A Gorgeous White

A dreadful silence.

Despair coated with the thick sweetness of fear. Burnt resolve is on the verge of dissipating. However, Moulin sealed them away. Kept his chest tight and the uncontrollable pound of his beating heart. He looked at his two companions, absorbing the information into his mind. 

The core has been invaded. By who? By what? Malibreeds. If the niche is touched, it will shatter. The core will fade. The soul, corrupted. The Tree, dead. The islands...

Moulin paled. Silver eyes quivered, and his voice almost shook as he found his words. "I will go."

The elf and seer did not have the chance to react as Moulin already hastened to the doors. Behind him, Keir followed. Phaelona wanted to come with him, but Colahn's tight grip around her wrist refrained her. 

"He will go after your brother. You already know this. We cannot fight. Even if we come with him, we would only distract him." Colahn explained coldly. "The young master will look after your brother. He's more powerful than we thought..."

These words silence Phaelona. She was an esteemed mage, capable on the battlefield. However, unlike Moulin, her mana could only attract more malibreeds. A purifier's magic would either do well or worst against the swarm. Internally conceding, Phaelona uttered a prayer for safety for both the young master and her brother. Nonetheless, the stone within her heart sank deeper. 

The corridors are mangled and wounded as though a sea of beasts flowed through it, clawing against the walls and tearing down everything within its path. The sound of torn fabric noised. 

Moulin ripped off the damp dangling fabric from his arms, exposing a bit of his flesh, and moved comfortably. His eyes never left the dark end of the corridors as he swung himself on Keir's furred back. The golden-blood wolf huffed as it bolted through the dark passage. 

'Faster... Faster...'

As though he heard the youth's thoughts, Keir hastened his pace, agilely slipping through heaps of debris and filthy malibreed corpses. There is a faint glint within the rubble hill up ahead. The aphrodite's body slid to the side, stretching out a hand, and scooped the long steel handle, forcibly bursting out underneath rocks and dust. Moulin weighed the spear within his hand before turning his attention to the passageway once more.

Silver eyes narrowed. How did the malibreeds reach the core so easily? They weren't this eager during the swarm's previous attacks. Suspicion filled the youth's dark gaze. There was something more behind this...

As his frown grew deeper, a vague growl echoed within the corridors. Keir bared his teeth as his pace gradually slowed until his steps ceased. Moulin didn't need to be curious. 

Stepping into the faint light of the remaining flickering lanterns of the walls, a monstrous eyeless head revealed itself. Its mouth gaped wide as if smiling, baring rows of knife-like teeth before its prey. Red blood swirled within the pool of black saliva dripping from the gaps of its mouth. Moulin felt sweat on his palm around the grip of the spear. Like Keir, his eyes are savage, prowling. 

The malibreed did not waste time staring. With a menacing roar, it charged forward. Its massive form appeared like a giant boulder hurling toward them. 

Swiftly, he leaped off Keir's solid back. Boots thumped on the ground during the same instance, the golden-blood wolf rushed, taking a chunk of monster flesh between its strong jaws. The teeth sunk in and ripped the meat apart. The malibreed cried out in agony. Its claws gleamed, descending to claw out the pest against its stomach. 

Moulin's eyes briefly lifted in surprise before he jumped, kicked himself off the wall, and sent the glinting blade of his weapon into the center of the malibreed's head. Gritting his teeth, Moulin plunged the spear deeper until the blade bursts out from malibreed's chest. Black blood splattered unto the gaping cracks of the floor. When Moulin leaped back, Keir took his place, tearing off the grotesque head from the massive deformed body. 

The corpse fell back, and the wolf threw the head, sending it rolling towards Moulin's feet. 

The youth ignored it and approached Keir. A beast biting a malibreed's head off. Keir must have ingested the black blood. However, it seemed that the corruption wasn't spreading within Keir's body. Was it because of Keir's bloodline? 

Shluck!

Moulin's eyes flashed and he turned with murderous intent. However, what welcomed him was the sight of a heavy ax chopping down the long slithering tongue from the decapitated head of the monster. Black blood splattered on his legs. 

Moulin blinked and lifted his head. "Arcefi?"

Panting, the Elven purifier gave a trembling nod as he lets go of the weapon. He took a step back before stumbling backward with an unbelievable expression. Behind him, a large pure-white beast approached enthusiastically. 

'Snow!' Moulin's eyes brightened. The little fox 'poofed' into his tiny form and hastily jumped into his master's filthy arms. 

"Why are you here?" Moulin neared him to help him up. "Why aren't you in the vaults?"

Arcefi yanked his gaze away from the malibreed's head and spoke, "I... I went out to look for Lord Hercullio. H-He has the last fragment."

"Hadrian?" 

He has the seed?

Moulin's brows knitted. "Where is he?" 

"I... I don't know..."

Giving Arcefi a long deep stare, Moulin sighed. When he turned, Keir was immediately by his side. "Go back. It's not safe out here. I know you're concerned of the Gala'En, but you have no strength to fight. You are exhausted. Go back and rest. Stay with others."

Arcefi watched as Moulin mounted the golden-eyed black wolf. Snow whined walked beside Keir. Arcefi's gaze lowered, "I know the way back... what will you do?"

"Do whatever it takes to protect the place you hold dear." Moulin replied with a faint smile. He glanced at the severed malibreed head. "Thank you for saving me. You did well..."

Arcefi reddened, glancing at his dust-stained hands. "It feels strange..."

"I know it is, but it has to be done." Moulin spoke, "Stay safe..."

"Yes..."

Arcefi clenched his hands as he watched Moulin depart with the two beasts. In truth, when Arcefi caught Moulin and that disgusting thing slithering behind him, he didn't know what came over him. The next thing he knew, he grabbed an ax from a pile of rubble beside him and rushed to chop the tongue down. It was all in instinct. Perhaps, spending time with the maeruthan purifier has influenced him somehow?

Arcefi exhaled, staring at the dark corridor where Moulin had left, "Good luck..."

...............

They reached the staircase. Moulin clutched the black fur beneath his fingertips and urged Keir to advance without a second thought. They dove down the gigantic hole, falling rapidly. Gravity pulls them harder as if to mercilessly slam them to the ground. The wind noised against Moulin's ears, but he didn't care. Snow was quick to follow them from behind. To lighten their landing, Keir intentionally clawed against the staircase railing, shredding the wood mercilessly. His actions slowly broke their fall. 

Finally, they landed on the cool ground with a loud bang! 

The area is dim, enshrouded by ominous energy... and a group of large famished malibreeds. 

They salivated, inching closer, consuming the scent of delectable mana, especially from the maeruthan among the beasts. Moulin's heart drummed, feeling cold sweat from his back. 

Keir growled, parting its jaws and attacking the first malibreed who dared come close to Moulin. Keir is larger than most of the creatures. His blood lust is significant. Snow narrowed its silver eyes on Moulin's right, multiple powerful tails swinging behind him. The mystic beast is fast, and the whip of its tail sent three and more malibreeds crashing unto the ground. 

In the middle of the battle, Snow made a deep yip, hinting at Moulin. The master helplessly shook his head and stealthily slipped through the wall of malibreeds as his trusted beasts distracted them. Moulin bolted towards the sealed entrance. 

It's sealed tight. Perhaps, Na'el had reached the core in time and sealed off the core gates? 

However, Moulin's thoughts were interrupted when the vines sealing the doors withdrew, parting for his entry. Silver eyes widened. It opened for him?

RRAAAGGGGHHHHH!

Moulin's expression darkened. When the entry was big enough for Moulin to enter, the youth immediately slipped inside the gap. And the moment the room received him, the vines quickly shut closed, locking him inside. 

Panting, Moulin raised his gaze and scanned the area. "Na'El-"

He abruptly froze in his place. His breath left his lungs. 

...

Burnt wood filled the once lush grass. Smoke arose, vaguely exposing the area. Colorful flowers are reduced to ashes. Gentle birds and thriving animals vanished. In their place were ash and bones. One could not mistake the scent of death within the air. What was once a small little garden forest was now a graveyard of life, haunted by despair and misery. 

Anguish and madness burned in the young man's soul. 

However, these weren't the only thing squeezing out the hope within his chest. 

In the distance, before the sacred niche, a hand, the color of black ash, gripped a pale, slender neck. Bruises began to form, marring the skin. The elf hanging from the choking grip, was none other than the person Moulin was searching for. Gala'En's oracle, Na'El.

And the demon man, whose features were too familiar not to recognize. That horned head and that massive inhuman body. Its blood-red eyes, deadly pools of brutality and malice, faced Moulin, silently acknowledging the maeruthan's presence. 

Alha...

"Ah..." The demon raised its chin, gazing at Moulin's full-grown figure. "You've arrived at last...."