blueteamnovel 267. At the Depths of the World
267. At the Depths of the World
267. At the Depths of the World
A gargantuan object reminiscent of the Site Core sat suspended by thick cabling in a dazzling world of black and white. It sat in the endless skies like a black moon, pierced by a pale crystalline stake that infinitely rose. Crystal offshoots branched from the stake like the thorns of a rose, taking root into the dark-steel flooring far underneath.
It was like a lonely tree in the middle of midnight. Or a seed that had sprouted.Rêạd new chapters at novelhall.com
Red sludge cascaded down from the pierced Site Core like the blood of a cracked, fertilized egg. It dripped, oozing down to form a stagnant, shallow crimson lake. The liquid was vibrant, like blood freshly harvested from an artery.
Growing along the inner walls of this vast expanse were the pale crystal clusters.
It went without saying that those were Genesis Stones.
The scenery was nothing like anything Frost had ever seen. Wonder danced with his ever-growing curiosity as he tried to make sense of what this place exactly was. The cables threw him off, instilling immense confusion as they listened to the guttural groans of machinery.
If they didn’t know any better, then they’d believe that the Site Core was alive.
Even when all was abandoned the machine continued to function; metal screaming as they walked along a long, insulated catwalk. Cables ran alongside it, and when touched, emitted a soft electrical buzz.
If one were to replace the wires with chains, then it would appear nearly identical to a Site Core. All it’d be missing was the singularity within.
Their voices did not echo in this boundless space. Every sound was dampened by soundproof material. Screams and shouts could not move beyond several meters before dying out. But strangely enough, the closer they approached, the more they heard a mechanical croak, along with the sloshing of a thick liquid.
From a distance, it looked like an artificial heart. A shell. A membrane. A cell. An embryo –
– An amalgamation of many things round. Many things that were associated with the notion of origin or life.
“It’s like a shell within a shell. H-Hey. Um. I wonder if it’s a power source for this place. M-maybe even for the city.” The Archivist commented from out of the blue, unable to remain choked by the oppressive silence.
The walkway was wide enough for the two to walk side by side. And much like the Site Core of F-H5, the object never seemed to get any closer. It felt like they were encroaching on something forbidden.
Why were Angels, Demons and the Faux Angels prohibited from trespassing into this exalted place?
“I’m afraid. There’s a lot of things I regret finding out. Learning what this world was like takes a toll on your spirit. Even someone like me isn’t as invincible. I used to think I have thick skin, but I realized just how easy it is for people to dig under it.”
He began.
“Sometimes it feels like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. That’s how I feel in this body. It might sound pompous for me to say this out loud, but I think real courage is born when you can still push on in spite of the odds and fears. Haaaaah. Or is this morbid curiosity? Haha... Ah... Hey. You’ve been locked away for 300 years. What made you take that first step?”
“You.” The Archivist timidly spoke as she took her notebook back, covering her face until only her silver eyes could be seen. “I didn’t want to be hated by you. You were... one of my only friends. This was the world you tried to save. Can I ask you something? If... if you can remember... Was I a burden? Was I at least able to help you ‘save’ this world?”
Soon, they were at the metaphorical gates of the object. A pair of giant, angled doors with interlocking teeth rumbled as they approached. It was easily larger than most skyscrapers on earth. How such a massive amount of mass was manipulated completely boggled his mind.
They groaned open by their mere presence alone, causing the entire world to quake. Above, once the doors opened, a flaming great sword revealed itself embedded in the floors of a corridor made from the Genesis Stones. And resting beside it was yet another electronic, skeletal remains.
It was immune to the flames, and it seemed to be the bearer of the colossal weapon.
“... w-what happened here?” The Archivist uttered in disbelief.
“A fight maybe. That’s the same figure, right...? Is that Nav? Again?” Frost held his breath.
The blade was impossibly large, to the point where it was almost comedic. There was no doubt in his mind that the remains belonged to Nav. But why were there two? Was Nav perhaps mass produced? There was no concrete answer.
All that they knew was that it was not the flames that had stripped it of its synthetic flesh.
Frost, once again, paid a short moment of silence for her fallen friend before they navigated around the flaming blade. There were many interpretations to sieve through, but they both ultimately arrived at the only one that made sense.
“It looked like they were trying to protect something.” The Archivist spoke Frost’s mind as they moved on, approaching a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Who else other than from those who were warned to never step foot here.” Frost slowly said as they finally stepped into the light.
Surrounding them, as the light died down, was an otherworldly garden.