Denizens of the Labyrinth

The group moved cautiously along the banks of the Nightmare River, their footsteps echoing faintly in the oppressive silence. The world around them felt unnervingly still, as though the domain itself was holding its breath. The air was thick, almost viscous, carrying a subtle chill that crept into their bones.

To Jazmel's attuned eyes, the scene was far more unsettling. The Nightmare River wasn't just water; it was Mana made manifest dark, corrupted, and alive. The surface shimmered with an oily iridescence, like liquid void, its slow, rippling movements betraying a sentient awareness. Tendrils of Mana swirled just beneath the surface, ghostly and serpentine, writhing like restless spirits. They glowed faintly, a sickly mix of purple and green that seemed to pulse in time with some unseen heartbeat.

Above and around them, the air was heavy with suspended particles of Mana, but instead of the vibrant hues Jazmel was used to seeing in healthier domains, this was a miasma of shadowed energy. It coiled and wavered, as though whispering to itself, clinging to the group like an unwelcome shroud. Each step seemed to disturb the balance, sending ripples through the air that dissipated far too slowly, as if the domain were reluctant to let go of their presence.

The ground near the river's edge was barren and lifeless, the dirt blackened as if scorched by fire, yet cold to the touch. Jagged rocks jutted out from the earth, their sharp edges glinting faintly in the dim light. Strange, twisted vegetation sprouted sporadically plants that seemed more like shadows given form, their leaves curling unnaturally, as though recoiling from the very space they inhabited.

Jazmel's gaze swept across the landscape, catching glimpses of Mana threads stretching out like veins through the ground and sky, connecting everything in a chaotic, tangled web. These threads were unlike any he had seen before, frayed, and vibrating with an ominous energy. He felt a shiver run through him as he noticed some of them extending toward the group, like probing fingers seeking their warmth.

The river itself produced no sound beyond the lapping of its inky waves, but the silence was not peaceful. It pressed in on them, amplifying the creak of their armour, the soft shuffle of their boots, and the faint crackle of Kazumi's flames. Each sound felt magnified, as if the domain were listening, waiting, savouring their presence.

Jazmel clenched Yoru No Tsubasa tightly, his unease growing with every step. The Nightmare River seemed to pulse with a malevolent intelligence, as though it was aware of their intrusion. The oppressive weight of the corrupted Mana around them pressed against his senses, making it harder to breathe. For all his strength, Jazmel felt small here, a fleeting spark of life standing against the endless abyss.

As Jazmel's attuned eyes scanned the eerie landscape, something shifted in the distance, upstream along the Nightmare River. His gaze locked onto faint movements within the dark currents, subtle yet undeniable. At first, they seemed like distortions in the water, but as his focus sharpened, he realized they weren't part of the river at all.

Shapes began to emerge, ghostly and malformed. Apparitions glided just above the inky surface, their translucent forms flickering like dying embers. They bore twisted features, hollow eyes that burned with a sickly green light, and mouths that stretched unnaturally wide, as if silently screaming. Their spectral bodies flowed and shimmered, constantly reshaping themselves like smoke caught in a turbulent breeze.

Behind and among them, darker figures loomed, more solid and menacing. These were the night terrors grotesque manifestations of fear and malice. They moved with a jerking, unnatural gait, their elongated limbs ending in clawed hands that trailed just above the water. Their heads were misshapen, crowned with jagged spines, and their eyes glowed faintly, piercing through the dim air like predatory beacons. They made no sound, but their presence exuded an oppressive weight that pressed against Jazmel's senses.

He felt a chill creep up his spine as he noticed more of them appearing, their numbers growing steadily. The river seemed to churn more violently around them, as though drawn to their corrupted forms. Threads of Mana clung to their bodies, oozing, and writhing like parasites feeding off their essence.

Jazmel's grip tightened on Yoru No Tsubasa, and he turned sharply to the others, his voice low but firm. "Upstream. Apparitions and other things. We're not alone."

The group froze, their eyes snapping to the direction he indicated. Kazumi growled low, flames licking along the fire foxhound's sleek form as it prepared for a fight. Sadé's gaze narrowed, her hand already resting on her weapon, while Baek and Charme exchanged brief, knowing looks, their postures shifting into readiness. Tera Nema stepped closer to Jazmel, her staff beginning to glow faintly, its light a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness around them.

"What's the plan?" Sadé asked, her voice steady but tense.

Jazmel's eyes flicked back to the river, watching as the apparitions and night terrors began to shift direction, their movements suggesting an unnatural awareness of the group. The corrupted Mana around them seemed to grow heavier, crackling faintly in the silence.

"They know we're here," Jazmel said grimly, his voice laced with urgency. "Stay close. We're moving forward but be ready. This is their domain, and they won't let us pass without a fight."

Tera Nema stepped forward, her staff glowing with an intense, otherworldly light. She raised it high, her voice cutting through the oppressive silence with commanding clarity.

"Arcanum!"

The word carried a weight that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of the Nightmare River. The tip of her wand flared brilliantly, a surge of Mana condensing into a swirling, radiant sphere at its apex. The air around them trembled as streaks of arcane energy spiralled out from her focus, forming into a dazzling barrage of projectiles. Each missile shone with prismatic hues, shifting, and crackling with volatile power.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The barrage tore through the air, an unstoppable cascade of raw magic, and slammed into the river's centre. The impact was cataclysmic. The black waters erupted violently, ichor sprays shooting high into the air and raining down in grotesque splatters. The shockwave rippled outward, distorting the river's surface and disorienting everything within its wake.

The apparitions, caught in the epicentre, had no time to react. The moment the arcane projectiles made contact; their ghostly forms combusted in flashes of blinding light. They disintegrated instantly, their hollow eyes burning out in green sparks before their bodies crumbled into nothingness. Screeches, silent yet bone-chilling, seemed to echo in the minds of the group as the apparitions vanished one by one, their essence scattered like dust in a storm.

The residual energy from the spell lingered, the air now heavy with a static hum. The corrupted Mana in the vicinity had been momentarily pushed back, its oppressive weight giving way to the residual glow of Tera Nema's attack. She stood firm, lowering her wand as the glow faded, her expression unyielding.

"Stay focused," she said, her voice steady but sharp. "That was just the beginning."

Jazmel's gaze shifted to the river, now churning more violently than before, as though the waters themselves recoiled from the arcane assault. The darkness seemed to thicken further upstream, a silent promise of more challenges to come.

From the swirling mists of the Nightmare River, the apparitions surged forward, gliding with an unnerving silence across the ink-like surface of the water. Their forms were cloaked in flowing blackness, shifting, and writhing like living shadows. Tattered and torn, their edges faded into the surrounding gloom, giving them an ethereal yet predatory appearance. Faces or what might have been faces peeked out from beneath deep, cowled hoods. Skeletal and gaunt, they glowed faintly with a sickly green hue, their hollow eye sockets seeming to pierce into the souls of those who dared to meet their gaze.

The group stood rooted for a moment, the weight of dread pressing on their chests like an invisible hand. These creatures were not merely manifestations of corrupted Mana; they were nightmares incarnate, feeding on fear and despair. As they closed in, an unnatural chill crept through the air, sinking deep into flesh and bone. Even Charme, ever composed, narrowed her eyes, her fists clenching as if bracing for the weight of the enemy's aura.

Baek's shoulders squared, his breathing steady but deliberate, his experience suppressing the primal unease clawing at the back of his mind. "These things reek of death," he muttered, his voice calm but with a noticeable edge.

Tera Nema, wand in hand, drew closer to Sadé, her other hand trembling faintly as she gathered her Mana once more. The fire foxhound Kazumi snarled, his fur bristling with glowing embers, his fiery presence a beacon of defiance against the oppressive dark. Beside him, Sadé's tails flared wide, faint arcs of electricity crackling along their edges, her amber eyes sharp and unyielding.

Jazmel, standing at the forefront, could see more than the others. Through the lens of his Mana-tuned sight, the apparitions appeared as tangled masses of corrupted energy, their cores pulsating with chaotic, unstable Mana. Their essence flickered like dying embers, yet there was a hunger in them an insatiable drive to consume. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine, his grip tightening on Yoru No Tsubasa.

"Hold the line!" Jazmel's voice cut through the rising tension, firm, and commanding. "Don't let them touch you they're tainted!"

The apparitions surged closer, their movements gliding yet unnatural, like predators borne of nightmares. A deep, rasping sound filled the air, not quite a voice but a vibration that resonated with despair. The feeling was suffocating, as though the river itself sought to drag them down.

Charme moved first, her aura flaring to life, a defiant storm of strength and presence. "Let's see if they're as fragile as they look," she said, her voice cutting through the dread as she launched herself forward, fists glowing with raw power.

The group followed, each of them steeling themselves against the creeping fear. Their light burned against the encroaching darkness, ready to clash with the nightmares ahead.

As the first wave of apparitions dissolved into fading wisps of corrupted energy, the river seemed to respond with fury. From the swirling blackness, more apparitions began to rise, their numbers swelling until the darkened waters teemed with gliding forms. They came from every direction some emerging directly from the river's surface, others appearing from the mist like ghosts stepping out of the void. Their hollow, glowing eyes burned with malevolent hunger, and their raspy, unearthly wails filled the air, a cacophony of despair that clawed at the group's minds.

Jazmel's eyes sharpened as he saw the density of the Mana surging toward them. The river's surface rippled unnaturally, its ink-like waters churning as if alive. The apparitions moved in unison, a terrible tide of shadow and malice bearing down on the group.

"More incoming!" Jazmel called, his voice cutting through the eerie wails. He stepped forward, Yoru No Tsubasa igniting with a faint, darkened glow as his Mana surged into the blade. With a powerful slash, he released Reaping Ravens, spectral birds of shadow streaking toward the oncoming tide. Each raven struck with precision, their impact tearing through the corrupted forms, dissipating them into bursts of inky mist.

Charme stepped into the fray, her body surging with martial energy. She spun and struck with fluidity, each blow shattering an apparition's form with devastating force. "They're endless," she growled, her strikes never faltering. "But they're brittle once you hit them!"

Baek, with his towering presence, was like a fortress amidst the chaos. He raised his halberd high, a shimmering wave of energy erupting from the weapon as he slammed it into the ground. The wave rippled outward, disintegrating the nearest apparitions, and forcing others to recoil momentarily. "Stay close to each other!" he barked. "Don't give them a chance to overwhelm!"

Sadé and Kazumi moved as one, her tails glowing with arcs of electricity while the fire foxhound darted ahead, a streak of molten heat and flame. Sadé raised her hand, calling forth a crackling storm of fire and lightning.

Storm Fire!

she shouted, unleashing a spiralling blast of destructive Mana. The attack ripped through the apparitions, reducing them to ash and scattering the mist in its wake. Kazumi lunged into the remaining fragments, his fiery claws tearing through anything left standing.

Tera Nema, standing slightly back, kept her wand raised as a constant source of protection and offense. Her voice rang clear as she invoked another spell.

Wand Warfare!

She flicked her wand towards the apparitions in violent strikes, sending Mana thrumming bolts towards them, some collided and others flew array. But those that collided, combusted on connection, and caused the apparitions to explode.

Despite their efforts, the apparitions continued to come, a seemingly endless tide that grew more frenzied with every passing second. The group fought as one, a whirlwind of fire, lightning, steel, and Mana, holding their ground against the encroaching darkness.

Jazmel's breath came steadily despite the intensity, his eyes flickering with focus as he searched for the source of this ceaseless tide. "Something's driving them," he muttered, his grip tightening on his blade. "We need to find it before we're overrun."