"Hey, this lemon cake is delicious," said Cassie, eating another slice.
"Can you tell me the secret?"
"I'm sorry, Lady Cassie, but it's a trade secret," replied the black-haired man as he gathered the dirty plates.
"Well, it's time to continue."
"Yes, please continue."
Uriel looked at the journal that was still open at the entry where he had left off.
Stretching, he settled into his chair and continued reading.
—Year 1 Day 100—
I suppose I'll start with an apology.
I'm sorry, but I haven't had much time, hardly any time at all to write. I managed to escape Aletehia Island thanks to Wind Flower's advice, who helped me a lot during those dark days.
Those were hard weeks down there. It turned out that the entire river of time was connected like a circle spinning on its own axis, a serpent devouring its own tail in an eternal, inescapable cycle.
It's surprising: all those crazy theories about time travel turned out to be lies. You don't travel to an alternate dimension; you literally travel through time, you move within it. It's like navigating a current that flows in both directions, where past, present, and future intertwine in a confusing dance that defies all logic.
This changes many things. I have so many ideas, so many possibilities spinning in my mind. If I had to guess, the estuary that Wind Flower mentioned would be related to the loops, those strange temporal phenomena that trap the unwary in endless repetitions.
Well, I now officially have a little over a year and three months in this great tomb since the first day, since that moment I fell into this bottomless abyss.
I thought I would stop writing this diary after the first week, but I suppose it's become a habit, a small anchor of sanity in the midst of all this chaos.
You should try it, it's quite relaxing just writing your thoughts in a personal notebook. Words have a healing power, as if by putting them on paper, you could release some of the weight you carry in your soul.
Haaaaaa...
Well, getting to the point.
I managed to reach solid ground. It was a kind of floating city that swayed on the waters of the Great River like an eternal ship. From what I researched, it was a city built by the river civilizations, which at some point became adrift, wandering aimlessly through the centuries.
It's now my temporary base to rest. I'll try to find something I can use, my supplies are running out. Food is scarce and the wounds from my last encounter haven't fully healed yet, but at least I have a roof over my head.
---
—Year 1 Day 107—
Moby Dick, you son of a bitch... still alive!
Sorry, I got worked up.
But it's understandable. That son of a bitch managed to find me. I don't know how the hell he did it, but he did. Maybe he sniffed out my fear, maybe he just got lucky, but the fact is he's here, lurking in the depths like a relentless shadow.
Argh.
I'm angry. I can't escape anymore, he has me surrounded and the bastard never sleeps; he's been circling this whole place for the last four days, like a patient predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
There's nothing to be done.
I found supplies, not many but they'll last me a while. Dry rations, drinking water, some bandages, and a rusty knife. Little more than that.
Whether I run out of food or die, something will happen soon, but I'm not the one planning to die today. I've survived too long to give up now, before this nightmare monster.
I'll leave it here, some fallen beasts that look like mutant fish-men just came up. And no, it's not a reference to Aquaman. These creatures are much more horrifying, with rotten scales and eyes that gleam with an unnatural intelligence.
---
—Year 1 Day 114—
I'm still alive. Another week passed and what do you know? My salvation arrived.
Well, not literally, since my situation is still bad. But at least the outlook has changed.
A great sea serpent-like beast has just arrived, with scales that gleam like sapphires and a roar that shakes the foundations of this floating city. It's Daeron, the Serpent King, or at least a corrupted version from this place, twisted by the power of the Great River.
Moby Dick and he are now fighting, making everything shake violently. They've been at it for a long while now, and it seems I can't leave, so I stay, watching from the shadows as two titans tear each other apart.
See you in another week if I survive, of course.
---
—Year 1 Day 121—
Alright, I've decided: I'm going to kill Dick.
In the end, neither creature won. The Blue Serpent swam away wounded, but left a good number of wounds all over the shark's body. So I have high chances of emerging victorious. The opportunity is too perfect to let pass.
Pray for me, because I won't. I'm not the type of person who asks for heavenly help; I prefer to trust in my own strength and skill.
I am the Lord of Darkness, and remember these words.
I had a great life.
But if I'm going to die, let it be fighting.
---
—Year 1 Day 128—
I... did it.
God, that was hard.
I did it. That bastard. Dick is dead. I managed to kill him.
I'm so happy!
I think... I think that... wow, I feel great. An indescribable euphoria runs through my veins, as if I had climbed the highest mountain in the world and shouted my victory from the summit.
I don't know how to describe it.
That shark. That damned shark died. He's dead, I killed him... I won. After weeks of harassment, after months of constant fear, I finally have my revenge.
If you're wondering how our encounter went, just imagine the fight between Moby Dick and the ship's captain, only ten times more epic and with supernatural powers, and you'll have a clear picture. There was fire, there was thunder, there was blood and there was fury. We fought in the depths of the Great River, among submerged ruins and treacherous currents.
In the end I was left a mess, but hey.
At least I'm alive and I can finally move on. Even, as a souvenir, I took one of his fangs to forge myself a sword. It's huge, sharp as a razor and gleaming with a pearly sheen that seems to contain the very essence of the ocean.
I'll call it: Shark Slayer Sword. Yes, that's a good name. Direct, blunt, and full of meaning.
Although before I leave, I suppose I'll sleep for a while.
Gods, I'm so tired and my whole body hurts. Every muscle protests, every bone seems to complain, but in my chest burns a flame of satisfaction that makes up for it all.
---
—Year 1 Day 135—
The air had a slight smell of salt and the wind caressed my body, whispering secrets of the Great River to me.
Sure, two legs and one arm of darkness were normal, but hey, I'm still alive, that counts. I can't complain about my state when the simple fact of breathing is a miracle in this place.
Now, as for what happened during this week, well...
I hunted some corrupted things lurking near my camp. I philosophized about the meaning of life while watching the stars reflected in the river's waters. And I looked for a civilization; I could feel that I was close to inhabitants, real people, with whom I could share words and silences.
There's something about solitude that forces you to reflect on what really matters. And after all this time, I've come to the conclusion that what matters are the connections we make, the bonds we forge with others.
---
—Year 1 Day 142—
After one hundred and forty-two days, I finally made it: I arrived at a civilization of the Great River. They were the people of Fallen Grace, who were quite cordial in receiving a stranger, offering me food, shelter, and kind words.
It was nice to talk again with people who don't want to kill you. After months of facing monsters and dangers, the simple act of sharing a meal with other human beings filled me with a warmth I didn't know I missed so much.
After being received, Dusk's guard appeared.
Dusk was the last civilization that was still alive and which had prophesied my arrival. At first I had my doubts, but they dissipated upon seeing her. There was something in her gaze, in the way she looked at me, that told me she knew things I was only beginning to understand.
Remember at the beginning of this diary when I said I fell after an event in Antarctica?
Right?
Well, I had companions in that place, companions.
And I found one of them.
Hair blonde as gold with a face like a doll, with empty blue eyes, a sign of her blindness. It was Cassie.
I feel happy to see her and confused about what she was doing in the Third Nightmare. Her presence here, in this strange place, seems almost a miracle, a point of light in the midst of darkness.
Cassie and I met in private to talk about everything that happened, sharing stories of survival and loss.
She told me how she wasn't the only one in the nightmare. Nephis, Sunny, Jet, Effie, Kai, and Mordret were also there, a creepy guy who moves through mirrors and seizes souls. She told me how it took them a week to find a nightmare seed to challenge, and they had already been inside the nightmare for a week, unlike me, who had been trapped in this watery hell for over a year.
We both talked a lot.
I told her about everything I had discovered and gathered about Ariel's Tomb, even about my deadly encounter with Dick and many other things I don't want to detail now. Each word I shared with her seemed to lighten the burden I carried on my shoulders a little.
The conversation went on and on. I suppose when you don't have people to talk to, you start talking about anything with another person, and Cassie was a good listener. She nodded at the right moments, asked pertinent questions, and offered comfort without being intrusive.
We were both good friends, so I hoped it would stay that way. After everything we'd been through together in the past, our connection seemed stronger than ever.
---
—Year 1 Day 149—
Another week passed.
Fallen Grace was a fascinating place: its culture, its way of life, and its stories amazed me. Every alley hid a secret, every building told a story of centuries past.
Under the guidance of their lady, they survived the horrors of the Great River, building a resilient society that refused to be devoured by darkness.
Even when nightmare creatures attacked them, we fought and won. Wielding my new sword, I fought my way through the beasts, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins as I defended my new community.
I felt like one of them, as if I knew this was my place. There was something about the way they accepted me, how they considered me part of their family, that filled a void I didn't even know I had.
During the day I explore the city or stay at the palace with Cassie, simply enjoying a nice vacation. We share meals, stroll through the hanging gardens, and laugh like we used to at the Academy.
Although I've noticed something strange.
Shade, lately, has been quieter and more absent, as if my happiness didn't matter to him. He stays in corners, watching with a cold look I don't remember seeing before.
I've tried talking to him, but he just keeps his phrases short, monosyllabic responses that cut off any attempt at conversation.
I don't understand what's wrong with him. I hope to find out what's happening to him; for now I suppose I won't pay it any mind. I have enough on my plate.
---
—Year 1 Day 156—
Fallen Grace keeps surprising me. Today I met Kronos, a cheeky and annoying brat who always calls me "master" and follows me everywhere. It's somewhat irritating, but I must admit he's a good kid underneath. I suppose I'll grow fond of him over time.
I spent the day exploring the city's libraries, looking for information about the Great River and its mysteries. I found some fascinating texts about the civilizations that inhabited these lands before corruption devoured them.
At night, I had dinner with Cassie in the palace gardens. The moon reflected on the river's water, creating a spectacle of light and shadow that left us breathless. I wonder if she feels the same way I do, if there's something more between us than simple friendship.
Shade remains distant. I don't know what to do with him.
---
—Year 1 Day 163—
The wedding is approaching. Two young people from the city are ready to take the next step in their relationship, and the whole community is preparing to celebrate.
Sometimes I wonder about what love is, since I don't feel it or, rather, I haven't felt it yet. I suppose it's my destiny to be single, wandering through the world without ties to hold me back. But lately, that idea doesn't seem as attractive as before.
Cassie and I spent the day helping with the preparations. It was nice working together, sharing laughs, and seeing her smile. There's something about her that makes me feel complete.
I also talked to Shade today. It was another attempt to reach out, but he remained reluctant to talk. Something is bothering him, something he won't tell me, and that frustrates me more than it should.
---
—Year 1 Day 170—
The wedding was amazing. There was a party, dancing, music, and in the end, an attack by nightmare creatures. A great wedding, without a doubt, with all the ingredients of an unforgettable celebration.
We fought side by side, defending the city from the beasts that emerged from the river. It was chaotic and terrifying, but also exciting. In the end, we emerged victorious, and the celebration continued with more fervor than before.
But something happened after.
I spoke with Shade and we argued again. I tried to help him, understand what was happening to him, but he just got angrier. I got angry, we argued, and now we're separated.
It's strange. We were fine a year ago, and now we're like almost strangers. I worry about Shade, even if I don't say it; he's like the brother I always wanted, and seeing him drift away hurts more than I'm willing to admit.
On another note, someone started to take an interest in me. It's Cassie. We have great chemistry, and I think I feel something strange when she's around. I suppose that's love.
Without a doubt, interesting.
---
—Year 1 Day 177—
It's been a complicated week. The argument with Shade left a bad taste in my mouth, and I can't stop thinking about his words. He said things I didn't expect, things that hurt more than they should.
But Cassie has been there for me. We've spent time together, talking about everything and nothing, and every shared moment seems to bring us closer.
Today, while walking through the gardens, our hands brushed. It was a fleeting moment, but enough to make my heart beat faster.
I think this is real. I think what I feel for Cassie goes beyond friendship.
---
—Year 1 Day 184—
I officially have a girlfriend. Cassie and I made it official.
I can't express how happy I am. We both knew each other from the Academy, went through the Forgotten Shore and survived that hell together. Then came the Chained Isles and the investigation of the Demon of Destiny's sorcery.
Apparently, the spark was always there; it just needed to be ignited. Now I'll have my first date with her, the first of many I hope to share.
It's strange how love can arrive when you least expect it, illuminating even the darkest corners of your soul.
---
—Year 1 Day 191—
The date was perfect.
We walked through the illuminated streets of Fallen Grace, shared a candlelit dinner, and danced under the stars. Cassie looked beautiful, more than ever, and every second by her side was a treasure.
We laughed, talked about our dreams and fears, and for the first time in a long time, I felt complete.
Shade still won't talk to me, and that wound hurts, but with Cassie by my side, everything seems more bearable.
---
—Year 1 Day 198—
The weeks have flown by. My relationship with Cassie has deepened, and every day I discover something new that makes me love her more.
But Shade's shadow still lingers. We've tried to avoid the topic, but I know that eventually I'll have to face it.
Tonight, while walking through the palace hallways, I heard his voice in the distance. Calling me. But when I turned, no one was there.
Am I imagining things? Or is there something more I don't understand?
---
—Year 1 Day 205—
Cassie and I are better than ever. We've planned our future together, talking about what we'll do when we leave the nightmare.
But Shade...
I confronted him today. I tried to talk to him, but the conversation quickly escalated. His words were sharp, cutting, full of a venom I didn't understand.
He accused me of forgetting who I am, of abandoning my purpose. He said Cassie was distracting me, making me weak.
I lost control. We argued, and the argument turned into a fight. A real fight.
---
—Year 1 Day 212—
The fight with Shade was brutal.
That bastard knew how to fight well, but I managed to beat him. Not without difficulty, not without wounds, but in the end it was me left standing.
The floor was stained with blood, mine and his. I stood there looking at his fallen body, feeling a mix of fury and sadness I couldn't process.
How did we get here? How did two people who were like brothers end up wanting to kill each other?
I don't know what to think now. Shade won't talk to me, and I don't plan to talk to him. Cassie tries to cheer me up, but it's hard. The wound this fight left me isn't just physical; it's something deeper, a crack in the soul I don't know if I can heal.
Sometimes I wonder if all this is worth it, if the happiness I find here is real or just another illusion created by the nightmare. But when I see Cassie's smile, when I feel her hand in mine, all doubts fade away.
Perhaps, in the end, love is the only truth in this world of lies. I don't know anymore.
---
—Year 1 Day 268—
Greetings from the top of the world!
Weeks have passed since I wrote anything, but this is important—a momentous piece of news!
Well, maybe not literally, but I certainly feel that way.
My mood has improved drastically since my last entry. I no longer feel that weight on my chest that accompanied me day and night, that constant unease that gnawed at me from within.
Shade hasn't returned, but at least he apologized. It was a brief, almost cold message, but sincere. He said he needed time for himself, to process everything that had happened between us. And although a part of me wanted to demand he stay, that we talk face to face, I understood that sometimes space is the best medicine.
So I gave it to him. That's what brothers do, right? They give space when the other needs it, even if it hurts. I hope he's okay, wherever he's wandering now. I hope he finds the peace he's searching for so desperately.
But that's not the important part.
The most important thing of all...
Is that I'm expecting a child.
Yes, you read that right. I, Uriel, the Lord of Darkness, who has survived monsters, nightmares, and the Great River itself, am going to be...
A father.
Father.
The word still echoes in my mind like an echo that refuses to fade. Every time I repeat it, I feel a mix of fear, excitement, and wonder I can't put into words.
Cassie told me three days ago. We were in our secret place, behind the waterfall, when she took my hand and looked at me with those empty but so full of life blue eyes.
"Uriel... I'm going to have a baby. Our baby."
The world stopped.
My mind went blank. My heart stopped beating for a second, or maybe several. I could only look at her, processing the words that had come from her lips.
A baby. Us. A family.
During all my time in Ariel's Tomb, during all those years of struggle and survival, I never imagined this would be possible. I never dreamed of having more than just my own life to protect. But now...
Now everything has changed.
Cassie is scared. I see it in her eyes, in the way she bites her lip when she thinks I'm not looking. But she's also happy. Radiant. There's a glow on her face I hadn't seen before, a warmth that illuminates even the darkest corners of our small world.
I'm scared too. Terrified, even. What do I know about being a father? What do I know about raising a child in this place, amidst the chaos and madness of the Great River?
But I'm also excited. More than I ever imagined possible.
A child.
Our child.
The legacy of two people who found love in the most unlikely place, who built something beautiful in the midst of darkness.
I don't know what the future holds for us. I don't know if we'll ever escape this nightmare, if our child will ever see the real sun, the open sky, a world free of monsters and corruption.
But I know one thing with absolute certainty: I will do everything in my power to protect them. Cassie and our baby. I'll give them a safe world, even if I have to face every horror of the Great River to achieve it.
Because now I don't fight just for my survival.
Now I fight for them.
For us.
For our future.
The Lord of Darkness is going to be a father.
And that's the most terrifying and wonderful news I've ever written in this diary.
---
—End of entry—
---
In the room, the silence was absolute.
Jin-woo's eyes were wide as plates, his mouth slightly agape as his mind went completely blank. The words he had just read still floated in the air like ghosts, refusing to fade.
"Is this... is this real?" he whispered, his voice barely a thread.
He lifted his gaze from the diary and directed it toward Cassie, who was sitting across from him.
She wore the same expression of absolute shock. Her eyes, normally serene and calculating, were as wide as his. Her skin had paled slightly, and her fingers trembled almost imperceptibly on the edge of the table.
"I..." Cassie tried to speak, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. She swallowed and tried again. "I don't... I don't remember this."
Jin-woo looked at the diary entry again, his eyes scanning the written words with an almost frantic urgency.
"It says you were pregnant," he said, his voice trembling. "It says you were going to have his child."
Cassie shook her head, a mechanical, almost automatic gesture.
"No. No, that can't be. I would have remembered something like that. How could I forget something like this?"
"But it's written here," Jin-woo insisted, pointing at the diary with a trembling finger. "It's not just any entry. It's detailed, emotional. It doesn't seem like a lie."
Cassie stood up from her chair, beginning to pace back and forth with a nervous energy Jin-woo had never seen in her before.
"Wait, wait, wait," she said, rubbing her temples as if trying to clear her mind. "Let me think. Ariel's Tomb distorts time, and more so a recreation of the spell over that place, right? Time doesn't flow linearly. Everything is connected in a loop. It's possible..."
"What's possible?" asked Jin-woo, standing up as well.
"It's possible this happened in a timeline that no longer exists," Cassie said slowly, as if assembling a puzzle in her mind. "Or maybe... maybe this happened in a future I don't remember because it hasn't arrived yet."
"Or maybe you just forgot it?"
Cassie stopped dead.
She turned slowly toward Jin-woo, her eyes meeting his.
"Forget it?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "How could I forget something like that? How could I forget that... that I was going to be a mother?"
Cassie felt frustration.
If only she could remember exactly what happened during her Third Nightmare, she could understand everything. But she couldn't—her memory was shrouded in fog about those events, and she couldn't break through it.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and laden with unanswered questions.
Uriel was certainly in shock at this; he knew those words weren't lies, of that he was sure. But the fact that he would be a father. That he had or had had a child was something that shook him.
What the hell happened?
Was this what led him to corruption?
"Cassie," said Uriel in a firm tone, making the seer snap out of her thoughts.
"Making hypotheses won't get us anywhere. The answers must be further ahead. Let's continue," he said calmly.
Cassie sat back down in silence while she continued listening attentively.
(Note: The next part will be the last one regarding the diary and what led to Uriel's corruption at Ariel's tomb)