SOLARVERSE: The Raven

Chapter 8 - The Masque

"I'm not sure if I can be considered the 'caring' type."

"From the beginning, I was always the apathetic kind."

"The kind that wouldn't do anything even if everyone died in front of them."

"At least that's how I viewed myself..."

"Frankly?"

"I hated myself for it."

"...I hated myself for the audacity I had to throw everyone away for my own interests."

"Those interests? It was nothing."

"It was just nothing."

"I throw away everything for nothing."

"There's no way I can get it back now."

"But, maybe, just maybe... If there's even a small chance I can start anew..."

---

"It starts..."

"With killing this guy."

...

The castle of Nightmare was unmoving amidst the now thunderous skies that loomed it from above, spiraling like a wave of snowy demons, yet as elegant and frozen as the castle looked, inside, it was just as thunderous.

Insanity found himself walking through the large, foreboding doors gusts and strings of the cold breeze whisked by, he was then standing still at the west side of a large, corridor-shaped room, one almost as large as the chamber he had unfortunately witnessed earlier, pillars lined against the walls as in between them, magnificent windows made out of the clearest and most fragile of glass, yet lined and framed with the toughest of obsidian, as the beastly noises and striking rain shot continuously on the windows... Insanity had felt like he had seen such a scenery before, it was a vague, almost untouched memory, but... No doubt something like this had occurred.

On the east side of the corridor, the doors swung open as well, sending a shiver through Insanity's spine upon the sight, the individual frames swung away in the same fashion as Insanity had entered as his 'opponent' walked through, wings spread out from their black coat, as their goggles reflected the thunder and light from the outside, yet as graceful and angelic as they appeared, their face was that of a menacing glare to Insanity, it's true nature covered only by the shadows of the corridor, as that Sans' eyes were dead white, akin to the bones they shared.

"...Hey," Insanity clenched his fists as the air left his near-psychotic expression of forced joy, the gentle winds noticeably became coarse and rough like sand as the opposing Sans raised their head, along with their divine wings.

"...You've... Likely been through the same as me, huh?" The Sans asked, scanning Insanity up and down, although this time, the latter stayed quiet, staring at the ground which reflected their body back at them... They were bloodied, skulls slightly cracked and eyes ultimately lost in their color.

"...Not sure, with what Nightmare said... Don't we all have different origins? Or do you mean..." Insanity responded, eyes trailing off to the beautiful window frames, vaguely familiar... It appeared like bliss, like a gentle shower, despite the devilish thunder outside nearly harmoniously.