The white demon pointed around itself as it lead Isaac's eyes across the dark box they were in. Suddenly the entire landscape changed, smoldering lava became to pour in from cracks on the wall as the walls burst.
Isaac felt the ground under his feet shake and move, and suddenly the space that was only about 10ft between him and the white demon became vaster and vaster. As the lava was surrounding Isaac, he could feel the heat under him begin to invade the surroundings like a plague.
When Isaac had stopped staring at his surroundings and looked up, there was a huge mountain far off into the distance more than a thousand feet away. Suddenly a booming sound was heard coming in from the direction of the mountain.
"The names Abaddon, Isaac. You want to find out more about me and my books, come and get me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH". The hysterical laughter cuts off, leaving Isaac to think about the message.
Staring at his surroundings, Isaac shouts at the top of his lungs.
"BASTARD. HOW AM I MEANT TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE DAMN MOUNTAIN".
Isaac felt like punching Abaddon in the face again, was this some sort of joke? How was a 2-year old supposed to climb up to a mountain more than 1000 feet away, let alone the difficulties of scaling the mountain, he was in an area that was similar to the insides of a volcano. How was he meant to even leave!?
Staring at his surroundings, Isaac looks for a path to escape the scolding landscape he is currently in the middle of. As he looked to his left, he saw pieces of rock floating in the lava occasionally going into a plentiful of directions. On the platform he was standing on, Isaac began to walk backwards slowly, before building up momentum and jumping to a nearby rock floating in the lava.
Securing his footing, Isaac successfully made it, but due to his jump, the force of him landing, made it unstable for him to continue standing on, and he fell into the burning lava.
The pain was excruciating, he could feel the lava burn his body, starting with his skin, until it kept burning even further. Isaac had never learned to swim, so he couldn't rise out of the lava as he was not only dying due to a lack of oxygen and feelings the effects of that pain, but also the 2000 or more degrees Fahrenheit of heat pouring all through him. The entire process to be cooked to death wasn't long, but each second was filled with unbelievable pain
By the time I couldn't register any sense of myself due to the pain, everything was just dark.
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In Isaac's room in the bakery.
Isaac jumped out of the position he was, hitting the floor in his leap from the bed which his body resided in before. Isaac quickly began to roll around the floor with tears flooding his eyes, he could still feel the pain lingering in his mind, though it wasn't as profound. The pain still scared him and reminded him of the experience of death he just went through.
"How am I still alive"!? Isaac kept thinking over and over as the tears poured out of his eyes, but as he kept walloping in his fear, his rational soon began to overtake him.
"It must be the same as last time, when...Abaddon killed me". Remembering the scene of his head being smashed into the ground, he thought about the same pain he felt awakening from his mental sphere last time.
Getting up slowly, he begins to head to the front of the bakery where Isabella still was tending to customers, knowing this he looked outside from a corner of the shop and got a view of the night light pouring in towards the street.
"I have the capabilities to do much more, but it will take a lot of time to get there". Isaac thinks to himself, as he ponders about his new goals set fourth from the moment he entered the black book for a second time.
Every time he had entered into the black book, it seemed like the demon Abaddon would want to challenge him, the first time he arrived, he was too clouded by the fear to consider the strange actions of Abaddon. He preformed pushups, and when he stood there, that's when he was basically tortured.
This time, he was told to make his way toward him who sat at the top of a mountain, but the realization was that it would be impossible for any 2 year old to make that trip. If the black book is used to test and prepare him, then that means the true test didn't lie in trying to make that impossible journey.
"The true answer...". Isaac ponders before a smirk appears on his face.
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The Next Day
Isaac woke up and immediatley made his way to the plank in the corner of his room and removed the black book from its hiding place and opened up the book. Feeling the eyes pore into his mind, his body slumps to the floor as he immediately opens his eyes to the boiling lava and heat encompassing all of his skin, making him sweat.
Staring at the mountain in the distance, Isaac takes a deep breath in, before exhaling just as long.
"I REFUSE TO GET TO YOU, I KNOW MY LIMITS". Isaac shots in the direction of the mountain.
Isaac waits, and after some seconds pass by, the landscape begins to regress slowly, the lava drains, the coal like ground regresses, and the sky that was clouded by a murky gray grows darker as the original darkness comes back. Isaac was standing back in the same dark box he first was accustomed to, and Abbadon who originally had been on the mountain which had also regressed back into the ground, appeared and walked slowly towards Isaac while clapping.
"Good job. Great job even, you know your limits, as many children should. I would have never expected a child to understand the idea to give in when met with an impossibility, I was hoping to watch you burn in that lava over and over". Abaddon states while then laughing after the statement he made, sending chills down Isaac's spine.
"Oh well, you figured out the answer to that little riddle I cooked up, so I might as well give you a reward. You can ask me, the all powerful Abaddon three questions. I'd recommend you make them count".
Isaac walks up to Abaddon, and begins to ponder about three questions he should ask.
"I should ask nothing that will lead to more questions for myself or things that would be hard for me to understand". Isaac thinks before giving his first question to Abaddon.
"What is this place?"
Abaddon begins to laugh before replying to Isaac's question.
"You were given my book yet you don't even know that much about it? How hilarious, it does make sense given your age. The place you are in right now is a place you won't have access to unless you are a mage, yet it is also a place that never leaves you...your mind Isaac, that is where you are right now". Abaddon finishes and laughs at the metaphorical words he had made
"I'm inside of my mind right now"?
Isaac never imagined that the place the book transports him to is the insides of his mind, but is everyone's mind so dark and lackluster. He had imagined that his mind would be filled to the brim with memories or things he would think about like designs and what not. Why was it so empty?
Also, he would gain the ability to enter his mind if he became a mage? Isaac had played a few games in which mages were known for their intelligence and capabilities of their mind. According to Artel, mages needed to be balanced in the two aspects, mind and body.
Assuming what Artel said to be correct, mages with such great mind capabilities would be in leagues of their own in his opinion, would every mage have the capability to enter their mind with relative ease?
Isaac shook his head discontinuing his thoughts knowing that they wouldn't help as all he had was speculations to go off of, and he didn't want to waste his questions on things unrelated towards the black book. He could be taught the proper knowledge of magic by Artel in some years, but the information about this black book might be something he may never learn more about.
"What is the purpose of the books"?
Abaddon's smile changes into that of a serious face.
"I used to be one of the greatest demons this world has ever seen, and so with every one of my black books, I look to seek to build a worthy person to inherit my legacy, my drive, my passions, and so I used my power to create these books that will test those who attempt to read them, when one succeeds in a test, they are able to gain the knowledge from inside of the book.
"There are copies of my book everywhere, but your world has come to learn what happens when it means to read these books. I am by no means merciful, those who aren't prepared, will surely die depending on what book they read".
Isaac stares into Abaddon's eyes feeling the piercing gaze striking his very intent into his body.
"You have so many copies of these books...have you found somebody to inherit your legacy"?
Abaddon just stares at Isaac for a little bit before rolling his eyes a smidge before laying down on the ground in a lazy manner
"I take back what I said, question time is over, I'm quite bored, and you have already passed my test, go ahead and get out of here already ya brat".
Abaddon picks his ears as if he can't be bothered with Isaac any further, going so far as to turn in a different direction in the darkness, as if he was accustomed to the loneliness brought fourth by it.
Isaac stares annoyingly at Abaddon
"I want a refund on the question then, also how do I even get out of here on my own. I don't know if you have noticed, but every time I have left my mind was when you injured me heavily or I died". Isaac says in an annoyed tone
"Oh right...that much is true"
Abaddon says on the floor, rubbing his chin in thought
"Welp, I suppose I can send you back for free".
At that sentence, Isaac felt his body drop to the floor, as if he couldn't feel anything, and his body lost all motor controls, and he was suddenly on the floor in his room. Rubbing his head as he stood up from the floor, he quickly takes the black book to the opened up plank in the floor as he hears Isabella's footsteps start to walk towards the room.
Quickly shoving the book into hiding, he makes a break for the door just as Isabella is about to enter in.
"Isaac is everything okay in here? I have been hearing bumping for a bit, but I assumed you were fine since there was no crying".
"It's okay mom, I was just hopping, look".
Isaac then begins to hop on the spot, as Isabella watches him and claps for his hopping skills. Isaac felt like a clown with the way he was being applauded for the dumb cover up he thought of to keep Isabella away from the inside of the room.
Isabella soon left the room after watching Isaac's little "performance".
Isaac sighs while wiping away the imaginary sweat off his forehead.
"I've learned so much, yet have gained so little, I need to progress faster, there is no point having my memories and ability to think at such an early age just to progress at this speed alone, I've passed the test according to Abaddon, so that means that the knowledge of the black book should be of access to me".
"Artel told me that the black book would help me in the preparation of becoming a mage, so lets see what knowledge the book has for me". Isaac says while now staring at the plank that was a bit opened up with the black book hiding within the floor.