72 Pillar

I wanted to barf; I wanted to run into my wrecked room and hide under the covers. Anything to get away from the great broadsword that oozed nothing but malice and smelled like something had gone rotten.

At that moment, I would've done anything to escape the sight and stench of that vile weapon. I covered my mouth quickly, desperate to keep the bile at bay.

The demon that had called itself Zoganoth looked at me with its black eyes, clearly aware of my disgust toward its weapon. It infuriated me to no end to see the bastard's smile return, and with a small laugh, Zoganoth hugged his blade as if it were a long-lost lover.

"What's wrong, boy?" it taunted, its finger digging deep into the flowing poison that surrounded the blade. "Do you not like my Poisonous Abyss Sword?" it mocked.

Zoganoth soon turned his attention back towards Madelyn, pointing his blade at her. Drops of poison dripped from the top of the sword, turning the very carpet below black as if it had been scorched by fire.

Zoganoth laughed wickedly as he brought back his sword, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"Well then..." he taunted. "Shall we start round two?" Without wasting any time, he swung his massive sword.

With a single swing, a massive wave of dark purple energy erupted from the blade, tearing apart everything in its path.

"Shit!" I yelled, feeling the destructive force closing in on all of us. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

Wood splintered, and the walls of the house seemed to groan in protest as the wind roared in my ears.

But just as the energy was about to hit us, I felt a sudden calm wash over me. Opening my eyes, I saw Madelyn standing in front of me, her sword extended sideways as a pink bubble surrounded us all. The protective barrier shimmered with a soft glow, deflecting the dark energy away from us.

"What is this?" I asked, looking all around at the bubble that surrounded us on all sides.

"Geopum Fada," Madelyn said, her gaze fixed ahead. "Protective Space," she added, probably to clarify.

"Protective space," I repeated, completely in awe of what I was witnessing.

The pink barrier soon disappeared, revealing something I really didn't need to see.

"My home," I said, looking around at the devastation.

Everything around us was burnt to a crisp, with a huge, deep gash etched into the ground and purple vapor rising from the scorched earth. The once familiar surroundings were now unrecognizable, destroyed by Zoganoth's power.

"Cover your nose," Madelyn instructed, as she protected herself from the vapor rising towards her face.

I quickly did the same, finding a small white rag on the ground and wrapping it around my mother's face, making sure she was protected as well.

"Our home is gone," I said once again, looking up to see everything reduced to rubble and ash. The only place left untouched was what lay inside the pink protective bubble.

"You survived," Zoganoth said, his massive sword lowered to his side. "That won't last long," it taunted, raising its sword once more.

"My weapon is filled with all of my power," Zoganoth explained. "All of my poison concentrated into this very blade." It continued, its voice dripping with malice. "Do you understand what that means?" Zoganoth asked, a twisted grin spreading across its face. "It means that I can release devastating attacks with a single swing!" With a maniacal laugh, it brought back its sword and took another swing.

"Not again!" I yelled as a dark purple slash raced towards the three of us, cutting apart the ground as it did so.

I waited for Madelyn to bring up the pink barrier again – what was it called again? Oh right, Geopum Fada. But as the purple slash grew closer, its size twice that of our house when it was still intact, there was no sign of the protective space.

"Any moment now..." I said, still waiting as the demon's attack grew dangerously close.

"Uh..." I muttered out loud as the demon's attack grew impossibly close, a sense of dread creeping over me as I realized we were completely exposed.

My eyes remained open as nausea overtook me, and my surroundings without warning began to change.

"Oh god!" I exclaimed with confusion swirling in my mind as I suddenly found myself in a whole other area.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking around, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I had a lousy sense of direction, but even I could tell that the surroundings were eerily familiar, yet different. With a gasp, I soon realized that I was looking at the houses of my neighbors that loomed in the darkness, their windows dark and uninviting. It was as if the entire neighborhood had been abandoned.

I turned to Madelyn in confusion as I realized that we were really only a few blocks away from my house. Madelyn, her back still facing me, turned her head slightly and looked back at me.

"Stay here," she instructed before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Wait!" I called out, but it was too late. She was gone, leaving me standing alone in the desolate street.

I looked down at my mother, still unconscious in my arms. "I have to go," I said with a small smirk, kissing her forehead before gently placing her against a tree that stood in front of one of our neighbor's houses. "You would approve," I added, trying to reassure myself as much as her.

Standing up, I turned and ran back towards my house, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.

The ground rumbled underneath my feet, and in the distance, I could see black smoke rising. Against my better judgment, I continued to run. "Dammit, I'm going to regret this," I muttered to myself, pushing aside my doubts as I raced towards whatever awaited me at home.

***

Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverseI wanted to barf; I wanted to run into my wrecked room and hide under the covers. Anything to get away from the great broadsword that oozed nothing but malice and smelled like something had gone rotten.

At that moment, I would've done anything to escape the sight and stench of that vile weapon. I covered my mouth quickly, desperate to keep the bile at bay.

The demon that had called itself Zoganoth looked at me with its black eyes, clearly aware of my disgust toward its weapon. It infuriated me to no end to see the bastard's smile return, and with a small laugh, Zoganoth hugged his blade as if it were a long-lost lover.

"What's wrong, boy?" it taunted, its finger digging deep into the flowing poison that surrounded the blade. "Do you not like my Poisonous Abyss Sword?" it mocked.

Zoganoth soon turned his attention back towards Madelyn, pointing his blade at her. Drops of poison dripped from the top of the sword, turning the very carpet below black as if it had been scorched by fire.

Zoganoth laughed wickedly as he brought back his sword, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

"Well then..." he taunted. "Shall we start round two?" Without wasting any time, he swung his massive sword.

With a single swing, a massive wave of dark purple energy erupted from the blade, tearing apart everything in its path.

"Shit!" I yelled, feeling the destructive force closing in on all of us. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact.

Wood splintered, and the walls of the house seemed to groan in protest as the wind roared in my ears.

But just as the energy was about to hit us, I felt a sudden calm wash over me. Opening my eyes, I saw Madelyn standing in front of me, her sword extended sideways as a pink bubble surrounded us all. The protective barrier shimmered with a soft glow, deflecting the dark energy away from us.

"What is this?" I asked, looking all around at the bubble that surrounded us on all sides.

"Geopum Fada," Madelyn said, her gaze fixed ahead. "Protective Space," she added, probably to clarify.

"Protective space," I repeated, completely in awe of what I was witnessing.

The pink barrier soon disappeared, revealing something I really didn't need to see.

"My home," I said, looking around at the devastation.

Everything around us was burnt to a crisp, with a huge, deep gash etched into the ground and purple vapor rising from the scorched earth. The once familiar surroundings were now unrecognizable, destroyed by Zoganoth's power.

"Cover your nose," Madelyn instructed, as she protected herself from the vapor rising towards her face.

I quickly did the same, finding a small white rag on the ground and wrapping it around my mother's face, making sure she was protected as well.

"Our home is gone," I said once again, looking up to see everything reduced to rubble and ash. The only place left untouched was what lay inside the pink protective bubble.

"You survived," Zoganoth said, his massive sword lowered to his side. "That won't last long," it taunted, raising its sword once more.

"My weapon is filled with all of my power," Zoganoth explained. "All of my poison concentrated into this very blade." It continued, its voice dripping with malice. "Do you understand what that means?" Zoganoth asked, a twisted grin spreading across its face. "It means that I can release devastating attacks with a single swing!" With a maniacal laugh, it brought back its sword and took another swing.

"Not again!" I yelled as a dark purple slash raced towards the three of us, cutting apart the ground as it did so.

I waited for Madelyn to bring up the pink barrier again – what was it called again? Oh right, Geopum Fada. But as the purple slash grew closer, its size twice that of our house when it was still intact, there was no sign of the protective space.

"Any moment now..." I said, still waiting as the demon's attack grew dangerously close.

"Uh..." I muttered out loud as the demon's attack grew impossibly close, a sense of dread creeping over me as I realized we were completely exposed.

My eyes remained open as nausea overtook me, and my surroundings without warning began to change.

"Oh god!" I exclaimed with confusion swirling in my mind as I suddenly found myself in a whole other area.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking around, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I had a lousy sense of direction, but even I could tell that the surroundings were eerily familiar, yet different. With a gasp, I soon realized that I was looking at the houses of my neighbors that loomed in the darkness, their windows dark and uninviting. It was as if the entire neighborhood had been abandoned.

I turned to Madelyn in confusion as I realized that we were really only a few blocks away from my house. Madelyn, her back still facing me, turned her head slightly and looked back at me.

"Stay here," she instructed before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Wait!" I called out, but it was too late. She was gone, leaving me standing alone in the desolate street.

I looked down at my mother, still unconscious in my arms. "I have to go," I said with a small smirk, kissing her forehead before gently placing her against a tree that stood in front of one of our neighbor's houses. "You would approve," I added, trying to reassure myself as much as her.

Standing up, I turned and ran back towards my house, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination.

The ground rumbled underneath my feet, and in the distance, I could see black smoke rising. Against my better judgment, I continued to run. "Dammit, I'm going to regret this," I muttered to myself, pushing aside my doubts as I raced towards whatever awaited me at home.

***

Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse