Chapter 50: Chapter 50 - The Mother

In the dim, cave-like path, a silhouette raced through the labyrinthine passages. The paths twisted and turned, but the figure's eyes stayed locked on the faint light of the exit far ahead.

"Huff!" The figure gasped for air, each breath labored. "I must escape this place."

Blood smeared his body, his grey hair now crimson with blood. His clothes were torn and stained. He was battered, every step a struggle against the weight of exhaustion.

"Why did this happen?" he muttered through gritted teeth, pushing himself forward. "I have to report this to the empire."

The bright exit loomed closer. Just a few more steps, and he could teleport back to safety. With a desperate burst of speed, he burst into the open, collapsing onto a green, grassy plain.

Scrambling, he clutched a glowing stone in his palm, watching as it flickered to life. But then, his heart sank.

Suddenly, the stone shattered in his hand, its light snuffed out. He looked down to see a dark, arrow-like object passing through his chest, piercing the stone.

Slowly, he turned his head, eyes wide with horror. Emerging from the cave were four figures, their faces all too familiar. His former companions, the ones who had journeyed with him into the ruin, now stood against him.

"It's futile, you can't escape," a hoarse voice came from one of his companions.

"How did this happen?" he muttered, not believing his eyes.

Memories flooded back to him. They had been one of the empire's strongest group of ascendants, renowned for their countless feats and merits. Their fame spread wide among the people, and they resolved several crises for the empire, including the exploration of dangerous ruins.

This time, they were sent to one of the incomplete ruins, shrouded in mystery. The group of five embarked on what they thought would be a month-long journey, but it turned into their final expedition together.

Upon entering the ruin, they were unexpectedly transported to a hellish dimension, where they spent over a year fighting for survival. They battled countless dark entities, their strength waning as hope dwindled. The relentless pursuit of these beings wore them down, draining their resolve.

After a year of desperate evasion, all four of his companions succumbed to despair, their wills broken. Only his determination kept him going, driving him to find a way out.

He finally managed to escape to the outside world, only to find his companions' bodies now inhabited by the very creatures they had fought against.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this," he whispered, his voice heavy with grief and disbelief.

The possessed bodies of his former companions advanced slowly, their movements eerie and unnatural. One of them spoke again, the voice distorted and chilling, "You cannot run forever."

"Jin... Rei... Maru... Tessa..." he whispered their names, his voice breaking. "How... how did it come to this?"

"There's no escape," a voice emerged from one of the figures, though it was twisted and hollow.

"Join us," another familiar voice echoed, cold and devoid of the warmth it once had.

His eyes filled with tears as he backed away, clutching his chest. "No! I won't become like you!"

"You have no choice," a raspy voice came, the figure stepping closer. "You won't escape this place."

He shook his head, desperation clawing at his heart. "I have to report this to the empire. They need to know what happened here."

His vision blurred with tears and pain. He took a shaky step back, then another.

"I will make it. I have to." He was running, yet his steps were slow and heavy. Fear and despair had taken over his mind.

"He has gone insane," said one of the figures.

"At last, his will is broken, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape," said another gruff voice.

An arrow-like object, the same that had shattered the glowing stone, pierced his head while he was fleeing, and he collapsed.

A moment later, his eyes opened, and he stood up again. A sinister smile came over his face. "As expected, his mind and body were strong. No wonder it took so much time to break him."

"We are finally free," exclaimed one of the figures.

"These weaklings were supposed to be one of the strongest ascendant parties; how far have humans degraded?" the grey-haired man said, clearly reading all the memories in the mind of the body's former owner.

"If this is what their strongest force looks like, we four alone could conquer this world," another added with a maniacal laugh.

"No, we must lay low for now," the grey figure, who had recently possessed the body and was clearly the leader among them, said.

"What's there to fear?"

"The human emperor,"

"He is only a human, he should be long dead."

"We need to find out if the human emperor still has descendants," said the grey figure. "And until the Mother is awakened, we can't cause any disturbances."

Upon hearing about the Mother, the figures fell silent. No one could go against her will. The Mother was the ultimate creator, the supreme being of their kind. And the arch-nemesis of the human emperor.

"For now, let us return to their empire."