The snake-like circles of runes turned dim and their luster faded away. Orion tossed and turned, the clattering of his futile movements echoing in his head. His heavy shackles refused to budge for even an instant. The sigils broke formation, crawling up the rings of his chains. They left behind a trail of blood-curdling crimson. Orion perceived his heart jumping out of his chest, wishing to escape. Despite his stubborn nature, staying calm proved impossible. His 15 years of living failed to prepare him for the unnerving rituals of the netherworld.
Contrary to the hot temperatures, Orion's body was shivering all over, as if submerged in deep water. There was no way out in sight, only demise was. But the spark in his starry eyes still shined with raging ferocity. An everlasting flame resided beneath their watery surface.
"Your tenancy is commendable, child." The castle-crushing statues let unexpected praise leave their mouths. Until now, they didn't put him in their eyes. They raised their arms to a target high above Orion with grand movements. "If only your existence could coincide with fate." Their lamenting tone carried a clear undercurrent of ridicule. Orion wasn't able to understand their intentions. If they wanted to mock him, they needed to try harder.
"Were you to grow, you would eventually stand face to face with the pathetic gods you prey to," they scoffed. At once, their lacking expressions morphed into wide grins. "You only have yourself to blame for offending us," they raged. "Farewell, child of Sin, Orion!" Their voices froze the surrounding air. As if on unheard command, the sky-covering clouds shifted. A circular hole opened at the storm's center.
They appeared to prepare for the death god's descent into their world. As the gap increased, an all-consuming void came forth. Its sheer presence ripped apart the surrounding space. Invisible claws tore through the air, forming cavernous fractures. Looking at it captivated Orion's every thought, ignoring his feeble attempts at looking away.
Vile lightning surrounded its perimeter, resounding with deafening thunderclaps. 'Something is coming.' Whatever it was, the thing emerging made Orion feel an uncontrollable need to show reverence. If the chains didn't restrain him, his forehead would have been close to the ground, hands stretched out in front. He gulped audibly when the surrounding energies bundled at the center of the gateway.
A translucent tentacle, capable of smashing a kingdom, materialized before the cosmic rupture. Scales, sharp enough to rend through time, covered its entire being. Waves of tremors radiated from the gate, shaking the Netherworld. The guardians, sovereigns within their domain, bent a knee at the ancient entity. Turbulent gusts of wind rampaged through the temple. Snapping and cracking resounded when their crystal figures moved. Vines covering the aged bodies split apart and calcified spots shattered.
Like a fisher plunging his bait into unknown depths, the cosmic entity extended its reach. The floating crystals it passed shattered at a mere touch, exploding in every direction. Only clouds of dust remained in its path. With the grace of a growing flower, its slithering figure descended upon the Netherworld. The base continued to thicken, yet never showed what vile monster it originated from.
Orion held his breath. The creature had no eyes or mouth. Still, he felt like its sole existence consumed him. His torso tightened as if many snakes coiled around it. The creature seemed to be far away and up close at the same time.
At its ever-approaching stride, fountains of sweat trailed down Orion's back. With it, his eternal banishment came closer and closer. He tried to scream, but no words came out. His arrival in the forest today set his future course downward. All he could do was wait for it to reach him.
Closing his eyes, Orion saw vivid images of those dear to him. 'I will be back,' He vowed, for himself and them. 'The assassins, the statues, this creature,' he continued, 'will face the wrath of determination.' Orion silently promised that he would get out. Be it months, years, or decades, he swore to never give up. 'For my father, mother, sister, everyone, I cannot rest.'
"I'm impressed," a voice, soft as a spring breeze, tickled his ears with a gentle touch. Orion's eyes sprung open and darted around the place. All colors vanished, leaving behind only different shades of black and white. 'What happened?' He gasped the moment he laid his eyes upon the tentacle. The once graceful movements froze, replaced by a sense of serenity.
Pieces of shattered crystals floated, devoid of motion. Clouds of dust remained unchanged. The wind's melody died down, in its place, deafening silence. Time stood still. Orion wondered if this was the so-called epiphany one had before their never-ending rest.
"Your imagination is beautiful, but I'll have to burst your bubble on that one." Once more, the soothing voice resounded. Its words were like fluffy cushions, letting him rest his worries. During his dire strides, it was like a light at the end of the tunnel. 'Are you god? Have you come to save me?' Orion thought, thinking that salvation reached him in the end. "No to both," was the response, shattering his hope. "But the first one could also be confirmed." Unlike twelve others, it elaborated, "I am not the god you seek, but some may call me a god."
'Can you tell me what will happen? What is that creature? What will it do to me?'
"No, we don't have time." Orion wanted to ask the questions that captivated his thoughts. They stuck to him like glue. The moment he tried, the supposed god shut him down. 'But time is frozen. How could you not have time?' He couldn't follow its reasoning.
"It's not frozen, only slowed down a lot. Enough for it to seem to have stopped. And do you really think it will be forever?" Somehow, he could feel that the one talking to him urged him to look up. Doing so, terror shot through his body. Part of the tentacle broke free from the restrictions. Its body furiously shuttered against the peaceful surroundings. If only a single place could free itself, others could too. "We will meet once more if you will it."
'If I will it?' He turned his head away from the shiver-inducing sight, trying not to think about it. "You need to keep going until I can break through the restrictions." Orion knew nothing about the abyss. A veil of mysteries shrouded it. From his recent experience, he concluded that the Netherworld was the last destination. The question was, what would lie beneath the realm of the dead? 'When will that be?'
"Time will tell once it's ready. One can't force it. We will meet when we meet." The voice claimed, spouting profound knowledge. "One last thing, Orion." It took an abrupt break. "Don't you ever stop fighting." The words rang in his head for a bit, replaying over and over. The figure of his father urging him to do the same came to mind.
A ripple of color interrupted their conversation. The bleak world returned to its purgatory-like ruby shade. Orion was alone once more. Waves of pressure originated from the dreadful entity, forcing time to correct itself. 'What will happen to me?' He asked the voice but received no answer. It vanished as soon as the tentacle broke through its magic.
The void creature reached Orion's tender stature. At close range, he observed the razor-sharp edge of its scales. There were countless specks of light beneath its translucent skin. Entire galaxies couldn't compete with their brilliance.
Two loud metal clashes resounded when the shackles on his hand fell to the ground. The red rings around their previous location would stay for a bit, reminding him of them. But he couldn't bask in the comfortable feeling of freedom for long, as the entity remained.
Out of nowhere, his entire body went numb. A purple soap-like bubble of unknown material encased his sluggish self, making him feel weightless. Orion begged his body to show any kind of resistance, but couldn't muster any power. Like a sleep-paralysis demon, it haunted his vision. All he could do was watch in horror as it invoked its power on him.
Unlike its creeping descent, it ascended within an instant. The scenery shifted without a moment's notice. A freezing void laid its grasp on Orion's already shivering body. Whispers of temptation, eating at his spirit, filled his ears.
Around him was a vast expanse filled with emptiness. There was no way to tell left from right anymore. Whilst the bubble remained, the creature that brought him here vanished without a trace. Only the knowledge of its existence remained, far more frightening than its sight.
Orion's body crumbled. His eyes refused to open, and he soon fell into a deep sleep. The sudden events took a heavy toll on his young mind. Finally able to get a moment of rest, he didn't have to consider. 'Wait for me... I'll come back.'