The Book of Abbadon

LOSS

Before you can collect your emotions about missing Ariel and Rosie, you snap into the third orb and your stomach turns as the environment forms around you. As you begin to recognize this place, emotions of grief, sorrow, trauma and guilt all begin to consume you.

Your body aches with pain and you feel extremely sore, almost as if you've been beaten within an inch of your life. Your head is foggy and you're being dragged into an ancient ruined coliseum. There are hundreds of Black Traps in the spectator seats and the crowd is loud as you approach the center. As you peer into the crowd, you catch a blurry glance of Tom among the audience but he's not cheering at all. He's standing silently with a heartbroken look stained on his face as you get thrown onto the floor in front of everyone.

You look to the center of the arena and see Anito, standing menacingly with a leash in his hand. On the end of the leash is Ariel on her knees, bound by chains and stripped of her clothes. Next to them is Rosie in some sort of magical cage. She's bawling her eyes out and trying to call out to you, but it seems as if the magical cage is preventing her from using her vocal cords. She tries to yell for you, but the only thing you can hear from her is whimpering. You read her lips and make out the words "Papa", "save", and "please" as she cries.

The crowd falls silent as Anito speaks.

" Abbadon. You have been brought here in the arena before us because you have violated the Grand Orders mandated by The Absolute. You have been accused of revealing our nature to a lesser being, endangering our kind's existence for personal gain, and copulating with a lesser being with the result of creating life. How do you plea? "

You can barely think at all and everything feels like a blur due to the intense amount of physical and emotional stress you're under. Still, the sight of Ariel bound and Rosie in the cage gives you enough strength to stand on your feet. You reply to Anito with a look of conviction in your eyes.

" Guilty. "

The crowd boos and shouts in response to your plea. Anito looks at you with disdain as he speaks to you.

" I can't believe it, Abbadon. To think that a leader much like myself would stoop to such a level disgusts me. "

Anito then turns to Rosie and looks at her as he continues talking.

" And that thing… That abomination that you created with this human woman… is a disgrace to our kind and a twisted image of what Black Traps are supposed to be. "

The crowd continues to boo and they start throwing things into Rosie's cage like she's some sort of animal. Solid objects hit her hard and wet objects soil her clothes as she starts to cry even harder. Rosie lies down in a fetal position to protect herself as she sobs. Enraged at the sight of these people treating your daughter like an animal, you run towards Anito with your remaining strength. With a look of pure apathy on his face, Anito unsheathes his dagger and puts it on Ariel's throat. You immediately stop in place to prevent any harm done to her.

You look up at Tom helplessly and Tom speaks to you telepathically as tears run down his face.

" I have a plan, Donny. Whatever happens next, I need you to trust me. Anito doesn't know about my involvement in your relationship, so he still trusts me and my position as a leader. Do you still want me to protect Rosie or do you want me to intervene and escape with Ariel? "

You glance at Rosie in desperation, then you look back at Tom. Tom nods his head in acknowledgement and you turn your gaze back to Anito as he holds Ariel in front of him.

" What do you see in this pathetic woman, Abbadon? "

Anito says as he turns Ariel around and squeezes her mouth with his hand.