Trials Of Life

Chapter 7: Looming In The Dark

Yumiko stirred in her sleep.

She found herself once more standing in a green, vibrant valley, where the air felt both heavy and still. The sky and clouds above were frozen, locked in time as if captured in a painting. Everything was beautiful, yet unnerving. Before her, a bright, blurry figure stood amidst the endless twilight. The same figure from her last dream.

“Good, you’ve arrived,” a soft yet commanding voice echoed from the figure.

Yumiko instinctively took a step forward, her brow furrowed. "Who… what are you?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with confusion. The figure, however, remained silent, the air around them thick with mystery.

“It was you,” Yumiko continued, her gaze fixed on the glowing form. “You told me to go to the capital, to find that… man,” she spat, the memory of her fight with the stranger still fresh in her mind.

“Yes,” the figure’s voice responded, calm as ever. “For good reason.”

As it spoke, the light surrounding the figure intensified, growing so bright that Yumiko had to shield her eyes. The figure drew closer, its presence overwhelming, and Yumiko felt her heart quicken.

“I cannot reveal who I am,” the figure said, voice now edged with tension. “Not yet. Not while the game is still at play.”

Yumiko’s confusion deepened, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “A game? What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice rising. “What game is so important that you had me derail my search for my brother and locked up in jail?”

“The survival of humankind,” the voice replied, now grave, “no, the survival of every living being.”

Yumiko shook her head, unable to grasp the enormity of the words. “You say that with such ease—find someone else to play your little game. I just want to locate my brother. Lead me to him, and I’ll live my life in peace.”

“There is no peace.” The figure’s voice softened, sorrowful. “Not while he is alive. Not while his eyes can find us…”

Yumiko’s patience wore thin. Cryptic messages, veiled warnings—none of it made sense. “Just tell me!” she snapped, fists clenched. She was tired of not getting any answers.

A heavy silence followed before the figure spoke again, its voice trembling. “I cannot. As I said before… his eyes…” The figure’s voice faltered, and for the first time, Yumiko sensed fear in the glowing form. “Once they are upon you, there’s no hiding anymore… no escaping. He cannot know our plan. In time, I will tell you. But not now.”

Yumiko felt a wave of helplessness wash over her. “Then what’s the point of this? Why bring me here if you won’t tell me anything?”

The figure’s form wavered, as if pleading. “I’m trying to warn you,” it said, desperation seeping through the words. “The man we face… he doesn’t play fair. The dreams I’ve sent you, the flames devouring the world... that is his doing. It is the future of the world unless we stop him.”

Yumiko’s voice hardened. “And let me guess, you still can’t tell me who he is?”

The figure trembled, and for a brief moment, Yumiko could feel its fear. “No… I’m too scared,” it whispered, the quiver in its voice unmistakable. “But I can show you… if you dare to see him at your own risk. He will not be able to see you.”

Yumiko glanced around the twilight landscape. The trees, the grass—everything was frozen in time, a world paused for eternity. She closed her eyes, exhaling a sharp breath. “I don’t want any of this. I just want to see my brother.”

“Everything you want, everything you will ever desire—will cease to exist!” The figure’s voice cracked, shouting with desperation. “Your homeland, your father, your mother, friends… everyone you love will cease to exist!”

Yumiko’s heart froze at the figure’s desperate plea. The weight of its words pressed down on her, suffocating. Slowly, she nodded, her resolve weakening. “Very well... show me what this man is. Maybe then, I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.” The figure let out a sigh of relief. “Let me be clear with you… This man is unlike anything you’ve ever encountered. He is the embodiment of fear and power.”

Yumiko folded her arms, standing firm despite the warnings. “I’ve been through a lot, myself. Let me judge this man.”

“I have warned you,” the figure said, glowing brighter with each word, until the light was nearly blinding. “Close your eyes, let yourself drift, and follow the path I am making for you.”

Yumiko hesitated for a moment, but then obeyed, closing her eyes and focusing on the woman’s voice. She felt her body grow weightless, like a feather caught in a breeze. Her limbs tingled, and soon it was as though her soul had separated from her physical form, floating in an empty void. She was caught in this calm state that she was not aware of the time passing.

“We’re nearly there,” the angelic voice whispered, distant yet clear.

When Yumiko slowly opened her eyes, the world around her had transformed. She gasped at the sight that greeted her. Fire roared from the ground in jagged bursts, and towering, sharp stalagmites pierced the landscape like the teeth of a beast. Rivers and pools of molten lava flowed in every direction, their heat palpable even in her spectral form. Purple-leaved trees with blood-red bark grew among the chaotic terrain, their branches reaching out like twisted fingers. Creatures, strange and monstrous, grazed in fields of golden and red grasses, oblivious to her presence.

“Where... are we?” Yumiko asked in awe, her voice barely above a whisper. Glancing down at herself, she was startled to see her body had become transparent. Her hands shimmered like faint wisps of mist. “What happened to me?”

“You are in your soul form,” the angelic voice replied softly in her mind. “You’ve been separated from your body. As for where this is… you are in hell.”

Yumiko’s breath caught. She stared at the fiery landscape below as they soared above it, drifting like ghosts through the heavy air. “Hell?” she echoed in disbelief. Small pools of gray water glistened from the flames as they flew above.

“I cannot accompany you here,” the voice continued, still resonating inside her head. “But listen closely: souls like yours are forbidden from entering this realm unless their lives have been fulfilled. We must proceed with the utmost secrecy.”

Yumiko’s pulse quickened. “And what happens if we… if I get caught?” she asked, her eyes still wide as they glided over a river of molten lava that glowed like liquid fire.

“I don’t know,” the voice admitted. “No mortal has ever been caught sneaking into hell. Souls typically try to escape this realm, not enter it. If gods are caught trespassing in realms without permission, they face punishment—no less than a thousand years imprisoned in hell. Depending on their offense, they could even be killed.”

Yumiko’s throat tightened. “That sounds… terrifying.” Her body quickly started moving over an endless ocean of lava.

“Yes. It is,” the voice agreed, its usual calm now tinged with sadness. “When mortals die, their souls may be reincarnated, sent back to the world with new identities, new lives. But for gods and goddesses…” The voice hesitated, growing quiet. “When they die, they cease to exist. Forever.”

Yumiko could hear the weight of loss and fear in the woman’s tone. Her heart ached with sympathy, but before she could respond, a massive structure began to rise from the horizon, emerging from the sea of lava like an island of obsidian. Its towering walls were blackened and scarred, riddled with cracks and glowing runes that flickered faintly in the fiery light. The oppressive energy radiating from it was suffocating.

“We are here,” the voice said, her tone suddenly sharp with urgency. “When we enter, you must not speak. Do not move when in the room with him. Do you understand?”

Yumiko nodded, the looming presence of the structure sending chills through her ethereal body. She swallowed, bracing herself for whatever lay ahead.

Yumiko watched as the structure loomed larger and larger in the distance. A black stone fortress rose before her, its jagged towers piercing the darkened sky like the talons of a beast. “What is this place?” she whispered, her voice trembling as the imposing structure materialized fully before her eyes. It looked like a prison, a massive castle carved from obsidian, radiating an aura of despair that clung to her very soul.

“This…” the angelic voice hesitated, her tone filled with a mix of dread and reverence, “…this is where the greatest sinners dwell. Souls of those so dangerous that even the lands of hell cannot contain them. This is where you will find the one I spoke of. Do not speak. Once you see him, you will understand why I’ve been trying to warn you.”

Yumiko’s heart raced as the walls of the prison grew nearer. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as her ghostly form phased effortlessly through the solid stone. There was no resistance, only the cold emptiness of the fortress seeping into her. She drifted deeper into the structure, passing through floors and dungeons without making a sound.

“I am removing your ability to speak,” the angelic voice said suddenly, her voice trembling as though she, too, feared what was to come. “He must not know we’re here… I cannot be near him. When you’re done, return to your body on your own. You will know how.”

Yumiko’s mouth opened, wanting to ask how, but her voice had already vanished. She was silenced, unable to utter a sound. Her body continued to descend, phasing through layer after layer of the dark prison, each one colder, more oppressive than the last. Finally, she reached the lowest depths—a pitch-black room, so devoid of light that it felt like an endless void.

The room hummed with a deep, unsettling vibration, like a monstrous heartbeat. The sound echoed through the walls, resonating in her bones. Suddenly, the unmistakable clatter of footsteps broke the eerie silence. Yumiko froze, every muscle in her soul form tensing as the sound of a door unlocking reached her ears. The heavy creak of iron hinges followed, and a sliver of dim light spilled into the chamber, barely illuminating the edges of the room. But most of it remained shrouded in darkness, an impenetrable shadow.

Then, a figure entered—a hulking creature wielding an enormous battle-ax. Yumiko’s breath caught in her throat as she saw it. The creature was monstrous, its body like that of a towering, muscular man, but its head was unmistakably that of a goat. Black, soulless eyes gleamed beneath its twisted horns. A minotaur.

The beast stepped further into the room, its hooves clacking against the stone floor. Its eyes scanned the darkness, passing over Yumiko’s ghostly form as if she didn’t exist. She could only watch in silent terror, unable to scream or move.

Suddenly, a shockwave burst from the unseen depths of the room, sending a cold, paralyzing force across the chamber. The minotaur froze mid-step, its body trembling as it, too, felt the overwhelming presence that now filled the air. Yumiko’s soul quivered, an icy dread gripping her so tightly that she thought she might dissolve into nothingness. The minotaur, once so fearsome, began to tremble violently, its massive frame shuddering with raw terror. Slowly, the beast stumbled backward, dropping its ax with a loud clatter that echoed through the room.

Yumiko’s eyes remained fixed on the door. She didn’t dare turn around, didn’t dare see what was behind her, what was causing this beast—this creature of nightmares—to cower in fear. Her body felt frozen, held captive by an invisible force.

With a panicked yelp, the minotaur spun on its hooves and bolted for the door, crashing through it with a terrified roar. The sound of its retreating footsteps quickly faded, leaving Yumiko utterly alone in the oppressive darkness.

From the shadows, a voice emerged, low and venomous. “So… you’re here.” It hissed, each word slithering through the air like a serpent, wrapping itself around her. Yumiko’s body went rigid, her breath caught in her throat. “Why don’t you come closer,” the voice continued, dripping with malice, “so that I can get a better look at you… Don’t hide from me.”

A cold, cruel laugh echoed through the chamber, sending shivers down Yumiko’s spine. Though she had no voice, her body shook uncontrollably, her hands instinctively flying to her mouth to stifle any sound she might make. Please, goddess of wind, please… She prayed desperately, hoping beyond hope that the figure in the darkness couldn’t see her.

The laughter stopped. Silence fell, more terrifying than the voice itself. Yumiko didn’t dare move, frozen in terror. She was trapped, a silent spectator to a nightmare that was all too real.

From the doorway, a new voice rang out, sharp and laced with sarcasm. “You really are something special, aren’t you?”

Yumiko’s heart jumped as she lifted her eyes to the door. Standing in the threshold was a woman, unlike anyone she had ever seen. Her skin was a deep, fiery red, her long hair as white as freshly fallen snow, and her eyes gleamed with an unsettling brightness—yellow with slitted pupils, like those of a serpent. She wore a short purple dress with black pants and spiky brown boots. Despite her otherworldly features, the woman possessed an undeniable, fearsome beauty.

The red-skinned woman took a few confident steps into the room, though Yumiko noticed her hesitation, the tension in her muscles. From the shadows, the dark figure spoke again, his voice crawling through the darkness. “Elfriede, the goddess of hell… What a delight. It’s good to see you again.”

Yumiko’s breath caught in her throat. A goddess. Her mind raced as she stared at the woman in awe. She had never imagined meeting one of the divine, let alone in a place like this.

Elfriede, however, did not seem pleased. She glared into the black void, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Color me impressed,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “You managed to scare off one of my best minions, and you’re shackled to that wall.” Despite her words, Yumiko saw a bead of sweat forming at the goddess’s temple, betraying the fear she fought to suppress.

“The torture is getting so old… So predictable.” The voice from the shadows seemed to stretch, filling the room with a suffocating weight. “Why not spice things up a bit? Send me something more fun.”

The goddess swallowed hard but maintained her composure, her tone steady though laced with irritation. “You’re here for punishment, not for pleasure.” She took a step closer, though Yumiko could sense the strain it took for her to approach.

The dark figure laughed, the sound low and twisted, echoing off the cold stone walls. “How rude… and here I thought we might actually relate.” There was a sick amusement in his voice. “I know you hate those in heaven too, Elfriede... If you join me, we'll make them suffer together.”

Elfriede’s lips curled into a sneer, her yellow eyes blazing. “Just because I despise those in heaven doesn’t mean I like you any better, you deranged freak.” Her voice wavered slightly, but her defiance remained clear. Visible tension etched itself onto her sharp features, and despite her strength, fear danced behind her eyes.

The figure in the shadows continued, his tone mocking. “Your whole existence revolves around keeping me locked away. You’ve served your purpose here in this wretched realm of torment, but what have you ever received in return? You’ve fulfilled your duty, and yet you’re still punished, Elfriede. Always punished. Always stuck here with no escape. Ask yourself, is it me that is locked here, or is it you?” He paused, letting his words sink in, his tone softening to something almost like sympathy. “Join me, and we can change it all. We can make this existence fun, together. You can be freed.”

Elfriede’s expression twisted in disgust. She threw up her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Enough!” she snapped, her voice rising with fury. “You will rot here for eternity, locked in this pit of nothingness, where you belong. Enjoy your damnation, because it’s all you’ll ever have!” She spat the words at him, then turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the room, her footsteps fading quickly down the hall.

For a brief moment, the room was silent. Then the chains began to rattle violently, clanging against the stone as the figure in the darkness thrashed. “Please!” he cried, his voice suddenly desperate. “Let me out! Let me out!” His pleas became more frantic, more unhinged, as they echoed through the chamber. “The voices! The screams! Make them stop! I need to save them!”

Yumiko’s heart raced as the room fell into a heavy silence. She could feel the madness, the torment in his voice, and for a moment, she thought she heard soft, broken sobs coming from the darkness. But just as quickly, the atmosphere changed again. A powerful, suffocating wave of fear rolled through the room, crashing over her, forcing her soul to tremble under its weight.

“Elfriede! I will kill you, Elfriede!” the voice bellowed, his cries no longer of sorrow but of pure rage. “You and everyone else! Tell that to my brother as well! You will all pay for this!” His voice grew louder, more frenzied, each word laced with venom. “The blonde one will die, and I will finally be free! I will end the screaming! I will be the one to end their torment!” He erupted into manic laughter, the sound echoing wildly around the chamber, bouncing off the walls in a symphony of madness.

Yumiko’s breath came in shallow gasps as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She was shaking uncontrollably now, the overwhelming fear coursing through her veins. I have to leave... she thought desperately. I need to get back to my body. Please, goddess of wind, guide me… Her mind screamed for escape, her soul gathering what little strength remained as she slowly, shakily began to retreat.

Just as she thought she was clear, the voice from the shadows cut through the air like a knife. “Who is there?” he rasped, his tone sharp and filled with suspicion.

Yumiko froze, her heart pounding so loudly she feared he could hear it. Her hands instinctively flew to her mouth, as if to silence any sound that might escape. She prayed silently, her body trembling, terrified that the next moment might be her last.

Yumiko could feel the weight of his gaze inching closer, cold and suffocating. She dared a glance over her shoulder, and there, in the thick darkness, two glowing red eyes pierced through the shadows, staring past her. “Show yourself, little one,” he said, trying to sound friendly, yet it was dripping with malice. The words slithered over her skin, making her heart race.

Her instincts screamed, Run!. Without hesitation, Yumiko closed her eyes and willed herself to move, her soul slipping through the dark chamber, phasing effortlessly through the stone walls. Her fear drove her, propelling her faster, through room after room, each more oppressive than the last. The sensation of his presence lingered, as though his eyes still searched for her, still hunting.

Finally, she burst through the last wall, emerging into an open corridor where Elfriede stood, inspecting the terrified minotaur from before. The creature, now curled in a trembling heap, pressed itself into the corner, its massive frame quaking with fear.

“This is not good,” Elfriede muttered under her breath, shaking her head as her glowing eyes studied the pitiful beast. “I’ve warned them—he’s growing stronger. But those arrogant fools in heaven refuse to listen!” Her voice rose, venomous with frustration, as she clenched her fists at her sides.

Suddenly, the goddess whipped around, her gaze sharp and dangerous, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Who is there?” she demanded, her tone filled with authority and suspicion.

Yumiko froze, her heart pounding in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, her thoughts frantic. I want to go back! Take me back! she pleaded silently.

In an instant, the stifling atmosphere of hell vanished. The weight that had been pressing down on her disappeared, and when Yumiko opened her eyes, she found herself back in her physical form, lying on the soft, frozen grass of the dream-state valley. She coughed, gasping for breath as she clutched at the ground, her body trembling from the harrowing journey.

The angelic voice echoed through the stillness. “Now you know what lurks in the shadows, child.” The voice was filled with both sorrow and urgency. “Those in heaven refuse to intervene, trapped in their own conspiracies and arrogance. That is why I need you. I can’t explain everything—if I say too much, he will find us. He will find you.” Her voice wavered, a hint of fear creeping into her once serene tone. She spoke of the man in the shadows, the one Yumiko had seen—those eyes, that overwhelming darkness.

“No,” Yumiko whispered, her body still shaking from the terror. “I can’t face that.” Her voice was small, fragile, as she hugged herself, trying to push away the memory of those red eyes and the suffocating presence that came with them.

“There are only a few who can,” the voice continued, firm but gentle, as though trying to coax her from her fear. “One of them is that man—the one you confronted in the guild.”

Yumiko shook her head, disbelief flooding her. The idea seemed impossible, absurd even. "I can't believe it... There's no one, nothing, that could face whatever that was in hell," she whispered, her voice trembling with lingering fear. The very thought made her shudder. How could the man she had fought—the stranger with her brother’s sword—be the one to stand against such unimaginable darkness? It felt beyond reason.

“I can explain more in time, but please listen to me.” The angelic voice softened, but its conviction remained. “You must follow him. Aid him. Only you can guide him through his own darkness.” Her words resonated, each one wrapping around Yumiko like a solemn truth. “He is the champion we need. And you, Yumiko Hoshino, shall be the one to make him shine. Help him.”

Before Yumiko could respond, a wave of energy surged from the voice, a burst of light and purpose that crashed over her like a sudden storm. She felt the force of it, the command, the weight of responsibility pressing into her very soul.

Yumiko gasped, her eyes flying open as she shot upright in her bed, drenched in sweat, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. She was no longer in the dream.