The shadows vanished. The chamber was plunged into utter darkness.
Well... it didn't bother me much thanks to my eyes, while the Knight seemed to thrive in the dark. I stepped forward, touching and staring at the black door. It was solid. This metal was the same material the Knight's armor was made of, but of a much, much higher quality.
As Sunny once said, not even an entire army could break through this door.
Heh. At that moment, a wicked plan formed within me—one that would take some time to execute. But I would certainly do it once I left this Nightmare.
Finally, looking at the door, I found a small keyhole in the cursed metal. I pulled the key from my pocket and slid it in. As expected, it was a perfect fit. I paused for a moment to add a dramatic effect to the occasion, then slowly turned the key.
A clicking sound echoed inside the metal door, and then it opened silently.
Behind the door was a small room carved into the rock. Inside, a figure was chained to the floor within a runic circle. The figure wore a mask.
[Weaver's Mask].
The mask was made of polished black wood, carved to resemble a fierce demon. Its teeth were bared, four fangs jutted from its mouth, and it was crowned with three twisted horns. Before Orion could move, a voice came from behind the mask.
"Visitors? It has been a long time. What is the occasion?"
Can't you see? I wondered to myself.
The figure raised its head to stare at me, though I couldn't tell if it could actually see me or not.
"Noctis? No, no... this scent is similar to his, but it isn't his. Hmm... You carry the lineage of the Beast God. Yes, that makes sense."
I cleared my throat and spoke calmly. "Greetings. I am Orion."
"Orion? Hmm... Who are you? I wasn't supposed to meet anyone after being imprisoned here."
"You haven't met anyone," I replied coldly, feeling the figure freeze at my words. "As you said, you died here before you met anyone."
She seemed intent on speaking, perhaps to argue about my presence there. However, I didn't allow it and cut her off.
"We are in my first Nightmare."
For a few seconds, the figure stopped completely. She didn't move; she didn't make a sound. I even doubted if she had died. Heh. That would be a cursed death.
"Oh."
That was all she said. At least until I heard her next words.
"You are a very cursed individual for your trial to take place in this spot."
I wanted to kill her. For the first time in my Nightmare, I wanted to kill someone for a purely personal reason. Yet, I smiled as I replied.
"Thank you for reminding me."
"It's good that you know this. Your life will be easier if you prepare for the worst."
Damn you.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. Allow me." The figure tilted her head slightly. "I am the High Priestess of the Nightmare Spell. It is a pleasure to meet you, Orion."
Now, it was time for my true goal. "I need your help."
"My help? I'm afraid I cannot leave this runic circle."
"No, no. It's much simpler than that. I just need to know a certain type of ritual."
"What kind of ritual?"
"Hmm... before that, I intend to take my second Nightmare in the Chained Isles, where the Demoness of Hope is held and where your Transcendent self exists. Can you tell me something to help me gain your past self's trust?"
"Hmmmm... how interesting! Hahaha! Are you stalking me through the Nightmares? How romantic. Unfortunately, I don't feel attracted to you."
By this point, a vein was pulsing on my forehead, becoming clearer every time she opened her mouth.
"Fine, fine. Stop being angry. I'll tell you what you want." She leaned in. "Now, regarding the ritual, what kind do you wish to know?"
"Well, what I want is..."
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Alright, little Orion. That's everything. You can kill me now."
I paused, not knowing how to respond. I hadn't told her my intention to kill her, so had she sensed something?
"Stop thinking. It's obvious you'd want to kill me. I mean, I'd want to as well. Besides, I'm certain you'll get something magnificent from a great person like me."
"Thank you."
"Oh? Even an arrogant prince like you knows how to say thanks? Hahaha. Go on now, I'm feeling tired."
I summoned my dagger silently and stepped toward her. I knelt beside her body and placed the blade directly over her heart.
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye, my little one. I hope you surpass your Nightmare."
"don't forget When you meet my other self in your next Nightmare, take her right hand, draw a pentagram, and say these words: This is my promise to you."
Seconds later, the sound of the Spell whispered in my ear.
[You have slain a Great Monster: High Priestess of the Nightmare Spell, Pattista.]
[You have received a Memory: Hymn of the Lost Dawn.]
Hmm... I summoned the runes, filled with anticipation and a bit of excitement.
Memory: Hymn of the Lost Dawn
Rank: Supreme.
Tier: I.
Type: Spell.
Description: "While Weaver was knitting the void, he whispered to his priestess: 'Truth is the only lie that no one believed, so guard this field; not so they may know, but so the world forgets they ever existed. Whoever wears this silence shall be my favorite lie, which Fate believed in spite of itself'."
Memory Enchantments: [Void Field] – [Runic Eye] – [Soul Fortress] – [Hermit's Serenity].
I summoned the Memory, curious about its form. Sparks of essence formed around my neck into a cold silver chain ending in a crystalline stone.
Inside this crystal, an eternal dance swirled between two sets of delicate threads: deep purple ones, like wounds of darkness, and bright golden ones, like the promise of dawn. They intertwined and parted with majestic slowness, as if they were "Threads of Fate" being spun and reshaped in every moment. The more I stared into its transparent core, the more the world around me seemed to fade—as if I were looking directly into the fabric that hides me within the folds of a lie that no one dared to utter.