Dancing on the golden ashes

The winds howled around me, the storm intensifying as if in response to the beast's presence. My wings faltered momentarily, and I struggled to maintain altitude. My instincts screamed at me to leave, to avoid this thing at all costs. Yet, a strange sense of curiosity and dread rooted me in place.

What was this colossal being, and why did it feel like it was moving with purpose?

The creature's face emerged from the stormy waters, and for a moment, I wished I hadn't seen it. It looked humanoid, but in the most grotesque and nightmarish way imaginable. Its features were elongated and warped, as if stretched by some malevolent force. Its skin was pale and slick, glistening like wet stone under the flashes of lightning, and its sunken eyes glowed faintly—a sickly white light that pierced through the storm.

This wasn't just a monster. It wasn't some mindless beast. No, this was something far worse. It felt ancient, deliberate, and calculating. A devil, perhaps.

As I drew closer, I made the mistake of locking eyes with it.

The world around me seemed to collapse. My vision blurred, and a suffocating weight pressed down on my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Its gaze was like staring into the abyss—an endless void that swallowed my very being. The air grew colder, and for the first time in this new world, I felt completely powerless.

I didn't know what this creature's level was, but it didn't matter. It was far beyond me—beyond anything I could comprehend.

Pure terror seized me, and my instincts took over. Without a second thought, I fled. My wings burned with exertion as I flapped them furiously, pushing my body to its limits. I didn't care how tired I was or how far I had to go—I just had to get away.

The storm lashed at me, the winds howling in protest as I tore through the sky. I didn't dare look back. I didn't want to see if it was following me, if it was still watching me with those unholy eyes. My heart pounded in my chest, refusing to calm even as the hours stretched on.

When I finally reached the shore, my body collapsed onto the sand, trembling uncontrollably. My wings folded around me like a protective cocoon, but the fear didn't subside. My heart still raced, the image of that horrifying face burned into my mind.

In those eyes, I had seen something beyond evil. It was pure malice, unfiltered and unrelenting.

And worse yet, it was moving toward the land.

I prayed—something I hadn't done in a long time—that it would remain confined to the ocean. That whatever it was, it would never set foot on the land I called home. Because if it ever found my empire...

We'd all die instantly.

The eerie silence pressed down on me as I trudged through the black sand, each step muffled, as if the ground itself was swallowing the sound. The fog clung to me like a heavy shroud, cold and damp, making every breath feel laborious. I glanced around, my enhanced vision straining against the unnatural gloom, but it was useless here. This place felt like it existed outside the laws of reality—a forgotten void untouched by life.

"What is this place?" I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself.

The fog seemed to shift and twist as if it were alive, mocking my question. My instincts screamed at me to turn back, but back to what? That creature? Staying close to that thing was suicide, so this haunting, desolate wasteland was my only option.

I moved cautiously, my boots sinking slightly into the strange sand, its texture gritty and unnerving. Slowly, shapes began to emerge from the murk ahead—trees, or what was left of them. They stretched high into the sky, their bare branches like skeletal fingers clawing at the void above. They were impossibly tall, their bark a pale, sickly gray, and not a single leaf adorned their twisted forms.

It was like walking through the set of a horror movie, the kind where the protagonist never makes it out alive.

"Great," I muttered sarcastically. "This is where I get possessed by a ghost and end up starring in someone else's nightmare."

I paused for a moment, scanning the forest of skeletal trees. The oppressive aura around this place clung to my skin, making my pulse quicken despite myself.

"Wait... Why am I even afraid?" I muttered, shaking my head. "I literally eat souls for dinner. If anything, they should be afraid of me."

The thought brought a bitter smirk to my face, and I pressed onward. The trees loomed closer, their crooked branches casting eerie shadows even in the dim light. Yet, despite the ominous setting, there wasn't a single sound—no wind, no whispers, no rustling of leaves.

Not even a soul.

Nothing living, nothing dead.

I walked for what felt like hours, maybe even an entire day. The monotony of the lifeless landscape grated on me. Every step felt heavier, and my patience wore thinner. I found myself wishing for something—anything—to break the oppressive silence.

But there was no exit.

No end to this cursed place.

The longer I walked, the more I felt the weight of this void pressing down on me. It wasn't just a lack of life—it was as if this place had been stripped of existence itself.

"This is getting annoying. Where am I?" I muttered, frustration boiling within me as I leaped into the air. But instead of the sky meeting me, the ground did. I was back where I started.

"What the fuck?" The situation was beyond comprehension, like an invisible prison I couldn't escape. I tried again, soaring higher with determination, only to be pulled back down. The ground welcomed me with its cruel consistency. Anger flared within me.

Flames erupted from my body, spreading in all directions, consuming the trees around me in an instant. The inferno raged, fierce and relentless. But when I blinked, the world reset. I was back in the same spot. No fire. No ash. Not even a hint of damage.

"I'm trapped..." The words slipped from my lips, heavy with realization. A curse bound me here. I clenched my fists, determination hardening my resolve. I wouldn't stay in this prison forever. I would find a way to break free.

Suddenly, something brushed against my leg. I jumped like a startled mouse, nearly letting out a squeak. My heart raced as I looked down, but there was nothing there.

"Okay, this place is haunted as hell. I need to get out!" I muttered, my voice trembling with unease.

I searched desperately for an exit, but the salty tang of the ocean I'd relied on for direction had vanished. The dense forest stretched endlessly in every direction. As I quickened my pace, something grabbed my ankle and yanked me to the ground. I landed face-first, dirt grinding against my cheek.

"That's it!" I roared, pushing myself up. "Who are you? Show yourself!" My voice, once tinged with fear, now burned with fury.

A low, ghastly chuckle echoed through the forest, the sound reverberating like a sinister melody. "Hhehehe…" it taunted, each syllable dripping malice. The hairs on my neck stood on end, and for a moment, I regretted my boldness.

Before I could react, everything shifted in an instant. A single blink, and the forest was gone.

I stood in a massive chamber, its walls crafted entirely of dark, ancient bricks. The room exuded a haunting beauty, its gothic design immaculate. Ornate carvings adorned the towering walls, and dim candlelight flickered, casting shadows that danced like phantoms.
Your next journey awaits at empire

At the far end of the hall sat a grand throne, towering and menacing. Perched on it was a skeleton, its bony frame encased in black armor. A jagged black crown rested on its skull, giving it the air of a king long forgotten. It didn't move, and neither did I.

The silence was deafening, the atmosphere thick with an unspoken tension. My heart thudded in my chest as I braced myself for whatever was to come.

An ethereal presence brushed past my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I jumped in place, my eyes darting around. In the next instant, something intangible—an entity beyond comprehension—descended into the skeletal corpse on the throne. A ghastly aura erupted around it, dark and oppressive, swirling like smoke from the depths of the underworld.

The skeleton trembled, its bones rattling faintly as it began to stir. Slowly, deliberately, it shifted, moving its body as if waking from a millennia-long slumber. A wave of malevolent energy washed over me—cold, suffocating, and steeped in death. It felt ancient, like the breath of the underworld itself, seeping into my very soul.

"Welcome," the skeleton rasped, its hollow voice resonating through the hall. My grip on the scythe tightened instinctively, its weight comforting yet insignificant against the overwhelming aura.

"You are exactly who I was waiting for..." The voice echoed with an ancient power, saturating the air. It didn't merely speak—it enveloped me, dragging my senses into another time, another era. The hall seemed to darken, and for a fleeting moment, I felt as though I had been pulled a thousand years into the past.