136 Reality
Sam opened his heavy eyes in terror but he didn't see anyone there, Esdras wasn't there. Of course, how could he be? He's dead.
Sam killed him without a doubt.
As a matter of fact he couldn't see anything, it was dark. Too dark. Where was he anyway? What happened? Sam tried to move about only to find that he couldn't, his gaze went downwards and he gasped.
'What the hell?!'
Sam's heart was pounding in his chest as he frantically looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He could barely remember anything clearly before waking up in this strange cave, tied to a chair with ropes that bound his arms and legs.
The cave was dimly lit, with the only light coming from a small opening near the top of the cave that let in a sliver of sunlight. The walls were jagged and rough, with moss and lichen growing in patches. The air was damp and musty, and the smell of mold and mildew filled Sam's nostrils.
He struggled against the ropes, but they held fast, cutting into his skin and causing him pain. Fear and confusion flooded his mind as he tried to piece together how he had ended up in this situation. Had he been captured by his enemies? Had someone betrayed him?
The memories were hazy and unclear, like trying to see through a foggy window. He remembered a fight, a chase, and then nothing. And now he was here, trapped in this cave with no way out.
Sam's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan to escape, but the ropes were too tight, and he was too weak to break free. He couldn't even move his fingers, let alone his arms or legs.
But... how is that even possible? He was strong! He was the strongest, the greatest being in the entire world! How could this happen to him?
Sam's world seemed to crumble around him as he grappled with the devastating revelation. Moments ago, he had been a Demigod, a powerful being with the ability to shape the world according to his whims.
He had reveled in his newfound power, using it to exact revenge on those who had wronged him and to finally set things right. The feeling of control and authority had been intoxicating, granting him a sense of purpose and invincibility he had never known before.
Unless... unless... no way, it can't be... impossible...
But now, the harsh truth stared him in the face, leaving him reeling with disbelief. It had all been a lie, an elaborate illusion that had shattered in an instant. The rug had been pulled out from under him, and the loss of his power felt like a gaping wound in his very soul.
As Sam struggled to process this cruel twist of fate, he was consumed by a storm of emotions. Betrayal, anger, and sorrow swirled within him, threatening to tear him apart. The world he had believed in and the power he had wielded had turned to dust in his hands, leaving him feeling hollow and bereft.
His heart ached at the thought of the incredible feats he had accomplished, now revealed to be nothing more than figments of his imagination. The reality he had built for himself had crumbled, leaving him to confront the painful truth of his own powerlessness.
Questions and doubts raced through Sam's mind as he tried to understand how everything had gone so wrong. How had he been deceived so completely? What had led him to believe in his own divine power, only for it to be snatched away so cruelly?
In the midst of his turmoil, Sam couldn't help but feel a profound sense of loss, as though a part of him had been irrevocably shattered. The exhilaration and freedom that had come with his Demigod status had been intoxicating, and now, facing the harsh reality of his situation, he longed for the comfort and solace that power had provided.
Panic began to set in as he realized that he was completely helpless, at the mercy of whoever had put him here. Was he going to die here, alone and forgotten? Or worse, was he going to be tortured and killed by his captors?
Sam closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He had to think clearly if he was going to get out of this alive. But for now, he was stuck in this cave, with nothing but his thoughts and fears to keep him company.
Or... maybe not. Hope began to sprout in his heart.
He wasn't sure how or why, but his friends were right besides him, it was just that he couldn't see them for some reason.
He did recall that he killed them in his dream but it didn't matter. They were alive now that was much better for him. In the current circumstances he was willing to take any silver linings he could get.
"Carl!"
"Jimbo!"
His heart pounding in his chest as he desperately tried to call out to his friends. Their once familiar faces now appeared distant and detached. His voice echoed through the space, but it seemed to have no effect on them. The hope that had filled him moments before was quickly dissipating, replaced by a growing sense of unease and confusion.
"Yark!"
"Phil!"
As he observed his friends, Sam couldn't help but notice the bizarre behavior they displayed. Their vacant eyes stared into the void, as if they were lost in a trance.
Some of them were moving their lips, muttering inaudible words, while others played with their saliva and lips in a strange, almost grotesque manner.
The eerie sound of one friend mimicking the chirping of birds sent shivers down Sam's spine, while another friend's head swung from side to side in an unnatural, unsettling rhythm. The last of his friends sat motionless, head hanging limply, as if devoid of all life.
A cold knot of fear twisted in Sam's stomach as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. It was as if his friends had been robbed of their personalities, leaving only empty shells behind. Feelings of helplessness and despair began to take hold, gnawing at the edges of his consciousness.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier, suffocating Sam with its oppressive weight. He felt a wave of panic surging through him, threatening to overwhelm his senses. The unnerving sight of his friends, once a source of comfort and camaraderie, now filled him with dread and uncertainty.
As he stood there, surrounded by the strange behavior of his friends and the crushing weight of his own disillusionment, Sam was forced to confront a new reality, one where he was no longer the master of his own destiny. He would have to find a way to navigate this world without the power he had once wielded, and learn to cope with the bitter sting of betrayal that haunted him.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance, and Sam's heart rate quickened. He strained his eyes, trying to see who was coming towards him, but the darkness made it impossible to discern anything. Fear gripped him as the footsteps drew closer and closer.
But where the footsteps came to a stop, he didn't see anything at all. Was that his imagination?
"Over here, dumbass!"
The amount of Negative energy he harvested was well worth the effort. But now he needed answers 23:06
to some pressing questions he had.
The figure emerged from the darkness right beside him, sitting on a much more luxurious chair, and Sam's heart sank as he recognized Esdras. The same Esdras who he had killed and mocked was now standing before him, looking at him with a cold and unforgiving gaze.
'It's happened again, something I didn't see was right by my side!'
"Hello, Sam," Esdras said in a flat tone. "I hope you're comfortable."
Sam's mind raced with questions and confusion. Why was Esdras doing this to him? What did he want?
Esdras approached him, his movements slow and deliberate. Sam could see the indifference in his eyes, and he knew that he was in grave danger.
"H-how are you alive?... I was sure I killed you! I was a living god!"
Sam couldn't get over it no matter what. However, at this moment, with a head-splitting headache everything became clear. He remembered.
Now he remembered what he saw before blanking out. He saw Esdras walking towards him.
Esdras knelt beside him and forced Sam's mouth open forcing him to drink a green potion of unknown origin. Sam couldn't resist he was bleeding out and in no position to try anything.
However, unexpectedly Sam felt much better only a few moments after taking the potion, his wound actually healed and he was no longer bleeding out. That was how he was alive now.
Sam was confused, why would Esdras help him? Didn't he want him dead?
"Listen," Esdras answered with a bored tone, "I actually don't know what sort of illusion you saw, asking me about it is pointless. Eventually more so, since I will be the one asking questions."
Esdras definitely didn't have the ability to show such an intricate illusion on his own as he was yet to achieve the 1st threshold. But he had other ways to get things done.
Using a certain milk of the poppy, which had powerful sedative effects along with another hallucinogenic agents was enough to allow his illusions to draw upon Sam's own desires.
Esdras chose to inflate Sam's pride and desires for power which created a direction for the dream but he couldn't control what Sam experienced in his dream. However it was enough, as it created this distortion between the dream and reality which destabilized Sam.
The amount of Negative energy he harvested was well worth the effort. But now he needed answers to some pressing questions he had.
"You saved me..." Sam stuttered, and looked around, "and them too, why?"
"Are you deaf? Don't tell me you went crazy already?" Esdras smacked him across the face again after which snapped Sam to his senses, temporarily.
"Y-you used black magic!" Sam shouted, "not just now, from the beginning! When we ambushed you, you made us trip and then made them stab each other! It was your doing all along!"
Esdras smirked.
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