Malphegor
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Ch. 55: Atlach-Nacha
🕑 Added 2024-08-26 16:10:02 +0000 UTCA sudden force gripped Kagami's core, yanking him sideways through reality. The world bled together like watercolors in the rain. His eyes, locked on the spider, refused to obey his desperate attempts to look away.
Whoosh!
Reality snapped back into focus. Kagami found himself surrounded by darkness, broken only by an intricate lacework of webs that pulsed with an otherworldly glow, stretching beyond his vision in every direction.
At the nexus of this impossible structure loomed a colossal arachnid. Its chitinous body bore a grotesque human visage—the same face he had seen in his dream.
"At last, you've arrived." The words reverberated through his mind, bypassing his ears entirely. "I've awaited your readiness, young one."
Kagami's muscles tensed, his stance shifting imperceptibly into a defensive posture. "Identify yourself," he demanded.
The human features on the spider's face contorted into a smile, somehow both achingly familiar and profoundly wrong. "I am Atlach-Nacha, one of the Great Old Ones. And the spider you tend to in your waking hours? It is an extension of my will, a fragment of my being in your world."
Kagami's fingers twitched, grasping for the reassuring weight of a kunai that wasn't there. He swallowed hard. "Why have you brought me here?"
The creature's face rippled, features rearranging into what might have been mirth. "You possess a rare gift—the ability to perceive beyond the veil of mundane reality. Already, you've tasted power beyond mortal comprehension. But oh, there are oceans of knowledge yet unexplored."
The cavern seemed to shift, the webs rearranging themselves to form images. Kagami's eyes darted from one impossible sight to another, his analytical mind struggling to process the information overload. "What... what am I witnessing?"
"What you see is the Dreamlands," Atlach-Nacha explained. "A parallel world formed by human consciousness and imagination. It exists alongside your reality, governed by different laws, accessible only through dreams... or to those with the right knowledge."
The cavern erupted into a kaleidoscope of shifting realities. Kagami's breath caught in his throat, his carefully cultivated composure cracking. "Incredible," he whispered, awe overwhelming his usual stoicism.
"And dangerous," Atlach-Nacha warned, its tone growing grave. "The Dreamlands are not just a realm of wonder. They are also a battleground. Some entities seek to use this realm for their own ends. Cthulhu, for instance, can appear in dreams, influencing mortals and spreading his madness."
At the mention of Cthulhu, Kagami's eyebrows raised slightly. "Is this why you're telling me all this? To warn me?"
Atlach-Nacha's human face took on a solemn expression. "To warn you, yes. But also to prepare you. You have a role to play, little one. The knowledge I offer can help you navigate the dangers ahead."
A lifetime of feeling different, of sensing a greater destiny, crystallized in this moment. Yet the scope of what lay before him dwarfed even his loftiest ambitions.
The webs shifted again, forming a new image. His breath caught as he recognized a familiar face.
"Brother?" he whispered, watching as the image of Hayate flickered in the webs.
Atlach-Nacha's voice took on a somber tone. "In twelve years' time, he will die."
"What? How?" But after a pause, he forced his voice to remain steady. "Is there a way to alter this outcome? What actions must I take?"
Something ancient and unknowable flickered in the depths of the Great Old One's gaze. "The future is not set in stone, little one. But to change it, one must have power. Knowledge. The ability to see and manipulate the threads of fate."
Kagami nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "And you... you can teach me these things?"
"I can show you the path," Atlach-Nacha replied. "But the journey is yours to make. The power you seek comes at a price."
"What kind of price?" Kagami asked calmly.
The cavern seemed to darken, the webs pulsing with an eerie light. "To gain the sight, you must be willing to see. To wield power over fate, you must be willing to sacrifice. Are you prepared for that, little one?"
Kagami's fists clenched at his sides, his mind weighing the possibilities. After a long moment, he spoke, "I... I need time to think."
Atlach-Nacha's human face nodded, an almost paternal expression crossing its features. "Wise. Do not rush into bargains with forces beyond your understanding."
"For now, keep nurturing my avatar in your world," it continued. "It will serve as a conduit for knowledge and power. But know this: the offer remains open. When you are ready, you need only reach out through my avatar."
The cavern began to blur, the webs unraveling around them. Kagami felt the pulling sensation again, this time drawing him back to his own world.
"Remember, little one," Atlach-Nacha's voice echoed as the vision faded. "The line between dream and reality is thinner than most believe. Tread carefully."
"Wait—" the word had barely left Kagami's lips before reality began to unravel around him.
---
Kagami blinked, disoriented. He stood before the spider's breeding box in his room again.
"Hmm," he hummed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Time flows differently there. Useful to know."
His fingers traced the edge of the breeding box, his mind replaying the encounter. The power Atlach-Nacha offered was tempting, but he knew better than to rush into deals with entities he didn't fully understand.
"You're quite the interesting little creature, aren't you?" he murmured to the spider, which had resumed its normal movements.
He splashed cold water on his face, trying to shake off the lingering sensations of the vision. The mirror reflected a face he barely recognized—young and unremarkable, yet marked by an intensity in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Eyes that had seen things no one else in the village could even imagine. As he dressed, a wry smile played on his lips.
If brother knew what was really in there... The image of his brother attempting to dispose of the spider brought a wry smile to Kagami's face. "He'd probably try to get rid of it," he muttered to himself, chuckling softly.
He made his way to the kitchen. As expected, Hayate was already gone, leaving behind a covered breakfast plate and a note.
His brother had been taking more missions outside the village lately, leaving him alone more often than not.
"Tch. Another mission," he grunted, unfolding the note as he sat down to eat.
"Kagami,
Got called out on another mission. Should be back in a few days. Stay safe and keep up with your training.
- Hayate
P.S. There's money for food in the usual spot if you need it."
He paused his chopsticks halfway to his mouth as he read the note. He set them down, a strange feeling washing over him.
On one hand, his brother's absence meant more freedom to pursue his own interests. On the other...
'I should be worried, I suppose, but...' he mused thoughtfully.
Then, he remembered the vision Atlach-Nacha had shown him.
"Twelve years," he murmured. "Is that all the time we have?"
A bitter laugh escaped him. "Strange, how comforting that knowledge is." He shook his head, picking up his chopsticks again. "Maybe I am turning into a monster after all."
As he finished his breakfast, his eyes lost focus as he reached out with his mind, searching for Itachi through the spider's vision. "Found you," he muttered.
A frown creased his brow. The connection to the spider pulsed with more clarity, and there—almost invisible—a gossamer strand linked his consciousness to the creature's.
"This power... it's not mine." Kagami pushed away from the table, pacing restlessly. His fingers raked through his hair as his mind grappled with the implications. "These abilities... they're not mine. They're from Atlach-Nacha."
He stopped in front of the window, staring out at the village without really seeing it. Part of him felt let down – he had hoped these powers were innately his. But another part...
"The source is irrelevant. What matters is how I wield it." he addressed the empty room.
He then approached the breeding box. His fingers hovered over the glass. "Show me your secrets, little one. We have much to accomplish."
As his fingers touched the cool surface, he felt a faint vibration. The spider inside twitched, its legs moving in a complex pattern. For a heartbeat, the glass surface rippled, revealing a glimpse of the endless, web-shrouded shinobi world.
He smiled as he surveyed his room. "Indeed, what a promising morning this is."
The spider in the box tapped its leg once, as if in agreement.
Tap
Kagami's smile widened. Oh yes, this was going to be interesting indeed.
