Prologue A

IT BEGINS WITH ONLY ONE

SLASH

Shortly after he sliced through the giant skeleton, the torso of the skeleton fell off and…

RUMBLE

. . . hit the ground.

Approach me, Dionysus.

Dionysus looked to his immediate left where there was an orb on top of a pedestal that resembled an eye. He walked up to the pedestal that was in this humongous throne room, and stared deep into the orb.

Gasp

Dionysus felt like he had been slumbering, and had just woken up.

He stood up and looked around, but he wasn't in the throne room anymore. In fact, he had no idea where he was.

'Wait'

Or, at least, he didn't at first. However, as he continued to scan the area, he finally recognized the place. He remembered this place as the cell he was in as a child. It had the same barred windows, horrid bed, and repulsive toilet.

However, something was amiss. On the ceiling of the cell, there was someone who seemed to be shrouded in shadows staring right back at him, or perhaps it was a shroud of darkness.

It was as if it was somehow attached to the ceiling. Nay, it was more like it was part of the ceiling itself.

All of a sudden, the shadows began to lift off the person that seemed to be a part of the ceiling, and in their place was someone who felt familiar but also distant. The person seemed to be trying to talk, but couldn't for some reason. It was as if their tongue had been cut off.

Yet, Dionysus could somehow tell exactly what the person was saying.

For as long as you gaze into the abyss, the abyss will gaze into you.

In that exact moment, the person attached to the ceiling showed a blood curdling smile and opened their eyes, which seemed to have an infinite depth to them. Suddenly, they dropped from the ceiling, and all Dionysus could see was utter darkness before the cold set in.