Ch. 13 Shattered Mind

In the liminal space between consciousness and dreams, Niroth descended into a surreal realm. An expanse of frozen desolation stretched out before him, where the wind's mournful howls seemed to slice through the thick silence. Strangely, the bone-chilling cold that should have gripped him was absent, leaving him in an ethereal weightlessness within the snowy tableau. Gazing downward, he observed his hands—smaller, more delicate. And then the realization struck him —he wasn't amidst the harsh environment of Paradisium G-148. He had been transported back to Cypress, a child once again, and an overwhelming sense of foreboding began to fill him.

A deep well of dread opened up within him, and he felt as though vulnerability itself was surging back into his heart. The memories of his early life on Cypress flooded his consciousness, a torrent of images and emotions that he thought he had left far behind. The experiences of being a street urchin, the desperate struggles for survival—these recollections surged with an unrelenting force. Unbidden, the images of the sacrifices he had made to endure the brutal realities of that frigid world resurfaced, each one carving itself into his mind anew. He was thrust back into the past, the very sky above reflecting the tempestuous emotions brewing within him.

Caught in the throes of anguish, memories of loss and pain consumed him. His hands instinctively flew to his head, as though he could somehow shield himself from the emotional tempest raging within. His small form crumpled, knees meeting the snowy ground in an act of surrender to the overwhelming torrent of feelings. Yet, within the maelstrom of torment, a glimmer of something called to him. The memories he had locked away for so long were now demanding his attention, pushing him to confront the fragments of his past he had strived to forget.

As the storm of emotions threatened to swallow him whole, he allowed his gaze to shift upwards, and before him an impossible sight shown. The same stone ruin sprawled before him. Its intricate archways, cryptic passages, and confounding geometry projected pure madness. The longer he stared, the more the sharp pain in his head receded, replaced by an odd numbness. Through the chaotic whirlwind of sensations, a vivid purple luminescence began to emanate from deep within the eldritch city, a beacon that transcended the turmoil of his surroundings. It beckoned him, a call from the unknown, compelling him to venture closer, to explore what that lay shrouded within the depths of the enigmatic city.

Each step he took toward the radiant glow seemed to amplify his sense of detachment from his physical form. The snow underfoot felt both real and insubstantial, as if he were traversing a realm between worlds. With every footfall, the storm around him began to lose its edge, becoming more like a distant memory than an immediate reality. And as he moved further, the barrier between him and the beckoning light seemed to thin, until it finally dissolved, allowing him to step closer towards the heart of the mysterious radiance.

As Niroth continued his dream exploration of the enigmatic ruin, his steps led him once again to the imposing black obelisk. Its surface was adorned with intricate symbols and runes that emitted the same mesmerizing purple glow, casting ethereal light on the surroundings. There, at the base of the obelisk, stood a figure—a diminutive one, shorter than him. His curiosity piqued, Niroth pressed forward.

Ascending the stairs that led to the figure, Niroth's voice carried the innocence of his youth as he uttered a simple, "Hello?" The figure turned to meet his gaze, revealing itself to be a native creature of Paradisium G-148, albeit a childlike version. The child spoke in response, the words flowing seamlessly: "Uh...hello." A faint sense of surprise lingered in Niroth's mind, as if the notion of them conversing in the same language was unexpected, yet somehow it felt right; of course, they could speak the same language. He quickly dismissed such thoughts as foolish.

The child's inquiry prompted Niroth to introduce himself in his youthful, squeaky voice: "My name is Niroth; I'm an Aeloran. And you?" The child answered with equal innocence, "My name is David; I'm a human." Gazing back at the obelisk, David's eyes held a mixture of wonder and conviction. "More proof of others in the cosmos, not that I needed more." He placed his small hand on the obelisk's surface, his touch tender, as if showing reverence to an old friend.

Confusion filled Niroth's voice as he asked, "Where are we?" David, without shifting his gaze from the obelisk, replied, "We are in the heart of Chal'kala Ta, the frozen city—a gift from the interlopers." Niroth's puzzlement deepened, and he questioned, "I'm not sure I know what you mean." David turned his gaze to meet Niroth's, his expression carrying a sense of purpose. "Place your hand on their gift, and it will make sense," he advised before returning his attention to the obelisk.

A peculiar sensation surged within Niroth—a longing, a yearning to touch the obelisk that stood before him. Despite his hesitation, an irresistible pull drew him closer, and with a mix of curiosity and trepidation, he extended his hand, allowing his fingertips to meet the surface of the enigmatic structure.

In the waking world, as the team of thrashers traversed the ruins, the atmosphere remained tense. Pathfinder's voice cut through the silence, reporting the high levels of radiation emanating from the stones around them. Demo and Joran acknowledged her alert with quick confirmation pings. Their weapons remained poised and ready, their senses on high alert as they followed the thick cable, each step a deliberate move forward.

Demo's voice broke the silence again, expressing his frustration: "This place gives me a headache. Nothing makes sense in here." Joran's reply was pragmatic. "We have so little information that we have to take things at face value; we don't have time to ask what makes this place the way it is. Apparently, this archeologist somehow attacked Prepper. That's more than enough reason to find it and put it down."

A moment later, Pathfinder shared her findings, her voice conveying a mix of urgency and caution: "I've got the signature of the destroyed drone, 15 meters ahead." Taking quick action, Joran activated his suit's H.A.R.P.Y. system, issuing the command "Initiate visual block for subject *monument.* " His visor adjusted accordingly, using the image provided by the sphere to block out anything resembling the enigmatic black onyx obelisk. Demo and Pathfinder followed suit, acknowledging the uncertainty of their attempt to shield themselves from this unknown sickness while maintaining their focus on scanning for movement, determined to proceed as safely as possible.

Venturing further through the enigmatic ruins, the thrashers pressed on. As they neared their destination, the structure that the sphere called the "monument" came into view, the pixelated censor obscuring its unsettling form. Alongside it lay the shattered remnants of Niroth's drone.

Before the monument knelt a figure, its extremities ravaged by frostbite, revealing a macabre sight of exposed red flesh. This was archeologist David Banner, transformed into a nightmarish entity that defied all understanding. As David stood, he turned to look at the approaching thrashers. His face had been skinned, revealing a permanent twisted grin and bulging void-like eyes that greeted the thrashers. Joran acted swiftly, firing at David without hesitation. The beam tore through his form, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. But this creature was far from mortal, and its response was a twisted dance of unearthly grace.

In a surreal display of agility, the creature dodged Joran's next two shots, then elegantly rolled off the dias. Joran and his team struggled to keep up with its otherworldly movements, their confusion growing. Pathfinder started joining Joran's fire, but the creature's agility was difficult to adjust to. It dove, dodging another one of the blasts by going behind a stone pillar nearby. As the creature vanished behind a stone pillar, the thrashers wordlessly encircled the structure, expecting a counterattack from the creature that was once David.

Yet their anticipation was in vain, as the creature's sudden reappearance defied all logic. Pathfinder's voice, filled with disbelief, was abruptly silenced by a scream of pain as the creature appeared behind her. The bewildering events unfolded rapidly, leaving the thrashers reeling. Brown blood stained the icy ground as the creature drove its twisted blade into Pathfinder's side. Her response was immediate; her talon blade ignited, and she made a backhanded swing in retaliation. But the creature proved nimbler than ever, eluding her strike with uncanny speed. The group of thrashers was completely stunned by its sudden disappearance and reappearance.

Their attempts to subdue the creature with beams of energy proved futile, as it continued to evade their shots. With a final leap, it sought refuge behind a stone staircase that led nowhere. Demo seized the opportunity, arming a charge and shooting it toward the staircase. A blinding explosion of golden light engulfed the staircase, reducing it to vapor and sending shockwaves through the cavern. The smoke cleared, leaving the thrashers to assess the aftermath of their actions.

Joran's voice cut through the tension: "How bad?" Pathfinder's response, laced with pain, reverberated through the comms: "Pretty bad." The shocking breach of her EVA suit's integrity had left her vulnerable and injured. As Joran grappled with the reality of the situation, the puzzle pieces fell into place. "How did that blade even penetrate the suit?" he questioned, his disbelief apparent.

Before any further answers could be sought, a sudden, furious onslaught transpired. The creature that had been David leaped from a different pillar, somehow escaping the blast and reappearing in a totally different location. It jumped towards Demo with rage etched across its disfigured features. Landing atop Demo, it unleashed a brutal assault, its gnarled blade piercing his suit repeatedly. Each strike elicited a gurgled cry from Demo as he fought against the pain and incapacitation.

Joran's heart pounded as he witnessed the gruesome scene unfold, his sense of helplessness mounting. The creature's frenzied state ended just as quickly as it had begun; it tried to leap off of Demo after its assassination, but it was Demo's unyielding grip that ultimately halted its escape. It screeched an ear-piercing screech, outraged at Demo's attempt to stop it, leading to the vicious hacking at Demo's arm. However, this rending of flesh was met with a desperate countermove. With barely any hesitation from his harness, Demo retrieved a quick charge and pressed a hidden button on it, its activation filling the cavern with a blinding white-gold light.

In the wake of the explosion, there lay a scorch mark on the ground where Demo was standing. The creature and Demo both vaporized in a violent, beautiful flash of light.