The small, suffocating dirt tunnel finally opened up to a huge cavern. Every surface was basically riddled with either smooth stalactites or stalagmites like fangs within the mouth of a gluttonous beast. Me and the giant man stood on a gravel stone platform that overlooked the entirety of the cavern.
Magnificent pillars of white light came at a slant from a few openings in the ceiling, each revealing a blue sky with light cloud wisps. Water dripped from the same ceiling, falling to the ground to form pools between the rocks wrapped in moss and a few gurgling streams. It was like its own little ecosystem, cut off from the cursed world of demons and super humans.
Of course, that was an exaggeration as I looked at a massive pile of writhing dark hide with black spines covering the creature like swords, each end thirsty for blood. Waterfalls of red blood fell down the gigantic creatures' sides into a large ocean of red, dousing the floor of the cavern. 6 wings sprouted from the back of the back of the creature, three of the appendages ripped off and the other three bent and broken in unnatural angles.
An instant sense of rushing dread entered my body looking at the being in front of me. It wasn't as overwhelming as the Moonlight Surge was, but it was eerie nonetheless.
Fallen? Corrupted? Something else…? I couldn't manage to figure out what it was since its power was so out of scope for me. There was a difference between a bear and a tiger, but a deer wouldn't know the difference except that it was going to die.
My nerves were frozen but I still managed to look to my left to see the woman with Mongrel's mask staring at the mass of white hide. Her dark robe covering her slender body was as dark as the shadows around her, making her nearly imperceptible if it weren't for her stark white hair.
She turned her head to look at me, those two dark eye holes in the mask, deeper than the starless night sky scared me. I wanted to run, run so badly remembering what she did to me--but at the same time, a small flicker of rage blossomed in my heart at the sight of her.
Why was she wearing Mongrel's mask? Why was the giant man behind me also doing the same? Were they some psychotic cult that worshiped the mysterious masked swordsman and twisted his insightful philosophy? And the mask, how did they get it---did they make it themselves? The darkness in the eyes of the demon mask was deep, but it wasn't as hypnotizing and elusive as Mongrel's was.
Mongrel's demon mask was made from lacquered wood that was unrivaled in quality, the fear mongered by the face ran deeper down his enemies, and the most important aspect about the mask was that it was difficult to perceive the physical form of Mongrel. At any point in time he looked larger or smaller, either oppressive or feather light--it was impossible to tell except for the few moments he stood still for a long period of time. In short, the masks worn by the two monsters here were fraudulent!
I bit my lip till it bled and forced myself to look away.
I…just let whatever happens, happen---I was done with everything anyway.
I soon became aware of another presence, this one somehow more dominant than the gigantic nightmare creature in front of me. I stretched my neck up to look up at the top of the nightmare creature, where the light from the outside sky reached its surface was a figure enveloped in soft radiance.
He wore a robe the color of a dove's feather and underneath was a suit of glistening black armor that reminded me of the segmented body of a beetle. He was visibly old yet his face exuded a type of energy. A soft smile played at his grey lips right above a long grey goatee, he was completely bald.
But what was most damning was his eyes, they both were different from each other.
Right eye was milky white, a blank white. It was without the warmth of the white sand in a desert and without the chill of fresh, untouched snow. It wasn't simply white, it was devoid of anything and was nothing.
The left eye was black darkness, I couldn't describe it like anything else. It was completely unnatural like the other eye and unlike the darkness of the Sky below. A hole in space itself.
And the feeling his presence went deep into my being, touching my soul itself like someone I met in my first trial, Noctis--
He was a saint.
The bald man with two discolored eyes was a saint, and he looked like no savior.
My mouth hung open staring at him and he stared right back at me scrutinizingly. What was a saint--
"It's nice that we can finally meet Vincent, how was it like seeing your own original future in your soul sea?" Even though the man was atop the mountainous carcass of a nightmare creature far from me, his voice carried easily across the cavern and caressed my ears. It was soft and tender, the voice of a father soothing his child, yet I never felt like I was closer to death's door.
I considered his words for a second. 'How was seeing your own original future in your soul sea?' When had that occurred?
I remember being in my soul sea after the masked woman turned me into a crushed tomato. My heart core was there, beating like a real heart before the night sky of my soul sea opened up to reveal two gargantuan suns and-
One of them was milky white and the other was blank darkness. And they weren't just there, they were looking at me--just like the man in front of me was with his eyes similar to those two suns.
Before I could make any conclusions, the man smiled, the skin near his eyes creasing at the action. "Indeed, those two suns were my eyes and I used a special memory to peer directly into your soul, which also allows me to show you my visions. Yes, I'm a prophet."
A prophet-
"I'm a special one, likely the strongest one in existence currently, I have more knowledge than anyone as well as being able to gain the knowledge of others through my visions including that one dreamspawn but that is another matter. I must say what an awful state you are in, however do understand that it was needed."
I-
"Yes, you are needed, very much needed by me and the future of the world, two worlds in fact. Mmm, I must credit the boy of shadow, he does have a knack for coming up with great catchphrases--"
Why is he talking like-
"Forgive me for speaking so much, I simply saw the opportunity to ask the questions in your head and I didn't want to waste time by waiting for you."
…
Was the saint, was the saint in front of me a mind reader…? It felt odd to even ask the question within my own head, I had o idea if I had any privacy in my own head. After all, the man said he peered into my own soul and it should be impossible for anyone besides the owner to enter it.
I tightened my fists so hard my nails drew blood from my palm. The man noticed it but he didn't seem to acknowledge it outloud. After a few painful seconds, he laughed.
"Ah! It's difficult to have normal conversations with an aspect like mine, forgive me. I just feel so impatient when I know everything, but I want to give our first meeting the pleasure of letting me act like a normal person, so go on--ask me a question, though I have the answer prepared already." He waved a hand at me, taunting me to speak as his dimples became noticeable.
I stared at the man, my throat was parched.
I couldn't say anything even though I had so many questions--it felt pointless asking--what was he saying? What did he mean? How long has it been?
Wait, how long has it been?
My tongue was dry, depleted of any moisture.
After a few grueling seconds where the saint in front of me stood waiting patiently for my response, I opened my mouth.
"I'm thirsty."
"OF COURSE!!! LET US FEAST, SHALL WE?!!!!!"