The Scene Changes.
Their steps halted at the edge of a desolate valley stretching wide before them. A gentle breeze whispered through the air, but it carried something strange—an eerie presence, as if the land itself was breathing with whispers of death.
"This... if I remember correctly, this is the fastest route to the capital," Said Mary, her gaze piercing into the valley.
Mary hesitated, eyeing the expanse warily. Something felt wrong. An unseen aura hung in the air, pressing against her chest.
"We could take a detour... if you want," she offered, turning to Athena.
Athena pointed straight ahead. "Let's go this way."
Mary narrowed her eyes. "really? Are you sure?"
"If this is the fastest route, why take a longer one?"
Mary sighed, then shrugged. "Alright, then… let's just hope we won't regret this."
Unaware of the lurking danger, they stepped into the valley.
The deeper they walked, the heavier the air became. A thin mist began to envelop the cracked, barren earth. Silence loomed, broken only by their footsteps and the whispering wind that sounded like the sighs of restless spirits.
Trying to lighten the mood, Mary asked, "So, Athena… before you came to here, what did you do?"
Athena turned slightly. "Studied, at a school. Why?"
Mary glanced at her. "I don't know. You just feel... different from most people."
Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind swept through—not just a breeze, but a surge of malevolent energy that seeped into their bones. Athena instinctively shielded her face. Mary shuddered, her wings trembling.
"W-What was that?" Mary whispered, barely audible.
The wind had come from the far end of the valley.
When it died down, the silence that followed was even more suffocating.
"That wasn't normal wind," Mary murmured. "There's something here... something truly evil."
Athena nodded slowly. The air felt dense, as if it rejected their presence.
"Maybe we should go back. Take the longer route," Mary suggested.
Athena stepped forward. "No. We've come this far. There's no point in turning back."
"But Athena—!"
"It's because it's dangerous that we need to know what lies beyond. I... feel like I'm meant to be here," Athena said firmly.
Mary exhaled deeply, but flew close to Athena's side. "Alright. But don't stray too far from me."
The sky above darkened. Black clouds gathered silently. The wind picked up speed. They reached the end of the valley—and there they saw it.
A massive crater lays before them, like a gaping wound in the earth. Malevolent energy swirled at its center, forming a vortex of purple and black.
Two figures stood at the edge of crater's. One of them, a red-haired girl in a semi-military uniform, turned abruptly when she noticed them.
"H-Hey! What are you doing here? This place is dangerous!" she called out.
Athena raised her hand, startled. "S-Sorry... we didn't know. We were just passing through."
The girl sighed. "This crater is one of the corruption points. Cursed energy spreads from here. I'm Lucia, and this is Amyra." The black-haired girl beside her waved and smiled kindly.
"We're from the Adventurer Guild. Our job is to monitor anomalies like this."
Athena and Mary exchanged glances.
"We were just… passing through. Headed to the capital," Mary explained.
Lucia narrowed her eyes. "You shouldn't be here. Especially... kids."
Mary flew up to Lucia's face. "Hey! I'm not a kid! I'm a grown fairy, thank you very much!"
Lucia waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever."
Amyra patted Lucia's shoulder. "Don't be so harsh," she said gently. "They're just curious—just like we were once."
"I'm Amyra, and this grumpy one is Lucia. We're both members of the Adventurer Guild, as she said."
She pointed to the crater. "This place is called the Corrupted Pit. It's one of many spots where Abyss corruption seeps into our world. We're here to monitor the energy levels and make sure they don't become out of control."
Lucia nodded, her expression serious. "If the corruption spreads too far, it could taint the entire region. That's why we have to keep watch and suppress it when necessary."
Amyra smiled at Athena and Mary. "So, what brings you two to this part of the world? Are you adventuring on your own?"
"Yes, we're heading to the capital, and we thought this was the quickest route," Mary replied.
Amyra: "O-oh… I see."
Lucia: "Amateurs."
Amyra: "Lucia!"
Lucia: "What?"
Amyra sighed. "just ignore her. You've come quite a way, but I think you'll need to take a detour to ensure your safety."
Athena nodded.
"Thank you for understanding," Amyra said with a warm smile.
But suddenly, a wave of malevolent energy surged through the ground beneath them! They turned toward the crater as concentrated energy at its center erupted into a cursed storm!
Suddenly—
Slashh! Kaboom!
A burst of energy struck the ground where they stood, shattering it—sending them all plummeting into the crater!
"Ugh... ughh... what was that?!" Mary coughed, as dust and debris clouded their vision.
As the dust settled, the four girls were revealed lying at the bottom of the crater. Athena groaned and slowly sat up. Her body ached from the fall, but miraculously, not a single bone was broken
She looked around, assessing their situation. The crater walls were steep and high, with no clear way out. At its center, the cursed storm continued to swirl, its sinister presence pressing down on them like a physical weight.
Mary was the next to sit up, coughing and gasping. Her wings fluttered weakly.
Lucia sat up grumbling, her hand instinctively reaching for the gun at her waist. "That," she said darkly, "was a demon's attack. And it came from that storm."
She pointed to the swirling mass of cursed energy, her red eyes narrowing.
"We have to get out of here," she said urgently.
"That thing is only going to get stronger. And once it peaks... I don't even want to imagine what happens next."
Amyra was already on her feet, helping Athena up.
"She's right," she agreed, her face grim. "We need to find a way out, quickly."
Suddenly, something shot out from the storm at incredible speed! Before they could react, as Amyra helped Athena, a tall, headless humanoid figure suddenly appeared in front of Athena, its face—or what should've been a face—mere inches from hers!.
Athena's eyes widened in shock—so did everyone else's!
"Have you seen my head?"
The creature asked in a hoarse voice! Its severed neck was shrouded in a glowing purple aura. Its skin was like hardened armor, with violet energy radiating around its form and a dark cloak trailing behind it.
The creature raised its fist, cursed energy gathering in its hand!
"Watch out!" Amyra shouted, pulling Athena aside just as the demon's fist came crashing down—shattering the ground it struck!
Amyra shielded Athena on the ground. Lucia swiftly drew her gun with both hands, aiming at the creature!
"That's The Beheaded—one of the demons of the Abyss, a manifestation of vengeance and pride..." Amyra explained as she helped Athena to her feet.
The Beheaded turned its attention from Athena to Lucia, its severed neck glowing with dark power.
"Humans... must die..."
It growled, its voice a deep, rasping echo that seemed to reverberate through the air.
The creature stood there, cold and unrelenting, its gaze cutting like a blade. It was the embodiment of vengeance and pride incarnate—
The Knight of the Abyss: The Beheaded one.