I saw down in front of me a long stretch of stairs soaked in darkness, looking almost like a well.
I took a deep breath as I prepared myself for what's to come, slowly I walked down the stairs and as I did I could feel eyes all around the edge, watching from the corners.
Despite the darkness I could see a star down there, there is definitely something there but my only guess is that it's another ghost... a strong one.
As I walked down I could feel the world turn cold, and then a hand brushed against my cheek just to disappear immediately afterwards, as I flinched.
Then a whisper that seemed pathetic in comparison with Ciphr's whisper, she spoke -
"I almost believe that you'll not come. Do you know how bored I'm?"
The whisper disappeared, but ignored it completely.
As I walked deeper the stairs seemed to disappear, reappear and then flicker, change direction or even change shape completely.
From an elegant staircase to a dirty soil road, then a hole in the ground that looks like an abyss, but they all were illusions that I could see through.
Finally after many steps I reached a huge granite door, eight chains ran horizontally as if desperately trying to keep the door closed.
Avatha seemed rather taciturn in her glove form, but now she is eerily silent despite the situation.
The chains suddenly split with a loud sound, then the door slowly opened as it carved against the floor.
Nothing prepared me for what I saw... except for Ciphr maybe and the eerie world of limbo.
A wide hall soaked in darkness, its walls stained as if they bled, the floor covered with a chaotic net of long narrow black wires.
Carcasses of monsters littered near the walls, pushed there intentionally to keep space in the middle.
And in the middle?!
Around thirty humanoid spirits were tied up in black wires, their heads veiled by a black piece of cloth covering only their heads.
The spirits had a faint light glow which was stark against the hall.
And in the very center of the hall standing calmly, a very tall figure completely veiled in black pieces of cloths covering its entirety.
The figure raised its hand uncovering its face, to reveal a faceless head with long narrow ears and a wide mouth with long sharp fangs but no teeth.
The figure suddenly stepped aside revealing a short pillar that supports nothing but a small thing wrapped in black cloth.
The tall entity spoke -
"I've waited for you, you know?"
But I ignored her as I stared at the humanoid trapped souls with sweat slowly rolling down my face.
What were these souls doing here??
And... why some of them look like the souls of children?
The number of souls was also oddly specific, it's almost exactly the same number as that of... !
Oh... so that how it is, those are the souls of the elves but... that means !!
I turned to the tall ghost who already took a few steps forward, then I spoke -
"Whose souls are these??"
The tall ghost did not answer, she looked around despite having no eyes, then she spoke -
"Their souls of course.
Those... you know? Those human usurpers."
Then... how are they walking? How are they speaking? Or thinking...
If they have no souls then... is she the one to control them?
I spoke with a deep strained tone -
"Why?"
She responded evenly, her smile morphed to a devious one -
"Because they are dead.
They have been dead for centuries now.
They came to my cave, and I took their souls, and turned them to puppets.
They bent under the torture in mere seconds, even their best ones fell for my promise of salvation."
The room seemed smaller now and darker, the blood stains on the wall seemed almost like real living blood.
The carcasses seemed to breathe bleed and shiver.
The souls seemed more horrific than before.
There was one more question he had but before he could ask, she spoke -
"I was going to give you the divine artifact since, you know? You passed my test, but... I'll give you one more obstacle to face."
She walked closer then she asked -
"What's in those usurpers's bodies? Is it them, or is it me?"
I glanced around at the trapped souls of the elves and then back at her...
It was a hard question, but I gave out my guess -
"You." It sounded sharp and hateful.
She tilted her head but then she spoke -
"Do you think their souls aren't connected to their bodies?"
My eyes widened but before I could retort, she spoke -
"Come here; I'll give you the Devine artifact."
I clenched my gloved fist and then I reluctantly walked closer to her, eventually I stood in front of the tall ghost.
She extended a hand to grab the wrapped piece, then her other hand swiftly moved... cutting my ears in a blink.
I gripped at my ears as the pain burnt my nerves, sweating more and more, I flashed her an irritated expression.
She unwrapped the piece revealing two ears with sharp long tips.
I reluctantly pulled down my own bloodied hands, she then swiftly attached the elf-like ears to my head.
Suddenly the world grew silent, no noise could reach me, it felt unnatural for the world to be this... empty.
But then I heard the first voices... I flinched and shivered -
(- The fractures are growıng...
- Ąnd?
- What do you mean, and?
Don't you have a plan to stop... that thıng? Are you goıng to stay ıdle?
... You and your damn prophecıes.
- I presume you hąve ą...
... someone is listening.
- Oh, I know. I can see hım.
- So you still hą–) then a few more voices flooded my ears then a lot more, then an unbearable amount of different voices... then it felt like I could hear the world whole.
I could even hear what I shouldn't, I could hear unthinkable words and sounds, I could hear the sound of the world itself functioning.
But then it grew still and silent again, slowly but surely I started to hear what in the dim dark ugly hall.
She spoke -
"Did you hear them?... the lords I mean."