Shadows of our end - KDA x Male Reader (Original)

Act 2 - 036

"They worshipped the sun but it looks like this world has been cursed by the dark. This world feels ancient and shrouded by fog. I can make the remnants of what this world once was."

I glance around at my surroundings.

"I can sense something pulling at my psyche," I shut my eyes. Something rooted deep into this world that used to worship the sun and flame. It's been slowly snuffed out with small embers burning at the bottom of the pit.

"A kindred spirit."

"Or just another force consuming its own," I mutter.

Memory steps into view. "Aye. I have that same feeling but this place could very well be the shove in the right direction you need to understand the Abyss and the part it plays in all the worlds, why it needs to be heralded, and why it has a throne."

"Chaos should be left unchecked," I state.

"The Abyss isn't chaos, it is a force of nature that supersedes all rules. In a world of Order and Disorder, there lies an abyss that swallows everything that dares to look past it."

Right. It doesn't answer to the laws of the world, but even then there are things above and beyond it.

Time moves very fast here. Which is very fortunate, meaning I can get a lot more done here before the day ends in my world. But by how much I am not entirely sure just yet, my gut feeling is just screaming that everything is moving too fast.

Far from us, I see someone sitting on the stone with some sort of chainmail; this place feels medieval. I glance up to see a large black raven cawing above what looks like the runes of a temple. Its beady eye locks onto me before it lets out a caw and pushes itself off of its perch and into the sky.

"Your course of action, Dread?" I glance at him as he gestures at the world as if it was mine and mine alone to explore.

"I'll talk with him for now," I gesture to the man sitting in the distance. I walk straight towards him to see him lift his gaze and lock eyes with me. I stop just short of him as he begins with a sharp chuckle.

"Well well well, what do we have here? Visitors from an unknown world? Or just someone that got lost in time."

I then state, "Looking for something in this world, but... somehow still lost."

"I found it strange when I saw you, but you aren't undead like many of the worlds around you," I glance around, "But I suppose you have questions for a lowly fellow like myself. You stink of the dark but I suppose you are sane enough to be considered an ally."

I nod slowly. "Just need a sense of direction, of where I am.

"I'll do you one better," he chuckles, "There are two bells you need to awaken, one up the stairs behind you that will lead you to the Undead Berg headed towards the Undead church, you can't miss it."

"Then down below in the base of Blight Town, the second and final bell. Something magical has to happen right?" he chuckles again, "That is if you don't find yourself dead... or worse... hollow."

Hollow? What's that supposed to be? A sickness? A condition?

"Two bells. That's it?" I cock my head trying to pry more out of him.

"There is more... behind the Firelink Shrine," he gestures to the area around us. "A graveyard leading to a deep and dark abyss. Careful, I heard that disturbing graves are answered by dragging you down behest of your wishes."

"Further below lies New Londo. If you wish to explore it yourself it is just down the stairs and down the lift. It was once an undead city so you may learn something if the ghosts don't stop you," he snickers.

I lift myself glancing around, "And this?"

"Ah... a bonfire. It works in mysterious ways. The lass under it is keeping it lit;  you may find that resting near it is quite... refreshing... though with someone of your being might find it invasive as it burns away the dark."

The bonfire.

I step closer to it and Memory appears opposite of me. "A source of restoration."

"It seems that it is the case," I rest my hand on the coiled sword and the area around me lights up with a warm light. The warmth burns into and through me but it doesn't hurt, but rather cleansing part of me I never thought would receive any attention.

My hunger has been sated, my thirst quenched, and my energy returned.

Memory's gaze is locked onto the city above us. "You may not have noticed because it is harder to see. Going into the Void made you stronger than it would have back in your world due to how time worked there, in this world the same will happen."

I nod as I state what I think he is trying to say. "We obey the laws of reality of this world."

"To a certain degree. Its gods do not care for us and will not respond to our prayer but the bonfire will continue to do as it does regardless of who we are, and I suspect that to a degree gaining power in a world like this would work the same way."

"Easy enough to understand," I cross my arms.

There isn't a lot around us that looks and feels dangerous. Up the stairs, I can see the city. And then the graveyard is behind this building. And then New Londo is down below. The level of danger I can sense is superior to some of the Void but then again the Void is unknown to me.

"Undead Burg first." I start walking towards it.

"An acceptable approach."

I nod, "Then we opt for that and do what we can with it."

I've sent my shadows to scout this place, there is something below us. Two things. A pit and just below the fire is a woman trapped between bars. A priest hiding in the corner of the runes of this Shrine but further than that we are surrounded by what I assume to be the Hollows.

"Nox." She appears out of my shadow. "We'll be taking the direct approach, lead the way forward."

"We have plenty of time."

I nod. "But I don't plan on spending all of it in here, we've jobs to do and I'd much rather Azreal not catch wind of what we are doing here and sending Fury to hound our asses. I've yet to come up with a permanent solution to her presence."

"Could use her."

"We could, it's clear her loyalty isn't exactly that."

"We'll determine that when we can."