Curse Of The Abyss

- "Elisa and Mitsuki battle a dangerous creature in a time-limited situation. As Mitsuki faces a deadly infection, Elisa must overcome even darker obstacles. Meanwhile, Allivy worries about her students, not knowing what happened to them."

The metallic echo of Mitsuki's blows resonated in the dense darkness, enveloping him like a blanket that let nothing escape. The space inside the coffin was cold, impenetrable and small; each movement of his made the steel creak in an ominous way.

—Elisa! Where are you?! —he shouted in a tone full of frustration.

"I'm here!" she replied from above, her voice firm but slightly charged with tension, with a slight echo.

Mitsuki stopped banging on the ceiling for a moment and tried to focus on the direction of the voice. There was something about the atmosphere that made him deeply uneasy, as if the place was alive and watching them. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself, but each breath was heavier than the last.

Meanwhile, Elisa was inspecting the surface of the coffin with half-closed eyes. Although she could see absolutely nothing beyond the metal structure beneath her feet, she forced herself to maintain her composure. She looked up, towards where she hoped to find a sky or some sign of an exit, but she only found an infinite void: a dark abyss that seemed to absorb the little imaginary light that her eyes tried to manufacture.

"This isn't a tunnel. It doesn't even look like a physical space. It's like…" Elisa swallowed and looked back at the coffin. "Like we've fallen into the depths of the world."

"I'd love to hear you philosophize, but I'm stuck here!" Mitsuki interrupted from inside, trying to maintain his usual confident attitude, although claustrophobia was beginning to seep into his words.

Elisa clenched her fists. She was a pragmatist in dangerous situations; she did not panic easily. But even she felt the oppressive atmosphere creeping into her mind, whispering that there was no way out, that it was useless.

"I'm going to get you out of there, Mitsuki. Whatever this place is, it will be no challenge for me." His tone was sharp and decisive, like a sharp blade.

"Good determination, but don't delay… I'll run out of oxygen eventually," Mitsuki replied, though this time there was no mockery in her voice. There was something reassuring about hearing her speak like that.

Elisa felt around the edge of the coffin, searching for something, anything that would allow her to open it. But there were no cracks, screws or visible joints. It was as if the coffin had been forged from a single piece. She removed a ribbon from the center of the coffin, realizing it said "Curse of the Abyss."

Looking up once more, something caught his eye. For an instant, it seemed to him that something was moving in the abyss, as if the void itself had flickered.

"Mitsuki, do you feel something strange?" he asked in a low voice, his eyes still fixed on the endless sky.

—If by 'strange' you mean the feeling that something is watching us, yes... very strange. —The confidence in his voice was beginning to crumble.

A noise echoed from the depths of the abyss: a low creaking sound, as if something gigantic was sliding through the shadows. Elisa instinctively took a step back, her gaze still fixed on the sky.

"Elisa, tell me what you see," Mitsuki said.

"I don't see anything," she replied in a whisper. "But I feel something coming."

The crunching became louder, closer. Then, a dripping sound began to be heard, a sound similar to that of water falling into a puddle, but with a viscosity that made each drop sound heavy and unpleasant.

Elisa looked down and saw a black liquid begin to drip down the walls of the coffin, spreading towards the ground. The liquid seemed to have a life of its own, moving like a snake looking for its prey.

—Mitsuki, this isn't water. This... is moving.

"What do you mean it's moving?" he asked, hitting the metal harder, his tone clearly alarmed now.

"I mean, we don't have time." Elisa grabbed a pocketknife from her pocket and began scraping the metal with all her might. But the surface remained unchanged, as if it were made of something other than steel.

The black liquid began to climb the walls of the coffin, approaching the edge where Elisa was. Without hesitation, she took a few steps back and scanned the surroundings with her gaze, looking for something she could use as a weapon. But there was nothing, only the abyss and that suffocating darkness that seemed to mock them.

—Elisa! Tell me what's going on out there! —Mitsuki shouted, increasingly alert.

She gritted her teeth.

—Don't worry about it. Just... stay calm.

—"Keep calm"? That sounds weird.

Before either of them could react, a deafening crack echoed through the coffin. Mitsuki felt a sudden impact beneath his back. Something tore through the metal floor with unstoppable force, ripping the base apart like it was paper.

—Shit... —Mitsuki barely had time to speak when something cold and wet wrapped around her legs, quickly moving up her body.

—Mitsuki?! —Elisa heard the noise and knocked on the coffin, but just as she tried to open it, a black, slimy tentacle emerged from the floor of the coffin and blocked the lid.

Inside, Mitsuki struggled to free herself, but the tentacles were too many. One of them slithered up to her face and, with a swift movement, covered her mouth, stifling any scream she tried to emit.

His breathing quickened, panic gripping him. He tried to speak, but could only manage a muffled sound. Then he heard it: a low, icy, almost human whisper that crept into his ear.

—Shh...

The sound chilled his blood. It was calm, almost as if it were trying to reassure him, but the intent behind it was clearly sinister. The tentacles tightened around his body, immobilizing him completely, while that voice continued to echo in his mind, repeating the same whisper:

—Shh... Don't fight it... Enjoy it.

Outside, Elisa heard the muffled noise and the increasingly faint knocks from inside.

"Mitsuki! Resist!" he shouted, as he stabbed the tentacles covering the coffin lid. But every time his blade cut them, they instantly regenerated, as if they were made of pure liquid darkness.

"Damn it, open up already!" she screamed, frustrated, as she felt the ground beneath her feet begin to vibrate.

Inside the coffin, Mitsuki tried to calm down. She knew that losing her mind wouldn't help, but the presence of the tentacles and that strange voice were too disturbing. Her body trembled as she listened to the whisper continue:

—You don't need to fight... Just enjoy the feeling.

Mitsuki squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the terror. "No," she thought, "I'm not going to die this way." However, the feeling of the tentacles tightening around her body made that resolve waver.

From outside, Elisa noticed that the tentacles were beginning to spread across the ground, as if they were trying to reach something else, something outside the coffin.

"No. Don't even think about it," he said, raising his knife. His gaze hardened and without hesitation, he aimed it straight at the largest tentacle surrounding the coffin, the knife flying into the darkness.

This time, something was different. The tentacle let out a high-pitched shriek, and the darkness seemed to recede for a moment.

Elisa watched in horror as the moment she cut the tentacle, her knife was returned to her with violent force. The blade cut her neck superficially, but right in an area close to the jugular. The pain was instantaneous, and a warm flow began to run through her skin.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, bringing a hand to his neck as his vision blurred for a second.

Elisa took a deep breath, ignoring the panic that was beginning to set in. With a shaking hand, she gathered what energy she could muster from within her, focusing it on the wound. Her palm glowed with a faint light, and she applied pressure directly to the cut, using a technique to slow the flow of blood.

Despite the pain, his gaze remained fixed on the coffin where Mitsuki was trapped.

Then the voice echoed again. It was deep, chilling, as if it came from the abyss itself.

"This is simple," the voice said, its tone a mixture of mockery and contempt. "You leave me the boy, and I'll let you go."

Elisa gritted her teeth, ignoring the burning in her neck.

"Leave it to you?" He growled, slowly getting up, the energy he was applying to the wound still keeping it at bay.

The voice let out a sound akin to a deep laugh, as if it was enjoying the situation. At that instant, the abyss above began to open wider, revealing a monstrous creature. A slimy, black mass slowly descended from the void, with endless tentacles writhing in all directions. The stench it gave off was disgusting, and its form was covered in mismatched eyes that seemed to observe everything at once.

—Or... —the voice continued, drawing out the word as the creature's tentacles slowly approached Mitsuki's coffin— you will have the chance to save him... at the cost of your life.

Elisa understood immediately. This was no joke. The creature, or whatever it was, was capable of making good on its threat, and she was completely at a disadvantage.

For a moment, fear tried to seize hold of her. But when she thought of Mitsuki, trapped, unable to defend himself, a burning rage surged from deep within her.

Elisa raised her head, her eyes full of determination.

—Rot you.

The voice was silent for a moment, as if Elisa's answer had surprised him.

"What did you say?" he asked, his tone now laced with irritation.

"Are you deaf?" Elisa replied, with a defiant smile, even as her hand continued to press against the wound. "I said rot. I wouldn't leave Mitsuki to you in a thousand lifetimes."

The creature seemed to roar from the abyss, and the tentacles began to move more violently. The ground beneath Elisa trembled, while the dark energy of the place seemed to concentrate in a single point, as if the abyss were about to devour her.

But Elisa did not back down. With her free hand, she channeled the last of her energy into the blade of her knife, causing it to glow with a bright, blue light.

—Attack me if you want, you piece of shit. But I'm not leaving without him.

The creature roared in fury, and tentacles lunged towards her, ready to finish everything off.

Elisa closed her eyes in determination, her fingers positioned precisely, pointing upwards, as if she were marking the exact point where she would channel all her strength. The air around her began to vibrate, and almost immediately, the gravity of the place changed radically. The creature's tentacles, which had previously moved with confidence and aggression, slowed down, folding in on themselves, as if an invisible pressure was crushing them.

Elisa's eyes snapped open, and a purple flash illuminated the darkness like lightning in the night. Her irises shone brightly, emitting a light so powerful that even the darkest corners of the abyss seemed to retreat before her presence.

The creature let out a roar, not of fury, but of genuine fear. The tentacles began to writhe erratically, as if the energy Elisa was releasing was burning them. But even so, the thing did not stop. From its perch, it extended more parts of its grotesque body, trying to reach Elisa and the coffin where Mitsuki was still trapped.

Elisa raised her hand, and with a swift movement, a line of purple energy shot towards the creature. It was so fast that it could not even be seen completely; only a trail of bright light remained in the air, as if it were a shot from another world.

The impact was devastating. The creature above tightened on itself, as if it were being compressed by a titanic force. It let out a piercing shriek, its body contracting with such intensity that it seemed on the verge of bursting. The tentacles began to break off, falling to the ground as useless masses of liquid shadow.

"What's wrong?" Elisa murmured with a cold smile. "You're not so scary anymore?"

But just when it seemed that the creature was on the verge of destruction, something changed. Its body, instead of exploding, began to transform. The shadows that composed it reconfigured themselves, taking on a more defined form.

The dark energy gathered into a single point, and the surroundings that had once been an endless abyss began to change. The walls of liquid shadow solidified, forming a sort of enclosed area. Elisa looked around cautiously. She was now inside a giant space, with four walls that looked like a mix of black rock and polished metal, but they pulsed as if they were alive.

In front of her, the creature completed its transformation. Its new form was more compact, but just as hideous: a humanoid body, of deformed proportions, with elongated limbs and a head that seemed to be divided into multiple jaws. The uneven eyes remained fixed on Elisa, now with a red glow that radiated pure hatred.

"Interesting…" said the voice, now clearer, resonating directly in Elisa's mind. "I thought you were just another mortal. But it seems there is something more inside you."

Elisa clenched her fists, holding her ground firm.

"And you're nothing but an idiot who doesn't know when to give up," he replied, his tone laden with contempt.

The creature took a step towards her, and the ground shook under its weight.

—Let's see if you're still as brave... when you actually face me.

Elisa didn't answer. Her purple eyes glowed brighter as she readied both hands, preparing for what was to come.

Elisa positioned herself for combat, her purple eyes gleaming intensely, but just before she attacked, the creature raised one of its long limbs, as if it were about to make an important announcement.

"Wait… do you really think this is going to be a simple fight?" he said, his distorted voice resonating throughout the room like an evil echo.

Elisa frowned, not letting her guard down, but what came next left her baffled.

Suddenly, the walls around them began to change. One by one, dozens of what appeared to be strange doors opened, each different from the next, but all equally eerie. Some seemed to be made of bone, others of corroded metal, and others were covered in symbols that flickered with a dark glow.

The creature laughed, its misshapen head tilting to one side as it watched the confusion on Elisa's face.

"Oh, my dear... Don't think this will be a typical confrontation." His voice took on a mocking, venomous tone. "When they entered this place, they activated a curse. That boy, trapped down there…"

Elisa felt a knot in her stomach at his words, but she didn't interrupt, standing firm even though worry was beginning to form inside her.

"Your blood and organs are slowly being infected," the creature continued, its tone dripping with malice. "They're rotting away from the inside, bit by bit. Isn't it wonderful to watch it crumble from the inside while you watch helplessly from the outside?"

Elisa felt her anger explode. In an instant, she charged at the creature with impossible speed and strength. Her fist, wrapped in purple energy, slammed directly into its monstrous face, splitting it in half in a devastating blow.

The creature staggered, its head hanging grotesquely in two split sections, but even so, it let out a chilling laugh. The darkness in its voice now seemed thicker than ever.

"That's your strength?" he said, sneering as he slowly straightened his body. The wound on his head began to close, albeit unevenly. "You'll need a lot more than just blows to resolve this."

Elisa clenched her fists, feeling her anger rise upon hearing those words.

"These doors…" the creature continued, pointing at them with one of its twisted tentacles. "They all lead to the core of the curse you activated, the place where it is generated. It is the heart of this space and the key to saving it."

Elisa glared at him, but she couldn't ignore what he was saying. The creature kept talking, as if it enjoyed the torment it was causing.

"If I get to that core before you," he said with a twisted smile, "the boy dies outright. But… if you get there first and destroy it, I die, and he'll just be…" he paused to laugh macabrely, "sick. It's an interesting game, don't you think?"

The monster's laughter echoed throughout the space, twisted and mocking, as the doors began to make a soft humming sound, as if they were being activated.

Elisa glared at him, but also determined. She wasn't going to let that creature decide Mitsuki's fate. Her mind was working fast, searching for a solution as time slipped through her fingers.

"Don't worry, my dear," the creature said as it backed away toward one of the doors. "I play fair. May the fastest man win."

Elisa didn't answer. Her eyes were shining brighter, and in her mind she had already made up her mind: she wasn't going to fail, no matter the price.

The creature burst through the wall in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a trail of darkness that seemed to devour space. Elisa, panting but determined, looked around, her purple eyes illuminating the doors around her. She was thinking rapidly, trying to decide how best to act. She couldn't waste time, but she couldn't move forward without a plan either.

Suddenly, the scene changed.

Allivy walked with a relaxed demeanor through the elegant lobby of the Ectiviland Hotel, a luxurious and peculiar place designed for very "particular" guests. At her side, Antho and Ronaldho, both absent-minded and always looking for food, walked as if the place was theirs, looking at every detail with a mixture of curiosity and enthusiasm.

—Well —Allivy said as she showed them around—, this is the Ectiviland Hotel. There are luxuries, oddities, and a cafeteria with unique dishes. Enjoy.

Both boys nodded excitedly, but didn't say much, clearly more interested in whatever they could find to eat. Allivy pulled out her phone to check her messages.

On his screen, a message from Alaska caught his attention:

"Already on the way to Italy! ✈️"

"I hope everything goes well…" Allivy muttered to herself, raising an eyebrow. Then, she remembered Mitsuki and Elisa. They had gone out on that mission, but they hadn't reported her arrival. A pang of worry crossed her mind. What if something had gone wrong? However, she decided to trust them. They were strong, and if something was wrong, they would have already warned her… probably.

Sighing, she put her phone away and turned to see what Ronaldho and Antho were doing. The scene left her stunned. The hotel waitress, Hitomi, was leaning against the wall, clearly dizzy and almost on the verge of collapsing. Her comical gaze was fixed on the table where the two boys had devoured a mountain of dishes in record time.

"How... how could they eat so much..." Hitomi stammered, still in shock.

Allivy crossed her arms, looking at Ronaldho and Antho with a mix of disbelief and sarcasm.

"So, was the food good?" he asked them with a mocking smile.

Ronaldho, with a completely serious expression, put a hand to his stomach and replied:

-To be honest no

Antho, feigning indignation, added:

—they lack seasoning.

Allivy stared at them for a moment, before bringing a hand to her face, sighing deeply.

—They eat as if they were working...

Allivy stood still, staring at Ronaldho and Antho as her thoughts wandered to Mitsuki and Elisa. The boys continued to laugh and eat, unconcerned, but something inside her couldn't stop worrying. She thought about them, about the mission, everything was in order. But now, the silence of their lack of communication made her uneasy.

"I hope they're okay…" she murmured to herself, a slight concern on her face. But in her heart, she trusted them. She knew that no matter what happened, they wouldn't lack the courage to overcome any obstacle.

With a slight smile, she decided to leave those thoughts behind for a moment. But in her mind, the words kept circling: "I hope you're okay."

And so, with one last glance at her phone and a sigh, she let reality wash over her once again, the scene fading into the stillness of her thoughts.

End of chapter.