“Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings. We have no idea what kind of danger we are heading into.”

Rex spoke those last words before he opened the door to the castle. It faced an empty room that was supported by pillars on all sides. It was a hall where a palace was supposed to have an audience with the king.

The ceiling was huge and their voices echoed in that space. They could see that there was a huge throw at the end of the hallway.

It easily crossed two building heights with its huge mass and size. The throne was impressive for sure, but what was even more impressive was the humanoid shape occupying the throne.

“Welcome everyone. It is so nice to see that all of you walked into your graves on your one feet.”

Lady Dheva’s voice washed over everyone and they flinched hearing her speak. She was not only loud but her voice also reflected authority.

The weaker members of the attack group took a step back, suddenly wanting to turn around and leave for safety. But they somehow managed to hold their ground.

Lady Dheva looked at the pathetic army in front of her with disdain. They were here to challenge her but they would not be able to even put a dent in her.

The abyss was too mighty for them to win and Lady Dheva will prove it to them. She finally took a step down from her throne and the room shook at her single step.

Her next one caused a lot of soldiers to fall due to the vibrations she was causing.

“Look at you all, falling around like dominos at my every step. How will you ever be able to face me, much less harm me?”

A lot of people were suddenly doubtful that they could win or not. They had the best fighters they could gather but that seemed to be of no use in front of this ultimate creature of the abyss.

Lady Dheva looked down with a blank stare, her amusement rising as she realized that these humans had no idea what they had gotten themselves into.

“W-We won’t back down.”

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s one against hundreds of people. You will not be able to win from us.”

The humans still had hope for their victory. It was a sight to see for sure but it was all a futile struggle they were aiming towards.

Lady Dheva raised her hand and the floor broke apart. The sudden usage of magic caused the humans to panic but they managed to correct their footing in time.

“Everyone, support our main fighter. We will only get one shot at this.”

Rex yelled, leading the charge. He was a familiar figure to Lady Dheva since he had been Lady Violet’s stepson and also someone who had been experimented on.

But the child had no idea what kind of experiments he had been a part of in childhood and now it was too late to realize what power he could have wielded.

It was an all-out war then. Humans against the one abyssal beast standing in their way. It was flashy and bloody in all senses of the world but it did not take time for one side to show dominance.

Despite humans having a bigger number on their side, they were losing badly. They just did not have enough magic in them to continue.

They might have the former gods and goddesses in their numbers but the loss of magic had hit them hard.

On the other hand, Lady Dheva had access to all the magic in the abyss. She could easily send these humans flying and also control their bodies.

Once victory was in sight for her, she reached out to take hold of the one person her daughter had been closest to in recent years.

Rita yelped as soon as her body was picked up by Lady Dheva and the wind was knocked out of her body.

“Look at you. You are so fragile that it makes me want to snap you in two. I wonder if dear Aurora will scream if she knew that you are dead? Or would the abyss take control of her emotions as well, rendering her an empty shell of her former self?”

Rita looked enraged at the suggestion and she tried to bite the hand holding her hostage. But it was a futile attempt on her part.

Lady Dheva did not feel pain so she did not let Rita go.

“Say your final farewell because this will be the last time you see this world.”

Lady Dheva gloated, not knowing that someone was recording all this and reaching out to Aurora for help. It was their last source of struggle and also humanity’s last survival tactic.

The only one who could control the abyss was Aurora now so humanity needed her assistance if they wanted to live.

“Aurora, can you hear me? I need you to hear me and reply right now.”

Lady Violet spoke softly as she connected with the abyss. She was using all her remaining magic to find a single spec of Aurora’s consciousness but it was tough.

But not impossible.

Finally, she got a lead and she followed it down to the pool. And she could see Aurora down there, her eyes closed and her body suspended in the pool’s liquid, waiting to be touched and woken up.

//////////////////////////////////////

Aurora was having a weird dream where she was stuck in a pool, unable to move. But she was not alone in the pool. There was another existence at her side, providing Aurora with the strength to continue forward.

It was an unfamiliar face with black hair and a fair skin tone. But that was all the features Aurora could figure out.

She only knew that this child was important to her and that she could not let anything happen to her.

“Aurora, are you there?”

Someone was knocking on glass in front of Aurora. She looked up to see Lady Violet knocking at thin air above the pool.

Her eyes were wide as she looked toward Aurora and her lips were forming words. Aurora was sure that she had an important message to pass on to Aurora but she was not able to say anything.

Or rather, her words were coming out of her mouth but not reaching Aurora’s ears. She had a feeling that it was due to the barrier between them.

“Wait a minute. I will help you come down here.”

Aurora raised her hand and the magic followed her will. It open the bubble in front of her and the woman swam down to her.

Aurora had never seen Lady Violet look surprised but this expression went beyond surprise. It was borderline terrified and Aurora reached out toward her.

Her hand touched Lady Violet and her eyes closed. Visions flashed beneath her eyes and it all ended with Lady Dheva having Rita in her hands.

Rita was going to die at this rate and Aurora’s emotions felt disturbed. The pool around her boiled in response to her magic and Aurora took one step to follow outside the bubble.

But that was not something Aurora was able to do. Her hand was caught in a tight grip by the young female laying on Aurora’s side. Her eyes stared Aurora down and she was yanked back.

“You cannot leave now. We have things to do. And you, you should get back now. You are not welcome here.”

The black-haired female raised her arm and the water changed its temper. The calm water suddenly began to push Lady Violet out.

Aurora reached for that outstretched hand, wanting to help. But the unknown female did not allow Aurora to take a single step or even stand up.

No matter what Aurora did, she was not able to break that hold on her hand. And her body refused to hurt this small female that was holding her.

“Let me go please.”

Aurora pleaded, wanting to save her important people. But the black-haired female did not give up.

“You are not allowed to leave. But if you want to help them, I will help you out. Please do not be disappointed in yourself.”

Aurora felt her eyelids go heavy as soon as the black-haired child rubbed her hands over her eyes.

Lady Violet watched it all happen as she was dragged further and further away from Aurora. The black-haired child was looking back at her with a terrifying expression that caused her heart to freeze in fear.

“Have fun.”

The black-haired child whispered and the water threw Lady Violet out. She was suddenly back where she had started with no way of doing anything else.

She did not know what kind of future humanity would be faced with but Aurora’s help was out of the question now.

‘What will we do now?’

Behind her, Rita was facing the final moments of her life. Lady Dheva had started to squeeze her body and Rita’s expression was twisted in pain.