Abyssal Awakening

The atmosphere was already different when Feris and the others exited the portal near the Pit.

They couldn’t go in there directly. No matter how Feris tried. The best they could do was an exit nearby.

It was as though a veil had been placed around the pit, preventing all forms of observation or teleportation.

And once they exited the portal, it became abundantly clear this was no longer the pit they were familiar with. In fact, it wasn’t even a pit anymore.

"Feris..." Noah had a nervous expression on his face.

Countless fragments of the Void hovered in the air. Each one radiating an aura no different to the one within Feris’s body.

"How..." Feris walked forward with a sparkle in her eyes. The very sight had her mind enamoured as she held her hands together.

"Beautiful. Can’t you see? Those are the fragments of the other realm. Each one is like the one I have." Feris couldn’t hold back her smile.

Before she could go any further, a hand grabbed her wrist as Noah pulled her back.

"Wha-?" Confused, Feris looked down and froze.

Without knowing, she had almost fallen into a cavity in the earth. A twisting, spiralling blender of teeth, rubble and large fragments of buildings.

There were portals littered everywhere, each one throwing new items into the maw.

Some were people, some were buildings.

Regardless of who, the moment they fell towards the maw, they couldn’t escape.

Void energy destabilized the space around them, making it impossible for them to fly or move.

All they could do was watch helplessly as they were devoured.

"Let’s sit down and think about our plans first. I think... just entering the pit without prep is the worst thing we could possibly do." Noah had a serious expression on his face.

While he was always serious, this was something else.

He was afraid.

Realising this, Feris glanced at the others and saw similar expressions.

"Ah... Mnm, okay." Nodding her head, Feris held herself back as she glanced towards the ’pit’. Exhaling softly, she followed Noah back as he set up camp.

###

"Suffice to say, this has long gone above our paygrade." Noah started the conversation as the others nodded in agreement.

The journey started rather easily. Everything could be dealt with. But as Feris gained more ’emotions’ and powers thanks to these fragments, things have quickly spiralled out of control.

Enemies far beyond their capabilities, environments that could kill them with a single mistake.

Its as though the entire world had become their enemy.

"At this point, it doesn’t even matter we’re hired by Miss Ciel does it?" Tobi smiled helplessly.

No amount of money could convince them to take this risk.

Except one thing.

Feris.

Ever since escaping, she had been akin to a little sister to them all.

So seeing her gain more emotions, become more expressive and gain new life in her eyes, it felt like no risk was too big for them to take.

Feris had spent years feeling empty. And that had finally changed.

Just one more step.

One last step before she feels ’complete’.

All of them could tell instinctively that whatever Feris first discovered, whatever was first found in that pit, was the start of it all.

It had usurped the emptiness in her heart, filling it with something new. And now, the time had come to finally fill that gaping Void.

They didn’t blame Feris.

Far from it.

They understood her difficulties.

And so, now that the opportunity prepared itself...

"Shall we ask Lady Ciel to give us some support? I’m sure we can get some reinforcements or resupplies near one of the portals Feris opened before." Rika rested her hands on her hip.

She wasn’t confident they could deal with everything right now but if they had some help, things would become easier.

"It is an option but..." Noah hesitated.

"You don’t trust her right?" Yama interrupted, leaning with his back against the rest of the table.

"Yeah. It’s suspicious. Ciel had only desired the information we brought back from our adventures. Even now, I’ve been keeping her up to date.

"However... with Feris turning all of these fragments into something stronger, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something else she’s looking forward to. She clearly shows no desire for the power they grant so..." Noah clenched his fist.

"She’s either just as powerful, more powerful or this power doesn’t benefit her at all. In which case, she wants the information to further her own goals." Yama tapped his finger.

"Right. You already saw for yourself how strong Feris got. This new realm is nothing to joke about. It’s basically a second Abyss. So can you imagine what kind of issues might arise if someone like Ciel got her hands on it? And what about us who know everything. And..." Noah glanced at Feris.

"What of Feris who is inheriting the power the new Realm granted?"

The party fell silent.

"I think what we must do right now is to see what we can do with our own power. To scout around a bit and understand exactly what’s going on here. I think if we can do that, then we can decide our next steps." Noah suggested.

There wasn’t much else they could do in the first place.

With the plan now sorted, Feris took this moment to make several portals around the pit. Escape plans in case anything was to go wrong.

Her initial excitement from having discovered the largest fragment was now tempered as she understood that going after it without the right plans could put everyone in danger.

And...

If she could handle giving up the fragments for her friends once before, she can do so again.

She would must rather spent her time with them than to do so alone.

If the Void occupied one half of her heart, then they occupied the other.

"Feris~ let me recharge~" Rika groaned as she hugged Feris from behind.

"Jeez look at those brutes. Making delicate ladies like us to do such hard labour." She pursed her lips as Feris let out a laugh.

A small smile appeared on her face as she let go of Feris and sat down.

"So how does it feel? It’s different right? Being able to express yourself." Rika asked.

Patting the seat next to her, she had Feris sit down and the two of them looked towards the floating fragments hovering above the maw.

"You know, I never quite understood the beauty you saw in these fragments. I mean~ sure they’re pretty rocks. But they just don’t click for me." She laughed. "But seeing all of this? I think I can get it to some degree."

Feris leaned back.

"It’s weird." Feris mumbled.

All of these... emotions. Of course she felt some of them before. But never this strongly.

Never this intense.

"It’s like... a fire that won’t go out. Once it starts, it just keeps burning and spreading." Feris rested her hand above her heart.

"Huh? Are you sure you’re feeling emotions and not death?" Risk raised and eyebrow, causing Feris to pout.

"Hehe~ I’m only kidding." Rika poked Feris on the cheek.

"But yes, emotions are like that. Especially when you’re a child. Everything just feels... so intense." Rika rested her head on Feris’s shoulder.

"But not every emotion is intense. Sometimes they are soft and gentle, sometimes they feel suffocating. Some are sweeter than candy and some burn you up on the inside. A passion that refuse to die out. You feel like you’ll go insane and nothing feels normal." Rika kicked her feet back and forth.

"That’s what it felt like for me at least. During the time between us escaping the pit and now, I felt so many things. Some wonderful, some not so great. I’ve also had ugly emotions inside me you know?"

Feris tilted her head in confusion.

"Ugly ones? How can emotions be ugly?"

"Oh trust me. They are. And they come with the whole package. Jealousy is one of them. They make you do all kinds of horrible things even though you don’t mean it. They make you cross a line you wouldn’t normally cross." Rika sighed but seeing as how Feris’s expression didn’t change, it seemed like she had never taken notice.

And looking back, it feels simply laughable.

"I really like the captain you know. Like really really like him. But~ Since our cutie pie Feris likes him too, I won’t ruin things." Rika glanced up, poking Feris on the nose, causing her to sneeze.

"I thought that’s normal? If you don’t like someone you wouldn’t stay with them." Feris rubbed her nose.

"Never change Feris. I hope that once we find the missing fragments, you’re still you in the end." Rika shuffled herself and laid on Feris’s lap.

"Why would I change? I’ll still be Feris."

"Good. And it better stay that way or else while you’re gone, I’m going to steal captain away." Rika laughed, reaching her arms out and cupping Feris’s cheeks.

"I don’t get it. But..." Feris pursed her lips.

"Noah is mine. He has to take responsibility."

Hearing this, Rika laughed.

"Yes... It’s been that way since the start. Don’t let him go. If you do, I won’t forgive you okay? You’re stronger than any of us now. We’ll be relying on you for protection." Rika smiled before closing her eyes.

Confusion spread through Feris’s mind but she didn’t disturb Rika.

She simply let the girl rest on her lap while she placed portals for the others to use.

Looking back, Feris understood that it had always been Rika who tried to build a connection between them. Feris herself never made the first move.

She was the one who called out, she was the one who kept her company.

Perhaps...

She should’ve reached out towards Rika at least once...