Nightmare Mythos

Chapter 114: Final Showdown (8)

The Library was losing.

It looked like it holding firm, even resisting the fierce and lethal Void that kept forcing its way in, but this was only an outward appearance. The image it instilled of being able to defend such an abomination slowly crumbled, revealing that it had never truly been holding back the Void at all.

Rumbleeeee—!

The hole above was widening as more fissures and cracks kept manifesting throughout the whole library, connecting to the ends of reaches it could link to.

The paper floor to replace the library's interior was dwindling while the wooden shelves were gone, countless Guardian Shelves that tried to replace it as a second option have already been swallowed by the Purplish Emptiness as well.

The last line of defense the library could exert isn't going to last.

With the result dampening, worsening at each time, the first result of the Library's defeat started to become apparent.

Shelves from the 'current roof' started falling down.

Thud—!

While in search of the Elusive Door, Cesar's steps were weak. He wasn't able to run or jog to increase the pace of his running.

He was merely walking as he tried to control his body from suffering, afraid that he would break apart if he exerted himself once more.

'Calm down...'

Tak—!

Gladdened at the fact that the shelves falling down and the interior of the Library wasn't falling towards them, Cesar tried to search for each shelf he could see.

Aside from the clue that it is continuously being elusive that he received from Cedeit, Cesar didn't know anything else about it.

But whatever it was, he knew his time was running out.

Rumble—!

Feeling the intensity of the quake getting much stronger each second, Cesar walked through the pain and pursuit what he thinks that looks like an 'Elusive Door'.

He walked between the shelves, rows of books neatly lined up as his trail of blood marked the floor behind him.

Just as he was beginning to think it was futile to search for something as obscure as an 'Elusive Door,' something caught his attention at the corner of his eyes.

As he did, Cesar observed the same stacks of books lining up however in one part of the board, something was moving.

No, it looked like it was quivering in fear.

'Penetrated reality?'

This penetrated reality isn't clouded, instead, just a scratch with an image coming from the inside that seemed like a live view of what was happening on the outside.

However, it was dark already as if the connection it had had been disrupted by something.

Rustle—!

Cesar immediately picked up the Source of Light artifact and channeled his mana into it before muttering under his breath.

"Let there be light..."

Whoosh—!

Soon, the dimly lit room brightened, allowing Cesar to take in the full view of his surroundings with his own two eyes.

Apart from the rotting corpse, the room was filled with countless penetrated realities, as if scratched open by someone, most of them now showing only nothing.

Yet, Cesar managed to spot a few that still displayed live scenes—each one revealing parts of the library.

There was Vin, Maine, his squad, and any soldier from that particular angle and view, could be seen through these scratches.

Just as he was assessing the connections of these penetrated realities from the ones outside, his gaze fell on the floor where found an enigmatic, dying eyeball... that lunged and latched itself to him.

It crawled very swiftly before entering his left eye.

"Hehehe, what a great fellow you are,"

Cesar's eyes wavered when this particular eye sounded so clear inside his mind.

"How are you talking—Just what are you...?"

The dying eye that latched itself into his empty bleeding eye socket chuckled, its voice groggy as it answered.

"What do you think am I? I'm just an old and weak Nightmare, Sparrow. Though, you can call me Eyes of Deceit. And I'll borrow your body for a moment if you won't mind. Hehe,"

Cesar's heart rose while trying to remove the eyeball that latched itself into his empty eye socket as he shouted in desperation, "No, why would I give you my body?! Get the fuck out!"

As though the decaying eyeball had finally fused with the empty socket in his skull, something snapped within Cesar.

"Ahhhhh!"

And he let out a wailing sound that came from the depths of his heart.