The silence within the ancient cathedral was heavy and laden with anticipation. The remaining acolytes stood frozen, their gazes shifting between their kneeling leader and the cloaked figure they had moments ago regarded as an enemy. The mage on the altar groaned softly, regaining consciousness and adding to the surreal confusion of the scene.
Nihil stood motionless, his mind racing faster than a thunderstorm. This was a trap, but not the kind he had anticipated. Not a trap with blades or spells, but one woven from fanatical belief. Physically overpowering them would be easy, but it would only reinforce their delusion that he was a war god testing their faith. Escaping would be difficult; they surrounded him.
Ravenna Cruor rose with a movement that was graceful and reverent. Her dark eyes shone with an unnatural light, a fanatical fire of devotion. She raised her hands, not to attack, but to calm her followers.
"Lower your weapons, my children," she said, her melodious voice echoing through the hall. "Do you not see? The Avatar has come to us. He has not come to destroy. He has come to test our faith."
She turned to the hole in the floor where two of her followers had vanished. "The two brethren he has claimed... their souls now belong to the True Silence. They have been granted the greatest honor. A sacrament in blood and nothingness."
Her words made Heze within Nihil feel sick. Ravenna twisted murder into a sacred sacrifice. This was madness on an entirely new level.
Ravenna approached Nihil, stopping several steps in front of him. She showed no fear whatsoever. "We have awaited you, Avatar," she continued, her voice now softer, more personal. "For centuries, we have preserved the true teachings. This world is drowned in the noise of Creation—the meaningless cycle of life and death, the games of false gods and mortal vanity. But we know the truth."
She stared directly into Nihil's crimson eyes. "The Shackles of Nihility that bind you are not a curse. They are a chrysalis. A promise. And we," she gestured around her, "we are the midwives who will help you be reborn and restore this world to the perfect, silent Truth of the Void."
Nihil remained silent. To speak would be a mistake. To deny would be seen as a trial. To attack would only confirm their purpose. So, he chose to be what they wanted: an enigma, an entity beyond comprehension. His absolute silence, Ravenna misinterpreted as divine contemplation.
"You must be weary from your journey," Ravenna said, her smile broadening. "Allow me to show you the resting place we have prepared for you. A place where you may meditate and gather your strength."
This was a command disguised as an offer. Nihil knew he had few options. He nodded briefly.
Ravenna looked delighted. "Follow me, my Lord."
She led Nihil through the main hall, acolytes bowing deeply as they passed. They traversed the now-groaning mage, who was hastily removed from the altar by two acolytes. "Take the failed offering to the cells," Ravenna commanded indifferently, without sparing him a glance.
They entered a better-maintained section at the back of the cathedral. Ravenna revealed an extensive library, its shelves filled with ancient leather-bound books and fragile scrolls. "Our archives," she said proudly. "Containing forbidden knowledge you will not find elsewhere. The true history of your predecessors, the bearers of the Shackles before you."
Heze's mind immediately noted it. Knowledge. This was why he had come here.
The tour ended before a heavy iron door etched with spiral symbols. Ravenna opened it, revealing a surprisingly luxurious chamber. A large bed with black silk sheets, a warm fireplace, and a table laden with food and wine. A gilded cage.
"Rest here, Avatar," Ravenna said softly. "Study our texts. Command us as you wish. We are your most faithful instruments. We will bring you offerings—artifacts for you to consume, enemies for you to erase—to hasten your sacred metamorphosis."
Nihil stepped into the room. He knew what this meant. He could fight now, expend his energy killing some of them before eventually being overwhelmed or escaping back into uncertainty. Or... he could play the role. For the time being. He could use their fanaticism to his advantage, to access the knowledge they offered.
He chose the latter.
Once inside, Ravenna smiled contentedly. "Rest well, my Lord."
The heavy iron door closed with a final DENTUM, followed by the sound of a massive bolt sliding into place.
Nihil was now the most honored guest and the most valuable captive of the Cult of Nullity.
Nihil awoke early in the morning. He had tested the door and windows of his room. Both were securely locked and reinforced with anti-magic spells. As expected. He did not waste time attempting a forced escape. He would play their game.
When an acolyte arrived with breakfast, Nihil made his first request. "I wish to access your archives," he said, his voice cold and commanding. "The oldest texts. Especially those concerning the 'Forgotten Sovereign' and the Shackles of Nihility."
The acolyte trembled with excitement. "Of course, Avatar! Right away!"
Soon after, he was escorted to the vast library. Two armed acolytes guarded him from a respectful distance, granting him privacy yet ensuring he did not go anywhere. Nihil ignored them and headed straight for the oldest and dustiest section of the archives.
He spent hours reading. The texts were written in an ancient language, but Heze's linguistically talented soul quickly adapted. The content was unsettling. Extreme nihilistic philosophy, mixed with疯狂的 prophecies and brutal rituals. All centered around the idea that existence was a disease, and the Void was its cure.
While Nihil was immersed in his research, his hunters reacted to his silence.
At the Dimensional Guild's base, Elara Moonveil stared at her map in frustration. "He's gone dark to our sensors ever since he entered the Dead District," she said to her team. "The area is like an interference curtain. I can't see anything inside."
An unusual unease began to creep into her heart. The unease of a scientist fearing her invaluable research subject would be destroyed before she could study it. "Prepare a small reconnaissance team," she ordered. "We'll approach the perimeter of the Dead District. I don't like this feeling."
Elsewhere, at Umbra Venari's headquarters, Tarek received a report from his informant, Rat Ear.
"Boss, the target was spotted entering the old cathedral at the heart of the Dead District yesterday. No one's seen him since," the informant reported.
Tarek smiled cynically, a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Excellent," he hissed. "Let the void-worshipping madmen play with their new toy. Either they'll weaken him for us, or he'll slaughter them. Either way, we win."
He stared at his missing arm. "We'll set up observation posts around the district. We'll wait. When he finally emerges—wounded and exhausted—we'll ambush him. This time, there will be no mistakes."
Back in the cathedral library, Nihil found a journal different from the others. Bound in black leather with a faint Nocturne symbol on the cover, his heart beat a little faster.
He opened it. It was the journal of one of his ancestors, Archon Zarthus Nocturne, who lived four centuries ago. One of those who bore the curse.
The early entries were filled with desperation and suffering, very similar to what he had sensed from Original Nihil's memories. But then, Zarthus discovered the Cult of Nullity. He saw them as saviors. He joined them willingly. The journal documented his increasing power, his soaring Void Sync, and his growing conviction that he was the Avatar.
Nihil read rapidly until he reached the final entry. The handwriting became rough and uneven, as if written in haste.
"Tonight is the night. Ravenna IX—the great-grandmother of the current high priestess—says preparations are complete. The 'Final Unshackling Ritual'. They claim this will free me from my mortal constraints, propelling me directly to 100% Void Sync. I will become one with the True Silence. I will be their god. I am ready."
Nihil flipped to the last page. Only a few panic-scribbled words remained.
"THEY WERE WRONG... THIS IS NOT A RESURRECTION... THIS IS... A CONSUMPTION... MY SOUL... IS BEING... EAT—"
The writing stopped mid-word.
A bone-chilling cold, sharper than the Void's touch itself, ran down Nihil's spine. He understood now. The cult's endgame was not to worshipp him. Their goal was to use him as a sacrificial catalyst. They wanted him to reach 100% Void Sync in an instant, not to make him a god, but to trigger a Nihility explosion that would "cleanse" everything, starting with his own soul. They did not wish to serve their deity. They intended to detonate him.
"Ah, Avatar. I see you've found the journal of our beloved Archon Zarthus," came a voice.
Nihil looked up sharply. Ravenna Cruor stood at the library's entrance, a beautifully fanatical smile on her lips.
"He was one of your most faithful predecessors. His magnificent sacrifice nearly brought us to True Peace. Unfortunately, his vessel at the time was somewhat too weak."
She stepped inside, holding an intricately carved obsidian ceremonial dagger.
"But you," she continued, her eyes devouring Nihil with longing. "You are different. You are strong. Preparations for your ritual are almost complete. Are you not delighted?"
The trap was revealed. His gilded cage was a sacrificial altar. And his hospitable hosts were his executioners.