Darkness clouded everything, like a thin mist, a veil set upon everything he set his eyes on.
It felt like walking at night with only the moon to guide him, but that moon was slightly hidden behind clouds that just wouldn't let it properly shine through.
He could see, but just enough.
He was standing on a very flat ground, and the scenery all around him was similar. Some mountains could be seen very far, on one side.
Their layout could easily be seen, as it looked as if a thin white light had outlined them.
Mori finally looked up, the sky had no clouds hiding any moon.
Rather, it was the moon hiding a sun.
"A total eclipse?" he asked himself.
It looked like it, he could see the white outline of the sun around a black circle, which could've been a moon.
That moon, however, didn't look like it moved at all. It looked like they were stuck in that position.
"So, if we were to walk further we would only see a partial eclipse?" asked Mori.
This is all you will see, no matter where you are. The higher you go, the more light you get. Those mountains are highly fought for by most of us.
Her thoughts resonated through his mind, it felt like whispers softly spoken into his ear.
"I expected you to come out once we're in here."
A feeling he now easily recognize took over from the tip of his fingers, expanding upon his body.
Maëlstrom's mark extended over his body in a matter of a single second.
Without any warning, he was propelling himself forward, pushing against the ground as he hovered inches above it.
He was going at a considerable speed, yet not the fastest he had seen her make him go.
The scenery was flying past them at a decent pace. For one, he saw a single tree; it was dead. Something was laid against it, it look humanoid but he couldn't exactly tell.
That was one of the few trees he saw, his immediate environment was mainly stone.
The ground barely had any dirt, he could feel it as he pushed against it with his feet.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
A little further.
She made him run for what felt like minutes, but ultimately, was less than one.
In the ground he saw a spot where it looked like rocks collapsed, there was a hole through which she made him crawl inside.
While he hesitated, trying to pull back, she was the one in control, forcing him in.
"Wh-"
His mouth was forcefully shut, as she made him sit inside that small space that must've been at most two by two meters wide.
What is it? Why are we here?
We need to wait for a few reasons. One of them is that you need to recover some of you cursed energy, now that we're here.
Can't we do that on the way?
Yes, but wouldn't we rather risk being caught on the way with cursed energy than not? Also, you need to make that hex on Aura's neck resonate, can't do that without cursed energy.
You're right.
Mori doubted this was the whole reason, but regaining some of his lost cursed energy would be wise.
I'll harvest at the same time.
You want to attract everything here while you have nothing?
"You could barely hide him, your thoughts basically screaming at me what he looked like."
"I told you about the hierarchy earlier. There are others like me who are at the top. He's one of them."
"What's the problem, then?"
"Who's to say there's a problem?"
"The way you were thinking about him says there's a problem."
—
"Are you guys talking about me?"
—
Mori and Maël raised their eyebrows at the same time.
In an extremely violent manner, Mori exited Maël's space, and opened his eyes to the dark hole he was hiding it.
The voice who talked was right next to him, yet this place was too dark to discern anything.
Not only t hat, he didn't hear him come down there at all.
Maël took over his body in a split second, rushing him through the hole yet as half of his body was out, someone grabbed his wrist, yanking him back down against the wall on the floor.
Mori coughed and groaned, as Maël made him sweep for a leg, yet he made no contact.
She then did a high kick, but once again only brushed against air.
"Really? You leave me for so long and try to hurt me the moment you're back?!" said the voice.
"Jax," replied Maël through Mori's voice.
It sounded unnatural. Her voice resonated through his. It was shaky, his own voice underneath hers. Having someone else use his voice was an unpleasant experience.
She stopped moving; the voice came from right before them, even though nothing could be seen.
Slowly, a smile drew itself in the darkness. It looked devious, the shark-like teeth describing an arching smile while the rest of his face wasn't even visible.
"Wh-"
Mori's jaw clenched up.
"Oh. Having trouble with your newfound body?" asked the floating smile.
"He's feisty, but I have him under control."
"Ohoh. Why do you even coexist? You have a soft spot for... this? I know he's a sovereign, but... ehh," said Jax.
"He's promising. Also, anyone who can get me further from you will do."
His arching smile widened.
"You and I, it's forever. You can't escape this place. It's futile. He will die eventually, and you'll find yourself right back here, with me. Just accept it."
She slowly made him get up.
"Wow. You seem... upset, Jax. Are you overwhelmed by my rejection? That I'm inside someone else? Well, speaking of that, he's been inside me as well, so..."
Mori who barely cared for the lover's quarrel was taken aback by that last comment.
He was stunned, out of words.
He could slowly see as the Jax's smile was slowly fading.
As it reached a frown, it went right back up, as if nothing happened..
"Haha! Good one! You wouldn't. Trying to upset me, but for what purpose? You're mine. Nobody has ever been closer than us two, you know it."
The smile seemingly went backward into the stone, slowly fading into the darkness the same eery way it had come out of it, leaving Mori alone with the darkness and Maël.