Daemerungslied: Empyrean Shadows

Chapter 7

Ruri watches from a distance. She notices the water dripping from a stalagtite, and an idea forms in her mind. She reaches out with her magic, feeling the coolness of the droplets as they dance in the air, forming a thick mist around her. The rabbit, now visible only as a pair of glowing eyes, stops in its tracks, momentarily blinded by the sudden fog.

Then a silhouette appears, revealing itself to be a woman wearing a mask resembling a twisted version of a rabbit's face.
The mask itself is made from scrap metal, painted in a dark, glossy hue that seems to absorb the light around it. Her movements are erratic and unpredictable, much like the creature they've been pursuing.

The masked woman's laughter echoes through the cavern, a chilling sound that sends shivers down the spines of the Dark Luminaries.

The masked woman introduces herself. "I am Francine Leandres," the woman proclaims, her voice a haunting melody that echoes through the cavern. "28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. That is how long it will take you to find the seal if you dare to face the trials ahead."

Her words hang in the air like a twisted riddle. The Dark Luminaries exchange glances, the gravity of their quest weighing heavily on their minds. This wasn't the sort of challenge they had signed up for, but it was clear that the universe had a sense of humor that matched the absurdity of their situation.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Luna quips, her revolver's barrel gleaming in the dim light. "But we're not in some teen angst film, darling. We're in a quest to save the world."

The masked woman, or rabbit girl as Luna dubs her, laughs, a sound that echoes through the cavern, sending shivers down their spines. "Oh, but you are, my dear," she says, her voice a blend of innocence and menace. "The fabric of time and space is as tangled as your own emotions. But fear not, I am merely a guide in this labyrinth of your making."

"You must be talking about me," Ruri says, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "The one who's not supposed to be here."

Francine Leandres tilts her head, the twisted rabbit mask glinting in the bioluminescence. "Ah, the melancholic elf," she says with a knowing smile. "Your power over water and ice is unrivaled, yet it is your own sadness that you cannot control."

Ruri feels the weight of her words, her heart sinking like a stone in the sea. "You know about me?" she asks, her voice a whisper.

"Oh, I know much more than you could ever imagine," Francine Leandres says with a wink. "But let's not dwell on the existential dread, shall we?" She snaps her fingers, and the cavern lights up, revealing a series of doors that line the walls, each with a different symbol from the last.

The first door is marked with a triquetra, an ancient druidic symbol used to symbolise the balance of nature. It opens with a creak that sounds like the groan of an old tree in a storm. Behind it, the scene unfolds like a page from a forgotten grimoire. A forest of dead trees stretches out, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The sky above is a starless void, and the only source of light is the pulsing glow of the bioluminescent fungi that cling to the bark. The Dark Luminaries exchange wary glances.

Mara steps forward, her twin blades reflecting the eerie glow. "Let's go," she says, her voice steady. "We're wasting daylight." But as they move into the forest, the trees begin to whisper, their voices a cacophony of despair and doubt. It's as if the very essence of the world is questioning their purpose.

"Why are we here?" Ruri whispers, her eyes wide. The whispers of the trees seem to be echoing her own fears.

Mortilda, her war scythe at the ready, nods at the symbol on the next door. "We must face our fears," she says, her voice firm. "This is part of the trial."