“Who are you?” Aqualina asked, her voice firm yet cautious as she stared at the hooded figure before her. It stood eerily still, not making a single move, as if it was waiting for something… watching.
Celestia took a step forward, gripping the knife tightly in her hand, her posture tense and ready for a fight if needed.
Yet, the hooded figure remained motionless, its blank gaze fixed on them, unbothered.
Aqualina and Celestia exchanged a few glances…. Should they attack? Should they wait? But before they could decide—
The hooded figure suddenly moved, lifting its hand in a slow, deliberate motion as if beckoning them forward…. Then, without a word, it turned and began walking away.
“Where the hell are you going?” Aqualina called out, narrowing her eyes, but the figure didn’t answer. It simply continued its steady pace, only gesturing for them to follow without once glancing back.
Both Celestia and Aqualina frowned, sharing another look of uncertainty.
“What if this is a trap?” Celestia asked, voice hushed but serious.
Aqualina exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I don’t know… but think about it. We’ve been wandering this damn place for who knows how long, and this is the first time we’ve run into someone—something— that doesn’t immediately try to kill us.” She paused, watching the figure’s retreating back. “And if it wanted to hurt us, it had plenty of chances already. So why just walk away?”
Celestia bit her lip, considering. “You think… it’s the one who helped us escape from that cube?”
“Maybe,” Aqualina muttered, still unsure herself.
Both women sighed, hesitating for a moment longer before ultimately deciding to follow. Whatever this thing was, it was the only lead they had.
As they turned the corner—
Ssssshhh!
Another hooded figure emerged from the darkness, appearing like a shadow materializing into form. It lingered at the place Aqualina and Celestia had just passed through.
Then, as if amused, it let out a soft, whispery chuckle— “Fu~Fu~”—before vanishing again, dissolving into nothingness.
Meanwhile—
Aqualina and Celestia walked cautiously behind the hooded figure, their bodies tense, every step filled with unease.
The silence stretched between them….
Aqualina clenched her jaw before finally breaking it. “Are you the one… who helped us escape from that cube?”
“…”
No response.
Celestia tried next. “Where exactly are you taking us?”
“…”
Nothing.
Her brows twitched in frustration. “At least tell us why you’re helping us.”
“…”
Aqualina groaned, running a hand down her face. “Tsk. Seriously? You dragged us all this way, and you can’t even throw us a single damn word?”
“…”
That was it!!
Aqualina’s patience snapped. Her lips twitched violently before she muttered under her breath, ‘That’s it.’ In one swift motion, she raised her weapon, fully prepared to strike—
But just as she moved, the figure abruptly halted.
Aqualina hesitated, narrowing her eyes as she watched it slowly lift its hand and point… downward.
A staircase!
“What the hell?” Both Aqualina and Celestia’s eyes widened in shock.
“There was nothing like that before,” Aqualina muttered, glancing at Celestia, who had the same stunned expression.
The hooded figure didn’t wait for their reaction…. Without hesitation, it began descending the stairs, its movements eerily fluid.
Exchanging another look, Aqualina and Celestia followed, their curiosity outweighing their fear.
And then—
For the first time since being trapped in this godforsaken place…
They saw something other than endless doors and suffocating walls.
Grass!
A wide, open plain covered in green grass stretched before them.
“We’re… outside?” Celestia whispered, her voice trembling as if she could barely believe it.
Aqualina took a few cautious steps forward, eyes scanning the strange scenery. “Where are we…?” she muttered, her gaze shifting upward.
The sky was a strange shade of grey, glowing with an unnatural brightness… and covered in falling snow.
The hooded figure turned back— what they had been stuck inside!
A metal wall.
No, not just a wall.
Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
A towering, monstrous structure, stretching endlessly into the sky, its sheer size overwhelming.
Aqualina’s breath caught in her throat as her mind tried to process the scale of it. “Shit… That thing must have a thousand floors at least,” she whispered in horrified realization. Just thinking about how much more they could have climbed sent a sickening chill down her spine.
Then—
The hooded figure motioned again.
Back toward the massive metal structure.
It wanted them to go back inside?
Aqualina didn’t hesitate. “Nope! No way in hell are we going back in there!” she snapped, grabbing Celestia’s wrist and bolting across the grassland, dragging her along. “We’re getting the fuck out of here!”
The hooded figure stood still, watching them run.
But it didn’t chase.
It simply remained there… as if waiting.
Meanwhile—
Step… Step… Step….
The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet, mixing with their ragged breaths.
“Was this the right choice?” Celestia panted as she struggled to keep pace. “I mean… that thing helped us get out, didn’t it?”
Aqualina snorted, shaking her head. “Listen, I hate to break it to you, but no one does anything for free. I don’t know what that thing’s deal is, but I sure as hell know it has its own agenda. And it wanted us to go back into that creepy-ass building? Hell. No. I’d rather take my chances out here!”
Celestia bit her lip but didn’t argue. She couldn’t…. Aqualina had a point.
Still…
Something about the hooded figure lingered in her mind.
But then, the vision before them suddenly turned misty, as if the very air had thickened and obscured everything around them. The world seemed to vanish in an instant, and they could barely see their own hands in front of them.
“Hold my hand tightly!” Celestia shouted. She gripped Aqualina’s hand firmly as if trying to anchor herself. Together, they ventured deeper into the swirling mist, their movements cautious and deliberate.
They walked on, the weight of the mist pressing around them, creating a sense of disorientation.
“This place… it’s really strange,” Aqualina muttered, her voice barely audible above the eerie silence. She kept walking, one foot in front of the other, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the disorienting surroundings.
They walked for what felt like an eternity, the fog never relenting, until—without warning—the mist began to clear. The dense fog parted like heavy curtains, revealing something that made them both stop dead in their tracks.
“Arcane Hunters?” Celestia whispered in disbelief, her eyes widening as she read the massive, bold letters etched into the side of a towering metal structure… It was not there before!
Aqualina stood frozen, horror creeping up her spine as she caught sight of the hooded figure standing motionless nearby.
The same one they had tried to escape, now seemingly waiting for them.
“H-how is this possible?” Aqualina stammered, her voice cracking with a mix of confusion and fear.
“Move!” Aqualina hissed urgently, her instincts screaming that this was not a place they should be. She grabbed Celestia’s arm, pulling her back toward the mist.
They stumbled back into the fog, but as they emerged once again…
They were back.
Back in the exact same place they had just fled from.
And, as though mocking their desperate attempt to escape, the hooded figure stood exactly where it had been before.
Aqualina’s breath caught in her throat… She inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself, but dread gripped her chest.
At last, the hooded figure spoke, its voice cold, hollow, and indifferent—
“Haven’t you noticed yet?” It asked.
“What?” Celestia frowned as the hooded figure pointed to the ground.
Celestia and Aqualina frowned at what it was trying to say but then… their eyes widened.
“S-snow?”
“Where is the snow? and… Why I didn’t feel cold?”
Snowflakes fell gently on their bodies, but, strangely, neither of them felt the cold.
Neither of them felt cold from the very beginning….
And the ground beneath their feet—despite the snowfall—remained untouched by frost. The grass was warm and vibrant.
Completely unaffected.
Then,
“No matter how hard you try, you cannot escape this place,” it said.
“What do you mean?” Celestia demanded, her brows furrowed as her grip tightened on Aqualina’s hand.
The hooded figure slowly raised its hand, its long, gloved fingers pointing toward the sky, which was now a dull, oppressive grey.
“Because this place…. ” it said, “itself trapped here!!”
Everyone looked at the sky….
… As the (pov) view shifted, the sky began to stretch and zoom upward, as if the world was being pulled into the heavens. The view climbed higher and higher until everything blurred and collapsed into a single, focused image.
And there was a small, delicate snow globe!
Inside the globe, a miniature world unfolded—its shape was a rectangular block with a towering structure rising in the centre. The tower stood impossibly large, while delicate white particles floated and danced around it, mimicking real snow in every graceful flurry.
A small, delicate snow globe resting on a table and before it,
“The plan has been delayed,” The Master muttered with an irritated sigh, his fingers drumming impatiently on the table as his eyes remained fixed on the globe.
“We deeply apologize, Master,” the first hologram responded, its voice steady and composed. “As you know, the collision caused unexpected complications. While there have been some minor delays, the rest of the plan is proceeding without issue. There is no need for concern.”
The Master’s lips pressed into a thin line as he regarded the snow globe, his gaze sharp and calculating. “And the preparations for the future? Are they fully complete?”
The hologram nodded, its tone turning more confident. “Yes, Master. The mutation process within the Wood Elf tribe is progressing smoothly. Most of the test subjects have retained their consciousness… I believe they will be able to survive the events to come.”
The Master gave a small nod, his lips curling into a barely perceptible smile. “Good. And what of the spread?”
“The mutations are spreading as planned,” the hologram confirmed. “The tribe’s isolation has ensured no one is aware of what’s happening inside. Soon, those mutated creatures—irrational and bloodthirsty—will escape the village. Once they do, they will spread our work among other tribes and races, as intended.”
The Master’s eyes gleamed with approval, but an unease flickered across his expression.
Another hologram, eager to reassure him, spoke up, “Everything is proceeding perfectly, Master! Fu~Fu~. There’s no need to worry about the delay. It’s just a few days—nothing more. The plan is still on course!”
“Hmmm…”
Despite the reassurances, the Master couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. A strange sense of foreboding hung over him, as though something beyond his control was about to disrupt his grand design.
For the first time, doubt crept into his mind. He had never experienced such a sensation before…. Not since the Empire’s collision, which had been a complete surprise.
‘Should I alter something?’ he wondered silently.
A third hologram, sensing the tension, spoke up in an attempt to reassure him. “Master, you’re overthinking it! Everything is in our hands now. No one can defeat us. Our plan will unfold perfectly—this time, nothing will go wrong!”
The Master’s eyes swept over the four holograms. After a long moment, he finally nodded, though the unease still lingered within him. “Very well. Let’s continue as planned. But we must draw Victor out of his Empire…. Contact Jack Sparrow.”
One of the holograms blinked in confusion. “Jack Sparrow? Are you certain you want to involve him, Master?”
The Master grinned, “Yes. He’s the only one who can get Victor out of hiding. Their… relationship… well, you know what I mean.”
A collective understanding rippled through the holograms, and three of them chuckled knowingly.
“Oh?… Ohhhhhh,” they cooed in unison, their voices laced with amusement.
Except,
“Shit! Really!!! I better not fight him then!!”