Man of Stories
Chapter 16, The Dark

Back on the planet of Teseara Yui, Monad!Man and Gambur were there sitting in the tower of the old scholar Dulle. All of them were sitting down patiently as Dulle ran the last few test on the anti-monad. Yui looked over towards the Monad!Man who was sitting down with his arms crossed.

"I can't imagine what he must be feeling, having so many of his people slaughtered like cattle. I'm glad we were able to save whoever we could. Even if Evela was against us even helping in the first place.

...Was it right for me to stand back, to wait for so long. Maybe I should have pushed hard to go out earlier..." Yui thought to himself as he sat down. He then looked over to Gambur.

"So, you're the watcher of the tower of Hurazu yea? I can't imagine the secrets and stories that place must hold." Yui said as Gambur looked to him and then towards the Anti-Monad that was being worked on by Dulle. Gambur's eyes were focused on it.

"Can you feel it?" Gambur asked to which Yui and the Monad!Man looked to him with curiosity.

"The darkness, I can feel it within that...that thing. It isn't even...no. It's haunting even to say the least. That the Dark One's force can be felt, yet he isn't anywhere present." Gambur said as he got up. Yui looked at him and then towards the Anti-Monad. For it was true, the separation between the Canvas and all outside of it was separated by an uncountable infinite space. Something that even the Monad!Man would have a little bit of difficulty crossing over. Yui looked over towards the Monad!Man who was furious over the mention of the Dark One.

"Don't get too worked up, give yourself some time. You'll have your chance." Gambur said as he then went for the door.

"Dulle, keep a eye on that for me for a moment. I'll return shortley." Gambur said before leaving. Yui stood up and walked over towards Dulle.

"How is it?" Yui asked

"Nothing so far. It's just...empty." Dulle said frustrated as he sat down in his flower chair. Yui looked at it. It was giving no real sound if any at all. It was complete emptiness, no. The Anti-Monad must have devoured emptiness itself for it felt more vacant than even that.

"Hey kiddo." Dulle said, Yui looked over to him.

"Me?" Yui said

"No, you!" Dulle said as he pointed past him and to the Monad!Man who had been sitting down with his arms crossed the entire time.

"What? Me? Old man I have to replace my elders. I don't have time for-"

"I need you to go and bring me some cider. Go out and bring me some from the market." Dulle shouted again, Monad!Man frowned his face as he then got up and walked out, opening and closing the door with a slam. Yui watched him leave as he then walked over to the window. He looked out and saw how beautiful the woods outside of the tower were. They were luscious and likely had been there since before Yui was even born; yet somehow, he felt a warmness to them like as if he had been with them his entire life. The wind was blowing through Teseara. Yui could hear it picking up the leaves, brushing through the trees and the fluttering of other fairies riding the waves of wind all across the planet.

"My boy." said Dulle as Yui turned around.

"What is it elder?" Yui said taking a knee to him.

"I was there when the Dark One was banished from the Canvas, I saw the atrocities of what his mere presence can bring. The Dark will not only consume the light, it will consume everything around it. His generals are menacing and relentless. They could collapse the entire galaxy we stand in if not carful." Dulle said as he wiped some sweat from his head.

"Why are you telling me this elder?" Yui asked

"Because I know the Man of Monads won't rest till he has his revenge, I know he wont. I also know that he'll get himself killed if he does so. This Anti-Monad. Its connection to the emptiness, to him...its too great. This thing can't be destroyed or just thrown away. It must be locked in the tower of Hurazu. In it's deepest of reaches imaginable!

So that nothing can even get remotely close to it." Dulle said, however far from the Canvas. In a realm beyond it's scope. So mighty and massive that the Canvas itself was viewed as nothing to it. This realm of darkness was a unfathomable transcendental plane. Coated with the darkness and damned souls of every living thing within and outside the Canvas. This realm was nothing to any outside, invisible as it was a realm beyond the abstract plane and transcended it. The Realm of shadows, decorated with nothing, but a large black castle it was a empty vacant place. There upon looking at it none could; tales of the black kingdom fall short; retellings of its structure dwindle and the photos of it always blurry. For it was a Impossible structure, created mimicking the very mind of the Dark One himself.

Upon entry there were a endless number of insect like creatures and even other more terrifying monstrosities beyond them. They all roared and cackled. Some even cheered as in the center of the great hall were the oldest of the Monads. Still alive. Surrounded by the generals of the Nightmare Parade.

"WHERE IS THE ANTI-MONAD! TELL US NOW!" Shouted Wuz as he slammed his fist into the ground in front of them. Yet they wouldn't budge.

"Forget it Wuz, they are willing to die for this. There's nothing we can do to tempt them or threaten them." said Bog

"Tch! Damnit. The Dark One won't like it if we haven't gotten anything out of them yet. What are we to do?" Wuz asked

"We'll simply leave it to him. He always makes them talk, Nulog! Your input would be grand." said the Witch, yet Nulog simply just stood in silence and looked to her.

"Ah yes." The Witch said.

"You got that?" Bog asked with confusion in his tone.

"Don't make light of this, we'll need to prepare before he gets here. Come on now. EVERYONE! OUT OF THE MAIN HALL!" Shouted the Witch to which everyone did. Bog and Wuz looked back one last time before leaving the main hall as well. Some of the Monad scientist looked at one another and then to the eldest of them.

"Eldest, please tell me that the best of us is coming?" asked one of them

"...They'd be wise to stay away my son. There is no force within the Canvas or even within the Grand Scope. None; that can best that darkness. That absolute pit of venom.

The Dark One...is..." yet the eldest of the monads couldn't finish his words as he felt tears falling down his face. Though his expression was still somewhat calm.

"I only pray, that our best will use their brain and understand they can't punch through this threat." said the eldest monad. He then looked forward deeper into the grand hall. Where there once was throne and stairs, now there was nothing, nothing but darkness. A blackness so deep that not even black itself could escape its gaze. Elsewhere though the Nightmare generals all sat around at a large pool. It was a swirling black liquid. With them were a few hive soldiers guarding the door and standing around the room.

"He'll be back anytime now." Bog said as he walked around the room.

"Yes, but now we'll have a means of getting that rotten Tom Fraker to show himself." the Witch said as she walked past Bog. Wuz and Nulog looked at each other and then back to her.

"It's obvious though that they still have some fire power left in there. If we have hopes to bring his lordship any good news. We must not fail again." She said, she looked around at everyone.

"Who made you head of us? Last I checked there weren't no one in charge of this team. Just one of us knowing more than the last." Wuz said as he scratched his head. Bog and Nulog looked at the Witch. She looked to the rest of them and could feel their gazes getting stronger. However, before any of them could speak the entire realm of shadows felt different. All the generals and all the inhabitants of the realm immediately knew who had arrived. The generals all ran back to the grand hall where the monads still were being held, as they looked up they saw a darkness unlike any other described before leaking through the window above where the throne use to be. It was so dark, that it was if everything else was made out of pure light.

Some of the monads began to pray while the Eldest faced his fate with dignity and some others along with him. The hive and generals were all quiet as they watched the darkness enter the room. Soon after it was all done. It was pure silence. Not even the sound of wind could be heard. Everyone looked at the darkness ahead. Thats when a large black and sharp hand came dragging out, the arm behind it almost seemed infinite.

"oh merciful Gunosha, please guide us to your land." one of the monads cried as he began to pray softer. Wuz looked on yet Bog couldn't bear to watch and turned away. The large hand then stopped a few feet from them. It's long black talons scratching back and forth against the floor until...it stopped. It then immediately rushed over towards one of monads who let out a quick scream before the hand stopped In front of him, it then used two fingers and then gently and carefully. Fixed the man's collar of his lab coat. Everyone looked at the action and then back into the darkness as the hand moved back a few feet again.

"One should look they're best, when faced with death." said in a icy and spinechilling voice; The Dark One.