Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Nightmare Fuel

Snuggled in his bed’s luxurious comforts, Larry reassured himself with rationality. It was only a coincidence that he would wake up at the exact moment and setting that the original Christiana was attacked. Maybe he was overthinking things; it wasn’t as if the moon was in this phase for only one day every month. As a grown man on the inside, it was unnatural for him to have such fears. 

Were her memories, full of lingering regrets and fears, already influencing him? 

He stayed painfully awake as Christiana’s memories assimilated into his own. He forced himself to remain alert, as there was no telling when he would need to make a break for it, but his body still tossed and turned in discomfort as he struggled to find some semblance of peace. He didn’t know for how long he remained in this state, how much time was left before dawn mercifully came . Has it been minutes or hours since he woke up? Sleep eluded him and he couldn’t keep his mind off of his growing trepidation.

If there was one thing that Larry could do in the time he had, it was thinking. As the System had told him, his thoughts were a hot mess at the moment. He had a lot of mental sorting and organization to take care of. 

If anything, he wanted to dial up the System’s customer service and throw a tirade at them. Forcing someone to stay fully aware of their surroundings in a silent and darkened area at night, especially after implanting traumatic memories that happened in the same place, didn’t do many favors for their mental well-being. 

Something about the large room with no light or sound whatsoever put him on edge. 

In his fragile state of mind, every corner in the bedroom was a place where a crouching silhouette lay in ambush. He was waiting for gloved hands to come out of the darkness, wrapping themselves around his mouth and throat to prevent even the slightest noise from escaping. He could already imagine his nude body in a bathtub full of ice, missing several organs and pierced by tubes slowly draining him of blood, his face laden with growing despair as he never saw the light of day again.

Why did people fear the dark? They weren’t afraid of the absence of light itself, but rather the things that hid within it. The dark took away their sight, and disoriented their senses. It left them defenseless, deprived them of their grasp on reality. In such environments, it was only natural for humans to lose their mental strength, to become prey to their greatest fears. 

There he lay on the bed, vulnerable, exposed, half blind and half insane from his murky surroundings. Some primal part of Larry’s very being told him to be wary, that something was there in the darkness. The feeling was an itch he couldn’t scratch, and it continued to grow with intensity as time went on. The hairs on his neck stood up, and he felt spikes of prickling irritation running down his back. 

It was the feeling of being watched.

Was it just his imagination that he saw the shadows under that drawer move? Larry stood tensely still, knowing he should probably jump up and start running for the hills but anxiously waiting for what was to come. He desperately prayed to whatever gods existed in this world that it was only his delirious mind playing tricks on him when they appeared to move in cadence with his own erratic breathing. 

The room frozen in time suddenly grew more sinister. The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally, soon reaching the top of the ceiling. They grew with his rising terror, reaching unnerving proportions, and seemed to spring out of every surface.

Larry’s breath hitched. What was happening? 

Distorted forms gradually gained definition, no longer confined to the surfaces they were birthed from. Their hazy silhouettes which resembled monstrously proportioned humans stood out even in the darkened room. 

They stalked towards him on elongated legs, so slowly that he didn’t notice their approach until it was too late.

The newly arisen shadows lazily stood next to the bed, towering over his body which was stiff in fear. Black, featureless visages were directed towards him, gazing into his soul. Goosebumps broke out over his skin as a sudden feeling of coldness washed over him. 

The silence was deafening, and Larry was able to hear his heart thundering in his chest. Every cell in his body screamed at him to flee. Even though his instincts warned him to run, terror gripped his heart and shackled his limbs in place. He tried to gather whatever strength and willpower he had to move, but not a single muscle budged. It was as if he was trapped within his covers, unable to move, not even to open his mouth and scream. 

The figures drew closer, this time mere inches away from him. Dozens of hands pulled at his neck, arms and legs. The comforting weight of the bed under him melted away, as if he was floating upwards -or sinking down into a bottomless abyss.

What’s going on?

No. Not like this. 

Why can’t I move? 

I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. I’m scared. 

Someone.

Anyone.

Please. 

“Help me…” A fleeting whimper escaped from his dry lips. His cry for help died out as he drowned in darkness and terror.

A blazing greatsword cut through the shadows around him, cutting a path through his assailants and illuminating the room in a bright golden glow. When the light subsided, his dazed eyes beheld a familiar figure standing reassuringly over him, glaring at the surrounding creatures of the night with furious orange eyes.

 

 

“Once you find a worthy master, you will want to dedicate your life to their service.” Since young, Griselda Apricot lived in accordance with her late mother’s words. She was raised to serve as an attendant, and her loyalty and capability as a servant were expected to be impeccable. She thought her mother meant to say that it was her life’s purpose to serve the royal family. She was trained for such a purpose, after all. 

From her Bestowal she received the blessings of mana, as well as the companionship of the spirit Emberlyn. Such fortune would have given anyone the opportunity to rise to high stations in the knight orders, but she still spent her adolescent years faithfully serving the young prince Lysander. When he became engaged with Elenoa, she became the future queen’s sole attendant. When the rulers married and bore their progeny, she felt admiration towards the two princes, who were equally as prodigious as their parents. Even as children, Griselda saw them as her betters. She was proud to be entrusted with the responsibility of attending to the royal family. To her, there was no one else in the world she felt more suited towards serving, no one who was more worthy of her loyalty. It was in this way she fulfilled her life’s purpose and heeded her mother’s words.

Princess Christiana was a peculiarity. Unlike her brothers, she didn’t excel in any fields of study or martial arts. Griselda didn’t scorn the young girl for her faults; she instead found such qualities endearing. Unlike the distance between master and servant, she and Christiana shared a much closer relationship. Perhaps it was because the young girl was so different from the picture perfect Lorien royal family, so much more normal and fragile, that Griselda didn’t just see her as someone to serve, but also as a precious person to care for and shelter. Although she didn’t express it, it was true that Christiana became someone akin to a daughter to her, who never married. 

Yesterday was the first time that the lady she served acknowledged this bond. After seeing Christiana suffer from a nightmare, she affectionately soothed and pampered her. Then, with a shy and trembling voice, her princess had told her that she was needed, that she was important, that the two of them would be together for life. It was from hearing those words that Griselda felt her love and loyalty burn even more fervently.

Now, as strings of unease tugged at her heart, she raced to the princess’s bedchambers, praying for her safety. Upon arrival, Griselda saw Christiana completely enveloped by creatures of the abyss. She turned her gaze towards the perpetrators and spoke with words brimming with wrath. 

“I don’t care who sent you here. Even if it kills me, I will incinerate you until not even ashes remain.” Her greatsword blazed with righteous fury. Raising the manifested form of Emberlyn, she swung her blade at the creatures of the abyss who dared to harm her liege. A golden blaze lit up the room. Her pink hair fluttered freely with the rampant flames.

She inflicted a burning wound on the monsters that had Christiana in their grasp, causing them to release their hold on her limp body. Despite cleaving cleanly through them, their ravaged forms began to merge back together and they soon rose again unfazed.

Standing over her princess protectively, Griselda let loose as much of her mana as possible, flaring her aura in hopes of alerting the more sensitive palace guards. 

“None of you are getting through me.”

More and more of the shadow creatures seemed to spawn as time went on. The only things keeping them from charging into her and Christiana were the flames surging from her greatsword, casting the area in burning light.

Those that were hit began to writhe in agony, but the rest began to circle around her like a pack of hyenas around a lion. Umbral appendages flew out to claw at her from all directions, going through her guard and leaving shallow wounds. 

Gritting her teeth, she brandished her weapon once more to cleave through the encirclement with Emberlyn’s flames. Even still, it was only enough to cause the creatures to stop their advance for a moment’s time. Despite her earlier hotheaded words, her destructive swings were unable to leave lasting damage on her opponents.

Even if the battle looked like a stalemate for now, Griselda knew she wouldn’t last long under a continued assault. She had to either find a way to escape with Christiana, or unleash a decisive blow that would shift the tides.

If I knew I would be fighting like this, then I would have trained more with her majesty. She chuckled bitterly, determined to fight to her last breath if it meant defending her helpless princess and securing time for help to arrive.

 

 

After he was freed from his restraints, Larry sat dumbfounded by the scene before him. When Griselda entered and started drawing agro from the monsters in the room, he felt as if a large weight came off his shoulders. Most of the accumulated mental fatigue and fear dispersed. Adrenaline was still there, but he could now look at the situation with a calmer mind. 

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Larry could only call the current situation a bad joke. He didn’t even have the time to acclimate to his own gender change and he was already in danger of being abducted by shadow demons just a single day after arriving in Irudeia. 

“System, do you have anything that can help me get out in this situation?” He decided to depend on the System, which advertised itself with many useful features, for help. He wasn’t expecting much, but it was worth a try. 

[Host has not met the requirements to unlock new System features.]

“Seriously? What are the requirements then?”

[Functions related to battle utility, skills, and individual growth require the host to have a contracted partner from their Bestowal ceremony.]

It seemed that whoever sent Larry here was determined to make things difficult for him. 

“Weren’t you merged with my soul to begin with in order to help me become the best possible heroine? A real heroine wouldn’t stand by helplessly as her friends and family are hurt; but she should at least put up a decent fight first. Are you telling me to risk my life in vain?”

[Do your best, host]

“...” It was hopeless to try to persuade it any further.

What are those things? Larry decided to take a closer look at their opponents.The swarm of shadows surrounding them were unlike anything he’d seen from Christiana’s memories; none of the assailants that targeted her had looked like those creatures. They appeared out of nowhere, and he had no idea why or how he was targeted by them before.

Wait! He suddenly remembered. The System’s affection meter feature functioned as a sort of appraisal tool. It may not work, but it was worth a try. He decided to test this theory on one of the shadows, and the Heroine Creation System didn’t disappoint.

 

[Name: Nameless Greater Darkspawn]

[Affection meter measurement: 0%]

[Description: A denizen of the abyssal depths, borne into this realm through dark magic. Summoner is unknown. Projects a debilitating aura that drains life force and sanity from weaker willed beings. Due to its unique constitution it instinctively shies away from bright light.]

 

A shiver went down his spine as he understood the true nature of the beings that attacked him. Larry realized once again just how powerless he really was. Unlike Griselda, who was single handedly fending off these creatures without fear, his own limbs were still trembling from memory of the earlier encounter. 

Seeing her covered in wounds provoked an even stronger feeling of helplessness within him. He was practically deadweight in this situation.

At this point events would still develop as they did according to the original Christiana’s memories. Back then she could only sit on the ground frozen in fear, making it impossible for Griselda to hold onto her to escape while fighting off other skilled combatants. So long as he still stood frozen in fear and indecision, Griselda risked losing her life while stalling for time and protecting him.

Even though he said he’d save her, that he’d save himself from an untimely death in three years, he was still unable to do anything in this critical time.

It was just too pathetic. What was the point of him having read the novel, or inheriting Christiana’s memories, if he was powerless to change any of these events and prevent these tragedies from occurring? Why is it that even now in a new world, as a new person with new memories, he was still so tragically useless?

Did whatever being who put him here take pleasure in seeing him futilely struggle?

As if in response to these feelings of frustration, a long forgotten feeling welled up from within him. A dormant beast, hiding away from years of constant injury to its pride, was roused from slumber. Defiance rose its head.

Something inside Lary unleashed itself like a breaking dam letting loose an unstoppable flood. Vitality and power surged in his veins and an instinctive feeling of jubilation possessed his very being, as if a part of him that had long been locked away now awakened to once again see the light of day. His aquamarine eyes lit up and began to glow fiercely.  

He didn’t understand what was happening to him. At first feeling pleasantly warm, his body soon became nauseatingly hot. But the liquid fire flowing within him burned away all remaining doubts, and gave strength to his conviction.  

Their enemies weren’t high rank warriors, but mindless monsters that feared the light. It was pointless to worry about the outcome, it was enough that he could stand on his own two feet and reach out his hand. 

He stood up next to Griselda, and raised his open palms to touch her back. Startled, the maid turned her back to their assailants, only to meet Larry’s determined gaze. 

“Griselda! Don’t worry about me or the room, please give it everything you got in the next attack.” His voice reached the maid’s ears, and she smiled to show her unwavering trust. He felt a mixture of feelings at the deep faith she had in him. Even he didn’t know what exactly he was doing, but he steeled himself to repay this trust in his next actions.

“Yes, as you command!” She rose Emberlyn high above her head, channeling all of her remaining power into one final strike. Their contact with each other acted as a conduit, and he felt the source of energy in his blood being rapidly drained away. Oppressive amounts of heat congregated towards the greatsword, making it glow white hot in the darkness. The darkspawn cowered, shrinking away from the light. A mini sun appeared at the sword’s summit, radiating punitive fire. Just as she was about to swing down in a devastating arc to cut a path through the swarm, a concerned voice rang from the hallway.

“Christiana, what’s going on? We woke up when we felt traces of Griselda’s mana, is there anything wrong in there?” Elenoa worriedly asked from the open door. Her eyes widened upon seeing the maid charging her ultimate move in a room full of shadowy figures. Larry, too, noticed her intrusion. But it was too late.

“Solar Armageddon!” Griselda roared out. The room became engulfed in blindingly bright light, and he saw Elenoa rush forward to protect him as everything else became burned away. 

 

 

Far from the Lorien royal palace, in clandestine quarters hidden away from all eyes and ears, a female voice rang out from within cold castle walls.  Its inhumanly beautiful tone would have sent chills down the backs of listeners.

“How odd, it seems that all of the children I sent over to that wretched place have been vanquished back to the abyss.” the voice sounded unfazed by the events it described.

A different voice resounded this time. Male, refined, and equally as cold.

“Should I send the men I have gathered under me?”

“No need for that, peon. I’m sure you still lust after that child’s power, but any unnecessary moves from you will only provoke more wariness from that country. It is best that you continue your preparations and await for further orders.”

“As you wish.” the man conceded. Though thwarted at the moment, his ambitions would just have to find some other means of fruition in the future. He departed from the chamber to call for his subordinates. 

The woman remained as the room’s sole occupant. Blood red irises shone malevolently in the dim light. 

“The Lorien kingdom, was it?” Her eyes narrowed. “For there to be an anomaly present there, I’m sure that fate holds interesting developments for the future.” Her gaze then turned longingly towards a far-off place.

 “It won’t be long now, my lord. In several years time, we will celebrate your return with a war that will raze the very Heavens that cast you aside, all those centuries ago.”