Crowned

Arc 3, Chapter 80: One, Two, and Three.

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Lightbulb felt nothing, yet everything. It hurt... she was fragments, clutched in darkness's cold embrace. She wanted to reach out, and grab hold of something, anything. But there was nothing to grab. Solitude darkness. Her grasp was also absent. She her limbs had been crushed by the fist of the spring. Her eyes drifted across the darkness—at least—she thought it was. Not that it mattered, since she didn't have eyes. Her head had been shattered completely... All that remained in it's place was a ghostly projection of what it used to look like. Or... Roughly. It was funny! Never in her life could she have imagined wanting to die. Not even when Fan had attacked her! She just felt so... Hopeless. As if her life was being drained from her body.

Cobs stepped into the darkened grass, which soon faded into the complete darkness. He walked along the decrepit lands of corruption. Things felt bleak, and desaturated... Broken. He'd never been here, yet it felt like home. Liquid shadow that soaked the area, shifted and morphed. It threatened to take shape in adaptation to his own mind, the previous Crowned of corruption currently had it shaped into a playground of sorts. Withered trees which lacked life and leaves littered the area. The sky above covered in a thick mist, or clouds of sorts. Purple and black were the only faded colours present. The shadows morphed and started to change, but, He suppressed it. For now, at least. This place gave the feeling of staring into the void. Littered around were mindless beasts, yet, he could feel something creeping. More sentient. As if he could feel the fear radiating off of it. He recognized the feeling, and knew immediately what it was. His foot fell upon the blackened substance, and he stopped, the mass of shadow entrapping Lightbulb did too.

He waited, and watched... Silently. His glasses flickered in the dim purple light. The feeling of dread increased to what mortals would nearly describe as unbearable. He then flicked his right hand aside, in an instant, a screech pierced his ears. Cobs's face shifted to a scowl, He winced and looked aside baring teeth. "Immature..." He whispered, shooting a glare to whom resided there, suspended in a tendril of the shadow.

The creature struggled and hissed. Another demon, of course. Cobs had taken amusement in its desperate flailing, but his grin faded and he threw the creature back. "How DARE you!" The creature snapped, lunging again only to be whipped and knocked back down by the tendril once more. It gave a short yelp and whined.

"That's quite enough." Cobs beckoned, his glare sharp as he lowered his hand. The creature let up, and had become defensive rather than aggressive. "I want your name." He demanded.

The creature's guttural clicking became more evident, as it backed off and stood on it's feet once more. "Six..." They spat. Their eyes narrowed, focusing on Cobs, and every single movement he made.

Perfect, another. His suspicions proven correct. "I have a job for you." Cobs demanded, he placed his arms behind his back, the air seemed thicker in that moment. The wind was cold on his neck, but Cobs didn't care. He just stared at Six.

"I only take orders from my master..." Six retorted, they causticly took a step back, but Cobs grabbed it again. They screeched and clawed at the now strands of darkness which wrapped around them.

"You'll do as I say. I'm taking their place." He replied, he didn't explain, there was no need to. His expression was all Six needed to huff, and take a step closer. One of their eyes were closed, Cobs was intrigued, but didn't bother asking.

"What do you want?" They asked, sharp, narrowed gaze... They weren't messing around, despite their young nature. Resentful. Bitter.

"I need you to find my niece, and bring her to me." Cobs ordered, his arms remained behind his back. He fidgeted, then began to pace. "You'll probably be able to sense the emanating shadow. Her aura." He huffed, closing his eyes as he explained.