The one retrieved from The Void

What had once been a prison started to morph, twisting and reshaping itself into something unrecognizable—a labyrinth born of madness. Stairs emerged from nowhere, spiraling impossibly into the mist. Corridors unfolded like veins, winding in unnatural, fractal patterns that seemed to defy Euclidean logic. Stone plazas formed, their uneven surfaces cracked and glowing faintly with malevolent runes that pulsed in time with the quake. Great archways loomed, their designs jagged and asymmetrical, like the jaws of some ancient, hungry beast.

The walls of Nu themselves seemed alive, heaving and shifting as though breathing. Sections of stone and metal merged seamlessly with the light and mist, creating grotesque hybrid structures that pulsed with a malign energy. Spikes jutted from the floors and ceilings, some already slick with ichor as if anticipating their victims. Faint whispers echoed through the space, their source unseen, but their haunting words brushing against the edge of comprehension.

The air grew oppressive. A strange energy began to permeate the place, thick and suffocating, as if the environment itself was rejecting all who dared to exist within it. Those who had watched the battle were now paralyzed, their minds reeling at the sight before them. The constant shaking made it impossible to stand; they could only cling to the fractured terrain, staring wide-eyed at the monstrosity their prison had become.

To witness it was to stand at the edge of a nightmare brought to life.

The new Nu prison was no longer a prison—it was a dungeon pulled from the depths of hell, a domain where every step promised danger and despair. Enormous statues, cracked and weathered, began to materialize from the mist, their faces grotesque and twisted, their forms frozen mid-scream or laughter. Chains hung from nowhere, swaying gently as though some unseen force was tugging at them. Pools of a strange, dark liquid seeped into crevices, reflecting the yellow-black light in shimmering, oily patterns.

"What the fuck happened?" Ken's voice was ragged, his breath hitching as he took in the grotesque transformation of the Nu Prison. Once an imposing structure carved into the rocky asteroid, its sterile walls now gave way to a surreal, shifting nightmare. Above them, the main building hovered in the asteroid's thin atmosphere like a sinister monolith—a levitating island surrounded by a faint, glowing mist.

"I think we should go back," Yuu whispered, her gaze darting across the disorienting landscape. The asteroid's terrain had warped—jagged rock formations jutted out at impossible angles, while pools of shimmering, otherworldly liquid oozed from unseen fissures.

"I don't know how to go back," the Negotiator interjected, his tone flat but undercut with unease. His eyes lingered on the undulating shadows ahead, where the ground seemed to ripple and shift as though alive.

"I don't think there's a back to go to," Jason added grimly, his voice barely audible. He was staring into the distance, where the sky—a deep, unnatural red—shimmered like a heat mirage, making the floating main building seem even more surreal.

"I'm going to continue down," Lily declared, her voice carrying an edge of defiance.

"Are you going down to look for Vas?" Carmilla asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"That's the idea," Lily replied tersely, her jaw set in determination, though her hands trembled slightly.

"I don't think it would be wise for me to go down there," Ken admitted, his voice low. His face was pale, his body visibly trembling as though the asteroid's atmosphere had drained the strength from him.

"In that state, it wouldn't be wise," Yuu agreed, her gaze flickering to her brother with a mix of concern and resolve.

"Then I will accompany you upstairs," the Cobalt suddenly spoke, his calm voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "As I promised before, I'll make sure you are safe."

"I will go down there with Lily," Carmilla said, stepping forward. Her usually warm demeanor had hardened into something fierce, her eyes blazing with resolve.

"I'll go down with those two," Jason added, motioning toward Carmilla and Lily. His voice betrayed no hesitation, though his grip on his weapon was white-knuckled.

"I'll go with my brother and the Cobalt," Yuu said firmly, her voice steady despite the fear flickering in her expression.

"What about you?" Lily asked, fixing her gaze on the Negotiator.

"I'll go down," the Negotiator replied without hesitation. "My pact with the boy isn't over. I cannot just leave."

"Okay, then it's decided," Lily said with a weak but determined smile. "You'll go back up and regroup with the other students—if they're still there—while we go down and try to find Vas."

Everyone nodded solemnly. The group split, their footsteps echoing hollowly in the thin air of the asteroid's transformed terrain. Even the inmates, usually prowling threats, seemed paralyzed by the bizarre changes and made no move to stop them.

Meanwhile, The Warden stood by a window, staring down at what was once the core of Nu Prison. Below him, the asteroid's surface stretched out like a nightmare—a chaotic expanse of crumbling rock, spreading darkness, and glowing veins of energy that pulsed with ominous regularity.

"Sir," a voice crackled over the static-filled comms, breaking his concentration.

"Yes, I hear you," the Warden replied, his tone clipped.

"Communications are partially restored," the officer reported. "But most systems are down, and… sir, we have a bigger issue."

"Spit it out," the Warden snapped, his patience fraying.

"The main building… it's hovering above the asteroid. Levitating, somehow. We're… on an island in the sky."

"An island?" The Warden's brow furrowed deeply.

"Yes, sir," the officer said hesitantly. "It's… I don't even know how to explain it. The asteroid's surface is breaking apart below us. The terrain—it's unnatural."

The Warden's gaze narrowed. He didn't understand what was happening, but his mission remained unchanged.

"Sir," the officer continued, his voice shaking, "there's something else. An alarm. It's going off in your office."

"What alarm?"

"It's one we didn't even know existed. There's a voice—automated, repeating the same message: 'Danger in the eighth-floor cell. Probability of breach: 30%.'"

"Eighth floor?" The Warden's voice was sharp. "This facility has only ever had seven floors. And the seventh floor isn't equipped for solitary cells."

"We know, sir. But the system is adamant. We'll investigate if—"

"No," the Warden interrupted. "Contact the fleet. Request reinforcements immediately."

"Reinforcements are already en route, sir," the officer replied. "Unregistered spacecraft were spotted near the asteroid. A team's been dispatched to investigate."

"That's not enough," the Warden growled. "Request more. Inform command that the fifth and sixth floors are breached, and the seventh is at risk. Emphasize the danger."

"Yes, sir," the officer replied. "What about the alarm in your office?"

"Activate the soundproofing," the Warden ordered. "Ignore it. I'll head down there myself to investigate."

in a cold, dimly lit chamber illuminated only by the eerie glow of holographic screens, a man leaned over a console. His movements were frantic, his expression tense.

"The fifth and sixth floors are breached," a distorted voice echoed in the room.

"Good," the man muttered, his lips curling into a grim smile. "Prepare for the seventh. We'll need to be present to ensure success."

"Is this truly necessary?" a second voice asked from the shadows.

"Yes," the man replied without hesitation. "Tell everyone to prepare, we will be invading the Nu prison"

Vas was falling. The shattered remnants of the battlefield blurred into darkness as gravity pulled him toward the heart of the transformed prison. The air burned with residual energy, a palpable reminder of the confrontation that had just unfolded.

He couldn't shake the gnawing suspicion that his Sigil had triggered this cataclysm, interacting with something ancient and volatile beneath the surface. But that question could wait. Right now, survival was his priority.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of The Rose, plummeting limply not far from him. Her once-commanding presence was gone, her body now an unconscious shell. The explosion of power from his Sigil, coupled with the destruction of her roses, must have drained her completely.

Vas cursed under his breath. He should have let her fall, ended this here and now. Yet their earlier deal weighed heavily on his mind. She still owed him answers, and he intended to collect.

His Tenebra Blades flickered weakly in his hands, their edges unstable, mirroring the depletion of his Anima reserves. With a growl, he hurled one blade toward the jagged wall. It lodged deep into the rock with a satisfying thunk. The other he directed toward The Rose, its dark energy unfurling like a whip, encircling her waist just in time to halt her descent.

Muscles straining, he pulled both himself and The Rose toward the wall. Every movement was a test of will, his reserves rapidly dwindling. Finally, his boots scraped against the rough surface, and he clung to the wall, trembling with exhaustion.

The prison was unrecognizable now, warped into a nightmarish dungeon of twisted stone and malevolent shadows. The air itself seemed alive, humming with a dissonant energy that pressed down on him. He scanned for a safe place to land, his eyes settling on a ledge below. It was adorned with a strange, weathered statue, a hollow space before it faintly illuminated by an unnatural glow.

But it wasn't the statue that caught his attention—it was the figure sitting in front of it.