(Chapter 120 In the Damn Abyss)
The woman on the throne regarded Tempest with a gaze as cold and unfeeling as carved stone, her expression unreadable, distant—as if she were examining something as insignificant as a shadow on the wall. Her eyes, golden and piercing, held no warmth, no trace of sympathy, only an unspoken judgment that weighed upon him like an invisible chain.
Then, without warning, her icy demeanor shattered. Her lips parted in a radiant, unsettling smile that contrasted starkly with her previous expression, like a mask flipped to reveal something bright yet twisted underneath.
"Welcome to the Abyss!"
She declared, her voice filled with an almost mocking cheer. The sound echoed around the chamber, reverberating off the walls as if even the darkness itself delighted in her words.
Tempest clenched his fist, willing the Ashbringer to manifest in his hand, but as he summoned the blade, the brilliant light it usually bore flickered weakly, dulled and half-formed, struggling against the oppressive darkness. The radiant weapon that had been his anchor through countless battles seemed to falter, swallowed by the Abyss itself.
"Ah."
The woman purred, her tone sympathetic yet laced with amusement.
"The sun doesn't reach down here. Sorry."
She leaned back on her throne, watching him with a playful gleam in her golden eyes as if savoring his struggle.
Tempest's Paladin form slowly dissolved as he felt Ra's blessing fade, leaving him stripped of the power that had coursed through him moments before. He steadied himself, his hand slipping to his side as a Pyro knife began to form, its faint glow a testament to the resilience of his Delusion in this foreign darkness.
"Who are you?"
He demanded, his gaze unyielding.
"I presume you're the one they call the Princess."
The woman on the throne smirked, her golden eyes glinting with an amused sort of superiority.
"Ah-ah-ah."
She chided lightly, her tone mocking.
"Let's shed any malice before we continue, shall we?"
With a casual snap of her fingers, chains slithered out from the shadowed recesses of the room, winding around Tempest's arms and legs before he could react. Two more chains emerged, seizing his Pyro Delusion and Hydro Vision, wrenching them from his grasp and dragging them into the darkness.
"Tsk..."
Tempest muttered, straining against the restraints, feeling the weight of the Abyss pressing down on him. The eerie silence hung in the air as the Princess leaned back, crossing her legs with a satisfied expression as if she were simply playing with a pawn in her game.
"Now, now."
The woman said with a coy smile, pacing slowly down the steps from her throne.
"It might look as though I plan to end your story here and now... but that would be far too simple. Rest assured, I'll return your Vision and Delusion, later."
She stopped a few feet away from Tempest, her piercing golden eyes studying him, savoring the situation.
"My name is Lumine."
She continued, her voice as soft as it was cold.
"And once again, welcome to the Abyss."
As the words hung in the air, she lifted her hand, gesturing to the ominous chamber around them, its dark walls flickering with an unearthly glow.
"Whatever you may think, we're not the villains here. Not in the way the surface would have you believe."
Tempest's eyes narrowed as he measured her, refusing to let his surprise show. The chains binding him remained firm, sapping his energy.
"So what does that make you?"
He replied, his voice unyielding despite the restraints.
Lumine's smile widened, but her eyes remained unreadable.
"Let's just say... we're here to correct a few 'misunderstandings' in Teyvat."
Lumine cleared her throat, a mischievous glint in her golden eyes. Then, with a dramatic flair, she began to sing, her voice melodic but laced with something unsettling.
♫ In the damn abyss
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
And tomorrow there'll be Hell to pay ♫
She bobbed her head left and right, her movement fluid, as if the words themselves were an invitation to something far deeper. Tempest's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What in seven hells…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the entire room erupted in light, but not in a way he expected. The atmosphere twisted and contorted, what was once a throne room now resembled a strange and surreal performance stage. Hilichurls, once crude and brutish, were now dancing in unison, their limbs moving with an eerie rhythm. Abyss Mages, their usual commanding presence reduced to whimsy, held maracas, shaking them with a flair that was both absurd and terrifying.
An Abyss Herald, its usual menacing form now strangely elegant, sat at a grand piano, its fingers lightly tapping keys in time with the strange rhythm of the scene. And to add to the madness, three more Hilichurls, armed with brass instruments, played trumpets, their notes weaving through the air in a chaotic harmony.
Together, the chorus of creatures sang:
♫ In the damn abyss
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
And tomorrow there'll be Hell to pay ♫
The absurdity of the situation was overwhelming. Tempest could barely process what he was seeing as the room pulsed with the eerie tune, the Abyss now seemingly alive in a way he had never imagined. The Abyss, an entity of darkness, had transformed into a twisted carnival—a bizarre and unsettling spectacle he had no words for.
"Is this… some sort of joke?"
Tempest muttered, his voice heavy with disbelief. He shook his head, caught between wanting to laugh at the absurdity and simply questioning his own sanity.
But Lumine ignored his question entirely, her voice flowing smoothly into the next verse as if she hadn't even heard him.
♫ Now, people listen attentively
I mean about future calamity
I used to think the idea was obsolete
Until I heard the old man stamping his feet ♫
Her voice echoed around the throne room, haunting yet mesmerizing, carrying an edge that sent chills through Tempest's spine. As she sang, the Abyss creatures continued to play, their eerie harmony filling the cavernous space with a strange, otherworldly tune.
The chorus of creatures joined her, and she led them in again, her voice rising with intensity.
♫In the damn abyss
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
And tomorrow there'll be Hell to pay♫
As the chorus swelled, Rifthounds began to circle Tempest, their usual hostility gone. Instead, they acted like playful hounds that had just found a long-lost master. Their glowing eyes watched him with unsettling intensity, heads cocked as if awaiting his next move. One of them even nudged him with its snout, its low growl vibrating through the room, yet devoid of malice.
Tempest glanced around at the bizarre spectacle. Abyss Mages shook their maracas with surprising rhythm, and the Hilichurl trumpeters leaned into their instruments with a commitment that made them look like a twisted rendition of a royal procession band. The Abyss Herald at the piano caught his eye, nodding along to the beat with an eerie satisfaction.
"You!"
He called out, his voice cutting through the discordant tune.
"What is this… madness? Do you think I'll just stand here and-"
She merely raised a hand, silencing him with a subtle, chilling gesture.
"Oh, Tempest."
She cooed, stepping closer, her fiery-gold eyes reflecting the dance of light and shadow.
"This is just a taste. You'll find we have our own way of welcoming guests. Enjoy the show. You may find yourself... staying longer than you'd planned."
The Rifthounds continued their strange dance around him, their playful demeanor doing little to mask the menace lingering in the air. Tempest tried to summon back the Ashbringer once more, but it flickered and dulled, unable to fully manifest in this realm.
"As I said, the sun's light has no place here. You'll learn soon enough."
Seeing his frustration, Lumine chuckled.
Lumine's voice grew more intense, her singing taking on an almost hypnotic rhythm. With every note, the atmosphere in the room warped further, each word striking like an invisible force, sinking into Tempest's very soul.
♫Oh, beauty, talent, fame, money
Refinement, job skill, and brain
But all the things you try to hide
Will be revealed on the other side♫
The words echoed in Tempest's mind, sinking deeper into his thoughts. He clenched his fists, but the chains that bound him to the throne room tightened with every movement, forcing him to remain still. His desire to block out the eerie melody was overwhelming, but no matter how hard he tried, his body betrayed him, his hands, his eyes, everything wanted to listen, to absorb the song.
Lumine danced, her every step exuding a strange power as if the very act of movement was in tune with the Abyss itself. She spun with an Abyss Herald, their elegant yet eerie dance a mockery of any form of beauty Tempest had ever known.
The Abyss creatures, once monstrous and terrifying, had become bizarrely playful. He tried to move, tried to tear his mind from the maddening song, but it was as if the world itself was urging him to listen. His body was locked in place, his thoughts no longer his own.
Lumine's voice carried on, her tone sweet yet haunting, and the Abyss creatures joined in once again, their chorus swelling around him.
♫ In the damn abyss
You could be headed for the serious strife
Now you make the scene all day
And tomorrow there'll be Hell to pay ♫
Tempest could feel his sanity fraying at the edges as the song wove its dark magic. His eyes felt heavy, and his vision blurred, as the rhythmic chanting of the Abyss creatures surrounded him. Even his body betrayed him, his eyes refused to close, drawn to the macabre spectacle unfolding before him, as if they were being controlled by some unseen force.
He couldn't fight it, couldn't resist. Lumine's smile grew wider, more sinister, as she twirled in the arms of the Abyss Herald. The room itself pulsed with the haunting melody, the chains restricting Tempest's every breath, every thought.
As the last echo of the eerie melody faded, all of the Abyssal creatures gathered around Lumine, kneeling before her in perfect unison. The dark, swirling figures bowed low, their movements synchronized as if this spectacle had been meant for Tempest alone, their eyes glowing with an unsettling intensity.
Lumine stood tall, her golden gaze never leaving Tempest as she let the moment linger, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smile.
"Did you enjoy the show?"
She asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.
Tempest remained silent for a moment, taking in the scene, the lingering presence of the Abyss creatures, and the weight of her words. His mind sharpened, though his physical form was still constrained, the lingering chains a reminder of how easily his power had been neutralized. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"It was catchy..."
Tempest replied, his tone flat but his mind racing. He knew there was much more to this encounter than he had yet seen.
Her smile widened ever so slightly, a flash of amusement crossing her features as she circled him like a predator sizing up its prey. The Abyssal creatures retreated back into the shadows, their glowing eyes still visible, though they made no move to intervene.
As the room grew eerily quiet, Lumine stepped closer, her presence filling the space with an oppressive energy. "
The Abyss has a rhythm, Tempest."
She said, her voice lowering to a near whisper.
"And you've just been given a taste."
"Well, that's all for tonight."
Lumine said with an almost playful tone, her voice carrying an air of finality as the chains that had bound Tempest loosened and dissolved into the air. As they disappeared, they returned his Vision and Delusion, the faint glow of the Pyro Delusion and the Hydro Vision now once again at his disposal.
"Don't try anything stupid, though..."
She added, her smile widening in amusement. Her eyes flicked to the dark corners of the room, where shadowy figures with glowing eyes were watching him. They stood still, waiting for a signal to act.
"The Abyss' eyes are always watching."
She said with a casual gesture, her lips curling into an enigmatic smile.
Tempest, now free but still cautious, looked at her warily.
"You brought me here... just for a song?"
Lumine laughed softly, the sound echoing eerily through the darkened chamber.
"Oh, I didn't bring you here."
She said, the smile never fading. "Not exactly. Convincing you to work with me is pointless right now... but the time will come. And when it does, I won't be the one dragging you to the Abyss. No, you'll come willingly. After all, you have someone who will bring you here."
Her words lingered in the air like a secret, full of implications he couldn't yet grasp. Tempest's hand twitched towards his sword instinctively, but his eyes remained fixed on her, sharp and calculating.
"You've got a lot of nerve."
Tempest said, his voice low and tense.
"Why in seven hells would I ever come back here?"
Before Tempest could utter another word, a hot, iron grip seized him from behind. The force was so sudden and brutal that his body was yanked off the ground, his feet kicking helplessly in the air as he was dragged toward a portal that had opened with a malevolent crackle.
"Let go of me!"
He snarled, his voice sharp with defiance. But as he twisted in the air, trying to break free, a voice he knew too well echoed through the darkness.
"Don't worry. That's just your friend."
Lumine said, her voice smooth and laced with amusement.
"You should stop struggling if you want to get out of here."
Tempest's eyes widened as he recognized the figure who had seized him. A deep sense of unease washed over him, the eerie familiarity of the grip on him sending a chill down his spine. He barely had time to process before the portal loomed even closer, its edges pulling him in like a mouth about to devour him whole. The swirling darkness consumed his vision, and the air around him grew impossibly cold, the very atmosphere shifting into something thick and suffocating.
As Tempest was dragged towards the threshold, the throne room fell silent...
"Say hi to my brother once you inevitably meet him..."