497. Azure and the Disciple

497. Azure and the Disciple

The Escape heavily distorted. From above its lands were smeared in black. The rot was introduced by two distinct sources. The first was Frost, who contaminated the land as it warped to unrecognizable forms according to her psyche.

The Black Forest was the most prominent depiction and it further propagated even when she arrived at base of the Pillar of Light.

The Pillar of Light took the appearance of an inconceivably large oak tree. Its form illuminated the world and seemed to sit in the center of it. It was without a doubt a reflection of the one from the old world. The black sphere that contained the Captured Light was also present, kept within a cavity of the tree.

It was a black hole and it hollowed out the tree from the inside out. Splinters from the inner wood pointed towards it, as if being sucked into its limitless mass.

The second source of the rot came from two figures that could not be seen by the naked eye. But Frost could see all thanks to her Eyes of Judgement, revealing the things that could not be seen by normal people.

This included the Fractured Nilhim and the anomalies that were the Blue Moons.

Their presence could be felt nearby within the Black Forests. She followed the last shimmers of the blue star as she took in the familiar world around her, wondering if this was a recreation of her memories or if they belonged to the White Rabbit.

She picked her direction and disappeared without a trace, wearing a sinister look.

Elsewhere, a sole figure stood in the center of a rapidly decaying forest. The pale trunks turned black as a bizarre, golden glow emanated from everywhere at once from an unknown source.

Yet the figure did not seem to be concerned.

The figure was clouded in darkness, their form impossible to comprehend. Suddenly, it spoke with a masculine voice, cutting through the foreboding silence.

“The Shadow of a Blue Moon has followed this disciple of an aspiring Star.” He was amused, hardly intimidated by the presence of Azure who manifested before him as an equally enigmatic cloud of blackness.

“It’s a shame that this form prevents me from interacting with your kind.” Azure spoke haughtily, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

Her form walked free from the darkness. It was but a projection of herself, meaning she could not interact with the world. However, her CognitO Phantasm still functioned properly, causing the Disciple to clear his throat at the sight of what must have been his worst nightmare.

“It’s precisely that form that is most troublesome to us.” The Disciple’s eloquent tone grated Azure’s ears. She couldn’t stand bearing to speak with an entity she saw as inferior to herself. “Despicable. Blue Moons haven’t changed since Descarte’s attempt to imitate Nilhim.”

“Whom do you speak of?” He asked only once before the sound of felled trees reached them.

“The Amalgam. Who else?”

“The Amalgam... Tell me, Azure, do you know what lays beyond the veil at the end of our horizons? Nilhim will unveil those curtains, and we will see who will be left standing in the face of the ultimate terror. This may not work on you, but what about the Amalgam?”

Suddenly, his figure was enveloped by shadows once again before he disappeared without a trace, no doubt to face the Amalgam head on. Azure walked over to a tree, watching as it returned to its pallid color before a spark of blue light was ejected from her bare hands.

It rose to the air and shone like the only star in the world.

“Unfortunately for you, not even I could look too deeply into the Amalgam.” She fell into a revere, her tone shifting into one of mourning. “Even I can catch glimpses into the Beholders. You can’t steal anything and disappear this time. Your enemy is something that devours puny stars that you so aspire to become.”

She sighed, mulling on simpler times.

“I cannot think of a lonelier existence than that of a star. ‘What lays beyond the veil?’ Probably something equally as lonely and horrific than what’s here. Just like the ticking we’ve become so accustomed to in our heads.”

Another sigh left her as she lifted herself away from the tree and began roaming the White Forest like a ghost.

Suddenly, she was approached by something.

“A tiny Beholder Jury? What’s the matter, little thing?”

The tiny figure then pointed in the direction of a bellowing wind. There, dozens of trees were instantly felled as the sound of combat began.

“Run! Run! There’s a big scary monster in our forest!”

There, beyond the light, was a clearing where the sound of a harp could be heard. And there, she spotted two figures. One was a tall woman that was fused to the bark of a tree. In her hand was a children’s book of some kind. The other figure was a child that strongly resembled the Amalgam to a frightening degree.

The only difference was that this figure’s hair was colored white, and its eyes were a deep shade of red.