Falling into the Abyss

Chapter 16: Atonement: Red Earth (XIV)

Chapter 16: Atonement: Red Earth (XIV)

Ethan and Samuel had just taken a few steps in the direction of the lobby when they heard several gunshots. Shocked, they tried to hurry back. However, the ground underneath their feet was slightly sticky, as if it had melted. With the ground covered in an unknown, sticky liquid, they could hear the soles of their shoes sticking to the ground whenever they lifted their feet. When Ethan swept his flashlight over the walls, he noticed that there were several large black spots on the walls. It appeared as though the walls were decaying, like ink bleeding through paper.

Ethan thought, The base is being infected, and were surrounded. In his heart, he felt a burst of inexplicable despair.

He was not a pessimist, but the irritating humming in his ears was constantly causing his nerves to be on edge. The dark surroundings, sudden inexplicable visions, and incomprehensible creatures and environment all caused him to sink further into madness.

Whenever the humming in his ears paused, he seemed to hear a voice that projected itself directly into his head. It told him, Give up, give up, surrender, accept, and merge

Fuse, fuse with eternal chaos, fuse with every human and every creature in the universe, to never feel lonely, never be afraid, never be sad

As if returning to the state before you were born

Ethan suddenly realized that he had stopped moving.

He didnt know when he stopped moving. He was standing in the dark, holding a flashlight that had completely extinguished.

Samuel? he called out tentatively, but his voice seemed to be absorbed by the darkness. His voice did not spread, and he did not even hear an echo.

His intuition told him that he was no longer following behind Samuel.

Where was Samuel? And where was he?

Was he alone?

With trembling hands, he quickly shook his flashlight. Other than the sound of the flashlight rattling, all he could hear was his rapid and irregular breathing. The faint light was a life-saving straw in the darkness, and he never knew that he could be this ecstatic for such a tiny beam of light. His wrists were sore, but he did not dare to stop shaking the flashlight until the beam was strong enough to light up two or three steps in front of him.

He was standing at a fork in a corridor. He didnt recognize his surroundings, and he didnt remember passing through this area earlier when he had gone past the medical lounge to the hall.

Did they separate because of the fork? When did he and Samuel get separated? Why didnt he remember?

He had not been to many places in the main building of the base because of how complex the corridors were, with some leading off to other greenhouses and residential buildings. It was easy to get lost in dim lighting. He told himself over and over to remain calm, unaware that he was muttering his thoughts out loud. He was at a crossroads with four paths, each looking exactly the same, with no clue as to which direction they led to. Ethan swallowed his saliva to moisten his dry throat before choosing the path to his left.

The floor remained sticky, and the air seemed to become increasingly humid. He saw that the black mold on the area where the ceiling met the wall continued to grow denser, with traces also spreading downwards like dripping water. The doors to each room were closed. When they were in the lounge previously, the room had been dusty, but the door was still in good condition. However, the doors now looked like remnants left from ancient times. The edges of the doors sported dark red and green rust, and when Ethan tried to pull open some of the doors that didnt have digital locks, he found that they were rusted shut.

His surroundings were so quiet that it was terrifying. It was as though he was the only one left in the entire base.

Samuel!!! Otto!!! Ethan called out the names of everyone he remembered, but got no response. He continued to walk forward, randomly picking corridors whenever he reached a fork. The corridors all looked the same, and appeared to continue endlessly. He felt as though he had fallen into a whirlpool of decaying corridors, and was unable to escape.

Finally, he reached into a dead end.

There was a large door at the end of the corridor, different from all the other doors he had passed. It was a mahogany double door with ancient carvings and brass door handles, appearing tranquil and clean, as though it was used recently.

Ethan thought that the door looked familiar, but he couldnt remember where he had seen it. However, the door gave him a feeling of extreme evil, as though there were a pair of empty, unblinking eyes peeping at him through a crack. He took a few steps backwards, but when he turned around, his entire person froze.

A human figure stood in the dark near the door at the dead end, watching him with their head tilted.

Ethan felt a chill sweep over his body, and his heart leapt into his throat.

Who?

The other party did not respond, and their head remained tilted, staring at him motionlessly.

Ethan glanced around nervously, instinctively looking for someone that could help him. However, deep in this labyrinth of dark corridors, he was alone.

And the other partys head still remained tilted as they stood in the same spot, gazing at him.

Who are you! I have a gun! Ethan didnt know that his voice was trembling, ineffective as a deterrent. He deliberately put his hand into his pocket, trying to scare the other party.

Suddenly, the figure moved.

To be exact, it was not the person that moved, but the surface of their body. Under the faint light emitted by the flashlight, Ethan saw the black figures hair suddenly burst out, and countless tiny hair-like things growing out of his skin. They danced in the air like the strange insects he saw previously, or coral wildly dancing in the sea. The figure quickly turned into a humanoid hairball, but their head still remained tilted, looking at Ethan with slight curiosity. Even though Ethan couldnt see their eyes, he just knew that they, or it, was looking at him.

Ethan suddenly realized that the God of Disorder had found him. He had been trapped in its net, and was about to be eaten.

He began to step backwards, but as soon as he moved, the thing suddenly moved as well, and charged towards him crazily!

Ethan turned around and ran, running faster than he had ever ran before. He reached the mahogany door in seconds, his body smashing into the door, but he did not feel the expected impact. Instead, he easily slammed the door open and barged inside.

Behind the door was a bright, warm, and comfortable place. Orange sunlight shone on his skin, giving him a cozy feeling that he hadnt experienced in a long time.

Hahahahaha.. Low laughter travelled into Ethans ear, and he felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He looked up to see a man in a simple white shirt, sitting barefoot on the seat beside a bay window while reading a book. He had deep blue eyes that were the color of the sky before dawn, thick eyebrows that slanted upwards, and a cropped beard that added a rough yet charming touch to his appearance.

Ethan was stupefied. He laid on the ground, stuck in an embarrassed posture, and stared dumbly at the other party.

Why wont you get up? Do you like my floor that much? Rolands voice was mellow, and his low tone made anything that he casually said sound flirtatious. Ethan had never been able to refuse him.

Ethan stood up slowly and laughed. His laughter sounded a bit forced, and dry.

I see. Im probably dreaming. His dark green eyes darted upwards, and he said emotionlessly, Why do I still see you when Im already in such a motherfucking state? You son of a bitch!

Had he known that it was him behind the door, he would have rather stayed outside and allowed himself to be engulfed by the shadow.

Roland closed the book and stepped onto the wooden floor. He had always been fond of old-fashioned and fragile things, such as wooden floors, paper books, and old wine. He wore a loose white shirt and slacks, with messy hair and a relaxed expression. He still looked so beautiful.

It was this beautiful devil who had pushed him into the Forbidden City and destroyed his life.

I know you hate me, and I know youre not doing well. Rolands footsteps were light, elegant, and unhurried, and his gaze stayed locked onto Ethan. So, Im here to pick you up.

Ethan laughed nervously as he replied, Pick me up? Will you bring me to the Third Empire or the Ophiuchus Alliance? How stupid do you think I am for me to believe you? Why are you here? Am I already dead?

No, you are not dead. If you go with me, you wont have to worry about dying in the future. He stopped two steps away from him and stretched out a hand. His warm palm slid gently down Ethans cheek, but Roland did not touch him, a thin layer of air transmitting his warmth to Ethans face. Rolands eyebrows were slightly raised, and his deep-set eyes brimmed with remorse and heartache. He continued, You do not belong in the Forbidden City. You are such a gentle person, always quietly taking care of your family and friends, and dutifully playing the role of a Beta. You are tired, and no one understands how tired you are. But I know, Ive always known.

Rolands words were like a magic spell, floating in the golden sunshine. I know how boring and lonely your life is, and I know that loneliness is what you fear most. Come with me, and leave behind death and the Forbidden City. We will never be separated again. You and I, along with everything else, will be united as one, and we will never separate.

Ethan could smell the light musk coming from Rolands body. He looked at his broad arms that had once tightly embraced him, stronger than those of an average Alpha, and the full and sexy lips that used to kiss him so affectionately. Clearly, Ethan had decided to hate him, but now, faced with the decay and death he had just experienced, Ethan was wavering.

Yeah, what did he have to lose? Even if he was lucky enough to survive the darkness outside, he would still have to face the seemingly endless days in the Forbidden City. Someone had once said that the Forbidden City was like a black hole. Anyone who went in would never be able to leave.

Roland held a hand out to him. It was large, but firm and warm. Compared to everything behind him, it was wonderful.

Being together forever, with no fear, no death, no betrayal, and no Forbidden City.

Even if it was a dream, he felt that it would be nice to die in such a dream.

Just as Ethans moved slightly, he suddenly felt his body being embraced by another person. Their arms were equally powerful and warm, tightly encircling his body, and he was enveloped in a gentle scent that did not belong to Roland, with the faint fragrance of the blue sea and the divinity of the setting sun.

Ethan! Wake up! A familiar voice rang out, clear with a tinge of apathy. The priest, Tanisiel, had one hand around his body, while his other hand raised a gloved palm. He held a small piece of a blue, irregular-shaped object, appearing like a small piece of an eggshell.

All of a sudden, the Roland across from him opened his jaw an impossible amount, his entire face stretching and deforming. From his pitch-black, huge mouth came a terrifyingly shrill scream that could freeze anyones blood. In an instant, the sunshine was extinguished. Darkness rushed forth from all directions, and everything rapidly rotted. Rolands body turned black and withered quickly, like mold, before finally disappearing like smoke and dust.

Ethan sucked in a large breath of air and blinked his eyes in confusion. There was still a corridor in front of him, but he was also still being held tightly by the priest. Finally reacting to what had just happened, his grip tightened around the priests arm, looped around his waist. He stuttered, That wasit was

Tanisiel sighed beside his ear, You were influenced by the power of the God of Disorder. She was beckoning you, using your memories and emotions to convince you to be absorbed by her voluntarily, and become a part of her. Her power is gradually infiltrating the base. What you saw just now was an illusion created by her energy interfering with your brain waves. The illusion was generated from the cells on her limbs. Once you touched whatever you just saw, you would have been infected by her.

kat: lowkey shipping ethan and tanisiel now ahhh

Fleur:

T/N: In case anyones wondering, Yuzu is not available to proofread this week.