snow. Then endless mountains of ice came into focus.

My everything began to freeze as I cried out, I began to cry for the first time since I was sold to the Frontier Corporation. Begging for someone to save me, my greatest desire was to live in this moment, to finally have a chance at freedom in this second life.

When everything seemed lost, I caught a glimpse in the corner of my eye of this golden altar beneath the snow and ice. The altar seemed out of place, but perfect in its conception as if it was meant to be there.

My body was still ruined from the defeat of the demon, and there was still this constant pressure being applied, but I still dragged myself towards this altar. I then smashed my broken hands into the ice, desperately trying to reach what was just within my grasp. And when I finally did, I placed both my hands upon it.

To my surprise I could feel warmth of sunlight again. But I knew in this demon heart of mine, this golden glow, this energy wasn't the sun. I could feel myself disappearing now, but I felt comfortable as I faded away. As if my mother was holding me once again, I relaxed myself for the first time in so many years.