Love and Madness: a demon's desire

Deadly Decadence

After taking a nap, I was awoken by Bierce's voice saying, "come on, love! It's time to wake up. You have more pieces to get." I let out a groan and got up to stretch my tired body as the next portal opened up. This portal had a strange looking face on it, it looked human but the smile on it looked demented. I was a bit creeped out by it, but continued into the portal, nonetheless. When I got inside the first thing my eyes landed on was a spike pit in the floor. "You'll need more than speed to get across that. Fall into the pit and I think we both can guess where you'll end up." Bierce tells me.

"Fortunately, I can give you a jump across. No, not with those skinny legs of yours. I'm talking about teleportation." Bierce reassures me. I then head back to the ballroom and walk up to the ring alter as Bierce requested. Soon, I was gifted with the power to teleportation by the statue. "Go on, give it a try. I'll just add it to your tab." Bierce says jokingly to me.

I returned to the portal and stood next to the pit trap again. I used my new power and easily got to the other side. It made me a little dizzy, but I soon recovered from it and entered into the nightmare realm. I was then teleported into a fancy garden with a fountain in the middle. "Keep your eyes open, love. The statues in this place are awfully lifelike." Bierce warns me as I begin to walk up to the hedge maze.

As I was walking, I took in the scenery that was around me. Despite the creepy atmosphere this place would look beautiful or even amazing to the ornery eye. Suddenly, I saw a statue of a golden, patriotic man saluting in the center of the walkway. A large wretched smile was spread across his face. The statues here remind me of weeping angels but dressed in 18th century clothing. Whoever made the design and decoration of this place was really dedicated to their work. As I began to walk past it, I heard someone whisper 'beware' and I spinned around and saw the statue had turned to face me. Backing away, I quickly turned and walked faster.

Finally, I saw the front gate of the maze and walked up to it. In front of the gates to the maze was a Golden statue again and a sign adjacent to it. As I blinked, the statue in front of me moved to block the gate while pointing to the sign. I looked at the sign and it said, 'you paid no heed, now you shall bleed,' I blinked again, and he was gone. I looked behind me to the other statue and it too disappeared. As soon as I opened the gate, maniacal laughter ran through the air that made me shiver. But I need to complete this otherwise I'll be stuck here forever. I gathered up my courage and entered the maze. As I moved into the maze the first thing, I saw was two spike traps beside me, as if pulsating to a rhythm. "Watch your step! Hard to run with a gaping hole in your foot." Bierce warns me as I walk around the outside of the maze gathering the outside shards.

"In case you were wondering, those footsteps are getting louder." Bierce warns me as I look up from my tablet. I became locked in place as my eyes locked with three Gold Watchers. If they can't move with me looking at them, I just need to keep my eyes on them. It would be easiest if I keep them grouped up, keep it easy to keep account of them. Just get one shard at a time. Got fifty to collect, best to get started.

*Time Skip*

I've managed to get all the shards in the maze, while also avoiding those Golden Watchers that appear to move whenever I look away from them. It seemed like only three were active at the time they were chasing me. I was currently catching my breath after I found the exit of the garden maze. From there I walked over to the mansion that was now accessible for me to go inside. "How nostalgic. I used to have a manor like this. Much bigger of course." Bierce gloats in my head, so she was the aristocrat type in life, good to know. Once inside the mansion, I took in its breathtaking interior. With gleaming gold-dipped furniture and elaborate decorations, it was a sight to behold. "Is it terrible to let yourself in unannounced?" Bierce says as I walk into the center of the foyer was the ring altar. "You found the altar, now to get the rest of the shards." Bierce states the obvious as I walk into one of the adjacent rooms to look for a lever to unlock the doors to the rest of the place. As I looked on the walls were signs like outside the maze but with different phrase on it.

'He who has gold, makes the rules.' In life that phrase was always correct in the governing world. After the attack the trial saw me even guilty to a point. Self-defense or not, even pure evidence did not keep the guilty in a cage. They may have thought they did the right thing but someone else will always think otherwise. No amount of money can change the truth, but it can change minds.

I explored the adjacent rooms and came across a large golden melting pot, surrounded by multiple Golden Watchers, seemingly lifeless. "Using the ring's power to create more living statues of themselves. My, what a waste of good potential." Bierce states as I found the lever and flipped it. As I flipped the lever to unlock the doors, I heard a sinister crackle coming from upstairs on the third floor and saw Malak's figure stalking across the hallway. I could have sworn that I saw the look of love and lust in his eyes, but just shrugged it off as nothing. "Oh goodie, the doors are unlocked. Now just collect the rest of the soul shards and get the ring piece." Bierce says. And so, I began the next part of the nightmare, unaware that more enemies were after me now. As I enter the newly opened halls new signs appear, 'divine judgment falls on peasants through these halls.' I looked at my tablet and saw three hundred and four shards to collect left to leave this area.

*Time skip*

I finally finished getting all the shards that were needed to get the ring piece, while also getting away from the Gold Watchers and maneuvering past dangerous traps along the way. It seemed only six of the Watchers were active, but I wasn't paying attention about how many there were. I raced back to the altar and got the next piece of the ring.

Suddenly the ground began to violently shake under me. "The nightmare portal is collapsing. Quickly get back to the portal, now!" Bierce yells out to me as I desperately try to run out the front door. Soon more Gold Watchers with red glowing eyes were beginning to chase me down. I managed to get out of the manor and raced down to the portal.

As I was running, I saw a giant Gold Watcher rise above the mansion and started to throw giant axes at me. I tried to head back to the portal but there was a giant locked gate in the way. What was worse was Malak was now here in his reaper form. "There's no escape for you, my dear." He was staring at me with the same look as before. I looked at the giant axes and then back to the gate and had an idea. I ran around trying to avoid Malak but to also line up the axe throw right to the gate. One hit, two hits, I just need to have him hit it one more time. I had to use both of my powers just to dodge the Gold Watchers and Malak, I'm starting to run out of breath. I managed to have him hit it once more and opened the gate to the portal.

I soon saw the portal out of here, but I then saw numerous Gold Watchers. With the nightmare realm beginning to be more unstable, I used the last of my teleportation power. I had to go behind the monsters and jumped through there at the last second.

I arrived, once again, in the ballroom with Bierce congratulating me on my success. I didn't listen to what she said as I thought how harder it was with each new challenge and monster that I encountered.

However, I pushed that thought aside, thinking that I'll just have to try harder too. I then heard Bierce say to me, "there's more pieces to go, love. Ready to try again?"

As she says this, I saw the next portal open, this time it had a creepy duck-like face on it. I then sighed and sighed with a tired look on my face.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Bierce."