CHAPTER 18 - A Delightful Nightmare (Patreon)

“Arise, my dearest Blake, the hour is nigh to leave thy dreams behind! The other young ones do prance and play in fields so wonderous and kind. So come, child, and join the fun in the meadow bright and rare, where frolics and games and joys untold do await thee, fair and rare.”

I awoke to the sound of childish laughter, a symphony of joy and delight. My eyes beheld a verdant meadow where six young children frolicked without care. They cavorted and gamboled, their giggles ringing through the air as they chased each other in wild abandon. The sight was both haunting and beautiful, a reminder of the carefree days of youth.

“Oh, little ones, do come and share in play with dear Blake, who hath just arisen from slumber’s sway. But heed my words, I implore thee, the woods, a place to stay away. Stay here, where games and laughter doth await, and hours of merriment thou shalt create, in this wondrous land, with joy so bright, a melody of glee, shining in the light.”

The first to come near was a youthful child with golden tresses and a beaming face. Her laughter rang out like chimes in glass, her happiness, a contagious grace. She hopped and twirled, with hand outstretched, eager for a new friendship to be fetched.

“Greetings, Blake, I am Sophia, do come and join us. Let us play, a game of tag, with you as it!”

As I gazed downward, with disbelief in my heart, I found myself shrunken to the size of a child, a mere shadow of my former part. Yet, as their laughter filled the air, a smile did spread across my face so fair. I cast aside my doubts and took her hand with reckless glee, joining in their frolics, chasing after them with wild abandon, so free. The youthful giggles echoed through the meadow, a symphony so grand, and nothing else mattered, for I had found my true home. I felt alive, with laughter ringing, and joy to thrive.

I wove and bobbed, bounced and leaped, the happiness all-pervading, my spirit it swept. I nudged the shoulder of a mirthful lad, he giggled and twirled, ready for more joy to be had. The gaiety was boundless, in this enchanted place, where mirth and delight, put a smile on my face.

“Rob, you are it,” Sophia proclaimed.

The hours passed as we laughed and played in the sun-drenched meadow. But my heart grew heavy when I saw another girl, her freckled face and piercing eyes fixed upon the ominous woods, her smile now disappeared. The shadows seemed to stretch and the woods held no enchantment, only darkness and fear. I felt a chill run down my spine, for I knew that within the depths of those woods lay danger so near.

As the day turned to dusk, the freckled child’s joy was but a distant memory. She stood still, her gaze fixed upon the silent woods, her face now pale. My heart raced with alarm, and terror ensnared me as the shadows grew ever near. The woods held no magic, no wondrous glee, only darkness, and fear, for all to see.

The first voice I heard upon awakening in this wondrous realm sounded aloud to the freckled girl, filling the world with kindness and grace, “Fear not, dear Heather, ’tis just shadows that dwell, there is naught to see, only tales to tell. Do come and play with the children once more, dinner draws near.”

As I sought the woman behind the voice so sweet, her presence I could not meet. I rubbed my eyes and scanned the ground, yet no trace of her could be found. A giggle then caught my ear, and I was lost in a world so dear, chasing after children with such glee, all thoughts of mystery set free. The laughter, the play, consumed my mind, a joy so pure and so refined. I had almost forgotten, this place I had found was my home, where I felt alive, with laughter ringing and joy overflowing. The sense of belonging filled me, and I reveled in the beauty of it all, surrounded by youthful giggles and endless fun. But soon, dinner was done.

The children gathered, Sophia, Heather, Rob, Jeremy, Yua, and Jason too. We all sat at the table, which seemed to grow, our feet dangled within our chairs as we swayed in eager anticipation of the food. The laughter did not end, as we all smiled at each other, ready to feast. And I, I watched on, in my chair, beaming with joy, at the sight of their laughter and cheerful noise.

The table was set, and the feast was laid, a bounty of food, so rich and so grand. The children’s faces lit up with glee, as they eagerly dug in, so ravenous and free. The laughter and chatter filled the air, a symphony of joy, so sweet and so fair. I sat back and smiled, content to observe, the happiness of these children, a sight to preserve.

As I basked in the delights of the feast, a malevolent notion slithered into the depths of my mind. An aura of wrongness shrouded the air, a void that was difficult to grasp and unwind. I gazed about the table, but the elusive woman was still nowhere to be seen, leaving me with a feeling of disquiet and a riddle yet to be gleaned.

As the feast continued, a sinister shadow descended upon the table, a shadow that the other children seemed not to see. The wooden floorboards creaked, and the house swayed, but they went on eating with wild glee, blissfully unaware. The darkness grew, and tendrils of fear wriggled through, but as I cast my gaze around the room, my heart racing with dread, I saw only shadows, and the tendrils vanished, like a dream slipped away in the night.

And yet, my unease persisted, like a gnawing in my mind, a sense that something was not right, and the darkness was not blind. The laughter of the children now seemed strained and fake, their faces twisted, like a grotesque masquerade. The shadows grew, and I felt myself slipping away, into a world of darkness, where light held no sway.

As the feast continued, a boy’s head rolled through, gone it seemed, Rob’s if true, but the children feasted still, unaware of what horrors I’ve witnessed. I sat there frozen with fear, as another head fell into the cheer, Heather’s head this time it seemed, but the feast went on, like a nightmare come true. Lightning struck outside, a flash of light, revealing what terror did take flight. Skeletons of children exposed to my view, but the feast went on, as the children chewed, the headless too. A massacre scene, one that I could not unsee.

A withered old crone, gaunt and sickly thin, shuffled into the room with a slouch and a hobble. She was garbed in dark robes, so familiar, yet untrue. She approached with more food as the children cheered. They eagerly fed, yet only in the briefest of flickers did the lightning reveal what to be true.

I peered through the window and beheld the sinister woods that surrounded us. The trees were twisted and twirled, like tentacles of darkness, beckoning me with their dance. The forest held within it, dark delights, forbidden pain, and horrors of the night. I caught the eye of the crone reflected off the window, her eyes fixed upon me, with a look of hunger so vile and true. I turned and she withdrew, and I shuddered, for I knew that within her, there lay a hunger so cruel.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the house, creaking upon the floorboards above. Down the stairs they approached, slow and steady, like the march of death. A fearsome creature descended, its arrival marking the end of the children’s feast, their laughter and merriment now silenced and ceased. And then, a figure appeared, shrouded in darkness and mystery, leaving me trembling with fear, until it withdrew, revealing a little girl.

The child’s complexion was pure, her dress and hair a shining white, with a celestial appearance, she was a sight of delight. But, as I gazed into her glowing eyes, I saw only myself reflected in their eerie orange light. The hag approached, guiding the child to the table, as each skeleton was revealed, they shuddered and quaked, as she sat near, eagerly devouring the feast with cheer. The hag sat as well, relishing in the feast with glee, a sinister grin on her face, as she cast her gaze upon me.

“Come, my dear, don’t be afraid,” the crone spoke with a cackling voice. “See, even your sister is indulging. There is no cause for alarm. Ava, my sweet, how does the feast treat thee?”

“It is simply delightful, thank you ever so much,” replied Ava, with a smile. “Blake, you must try it as well, I assure you, it is scrumptiously good!”

Another gleam of lightning illuminated the feast, and at last, the true nature of the meal was fully revealed. A table set with decaying, putrid food, spoiled meats, teeming with maggots and flies. Ava dined on a severed human leg, its flesh grotesque and hanging from the bone. And I, I licked my lips in hunger and wonder at the marvelous sight before me. The children seated around the table remained as skeletons, with two skulls resting upon the table, one amidst a plate of twisted guts and intestines. The sight was ghastly, and yet, I couldn’t look away, transfixed by the delicious spectacle before me. The crone cackled, her laughter echoing through the room, as the feast continued on, with the children continuing to savor their food, now wary of both Ava and me.

Another flicker of light, and I observed the crone, fully concealed in her robes, sitting upright in her chair. The hood covering her head shrouded her face in a veil of darkness, with only skeleton hands visible. Yet, I felt no ill intent from her as I took a bite of a putrid heart, as if it were a succulent fruit plucked from a branch.

And yet, with every bite I took, I was met with the flavor of decay, a delight that should have made me queasy. Yet, I found myself loving each crunch and chew as it danced upon my tongue. The crone now held herself with the grace of a refined lady, her laughter soft and whimsical, as she observed me indulge in the feast of the dead.

“My dearest young ones,” spoke the gentle and motherly woman, all shrouded in black, “the hour hath arrived, and my mind is made up, for alas, the rules do state that only one champion shall be crowned.”

I ceased my feast as the haze began to clear from my thoughts, and I gazed around the table. The six skeletons also seemed to awaken to our reality, with a few of them trembling in sorrow and grief. One even appeared to be giving me a hostile stare. Meanwhile, Ava remained unfazed, still savoring the meal with a broad grin on her face.

“My dear Sophia, thou hast scarce had a chance to sparkle and yet, thy time with us is done too soon. But I can spy the longing in thy heart to show thy mettle, and for that, I dub thee a Dark Acolyte, may the shadows lead thee on.”

With the woman’s ominous declaration, Sophia’s bony remains disappeared from the table, leaving the other skeletons and myself in a state of shock and confusion. I watched on as their empty eye sockets glanced around frantically, searching for any sign of the vanished child, but she was nowhere to be found, vanished into the ether as if she had never existed. Ava, however, continued to hum a cheerful tune as she feasted on what was clearly not a sausage, seemingly unfazed by the strange events unfolding around her.

“Oh Rob, my dearest child,” spoke the woman with a furrowed brow, “I’ve been pondering of late, if thy loyalty to us doth avow. But after much contemplation, I have reached a verdict, and do name thee my Dark Paladin. Remember, my boy, that fighting for the darkness that creeps, doth not make thee a monster or fiend, not in the least. For many things that the light calls evil and base, are but freedoms that belong to one’s own pace. So if ever thou art in doubt, just recall, thou art fighting for the right to be free for all.”

Rob’s skeleton voiced its fear, “What does that mean?” But before the words fully left its bony lips, its remains crumbled into dust and disappeared, just like Sophia’s, leaving the other skeletons and myself in a state of unease.

“Fear not, my dear Yua,” spoke the shrouded woman of bones, “but let thy heart with joy overflow. For I do name thee, Death’s Assassin, thou shall be the one to strike down thine enemies with nimble skill. And thou, sweet Heather, with thy heart so pure and kind, I name thee my Dark Priestess, go forth and spread my darkness upon the world, let it bind.”

As Heather and Yua both disintegrated into dust, I was struck with a feeling of awe at the strange and unusual happenings before me. Only Jeremy, Jason, and I remained seated at the table, along with Ava, who still happily feasted with a pleased expression on her face. The bone woman sat in silence for a moment, her face still hidden behind the hood of her robes. The scene was dreamlike and surreal, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder and enchantment at the mystical feast I had found myself a part of as I decided to reach for another helping of rotting flesh to gnaw on.

“And now, my dears, to the rest of thee,” spoke the shrouded woman of bones, “each of thee hast shown much promise, it doth pain me to decree, that only one Dark Champion shall I choose, so heed my words. Jeremy, thou hast the makings of a grand leader, thou art cunning, brave, and it doth seem, thou hast the support of another celestial deity. For that, I do name thee, my Sentinel of the Damned, go forth and serve me well.

“And thou, cruel Jason, with thy heart full of anger and rage, naught can quell the fire that doth blaze within thy cage. It is for that reason, I do name thee, my Dark Champion, go forth and be the harbinger of my will, so mote it be.”

Jason, I assumed, flipped me the bird with his bony finger before crumbling into dust, while the other, Jeremy shook his head in disappointment. I was filled with confusion and shock, trying to comprehend the woman’s cryptic words. It seemed that I had lost the trial, but how? The skeletons were now nothing more than a memory, and Ava and I were the only ones left at the table with the ominous hooded woman. The room was shrouded in heavy silence, well, besides Ava’s rhythmic chewing, and a sense of unease settled deep within me, like an icy finger tracing down my spine.

The woman chuckled with sinister glee, her demeanor changing as she spoke. “Finally, they’re gone,” she said. “Blake, you’ve impressed me. And you have the backing of Circe herself. To think she’s finally taken a side in this war and given me not one but three candidates! Oh, don’t worry, little one,” she said to Ava, who had stopped eating to look up at the woman. “I know you’re not her. To think, Blake, my dear child, Circe stuck your soul into a Black Pudding. What a stroke of genius! You are now a fragment of the Eldritch Abomination that once conquered the heavens. Oh, this is such good news and just the edge we needed. Although you may not be my champion, I name you, my Scion. I have taken you as mine! Go forth, daughter, and bring your wondrous terrors upon those who have forced us into hiding!”

My reality suddenly shifted, leaving me feeling disoriented and bewildered as if I was caught in a never-ending spiral of confusion. My mind raced with questions, desperate for answers. Yet, before I could ask a single question, everything faded away, like dust in the wind, as I was consumed by the void.

The Crone has declared to the heavens you are now and forevermore her daughter.

You have earned the title: [Scion of the Crone]

May the heavens one day fear you!

Best of Luck!

CONGRATULATIONS!

A [Restricted] has been unlocked.

[Paradigm Inversion] is now available.

[Paradigm Inversion] Max Tier – Type: Unique – Cast

[Paradigm Inv ersion] Ma x Tier – Type: Uni que

Gain th e un iq ue...

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Ow, my head hurts! Wait, what the fuck, daughter of the Crone? SHHHIT!