Chapter 38: Into the Unknown

Eryx and Ophis walked in silence, leaving the ruins of the Tower far behind. The air felt heavier with each step, as if the weight of their journey ahead was already pressing down on them. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, cracked and scorched from the energy of the gods' lingering presence. Every once in a while, Eryx would glance over at Ophis, wondering if she felt the same tension tightening around them. But as usual, she gave nothing away, her face a mask of calm determination.

"We'll need more than the Void to survive what's coming," Ophis finally said, her voice cutting through the silence.

Eryx frowned, his mind still racing with the battle they had barely survived. "You said there are places where the veil is thin, where we can access the Void. But if the Outer Gods can reach us there, doesn't that mean they're even more dangerous?"

Ophis nodded, but her eyes stayed focused on the path ahead. "Yes, they'll be stronger in those places. But we'll also be stronger. The Void will flow more freely, and with enough control, we can learn to bend reality in ways the Outer Gods can't predict."

Eryx let her words sink in. He had glimpsed some of what the Void was capable of—shifting space, distorting time—but he had only scratched the surface. There was more to it, much more, but tapping into that power felt dangerous. Every time he pushed deeper into the Void, it felt like it pushed back, like something in the darkness was watching, waiting for him to slip.

"How many of these places are there?" Eryx asked, breaking the silence again.

"There are many," Ophis replied, her gaze sharp. "Some are hidden, some guarded, and others abandoned for eons. But we'll start with the one closest to here. It's an old site, tied to the ancient magic of the world before the gods took control. If we can unlock its secrets, it will give us the edge we need."

The air around them grew colder as they walked, the landscape shifting subtly as if the very fabric of reality was bending under an unseen pressure. Eryx noticed the way the shadows stretched longer, darker, and the sun above seemed to dim, casting an eerie twilight over the forest they had entered.

Soon, the trees grew taller, their bark twisted and gnarled, like hands reaching toward the sky in silent desperation. Eryx could feel the energy in the air shift, a deep, thrumming pulse that resonated with the Void inside him. It was faint, but growing stronger the further they went. Ophis must have felt it too, as her pace quickened, her eyes scanning the path ahead.

"There," she said, pointing to a clearing up ahead. "The first site."

In the center of the clearing stood a massive stone archway, half buried in the ground, overgrown with vines and moss. It looked ancient, older than anything Eryx had seen before, its surface etched with runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. The air around the archway shimmered, warping slightly as if it was a doorway to another realm.

"This is it," Ophis said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The veil between worlds is thin here. We'll be able to tap into the Void more freely—but so can the Outer Gods."

Eryx approached the archway cautiously, feeling the pull of the Void grow stronger with each step. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and anticipation building inside him. This was their chance to learn, to gain the power they needed to stand against the gods. But it was also a risk—a risk that could cost them everything.

"How do we start?" he asked, turning to Ophis.

She stepped forward, placing her hand on the surface of the stone. The runes flared brighter under her touch, and the air around them seemed to hum with energy. "We open the veil," she said simply. "And we step through."

Without hesitation, Ophis closed her eyes and began to murmur an incantation, her voice low and melodic, like the song of the wind through the trees. The runes on the archway pulsed in time with her words, and the air around them shimmered, distorting like a heatwave.

Eryx watched, his breath caught in his throat, as the space within the archway began to twist and ripple, forming a swirling vortex of light and shadow. It was like looking into a mirror made of liquid, the surface constantly shifting, reflecting nothing but darkness.

"This is the Void," Ophis said, her voice steady. "It's not just emptiness. It's everything and nothing, a place where reality bends and breaks. We can use it to learn—to grow. But it's dangerous. If you lose yourself in the Void, there's no coming back."

Eryx swallowed hard, his mind racing. He had felt the Void before, used its power, but this… this was something else entirely. This was stepping into the heart of the Void itself, a place where the rules of reality no longer applied.

"Are you ready?" Ophis asked, turning to him.

Eryx nodded, though his heart raced with uncertainty. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Without another word, Ophis stepped through the archway, her form disappearing into the swirling vortex. Eryx hesitated for a moment, the pull of the Void tugging at him, before steeling his resolve and following her through.

The moment Eryx crossed the threshold, the world around him shifted violently. The ground beneath his feet disappeared, and he felt weightless, as if he were falling through a vast, endless void. The air was thick, heavy with the presence of something ancient and powerful, and Eryx could feel the Void pressing in on him from all sides, its energy wrapping around him like a cold, suffocating blanket.

For a moment, he panicked, his mind racing as he struggled to orient himself in the darkness. But then, slowly, he began to feel the Void settle inside him, its power flowing through him like a river of cold fire. He wasn't falling—he was floating, suspended in the Void's embrace.

Ophis appeared beside him, her form hazy and indistinct, as if she were made of shadows. "You can feel it, can't you?" she asked, her voice echoing in the emptiness. "This is the heart of the Void. This is where we learn its true nature."

Eryx nodded, though the sensation of being surrounded by such vast, limitless power was overwhelming. The Void wasn't just a tool—it was alive, aware, and it was watching him.

"What now?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Ophis's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Now we listen."

For what felt like hours, they stood in the Void, letting its energy wash over them, learning its secrets. Eryx could feel his connection to the Void deepening, his understanding of its power growing. He learned to bend space, to twist time, to pull the fabric of reality apart and weave it back together again. The Void was limitless, its potential infinite.

But with that power came danger. The longer they stayed, the more Eryx could feel the Void pulling at him, tugging at the edges of his mind, trying to consume him. It was a place of chaos, of destruction, and it wanted to take him with it.

"We can't stay here for long," Ophis warned, her voice cutting through the haze. "The Void is not meant for mortals. If we linger too long, we'll lose ourselves."

Eryx nodded, though his heart ached at the thought of leaving. The power he felt here was intoxicating, and he knew that this was only the beginning. There was so much more to learn, so much more to master.

But Ophis was right. They couldn't stay. Not yet.

Reluctantly, Eryx followed Ophis as she began to pull them out of the Void, the vortex of shadows swirling around them once more. The world began to reform around them, the darkness giving way to light as they stepped back through the archway.

As they emerged, the ancient stone of the archway shimmered and the runes faded, leaving them standing in the clearing once more. The air was still, the forest quiet, but something had changed.

Eryx could feel the Void inside him, deeper, more powerful than before. He had learned its secrets—some of them, at least. But there was more, so much more, waiting for him to discover.

"We're stronger now," Ophis said, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "But so are they."

Eryx nodded, clenching his fists as the energy of the Void surged through him. The Outer Gods were watching, waiting, but now he was ready.

The real battle was just beginning.