The Descent

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==Chapter 1 - Desolation==
I silently sat there, on the couch, watching old home movies of the past played on loop.
The first one was of me and Umbra... We were at a beach house. I had taken her to the Beach area in order to get her acquainted with the rest of Ludus. I remember that amazing swimsuit she had. I could remember getting horny just looking at her wearing it. She playfully splashed water on me as I filmed her beautiful form. The audio was completely scrapped. But I remember what she said faithfully.
"Hey hey now! Knock it off! I take you to the Beach area and here you are acting like you're a kid again!" I faithfully said the words that I said back then. My beautiful wife then ran up to the camera and kissed me.
"Well, we're still young, aren't we?" She gave me another kiss as she said this. I could tell by that lustful look in her eyes what she wanted to do next.
"Yeah, I guess so." And with that, I turned the camera off. I could remember clearly what we did next...
The next movie began to play... This one was of a little Pragman girl... My daughter, Solaria... She ran over to me, giggling. This time, Umbra was filming. Solaria was a deep shade of crimson, and had beautiful orange hair. Her eyes, a stark contrast to the rest of her body, were a bright shade of cyan. Unlike the other movie, this one had audio.
"Daddy, daddy! Let's play again!" Solaria was so hyper back then. We loved to play tag and hide and seek.
"Now, come on, you two! It's time for supper!" Umbra was usually the one who made dinner for us. We both turned towards her.
"Didja hear mommy, Solar? I'll race you to the kitchen!" I remember how the only two people to actually bring out my good side was Umbra and Solaria. Solaria leaped up.
"I'll win this time!!" She was pretty competitive. For a kid, anyways.
"In your dreams!" We both ran off, making Umbra giggle as we went by her... The camera went off at that point, and the next video started to play...
Solaria was lying in a hospital bed. She has caught a rare disease, one that had no cure. She had a life expectancy of weeks at the most. It tore her up from the inside out. This time, I was filming. I slowly walked towards her.
"Can you give a smile for the camera, sweetie?" Solaria slowly looked at the camera and started to smile. She then started to cough violently, spewing blood.
"Oh god, NURSE!!" The camera feed vanished.
The last video began to play. It was at a cemetery. This time, Jast was holding the camera. A coffin slowly descended into the ground. I walked over towards Jast angrily.
"Shut the God dammed camera off!" The feed faded away with a hiss.
That was 7 years ago. My daughter died when she was 3 years old. After Solaria died, things grew cold between me and Umbra... She wanted another child. I couldn't stand to have my heart torn out again... Finally, a few months ago, she vanished without a trace, I don't know what happened to her. She didn't leave me. It happened one night. I came home, and she was gone. The house was a total wreck. And Umbra was missing. Months of searching never brought a damned thing. And now, here I sit, all alone. Cygnus, my servant, walked over towards me.
"Master Revelian... Letter for you..." Cygnus handed me a letter. I silently opened it...
Revelian, my love... 
I've missed you. I want to see you. I know I've been gone. I needed time to think. 
In the Mist Grove area, a small building stands in a grassy clearing... 
I'll be there. 
~Umbra
I would have just called this a horrible prank if it weren't for the fact that this was written in Umbra's handwriting. If this was a fake, then this faker is a god at imitation.
I immediately stood up and went upstairs to prepare. As I was up there, I looked at a photo of Umbra... She was sitting on a bed, holding some old controller. She looked at the camera, half playfully. She was also blushing. The words "Let's play!" were written in violet next to her, along with a crude drawing of a heart. I simply smile at it. I turn towards a drawer and open it. Inside is another photo... This one is also of Umbra. She lies on my bed, facing the camera. She's also naked, and has her legs spread open. She also has a horny look on her face, and has one of her hands behind her head. The other one is between her legs, spreading her lips open. On the bottom of the photo is a message written in violet...
"For those times that I'm not there with you, and all you can do is think of me... For you and you only, the love of my life."
~Umbra
I fondly remember this photo helping me through many a lonely night after she disappeared. I think Cygnus helped her take this photo. I lovingly put it back in the drawer as I grabbed my robe and left my castle for the first time in weeks.
==Chapter 2 - 087==
I soon arrived at the spot that she was talking about. In the center of a large, grassy clearing stood a building. It looked dinky. But if this is what she wanted...
I walked inside. Across the room was a hallway leading to a stairwell. I walked forward...
And spun around, feeling watched. A tall, black figure stood at the doorway. Its face was covered by a creepy mask with a sadistic smile. It shut the door, locking me in.
I don't know how long I was pounding at that door. It never budged. No matter how hard I hit, it never even got a dent. I also couldn't use my power, either, since I was out of practice due to my depression. Finally, I stood up. I turned around to the hallway behind me. A lantern sat next to the door. There was a note on it. It said:
"LIFELINE. REACH FLOOR 100 FOR THE TRUTH. BEGIN."
100 floors?! How big was this fucking building!? But it didn't matter. I was close to finding my wife, and if I have to go down 100 flights of stairs in order to do so, then I'd gladly do it.
I began a journey that would open my eye to the truth.
On the wall was a note. The number 1 was scrawled on it.
"Let's do this..."
I started down the stairway. It was made in a fashion that if you fell off the railings, you would simply fall down to the other set of stairs. It moved in a tight, spiral fashion, and it was impossible to see past only a few floors. It was also absurdly dark. It looked like the darkness absorbed the light coming from my lantern... I could see only a few inches in front of me. It gave me a feeling of isolation... But I carried on. At the end of the first flight of stairs was a landing that lead into a hallway. I quietly walked in. It led to more stairs... A note on the wall nearby said 2. Fun.
I continued down, not even paying attention to the notes. Soon, after a few minutes, I looked at a note on the wall. The number 10 was on it. Wow, did it take that long to go down 10 flights of stairs!? I started down the hallway...
To have that same smiling fucker from before jump me at the corner. I leaped back, with a startled yelp. He just stood there and looked at me. He then looked up behind me and pointed. I spun around...
A tall, shadowy monster stood at the top of a flight of stairs. Its mouth was covered with blood. More blood was splattered across its chest, and even more blood was stained on its crotch. It looked at me with glowing, beady eyes. It pointed at me with a shadowy hand and roared at me! I immediately turned and ran away, pushing by the smiling man. The monster tore after me relentlessly. After several flights of stairs, I finally had the nerve to look behind me.
It was gone. What the fuck was that thing?! And who's that smiling man?? Where AM I?!
I turned and checked the note. Floor 14. This one was actually a floor and not a hallway leading to more stairs. Inside, there were two paths... I had a bad feeling about this. I went down one path...
Only to come upon a hole in the ground. Easy enough to spot, so I turned around.
And got clawed in the face by that bloody monster. I fell through the hole for what felt like hours...
... I finally regained consciousness to something poking me in the side. I looked up. It was the smiling man.
"Don't grin at me like that, you fucker." The smiling man wasn't fazed. I stood up. A note on the wall read "Floor 20". I fell down 6 floors?! Damn. That hurt like hell. I still felt dizzy. It was a miracle that my lantern wasn't broken. I picked it back up and went out through a doorway on the other side of the room...
I continued to head down the stairs, sometimes seeing the smiling man watching me. I'm seriously getting sick of this smiling fucker. But I couldn't do anything about him. He didn't bother me, so I won't try to bother him.
I might just regret it...
==Chapter 3 - Everything's Falling Down==
Floor 29. I've been here for hours now, and have only managed to get that far. It felt like I was getting slower at each passing flight of stairs. Smile continued to watch me. I felt like I was going insane. I heard noises. Metal gates slamming shut, the noise of someone dusting a blanket... Something that sounds like a stove...
And the crying. The sound of someone crying behind the walls. It sounded familiar. I turned around.
Smile had vanished. Oh, great, what was that fucker planning now...
As I continued down the stairs, I began to hear whimpering. I saw a window up ahead... It led to a small room. I heard a powerful smack and more crying, and what sounded like a roar. I looked in the window.
Inside was Smile and the Blood Monster. The Blood Monster was holding a part of its face in its hand, whimpering. Smile stood over it and roared at it. How something like that could roar was beyond me. The Blood Monster made a high pitched, pleading cry and crawled towards Smile, grabbing onto his legs. Smile angrily kicked the monster off and smacked it again. This scene felt so surreal. It was horrible to watch, but so... weird... It felt like I've seen this before. I have no idea where, though...
I opened my big fucking mouth.
"What the fuck..."
Both Smile and the Blood Monster turned towards me. Smile simply vanished while the Blood Monster dove at the window. I jumped back as an elongated hand tried to swipe my face off. I ducked underneath of it and started to run off. I heard the sound of stone being smashed behind me as I ran.
The bastard tore the wall down and was coming after me!
I dove down the stairs, with the Blood Monster hot on my tail. I thought I heard voices in my head...
"WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! YOU MONSTER!! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!! YOU'VE RUINED ME!!"
I had to be losing my ever-loving mind. Finally, I dove into a room...
That was a giant maze. God fucking damn it. But at least I could lose the monster in here... I began to creep around, making as little noise as possible. The monster was also moving around, growling angrily. I carefully maneuvered my way around the monster and soon found the next stairway, running inside.
I didn't stop running. I ran down what felt like dozens of flights of stairs. I ran through the corridors, found my way inside of those giant rooms, and finally managed to make it... After many, many hours...
To floor 90.
==Chapter 4 - Revelations==
I hadn't seen neither Smile nor the monster since I avoided them both at the 30th floor. I didn't care. I wanted to get to the end as fast as possible. At floor 95, I found a room with a TV inside, along with two chairs. Smile sat in one. He turned to me and patted the seat next to him. The doors sealed shut, practically forcing me to. I slowly sat down and looked at the giant TV...
... 3 months ago, my wife went missing... I went home that night...
On the screen...
I slowly staggered home, tired and angry. Another long day. And I get to go home and listen to more of my wife bitching at me. God damnit. After my daughter died, things have went to hell between us. I'm sick and tired of that fucking BITCH saying how she wants another child. I couldn't go through the STRESS of another death of my own flesh and blood. And that bitch just doesn't CARE!! God DAMNIT!!
I pushed the door open on my castle. Umbra sat on the couch, waiting.
"Home late again, I see..." Her voice was barely a whisper. She knew better then to raise it to me.
"I don't want to fucking hear it."
"Revelian... What happened to us?"
"I don't... want... to hear it..."
"WELL I DO WANT TO HEAR IT!! DAMNIT, REVELIAN!! YOU KEEP BROODING OVER THE PAST!! OUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD. DO YOU NOT THINK THAT HER DEATH TORE ME UP, TOO?!? CAN YOU NOT SEE WHAT YOUR NEVER-ENDING BROODING IS DOING TO US!?"
She started to cry then. I didn't listen, nor did I care.
"Revelian... Our marriage is falling apart because of this... You keep brooding over the past... If you don't get over it, then we'll never be happy again... Please, Revelian... LISTEN TO ME!!"
I turned towards her, with absolute rage in my heart. Her eyes widened in fear.
"Revelian... Don't look at me like that... REVELIAN!!"
I tore at her. I started to pound away with my fist. All I wanted to do was shut her up. I was sick of hearing it. I smashed and smashed and smashed... And finally, her mouth was a bloody mess. Her teeth were knocked out, and she was covered with bruises. She made a muffled scream as she ran away from me. I tore at her. I wasn't going to let her get away. She'd ruin me. No. I wasn't going to let her.
I tore her pants off.
...
"R-Revelian... why..."
I pulled out my sword.
The bitch had to be silenced. She wasn't going to get out and get me ruined. I'd guarantee it.
I rose my sword.
I brought it down on her chest. She cried out in pain as I tore her chest open. I reached inside and yanked out her heart. She looked at me, a mix of total pain and sadness in her eyes as the light in her eyes died away forever.
I felt no remorse.
I dragged her dead body outside. I began to dig. I kept digging until I could barely see the light coming from the top of the hole. I flew out and kicked her dead body inside. I then filled the hole with concrete and covered it with dirt.
No one would know. No one knew of my abuse towards her. No one knew that I no longer cared. It would be my little secret.
Months passed, as I locked the horrid memories away. I then began to feel it. The growing loneliness and regret for what I've done. I pulled out some home movies of mine... and started to watch them. For weeks.
And here I am now...
As the TV shut off, all I could do was get on my knees. I held my own head in despair as tears flowed down my face.
I murdered Umbra.
Why?! Why did I do that?! Was I that self centered and tired of the truth?! I'm a monster. I deserve to die...
Smile put his hand on my shoulder. I knew what he was, now.
He was my Shadow.
"... I needed someone... To lead me towards the truth... And it was you..."
Smile nodded.
"But now, I don't need you anymore. I'm going to get to the end of this... By myself..."
Smile nodded.
He pointed at the stairs. The monster stood there. Smile... or, should I say, Shadow Revelian pushed me towards the now-open exit.
The monster tore at my shadow.
I didn't stop running. Finally, I reached the final floor.
Floor 100.
==Chapter 5 - My Love==
I wound up in a brightly lit room. At the end of the room was a door. I ran towards it.
The door wouldn't budge... I heard an angry roar behind me.
I spun around to face her. I knew who she was.
She slowly stepped into the light.
My beautiful wife, naked and covered with blood. Her chest was still torn open. Her fingers were cut off and replaced with long, sharp talons. Her lower regions were still torn open from my assault... Blood dripped out of it periodically. Seeing this horrible sight tore me up inside.
But I couldn't let it get to me. I had to get out of here. Or she would tear me up from the outside.
She pointed a talon at me and roared.
"...Umbra... I'm sorry..."
Shadow Umbra stared at me, unmoved.
"I know what I've done was wrong... I wanted to be punished for it, deep down on the inside... My own Shadow guided me to the truth. You're here to make me regret what I've done... But no. No more. I'm going to get over this. I'm going to get out of here. And if I have to beat you in order to do so... THEN SO BE IT!!"
I looked around, and saw a pipe on the ground. I dove towards it and snatched it. I pointed it at Shadow Umbra.
"COME ON!!"
Shadow Umbra roared angrily as she dove at me!! I dodged her first attack and smashed her head with the pipe. It didn't even faze her as she slashed me across my face. She grabbed me and threw me to the ground, climbing on top of me. She rose her claws up to tear them through my throat! I managed to headbutt her off of me, giving me enough time to scramble away. I turned to face her. She angrily climbed to her feet, grumbling and whimpering. She roared at me again as she dove at me, slashing me across the chest. I delivered another heavy blow to her head, and kept smashing her while she was dazed. She finally fell to the ground, shaking violently...
But then she climbed up on all fours, initially facing away from me. She turned her head towards me and wiggled her ass at me as a taunt before turning around. On all fours, she was even faster then before. She leaped at me, pushing my guard to the limit. I managed to push her off of me and get a counter blow across her head. This did next to nothing to her, and she backed away...
And did a massive leap towards me. She slammed into me and knocked me into the ground, digging her talons in my chest. As I lay there, stuck in the ground and bleeding, I began to think. I remembered the good times I had with Umbra... My friends... How the past few years before Solaria died have been some of the best in my life... I remembered them all. I specifically remembered my time with Umbra... My beautiful wife... I slowly began to cry again as I remembered how I threw it all away due to my selfish attitude. I deserve to die here. I'm a monster. I deserve every ounce of pain I get.
Shadow Umbra silently stared at my pitiful form... She saw the pain I was going through. She felt the remorse I was finally feeling for her death. She growled a bit. I felt the talons tear away from my chest. I looked up. Shadow Umbra slowly walked over towards me. She leaned down next to me, her face slowly turning into a smile.
"Finish me off, already..."
"No."
She leaned towards me, and kissed me. She had transformed back into normal... Although taken aback, I simply returned the kiss. She then backed away and vanished. I climbed to my feet... The door at the end of the room opened up. I limped away, throwing away both the pipe and the lantern. I walked outside...
And wound up in a giant pier-like area. A single, wooden bridge lay in front of me, over a giant pool of water. I turned around.
The only thing there was an open door. No building. No nothing.
I turned around, and started to walk across the giant, wooden bridge.
==Chapter 6 - Ending==
I slowly walked across the foggy bridge. I walked for what felt like hours... I soon wound up on a tiny island. A small house was at the end of it.
I didn't know what awaited me, so I went inside...
Inside of the tiny room was a bed sitting next to a window. Umbra lay on top of it, covered up in a blanket. I silently walked towards her and knelt down next to her. She slowly turned and looked at me.
"Umbra, I..."
"I already know what you're going to say, Revelian."
She placed a hand on my face and looked at me with a small smile.
"I forgive you."
She gave me a final kiss, then laid back on the bed. The light in her beautiful eyes silently faded away as she died peacefully. I simply put my head in her chest and started to cry. As I sat there, crying, a hand touched my back. I spun around to see my shadow. It had taken its mask off. It looked just like me... Only moldy, rotten, and hideous. It outstretched one of its arms- A small pocket watch on a chain was on it.
"Your one and only chance at redemption."
The shadow's voice sounded just like mine. I slowly walked towards myself and grabbed his hand. A bright light enveloped us both.
I woke up outside of my castle... It was raining out.
It was the night I killed Umbra.
I silently moved towards the castle, knowing what to do...
As I pushed the door open, Umbra, who was sitting on the couch, turned towards me.
"Home late again, I see..." Her voice was barely a whisper.
I didn't say anything.
"Revelian... what happened to us?"
I remained silent.
"Answer me, damnit!! What happened to us!?"
I spun towards her, making her flinch. I stomped towards her, making her back up out of fear.
I grabbed her. She yelped in surprise.
I held her, tight, crying into her shoulder.
"R-Revelian...! What are you...?!"
I could barely talk from the crying I was doing. I probably looked like a damned pussy. But I didn't fucking care. I had been through hell and back, and I was going to make things right.
"I'm sorry, Umbra... I'm so sorry..."
"Revelian, what's..."
I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. I kissed her. She was taken aback, but soon closed her eyes and returned the kiss.
"Revelian..."
"Umbra... I've had a lot of time to think..."
"What do you mean?"
"...I had a nightmare, one night... A terrible nightmare. You had died, and I was all alone. I sat there, in the living room, suffering. It was then that I remembered how much you really meant to me..."
I couldn't tell her the real story. She'd never believe me. But she knew I was lying.
"Revelian... What really happened...? I'll believe you... Just tell me."
I sighed... And told her. About how I murdered her. About how I came from the future. About how I was trying to make things right. I expected her to flat out laugh at me, but she didn't. She just nodded...
"Revelian, if that's really true, then..."
"Then you'll give me another chance...?"
"Yes..."
"Do you want another child?"
She looked at me, surprised. I didn't change the expression on my face. If that's what she wanted, then I would give it to her.
"R-Revelian... Do you mean it?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die, jab a needle into my eye..."
I kissed her again, and hugged her. I looked over her shoulder.
Standing outside was my shadow. It silently gave me a thumbs up as it faded away, having served its purpose...
==Addendum==
"Chapter 7? - We All Love Surprises" takes place in the Phi Timeline.
Category:Stories
Category:Alpha-Archaic Timeline