Abyssal Awakening-Chapter 958: Finding Others In The Nightmare P2

Sitting by the branch, Alice closed her eyes.

She could sense the other branches that she had linked up to but trying to find Alyss and the others wasn’t easy.

Even with the coordinates given by Plume, it felt like information she didn’t know what to do with.

Directions given to a person who has just arrived in the city.

Directions that only someone experienced would understand.

However... there was one experience that Alice could rely on.

Something that she hadn’t expected to come in handy.

When she tried to revoke the contract for Arwen.

During that attempt, she temporarily tapped into the Abyssal Library, where countless tethers swarmed with contracts as far as the eyes could see. In that library, she followed Arwen’s tether to find the true source before the Will stepped in.

So even if she didn’t know how to properly navigate the Nightmare, it was doable!

She just needed to follow the threads connected to the others.

Focusing her mind, Alice started to resonant with the branch as the roots started to expand.

Immediately, the Nightmare unfolded before her.

Sound dulled, weight disappeared.

The ground beneath her vanished as though reality itself decided that ground was no longer necessary.

The branch continued to expand, she was no longer in Plume’s room.

Other branches answered the call, nodes in the distance waiting for her to pull towards their direction. But that wasn’t Alice’s goal.

She felt her connection to Alyss, to Cayla. Felt the tethers connecting them together.

Coordinates supplied by Plume drifted through her mind, a general idea of the direction she should go. But at this point, it’s better to leave things to instinct.

Let her experience fill the gap where knowledge couldn’t.

Drifting in this endless space, Alice reached out.

She let go of the idea of ’where’ she needs to go. That wasn’t important. She simply needed to sense the connections between them.

The branch responded and the space began to change.

Roots unfurled outwards. Piercing layers that Alice didn’t even know was there.

Flickers of foreign Nightmares, other people’s fears, their trauma, the zones they inhibit flashed through her mind.

Some were light, others were heavy.

Paths crossed without touching, spaces folding into one another without ever truly meeting. Here, the Nightmare obeyed no physical law. Only metaphysical ones, governed by cause and effect rather than distance.

A smile appeared on her lips.

She found her first target. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

###

Turning his head up at the sky, a smile hung on the man’s lips.

"She’s quite the adaptable one I must admit. Far beyond my wildest expectations. Even in this realm crafted by my own hands, she manipulates the weaves as though it’s her birthright." He took a seat next to another man chained against the wall.

"In the end, a parent must be ready to let go of their child and watch them venture out into the world. Don’t you agree? She would’ve never shown this kind of improvement had I kept her by my side." Nyer smiled fondly.

The man chained against the wall tried to spit some blood at him but a barrier prevented that from happening.

"You’re not her parent. Don’t even go acting like one." He shot Nyer a glare.

"What am I if not a parent at the end of the day? Did I not bring her into the world?" Nyer tilted his head.

"You may be her creator but you’re no parent. You’re nothing but an enemy to her."

"Hmm... That I can’t deny." Nyer chuckled.

Indeed, with Alice being a rather hands off experiment for him, he couldn’t exactly claim to be her parent. Not in the traditional sense that is.

But her creation can still be sourced back to him.

"But tell me old friend, what do you think about just sitting back and enjoy the inevitable? My desires... are they not the same as what Lua wants? You cannot tell me she doesn’t want the golden age of Ayr again." Nyer asked with a light sigh.

Kaden lunged forward only to be restricted by the chains.

"Bull f*cking sh*t. Don’t go justifying your insanity with her name. She might long for the past but she’s not trapped by it. Velouria is someone who looked towards the future, not someone stuck in the mistakes of the past."

Nyer closed his eyes and nodded.

"You’re right. But that makes everything worth it. When my goals are achieved, I want you and Lua to be by her side once more. Would you not like the same? With Velouria, you three can steer the world to a better place."

Kaden glared before a helpless smile appeared on his face.

"You know that won’t happen." Clenching his teeth, he let out a sigh. "Lua would rather burn herself out stopping you than accepting what you’ll do to this world, to Alice."

And it was something he couldn’t stop.

Not unless he could kill Deva then dispel the curse placed on Allura.

But even then... could Allura even last that long?

The chance of it was looking less and less likely as he’s now imprisoned in this strange realm.

"I’m aware. Which is why it’s better to finish this early, wouldn’t you agree? As... much as I want Lua to live, I cannot have her interrupt the plans. Not at this stage. She’ll have to suffer for a bit." Nyer shook his head and stood up.

"But I promise. Once this is over, I’ll help you out and make sure she survives." Nyer smiled, standing up.

Giving the wounded Kaden another glance, he stepped away and left the zone.

"I don’t get it. You want me to put both of them in so much agony yet you want them to live? How f*cked up is your head." Deva folded her arms looking at Nyer.

"I only ask you to do so because I know exactly what they’re capable of. After all, I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you what Kaden did to you, now do I?" Nyer patted her shoulder.

Dragging her closer, he stared at her in the eyes.

"This is a Kaden who used two out of the seven sins. If he wanted to kill you, do you think you’ll still be standing here? So yes, keeping them restrained like this is needed."

Giving her a smile, he let go of her and stepped away without looking back.

Veins bulged on Deva’s neck as she couldn’t say anything back.

She could still remember their fight.

That final moment when Kaden stacked two Sins along with his authority.

Ever since that moment, she couldn’t get a good rest. Every time she closes her eyes, every time she dropped her guard even slightly, she’ll see that final moment.

Fear.

In her heart, the seed of fear was planted.

Fear of Kaden.

*BANG!!!

Punching the space around her, the realm fractured slightly before repairing itself.

If killing her was the solution that Kaden needed...

She shivered just thinking about the possibility.

But as long as she gets what she wants, so f*cking what?

It’s not like Kaden will be able to kill her after wards. And Nyer won’t be around either.

All she has to deal with is a revived Velouria.

She glared at Kaden stuck inside the cage.

"Just you f*cking wait."

###

Once Kaden was sure he was left alone, he finally dropped his façade and let out a groan.

If Deva saw him in pain, she would no doubt revel in his agony and he wasn’t about to give her that joy.

At this point, even taking a simple breath was hard. Each movement, each twitch of the muscle sent a shock through his body. Even his own blood was burning his veins despite his position as the Apostle of Corruption.

That was how potent Deva’s curse was.

One that constantly ’starved’ your body.

A bitter smile formed on his face.

This was the pain that Allura had to deal with this entire time.

When she was suffering like this, he was nowhere to be found.

"It’s no wonder she hates me I guess..." He mumbled.

His excuse was to help her find a cure. Yet he didn’t step into the Abyss again.

He kept wandering the surface, sometimes aimlessly. Sometimes with a purpose.

But in the times where he didn’t know where to look, he should’ve been by her side. Yet his excuses kept piling up time and time again.

Then after a certain point...

Kaden shook his head. It was pathetic of him to keep making this excuse.

He f*cked up.

It was simple like that. He f*cked up his choices and caused Allura to suffer.

But...

Alice appeared.

She appeared and became the bridge to for him to reconnect. Perhaps it was a whim for him to give her Cayla. Perhaps it was fate. Regardless of what it was, he couldn’t deny everything she’s done.

Even if it wasn’t intentionally.

"All this talk about mentality and adaptability, to make use of your toolset to the best of your abilities... yet here I am losing to the curse of famine." Kaden mumbled in a mocking tone.

If Alice was here, if Alice was inflicted by something she couldn’t deal with in the moment, he had no doubt that she’ll try everything possible to find a way out.

She’ll try countless combinations of curses to create a solution.

So what was his excuse?

He has the authority, the Sigils, the experience.

Taking a deep breath despite the pain, a bloody grin appeared on Kaden’s face.

Since they left him alone, it was the perfect chance for him to analyse this curse.

But not just any kind of analysis.

No, it wouldn’t be sufficient.

He’ll gain experience with a different method.

"Go on, eat away. Keep eating." Kaden let out a laugh as the curse continued to rampage through his body.

This was his gamble.

Using his own body as an experiment, he’ll find the cure for Allura.