Far below the so-called infinite abyss. There is a realm far different from the one on the surface.

Darkness turned into a medium for those who tore up natural selection. The silence was never felt thanks to the noisy roar of their misery. They flew, dove, crawled, and walked through it.

Valleys that are impossible to reach, seas of tar that trap their victims in a slow death, and so much more. The darkness of night even looks bright compared to that place.

Spawning an incredibly strange ecosystem, its inhabitants always found a way to make it worse. Their diverse and obscure forms make the environment even harsher on the weak. There is no escape, you enter and you stay.

The absurd shadowy plant growth provides plenty of nutrients. They take and give, eat and be eaten. Cretaceous bodies are their dish, and poisonous thorns are their best offering. Their quintessence is available to those who deserve it.

Once you enter this beautiful place, you will receive a great deal of power.

And so will those who dwell within.

A colossal oyster on horseback, a noisy prism tentacle monster, and a cunning mind-control crab.

You name it, and it will appear before you one day.

There is no bottom in this anomalous paradise, no hell in this garden.

Welcome to the Abyss of Eregser.

****

Bury hope and light, deep within the wailing misery of a broken heart.

Pray every night that it never returns.

Gazing up at the countless stars, he stretched his tentacles. Exposed before the majestic cosmos, the lump of flesh dragged his mind elsewhere. Something was wrong and he was perceptive enough to realize it immediately.

"What do you want."

His eyeballs stared down the storm of gold dust above him. Branik, who felt his domain being violated prepared for the worst. Although he had no tangible form, the astral realm was his absolute domain. He held supreme power over the psychic chamber in Hazel's brain. The soul field was where he planted the roots of his consciousness.

Now, something was trying to disturb them.

"Long time no see, Branik."

The golden storm stopped spinning above him and solidified into one. Making itself into a beautiful gem chiseled like an eyeball. The amber eyeball flashed a greeting like a familiar old friend. Despite the unfavorable reception, Cief did not return it.

The two stared at each other, the empty room no longer feeling empty. They both shone and bathed in their respective auras. Branik bathed himself in thick blood. He grew his arms everywhere, making sure that they surrounded Cief. Those jeweled eyeballs might not show any aggression, but his intentions certainly did.

"There is no need for a showdown between us, I just want to make sure of something."

Using his highly ambiguous voice, Cief delivered his message directly to Branik. They had opposing aspects and traits. If fire met water, the quantity would determine who would be extinguished and vaporized first.

"Those are pretty good words for you, Cief. Any Celestial would also know if that was just the icing on a stone."

If Branik had a face, he would have used the most bitter expression he had. Cief's crystal wings might hypnotize some Celestials, but not him. Those creatures who claimed to be the most perfect creation were Branik's main burden of thought. They alone were enough to make him somersault if they suddenly appeared before him.

His current host was not quite ready to bear such a mental burden. Even the symptoms of trauma alone were more than enough to push her to the brink of death. Branik was still looking for a way to free her from that.

"I think you would know if you realized what was happening to both of you."

Their current whereabouts were an enigma, but somehow he was able to find them. Branik had suspected The Observer from the moment he arrived. Before Hazel's metamorphosis, Branik was just a pseudo-consciousness. He only had hazy memories of a past that had been muddy from the start.

Only Branik was aware of the strange condition of their current environment. If it was that bad, perhaps the arrival of this creepy figure would be understandable. Cief could see everything, but he could not understand or know everything he saw.

But to see into the enigma, a bit of information was needed. He could have put something like a tracker on Hazel. But considering how she fought, Branik thought that was impossible. Because there was only one thing that could bind someone completely.

"Don't tell me you've planted a contract on my host!!! I swear I'll kill you if that's true!!!"

A contract can be implanted in one's soul. Once they were implanted, there was no way to revoke them without a hefty price. It might be a little too hasty for him to conclude, but he knew exactly what he was thinking.

Cief laughed mockingly at Branik who was angry with him, he threw a few taunts in return.

"Hmmm, is that right?"

Branik's conclusion had already reached a critical stage as he managed to put his theory together. Perhaps he was just a weak being when viewed from Cief's point of view. But he was just a small fragment of the true majestic figure. Indeed, from the beginning Cief and the main body of Branik had been enemies since time immemorial.

Cief didn't move at all with his threat, but instead, he just chuckled a little at it. The crystal eyeball floated towards him, burning all of Branik's arms. His golden aura spread out in all directions for no reason.

"How are you going to do it?" She whispered calmly as if belittling Branik.

Branik scowled, his words were true. There was nothing he could do now, to rid his host of this cursed creature.

Not for now...

"I'll find a way, I'll find it even if it gonna kill me!" He said aloud, every vein beginning to bulge.

"I'll wait... but for now I have no harmful intentions. I just want to get you two out of this dimension."

Hazel's subconscious was a quiet and stuffy place. It had turbulent emotions every time she woke up and realized how cruel fate was. Just like the shifting sands, each grain of emotion had no definite place. To mold them required the adhesive of a strong will.

He was completely stuck.

"I'm listening"

At least Branik could make sure that they wouldn't die silly here.

"Good..."

He had lost badly.

Cief began to explain the situation of the two of them as well, the truth about the contract he planted. It all started from his desire to end the chaos that was happening. He did not have the raw power to do so, but he had vast powers. Using his powers as an observer, he surfed from one universe to another. Hoping that he could find a seed that could grow and flourish properly.

In the end, he met an extremely rare species, Rex Tezerra.

They are an ancient species that is very hard to find thanks to their unique biology. They can be found on planets that already have intelligent life. Known for being extremely resilient and incredibly strong, they can live for several millennia. The only thing that can kill them is their natural stupidity.

It is also not uncommon for some irresponsible groups to hunt them down. Tezerra Rexes are also widely known for their ability to store ridiculous amounts of energy. Although they don't mind being used as living batteries, that is as long as they are treated well.

Cief, however, had found something among that pile of gold. Hazel also had the blood of a Rubixxor, something even more rare. They had been declared extinct in some of the universes he visited. They were a race often dubbed demonic monkeys, a large, fiery monkey.

A single Rubixxor is known to burn a planet to the ground in a few days. No matter how big or what they are made of, the Rubixxor will find its way. It can all be done thanks to their ability to efficiently manipulate raw energy. By pouring blood, they will draw energy circuits on certain media. That way, they can manipulate that energy to their liking. Every 'rune' they created could not be used by other races.

In other words, he had found a Celestial hunter.

"Therefore, I want you to understand my purpose. I don't care about your hatred, this child is my precious asset."

One thing that Cief always emphasized was how the contract was not burdensome at all. All Hazel had to do was fulfill a request. She might be pushed a bit to complete the given mission. But the time given was plenty, and the promised reward sounded tantalizing.

To convince Branik further, Cief delivered his every word with passion. He tied Branik's frazzled mind with sweet promises that might be real. He knew how much that lump of flesh cared for Hazel, and so did he.

"I'm the chef, I'm the one who cooks here. Just do what I say and bring me the ingredients. We'll turn all of that bastard into a gourmet." He shouted as he flapped his wings, light exploding from his retinas.

Branik remained skeptical of him and Cief knew exactly about that.

"If that's all you have to say, why bother to come here?" He said sarcastically, not expecting anything good to come of it.

Both sides might not have the same heart. But right now they had the same intentions and goals.

Cief was silent for a while before he gave Branik some advice. He knew how Hazel was, she only looked fine because she was afraid of him. Thanks to Branik's strict and stern nature as well, Hazel was a little obedient to his orders. Although it was based on fear, Cief could see some way out.

"About Hazel... you can divert her hatred and anger. Try to find another target, she just needs to get used to it. That kid adapts very quickly, it just needs a little push."

"I know that what I'm thinking is how to implement it. Right now she's feeling unfamiliar with her current body. That kid has also erased some of her memories, bad luck for me." Branik replied with annoyance, he had been thinking about that from the beginning.

Cief chuckled at Branik's desperate statement. He slowly approached him to the point where their eyes were almost touching.

"You call yourself the guide? That's a fresh joke to me... at least, you can make him remember."

"..." 

"..." 

"Remember?" 

Upon hearing that, Branik's body shook. Every blood vessel in his eyes twitched, his pupils turning red. A glimmer of an idea flashed in his mind, he finally had a good idea.

"Maybe... maybe this will work!"

When a baby is born, it will cry out of instinct. They take their first breath of air for the first time because they are shocked. The transition was unpleasant and painful, but it was a good thing. Hazel's metamorphosis process could be described as a rebirth. Just like a caterpillar destroying its body, and reshaping it as a beautiful butterfly.

"I don't think there's any harm in returning to the original settings." The Observer told the inspired Branik.

The lump of flesh fell silent, he looked Cief once more in the eye.

"But there's one thing missing, you haven't given him any gifts at all. Normally you would give a pawn a... you know, power?"

"Power? Heh, that's why I came here. It will come soon enough until the time comes. I want you to survive with this first."

Saying so, Cief created a ball of light. It immediately flew towards the red cube behind Branik.

"Good seedlings need proper nutrition. Use that to survive in this place. Let's hope the package arrives before the Abyss finds you."

Branik was not satisfied with that information and asked again.

"How long?"

"It shouldn't be long, about 10-15 years. Also, stop forcing that kid to do weird stuff. Masturbating while you're freefalling off a cliff? That's messed up. Stay in the observable universe, don't get lost."

"Nah, I don't want to hear that from someone who likes stalking," Branik replied indifferently while squinting his eyes.

"That can't be helped, I am the Observer."

Cief withdrew his astral form from Hazel's mind, leaving Branik in peace once more. Thinking of what he should do next, Branik dragged his body closer to the cube. He connected some of his tentacle arms to the cube. Soon the room became dark, the starlight disappearing completely.

It's time for her to wake up.

Some people will do anything for food, and this kid is one of them.

That gave him a little idea… 

The brilliant one. 

"Hello, Branik here! We're about to hit the surface in a matter of one-"