Eternal Elysium

I inhaled a deep breath and took a step back. Chris followed my lead, his face a little pale but showing no sign of fear.

Then in an unhurried tone I opened my mouth, speaking calmly.

"Let's just mark these places… Or do you suggest we install the bombs now?"

As those words left my mouth, my heart, which had been throbbing inside my chest, finally started to calm down.

Chris licked his lips, unsure why I had asked him. Then with an even voice he answered back.

"I am not sure. Both options have their merits and demerits as far as I can think. Installing them now would save us energy but we would be limited by time."

I nodded and quietly added.

"If we were to blast this place. The thought about someone coming here to research this place will be for naught."

"So, what do you suggest we do then? Leave this place as it is?"

My lips curled up slightly as I heard Chris's question.

"Leave this place? No, of course not. That thought would not let me sleep peacefully." I paused, remembering those beds lying inside. Then, smiling darkly, I added.

"Let's blow this place up. I want to make sure it doesn't even look like an ancient ruin anymore."

Chris stared at me for a few seconds. His face remained expressionless, even dark, if one were to say.

"Alright, if you say so."

He was unsure why I had been speaking like this. But maybe a part of him just accepted the bizarreness of everything and gave up on thinking to keep up with my thoughts. Which surely wasn't so strange the longer I think about it.

I smiled with amusement, already forgetting the dark feelings that had taken place in me.

"Yes, let's do it. Or more like, let me do it. You watch and help me in case of an emergency."

Chris finally smiled, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face as he nodded.

"Ah, yes, of course. Leave it to me."

I chuckled, bringing the mask of panoply out of my ring. Before I could wear it, I raised my other hand and brought it toward Chris, who looked at it in confusion. Then, as if realizing something, he crouched down, placing one hand on the marbled floor covered with ashen dust. In the next moment, after a couple of seconds passed, a box appeared.

He opened it, bringing out balls the size of a fist in his hand with a calm expression. He grinned as he passed them to me, his excitement palpable.

I sighed, storing them in my bracelet.

These bombs were not made of gunpowder like mundane guns. They were rarely used and effective. The only use they had was for mines for clearing land and making roads. But these balls the size of my fist were different. They were made from densely packed shards. Using materials unknown to most… But I still had a guess. It most likely was obvious to everyone else as well.

Monsters—or more like creatures from beyond—had played a large part in making them.

I looked at them a little more deeply than before, lost in thoughts and decided to push those thoughts away.

With practiced movements I brought the mask to my face. A tingling sensation, similar to fingers crawling through my face, spread through me. I didn't react, already used to it by now.

I turned my head to face Chris, looking around cautiously.

"Hmm, I will be back in a moment," I said, waving my hand at him. At the same time the mask enchantment took effect, my presence became illusory. Hard to be noticed before vanishing completely.

Chris looked at the place I had been standing with an unimpressed look and simply raised his spear. Showing he was ready as well.

I nodded even though he couldn't see me and entered the room, crawling through the broken wall.

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As I stood up, dirt covered me from head to toe. My lips twitched slightly as I frowned.

'The smell… It's like rotten eggs mixed with something more vile.'

The stench was unbearable. I wished for not minutes. to leave immediately.

I felt my stomach sink but kept myself from puking. I had seen flesh and blood being flown out of a human—that was disgusting to witness but I had held myself together.

I could surely stay here for a little over a few minutes.Right?

I tried to reassure myself. But I didn't feel it was working.

As I moved forward, my gaze moved to look at one of the beds almost at the center. Above them six eggs, yellowish brown in color with a rough, mossy surface, remained still. But my focus again shifted towards the bed. I walked closer; one of the Churners by its side raised its head to look at me. I stopped. My breath almost caught in my throat. But then again, he walked away, not seeing me.

I sighed, relief flickering inside me as I watched it finally go away. I again moved toward it and stopped half a step away from the small bed. My mind felt numb as I raised my hand, which shivered slightly as I tried to grab the bed's metal frame, feeling the rust and cold sensation spread through my fingertips.

'Why?'

'I… I… can't think straight.'

I clenched the bed frame tighter. The sound of metal bending slightly occurred in the room.

I needed to accept it.

This feeling… It's similar to when I had first seen her. The unknown desire when I saw her silhouette. I still couldn't name them. However, right now I felt rage, a dark despair tormenting me from within.

Summoning the bombs, I hid one of them at the center of the eggs and pressed the small button at the top. It didn't make any sound but from the slight push, I knew it had activated.

'Now there is no going back.' I thought, my lips raising slightly in satisfaction.

Following that, I moved with swiftness, not wasting any more time on my building emotions.

The Churners, unaware of the danger, moved closely; their clicking and snapping sounds would enter my ears like a soft melody. But now it was like drums of war, telling me that time was running out.

I hastened my work, moving faster than before. My hands holding the grey orbs of destruction placed them at a secure location, making sure they wouldn't be discovered.

'Not like that matters.' I thought to myself, a chuckle almost escaping my lips. Calming myself with a look at the Churners, I stood up from the ground. I took out the last bomb and placed it in the middle of the room. A Churuner, without my notice, walked closer with its many tiny legs, making crunching sounds.

I didn't move and stayed still on my feet.

Meanwhile the Churuner, unaware of my predicament, placed one of its many legs on my feet. Almost piercing it with its sharp edge. I winced in pain, biting my lips to stop the muffled scream that threatened to escape from my lips.Then, almost as if a bad joke the churner opened its jaw, the inside dark and uncanny as if it were part of its teeth. Sharp edges filling the corners.

Then it leaned closer to the grey ball I had placed on the floor. With its jaw open, it lunged forward, taking it inside its big mouth in a single gulp.

'It ate it?! Just like that.' I was left agape witnessing this scene happen. I wondered momentarily if I should do something but then decided against it.

The only mishap that could happen now was that the bomb, this one specifically, would either not work after getting dissolved inside the churner or… blast before the timer sets.

Ah… So it will die either way.

I smiled, giving the churner rolling on the ground a cold look.

Not a bad thing after all.

I turned around and started to go back.

Everything was going perfectly.

'Nothing could go wrong.' I hummed, a little happy as I imagined this place getting destroyed into bits and pieces.

Thump!

Shriekkk!

A sharp, loud voice suddenly echoed from outside.

The churners, just like me, looked at the source from which it came.

I rushed forward, my feet kicking the cold marble floor in a hurry. From the corner of my vision I saw another Churner laid beside an egg starting to move toward the ragged wall, from where I had entered.

With the flick of my hand it stopped moving, its time frozen.

Just as I crouched and rolled down the opening, the mask's enchantment broke.

At the same time I saw a figure, like a bat, flying right at my face. My eyes dilated, shaking momentarily as I stopped the creature's time. Its features remained unclear as it was covered in dark, but I could see its wings, covered with blurry lines, flapped like a cloth left in the wind. Its size was similar to a human head, albeit not very appealing to look at.

My mind raced trying to understand the situation as I stood up from the floor.

I raised my hand, summoning the crystal blade and plunged it inside the bat-like creature. As small drops of blood dropped on the floor, the creature struggled, letting out a loud screech and flapping its wings right toward me. I grimaced as the creature's weight pulled my hand down; with a small thud, it finally slid off the blade, leaving behind dark blood on its clear surface.

The blade in the next second hungrily absorbed the blood, making me sigh heavily.

"Oh, you are out!"

Chris' voice entered my ears as I turned to look at him.

He had some bruises on his body and some dark blood dripping off his chin, while his hand held his trusted spear, plummeting down a beast down below. He took a step forward, giving me a wry smile that made my blood run cold as I watched his face turn deathly pale.

We both opened our mouths, saying the exact same thing.

"Run!"