You cry as you struggle to break free from Vaktash's grasp, and without hesitation, Verzo goes to shoot Tom in the face. You scream as the red beam leaves his hand, but in the blink of an eye, Verzo unexpectedly moves his hand away at the last second causing the beam to go past Tom's head and miss. Then, almost as if he's been interrupted, you immediately see Verzo's demeanor change from arrogant to humble before he quickly turns and walks away from Tom looking down at the ground and talking to himself.
" My- My Lord… "
He mumbles to himself under his breath as he stands there silent for a moment before speaking again.
" But- what about the Lamenter…? "
Verzo pauses as if he's listening closely and you can see the other two Valghuli take on a nervous expression while Verzo speaks to the voice that's presumably inside his head. Seeing these powerful Valghuli in such a timid state around you is unsettling while you listen to Verzo's side of the conversation.
" Of course… it will be done. Your will is my command. "
Verzo then turns back around and slowly walks back to where you and Tom are. After a brief moment of him silently thinking to himself, he speaks in a foreboding tone.
" It appears there has been a change of plans… "
Verzo says as he pulls some sort of vial out of his robes, looking down at it anxiously. The vial looks like a wicked object that's not of this world, and it appears that there's some type of living blood-like substance that's moving around inside of it.
" Abbadon… "
Verzo says before he turns his gaze towards you. Him calling you by your name makes you feel even more uneasy as he opens the vial.
" Our Lord wishes to speak to you… here… in person… "
Verzo then slowly pours the substance inside the vial into his other hand. You see the shape of his hand begin to malform and turn black before he drops the empty vial and grabs Tom's robe with his free hand, pulling him up onto his feet.
" Rather than waste such a powerful vessel like the lapdog's, it appears Our Lord has chosen him as a temporary means to enter this mortal realm… "
Verzo looks deep into Tom's eyes with a malevolent gaze and speaks to him in a condescending tone.
" You should feel honored to be chosen as his vessel. Since the beginning of existence itself, there has never been a vessel strong enough to contain his power… "
Tom opens his eyes and defiantly looks at Verzo with a peaceful stare. You can tell that Verzo wants Tom to be afraid, but Tom's unfazed expression makes it seem like Tom's the one who's in control.
" We'll see if your physical form can withstand it, for the power of Our Lord defies The One's limitations of existence. Now… become None. "
Verzo immediately plunges the black hand deep into Tom's chest and Tom begins to writhe around in pain, groaning subtly as if he's trying to mask the fact that he's hurting. Verzo then rips his hand out of Tom's chest and Tom falls to his knees, curling into a fetal position while he holds his chest. You can hear him barely able to muster his last words to you while he continues to fight the liquid that's consuming him from the inside.
" Donny… don't… give up… "
You see a black aura slowly begin to radiate from Tom's body and the hole in his chest glows an ominous red. After a brief moment of Tom struggling with all his might to keep his composure, he lets out a torturous scream as the Darkness inside of him slowly seeps out of his skin. You watch in horror as his physical form distorts, becoming completely consumed in a black smog that pollutes his physical form, almost as if the fabric of his very existence is being devoured and eaten alive. Tom continues to wail in agony as he throws himself backwards onto the ground while the red hole in his chest continues to glow brighter and brighter until it's so bright that it burns your eyes and dries the tears on your face. Tom's body twitches around uncontrollably on the ground like he's possessed, and his blood curdling screams break your heart as you watch your brother endure this excruciating pain while his physical form slowly becomes consumed right in front of you. The Valghuli Exemplars around you all watch in amusement as the last of the Darkness leaves Tom's body until he lies on the ground, silent and still like a corpse with dead eyes and pale skin. These events mirror that of your past trauma and your mind begins to race as the memories of Ariel and Rosie come flooding back.
This can't be… Tom wouldn't go out this easily… It's not like him… He can't… He can't be gone…
A flurry of mixed emotions all begin to brew within you as you stare down in disbelief at Tom's lifeless corpse laying on the ground.
Grief. Pain. Hatred. Sorrow. Rage.
All of these things feel like a hole in your heart as you mourn this now pale skinned man who was once your brother… and soon you can feel a familiar insanity come knocking at the doors of your mind within.
Wₑₐₖ.
ₜₒₘ ᵢₛ dₑₐd bₑcₐᵤₛₑ ₒf yₒᵤ.
Yₒᵤ ⱼᵤₛₜ wₐₜcₕₑd ₕᵢₘ dᵢₑ.
Yₒᵤ cₒᵤₗdₙ'ₜ ₛₐᵥₑ ₕᵢₘ ⱼᵤₛₜ ₗᵢₖₑ yₒᵤ cₒᵤₗdₙ'ₜ ₛₐᵥₑ yₒᵤᵣ fₐₘᵢₗy.
ₐₗₗ yₒᵤ cₐₙ dₒ ₙₒw ᵢₛ ₖᵢₗₗ.
ₖᵢₗₗ ₜₕₑ ᵥₐₗgₕᵤₗᵢ.
ₑᵥₑₙ ᵢf yₒᵤ ₕₐᵥₑ ₜₒ dₑₛₜᵣₒy ₜₕᵢₛ ₑₙₜᵢᵣₑ ᵤₙᵢᵥₑᵣₛₑ ₜₒ dₒ ᵢₜ.
" No! "
You say as you fight back against the voice.
" I'm not destroying what he died to save! "
The Valghuli around you can tell that you're on the brink of madness, so Vaktash lets you go and they begin to coerce you in an attempt to make you snap.
" This universe is getting destroyed regardless! Come on, Lamenter! You should at least try to avenge the lapdog, and if this universe gets destroyed in the process, then so be it. Was he not worth fighting for? "
Verzo says to you before looking down at your hand. You remain on your knees, focusing all of your mental energy on keeping your composure and you look down as well to see the ring on your finger glowing as it begins to absorb the power radiating from your body. The Valghuli continue to taunt you to push you past your breaking point.
" What's the matter? Was that dead human that you called your wife more important than your brother? "
Valanyah says before giggling at your expense as she looks down at you smugly. The ring glows brighter and the voice in your mind gets louder.
ₖᵢₗₗ.
ₖᵢₗₗ ₜₕₑₘ.
ₘₐₖₑ ₜₕₑₘ ₑₐₜ ₜₕₑᵢᵣ wₒᵣdₛ.
You close your eyes to tune out the Valghuli who continue to taunt you and do your best to ignore the voice in order to keep your composure.
No. Don't break. It's what they want.
Suddenly, the taunting abruptly stops, and after a moment of eerie silence, you hear rustling in front of you as if someone is getting up. You open your eyes and look up to see Tom standing in front of you, but this time he's different. His skin is pale as if he's still dead and his eyes are glowing red instead of their usual blue. You stare up at him in disbelief and he speaks to you in an apathetic manner, looking down at his hands in unfamiliarity.
" 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗. "
You're immediately paralyzed and chills begin to crawl up your spine the instant that his voice enters your ears. The three Valghuli all immediately get down on one knee and bow around him as he begins to float above the ground in front of you. It's clear now that the person you're looking at isn't Tom anymore, but The None himself who's possessing Tom's body. Verzo anxiously speaks to Uphedis while remaining bowed.
" My Lord… Welcome- "
" 𝕾𝖎𝖑𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊. "
Uphedis says as he reaches his hand out towards Verzo, choking him with Tom's telekinetic power. Verzo painfully gasps for air while Uphedis constricts his throat and pulls him up onto his feet. Valanyah and Vaktash both remain bowed with a look of fear on their face while Uphedis continues to choke Verzo, speaking to him.
" 𝕯𝖔 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐 𝖚𝖓𝖑𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖎𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖓𝖉. "
" Yes… Ack- My… Lord- "
Uphedis then releases Verzo who then immediately resumes his bowing position while breathing heavily and touching his throat. Uphedis then turns around and looks down at you, and you're still paralyzed by the fact that The None himself is floating right in front of you.
" 𝕬𝖇𝖇𝖆𝖉𝖔𝖓. 𝕴 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖜𝖊'𝖛𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖙… "
You continue to look up at his face and you're heartbroken thinking about how that face once belonged to Tom. If Tom's possession is anything like Sir Arthur's, then that means that Tom is somewhere still in there watching his body be controlled by The None.
" 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖓𝖔 𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖇𝖊 𝖆𝖋𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖉. 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖆𝖒𝖊 𝖐𝖎𝖓, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕴 𝖘𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖞 𝖜𝖎𝖘𝖍 𝖙𝖔 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖞𝖔𝖚. "
The voice in your head shouts even louder than before as you stare silently at Uphedis, barely maintaining your composure.
Fᵤcₖ ₜₕₐₜ!
Fᵤcₖ yₒᵤᵣ cₒₙᵥₑᵣₛₐₜᵢₒₙ!
Yₒᵤ ₖᵢₗₗₑd ₜₒₘ!
Uphedis looks down at you with amusement as he listens to the voice in your head as well. He speaks to you in an unbothered tone, as if your refusal to cooperate is of no consequence to him.
" 𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖞 𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖑. 𝕴 𝖘𝖚𝖕𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊'𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖉𝖔 𝖇𝖊𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖘 𝖇𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖐 𝖞𝖔𝖚. "
You immediately see a cruiser flying towards you and it's not long before it lands and the side door opens, where Amy and Roary are bound and brought out of the cruiser towards you by another group of those robed men like you saw earlier in the club. They're both put on their knees and Amy's eyes light up as she's looking at both of you and shouts.
" Mimi-!! "
One of the robed men cuts her off by punching her in the mouth and she whimpers in pain. Uphedis speaks as he descends back to the ground and walks over to where they're kneeling.
" 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖉. "
Your heart sinks in your chest upon hearing Uphedis say that and the ring on your finger starts to vibrate as it continues to absorb more and more of your power.
No… Not Mimi too… They couldn't have gotten her… She had Faerah's blessing…