Curse Of The Abyss II

- "Elisa battles dark creatures and a deadly curse to save Mitsuki, but time is running out. As a mysterious enemy reveals his hellish plans, a desperate battle for survival will lead Elisa to face her greatest fear. Can she save Mitsuki before it's too late?" -

Elisa finally crossed the first door without looking back. Instantly, a sharp coldness ran through her body, as if the air itself was trying to take away her strength. The walls, once solid, were transformed into a kind of pulsating flesh, covered with eyes that stared at her. Each step resonated like an endless echo, as if the place wanted to remind her that she was completely alone.

Suddenly, a child's voice, whispering but clearly audible, echoed through the air:

—Why do you try, Elisa? He is already doomed... Just like you are now.

Elisa clenched her fists, ignoring the words, and moved forward with firm steps. In front of her appeared a dark figure, similar to the previous creature, but smaller, with a crooked smile that seemed to float in the air. Before she could react, the figure extended its arm, and a wall of shadows rose, blocking her path.

"You want to save him? Then answer me this: would you sacrifice your own life for someone like him?" the figure asked, its macabre laughter amplifying in all directions.

Elisa, her purple eyes shining brightly, answered without hesitation:

—There's no time for your games.

Without warning, she fired a blast of purple energy at the figure, which dissolved into a black mist. However, as soon as she took another step, the mist condensed behind her and formed a series of spectral hands that tried to grab her. Elisa nimbly dodged them, but one managed to scratch her arm, leaving a dark trail that began to slowly spread across her skin.

"This isn't just a place, Elisa. It's a test of life and death," the voice said, echoing from all directions.

Elisa remained calm, though her motionless arm reminded her that time was against her. With her hand still covered in energy, she tried to get rid of the dark expansion that spread across her skin, but it wouldn't budge. Her purple eyes shone brightly as she muttered to herself:

—I don't have time for this.

The creature on the ground let out a hollow laugh.

—You have character, I admit. But tell me, what do you prefer? To continue towards another door and waste time or to save time by facing... —

"To whoever," Elisa interrupted, her voice firm and cutting.

The creature paused for a moment, clearly puzzled by his response. Then, its crooked smile returned.

—I like your determination. We'll see if you keep it.

The ground behind Elisa shook, and with a deafening crash, a grotesque being fell from the ceiling, landing with such force that the impact reverberated throughout the place. It was a tall, menacing figure, with a sharp-chinned purple skull and no facial features, as if emptiness itself had been molded into its face. Its dark green, scaly skin seemed to vibrate with life, and its every movement made a rasping sound, as if it were made of stone scraping metal.

Elisa, unfazed, kept her gaze fixed on the creature on the ground. She didn't move or turn around when she heard the being behind her. Her calm seemed almost unnatural, as if she were above the fear that the place tried to impose on her.

The creature on the ground, amused, added:

—He's your first obstacle. He's not just a monster... He's the guardian of this hallway, and he loves... ripping off limbs.

With intimidating slowness, Elisa finally turned around. Her cold, calculating gaze clashed with the being's imposing presence. She took a step forward, tilting her head slightly, assessing him.

"So you're the strongest one here?" he asked, his tone icy.

The guardian did not respond with words. Instead, he let out a deep, echoing roar and took a step toward her. His claws, long and sharp, tore at the ground as he went, leaving burning marks on the throbbing flesh of the floor.

Elisa raised her motionless arm, now completely infected by darkness, and with her other hand she gathered energy in the form of a glowing purple aura.

—Unfortunately I'll be going fast.

And so the battle began.

The guardian charged towards Elisa with swift and brutal movements, despite its colossal size. Each blow generated a small tremor, tearing the ground and walls apart in its wake. Elisa, with a cold and calculating gaze, moved with precision, manipulating gravity to her advantage. For each blow that seemed impossible to dodge, she altered the weight of the monster's arm, deflecting it or slowing it down enough to avoid the full impact.

However, in a moment of carelessness, the guard managed to land a direct blow to her back. The sound of the impact and the crack of one of her bones echoed in the silent hallway. Elisa fell to her knees for a second, breathing heavily as the pain ran through her body like lightning.

"I won't deny that you have strength," he hissed, slowly standing up. His purple-coated arm glowed brighter, as if the pain only fueled his determination.

The guardian didn't stop, lunging at her again without making a sound, its scaly body moving like a lurking shadow. Elisa didn't wait this time; with a quick movement of her hand, she altered the gravity around her, causing the guardian to fall sharply to the ground, creating a crater with the impact.

"If you think that pure brute force will be enough, you are wrong," he said, as his purple energy began to spread throughout his body, increasing the intensity of his movements.

Despite the fall, the guardian immediately got up and leapt towards her with terrifying agility. Elisa was expecting it, cushioning the impact of her claws with a gravitational field, but the weight of the attack still made her take several steps back.

"You have stamina… but no brains," he muttered, flashing a sarcastic smile as he gathered more energy into his moving hand.

Elisa knew she couldn't afford a prolonged standoff. Every second counted, and Mitsuki was depending on her to get to the core. She adjusted her stance, ignoring the pain in her back, and prepared for the monster's next move.

Elisa forced her weakened arm to move, ignoring the pain as she gathered purple energy throughout her being. The intensity grew rapidly, but then something strange came over her: a heavy feeling, as if something dark was infiltrating her insides.

From above, the creature watching everything pointed its horns at her, and a dark attack rushed towards her like an arrow. Elisa barely had time to react. The darkness completely enveloped her weakened arm, and before she could do anything, she felt the energy spilling out of control.

With a sharp, piercing crash, her arm exploded into a thousand pieces. Shards of flesh and energy scattered through the air, leaving a terrifying void where her limb once was. Elisa staggered back a step, her eyes wide as pain spread throughout her body.

Out of pure instinct, she placed her other hand over the bleeding hole that remained, trying to stem the bleeding with what energy she could still muster. But the pain and shock overwhelmed her, and her knees hit the ground hard.

The guard, motionless and silent, stood before her like an imposing shadow. Elisa looked up at him, panting, a mixture of fury and frustration in her eyes, but now, kneeling and weakened, her situation seemed hopeless.

Elisa, her body trembling and at the edge of its limits, raised her head and looked with pure hatred at the creature floating above. Her gaze burned like glowing embers, and without holding back, she screamed at it:

—Damn coward! Do it again if you have the balls, you fucking scum!

The creature was silent for a moment, but then burst into laughter that echoed mockingly throughout the room.

"As you wish!" he replied sarcastically, raising a hand to summon that dark ray again, charged with a crushing energy.

Elisa stood stock still, her expression filled with rage but with something else hidden behind her eyes. As the lightning began to descend, roaring with devastating force, her eyes widened.

The creature and the guardian watched the descent with sadistic satisfaction, certain that this would be the final blow. But at the last instant, before the beam struck, something changed. In the blink of an eye, the positions of Elisa and the guardian were reversed.

The lightning bolt missed Elisa. Instead, it struck the guardian squarely, piercing him like a spear. A deafening explosion filled the place, and the remains of the guardian's scaly body disintegrated into the darkness.

Elisa remained kneeling, still holding the hollow where her arm had been, sweat and blood soaking her clothes. But despite her pain, she began to laugh. A euphoric laugh, full of defiance and satisfaction.

"I didn't get to see much of what it was capable of, which is a shame," he said with a laugh, looking up at the creature with a crooked smile.

A door creaked open, echoing in the vast dark void. Elisa, still reeling and holding the crook of her missing arm, looked up. On the other side of the door, her eyes widened: the core, the source of the entire curse, was not floating or protected on a pedestal. No.

The door swung open with a deep creak, and on the other side, Elisa stood motionless. There, holding the core with its many tentacles, was the first creature, the one that had orchestrated everything from the shadows. Its grotesque form and bright eyes looked at her mockingly.

Elisa felt anger and fear mix in her chest. She didn't expect him to be the one holding the core.

"Surprised?" he said in a mocking voice as he held up the core in front of her. "I told you… you wasted your time."

Elisa gritted her teeth, her fists shaking with helplessness.

"What… what is all this? What do you want to do to Mitsuki? What is the point?" he cried, his voice breaking as he remembered Mitsuki trapped, dying, overcome by the curse.

The creature laughed, a laugh that echoed macabrely through the place.

"What do we gain? In the short term, fun… nothing like watching a being slowly crumble as its body rots from within." He paused, bringing the core closer to his face, as if gazing at it in admiration. "But in the long term…"

Elisa stared at him, her heart pounding.

"Long term what?" she asked, though part of her didn't want to hear the answer.

—In the long term, we will open the gates of the underworld. Beings like me, exiled from forgotten corners of the planets, will be recognized. Volkarn, the king of the underworld, will call us to his side. We will be the chosen ones, the heralds of his power on this plane.

Elisa felt the world stop. That name... Volkarn. The mere mention of it made her stagger, as if gravity had suddenly shifted.

"Volkarn…" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. His fragmented memories began to surface, but he couldn't allow himself to be distracted.

The creature noticed his reaction and let out a dark laugh.

"Oh, I see you know that name. How touching. But never mind, child. It is too late now." The creature raised the core higher. "It was fun watching you fight, but now this game comes to an end."

Before he could react, the creature opened its mouth disproportionately and devoured the core in one gulp. A burst of dark energy swept through the place, filling it with an oppressive aura.

Elisa staggered, her eyes filled with despair. In that instant, her mind was filled with the image of Mitsuki: trapped, his body invaded by the tentacles, dying in the metal coffin.

—Damn it... Why?! —Elisa screamed, her voice torn with rage.

The creature looked down at her, now more imposing than before.

—The curse of the abyss doesn't just infect, child. Its purpose is simple: to cause such excruciating suffering before the soul can leave the body. Isn't that beautiful?

Suddenly, a dull sound was heard, followed by a crack that filled the air. The creature seemed startled, but before it could react, its skull exploded into a thousand pieces.

Blood and dark debris stained the ground as the creature collapsed, dropping the core. Elisa stared in shock, gasping.

"What... what just happened?" the other creature whispered, unable to understand what had happened.

End of chapter.