The Oracle Paths

1165  The Other Side

The twin sisters' faces twitched, barely restraining themselves from pummeling the painter who sported an obnoxiously proud and mocking smile. Alright, the painter was also skilled at deceiving those around him when he put his mind to it. This was probably his petty revenge for being coerced into action by Eris.

However, his gloating smirk froze immediately when he peeked around the other side. If the barren land they had just traversed seemed inhospitable, what lay beyond the torn membrane spelled their doom.

"Myrmid's balls..." Pictorus cursed under his breath, shattering the gentlemanly image he had so meticulously crafted.

He already regretted tearing that membrane. Fragile as it was, it might have held a little longer without his meddling…

Changes appeared on the faces of the other Myrmidians present as they saw him retreat briskly. To hear him swear like that about their people's hero, he must have glimpsed something truly unsettling. The twin sisters and Skorgeld, who were closest, hurried to take a look through the tear, and the latter exclaimed,

"I need to quit smoking that weed; my eyes are playing tricks on me." Skorgeld chuckled awkwardly, making room for the other onlookers. Becoming buddies with Peter Brady had not been a good influence on him.

As for the sisters, true to their eccentric nature, they showed no surprise. Somehow, this reassured the other Players. Their calm was at least a sign that whatever they had seen, it wasn't threatening enough to alarm them. Until Nyx, the prophetess of the duo, apathetically proclaimed,

"Our end draws nigh…"

A brief silence swept through the crowd as the information sank in, then without hesitation, half of the Players bolted. Every time she had personally told someone "Your end draws nigh," they had perished in the next ambush.

Of the twins, Nyx was the antisocial sister, yet she was rather generous with her predictions. Whenever the currents of fate around someone seemed ominous, she always had the decency to inform them. Who knows, it might save their life?

Well, it had never happened, but who knows? It cost nothing to try.

The reason for this stampede was that it was the first time Nyx's ominous prophecy included them all. After hearing that, it didn't take a genius to figure out it was time to get out of this death trap.

Unfortunately, there was a good reason why the sisters hadn't moved from their spot after seeing what was hidden beyond the membrane. Even Pictorus hadn't dared to run, forcing himself to walk despite his desire to bolt at full speed.

It was only then that Nyx realized that by announcing what fate had in store, she had actually helped it along, sooner than expected. Her face red with embarrassment, she sighed guiltily, murmuring under her breath,

"Being a good Fate Bender isn't so easy after all."

Her Soul Class, her bloodline, and her powers all touched upon the manipulation of fate, divination, and prophecy, but although theoretically her field of expertise, she struggled to master her gifts.

"That's why I stick with you, sis." Eris flashed a radiant smile, stroking her hair to lift her spirits. Forming signs with her hands, she finally joined them in a prayer sign and declared, "May Providence protect our comrades from misfortune."

It was a basic prayer, but as her emerald eyes shone with an otherworldly glow, Nyx knew her sister's magic had just kicked in.

Skorgeld, who had stayed by their side, had long since drawn his war axe, eyeing the other side of the membrane with solemnity.

"I'm afraid a little divine intervention won't be enough this time." The warrior said bitterly, bracing himself for a battle to the death.

Those who hadn't fled did the same, though they hadn't had the misfortune, or perhaps luck, of seeing what lay beyond. The good news was that no Myrtharian Nerds deserted, including Pictorus. He had just joined the rear line, where his talent was most useful.

"The purpose of our coming here was always to find Ulfar and our other companions trapped with him," Eris suddenly declared, turning to her comrades-in-arms. "Whatever awaits us behind this membrane, it's nothing compared to all the trials we've been through. Those who want to turn back, it's still possible. Maybe… If you run fast…"

No one moved, but you could see their lips twitching. How could they be so easily scared? Myrmidians, Kintharians, Throsgenians, Eltarians, and Beskyrians had experienced the destruction of their own world by the Digestors. War and death had been part of their daily lives for far too long.

Pleased with their reaction, Eris nodded, then inserted her arms into the tear. Without further suspense, she grabbed the edges of the membrane and pulled sharply, ripping it completely.

The nightmarish vision on the other side was finally revealed, causing a gulp of noise among the seasoned troupe of Players.

It was indeed the end of the world, both literally and figuratively. The black salt land under their feet stopped abruptly with the membrane, giving way to a void frontier. Yet, the other side contained something too.

As far as their eyes could see, they saw only darkness and… abominations. These beings, occupying the space in all sizes and shapes, swarmed both on solid ground and in the air. Adapted to the ambient darkness, their bodies glowed, having developed all sorts of bioluminescent appendages and organs to navigate this environment. The creatures devoid of these features were the most terrifying; their skin darker than black reflected no light, compensating with hyperdeveloped senses.

On the other side of the barrier, essentially made up of void, one had to wonder where this 'solid ground' these monsters crawled on was? The answer was twofold.

On one hand, there were huge tubular structures just as dark, forming a strange three-dimensional network connecting all the space. Despite the darkness giving an impression of vastness, the membrane shaped like a dome, and Twyluxia by extension, was actually contained in a cavern not much larger.

Not much larger being, of course, relative to the size of Twyluxia. For the group of Players led by Nyx and Eris, thousands of kilometers at least separated them from the nearest wall.

What caught their attention regarding these tubular structures, was that they didn't all look the same. Some appeared spongy like the membrane they had just torn, and one could hear a strong current flowing inside. Others, in contrast, were more or less rigid, evoking fibrous, rocky, bony, or crystalline structures. Finally, some were hollow, fossilized or corroded, and they… swarmed with monsters.

These last seemed to have become the highways allowing all these horrors to move quickly across this expanse of void. Moreover, these abominations were not moving aimlessly nor were they inactive.

Those not in the air were mainly positioned on the first and second type of structures, busy gnawing at them as they trampled one another. Each time their corrosive saliva touched these tubes, their surface would crumble, emitting a sound of flowing sand. A glance at this sand allowed them to recognize the same black salt under their feet slowly draining their vitality.

"What kind of hellhole did we just stepped into..." A Myrmidian grumbled joylessly, regretting the standard battlefield. At least there, he could see clearly enough to know what he was fighting against.

His comment referred to the second type of 'solid ground' favored by these monsters: the membrane itself.

It was no accident that it was in such bad shape. Just as these infernal creatures devoured the tubular structures, the membrane was also a delicious snack for them. Perhaps because they knew an unprecedented feast awaited them on the other side, they piled on it in even greater numbers, but at least this last seemed to resist their corrosive saliva.

Alas, their saliva wasn't their only asset. As they observed the monsters closest to them – only a few meters away – the Players had plenty of opportunity to acquaint themselves with their Black Lumyst Aura.

This dark energy halo enveloping them was somewhat different from theirs, containing neither vitality nor spirituality. However, the strong aura of destruction emanating from it was oppressive, slowly but surely annihilating the last undamaged layers of the membrane.

The reason they had torn it so easily was that all the energy and magic remaining in this membrane was mobilized on the other side. It was the only barrier protecting Twyluxia from these horrors.

And the two sisters, ahem Pictorus, in their eagerness to find their husband, had just torn it apart.