The foggy night sky coated the cave in a vivid palette of violet and indigo, illuminating the onyx stone structures standing against time itself. Many of the buildings reaching towards the stars like miserable fingers were almost completely finished on the outside, engraved with beautiful depictions of the ancient civilization's culture and art. Yet, many of the buildings, particularly the area Michael was currently in, was unfinished with crumbling scaffolds and half-built walls.
Michael had wandered the streets for many hours, carefully entering buildings and hiding in the shadows. He ducked down perplexing alleys and walked on dark cobblestone with his dagger in hand.
The cover of darkness was great and all, but Michael sorely missed seeing the rising sun, especially the warmth after such a cold night. The eternal gloom from the false stars overhead were gorgeous, and he loved the night sky, but just not this one. There was no... life to it, no sense of awe. There was no true beauty to it.
He hoped to be rid of this place, but it didn't seem that would happen anytime soon.
'I've been walking... for hours!'
If before he was anxious, then now his anxiety was through the roof. This place was just so silent, there was nothing besides empty buildings, ethereal lamps and him. But there was no way he could really know that. What if they were just... waiting?
Michael couldn't handle it anymore - no, he didn't want to handle it anymore. He really wanted to sleep, but alas, he couldn't. He wouldn't allow himself to.
'I'm getting nowhere.'
Besides learning a little bit more about the ancient civilization that probably built this complex, his main priority was still unfulfilled. And sneaking around the streets and through the buildings was not helping, at least he thought so.
That was until he walked by an identical lamp, on an identical street, next to an identical tower, and he looked up. His emerald eyes shrouded by the bloodied helm flinched from a sharp pain in his neck, but eventually focused on one of the many spires, where large ornate windows reflected the glistening light.
'That's the key...'
=====
'...Please... just tell me I'm at the top!'
Michael had walked for over an hour trying to find his way up. It took him way too long to actually find the entrance through the labyrinthine of intersecting streets and bridges. The layout made absolutely no sense to him, the amount of times he walked up stairs only to find himself in a place that descends was too many than he liked to admit.
He would continuously make his way across walkways and find himself in a dead end. It was like the architects did this as a joke. He wouldn't be surprised if they were in their graves dying from laughter at his idiocy.
And it was all made worse by his mother who followed closely behind, snickering and mocking him.
'Why... is she still here?'
When Michael first saw her rotting corpse, he thought she was just the fabrication of the vile nightmare creature that was supposed to threaten his life in his First Nightmare, using his own mind against him. Yet, even when he escaped, she was still there wandering with him in the blizzard. He wished it was just a lagging effect of the abomination's powers, simply just prolonged because of the blizzard and frost piercing into his body. It would make sense since a mind attack would probably be stronger if his mind was weakened, right?
Well... it seemed his wish wasn't going to be answered. Even though he ventured into the dark abyss and found himself down here, she was still there, following him. And as Michael thought about it, he was reminded of the blurry figure he once saw standing on the edge of light and dark. Whoever... or whatever that was, it still evaded him with no signs of even existing.
It really made him wonder, what was going on? Could all of this simply be his imagination?
Michael didn't think so, that was until he remembered one of his Attributes.
___
Attribute: [Dream]
Attribute Description: [You can't escape your nightmare, only dream of an end.]
___
Ever since the First Nightmare, he felt his mind fundamentally changed. He thought it was simply because of the city and his wife, such a sudden stark contrast in environment would surely do something. But there was more to it than just that.
His mind, imagination, illusions and nightmares, could it all be related to the [Dream] Attribute? There was no way it was all just a coincidence. His ability to see his mother - his dead mother - like she was really there, even feeling her cold touch, it couldn't have been just a prolonged effect from a mind attack.
If his mother was simply a figment of his imagination, then what about that blurry figure? Did his mind simply fake that familiar warmth out of pure desperation? If so, then why did he also hallucinate that person? Who were they?
If Michael didn't even know, then how could he imagine it? It could've just been his mind trying to rationalize that warmth, but if that truly was a hallucination, what else could be? If his imagination was enhanced then everything around him could just be an illusion, a bad dream he can't escape.
'Aah, everything is so confusing...'
If such an unassuming Attribute could make him suffer so much, then what about his other Attributes?
___
Attribute: [Cursed]
Attribute Description: [You are cursed by the strings of fate, forever wandering as a source of calamity and hopelessness.]
___
Michael never really believed in fate, but he wasn't so arrogant as to think he was completely right. After all, there was a divine being called the Daemon of Fate.
But... could this Attribute the reason of all his suffering? Was the weakness and agony he experienced because of a damned attribute? The real question was, was this always with him?
He didn't know much about Attributes, but could some be innately tied to him? Could it have been with him since birth, affecting his life without him knowing because he lacked the Spell's runes?
Was his curse the source of all the pain in his life? Was he the reason his family crumbled, and the reason for everything that happened to him?
'Was it... all my fault?'
"That's what I've been saying~"
Michael sorrowfully glanced at his mother, her face plastered with a wide grin as her hazy eyes looked around like an airhead, as if nothing really mattered. He ignored her and tried to focus on what mattered.
'She's just your imagination... she's just your imagination...'
Despite his efforts, his thoughts lingered on the subject a moment longer.
'Could I have been cursed from the [Stain of Divinity]? Maybe it was punishment for having divine blood when it wasn't mine to have? But then why did I even have it? Why am I being punished for something I never wanted?'
Michael felt slimy fingers caress his hair.
"Aww, it's ok Michael. None of it matters anymore... just understand it's all your fault and everything will be so much easier-"
He harshly grabbed her bony arm with a furious scowl before realizing his mistake. He let go and turned around with a guilty expression, his voice carrying regret.
"I'm sorry..."
She swiftly continued her relentless, insidious whispers with her distant but so close voice as Michael muttered a faint plead.
"Please... please just stop."
=====
After how many hours he spent climbing the onyx building's stairs and crossing the elevated pathways, Michael was finally close to the top of this spire.
'About damn time.'
He pushed open a heavy wooden door weighed down by iron, kicking up settled dust. His dagger was ready for anything as he prepared an untrained defensive stance, on alert for any vile abomination who decided to make the top room its nest.
Michael carefully scrutinized the empty surroundings illuminated by a soft glow from the tall ornate windows on each side, their dyed panes tinting the room in a variety of darker colors. Through the visor of his helm, he discerned no creatures skulking in the treacherous shadows.
'It's really empty? Even up here?'
He was at a lost for words. He could somewhat get around the fact no nightmare creatures roamed the streets and nested in the lower buildings, despite the absurdity. But up here as well? It was nothing but concerning.
There truly was something around here warding the beasts off.
Michael walked to each of the glassy windows and peered out of them, something surprisingly easy considering the tinted colors, as if the windows were more decorations than something for utility. Again, another baffling choice from the architects.
From up above, the cave was truly pleasing to look at. The onyx stone glistened from the faint night sky above while the pale lamps brightened the streets in a cool tone. Spires reaching towards the ceiling connected with complex patterns of streets and bridges engraved with stunning illustrations. The architects were undoubtedly excellent at art, if nothing else. It almost made the suffering of navigation bearable... almost.
Michael continued looking between the other towering structures until something caught his eyes.
Embedded into the rock itself on the far side of the cave was a large gate surrounded by flat platforms and smooth declines, something likely used by the ancient humans as a way to store and transport materials.
'That's it! That's my way out of here!'
Unlike previous times, he managed to contain his excitement and only showed joy on his face.
'Finally, a way out!'