Nightmare Mythos

"This is nice,"

The cohort, which consists of six active members, is all geared up and has recuperated the strength they needed by staying a few more hours in their position. Equipped with Cesar's investment, Jeremiah who had gone quiet included, was ready to go any time.

They have been very patient all this time, but they couldn't waste a single second idling around any longer when the only way to exit was to move forward.

"Right after we open the door, we'll use the Living Doll artifact that Leah is currently holding. Since we don't want to land in a trap right away or become food to a Nightmare, it's better to sacrifice an artifact than a life," Cesar spoke solemnly.

"Kek! You just want it to be destroyed since it will double up the interest!" Leah complained like a little kid, an uncharacteristic behavior for a squad leader to have.

Even though she appeared to be like that, she was willing to do it. It just seemed like she had the type of demeanor to get under someone's skin just by her condescending words alone which is kind of annoying at the very least.

But Jeremiah told them that it's one of her qualities.

As for the other… well, she's pretty strong herself. Find more to read at m_v l|e'm-p y r

That's why the group was willing to ignore her antics as long as she kept it to a minimum and didn't go below the belt of 'companionship'.

"Ready?"

Jeremiah asked everyone while glancing at Cesar for a bit longer before he saw everyone giving him a nod. Once he did, Klaus started to connect his Tether to Quentin and Amar. Leah began to channel her essence at the Root Wand on her hand, the second artifact that she was wielding, and started connecting it to the rest of the group not including the Tethered people.

Once there was the signal, Jeremiah held the knob in his hand tightly before opening it. Leah, clenching the Living Doll artifact with her other hand, immediately threw the item inside that took a glimpse of the other side.

Everyone prepared for the worst.

They thought there would be a sudden shift of central gravity like what Cesar had experienced and any possible situation that they thought could endanger them.

Yet clearly nothing.

"This…!"

However, there was something that made one member of the cohort to be in his wits end.

Cesar was completely shaken.

'This!'

Every hair on Cesar's body stood on end as he took in the full view beyond the door. A wave of dread washed over him, and he instinctively took a step back.

"We're here…"

Cesar observed a different kind of scenery where instead of the same curtains, carpet floor, and walls or the exit out from the mansion, what appeared on their front was an endless amount of tall, wooden shelves that would lead to countless pathways.

Placed inside these shelves were countless, stacked books that were properly arranged. There were no spiraling lamps that provided lights but some books, as bizarre as it looks, were the ones glowing providing the newcomers the vision they needed.

"The books…"

One peculiar image they can particularly deduce is the books that these shelves store. One book looked like a sword while the other was a mirror. There was another book that looked like melting while the other ones appeared to be frozen in ice.

However, the shelves they rested on remained unaffected by their irregularities. They showed no signs of being affected in the slightest.

"It's the library!"

Cesar gasped, and the group, having heard the same information from him, grew nervous after remembering bits of information about the bizarre location.

All paths lead to this library and an enemy that Cesar heavily highlighted to them.

The Keeper of the Void.

According to Cedeit, excluding the Heretic and Librarian for a moment, the entity, the Keeper of the Void, was the one who observed the vast library. Heck, its name didn't even coincide with its job since it was supposed to be the Librarian, another entity that should hold that title from here.

Something must've happened that gave the reason for the Librarian and Keeper of the Void to somehow snatch the job of the other.

Only Cedeit must've been aware of the real situation.

"The doll isn't triggering any traps yet. Should we go inside now?"

Cesar hesitated for a moment before something occurred that rattled his decision.

Rumble—!

'This…'

The sensation of the earthquake was so disgustingly familiar that Cesar's memories regarding it started to go through his head.

Rumble—!

Only this time, he wasn't the only one feeling it. The entire group instinctively glanced up toward the source of the tremor. The unreachable ceiling above the table, which they couldn't make out no matter how much they squinted, had undergone a small but noticeable change.

'Are you serious...'

There when they were supposed to only see a darkness, a purplish emptiness was peeking through inside, revealing itself in the shadows.

Rumble—!

As if the thunderous roar of the Void seeping through the table signaled its arrival, the massive walls of the hallway began to crack.

Rumble—!

A much louder quake reverberated through the hallway as the crack spread halfway around it. The event happened in an instant, and what followed was truly ridiculous Cesar almost wanted to stay at his place and shiver at its magnificence and show of power.

The hallway was torn in half, revealing the Purplish Emptiness that was eating away the remains it destroyed.

The long and humungous ancient table itself was snapped in half, the exquisite spiraling lamps on the other half of the table slowly floated away and away, and the old chairs on the other half were devoured and eaten away by the Void.

Rumble—!

Watching the scenery of the Purplish Emptiness that Cesar only described in words of how threatening its existence was, all of them were left terrified.

The scene they just witnessed happened in a span of a few seconds after all.

"Argh, damn it, guys! I've narrowingly escaped that thing once! I will not let it come to that point!" Cesar shouted to them, bringing them back to their own realities, "Fucking enter!"

They all quickly snapped back and hurried through the door leading to the library, with Cesar being the last to enter, closing the door behind him and leaving the mixed and terrifying memories of the hallway they had just crossed behind.