Stygian Manor
Soon, Konrad was walking up the mountain. The ancient black stone path stretched before him, winding up the mountainside like a serpent's spine. Its surface was cracked and uneven, worn by time and the elements. Faded runes were etched into some of the stones, their meanings lost to history.
Konrad didn't stop to admire them.
He began his trek upward, his bare feet pressing against the icy stone. Every step sent jolts of pain through his body—his soles were raw from the climb, scraped and bleeding. But he gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
The air grew thinner as he ascended, making each breath harder. Cold wind howled around him, carrying distant whispers—or were they just in his head?
His legs burned, exhaustion creeping in, but the fog continued its relentless climb below him.
Konrad glanced back once.
The mist was coming closer.
It had devoured the lower parts of the path, rising like a tide. Within its depths, he swore he saw shapes shifting, flickering in and out of existence. Things that were not human.
A chill crawled down his spine.
He picked up his pace, forcing his tired limbs to move faster.
The path twisted and turned, cutting through the rugged cliffs and jagged outcroppings. At times, it narrowed to a mere ledge, with sheer drops plunging into darkness below. One misstep here meant certain death.
But stopping meant something far worse.
---
Halfway up, the path crumbled before him. A section of the black stone had collapsed, leaving a gap too wide to step over. On the other side, the trail continued, winding up toward the mansion.
Konrad hesitated for a heartbeat, then looked down.
The fog was closer now. Too close.
He had no choice.
Taking a few steps back, he steadied himself. His legs felt weak, his body sluggish, but he couldn't afford doubt.
He ran forward and leaped.
For a moment, he was weightless, suspended in the cold night air.
Then—impact.
He barely caught the edge, his fingers scraping against the rough stone. For a split second, he almost slipped—but he swung his leg up, using every ounce of strength left in him to haul himself over.
---
His arms trembled violently as he rolled onto solid ground, gasping for breath.
No time to rest.
Konrad forced himself back up and continued forward.
The incline grew steeper, the path more treacherous. Loose rocks threatened to send him tumbling down with every step. Sharp winds howled through the peaks, cutting into his exposed skin.
But he kept moving.
After what felt like an eternity, Konrad reached the final stretch.
The gates of the gothic mansion loomed ahead—massive, wrought-iron structures covered in twisted symbols. Beyond them, the courtyard stretched out in eerie silence, leading to the towering doors of the estate.
Konrad stumbled toward the gate, his body nearly giving out.
Behind him, the fog had reached the lower courtyard. Shadows flickered within its depths. Shapes that moved.
Something was coming.
With the last of his strength, he reached for the gate—
And the iron gate groaned open on its own.
The mansion was waiting for him.
Konrad stepped inside just as the fog engulfed the world behind him.
Unseen runes activated and the iron gates shut close.
...
Konrad stood in the courtyard of the mansion, his breath uneven, his body still aching from the brutal climb. The iron gates had shut behind him with a finality that made his stomach tighten. There was no turning back.
He was inside now.
The air here was different—thick with an eerie stillness. It wasn't just silence; it was absence. No sound of insects, no rustling wind, only the faint hum of an unseen force lingering in the cold night.
The flora was unlike anything he had ever seen. Flowers with translucent petals pulsed faintly as if breathing. Vines of silver thread wove intricate patterns along the black stone walls, shimmering under the glow of pale-blue lanterns hanging from curved iron poles.
A row of trees with white trunks and obsidian leaves lined the edge of the courtyard. Their branches stretched skyward, drinking in the light of the three moons above.
Konrad moved carefully, every step slow and measured. His instincts screamed at him to stay alert. This place was not normal.
His eyes darted between the statues that dotted the path, humanoid figures with elongated limbs and blank faces, standing in solemn poses. Their surfaces were worn, ancient, yet untouched by decay. The longer he looked at them, the more he felt the weight of unseen eyes on him.
He clenched his fists and forced himself forward.
Eventually, he found a quiet corner beneath one of the white-trunked trees, where thick bushes provided some cover. He sat down, leaning against the cold bark, his body finally allowed a moment's rest.
Konrad closed his eyes for a few seconds, slowing his breathing.
Then, he assessed his situation.
He had survived the climb. He had reached the manor before the fog swallowed him. But now, he was inside a place tied to something far beyond his understanding.
There was only one way forward.
He pushed himself up, shaking off the exhaustion, and turned toward the main entrance of the mansion.
The doors loomed before him—massive black wood, engraved with symbols that pulsed faintly under the moons' light. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed.
A few moments passed, and then, with a deep click, the doors unlocked themselves.
Konrad swallowed, his body tensing. Every instinct told him to run. But there was nowhere to go.
Steeling his heart, he pushed the doors open.
A cold gust of air swept past him as he stepped inside.
The doors shut behind him.
Pale blue lanterns flickered to life, illuminating the reception hall in a soft, spectral glow. The walls were made of black marble, veined with silver, stretching high toward a vaulted ceiling adorned with intricate carvings.
A long carpet ran down the center, dark blue with golden embroidery depicting gems and crystal, hinting at the mansion's ancient past.
There were no decorations. No paintings, no statues, nothing of personal touch. Only cold stone and endless silence.
Konrad searched the room, but there was nothing of immediate value—no clues, no signs of life.
He exhaled and moved forward.
"Nothing is here... At least."
The next room was vast.
A grand hall, its ceilings stretching high into the shadows above. The space was lit by gigantic chandeliers, each holding pale-blue flames that flickered without warmth. Their cold light cast long, wavering shadows across the polished black stone floor.
Lining the hall were colossal stone statues, standing like silent sentinels. Each depicted an unknown figure, their expressions hidden beneath hooded cloaks.
At the center of the room stood a massive round table, surrounded by six seats and one larger, throne-like seat at the head. The chairs were carved from dark wood, their designs intricate, almost organic, as if grown rather than built.
But it was the statue at the far end of the hall that made Konrad freeze.
The end hall of it was fashioned into a vast, somber shrine. At the center of it stood an altar cut from a single slab of black onyx, and behind it was an incredibly beautiful statue of a young woman dressed in a flowing tunic, her face obscured by a veil. The young woman was holding a star in one hand, and a bolt of lightning hovering above the other.
"The Storm God."
Konrad's breath hitched. Everything suddenly clicked.
A manor made of onyx, heaven reaching mountains, dreadful fog and the final piece the statue of Storm God.
So, it's-
The Hollow Mountains.
The Fog of Nothing.
The Storm God.
Nether, the Daemon of Destiny.
A wave of dread crashed over him. It's the Hollow Mountains.
The realization sent his heart pounding. The Hollow Mountains were one of the most terrifying places in existence. The Fog of Nothing devoured all things, erasing them from reality itself. He was inside Neither's domain. This entity also had emity with the progenitor of his bloodline.
Maybe he had unknownly relaxed, thinking the weave of fate wouldn't touch him. But looks like fate has some grand destiny for him. It will be a nightmare.
Then, without warning, the Storm God's statue began to glow. Thunder bolt shot towards him. It instantly reached him and disappeared inside his body. His mind became blank.
A soft blue light radiated from its open palm, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air thickened, and an unseen force beckoned him forward.
Konrad's feet moved on their own.
In a trance, he walked across the grand hall, drawn toward the light. His breath came in shallow gasps, his body trembling. Yet, some unseen will guided him.
Step by step, he approached.
He reached the statue and slowly knelt before it.
His head rested under the open palm.
The moment his skin made contact with the stone hand, the trance shattered.
A whisper of the nightmare spell crawled into his ears, cold and emotionless.
[You have received the Storm God's Blessing.]
[You have received an Attribute.]
Konrad's eyes widened in horror.
His entire being was filled with an indescribable fear. Because he also heard a voice behind him.