Morningstar

[CH. 0004] - The Arrival

"Our contract has been fulfilled" - Baal Birth

Nord? Nord, wake up! You must wake up!

Drifting through the void, Nord became part of the waters that ensnared her, her mind drenched in dread and acceptance. It was no longer about understanding or fighting. It was about becoming.

Then, Nord understood her surroundings was not ethereal but deadly real. The lack of oxygen and the pressure in her ears and chest were not figments of her imagination but signs of a deep-water environment. Panic began as the realization hit her. She was sinking into the abyss. Her struggles became frantic as she sought to reverse her course, her body reacting in sheer terror to the impending danger.

But the more she fought, the more the water seemed to pull her in, a force intent on claiming her. The pain intensified, with it, the horrifying understanding that she might not escape this fate. Her mind raced, and her limbs flailed, but the abyss was relentless. Her thoughts turned dark, and as the pressure continued to build, the hope began to fade.

The chill of the deep water seeped into her very core, numbing her body and clouding her mind. Every attempt to ascend, to escape, was met with failure. Her energy drained away, sapped by the cold and the desperate struggle for survival. The urge to breathe became an all-consuming agony, a torture that clawed at her insides and drove her to the brink of madness.

Her limbs were heavy and unresponsive, her vision blurred by the lack of oxygen and the pressure of the depths. Hope had abandoned her, leaving only the crushing weight of despair. As the dark waters closed in, her mind wanted nothing more than to succumb to the inexorable pull of the deep, resigning itself to the fate that awaited.

Her limbs were lifeless, her mind weary, and her soul aching for rest. The struggle had become too much, and the temptation to sleep, to give in and let the darkness claim her, was irresistible. The water caressed her, gentle and loving, understanding her needs, wants, and desires. It was a mercy, a gift, a way to end the torment.

Slowly, she succumbed, her body relaxing, her mind quieting, and her soul ready to drift into the eternal night. It was an acceptance, a resignation to the inevitable, a choice to find peace in the awaited oblivion. She wanted it, she needed it, and finally, she embraced it, allowing the darkness to take her, to wrap her in its cold arms and carry her away.

Nord! I command you! Wake up!

The tranquil surrender was shattered, replaced by an immediate and terrifying understanding: she was drowning. The darkness that had once been a comfort was now a suffocating nightmare, and the cold embrace of the water was a death grip.

Wake up!

Water filled her lungs, choking and robbing her of life with every agonizing second. Panic was a wild, uncontrolled beast that tore through her mind and drove her to claw and thrash in terror. The sensation of losing control of her body was horrifying.

Her survival instincts kicked in, primal and powerful, but her body betrayed her, weakened and unresponsive.

Fight!

The darkness loomed, ready to claim her, but she was no longer willing to go quietly. The fear was raw, the desperation palpable, and the fight for life became a frantic struggle against the inexorable pull of the deep. Her mind screamed for air, for life, for another chance, but the abyss was relentless, its cold grip tightening, dragging her further from hope and closer to oblivion.