Chapter 217 Nature of Chaos (1/2)

CHAPTER 217

NATURE OF CHAOS

Lino was currently standing inside a throne-like room enrobed in tepid, drape-like shadow folding over the colossal pillars piercing the darkened sky, the whizzes and wails of all sorts of abominations surrounding him crying together in the most distorted symphony he'd ever heard. Right in front of him, stacked on top of the seat of thorns, a throne dyed jet-black stood erect, chains shackled in spikes and bladed edges wrapping around a little girl's limbs and throat, piercing into her skin and causing ebony-colored blood to drip out slowly.

By her looks, Lino estimated, she couldn't be older than eight, ten at most. She had milky-white hair dripping over her slender shoulders and five eyes, three of which were entirely closed -- one where eyes ought to be, and one on her forehead, with two extruding from her cheeks being half-opened. She had no mouth, but a strange, paper-thin skin draped over a hole where lips ought to be. It was ghastly yet eerily sad sight, and Lino couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Just as they'd surrounded the domain, a voice tore open through the void and spoke into his mind -- chilling, soft, melodic tone of a young girl backed up by a choir of distorted muffles and groans. He didn't even need to ask the Writ as to who it was or what he was supposed to do, as he simply walked through the open void and found himself standing where he stood now, in front of a bleeding, shackled child of sorts.

Rather than feeling uncomfortable, he strangely felt at ease, as though he was home. Every breath enlivened him, clearing his mind up better than anything ever could. His cultivation within the domain of darkness skyrocketed, with him needing the assistance of the Writ to prevent himself from crossing into the Realm of Exalted by accident. All these shadows... abominations... the cries and wails... he felt warmth from them rather than chill. Like they were a family.

”... hel-hello, Father.” a young voice echoed out, yet she made no visible move. ”I-I missed... missed you.”

”Hello, Umbra.” the Writ replied in the same, robotic tone, through Lino. ”How have you been?”

”... g-gorgy... and tired... so... so tired...”

”You shouldn't have woken just yet.”

”I... I did-didn't want to,” her voice quivered and broke slightly. ”But... b-but bad men found me, Father. They were.... were going to do-do bad... bad things to me.”

”I'm sorry.”

”Y-you don't, don't--don't have to, apologize.” Lino recognized an array of emotions in that voice; longing, desire, pain, loneliness... she really was like a little child, Lino thought, who hadn't seen her dad in a while. ”Umbra... Umbra is just happy... happy she finally-finally saw you... saw you again. Is the Big Brother o-our new, new friend, Father?”

”Yes,” the Writ replied. ”His name is Lino. Why don't you two get to know each other for a while?” though Lino wanted to scream at the bastard for basically shuffling over the responsibilities, he held it back.

”H-hello Lino. I-I'm Umbra. It's, it's nice to meet you. He he.”

”It's... it's nice to meet you too, Umbra.” Lino said, chuckling lightly as he sat down into the shadows freely, whipping out a gourd of ale from the void world. ”How are you?”

”I'm... sl-sleepy...”

”Yeah... bad people woke you up.”

”They-they did... th-they woke me up, a-and... I... I had to, had to defend myself.”

”Of course.” Lino nodded lightly, feeling a slight twinge in his heart.

”I-I know... F-father said, he said not-not to harm o-others... b-but... they were, they were going-going to do bad, bad things t-to me...”

”It's only natural you'd defend yourself,” Lino said. ”Don't feel bad about it.”

”He he... L-lino... you're... nice.”

”Ha ha, thanks. You're nice too. Tell me something about yourself.”

”L-like what?”

”Uh, I don't know. What do you like to do?”

”I... I like... dreaming.”

”... dreaming?” Lino arched his brow as he asked.

”Y-yes... b-because, in dreams... I... I can be any-anyone. I'm not... not Umbra. I'm... I'm not... a Pr-prime. I d-don't sleep a-all the... all the time. I... I'm any-anyone... anything... I wan-want to be... d-do you, like dr-dreaming, Lino?” she asked.

”... I do,” he chuckled. ”I, too, can be anything I want in there. I'm not an Empyrean... I'm not anyone special... I'm just... another person, just another guy trying to live until he dies.”

”... i-is it fun?”

”It is, yeah, heh,” Lino laughed freely, tinkering with the ground without drinking any. ”But, that's what dreams are supposed be, right? Fun.”

”Y-yes... I-I think so-so too...” the little girl chuckled as Lino once again sighed inwardly. The whole ordeal was becoming too convoluted for him. ”I-is it... hard, being Big-Big Brother?”

”... a bit, yeah,” he replied, chuckling. ”But, it's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry about it.”

”... o-other B-Big Brothers... said... said the same thing...”

”... and I'm sure they all meant it just as I do.” Lino said.

”B-but... they... all went far, far a-way... to a p-place Umbra... can't foll-follow them...” a tinge of melancholy draped through the girl's mumbling voice. ”E-even Big Sister... Eve... d-disappeared...” though Lino didn't recognize the name, he imagined he'd hear it sometime in the future.

”Do you miss them?”