Magister Insanity

'What to do?'

After learning the truth about the [Marked One], I sat down close to the altar and sank back. Within my hands was the Glock 20 I had picked up from the ground.

When I ejected the magazine, only a single round remained.

Had Ezra been saving it for himself? Or had he simply stopped firing at the exact right moment? I would never know. And it wasn't as if I could ask him, the dead don't answer questions. Not yet, anyway. My mental state hadn't slipped that far… at least, not this time.

But that was not important. Right now, I was contemplating doing the unthinkable. At the same time, I asked myself what was so wrong with that.

Wouldn't it be nice if the pain and torment could end?

Certainly, it was better than starving to death. Certainly, a bullet to the head would be the most certain way to end it all in a single motion. Certainly, everything would end.

However, that was unacceptable.

What was the point of all that struggle, only to reach the end and find that death was the final result?

It felt as though fate was mocking me.

What the hell had I done to deserve this?

No. I did deserve it. They said all murderers were the scum of the earth, worthy of nothing but death. By that logic… I deserved to die too.

I was a murderer.

Yet, despite everything, I wanted to live.

I didn't plan to die here. I had made a promise. It was far too early for my life to end. And yet… fate seemed intent on dragging me toward it.

"Only the marked one may cross the threshold of eternity."

One must transcend beyond the body.

"Persecute thyself, stain the altar with the worth of blood."

One must sacrifice the weak vessel made of fresh and bones.

"Let the veins be rivers, let the heart be flame, let the breath that departs be the hymn of devotion."

One must devote themselves to an higher power.

"Cast the spell, weave the thread, bind the blood, nail the head, kill the sun, break the chains, free the soul. Only than would you be redeemed."

Reciting the unholy scriptures under my breath, I lifted the gun and pressed the barrel to the side of my head. My finger hovered over the trigger, hesitation following close behind.

What would actually happen if I pulled it?

Was there an afterlife?

Would I descend into Hell… or ascend to Heaven?

The latter seemed impossible. Most likely, I'd be thrown into the lake of fire and feasted upon by demons.

But so what? I had already survived one hell, what could another possibly do that this place hadn't already?

"Mom… Dad… I'm sorry."

Steeling my resolve, I forced my trembling hand to stay steady. I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and whispered the final phrase of the ritual:

"All hail the Almighty Ruler of Imaginary, Vanishing Dream God!"

…And squeezed the trigger.

Accompanied by a muzzled sound, something forcefully burrowed its way into my head. Following that, everything went dark.

A voice from somewhere within the Void gently whispered:

[You have died.]

† †

Accompanied by his hounds, the Hollow Knight entered the ruined temple, greeted by an unpleasant scene.

The smell of blood filled the air, tainting the once sacred grounds. The knight was enraged, insulted by this unforgivable violation of its God's sanctuary. Near the altar, two dark puddles of blood glistened, surrounding their source. But who did this? Scanning the room, it soon discovered the culprit.

Resting against the altar was Sonny, his head riddled with a gaping hole, lifeless. A gun had slipped from the grip of his right hand. There was no need for imagination to know exactly what had transpired in its absence.

The Hounds growled, showing their disdain and hostility.

Soon, they slowly moved closer, intending to rip apart the pitiful eyesore, but the Knight stopped them in their tracks before they could. From Sonny's deceased body emanated a faint, strangely familiar scent: a trace of divinity.

The source was his shadow.

Sorrowful and lonesome, it drifted into memories of when it had been alive, filled with purpose and vigor. Now, it was little more than an empty shell, doomed to wander and reminisce.

The shadow writhed relentlessly, as if trying to speak. The Knight inclined its head, understanding the silent plea.

Slowly, the sentinel moved toward the bodies, lifting and dragging them toward the shadow.

It was as if the dead were being offered to the shadow.

At that moment, the shadow twisted in shape and size, transforming into the maws of a beast resembling a dragon king. Soon, the two bodies were swallowed by the shadow, vanishing into the abyss of darkness. The Knight watched silently as the shadow pulsed with a strange, almost reverent rhythm, as though acknowledging the grim offering.

A low, rumbling sound emanated from the shadow, resonating through the ruined temple.

The shadow's form continued to contort, absorbing darkness from the surroundings, until it towered above the Hollow Knight and the Hounds like a malevolent deity.

Two mere human souls were not enough to satiate its bottomless hunger.

The Knight — as well as the Shadowy Hounds — understood and knelt, bowing their head in obedience.

How could they resist the will of their God?

Opening its mighty jaws, the shadow lunged with impossible speed and engulfed the lowly creatures, swallowing them whole.

The world seemed to twist and warp inside that void, shadows folding over shadows, an incomprehensible abyss that devoured everything.

For a heartbeat, the shadow paused, savoring the meal.

Then, as if satisfied, it retracted slightly, folding into a writhing mass of darkness, but it didn't return to its original form.

The blackness compressed itself to its limits, gaining mass with every passing second.

Before long, a miniature black hole had formed.

Then, as if pulled by an irresistible force, Sonny's body was swallowed whole, vanishing from the scene without leaving a trace.

And once again, the temple was deadly silent.

† †

Where am I?

My head… it hurts.

A throbbing, relentless pain, as if someone had hammered a thick nail straight into my skull. It was unbearable.

Ah… that's right. Didn't I shoot myself in the head?

That must be the source of this maddening headache. If I had known something like this would happen, I never would have pulled the trigger.

Wait… am I dead? I can't be, right?

After all, no one ever said the dead still feel pain. This… this feels more like sleeping than dying.

If that's the case… then this must be a dream.

Perhaps so.

A voice whispered, cutting through the haze:

[You have willingly sacrificed yourself to a fallen god.]

[The judgement has been delivered.]

[You have received a boon.]

[Prepare for appraisal...]

"What?"

That voice… it sounded familiar. Wasn't it the same voice from back then?

Disregarding my questions, it continued, as if preprogrammed:

[Your prelude is over!]

[You have slain a dormant fiend: Hollow Knight's Seedling.]

[You have slain a dreamless human: nameless.]

[You have slain five dormant fiends: Gravefangs.]

[You have slain an fallen nightmare: Hollow Knight.]

Wait, what?

I was utterly confused. Who killed who?

Surely, it couldn't be the same Hollow Knight that hunted all of us for days, right? More importantly, what did it mean I killed some Gravefangs?

I have no recollection of this memory! Was this a miscalculation on the voice part?

[You have acquired an Awakened Echo: Silver Casull.]

[You have acquired a Dormant Echo: Survivors' Shroud.]

[You have acquired a Dormant Echo: Jingle Bell.]

[You encountered a sacred temple and completed a binding ritual.]

[You have unconventionally beaten the adversity.]

[You have become the Shadow of the Dream God.]

[Such treachery! Your cowardice knows no bounds!]

Was the last part really necessary? Was it because I had somewhat cheated death?

In any case, It seemed I was being appraised by the enigmatic voice.

From a glance it seemed to a system yet at the same time, it felt a different existence. What a mystery.

It felt like playing Soulverse, though most of the terms went over my head.

Wasn't there supposed to be an introductory note somewhere?

[You has received a blessing.]

[You have been bestowed the Mystic Code: Black Solace.]

Black Solace? What kind of edgy, video-game villain was that? If you're going to reward me, at least give me something cooler!

More importantly… what's a mystic code? I was completely lost.

— Where's my phone. I want to write a heartfelt review!

Soon after, a tired sigh escaped my lips.

'I'll learn about it eventually.'

With nothing else I could do, I focused, tuning in to the voice and waiting for whatever came next.

[Legacy Evolution is available. Do you accept?]

Who in their right mind would hear the word evolution and say no? You might as well have asked if I wanted a billion dollars.

Naturally, the answer was a resounding "Yes!"

Without thinking too much, I answered inwardly: yes. I couldn't speak it aloud, but my mind did.

[You have chosen to evolve your Legacy. This cannot be reversed.]

[Make sure you won't regret it.]

On second thought… maybe I shouldn't have chosen so hastily. But then again, at this point, I didn't care anymore.

I'm already dead, so what's the worst that could happen? Die again? How much can a little misfortune hurt at this point?

'Whatever. Do whatever you want,' I thought, surrendering to the voice.

[Your legacy is evolving…]

[A lost soul traverses the land of the dead. Suffering countless misfortunes, he survived all the horrors of the Forbidden Isle, yet met his untimely end still. He willingly sacrificed and devoted his soul to an evil god. However, the god has long perished, but his shadow remains!]

[Dormant 'Temple Shadow' has evolved into 'Shadowborne.']

[Rank: Divine]

A divine legacy? I hadn't heard of one before, but judging by the name, it was probably something good.

Of course, some might wonder why I wasn't reacting with more enthusiasm. "You received something of divine rank, so why the nonchalance?!"

It was impressive, sure. But it's hard to feel excited when you're dead. Not to mention, this relentless, throbbing headache refused to let up.

Trying to endure as much as I could, I steeled my resolve. But the pain was relentless, like something inside my head was about to tear free. Absurd. I was dead, and yet I was still suffering.

What a cruel fate!

Before I could curse inwardly for the fifth time, the voice spoke again:

[The First Sequence has been unlocked.]

[Awakening corresponding powers…]