"You imbecile!" words that echoed from a dimly lit chamber situated deep within the dungeon. Flickering lights cast eerie shadows on the frail stone walls, vaguely outlining two figures. "What have you done, bastard?" One shadow seemed to grow, looming over the other. "The whole trial was a fiasco because of you. You shall pay for it with your life!" There was a swift movement, a dull and fainting scream, a loud quake and then silence. The smaller figure seemed silent and lifeless; its shadow became motionless.
Meanwhile, Rex found himself studying the portraits above the four routes. Each demon bore distinct features that sent a chill down his spine. The first had a gaunt, pale face with glowing red eyes, its skin marred by scars that writhed like flames. Next to it, another demon gazed out with piercing blue eyes, its skin the color of glacial ice. The third seemed almost kindly at first glance, until Rex noticed how its earthy brown skin resembled gnarled tree bark, its eyes dark and hollow. The last portrait bore tempestuous grey eyes, a whirlwind symbol etched into its forehead.
The entrances below mirrored these otherworldly creatures. One tunnel mouth was blackened, wisps of smoke still curling from its edges. Beside it, another glistened with frost, icicles hanging like teeth from its upper lip. Roots and vines choked the third passage, while the fourth hummed with swirling winds.
A sudden roar shook the ground beneath Rex's feet, nearly throwing him off balance. "That's not a good sign," he muttered, eyes darting to the scorched entrance. "Seems to be coming from the fire gate." Without a second thought, he dashed into the tunnel, the urgency of the moment causing him to forget his usual caution.
As he ran, the passageway brightened and revealed a hell like path filled with molten lava and demons coming out of them. Rex made his way through swiftly before any other interference could occur and burst through an archway and skidded to a halt, stunned by the sight before him. A massive chamber stretched out, its walls lined with ornate sconces. Crimson flames danced within them, casting an eerie, pulsing light throughout the room. Across the chamber, another door beckoned, hinting at further secrets.
But it was the smell that truly caught Rex's attention - a putrid, metallic odor that made his stomach churn. His eyes dropped to the floor, and he felt the blood drain from his face. The scene before him robbed his mobility for seconds and was one that would haunt his dreams for years to come.
Bodies lay strewn about the room's edges, their chests cavity torn open as if there was something of need inside. The corpses were in various states of decay, some little more than bones while others looked terrifyingly fresh. At the center of this macabre display stood an altar, its cold metal surface stained dark. Another victim lay there, a jagged bone protruding from their ruined torso. Blood still oozed from the wound, dripping down the altar's sides in a grim parody of worship.
Rage boiled up within Rex, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. "You shall not be spared!" he growled, plunging the blade into the ground. "I will not forgive you, demon!"
Unseen, a presence recoiled in the thin air. 'What manner of being is this?' The thought wasn't spoken aloud, but Rex sensed it all the same. 'How did he pierce our veil?'
The floor fractured beneath Rex's feet, reality itself seeming to splinter. Ghostly hands reached upward, grasping at the dead and freeing trapped souls from their torment. Terror gripped the hidden creature. 'Neither mortal nor God,' it thought frantically. 'The others must be warned.'
"No, you don't," Rex snarled. With a speed that defied human limits, he unleashed a spinning backfist, striking the air where the creature hid. The impact created visible shockwaves, shattering its invisibility and sending it careening into the far wall with a sickening crunch. This demon was a tall one with 8 round and oval eyes like a spider and a face that showed resemblance to that of a goat. His body was rather human like, thin and skinny that revealed the absurd shaped bones inside it. Moreover, his chest was something to notice, it was wide open in a similar way the floor lying innocents had.
The demon, dazed but not defeated, pushed itself up. Its eyes, now visible, darted frantically between Rex and the door. In a burst of desperate speed, it dashed for escape. Rex, his reflexes honed by his previous battles, swiftly conjured a spear of light from his divine energy. He hurled it with deadly accuracy, but the demon, driven by fear, managed to slip through the doorway just as the spear shattered the stone beside it.
Rex lunged for the door, wrenching it open mere seconds later. His momentum carried him forward, only to find... nothing. A blank wall stood where a passageway should have been. Frustration boiled over, and Rex slammed his fists against the stone. "You won't stop me!" he roared, his voice echoing in the chamber. "For none can do so!"
As if in response to his fury, cracks spider-webbed across the wall's surface. With a final, thunderous blow, Rex shattered the illusion. Beyond lay not stone, but an infinite void. A staircase, seemingly crafted from shadow itself, spiraled down into unfathomable darkness.
Rex's eyes blazed with vengeance. He knew, on some level, that he was likely walking into a trap. But in that moment, consequences meant nothing. Only the pursuit mattered. As he charged down the stairs, the entrance vanished and each step carrying him deeper into the unknown.
As he descended, Rex noticed with growing unease that the stairs seemed to pulse beneath his feet. It was as if they were crafted not from stone, but from some sort of demonic flesh. The air grew thick, oppressive, each breath a struggle. Yet still he pushed on, driven by a mixture of rage and duty.
Far below, a flicker of movement caught his eye. The figure he pursued was also making its way down, always just out of reach. Urgency gripped Rex's mind. With a burst of light speed, he launched himself forward, fingers outstretched to grab the fleeing demon. For a heartbeat, he felt the brush of fabric against his fingertips – and then, nothing. The figure vanished, leaving Rex alone in the endless void.
The stairs below him stretched on, an infinite spiral into nothingness. Rex's mind reeled, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Then, without warning, the true horror began.
Faces materialized in the darkness around him. Rex recognized them with a jolt of anguish – the people of Hollowvale, massacred by the archdemon's ruthless army. Their expressions were frozen in eternal agony, eyes pleading for a salvation that had come too late. Then, as one, they began to scream.
The sound was beyond anything Rex had ever experienced. It was pain given voice, despair made audible. The force of their cries was so intense that his armor, forged to withstand the mightiest of blows, began to crack under the pressure. Blood trickled from his ears as his eardrums ruptured, the world becoming a sea of muffled agony.
In that terrible moment, the stairs beneath Rex's feet shattered. He plummeted into the infinite darkness, all sense of direction lost. Panic clawed at his mind as he realized his powers, always a steadfast ally, now refused to respond. The void seemed to devour him, swallowing light, hope, and consciousness...
Rex's eyes snapped open. He found himself back in the bed, in the girl's house where his journey had begun. Sweat soaked the sheets, his heart pounding as if trying to escape his chest. "What was that terrible dream?" he gasped, sitting up. "Was it a foresight?"
His gaze fell on the old, frail clock – the same one from his vision. Everything felt surreal, the line between dream and reality blurred. With shaking legs, Rex made his way to the other room. There, the girl and her mother slept peacefully, oblivious to his turmoil. The sight brought a moment of calm, but confusion soon took hold once more.
"Was that dream a foresight?" Rex wondered aloud, his voice barely a whisper. "Or just a manifestation of my fears?" He tried to steady his breathing, to clear his racing thoughts. "I'm just worried," he muttered, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. "Nothing more. But... what if it was real? What if something like that truly exists in the depths of the forest?"
The weight of responsibility settled on Rex's shoulders. "I must investigate," he decided, "regardless of the consequences."
Moving with the stealth born of life-threatening experiences and battles, Rex slipped out of the house. He was careful not to wake its occupants, determined not to repeat the mistake from his vision. Once outside, he crouched low, muscles coiled like springs. One knee nearly touched the ground, the other leg bent sharply, ready to propel him into action.
Rex took a deep breath, centering himself. Then, combining his light speed with his superhuman strength, he created a new move – though he was yet unaware of its significance. In the span of a heartbeat, he launched himself skyward, soaring over the forest canopy.
His triumph was short-lived. Rex's newfound technique, while powerful, lacked the finesse of experience. He found himself hurtling towards the trees, unable to fully control his trajectory. With a resounding crack, his head plowed through a tree trunk, leaving him momentarily dazed.
As Rex extricated himself from the splintered wood, he took in his surroundings. The forest was eerily silent, devoid of the usual sounds of wildlife. It felt wrong, unnatural. To his surprise – and growing unease – the area he had infiltrated in his dream was now completely empty. There were no signs of the horrors he had witnessed, no trace of demonic presence.
After careful observation, Rex's expression grew somber. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something crucial. As he turned to leave with a face full of disappointment, a flicker of movement caught his eye. Something was there, just at the edge of perception. Rex tensed, ready for whatever might come next, his mind racing with the possibilities of the events he witnessed in his dreams.