The darkness was so dense that it barely allowed them to see a few meters ahead. The air felt heavy, as if the very void itself were trying to crush them.
Null: This must be… the Purgatory.
Nevaeh: This place... feels dangerous.
Azrael: Careful with every step. Here, a single mistake could cost us more than our lives.
Null takes barely a step when Azrael, guided by an instinct sharp as a blade, grabs him by the shirt and pulls him back.
Azrael: Stop! I felt something… Don't move.
Suddenly, a magic circle unfolds beneath their feet. Arcane symbols swirl around them, forming a glowing barrier that barely manages to contain the surrounding darkness.
Null:(standing up) I see... This must be what keeps us safe. But... from what exactly?
Azrael:(frowning) I don't know. —Looks at Nevaeh— Don't stray from my side.
Nevaeh:(nodding) Alright… but if we want to move forward, someone will have to step outside the circle.
Azrael:(thoughtful) One of us must test what's out there... and return alive.
Null: I'll go. If there's something out there, I'll face it.
Azrael:(smirking) Then be ready. I'll bring you back before you die.
Null:(sighs) Ha… how considerate.
Null steps to the edge of the circle. He takes a deep breath. The instant his foot touches the ground beyond the safe zone, an indescribable pain pierces through his body and soul. It's not just his flesh that screams, his very spirit shatters under an impossible pressure.
Unable to utter a sound, he collapses to the ground, writhing. Without hesitation, Azrael extends his ethereal chains and drags him back inside the circle.
As soon as Null returns to the safe area, the pain slowly fades. He breathes heavily through an eternal minute.
Azrael:(tense, looking around) What was that? I didn't see anyone attack you.
Null:(panting) There was no one… not a single presence. —Lifts his head, sweat dripping from his brow— It's as if... Purgatory itself attacked me.
Azrael:(in a grave tone) Then I understand… We're not fighting enemies. We're fighting the dimension itself... its very concepts.
Nevaeh:(trembling voice) Guys… we have a problem.
Azrael: What is it?
Nevaeh: The circle… it's shrinking.
Null and Azrael turn instantly. Their eyes widen in shock as they watch the safe area shrinking, inch by inch.
Azrael:(growling) Damn it! This couldn't get any worse!
Null:(resigned) Seems we're destined to face it... this living hell.
Azrael:(furious) I know! Damn this place! —Glares at Nevaeh, teeth clenched— And the worst part is, you'll suffer too because of this cursed world!
The trio stands together. The circle keeps shrinking until it finally vanishes. The pain returns, multiplied sevenfold. Null and Azrael fall to the ground, unable to move, their voices dying in their throats.
Only Nevaeh remains standing. Her eyes tremble, but her spirit does not break.
Nevaeh:(in shock) Why me…? —Shakes her head— It doesn't matter! I have to do something!
With her heart pounding a thousand beats per second, she lifts her companions and starts running. The gravity of Purgatory crushes her body, but not her determination. She runs without direction, desperately searching for a safe place.
Meanwhile, in the Creator's Forest.In a place filled with endless trees, the Creator, Alcanor, calmly enjoyed a cup of coffee made of antimatter and pure existence spices. Before him, Elaen knelt with reverence.
Elaen: My Creator, I hope your drink is to your liking.
Alcanor:(nodding calmly) Thank you, Elaen. What brings you here? —He already knows, but prefers to make conversation.—
Elaen:(head lowered) While stabilizing the moons and systems, I noticed something in Purgatory. Two beings, Null and Azrael, are being devoured by its concepts. But… a girl, Nevaeh, remains untouched. She doesn't suffer, doesn't feel pain. I wish to understand why.
Alcanor:(takes a sip, eyes distant) It's a long story. But to summarize… Azrael and Nevaeh don't belong to this fiction.
Elaen: You mean… another narrative?
Alcanor: Exactly. They come from another world, and the being who rules it "Zareth Kai" entrusted them to me so they could live an adventure here. To ensure Nevaeh's survival, when I extracted her powers, I granted her absolute immunity to pain, agony, and suffering. That way, I avoided conflict with Zareth Kai… because if our narratives were ever to collide, both would cease to exist.
Elaen:(silent, astonished) Then… you just saved us from the end.
Alcanor:(calmly, taking another sip) Exactly.
Back in Purgatory.Nevaeh, exhausted, has run impossible distances. Her breath is fire, her body a storm of pain she cannot feel. She carries Null and Azrael on her shoulders, refusing to fall.
Far ahead, through the infernal mist, a castle rises like a living shadow, breathing darkness.
Nevaeh:(panting) I have no other choice… there must be answers there.
And so, with her soul ablaze and the weight of her friends upon her shoulders, Nevaeh ventures into the heart of Purgatory... where the darkness watches, waiting for the next move.