(Lord Armond's perspective)
I jolted awake with a sharp cry, pain coursing through my body, but then just as abruptly, it vanished into thin air.
"Hah… hah…" I breathed deeply, trying to steady my racing heart.
The darkness enveloped me, rendering my surroundings a mystery.
However, I could sense something different about this place.
Beneath me, there was the unmistakable sensation of water, as though I lay beside a small pond.
Moreover, an unsettling smell hung heavy in the air, intensifying my unease.
With uncertainty clouding my thoughts, I pushed myself to my feet and began to walk.
I had no recollection of how I arrived in this mysterious, dark realm or what had transpired before my arrival.
The confusion weighed heavily on me, but I pressed on in the hope of discovering a glimmer of light, suspecting that I might be trapped inside a cave.
Ten minutes passed, and still, I walked, my path shrouded in obscurity.
"I must keep going," I muttered to myself, my determination unwavering.
Twenty minutes stretched into the distance, and yet, I continued onward.
I remained hopeful that with each step, I would draw closer to unraveling the mystery of this enigmatic place.
Half an hour slipped by, and still, I walked.
The relentless darkness was beginning to gnaw at my nerves, and a creeping unease settled in the pit of my stomach.
An hour passed, and still, I trudged forward, my steps becoming heavier with each passing moment.
The oppressive darkness weighed on my shoulders, and my unease deepened. Questions swirled in my mind like a relentless tempest.
How had I ended up in this place? What had happened before I arrived here? And where was I headed?
With a heavy heart, I considered turning back, retracing my steps to where I had awakened.
But a stubborn resolve kept me going.
I couldn't shake the feeling that a ray of light, a glimmer of hope, was just beyond the next bend or around the next corner.
And then, it happened.
A faint, distant glow pierced the darkness.
My heart leaped with newfound energy as I quickened my pace, the hope of escape filling my weary soul.
The light grew steadily brighter, casting a faint but welcoming radiance that dispelled the oppressive blackness.
As I drew closer, the source of the light became evident.
It emanated from a narrow opening in the rocky walls, unmistakably a cave.
With cautious excitement, I pressed onward until I stood at the threshold of this passage.
The world beyond was bathed in soft, silvery moonlight, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness I had left behind.
Tears of relief welled in my eyes as I stepped into the night, drawing in the crisp, clean air.
I had broken free from the clutches of darkness.
Little did I know that my escape from the shadows marked the beginning of a new nightmare, one that I was completely unaware of at that moment.
The moon's gentle light illuminated my surroundings, clearing my blurred vision. It was then that I noticed a small figure of a boy standing a few meters away from me.
His face remained hidden in the shadows. Relief washed over me at the sight of another person after such a long time.
"Hey, kid, do you know where this place is?" I inquired.
Silence hung in the air, and the child offered no response.
Perhaps he was frightened, so I tried again, speaking softly and in a friendly manner to reassure him that I meant no harm.
"Heh-heh-heh… Kiddo, I lost my way and ended up in this cave, Do you happen to know the name of this place? You see, I have an urgent matter to attend to," I explained as I approached the child.
As I drew nearer, I realized why I couldn't see the child's face.
He stood in a shadowy area where the moonlight was obstructed by passing clouds.
"…" The child remained silent.
"Don't be afraid, kid. I mean you no harm. If you don't know where we are, could you at least take me to your parents?" I suggested, my hand gently resting on the child's shoulder.
"…" Still, the child didn't utter a word.
"And I'll even reward you for helping me," I added, trying to encourage him, a glimmer of hope rising within me.
"Is... that... so?" he murmured softly.
Finally, a response! Joy welled up inside my heart as I eagerly pressed on. "Yes, definitely!
He hummed hesitantly, his voice a mixture of uncertainty and fear.
"But..." he began, his voice quivering.
"But what?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
As the clouds that had veiled the moonlight began to drift away, the child's face gradually coming into view.
"But... Uncle..." he stammered.
"Yes?" I urged him to continue.
"But... Uncle... How can I help you when I am... dead?" His voice quivered with a mixture of sadness and terror.
My astonishment was short-lived as I beheld the child's face, which gradually came into view, revealing the unmistakable features of my nephew, Renial.
Horror gripped me like a vice, freezing the words in my throat.
"Renial?! How can you be here? Do you—!! AaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaa!" My words were cut off abruptly as an agonizing pain surged through my mind.
"AaaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaa!" I clutched my head, my screams the only release for the unbearable agony.
Then, in an instant, my mind plunged into darkness, the searing pain subsiding, leaving behind fragments of memories from before I had awoken in this nightmarish place.
However, these memories did little to shed light on my predicament. Instead, they further confounded my understanding of the situation.
My breath came in heavy, erratic gasps as my mind reeled in a maelstrom of confusion.
Despite the chill in the air, I was drenched in sweat. Dread gnawed at me, a feeling of impending doom that hung heavy in the night.
When I had first witnessed the unnatural actions of the princess, I had suspected a demonic spirit might have taken control of her.
But now, with Renial's inexplicable return from the dead, I realized this was no ordinary demon spirit's work.
Something far more sinister and malevolent was at play, something that transcended the realm of the supernatural.