Re: Timeless Apocalypse-Chapter 159: Spiral House

The Fox’s core shattered in a supernova of brilliant golden light, buffeting waves of force surging in all directions, but he himself didn’t care in the least.

He surged through the flames of ignited air and aether around him, pushing past them, uncaring for the maddening evolution he had begun to undergo.

He wanted to be great.

And to be great, he couldn’t run from anything.

He had to face Hell head on.

A roar full of conviction shook the world, piercing through the noise and echoing just as loudly as a certain someone’s laughter.

The Fox dove past the thick layers of wind, piercing into the eye of the storm and then... darkness.

A blank.

...

"...urh..."

A groan echoed.

Uriel stirred, and slowly, his pupils fluttered open just as his mind rose from drowsiness and clarity returned to him.

He sat up, feeling a soft mattress beneath him and silk sheets covering his naked frame. Bright light blinded him for a moment before he adjusted.

Suddenly, he froze, remembering everything that had happened.

He had been in the midst of his evolution, comprehending his cores and... and then...

’Where the hell am I?!’

He looked around, observing his surroundings with sharp attention underlined by slight panic. He didn’t even remember losing consciousness.

He was in a rather large circular room, the walls made of old grey stone, very similar to those usually used for lighthouses.

The floors were made of old wood that had definitely seen better days.

His bed was situated as close as a bed could be to a ’corner’ in what was a circular room, a nightstand to his left tightly hugging the wall and the room sprawling to his right.

Across the wall on the right, there was a large window that laterally fitted along the width of the stone. The bed he lay on was simple, though extremely comfortable.

Apart from that, the room was rather... bland.

’Terrible taste.’

He grimaced, observing the clear lack of decor before shaking his head and refocusing.

He was naked in a room he didn’t remember entering—there were more urgent matters to think about than interior design.

’Hm.’

After chiding himself, Uriel slipped out of bed, his feet touching the wood and making it creak beneath his weight as he made his way toward the window.

The room was rather cold, softly brushing against his naked body, pulling his hairs taut and causing his breath to fog with every inhale and exhale.

’Ah.’

Looking through the window, all he could see was sand from a high vantage point.

A gigantic desert of white sand consumed by a never-ending storm.

’I somehow managed to make it into the statue—’

He could barely complete his thought when he suddenly felt a fluctuation behind him. On instinct he pulled at his mage rings, but remembering he hadn’t reformed them yet, he moved to the next best thing.

SHAH!

Vines rose from the wood, wrapping around his body as he turned, his glaive appearing in his grasp and his mantle unleashed.

What he laid eyes on was... a mannequin.

It was a featureless white mannequin with a feminine figure, long shimmering silver hair, and simple white robes most usually worn by servants.

His gaze shook as confusion consumed him.

’What the hell is going on...?’

He took a step back, still not dismissing his weapon or elements, eyes locked onto the creature.

"Who are you?" he asked carefully.

The mannequin’s body shook, and suddenly its form morphed, gaining olive skin, deep oak-coloured eyes, and a cheery expression.

The sudden change shocked Uriel, especially considering he couldn’t sense any aether influx anywhere during the process.

The lady respectfully bowed.

"Greetings, Uriel."

"I am Mariah, Spirit of the Spiral House, and at your service." She smiled softly. "I apologise if my sudden appearance unsettled you."

"I came to check on your state, but seeing you’ve fully recovered leaves me more than delighted."

"We’re in the Spiral House?" Doubt suffused his words. "How? I haven’t solved the puzzle and formed the key yet."

Mariah nodded.

"You have not. But in rare cases, the Spiral House itself can decide to allow in Ascendants who have impressed it."

"And that is your case. Your ingenuity and resilience have impressed the House, but more importantly—"

She pointed toward his belly.

"—the successful formation of your cores is more than worthy of its acknowledgment."

"How do I know you’re trustworthy? How do I believe any of your words, and how do I know I’m safe?" he asked, not letting his guard down.

Mariah chuckled, covering her mouth with her oversized sleeves as she did so.

"Oh please!"

"Sir Uriel, you’ve been unconscious for quite some time. Surely if my intentions were to harm you, you’d already be harmed, no?"

"No," Uriel said blandly. "I am extremely sturdy. So much so that even I would find trouble killing myself."

"Also, I don’t remember passing out. That can’t be possible. My memory is perfect."

Seeing him resist so much, Mariah felt a pang of empathy echo across her metal heart.

’Aw, what a terribly mutilated little puppy.’

She shook her head and sighed.

"Sir Uriel, take things as you wish. You are safe, whether you believe it or not is your prerogative."

"Now, things are up to you. I could either leave you to your devices, or provide more information to clear up your confusion."

"But things will not work if you remain this defensive."

She then fell silent.

Uriel met her gaze, and she met his own, unfazed by the blade pointed at her or the network of vines shifting across the room like living serpents.

"How... much food is there in here?"

...

As it turned out, Uriel truly was within the Spiral House, and in line with the gigantic structure he had seen it to be while in the desert, it possessed multiple floors.

The one directly below was a living area, and the one beneath that was a kitchen.

The space was similar to his room, with the exception of a small cooking unit set in a corner and a strange semi-circular bar-like table fitted along the room’s walls, acting as a dining table.

Sitting beside Uriel as he voraciously inhaled plates of food she had been preparing while he’d been unconscious, Mariah found herself speechless.

Where had his vigilance suddenly gone?!

’What if I had poisoned the food...? I thought that—’

She sighed and shook her head.

In the end, who was she to question the methods of a boy who had somehow gained the acknowledgement of the Spiral House itself?

She watched him eat for a couple more minutes, her eyes tracing his moving jaw, elated eyes, and silky hair.

Finally, she broke the silence that had been filled by chewing and metal scraping against ceramic.

"So, Sir, there are quite a few things you must know."