’Did the tribulation attract a...’

Uriel immediately sensed it.

A presence so powerful and savage it violently bent all of the world’s fabrics toward it. Through the world, Uriel could feel part of the creature’s Will.

It was Chaos incarnate.

All he could feel was a relentless desire to consume, shatter, and devour. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOM!

He heard trees being uprooted and torn in the creature’s path as it rushed toward him, each of its steps echoing like thundering explosions.

The echoes overlapped in such rapid succession that it almost sounded like a dark symphony, a melody announcing the arrival of a predator.

Mud exploded and splattered in all directions, the rain only intensifying by the second and the winds growing more violent.

SHOO!

The creature finally broke past the darkness of the forest beyond the small arena Uriel had built for Samael, entering the cleared field of blood and mud.

He finally laid eyes on the creature.

’What in the world...’

The... thing was humanoid.

It was tall and lanky, its skin entirely grey, a blend of silver scales woven into an armor-like chitinous exoskeleton. Across its sculpted frame, packed with lean muscle, azure runes were etched, glowing with resplendent light.

The creature’s hands were fitted with six bony fingers, each boasting long, sharp, dark claws reeking of blood, while its webbed feet dug firmly into the ground.

It was featureless, with the exception of its eyes—two blue orbs that shone as brightly as stars. Around its body, waves upon waves of chaotic ice and water aether danced.

Perhaps to say it was featureless would be wrong, as its face held the shape of a nose and mouth, but it seemed covered by its own leathery skin, like an immortalized torture victim.

Merely looking at it, as its sealed nostrils expanded and shrank and its mouth opened and closed, struggling against the fabric of its own skin, was enough to shake even the sturdiest of hearts.

Just looking at it was anxiety-inducing.

’...’

Uriel had never seen anything like it before.

Well, he had, as the creature looked relatively similar to Flon-Men, but something seemed different. At a fundamental level, Uriel could feel the creature was unlike anything he’d ever encountered.

The way the fabrics seemed to reject and loathe it. The way it wielded aether not through resonance, but through dissonance, forcing its will upon the energy that so vehemently rejected it.

It felt like its very existence was rejected by all things.

’A Horror.’ He immediately concluded.

He’d never seen one, but something within him told him his thought was correct.

’What a specimen.’ Uriel tried to peer into the creature’s body, trying to gauge its power, but he couldn’t.

All he saw and felt was darkness.

But from the curvature of the fabrics around it and the sheer amount of energy it exuded, he guessed that at worst, it was a peak first-step creature, and at best a mid-tier second-step creature.

It was, without a doubt, powerful.

SHOO!

The rain intensified yet again, and just as Uriel thought the creature would attack, it remained still. It simply stared at him, its blue eyes emanating sharp intent.

Their gazes met, and Uriel’s eyes suddenly widened, a voice echoing in his mind, dry and ancient.

"I hope you can hear my voice. If you can, do not utter a word. If you cannot, then let my words be void."

Seeing Uriel’s widened eyes, the creature imperceptibly nodded. "Good. You can hear me, child."

"It is unfortunate that we meet in such circumstances, but it will have to do. We mustn’t show our bond of affiliation, for ’they’ are always watching."

"If they learn the truth, your people will suffer."

’Is it talking about the Gods? Or something else?’ Uriel thought with a shaky heart.

Something about the creature’s voice deeply unsettled him. For some reason, he couldn’t help but remember Mariah’s words.

...

["Listen, there is not much else I can say without killing you, and I myself do not know that much more, but—"

She turned to the gate of gold.

"—what lies behind this is a path. It is a path that will answer all your questions, and it is a path that will bring you back to your friends."

"But..." she struggled to utter the words on her mind. "...I think sometimes the truth is more of a tool of falsehood than otherwise."

"I think oftentimes the truth breaks more than it mends, and perhaps you think yourself to be mighty, to be valiant and fearless, but even Achilles fell."

"And you, Uriel, are a walking Achilles’ heel. You’ll fall at the slightest touch. You are fragile beyond words."

She got closer to him, her gaze full of something Uriel could only call pity. Pity and sorrow.

A gaze he was quite familiar with.

"The truth is ruthless, Ciel."]

...

Uriel opened his mouth, and as he swallowed hard, he got nothing.

"I sensed your presence when you angered the world. I saw the magnificent spell you cast. I also sensed the essence of your blood."

"So, I came."

The creature paused.

The way it spoke was strange, almost as if, on the surface, it lacked any form of intellect and was even more blank than a child.

But what Uriel heard was the voice of something ancient. He couldn’t quite describe it, but it was almost as if he could hear the creature’s age in the way its voice rang.

The thing was very old.

"I came to warn you." The creature finally broke its silence.

"The path you walk is a dangerous one. Let go of your aspirations aimed at the Spire, and leave through the path from which you came."

"I am old, and thus I know mercy, and I recognize the regal essence of your blood, so I am kind. But others will not be."

Uriel exhaled slowly. Then, he chuckled.

Was he supposed to be afraid of more enemies coming for his life and secrets? Of more danger? Of more agony?

He would’ve laughed at the Horror had he not respected it for its decency. In truth, he found it far too coincidental—so much so that he wouldn’t be surprised if he was being lured into yet another trap.

What were the odds that, among all Green Horrors, he’d end up attracting the one Horror that somehow ’recognized’ his blood and wasn’t trying to devour him as it implied the others would?

What were the odds, really?

’Zero. This creature was waiting for me. It has been waiting for me in this forest for a long time. Since even before I entered the legacy Event Space.’

He didn’t buy its story at all.

’Since this place is linked to the Spirals... maybe it’s a memento of one of my past lives. Or something left behind by a Spiral.’

His gaze narrowed. ’And they did all this just to tell me not to ascend the Spire?’

’Or did I leave this thing here to tell me not to ascend the Spire?’ He wasn’t sure.

Ever since he learned of the Spirals and Timeless, Uriel had begun to see Time more as a measure of space than anything else.

It was hard to differentiate the past, present, and future when dealing with these entities. Everything was relative, truly.

"Is that all you have to tell me? Nothing else?" he asked aloud.

The creature’s eyes widened upon hearing him speak out loud so suddenly. Its aether flickered wildly, ice spreading in all directions from its feet.

"Do not speak! They can h—!"

Uriel dismissively waved a hand. "I do not fear them."

"Whoever and whatever they are, I do not fear them. If there is anything else you can say, tell me. And be direct."

"The mystery hanging around it all is exhausting. Who exactly sent you, and what are you trying to deviate me from?"

The creature trembled in pure rage, hearing him continue speaking out loud even after all its warnings.

Uriel smiled. "If all other Horrors would like to devour me because of my ’blood,’ surely ascending the Spire is the best way, no?"

"I came to this place through a one-way portal. You know this. And I have no mastery over space. You know this."

He shook his head. "Trying to find the ’path’ from which I came would be a waste of time."

"Surely you aren’t trying to stall me while other stronger and greater Horrors rush here to devour me, hm?"

"In no world would a Horror as esteemed as you be trying to trick me, right?" he asked, his smile widening.

The creature’s eyes sharpened. "You think I fear your mortal strength?"

Uriel nodded. "I think you do."