Quick notice. I understand this will disrupt the flow of the story, but I'm going to switch to third person now. If I have extra time, I will edit the previous chapters. Enjoy!
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He had a dream. There was a wall - no, walls - lined with murals. Inscribed with runes. They seemed to pulse, as if holding a remnant of their creator. The murals depicted the 7 gods fighting the beings from the void. They were losing, and so the gods used their absolute laws to seal the void, with the law of imperfection being the final seal. However, the 7th god was sealed away in the process - the forgotten god. He split his divinities into 7 pieces, thus creating the Daemons.
Eleazer already knew all of this from the novel, but still continued reading.
Further down was a section of the murals that was completely black. It called to him in a way couldn't possibly be described. Eleazer knew that he had to see it, but he felt that if he did, there would be no turning back.
[What can contain the void? Nothing can.]
The gods used nothing to contain the void. The cage of desire was placed above nothing, and yet in places where the cage is thin, nothing seeps through.
Nobody can exist in the mist.
Nothing can contain the void, and nobody can exist within it.
[I am wary of nobody, and I fear nothing]
Within the mist, creatures were born. Beings of nothingness itself.
This itself wasn't new either, but something within him stirred. Memories flashed in his mind. Eleazer remembered the space he had been trapped in for an unknown amount of time. In it, he was reduced to... a soul? Truthfully he had no clue, but he knew he was on the right path. A dull ache began spreading throughout his skull.
'If the gods used nothing to contain the void, then what exists on the edges of all of the realms? The void? Or nothing? The ache became a searing pain. Wouldn't it be correct to say that nothing exists outside the void? Then, to come to this world, or dimension, I had to cross through nothing.'
The pain became nearly unbearable. Eleazer saw it - the endless white, he once again felt the loss of all awareness. He had no body, but could feel. Eleazer moved, and the endless mist trembled.
He woke up.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell! Prepare for your First Trial...]
Cold.
Eleazer shivered. Frost bit at his skin, and his eyes shot open.
He immediately assessed his situation. In front of him was a large man in steel armor, with a great sword on his back. He gave off a feeling of stability. He had short brown hair, and muscles seemed to bulge through the armor. To Eleazer's left, a man held a bow, and a quiver of arrows marked him as an archer. His hair was long and blonde, and he was surprisingly short. Finally, a woman held a staff to his right. She had long purple hair, and the air around her looked to heat up a bit, but not much.
In front of them were towering mountains with jagged peaks covered in a strange mist. It felt... familiar. The mist spilled down the mountains and seemed to flood everything below. While he couldn't be sure, this is probably the hollow mountains. A death zone.
They were currently walking towards the mountains.
Eleazer didn't expect his companions to be suicidal, but his opinion was quickly changing.
Since nothing required his immediate attention, he decided to check his aspect.
***
Name: ???
True Name: ---
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: ---
Echoes: ---
Attributes: [Veil], [Vessel], [Broken Fragment].
Aspect: [Beloved of Nobody]
Aspect Description: [A lost wretch who does not belong. You are favored by nothing, because nobody has ever wanted you. Who knows, maybe your kin will lend a hand?]
'Truth hurts, huh? The Spell really is a bastard.'
Seeing his attributes and aspect, Eleazer confirmed his previous conjecture. The attributes themselves seemed simple but could contain many different meanings. Veil could represent a type of anti-divination, and Fragment seems to refer to his reincarnation. The "kin" that the spell talked about could be humans or the beings that dwelled inside the mist.
Eleazer was taken out of his thoughts when the man in front turned back towards everyone.
"Alright. We'll be able to see the stronghold soon. Remember, always be alert. In a place like this, nowhere is safe."
'Huh, maybe he isn't as bad as I thought.'
Eleazer gave a nod, the archer stayed silent, and the... mage?... gave a light hum of agreement.
After another 10 minutes of walking, the group finally saw it - the stronghold.
Towering walls surrounded a huge ziggurat, which was made out of a strange black material. The walls themselves had a massive gate leading into the fortress, and towers gave lookouts a clear view of their surroundings.
'I wonder just what era I am in... I'm not sure if the Night Temple could compare to something like this.'
Eleazer and the rest of the group continued on. The leader looked at them.
"I know you guys probably don't know why we left to come here, and honestly, I'm not sure either. All I know is that the oracles saw something, and ever since then awakened, masters, and even a couple saints have come to reinforce the stronghold."
'Wow, talk about death flags. If saints are being sent here, masters and awakened are just cannon fodder.'
Eleazer knew that if a corrupted monster, or worse, got involved, he could only hope to survive like a cockroach, or a certain stalker.
The other two also seemed to grasp the hidden meaning behind the leader's words. Both of them paled a bit, but they quickly recovered.
Finally, they arrived at the gates to the temple.