Project:Imagine

The air crackled with tension as the three stood in the hallway, their breaths shallow, eyes locked on their enigmatic enemy, Nihil. A dark, oppressive energy hung in the air, thick, and suffocating. Without hesitation, Diamond acted first, her hands glowing with aura as countless razor-sharp pink crystals erupted from the ground, streaking toward Nihil like guided missiles. They embedded deep into his flesh, shimmering with lethal intensity.

In the same heartbeat, Crow lunged forward. His arm morphed, jagged spikes twisting into form as if birthed from his very bones. With one fluid motion, he swung with monstrous force, his bladed arm cleaving cleanly through Nihil’s neck. The head toppled from his shoulders, thudding against the ground in a spray of dark, viscous blood.

For a split second, silence reigned. Diamond and Crow exchanged bewildered glances, the weight of their disbelief heavy. It had been too easy. This mysterious being, whose presence exuded untold power, had been felled like nothing more than a common adversary.

The severed body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud, motionless.

But then, an eerie, chilling whisper echoed behind them, sending a jolt of icy fear through their spines.

“I survived,” came the rasping voice.

They whirled around, hearts pounding, to see Nihil standing mere paces away—whole, unscathed. His expression was one of serene detachment, as if his own decapitation had been nothing more than a fleeting inconvenience. His cold eyes glinted with an unnatural calm as the corpse at their feet remained still.

Crow’s breath hitched. “Impossible,” he muttered, eyes wide as the unsettling reality of Nihil’s survival sank in.

Nihil’s lips twisted into a smile beneath his mask, his corpse on the ground already beginning to rot and decay. With a casual sigh, as though slightly inconvenienced, he shook his head. “Once again, I’m still alive. What a shame.” His voice was smooth, almost mocking, as though death itself had grown tired of chasing him.

Octavian let out a deep, almost disbelieving laugh. “What an insane ally I’ve gained,” he said, a manic gleam in his eyes. The prospect of wielding such a being on his side filled him with twisted glee.

Crow clenched his fists, trembling with anger. “What the hell is he?” he spat, frustration boiling over.

“I’ve been tracking him for days,” Diamond interjected, her voice low and filled with doubt. “But I’ve never seen him die fully—at least not for long.” She frowned, her pink crystals pulsing with a faint glow as she prepared herself for another attempt.

Nihil turned his head toward her, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Your tracking abilities were rather… lacking,” he said, almost playfully. “It was painfully easy to notice you trailing me. I actually felt sorry for such a novice. So, I pretended not to notice.” His tone was calm, but the insult struck deep.

Diamond’s eyes flared with indignation, but before she could respond, Crow acted.

With a sharp hiss, Crow activated his prosthetic arm. A long needle shot from its core, piercing straight into Nihil’s chest with surgical precision. He heaved, using his immense strength to lift Nihil effortlessly into the air, the darkened figure writhing in his grip.

With a guttural roar, Crow threw Nihil high into the sky, his mechanical arm gleaming under the darkened sky. His centipede head unfurled grotesquely, its massive mandibles snapping open with a sickening crunch as it clamped down on Nihil’s head, crushing it completely. Nihil’s body plummeted to the ground, limp, shattered, and motionless.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though they had finally won. The ground trembled as Nihil’s body hit the earth with a lifeless thud. Crow’s breath was ragged, but his expression held a fleeting hope.

But then, like clockwork, the decaying corpse on the ground dissolved into dust. And from the shadows, Nihil emerged once again. He stood, whole and unscathed, no blood, no injury. His pristine clothing swayed gently in the breeze, as if untouched by the carnage moments ago.

“I survived,” Nihil said softly, his tone serene, as though commenting on the weather.

“Damn you!” Diamond screamed, her anger palpable. Her hands moved in a blur, summoning another barrage of pink crystals from the earth. They shot forward, impaling Nihil’s chest, legs, and arms. The spikes drove through him like nails into wood, pinning him to the ground. His body jerked and convulsed as blood spattered from his wounds.

Crow roared again, his tattoos glowing with energy as they twisted and writhed, manifesting as inky tendrils that lashed across the hallway. The tattoos slithered from his skin, coiling around Nihil like living chains, tearing at his flesh, cutting him into pieces. Blood sprayed across the hallway, limbs severed, heads torn off—yet no matter how they mutilated him, Nihil kept returning.

Each time his body collapsed into a heap, it would decay, vanish, and then reappear—whole, alive, and undeterred. Even his clothing would reappear with him.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” Nihil said with a casual shrug, wiping nonexistent dust from his shoulder.

Again and again, they tried. Diamond’s crystals skewered him, and Crow’s ink manipulation severed his limbs. Crow’s centipede-head would crush him, and Diamond’s sharp constructs would tear him apart. Yet each time, Nihil would rise anew—calm, indifferent, as though their efforts were nothing but an annoyance.

Through it all, Octavian watched from a distance, eyes wide with awe. His grin only widened as the battle continued. “Incredible…” he muttered to himself. “No matter how many times they kill him, he just comes back.” His voice dripped with admiration, a twisted joy at the sight of such unyielding power.

Crow’s breathing grew ragged as exhaustion began to creep in. His arm was drenched in Nihil’s blood, his body aching from the constant effort. “This can’t be real,” he rasped, shaking his head.

Diamond’s face was pale, sweat pouring down her forehead as she conjured more crystals, her energy dwindling. “How…how do we kill something that refuses to die?” she whispered, her voice trembling with fatigue and despair.

Nihil stood calmly, his gaze serene as he observed their frustration. “Death is nothing to me,” he murmured. “I’ve been denied its embrace for so long that it’s become little more than an inconvenience.”

Nihil took a slow, deliberate step forward, his gaze unyielding. “You can tear me apart a thousand times,” he said, his voice cold and steady, “but you won’t win.”

Crow and Diamond’s breaths came in ragged gasps, their bodies battered, muscles trembling from exhaustion. They stared in disbelief as Nihil, once again untouched, stood before them.

But then, from behind, Octavian acted.

Without warning, Octavian’s arms twisted and morphed, transforming into thick, writhing tentacles. They lashed out like serpents, coiling around Crow and Diamond’s legs with terrifying speed. In one fluid motion, he spun on his heel, yanking them off their feet, and flung them high into the air.

Before they could react, Octavian opened his mouth wide, releasing a thunderous draconic roar. A violent torrent of water erupted from his throat, slamming into Diamond with the force of a battering ram. She was sent hurtling across the battlefield, crashing into the remnants of a shattered wall with a bone-jarring impact.

Octavian smirked, his voice dripping with sadistic satisfaction. “We’re allies now. It would be unfair if I were useless, wouldn’t it?”

Nihil glanced at him, unimpressed. “You are still useless,” he replied coldly. “If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have needed to come here to bail you out.” His tone was indifferent, yet cutting, as if Octavian’s presence was nothing more than a burden. “Sadly, I can’t let you die… at least, not yet.”

Octavian narrowed his eyes, the surrounding air bristling with tension. “Sadly? What is your problem with me?” His voice was laced with irritation, barely masking the growing anger behind his words.

Nihil paused, his eyes locked onto Octavian’s with a cold, unwavering gaze. “You’re a blight,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of centuries-old contempt. “The world deserves to be rid of you. Let’s get this over with, so I no longer have to endure the sight of your wretched face.”

Octavian’s heart skipped a beat. Beneath the mask of arrogance, a flicker of fear crossed his face. “Not until you tell me why you hate me so much,” he demanded, his voice lower now, tinged with desperation.

Nihil’s expression didn’t change, but something dark and menacing flickered in his eyes. He took a slow, measured breath before speaking, his voice calm but laced with venom. “I know about the secret basement,” he said, his words like a blade cutting through the tension. “I know about Bjorn.”

The mention of the name hit Octavian like a thunderbolt. His entire body stiffened, the color draining from his face. For a moment, his confident demeanor faltered, replaced by a flash of raw shock and panic. His mind raced, struggling to process what Nihil had just revealed. How did he know? How could he possibly know?

“Bastard,” Octavian hissed, the word escaping his lips with a venomous edge, his voice trembling with barely suppressed rage.

But Nihil had already turned away, his focus now shifting toward Crow and Diamond, who lay battered on the ground. To him, Octavian was nothing more than a nuisance, a distraction to be dealt with later.

Diamond and Crow staggered to their feet, their breaths ragged, hearts pounding with exhaustion and fear. Their minds whirled with uncertainty, a growing dread gnawing at their resolve. Nihil, seemingly invincible, loomed ever closer, his eerie calm unsettling.

With a mere flick of his wrist, Nihil manifested his white spear once more. Its blade shimmered with a cold, deathly light, and with the gentlest of movements, he released a powerful shockwave. The air trembled, and the force hit Diamond and Crow like a tidal wave, sending them both flying backward, crashing against the ground with heavy thuds.

“Goddamn it,” Diamond gasped, pushing herself up, her body aching from the repeated assaults. “There’s nothing we can do against this bastard. He’s too strong.” Her voice cracked under the weight of despair.

Crow grimaced, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to his feet. “We need to escape,” he muttered, glancing around desperately. “Damn it, I hope Finch comes to retrieve us soon.”

But there was no time to dwell on that hope. Nihil was already advancing again, his steps measured, deliberate, and unhurried—like the slow march of death itself. Diamond, unwilling to give up, raised her hand and summoned another volley of sharp, pink crystals. They shot through the air like bullets, slicing through Nihil’s flesh with vicious precision. His body tore apart under the assault, crystals embedding themselves deep into his limbs, his torso—shredding him.

Yet, despite the damage, Nihil did not waver. His pace never quickened, and his expression never changed. Even as his body was torn asunder, he continued walking toward them, calmly, with an air of inevitability.

Crow snarled in frustration, adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Then let’s see how you handle this,” he growled, charging forward, his prosthetic arm crackling with energy. In a blur of motion, Crow summoned the inky black tendrils from his tattoos, forming thorned whips that lashed out violently, slashing across Nihil’s chest, tearing into his flesh, and shredding his form apart again.

For a moment, the hallway was filled with the sound of ripping flesh and the crash of falling bodies as Nihil was reduced to a heap of blood and gore.

But just as they had seen before, Nihil’s form began to shift, the mangled pieces of his body reassembling themselves like a grotesque puzzle coming back together. His voice echoed through the air, as chilling and detached as ever: “I survived.”

Diamond’s eyes widened with terror, but she acted quickly, summoning all her remaining strength. With a powerful thrust of her arms, she summoned a massive crystal, larger than any before, and slammed it down over Nihil’s form. The crystal encased him completely, trapping him within its gleaming, impenetrable structure. He was frozen, motionless, like a bug sealed in amber.

“If we can’t kill him,” Diamond panted, “this should work. We’ll trap him and get out of here.”

For a fleeting moment, there was silence. The crystal shimmered in the dim light, an almost comforting barrier between them and the unstoppable force that had tormented them so.

But that moment of relief was short-lived.

Without warning, Nihil’s voice echoed from behind them, calm and dripping with cold amusement. “I’m sorry to tell you this,” he whispered, “but even if you restrain my entire body, I can just stop my heart… easily.”

Diamond’s heart skipped a beat, her blood turning to ice. Slowly, she turned, her worst fear realized. Nihil stood behind her, perfectly whole, his cold gaze fixed on her with that eerie, unshakable calm.

A tear rolled down Diamond’s face as her legs gave out beneath her, her body trembling with fear. She could barely breathe, the weight of Nihil’s unstoppable approach crushing her spirit.

Crow stepped in front of her, arms outstretched, his body battered but resolute. His breathing was labored, but his eyes were fierce, and determined. “I won’t let him touch you,” he said, voice hoarse from the pain and exhaustion.

Diamond’s voice was shaky, her heart pounding. “Crow… you can’t do this. Don’t throw your life away. You… you wanted to propose to Angel, right? I bet she survived this entire mess. She’s waiting for you… so you can’t die here. Not for me.”

Crow looked back at her, his gaze softening for a moment, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. “It’s fine,” he said, forcing a weak smile. “I could never let a companion suffer in front of me. Not while I still have the strength to stand.”

“How touching,” Nihil’s voice cut through the tension, cold and dispassionate. He raised his spear high, the air around him crackling with energy as he prepared to bring it down on them.

Just as Nihil’s spear descended, there was a sudden blur of motion—a flash of steel—and the sound of tearing flesh. Nihil’s arm was severed cleanly, falling to the ground with a dull thud.

A figure appeared behind Nihil, his presence sharp and commanding. “It’s you again,” Nihil said, his voice laced with faint irritation as he turned to face the new arrival. His severed arm began to regenerate immediately, the flesh knitting back together like nothing had happened. “What a pain.”

“I could say the same thing,” Nikolai replied, his eyes narrowing as he watched Nihil warily, his blade still drawn and ready. His voice carried the weight of countless battles, his posture that of a man who knew the monster he was facing all too well.

Crow’s heart pounded in his chest, relief flooding through him at the sight of Nikolai. But before he could speak, Nikolai glanced at him, his expression grim. “Crow, I’m sorry to inform you… you and Diamond are the only survivors of from this raid. Now, keep it that way. Retreat.”

Crow’s breath caught in his throat. The weight of the news was almost unbearable, but he nodded, his resolve hardening. “Understood,” he whispered. He turned and scooped Diamond into his arms, her body limp from exhaustion.

Behind them, Finch had already conjured a shimmering portal, her ability creating a gateway back to their base. “Hurry, Crow,” she urged, her voice trembling. “I’ll hold it as long as I can.”

Crow took one last look at Nikolai, who stood firmly between them and Nihil, a lone defender against an unkillable force. “Thank you,” Crow whispered, before turning and running through the portal, carrying Diamond with him.

As they passed through the gate, the world shifted, and they found themselves back at the base, the remnants of the battlefield fading behind them. The sounds of war still echoed in their ears, but they were safe—for now.

Back in the hallway, Nikolai squared off with Nihil, his grip tightening on his blade. “What are you?” Nikolai asked, his voice low and steady. “How are you always there—always at the right time to ruin my plans?”

Nihil’s cold eyes remained fixed on him, offering no answer. Instead, a blade of pure darkness manifested in Nihil’s hand, swirling with malevolent energy. With a swift motion, Nihil slashed at Nikolai, the blade cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Nikolai reacted instantly, dodging with practiced ease. But even with his skill, he knew this fight wasn’t one he could win—not here, not now. He began to retreat, his movements careful and deliberate, eyes never leaving Nihil.

“H-hurry, sir,” Finch stammered, her voice quivering as she maintained the portal. “I don’t want to stick around here any longer than we have to.”

Nikolai’s eyes flicked toward the portal, and with one last glance at Nihil, he nodded and dashed toward the gate. Just as he stepped through the shimmering barrier, Nihil moved with lightning speed. His sword flew from his hand, spinning through the air with terrifying force.

The blade struck just as Finch was entering the gate, slicing clean through her leg with a sickening sound. She screamed in agony as she fell backward, her body tumbling through the gate just in time, but her severed leg was left behind.

The gate closed with a final flicker, leaving Nihil standing alone on the now-silent battlefield.

“Killing her would’ve made my life much easier,” Nihil muttered to himself, his gaze lingering where the gate had been. He sighed, his cold indifference returning. “What a pain.”

Nihil stood over Octavian, his presence casting a suffocating shadow. With a fluid motion, Nihil manifested another blade of pure darkness, its edge shimmering with malevolent energy. He raised the weapon with deliberate precision, the blade hovering menacingly close to Octavian’s throat.

“Let me give you a piece of advice, you trash,” Nihil said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. “Four other members of A.E.G.I.S are already aware of your little basement project. It won’t be long before someone decides to act on what they know.”

Octavian’s breath hitched, but he forced his fear down, narrowing his eyes as he glared up at Nihil. “Why don’t you just kill me now?” he growled, anger and desperation lacing his words. “You clearly want to, you masked bastard.”

Nihil tilted his head slightly, as though considering the notion, but his voice remained chillingly detached. “For things to proceed as they must,” he began, “even your worthless life can contribute to the course of events that are to come.”

Octavian’s heart pounded in his chest, a sickening realization settling over him. “So,” he spat, his voice seething with bitter frustration, “you’re an immortal who knows the future, is that it?”

Nihil paused for a brief moment, as though contemplating the question. “To a degree, yes,” he replied, his tone as calm as ever. Without another word, he turned away, the blade of darkness dissolving into nothingness as he began to walk off.

“Wait!” Octavian called after him, panic and fury mixing in his voice. He wasn’t done with Nihil, not yet. “Where do you think you’re going? You have a lot of questions you need to answer!”

Desperation overtaking him, Octavian lunged forward and grabbed Nihil by the shoulder, his fingers digging into the fabric of Nihil’s cloak. His grip tightened as he pulled Nihil back, refusing to let him go.

Nihil didn’t even flinch. His voice was steady, almost indifferent, as he spoke. “Remove your arm… or I will.”

Octavian’s grip only intensified, his pride preventing him from backing down. “I’m not letting you walk away,” he snarled, his defiance hanging heavy in the air.

A split second later, before Octavian could even react, a searing pain shot through his body. He looked down in horror as his arm, once clenched tightly around Nihil’s shoulder, fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood spattered across the floor as the severed limb twitched once before lying still.

Nihil continued walking, unbothered, as if nothing had happened. His cold, methodical steps echoed through the silence, each one carrying with it a weight that suffocated the surrounding space.

Octavian’s eyes widened, shock momentarily paralyzing him. But then, with a deep, primal growl, his body responded. His regenerative abilities kicked in, and within moments, a new arm began to form, flesh and bone knitting together as if it had never been severed. The pain subsided, but his mind was now a storm of thoughts.

Who was this masked figure, truly? How did he know so much—too much? And why was his life, his wretched existence, necessary for what was to come?

Octavian clenched his newly formed fist, his eyes narrowing as Nihil’s figure disappeared into the distance. The questions burned in his mind, each one more tormenting than the last. But for now, he had no answers. Only the chilling certainty that Nihil, this being beyond comprehension, knew more than he let on—and that Octavian’s future, whether he liked it or not, was tangled in the same web of fate Nihil was weaving.

Octavian slumped against the cold, cracked wall, the weight of Nihil’s parting words pressing heavily on his chest. His hand shook slightly as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, the familiar act bringing him a semblance of control. He lit the cigarette with a flick of his lighter, the flame briefly illuminating his face, before taking a long drag. The smoke curled lazily in the air, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of thoughts battering his mind.

“That man said four individuals know about my project,” he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper, tinged with frustration. His brow furrowed, and he exhaled, watching the smoke dissipate into the dark. “The boss is definitely one of them… but as for the other three? I have no damn clue.”

He sighed deeply, letting his back rest fully against the wall. The tension in his muscles eased for a moment, but his mind continued to churn. Every piece of the puzzle seemed just out of reach, mocking him with their obscurity. “The Bookkeeper,” he said, dragging out the name like a curse. “That bastard knows everything. He’s probably one of them. Always watching, always scheming.”

Another drag. Another cloud of smoke. The edge of the cigarette burned in the dim light, a flicker of red in the darkness.

“That bag-faced freak… He’s always been perceptive. Too damn perceptive,” Octavian mused, recalling countless encounters with the silent, enigmatic figure. He shivered involuntarily, remembering the cold gaze from behind the mask that always seemed to know more than it should.

“And then… Sabrina,” he continued, the thought creeping into his mind. “She might’ve read my mind at some point. Maybe when I was thinking about it. She’s always been tricky like that.”

The cigarette hung loosely between his fingers now, the ash growing longer with each passing second. Octavian’s gaze drifted to the ground, his mind struggling to make sense of it all. He was no stranger to playing games in the shadows, but this? This felt different. Bigger.

“If my guesses are right,” he muttered to himself, “I’m up against four of A.E.G.I.S.’s higher-ups. No way in hell I can take them all on. Not with the kind of power they wield.”

His voice faltered, the realization settling deep within him. The odds were impossibly stacked, the weight of it pressing down on him like a noose tightening around his neck. He took another drag of the cigarette, but this time the smoke didn’t calm him. Instead, it felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in around him.

Still, a grim smile crept onto his face. “None of those four are the type to act on this information. They’ve always got their own plans, their own secrets. The boss might even reward me if things go well,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

But even as he spoke the words, doubt gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. Nihil's words replayed in his mind, over and over: “It won’t be long before someone decides to act.” There was no telling what the future held, not with that masked monster lurking in the shadows.

“What a pain,” he muttered under his breath, his mind still racing. “Always someone pulling the strings from behind the curtain.”