Mother of Midnight

Chapter 133 – People Don’t Look Up

While they had all witnessed Vivienne consume aetherbeasts before, there was something unsettling about watching her devour one of her own kind. It was one thing to see her consume the strange, hostile creatures that roamed the ruins, but to watch her tear into a creature that mirrored her—a nightmare—was another entirely. It wasn’t just the act of eating; it was the ease with which she did it, the way she moved with such a predatory grace that made it feel almost... natural.

Neither of the others could quite articulate what they were feeling, their expressions a confusing mix of disbelief, discomfort, and something else—something that might have been sympathy, but neither wanted to acknowledge it. Rava glanced at Kivvy, who was biting her lip, trying to process what she'd just seen. The goblin had always been used to survival at any cost, but this... this was something different. Even the resilient Rava couldn't shake the unease that churned in her stomach.

Vivienne, on the other hand, seemed entirely unbothered. She had reclaimed the same calm confidence she always wore, as if her actions were justified, even necessary. As they continued winding through the dark labyrinth, each step echoed the strange dynamic between them—the uneasy silence stretching out like the cold corridors they moved through. No one spoke of it, but it lingered in the air, a question that none of them dared to voice.

It was Rava who finally broke the silence, her voice sharp but quiet. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“But it was so yummy!” Vivienne immediately pouted, giving Rava an exaggerated, almost childlike expression of innocence. Her lips curled in a mischievous grin as if she’d just gotten away with something truly indulgent.

Rava didn’t even blink. She stared straight ahead, her posture as rigid as ever, shoulders squared as if she was bracing for impact. “It just… it was… that felt wrong. Even for you.”

Vivienne tilted her head to the side in mock confusion, her ears flicking slightly. “Wrong? You mean delicious, right? Because I’m pretty sure I haven’t had anything that good in ages. It’s practically a delicacy!” She licked her lips theatrically, making sure Rava caught the playful gleam in her eyes.

“Vivienne, you just ate one of your own kind,” Rava continued, her voice deadpan as they walked through the narrow corridors of the ruin. “You’re basically the worst kind of cannibal now.”

“Oh please, I’m a nightmare, not the nightmare,” Vivienne retorted, waving a clawed hand dismissively. “And besides, it’s not like I’m eating people. That’d be weird.”

“You’ve eaten people before!” Rava’s voice was a mix of exasperation and disbelief, her eyes wide as she stared at Vivienne.

Vivienne merely shrugged, her usual grin never leaving her face. “You act like I haven’t said this before, sweetheart. I’ve done worse, you know.”

“Wait, she’s eaten people?” Elira asked, her voice laced with confusion, her gaze snapping toward Vivienne, who remained unbothered.

Rava, still trying to process the words, let out a frustrated sigh. “They were enemies of the state, corrupt criminals, and some were about to commit a hate crime. They basically deserved it, darling.” Vivienne nodded sagely, as if delivering the kind of wisdom only she could offer. “It’s not like I just go around munching on random folks. Though, I mean, if they gave me a reason, sure…”

Ivor’s voice cut through the air, full of curiosity. “What’s a hate crime?”

Vivienne tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Typically, it’s when you commit a violent crime against someone because of their religion, race, gender, or something they can’t change. You know, the dumb stuff. Like attacking someone just because they’re different.” She paused, adding with a smirk, “Pretty vile stuff, if you ask me.”

There was a long silence, and Elira glanced between Vivienne and Rava, clearly unsure how to feel about the revelation.

“I... I still don’t think I’m okay with it,” Elira said, her voice shaky as she looked at Vivienne, a mix of disbelief and concern in her gaze. “You ate

people?”Vivienne turned to Elira, her grin softening just a little, though the playful glint in her eyes never quite faded. “Look, darling, I didn’t go around eating people just for kicks. They weren’t exactly saints. It’s not something I’d brag about, but sometimes you do what’s necessary.” She gave a casual shrug, as though the whole thing was no big deal. “And, well, when you’re a nightmare, food is food.”

Rava raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with dry humor. “I’m fairly certain you’re more proud of it than you’re letting on, and you definitely had a bit of fun with it.”

Vivienne flashed a wicked grin, her tail flicking behind her. “Can’t I comfort the new people without you jumping in to ruin it?”

Rava shot her a glance. “That caravan departed a while ago, Viv.”

“Are we really just going to skip over the part where she eats people?” Elira asked again, her tone a mix of disbelief and curiosity. This was the third time she’d brought it up, and it seemed no one was biting.

Maddeningly, the labyrinth turned out to be far more extensive than any of them had anticipated. Each twist and turn led to another series of identical corridors, their dull, unyielding stone walls offering no reprieve from the monotony. Even Vivienne, with her sharp instincts and ability to mark their path, was growing visibly irritated as the hours dragged on. Her claws had long since scratched countless marks into the walls, but it was difficult to tell whether they were making any real progress or simply wandering in circles.

The air was cold and still, carrying with it an eerie silence broken only by the muffled echoes of their footsteps. Every now and then, they would come across passages that seemed promising, only to find them dead-ended or looping back to areas they had already explored. The lack of anything interesting—or edible—was gnawing at Vivienne’s patience.

“Ugh,” she muttered after what felt like the hundredth empty corridor. “I’m starving. How is it possible that we haven’t found a single tasty little critter in hours?” She flicked her tail irritably, the blade at its tip scraping against the stone floor with a soft clang.

“I’m more concerned about finding an exit than your next meal,” said Rava, her voice tight with frustration. Despite her best efforts to stay focused, even she was beginning to tire of the endless maze.

Vivienne pouted, folding her arms. “A girl’s gotta eat, sweetheart. Do you want me to get cranky?”

“I think you’re already there,” Ivor said, giving her a wary glance. “Also, you’re a nightmare. Aren’t you supposed to be scary, not cranky?”

“I can be both,” Vivienne shot back, narrowing her five eyes at him. “Cranky nightmare sounds pretty terrifying, doesn’t it?”

Elira, walking quietly near the back of the group, couldn’t help but shiver—not from fear but from the growing chill in the air. The deeper they went, the colder it seemed to get. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and glanced at the others, wondering how they weren’t freezing.

“Could we at least take a break soon?” Elira asked hesitantly. “We’ve been walking for hours, and it’s not like we’re going to solve this maze by sheer willpower alone.”

Rava paused, glancing down the corridor ahead, which looked just as bleak and featureless as all the others. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Let’s take five. But stay alert. I don’t want to be ambushed by anything lurking down here.”

They found a slightly wider section of the corridor and settled down for a brief rest. Vivienne sat cross-legged on the cold floor, drumming her claws against her knees impatiently. Ivor leaned back against the wall, wiping some frost from his brow.

“Anyone else feel like this place is playing tricks on us?” Ivor asked, his deep voice steady and calm, as if he were observing the weather rather than the bizarre maze around them. “Feels like we should’ve reached something by now. An end, a chamber, anything.”

Vivienne, leaning lazily against the wall, tilted her head with a smirk. "Oh, we’re making progress, darling. The song’s getting stronger."

Everyone turned to look at her, varying degrees of confusion and concern plastered across their faces.

"You didn’t think to mention that earlier?" Rava asked, exasperation creeping into her tone.

Vivienne shrugged nonchalantly, inspecting her claws. "I didn’t want to ruin the suspense. Besides, it’s not like anyone asked if I was feeling anything." She flashed a grin that was far too smug for anyone’s liking.

Elira shivered again, though it wasn’t clear if it was from the cold or Vivienne’s eerie sense of calm. "What do you mean by ‘the song’s getting stronger’? I don’t hear anything."

"You wouldn’t," Vivienne replied, her grin softening into something a little more enigmatic. "It’s not something  anyone can hear. Only aetherbeasts as far as I can tell."

Rava’s eyes narrowed. "Important, or dangerous?"

Vivienne’s grin widened. "Yes. Hopefully."

The air thickened as they moved deeper into the ruins, an almost tangible weight pressing against their skin. Vivienne led with an air of confidence, her movements graceful yet purposeful. Despite her apparent ease, there was a flicker of something more in her eyes—focus, maybe even anticipation.

The corridors twisted and turned, some narrowing so much that even Ivor had to duck to pass through. More than once, Vivienne’s chosen path led them to abrupt dead ends, jagged stone walls standing as silent reminders of the ruin’s labyrinthine design. She marked each with a long clawed slash before turning back without a word, undeterred by the setbacks.

Occasionally, they came across passages that seemed more promising—wide, open spaces with faint traces of ancient carvings barely visible beneath layers of frost. Vivienne’s pace quickened in these moments, her tail swaying more vigorously, but each promising route led to nothing but crumbling alcoves and more twisting tunnels.

The tension grew as they pressed on. The air was colder here, biting through even the thickest layers of clothing. Frost clung stubbornly to the walls, and the only sound was the crunch of their footsteps on the icy floor.

Then they encountered the next lot of aetherbeasts.

They emerged from the walls themselves, shadows peeling away from the frost-covered stone like ink spreading through water. These aetherbeasts were different—sleek and fluid, with bodies that seemed more like voids than solid forms. Their limbs were long and clawed, trailing wisps of darkness with every motion. Glowing violet eyes stared out from faceless heads, locking onto the group with a predatory hunger.

Vivienne stopped in her tracks, her grin widening. “Oh, now this is more interesting.”

Before anyone could react, one of the creatures darted forward, faster than anything they’d faced before. Ivor was already moving, his sword arcing in a clean, decisive swing. The blade met resistance, cutting through the creature’s semi-solid form, but instead of dissipating like the previous beasts, it merely recoiled, reforming itself a few steps away.

Rava’s voice was steady but sharp, tension crackling in her tone like the lightning now enveloping her fists. “Shades,” she muttered, her gaze narrowing on the swirling shadows closing in on them. “Physical attacks won’t do much. Use enchantments and spells only.”

Without waiting for a response, she began chanting under her breath. Sparks flickered along her knuckles, growing into arcs of crackling lightning that leapt between her clenched fists. The harsh, pale glow lit the corridor around them, casting jagged shadows on the frost-covered walls.

Ivor nodded, gripping his sword tighter. His chant was quieter, barely above a whisper, but the effect was immediate—his blade flared with a radiant, golden light, its glow unnatural and unsettling, like the first light of dawn in a realm that had never known day. The brightness made Vivienne’s pupils contract, her lips curling slightly in discomfort. “Ugh, I hate that glow,” she muttered under her breath, turning her attention back to the shades.

Meanwhile, Elira drew a wand from within her robe, the polished wood glinting faintly in the dim light. With practiced precision, she began sketching intricate spell matrices in the air, glowing geometric patterns forming in front of her as she worked. Each movement was fluid and deliberate, her eyes focused as she prepared barriers and offensive spells in rapid succession.

The shades circled closer, their violet eyes flickering hungrily. They moved like shadows cast by a flickering flame—erratic, fast, and nearly impossible to pin down. One lunged at Ivor, its claws slicing through the air with unnatural speed, but his glowing blade met it mid-attack, severing its form cleanly. The creature wavered, its shape unraveling before reforming further back, flickering more faintly now.

Vivienne sighed, her claws flexing. “All right, sweetheart,” she said with a grin, turning toward Rava. “Let’s see who can make the most shades go pop.” Before Rava could retort, Vivienne launched herself forward, her claws shimmering faintly with gathered energy.

Vivienne darted into the fray, swiping at the nearest shade with her claws. The moment her attack connected, the shadowy form rippled unnaturally, reforming itself almost instantly. She frowned, leaping back a step, her claws twitching in frustration.

"Well, that’s annoying," she muttered, flexing her fingers as if the motion would make her strikes more effective. Another shade rushed at her, its claws outstretched. She ducked beneath its swipe with ease, her tail whipping around to knock it aside. Still, it barely faltered before surging forward again.

Behind her, Rava and Ivor fought in tandem, lightning flashing and golden light cleaving through the creatures with greater success. Elira's spells shimmered in the air, forming barriers that kept the shades from overwhelming them completely.

Vivienne clicked her tongue in irritation. "Fine. If claws won’t do it…" Her black eyes narrowed, and before anyone could react, she lunged forward with her mouth opening wide—far wider than it should have. Her jaws split unnervingly, revealing rows of needle-like teeth and the true maw that ran down her throat.

With a vicious bite, she clamped down on the nearest shade. Its form wavered, flickering wildly as she tore through it, devouring the very essence that held it together. A shudder ran down her spine as she felt the familiar rush of fragmented memories and energy flooding her senses. It wasn’t much—shades were weak creatures, after all—but it was enough to give her a small boost.

She didn't stop there. Vivienne pounced on another shade, swallowing it in two quick bites before spinning around to snatch a third mid-lunge. The others could only stare in stunned silence as she made short work of the shadowy beasts, her method disturbingly effective.

Once the last of the shades was gone, she turned back to the group, licking her lips with her long, black tongue. “Mmm. Tastes like disappointment.”

Rava ramed her fists through another shade, each punch taking more and more away from the creature. “Less talking, more killing."

Vivienne shrugged and wolfed down another shade, their weak impressions barely slowed her down, and being made of pure aether, it invigorated her. Elira started Rapidly firing off bolts of dawn aether, away from Vivienne, which she was thankful for.

She doubted the fiery darts would seriously harm her, but they would hurt.

Rava’s fists connected with the shade’s incorporeal form with a crackling impact, her strikes reverberating through the creature’s dark essence. Each punch seemed to rip through the air with growing force, her body a blur of lightning-infused power as she pummeled the shadows into oblivion. Her energy flared as she relentlessly dismantled the creatures one after another. Her expression was one of focused determination—she had no time for distractions, especially not from Vivienne’s… peculiar appetite.

Vivienne, undeterred, took advantage of the chaos. She lunged forward again, mouth open wide, sinking her sharp teeth into the next shade that crossed her path. The creature’s resistance was pitiful, offering nothing more than a fleeting pulse of energy as she devoured it whole. She moved with a predator’s precision, her black eyes gleaming with satisfaction as the energy rushed through her, rejuvenating her in ways mere combat could not. The faint, ghostly impressions left behind by the aetherbeasts were no match for her hunger.

Elira kept her distance, her hands moving with practiced speed as she conjured bolts of dawn aether. The golden spears of light shot through the air, arcing toward the remaining shades, their light leaving faint trails in the dim, frost-laden corridors. She aimed away from Vivienne, understanding the danger of the fiery projectiles. The intensity of the sun-borne magic would singe anything it touched, and Vivienne’s insatiable hunger for aether wasn’t something she particularly wanted to provoke.

Despite the dangers, Vivienne seemed completely unfazed, her focus solely on the task of consuming the shadowy forms. The more she took in, the more her hunger seemed to grow—a dangerous cycle of consumption and power, but one she was well accustomed to. Her body hummed with an eerie energy, eyes glowing as the creatures flickered and evaporated before her.

Rava continued her assault without a pause, her fists now a blur of crackling electricity. Each strike was precise, tearing through the remaining shades with a finality that left little room for doubt. Despite their endless numbers, their resilience was little more than a fleeting illusion. As quickly as they appeared, they were torn apart by the group’s combined effort.

After the last of the shades disintegrated, there was a brief moment of stillness. The shadows in the air seemed to dissipate, their oppressive presence fading as the labyrinth’s silence crept back in. The frost on the walls glistened in the light of the ongoing battle, a stark contrast to the warmth of their efforts.

Vivienne’s hunger was sated for the moment, though the taste of aether was never quite enough to fill her completely. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes glinting with a strange mixture of satisfaction and anticipation. There was more to come, she was certain of it. Whatever else lurked within the depths of the labyrinth, it wasn’t done with them yet.

They continued their trek through the twisting maze, Vivienne still straining to hear the song that seemed to ebb and flow with the walls themselves. It was there, faint at first, then pulsing like a distant heartbeat. Whenever they were close, however, the path always seemed to dead-end, leading them back to square one.

As they moved forward, the oppressive silence of the labyrinth weighed on them, the cold stone around them unnervingly quiet except for their footsteps. Vivienne’s attention was sharply focused, her black eyes scanning the walls, listening, always listening for the pull of that elusive song.

It was Ivor who broke the silence, his deep voice cutting through the stillness. “This is one of your marks. We’ve been here before.” He pointed to a series of claw marks on the stone, worn down but still visible.

The others turned to look, and without a doubt, Vivienne recognized the marks. Her claws had left them during their earlier travels, when they had been here before without realizing it.

Vivienne’s face scrunched up into a frown, frustration creeping into her expression. She stared at the marks, then blinked, her eyes widening as an idea began to form in her mind. She straightened up suddenly, an almost mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. “I think I have an idea.”

Rava, already weary from the long trek, sighed heavily. “Oh no,” she muttered flatly, her exhaustion evident in the sag of her shoulders. “This can’t be good.”

Vivienne didn’t offer a response. Instead of trying to follow the song directly or search for another hidden passage, she decided to take a different approach. With the patience of a predator stalking its prey, she began to follow the pull of the song as best as she could, getting as close to it as possible. But each time she neared it, it grew quieter, leading her to yet another dead end. And so, she retraced her steps, only to repeat the process again.

Her movements were methodical, and though it felt like they were getting nowhere, there was a sense of purpose behind her actions. Rava, Ivor, and Elira exchanged uncertain glances, but said nothing.

After several loops through the winding corridors, Vivienne finally settled on a crossroads. This intersection of dead ends and potential passages seemed to be the closest she had come to locating the source of the song. She stood there for a moment, considering, before holding up a claw to silence Elira, who had been about to speak.

Vivienne lowered herself to the cold stone floor, bringing her ear to the surface. She held her breath, listening intently, as if the very stone could give her the answers she sought. The others watched in silence, curiosity creeping into their expressions. After a tense moment, Vivienne stood up, her eyes alight with a devilish grin.

“Sweetheart,” she said, turning to Rava with a smile that was almost too smug, “Could you please give me a lift?”

Rava blinked in confusion, but before she could protest, Vivienne’s playful grin and pleading tone left little room for refusal. With a resigned sigh, Rava nodded, stepping forward. She wrapped her strong arms around Vivienne’s thighs and hoisted her easily, lifting her high above the ground.

Vivienne held her ear to the stone ceiling, straining to hear the faint hum of the song that still pulsed through the air. After a moment, she gave Rava a light pat on the shoulder, signaling that it was time to lower her back down.

When she was set on her feet again, Vivienne straightened up with a satisfied smirk, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “We need to go up.” She said, her grin widening.