Without giving River even a moment to react, the creature vanished into thin air. And for a split second, there was nothing but silence.
Click.
His seismic sense flared but the creature was already upon him before he could so much as move. The silence shattered instantly as the creature's strike crashed into River, the impact rattling throughout his body like a shockwave. The sheer power behind the blow sent him hurtling backward, slamming him into the wall with enough force to crack the stone.
Pain erupted through him—sharp, searing, and all-consuming. It tore the breath from his lungs, his vision swimming as he fought to stay conscious. His mind reeled as he struggled to process the situation he was in. It just didn't make sense. How was the power difference between him and the human-like Nightmare Creature so large? What the hell type of place in the Dream Realm did the Spell bring him to? Is this something all sleepers experience?
While River thrashed around in pain, the creature stood a few feet away, just watching him with the same impossibly wide grin from before. It seemed to be savoring the moment, basking in his pain as if nothing in the world could bring it greater joy. It almost seemed as if it was keeping River alive on purpose.
After feeling satisfied with the amount of pain it put River through, the creature lifted up his hand and slashed it downwards. It almost looked as though it was painting a portrait with a brush.
Then, the world twisted. Colors bled and ran like wet paint, smearing across his vision. The once-sharp details of the room dissolved, leaving only a chaotic swirl of shifting hues. It was as if the world itself had become just colors on a canvas, waiting to be painted into a beautiful mural.
Ability : [???]
Ability Description: [???]
River noticed something in his vision—words hovering just at the edge of his awareness—but he couldn't process them. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even think.
Before he could even try to recover, a hand clamped around the gorget of his armor, lifting him effortlessly into the air. His breath hitched as he struggled, weakly grasping at the creature's arm.
Its grotesque grin was gone. Instead, it was replaced by confusion, as if it didn't even understand what it was looking at. "...those…eyes…" The creature's voice slithered out in a low, rasping growl. "...why… do…eyes..?" Each word was drawn out and strained.
"I was… born with them… dipshit." River managed to choke out, his words strained as the creature's grip tightened around his armor, cutting off his breath with every syllable.
The world, as if reacting to the creature's emotions, changed and warped. The once beautiful swirl of shifting hues darkened, smearing like wet paint dragged by unseen hands. Colors bled into one another, warping into something sickly and wrong.
"…they're… like…" The creature softly whispered, but the moment it tried to speak anymore, it suddenly dropped River to the ground. And began to claw at its own head as if some invisible force was plunging through its mind, twisting it with unbearable pain.
The second River hit the ground, he gasped for air, his lungs burning as he was finally released from the creature's vice-like grip. His mind was riddled with questions. What the hell was so upsetting about his eyes? What the hell was it trying to say? And what about his eyes was causing it so much pain? But all of that became secondary as fear crashed over him like a wave, drowning out everything else. He almost died. He almost died.
With a shallow breath, River desummoned Viper's Lament and pushed himself to his feet, trying his best to stay calm. But the moment he stood, his legs buckled beneath him in pain as he nearly collapsed. But he quickly managed to catch himself before he fell through sheer will.
'Damn it legs. Move!.' Ignoring the sharp ache spreading through his body—something that was quickly becoming all too familiar—River pushed forward. He sprinted through the distorted, color-muddled world, relying entirely on the vibrations beneath his feet.
As River reached the edge where the ground abruptly dropped into darkness, he didn't hesitate. His body reacted on instinct, moving before his mind could even process the landing.
He sprang forward, launching himself into the void, and angled his body midair, preparing for the fall. The moment he hit the ground, he tucked into a roll, letting the momentum carry him forward before pushing off the ground and springing back to his feet. The landing was rough but controlled—just enough to keep moving without losing speed.
'As much as I hate to admit it, maybe Instructor Rock knew what he was talking about…' River thought, trying to keep his breath steady despite the lingering sting from the fall. All those grueling exercises, the endless drills that had seemed pointless at the time—they were the reason he hadn't been crushed under the weight of the landing. If he ever made it out of the Dream Realm alive, he'd have to find a way to thank Instructor Rock for all his help.
But there was no time to stop and think about it now. He had to keep moving.
River's feet pounded against the ground as he pushed through the passageway, the distorted hues of the space shifting around him. The vibrant colors blurred, swirling like liquid paint, but something started to change. As he ran, the chaotic swirl of color seemed to fade, becoming less oppressive. The further he moved, the more the colors dulled, as though the very nature of the world was thinning out.
Then, just as he was making the last desperate stretch of the passageway, his seismic sense flared with a warning that sent ice down his spine.
Something was moving.
Fast.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Fuck." River could feel his heart hammering against his ribs. Each beat was a frantic, desperate signal to keep running. But as each breath came out in ragged gasps, his legs began to burn more and more as he pushed himself forward faster and faster.
Trying his best to push his fear aside, River's focus narrowed on the wall in front of him. There was no room for failure.
'Please work, please work.' As River neared the wall, he could feel the shift in the air—the familiar sound of his armor resonating with the stone, triggering the opening of the wall. It then began to shift, grinding open just enough for him to squeeze through.
Timing it perfectly, River desummoned his armor in a split second, causing the wall to suddenly halt in place. As it began to start closing again, he didn't hesitate, sprinting forward with every ounce of energy he had left.
As soon as he passed through, the sound of it sliding shut echoed in the confined space of the passageway. River's heart pounded in his chest as he could hear the strange mutterings of the creature growing louder.
"…You…are…" The creature's voice was cut off abruptly as the door slammed shut, sealing off any trace of its presence. The vibrations that had once rattled through the surroundings vanished, leaving an eerie silence in their wake. River could no longer sense anything beyond the door—no footsteps, no movement, no sign of the creature. It was as if the cave itself had swallowed the chaos whole.
Finally, given a moment to himself, the weight of the whole encounter began to weigh down on him. River stared at the wall as he staggered back, his legs barely holding him up as his chest heaved. His breath came out too fast as if he couldn't get enough air no matter how hard he tried. His pulse thundered in his skull, drowning out everything else. He forced himself to take a step, then another, pressing a shaking hand against the wall to steady himself.
Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Again.
The rhythm was broken and erratic, but he clung to it, grounding himself in the deliberate movement of his lungs. His fingers curled against the stone as the adrenaline slowly bled from his system, leaving only the weight of exhaustion in its wake.
But despite it all, River felt relief. He was alive, and that's all that mattered to him. The questions, the creature's words, the implications behind them… they could wait. Right now, all he wanted to do was collapse and let exhaustion swallow him whole. And swallow him whole, it did.
***
River awoke to the sound of churning waters. The loud rhythmic sound filled his ears, pulling him out of the fog of exhaustion. Still a bit disoriented, he stretched out his limbs, trying his best to shake the lingering fog in his mind. But each movement made his muscles ache, reminding him of the situation he had just escaped.
As his vision cleared, he watched as the ocean began to recede. It was a strange sight to watch the ocean, the once-threatening tide, disappear and retreat to someplace unknown.
But it was a welcome one.
It allowed River to keep his mind off the fear he experienced within the cave and just forget about all the worries that flooded his head. It didn't last long, but for a moment, he felt a bit at peace. But as the sea completely disappeared, the sun began to rise in its place.
Robbed of his brief distraction, River decided to summon the runes of the Shell-woven Guard. He couldn't afford to dwell on how close he'd come to dying. The thought was far too overwhelming for him to think about now. Instead, he focused on the familiar sight of the runes as they materialized in front of him. Hoping that the armor would give him a sense of security, if only for a moment.
Memory Name: [ Shell-woven Guard ]
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Tier: I
Memory Type: Armor
Memory Description: [Not all people were fortunate enough to find shelter within the cities. Forced instead to climb the highest peaks that the darkness could not reach. Driven by their hunger and desperation, they braved the depths of the seas. In the end, their struggles were swallowed by the endless tides.]
Previously, River didn't have the time to really care about the description. But now, with a bit more time on his hands, he found himself strangely interested in what the memory implied.
'That cave must have been one of the places they took shelter.' River thought, taking a glimpse at the wall behind him. 'But if that was the case…did that mean that the ocean wasn't always there? If so, what could have caused it to rise out of nowhere? And why did the Spell refer to it as darkness?' River, wracking his mind over possible theories, exhaled as he read the description over for a third time. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like he was missing something—some crucial detail just out of reach.
There had to be more to the story, but staring at the description wasn't going to give him the answers he needed. With a quiet sigh, he pushed the questions to the back of his mind, saving them for later. For now, there were more pressing matters.
Enchantments: [ Toughened Shell ]
Enchantment Description: [Forged from the creatures of the abyss, this armor is designed to withstand the crushing pressures of the sea. This protects the wielder and prevents cracks or breaks in the armor, even under immense force.]
'So, it's a defensive memory…?' River thought, the realization lingering in his mind. It explained how he'd survived that hit, but it also raised more questions about the people who lived in these caves than answers.
Desummoning the runes, River took a moment to gather his thoughts. He couldn't sit down here forever. After a brief pause, he decided it was time to climb to the top of the cliff. If he was going to track down the cities mentioned in the Shell-Woven Guard's description, he'd need a better vantage point.
River grabbed hold of the nearest rock, his fingers digging into the rough surface as he began to climb. The ascent was easier now, without the constant threat of waves crashing against him or the fear of drowning in the sea below.
Still, the climb was far from effortless, with another twenty meters of jagged rock or so to navigate. And finally, after a few minutes of hard effort, he pulled himself over the top, feeling the sharp edge of the cliff against his palms. As he scanned his surroundings, his heart skipped a beat.
There, standing just a few feet away from him, was a girl. Her eyes immediately locked onto his, her body tensing as she dropped into a fighting stance—then she froze.
"River?"