Shadow of the Abyss

Caught in the throes of their aerial dance, Altair and Syris hurtled across the boundless canvas of the cerulean sky, their bodies moving with the velocity of a lightning strike. The wind lashed at their billowing robes, producing a relentless rustling noise that heightened the drama of their flight.

As they darted through the air, their blurred silhouettes left a trail of afterimages that twinkled like the constellations above.

As if seeking to race across the horizon that never came, they stopped gliding down from the clouds onto a branch, masking their intent. Perhaps it had been their hubris, but even after an hour, they saw no city or finish line, just an endless forest—boundless leaves of vegetation that never ended.

Syris spun her lovely eyes to him. "We're lost, aren't we?"

"In my defense, I've never been good with directions," Altair admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of his usual shamelessness.

Syris's disbelief was palpable. How could he, the one who always led them back to safety, be lost now? Even when they were gone for days, sometimes months on end, he had always found the way. He had never missed a beat. Not once.

Altair ignored her scrutinizing eye. He coughed into his palm, that mischievous smile rising. He could all but tell what she was thinking but didn't have the heart to tell her he had no idea what the hell he was doing back in the Lake of Rot. Things just occurred, and somehow, he'd taken credit for it.

Most of his achievements had relied on his acute sense of knowing, which he had no control over. If he really wanted something… he'd find it. But he couldn't just tell Syris that—not when he rather enjoyed teasing her, not when he could practically taste a new adventure around them.

He caught her waist, drawing her closer to his side. "Screw directions. Let's just fuck around. Look around us. Think we can—

[Conquest: Wait a second! Your back!]

[Daddy: That is correct. The seed of my balls have been back for about two months now]

[Piercing Owl: Yup, although he seems to be fooling around.]

[Luscious Red: Light the Beacons!!]

[Daddy: Lol!]

[Archeon: That gave me a good laugh.]

[Reverend Night: Altair Blackwood? Wow~ You're cute!]

[She Who Hunts: Very Cute! Cuter as a kid, though]

[ I Got Diarrhea: No fair! How come you didn't tell us you were back!]

[Daddy: Alright. I'll ask. What type of bloody username is that?

[ I Got Diarrhea: Bruh]

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

As the influx of messages about Altair's reemergence began, the Young Lord daringly spun Syris's hair around his finger. It made him smile when she glared at him, but she allowed him to do as he pleased.

She couldn't understand his fascination with playing with her hair. Had there been a morning he wasn't playing with it? Running his finger through it like a brush, smoothing the tension out of her naked body. He'd only stop when she purred, falling asleep.

'Did he also do so with Ren?'

Altair grinned. "The Gods are watching us again."

Syris's mood slightly soured. "I see." With a visible look of irritation, she fidgeted with the fabric of her robes and readjusted them to better fit her frame. Her muttering under her breath was barely audible as she longed for the privacy of the Palace of Stygian, a place where she could escape the prying eyes of others.

After five long years passed, the gods gradually became aware of ALtair's absence from the Origin Systems. Despite their growing concern, they found themselves powerless to intervene and could do little else but watch from afar. As the days turned into months and the months into years, their initial interest slowly waned, replaced by a sense of resignation.

Altair felt her frustration but said nothing of it. There was nothing he could do as the Gods streamed their lives like they were influencers on the internet. It was a hard pill to swallow, harder now that he was a man, with a man's appetite, one he had no control over anymore. Still, he bore it, lifting his eyes towards the skies, towards the Gods.

"Welcome Back… I nearly forgot about you. It's been Ten Years. Five for you guys." He smiled, not bothering to explain what he meant. They were gods. They should be able to figure it out. "I'm throwing a little party on my planet If you haven't already figured it out.

I took over Earth and am in the midst of fusing Gaia and Earth. It should be done in a few weeks. I'd like to invite you guys. Especially if you still wish to use Babels Tower. I'll be seeing you on Earth in two weeks. Please contact Aurora for any details."

[Divine Sin, Archeon frowned and asked how you intend to enforce restrictions.]

Altair saw his comment but expressed little concern. "Genesis, of course. As a citizen, it was my right to dethrone the previous monarchs. Such events have occurred all across the Republic of Genesis. I managed to exterminate them before they could call for backup. Thanks to our lovely Tasha.

A Devil. Yes. I do have a devil on my side. I've already sent Genisis a message to request for a guardian. Plus, I've got a few gods on my side already. The thing I have the most to worry about is an invading army.

But I'm quite ready… Rather, I'm looking forward to it."

And he thought, "Not to mention, I intend to use those bastards of the Crucible to the fullest. Like hell, Azura and Adam will be able to ignore the fact that I have gained full access to Babels Tower."

Syris mirrored his bloody grin, her regal demeanor gathering more and more attention from the various gods.

[Archeon: So you've chosen the path of the Emperor rather than the King, eh?]

"An Emperor…" The young Lord muttered, a tantalizing grin spreading across his lips. "Emperor Blackwood

And he thought. "Emperor Snow"

Syris chuckled at his wicked smile. "We should go." Pulling him away back into the skies, with her winds to carry them across the endless forest, Altair played with the gods, answering questions here and there that he could without revealing much of his time in the Lake of Rot. Sure that Adam or Azura were watching him.

The mere thought of them had left him breathless, his heart burning with the wicked embers of the Nine Hells. Particles of Vale Qi gathered around his head like a crown, reacting to the fury that would never fade, even when they were dead and buried.

He nurtured that hate, that rage in the depths of that Black Lake in his mind, burying its darkness in the waters.

But with a smile of kindness, he answered the questions the various gods had, stopping when he saw a familiar face.

"Oh? Isn't that the Fae we met earlier today?" Syris asked, frowning. "Did we walk in a fucking circle" She looked at Altair suspiciously but saw only his childish smile across his stupidly handsome face.

"What? Want a kiss? You're staring. Has my sweetness reached your loins or—-"

Suddenly plummeting from the air at the sudden dismissal of the winds carrying him, Altair shouted a laugh, spinning through the air until he crash-landed with shattering force on his feet. Spirals of fragmented destruction sprawled across the earth from his descent, but he still dared to chuckle.

"You bastard! We're lost, aren't we!'

"I never said I knew where I was going!" Altair screamed, dancing away as Syris charged at him, half seriously trying to kill him. He continued to laugh and laugh until Syris got tired, folding her arms annoyed. "Its an adventure, we—-"

"Damn it! The map is wrong!" They heard the Fae curse. "What the hell happened? How is that possible? A city doesn't just disappear.

Syris gasped. And Altair just nodded expectantly. "See? I knew something was—"

She covered his mouth, not allowing herself to be fooled. She moved closer, masking her presence even deeper with her domain. She began to eavesdrop.

"An Arbiter must have moved the bloody city!" The Fae male cursed. "Why the hell would they…" fingers clenching, he tossed the leather skin map onto the ground, burying it with a stomp. "Fuck…"

"Calm down, Yvain." Said one of the lovely women, attempting to take him into her arms.

Yvain recoiled, shaking his head. 'It's not. Those bloody shadows are quick, so quick; we got lucky there were so many of us. And even then, we had to abandon Harken."

Altair snarled, muttering, 'Upper Moons.' He had no proof, but he blamed them nonetheless. It was the only thing that made sense. The entire situation within that strange court had been a strange one, tugging at his inner awareness since he arrived.

'Let's go,' he said, pulling Syris away as she whisked them back into the air.

"Are you allowed to change a trial like that?" Syris coldly asked.

Altair narrowed his eyes. "According to Big Sis Luna, you can't make changes to a trail once it's started." He could still recall her trail like it was yesterday, pulling him back to a familiar time, one unburdened by the Lake of Rot.