Chapter 284: Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enters Here (1/2)
”Salvation lies ye who enters here….” Sam and Alton stare idly at a sign made from veins marking a drop below the V.I.R.A.L HQ. It looked newly made and was engulfed in pitch black. A purple haze crept out from the hole leaving the two uneasy. ”I don't like this one-bit Alt.”
Alton stepped forward, eyes closed, listening to the whispers. ”It's just like the first time. A crack in time and space, and the Garden appears. The first time was with Vanguard. Time and time again, the Garden has broken through the cracks; we were all so preoccupied with fighting Mortem we were blind to the real threat.”
”I don't know much about the Garden; from what you've told me, walking in there seems like a horrible idea. Let's look for the others.”
”No.” Alton shut down. You can stay if you want, but I have every intention of entering. This is the path to Acceptance. Thus I cannot back down.”
”Stubborn as always…. Fine, I'll help, but if this gets too dangerous, promise me, we'll leave.”
”I promise.” Alton states before climbing into the darkness below towards his destiny.
****
The first drop into the unknown wasn't too bad. Using her powers, Sam lit up the area finding themselves in a man-made cave of some kind. Water dripped from the ceiling, causing the sound to echo across the entire cave. Small purple flowers were also growing from the walls seeming to follow Alton and Sam's every move. The uneasy feeling never left as they descended through the cave. Alton came to a sudden halt stopping Sam as he spotted a figure moving through the dark. Staring onwards, he was startled by who it was. ”Hans?!”
Hans, the plumped bald-headed man, stared idly at the two with a faded yellow in his eyes. His head turned as he walked away. ”Follow me”
”You know that guy?”
”That doesn't make any sense. That was the father of Alice and Iris. He made a deal with Bargaining and had his dead daughters brought back to life. He looked to control the Garden for his own doing with Alice as his puppet. I stopped him serval years ago. He's dead.”
”He looked pretty alive to me. It almost looks like he was waiting for us. What should we do?”
Alton stared onwards, conflicted sigh. ”I wouldn't usually, but I think we should do as Hans says. If it gets us closer to Acceptance, I'll do it.”
”Just be careful.” Hans waited in the darkness, only moving once the others did. As they kept walking, Alton noticed others sitting in the dark watching. Each one left Alton more disturbed than ever. ”You recognise these lot as well?”
”Yeah…. The Phantom Streamer took the power of the Garden to become the number one streamer. Rodger Bones, he was Vanguard's lover. He used the Garden to make powerful streamers go into a mental breakdown to keep Vanguard at the number one spot…. I'm starting to solve the puzzle here.” Alton stated before freezing on the spot, shocked. Sam wasn't too far behind as Alton saw the last person he wanted to see but not expected. ”Father….”
Ragnar sat slouched over, staring at the ground, not responding to Alton. Sam was obviously on edge, almost dying to the man back at Sunset Peak. ”How is he here?”
Alton kneeled to his father's level, sighing. ”Everyone here is dead. Hans, the Phantom Streamer, Rodger. My father, each died while using the Garden for something.”
”I was a fool to believe I could harness the Garden for myself. I wanted a son so badly. The Garden offered one up. I never once thought of the consequences until it was too late. It destroyed me, it destroyed Lily, it destroyed you, Alton.” Ragnar muttered, looking up with a finished look and faded yellow eyes. ”All of us here suffer the same fate. We believed the Garden to be our tool. We tried to play God and suffered for it. We're all just failed Stages with nowhere to go.”
”Wait, does that mean….”
Percy emerged with a depressed look as he muttered, staring at Alton. ”Welcome to Limbo.”
”Percy.”
”You shouldn't have come here, Alton…. You will find no Salvation down here.”
Sam walked over, holding Alton's hand whispering into his ear. ”We should go, Alton.”
Turning around, Alton noticed the Phantom Streamer and Rodger standing up, blocking their path. Ragnar and Percy walked towards them as Alton gave a nod of acknowledgement. ”I, for once, I agree with you, Sam.”
They were blocked off as they tried to escape as the lost souls all began to chant in one voice together. ”The Garden Grows Forever, The Garden Grows Forever, The Garden Grows Forever.”