Author's Note
Hey everyone,
Before the chapter starts, I want to apologize for being gone for a while without saying anything beforehand. Life got a bit busy on my side and writing slowed down more than I expected.
That said, I'm really glad to be back and continuing Maxwell's journey.
This chapter starts pushing things toward a much bigger moment, so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who stuck around and kept the story in their library.
Alright, let's get back into it.
And no they will not be any sudden disappearance again.
Maxwell froze at the sight.
A dark jagged line moved slowly in the distance, cutting across the snow-covered ground.
His entire body screamed at him to flee.
This doesn't look good… we need to leave.
Maxwell turned toward Nova.
She stood there with perfect posture, her calm eyes fixed on the distant line. Her entire presence radiated a quiet composure that grounded Maxwell slightly, easing a bit of his terror and anxiety.
Good… if she's still calm, then the situation can't be as bad as I imagined.
Maxwell felt a little relieved.
If Nova remained unperturbed, then who was he to panic?
He couldn't have been more wrong.
***
Nova stood there, her blood running cold, her entire body petrified.
What the hell…?
She felt as if invisible chains had bound her to the ground.
What the hell?
What the hell?
What the hell?!
The sheer horror she felt at the sight of that dark line was enough to freeze her completely in place.
It wasn't supposed to appear now!
Dammit… dammit… dammit.
Where did it go wrong? What did we do to awaken this abomination?
She tried to bite her lip, hoping the pain might ground her.
But she couldn't.
Her body refused to move.
She cursed again.
She struggled desperately to just so something, anything.
To move.
To scream.
Even to run.
But she couldn't.
Slowly, reluctantly, she accepted her fate.
"This… this isn't wrong," she whispered, though her eyes trembled.
"Yes… it's not."
"we were just too weak it's only fair." She smiled bitterly, but her lips wouldn't listen.
As though controlled by something unseen, her legs began to shake.
Soon her entire body trembled.
Sweat gathered across her forehead.
As if only now noticing it, Maxwell turned away from the dark line and looked at Nova.
Only then did he truly see her condition.
What the hell?
Why did she look like that?
Her eyes trembled.
Her lips shook.
Her legs wobbled.
And sweat poured down her face despite the freezing cold.
Yet still—
She didn't move.
Not even an inch.
As though glued to the ground, she simply stood there.
Trembling.
Shivers!
Just seeing her like that made Maxwell's blood run cold.
Isee… so this is where it ends.
It was a good run.
This situation wasn't salvageable.
And he could clearly tell Nova had already given up hope.
Even if she hadn't…
He could tell there was nothing she could do.
Then—
The dark line turned toward them.
And with a—
BOOM!
It appeared directly in front of them.
The crushing pressure they had already been feeling, multiplied instantly.
This was far worse than the Lost Member's Bell.
They weren't even in the same league.
The moment the thing appeared, Maxwell finally understood what the dark line had been.
A mass of slithering worms twisted together into an unholy mesh.
At its center sat a human-like face.
Blood-colored drool dripped slowly from its mouth.
And that smile…
That eerie smile as it watched Maxwell and Nova tremble before it.
It was—
Shivers!
Maxwell felt revolted.
His stomach churned violently.
Like a predator staring down helpless prey.
Up close, the true horror of their situation finally sank in.
It's hopeless.
Just as Maxwell felt himself sinking into the depths of despair—
Its lips parted.
A sound escaped.
Maxwell couldn't fully understand what the sound was.
It was eerie, cold and distorted it made Maxwells scalp tingle.
But it felt like laughter.
Not directed at Nova. Or Snowy.
But him.
At Maxwell.
And when its laughter finally reached its peak—
It spoke.
"Ohhh… you pitiful creature."
"To think they would bring another one like you here… after what we did to the last."
Its voice was mocking, dripping with amusement as crimson drool continued to fall from its abominable mouth.
"You are not even awakened yet. Just a normal human."
"How do they expect you to survive?"
"And that fear you feel ahhh... it's so so"
Its smile stretched wider.
All the way to its eyes.
"Esquisite"
It laughed, it's voice so distorted and eerie.
"What shall we do with you now?" it mused, its eyes narrowing as the worms across its body writhed endlessly.
Maxwell couldn't answer.
Even if he wanted to.
The pressure alone kept him frozen in place.
And the creature knew.
It knew Maxwell couldn't move.
And it enjoyed it.
No...
It enjoyed it immensely.
"We could simply kill you and end things here… couldn't we?"
It paused.
Its crazed smile widened even further.
"But that wouldn't be fun."
"And it would be completely beneath me."
"I am a great primordial."
"I could not possibly kill you as you are now."
It chuckled softly as the worms across its body began writhing even faster.
At that moment, Maxwell felt true fear.
Raw.
Primal.
The kind that clawed at the skin, gripped the throat, and made breathing nearly impossible.
"I'll give you a chance to grow."
"And when you believe you are strong enough…"
"Come back here and find me."
The primordial leaned forward slightly, its smile never fading.
"I'll leave you alive, boy."
"Do not disappoint me."
"And do not think you can leave."
With that, the creature's voice slowly faded from the air.
Yet even as it disappeared—
The pressure remained.
The crushing force still pressed down on them.
A silent reminder of just how terrifying a primordial truly was.
Then—
Snap.
As though resuming a movie.
The pressure vanished instantly.
The moment it lifted—
Something behind them exploded.
BOOM!