Tales of Undeath: The Von Virtus Chronicles

XLIV. Abyssal Eclosion

Tyssa: "I was so sure you were nothing but trouble, so certain your actions would only bring us more misery... It never crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, you were only fighting for what you believed to be right."

Deep underground, a pair of darkened eyes snapped open. The thick, tainted liquid encasing them began to churn violently, sending streams of bubbles cascading to the surface. The sound of whirring machinery filled the lab as gauges spun wildly, their needles jittering far beyond their safe zones.

Tyssa: "I... I always believed what I was told. I trusted his words without question. He was the only one still by my side, the only person I thought I could rely on. Doubting him... doubting *Cabdan*... never even crossed my mind. Anything was better than being alone. Anything..."

The cylindrical vat containing the figure began to crack. Spiderweb fractures snaked their way through the glass as the liquid inside surged with a mind of its own. Several scientists scrambled, shouting over each other in a frenzy as they worked the controls, desperately trying to contain the disaster. Yet no adjustments to the valves, no release of pressure, no emergency protocols could stem the coming wrath.

Tyssa: "But I can't ignore what they've said, not anymore. Not when Yiel is involved. I just wish I could remember... That day is such a blur to me. It was the most important day of my life. I lost the only family I had left... And yet, no matter how much I try, I can't recall how he died. Why? Why can't I remember...?"

A loud crack shattered the tense silence of the lab as a jagged black tendril punched through the vat's glass exterior. The first scientist to react turned and bolted for the exit, his instincts screaming for survival. But before he could take more than a few steps, the tendril shot forward with uncanny precision, spearing through his chest. A sickening wet sound filled the air as the man's heartbeat faltered, then ceased entirely. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor, the tar-like appendage retracting as swiftly as it had struck.

Tyssa: "If what they said is true... If *he* is the reason my brother died... then I want him to pay for it. I don't care if I'm left all alone anymore. Loneliness may hurt, but it couldn't possibly hurt more than being betrayed by the one person you trusted most."

The remaining scientists froze, paralyzed by fear. Some muttered prayers to their gods, while others fell to their knees, begging for mercy. But neither gods nor pleas would save them now. Their weapon of mass destruction had finally manifested -- it was just a shame they were to be its first victims. Their prayers went unanswered, their fates already sealed.

Tyssa: "He left me to die. Left me to be that man's plaything... He told me he'd protect me! Promised he'd never leave me. And after everything I did for him... after all I let him do..."

Her voice cracked, anger and sorrow interwoven into a fragile thread.

Tyssa: "... I... I..."

The containment cylinder exploded outward, shards of glass flying in all directions. Black liquid spilled across the floor, cascading over the tangled mess of tubes and cables that littered the laboratory. Amid the chaos, a humanoid figure stepped forward. Its form was slick and tar-like, as though its very body were still congealing. No blood spilled from its wounds -- only the same dark, viscous substance that had surrounded it for so long.

Each movement it made was fluid, almost graceful, yet carried an overwhelming aura of malice. Every step crushed glass shards beneath its feet, the sound echoing in the now-silent lab.

The abomination lashed out with inhuman precision, each tendril extending and retracting like a living weapon. Cleanly severed heads and impaled hearts bore testament to its unrelenting accuracy. The once-sterile laboratory was now painted in streaks of crimson and black, the blood of its creators mingling with the tar that oozed across the floor.

Tyssa: "I don't want to be frail anymore... I want to be like you, Faya. You answer to no one. You're brave, you're strong... You're everything I could never be. So please... don't die. Without you, there's no hope left."

Only one scientist remained. He pressed his back against a wall, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. As the creature advanced, he caught a glimpse of its corrupted form in the dim light. Its sunken, coal-black eyes seemed to pierce through him. The thing tried to speak, but its words were unintelligible -- a guttural mess of sounds, as though it fought its own tongue for control.

Its arms, blackened and malleable, shifted unnaturally, forming sharp, whip-like appendages that flexed with terrifying dexterity. The scientist stared in horror, realizing the enormity of what they had unleashed.

In that frozen moment, he felt a strange sense of peace. The knowledge that he wouldn't live to see the full extent of the destruction they had wrought was almost comforting.

Tyssa: "I now realize how heavy your burden must have been. To fend for yourself, to fight for what you believe in -- even when the world tries to tear you down... You're incredible. I'm ashamed it took me so long to see it, but I understand now. I want to help, I want to bring him to justice, to give us the closure we deserve. I want all of us to have control over our lives, to have the courage to stand up to those who exploit us. I want us to be free..."

The dark whips darted toward the terrified man, their movements swift and precise, but midway, they faltered. The writhing appendages twitched violently, as though they were grappling with an unseen force. The monster seemed at war with itself: its instincts screamed for slaughter, yet something deeper -- a fragment of thought, a flicker of humanity -- demanded restraint.

Tyssa: "Maybe it's unfair for me to ask more of you. After all, you've already done so much... But even if you don't make it back to us, I promise: I'll avenge you. I'll make sure Cabdan pays, even if I have to do it with my own hands. Your sacrifices won't be in vain."

The entity locked its abyssal gaze on the trembling scientist. Its mouth opened wide, a gaping void revealing a black, tendril-like tongue. The appendage twisted unnaturally, morphing and writhing as though it had a mind of its own. Then, with blinding speed, it shot forward, slipping into the man's nostrils like a streak of shadow.

The man's scream died in his throat. A searing pain exploded behind his eyes, but it lasted only a moment before a numb stillness overtook his body. Paralyzed yet fully aware, he felt the alien presence burrowing into his mind, scouring his thoughts with invasive precision. The creature wasn't simply killing him -- it was interrogating him.

Tyssa: "We may never escape these slums... But we'll make them ours. I promise you that much."

The scientist's mind burned with the weight of the creature's question. It wasn't spoken aloud, nor could it be. Instead, it etched itself directly into his neurons, an undeniable demand for information. His brain struggled, trying to resist, but the answer was instinctive -- a subconscious reaction firing across synapses before he could stop it.

The creature retracted its tongue-like appendage, its grotesque body quivering as though satisfied. It dropped the scientist's lifeless form to the bloodstained floor with a sickening thud.

Tyssa: "So when -- or if --  you open your eyes again, the only ones in charge of our lives will be each and every one of us. Nobody else...! "

As Tyssa's solemn vow echoed in the orphanage, the abomination turned its focus toward the heavy iron doors that had once sealed the laboratory. With a single, effortless motion, it tore them from their hinges, the screeching metal collapsing to the floor like the wailing of a dying beast. Somehow, it knew exactly where to go...

Its next victim awaited.