This is only the first act.
Chapter 1: The Journey
The Crimson Wanderer, The King of Normality, The Dark Sovereign, and The Storyteller all stood together in the Infinite Library.
Following the Crimson Wanderer’s decree, the King of Normality asked, “But how can we even enter the throne room? We are without the Key of Salvation.”
The Crimson Wanderer rested a hand upon the bottom of his helmet. “Indeed…it seems that we have reached an impasse...” he murmured.
The Storyteller lightly chuckled. “I may perhaps have a solution.”
“And that would be…?” Asked the Dark Sovereign, leaning upon the hilt of his sword buried in the ground.
“Just as I traverse the worlds of fiction, I can transport others as well. I can bring you to the gate, but it shall be up to you to reach the throne room from there.”
“How can we trust your word?” hissed the Crimson Wanderer, skeptical of The Storyteller’s proposal.
“Do you really have a choice? This is the only way. Otherwise, you will not reach Hubris. Now, what shall your verdict be?” asked The Storyteller.
After a slight hesitation, the Crimson Wanderer finally said, “Very well.” All the others silently nodded in agreement.
The Storyteller clasped his hands together. “Ah, how delightful. I shall now take you there. Hold steady…” With that, the three beings suddenly disappeared from the library.
Everyone found themselves suspended in The Void, a chilling stillness washing over them. Traversing the blackness was akin to walking underwater, yet they could still breathe. The further they traversed, the more attuned to their environment that they became. Soon, they began seeing distant colors, streaks of light permeating through the darkness. As they traversed further, they all eventually came upon an enormous monolithic gate, standing amidst the void. The King of Normality was speechless. “Is that…?” he trailed off. And indeed it was: The Hallowed Gate. Its design was a much larger version of The Hub's level door to the Throne Room.
The Crimson Wanderer gazed up in awe. “Oh, how long it has been since I have last seen these doors…”
With all the strength he could muster, The Dark Sovereign pushed and pulled upon the enormous doors of the gate, yet they would not budge. “It will not open,” he grunted, relenting his attempts.
The Crimson Wanderer crossed his arms. “And so we seem to have reached yet another impasse,” he remarked. Just then, however, the large doors of the gate suddenly began to slowly open with a yawning groan, like the gaping maw of a monster.
“It is as if we are being invited inside,” the King of Normality observed, gazing deep into the opening before crossing the threshold. Hesitantly, the others followed, as they breached the Hallowed Gate.
Chapter 2: Infiltration
The group found themselves standing in a baroque hall adorned with marble and gold. This space appeared familiar to them, yet it was also nearly unrecognizable – seeming to have become distorted as the result of its new ruler.
Suddenly, the trio turned their attention to the opening of a nearby portal, from which emerged Mortis Abelson and The Eclipser. Mortis looked back at his shoulder, smiled, then chuckled at the sight of the three. “Ah! Well if it isn’t The Three Musketeers.”
The Crimson Wanderer crossed his arms. “What are your intentions here?”
Mortis laughed shallowly. “I have brought my acquaintance here with me to do what needs to be done. We all desire the same thing here, don’t we? So why not work together towards this common goal?”
Before any more words could be exchanged, the air shifted with the advent of a new presence. “Welcome...to my humble abode!” A powerful, disembodied voice suddenly boomed overhead.
“Ah yes, very humble indeed…” The Eclipser deadpanned with a sneer.
“Show yourself, Hubris!” The Crimson Wanderer commanded, unsheathing his blade.
A laugh came in reply. “All in good time. But no reward comes without effort. Come to me yourselves. Prove to me that you are the heroes of this story!” With that, the hall seemed to extend itself before the group, stretching infinitely outwards. There were many doors on either side of the hall; many options to choose from.
The Crimson Wanderer turned towards the group. “We haven’t much time. Let us split up into different rooms. We can cover the most ground that way.” The others nodded in agreement, and so they scattered, each entering a different door.
The Eclipser entered a large, spacious dining hall. Standing from wall to wall was a long table, filled with a wide variety of culinary goods. Like a ravenous dog, he salivated at the very sight of this scene. Slowly, yet cautiously, he approached a plate filled with a juicy hunk of meat, delicately carving a thin slice from it with his mantis-like claw. Raising it to his mouth, The Eclipser consumed the meat, and as the flavor hit him, his eyes lit up brightly. It had been far too long since he had last tasted anything remotely pleasant. Primal hunger then awakened within The Eclipser, taking him over completely as he voraciously consumed as much of the food on the table that he could. He could feel himself regenerating, reclaiming the strength he once had in his prime. Once he finally had his fill, The Eclipser proceeded to the door -- though reluctantly – leaving the Halls of Abundance.
The King of Normality entered a grandiose hall, lined with large marble statues on both sides. The statues depicted various beings and races which inhabited The Backrooms, some familiar and others not. He saw himself, the Crimson Wanderer, the Sovereign, The Keymaster, and many more that he recognized. They all stood proudly, with golden plaques detailing their names and titles. Suddenly, he came upon a sight that momentarily stopped his heart. At the end of the hall stood a grand golden statue, twice the size of the rest and with a stronger sheen, as if recently built. The statue depicted a handsome being, with a familiar crown upon his head. The plaque at the base read: "Hubris, The King of Gods.
With this, the King of Normality fled the Curator’s Hall, shocked by what he had found.
The Crimson Wanderer entered a room to find the exact thing he was looking for: an armory filled to the brim with weapons and armor, mounted on the walls and occupying the racks. They were all gilded and ornate, crafted from the rarest and strongest of materials – truly forged to kill gods. The Crimson Wanderer could not help but smile upon this. If it was a war that Hubris wanted, then that was what he was going to give him. And so, he seized the gear, gathering as much as he could. He armed himself to the teeth, as well as gathered gear for the others. Once he had gathered enough, he proceeded to the exit of The Gilded Armory.
As the Dark Sovereign entered the room, his feet fell upon shallow waters which splashed and rippled outwards from him. Looking around, the Sovereign explored the room. Although he did not find much of particular note, he felt at peace with himself...for once. The atmosphere was soothing, putting him in a relaxed state of mind. In this altered state of consciousness, he reflected on his journey thus far. Then, he made his way through the rest of the Marble Shallows, stepping onto an elevated marble platform and ascending a staircase leading to a door.
Mortis Abelson entered an expansive crypt. He inhaled deeply, drawing in the stale dank air. The oh-so-familiar smell and taste of death filled his nose and mouth. It felt just like home to him. Despite the poor visibility, he could effectively navigate this realm like the back of his hand. He knew death all too well. At least, he mused, the souls of the fallen were peacefully at rest. With that, he reached the door at the end of a hallway, exiting the Crypt of the Resting Ones.
As they all crossed over, everyone once again found themselves standing together in the Great Passage. “What have you all found?” Mortis questioned, looking around.
“I had quite a delectable meal.” The Eclipser remarked with a hoarse laugh.
“Blast it, Eclipser, this is not the time for indulgence...” Mortis hissed in reply.
“I made a concerning discovery in the Curator's Hall: Hubris has indeed gained power over the entire kingdom,” The King of Normality grimly stated.
The Crimson Wanderer stepped forth, passing out the weapons he found to everyone. “We must arm ourselves adequately for this coming battle.” The King of Normality received a spear, Mortis received a scythe, the Sovereign received a set of over-armor, and The Eclipser received claw extensions. It was clear that all these pieces of gear were made specifically for these beings. “Hubris knows we are coming, and is preparing us for the fight. He wants a challenge. So let us give one, shall we?” The others nodded in agreement to this. “Onward, then!” The Crimson Wanderer declared, confidently stepping forth towards the large door at the end of the hall, with the others following behind him.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, all light was extinguished from the realm, enveloping everyone in pure darkness. This was followed by a reverberating thump which resonated throughout the level.
Hubris’ disembodied laughter echoed overhead. “Oh, you did not believe it would be that easy, did you?”
From out of the darkness, a group of beings stepped forth. They were clad in gilded garb, brandishing ornate blades and firearms which were identical in their aesthetic to the weapons in the armory.
“What are these things?” Questioned The Eclipser.
The Crimson Wanderer tightened his grip around the handle of his blade. “Paragons, the fiercest soldiers of this kingdom,” he grunted, bewildered by the fact that Hubris had brought them under his sway.
“You see, when you have absolute power, you can manipulate anyone into doing your bidding. It is quite amusing,” Hubris remarked, before suddenly commanding, “Attack!”
Those with guns opened fire upon the group, while those with blades charged forth. The entities clashed fiercely, the force of which being enough to send tremors throughout the level.
As the Dark Sovereign approached the paragons, they sprayed him with projectiles from their firearms. Little bits of his black crystalline form were chipped away, yet it did not impede his movement. Once the paragons ran out of ammo, the Sovereign remained standing. He took one glance at them, before swatting them all into the wall like flies.
The Crimson Wanderer fiercely dueled two blade-wielding paragons at once. He was nearly overpowered, but The Eclipser and the King of Normality joined in to help, defeating them.
Once all the paragons had been felled, the group made their way to the large door, bursting through it.
Chapter 3: Confrontation
Immediately upon entering the Throne Room, everything felt incredibly off. It was as if the very air itself had shifted. Yet there was no sign of Hubris anywhere, with the room being empty. However, it was then that Hubris’ disembodied voice spoke. “Welcome, warriors. You have reached the end of your journey," he announced.
“Show yourself, Hubris!” The Crimson Wanderer once again commanded, looking around.
Hubris only laughed at this. “Have patience. The stage must be properly set for any good show.”
The Dark Sovereign glared. “I'm afraid we do not have any more patience with you. We will put an end to your tyrannical reign.”
There was silence for a brief moment, before Hubris once again spoke. “I suppose I must keep my guests entertained in the meantime -- I would indeed be a poor host otherwise. Come, Jester, sing and dance for me!”
Suddenly, the vague shape of a frail body came crashing to the floor from above with a sickening thud. The body remained still for a moment, seemingly lifeless. Then, however, it began to animate. He picked himself up from the floor in an unnatural manner, contorting himself in doing so. His body remained limp, yet he still moved, as if being manipulated like the plaything of an external force. Upon fully rising to his feet, everyone saw that this was The Jester. He craned his neck with gruesome cracking noises, gazing upon those before him with an indecipherable expression on his mask. Suddenly, he lunged — or, perhaps more fittingly, “was thrown” at everyone, slashing his sickle in a frenzy while maniacally cackling.
Many jumped out of the way to dodge these slashes, however Mortis charged to meet The Jester head-on. The curved blades of the scythe and sickle met with a biting clash, sparks flying off each other as they parried. The two hooks interlocked in a deadly embrace, each powered by celestial strength. The Jester was the first to break the stalemate, shifting his weight back suddenly. Mortis was caught off guard, and The Jester threw a punch which sent him flying back down the steps of the dais.
Before the white masked figure could react, the Crimson Wanderer tackled him, smashing them both into a stone column. The two red figures struggled against one another, The Jester fending off strikes to his gut and masked face. A momentary pause between the blows let The Jester recover, and he headbutted the Crimson Wanderer, sending him reeling. The Jester was already on him before he could move, unsheathing his dagger to leverage a plate of armor off the Crimson Wanderer's suit before smashing it across his helmet. The Crimson Wanderer dropped to a knee and was booted ungraciously down the stairs.
The Jester turned to survey the others, spreading his arms wide as if to welcome them. “I may have no choice in the matter, but I can say that it is an honor to face you all in battle.” The smile on his mask then wavered slightly.”Were there not more of you before?” The Jester spun and caught The Eclipser's claws moments before impact. The two were now caught in a contest of strength, pressing their heels into the stone tiles. The Jester's heels started to slip and his hands were forced backwards, so he decided to change tactics. The Eclipser's horrific form stared down at him; he was a good two feet taller, and close to squashing The Jester into the ground. The Jester let go, unhooking his hands from The Eclipser's claws and sending them into the stone, where they stuck.
Grabbing his sickle, The Jester poised to sever the limbs from The Eclipser's body, but The Dark Sovereign hit him with the flat of his enormous blade, sending him into the opposite wall where he impacted with a sickening crack. “YIELD,” he roared, his body and armor and sword glistening black.
“I would if I could,” said The Jester, stirring as the Sovereign strode forward in armor-plated heels shaking the decadent hall. The Dark Sovereign roared as he brought the broadsword down in a massive overhead swing, burying it into the cracked stone where The Jester’s prone form lay only a moment prior. The incarnadine figure raced up the blade, dancing along its impossibly sharp edge. A monstrous black hand swiped at The Jester, but he somersaulted over it and spun a vicious kick into the Sovereign's face, before pushing off the hilt of the giant sword and sinking a two handed blow into the creature's chin. The Dark Sovereign fell backwards and slammed hard into the floor of the throne room.
Mortis and The Crimson Wanderer launched themselves at The Jester as he landed nimbly on the stone. The King of Normality watched them duel, blades flashing and limbs keeping up impossible dances as The Jester kept the two at bay. The King's face was twisted into a grimace as his extended arms flexed and rotated. Nothing was normal about this strange being, but there was something he could feel, as he grasped at the air. With his normalizing touch, he revealed something that had been previously obscured to everyone. “There!” yelled the King. “The threads!” Soft beams of concentrated golden light extended from The Jester's limbs into the ceiling above, manipulating his actions like a celestial puppet. The group could now see them twisting and jerking, coaxing The Jester into deadly swings and blows. Mortis Ableson feinted low then swung his scythe at The Jester's head, forcing him to use both hands to block. The Crimson Wanderer then swung his sword and The Jester pulled to the left, but the damage was done. The golden strings fell limply away as they were severed, disintegrating into nothing .
The room was bathed in thick silence as the dust settled on the still warriors, The Jester coughing and spluttering on his hands and knees. Slowly, weakly, he rose to his feet, staggering but remaining upright. The Eclipser and the Dark Sovereign climbed off the floor and stared at The Jester warily. His red outfit was scratched and laden in a gray mist of stone particles. He moved as if through water, slowly sheathing his weapons. He looked at his hands, then gazed around the room, a pensive expression on his ivory mask. “My sincerest apologies…I had no intention of harming any of you.”
The Crimson Wanderer bowed his head, lightly nodding. “We understand. It must be very difficult, to not control one's own actions.”
Mortis rubbed his jaw and laughed. “You still could have gone softer with your strikes.”
“Agreed,” rumbled the hulking black figure of the Dark Sovereign.
The group of battered warriors then noticed a shape upon the throne and turned as one. It was Hubris, a sneer of disgust carving up his face. “You never fail to disappoint me, with your pathetic ways and constant futile struggles. I am KING!” he roared, “and you will submit or be made to. Come, Jester, approach the throne.” He patted the seat, as if beckoning a dog by his side. However, The Jester stayed put, remaining silent and solemn. “Do not make me command you again!” shouted Hubris.
“Do not waste your unpleasant breath on it,” spat The Jester. “I am free, and I will take my leave.” The red figure, dwarfed by the others surrounding him, turned on his heel and walked into the shadows, deaf to the indignant cries of the being on the throne.
Slowly, Hubris’ gaze shifted towards the warriors, glaring daggers at them. “Ah, but it is no matter. I have found much more fitting servants, and in steady supply.” He spread his arms before them.
The Eclipser scoffed. “You may think you are a god, or that you are worthy of that crown, but we shall prove you wrong.”
A sinister, wild grin spread across Hubris’ face. “You may try,” he declared, rising from the throne. He cast aside his robes, revealing a form plated with the ornate battle armor of a mighty warrior. He slowly descended the staircase, his heavy stomps reverberating throughout the throne room as they fell upon the steps.
Chapter 4: The Final Battle
As hubris reached the bottom of the steps, he did not waste any time to initiate the battle. He unsheathed a giant single-handed sword, swinging it out to the side. “Come, and Slay the Dragon if you dare!”
The Crimson Wanderer was first to charge forth, unsheathing his blade and shouting a warcry. Their swords viciously clashed, fueled by sheer willpower. While the Crimson Wanderer fought almost blindly with rage and spite, Hubris fought with grace, almost making a dance of it “Your own ambitions blind you…” hissed Hubris, before overpowering the Crimson Wanderer’s strength and flinging the blade away from the warrior’s grasp. With the Crimson Wanderer disarmed, Hubris swung his blade down towards him. The Crimson Wanderer could only narrowly block it, raising up his shield a mere millisecond before it would have struck him. Hubris repeatedly bashed his blade into the shield, ultimately breaking it half. He then seized the Crimson Wanderer by the throat, hoisting him up in the air before smashing a knee into his spine. A sickening crack was heard upon impact, and Hubris tossed the Crimson Wanderer aside into a column like a child’s plaything.
The King of Normality tried to use this opportunity to launch his spear into Hubris from behind, and so he heaved it towards him. The spear whistled through the air like the arrow of a giant, but Hubris intercepted it. He caught it with his hand without even looking behind him. “Pathetic,” he chastised, returning the spear to its sender with even greater force. It impaled the King right through his chest, pinning him to the ground as sparkling black liquid began pooling into a puddle around him.
The Eclipser roared animalistically. “You shall taste the fury of the Black Sun!” he cried, charging towards Hubris on four spider-like legs. He lept into the air before diving down with his claws angled towards Hubris. Hubris caught them both with each hand, holding The Eclipser’s body out in front of him like a hunter with his newest catch. He slowly lowered The Eclipser to the ground, before bending his claws ninety degrees upwards until they instead pointed towards The Eclipser’s own self. The Eclipser screamed in agony as his bones were mangled and broken, crumpling to the ground in a heap from the sheer agony, albeit twitching like a squashed bug.
Hubris spread his arms outwards, like a gladiator in the arena. “Who is next?!” he challenged, with a manic grin on his face. Mortis jumped out from the shadows, slashing his scythe into Hubris’ shoulder. It failed to penetrate him however, only scraping over the armor and causing sparks to fly. Hubris tilted his head, a disappointed look on his face. “What a shame. I certainly expected more from you.” With that, he smashed his fist into Mortis’ chest, cracking his ribs and sending him down to the floor.
Hubris slowly turned around, facing the Dark Sovereign, the last one standing. “Well, are you just going to stand there?” he taunted. The Sovereign barreled towards Hubris, shaking the floor with every footfall. He launched his fist at him, but Hubris nimbly dodged. With his other hand, the Sovereign attempted to cleave Hubris with his sword, but Hubris parried it with his own. His strength perfectly matched the Sovereign, even exceeded it. The Dark Sovereign would successfully disarm Hubris, before thrusting his blade towards him. Hubris caught the blade between his palms, and pushed it back into the Sovereign, piercing his shoulder and knocking him down.
Hubris grinning madly as he looked down upon the “godlike” entities, all knocked down like bowling pins. He began to approach them, slowly lifting his sword in the air. “Your reputations seem to have misled my perception of you. What a shame. I suppose being my servants is no longer viable…” With that, he prepared to systematically strike them all with a killing blow.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a fist connected with Hubris’ jaw and cracked it, as a dark blur of a figure dashed into the shadows. Hubris was caught off guard. “Wha...who are you?!” No response came, save for another punch to the jaw from the other side. Hubris became increasingly agitated and disoriented. “Show yourself!” he commanded. Then, from the shadows, none other than The Keymaster stepped forth. However, something about him was now different. His aura radiated greater confidence; not in an arrogant fashion, but rather with stronger certainty in himself. There even seemed to be a subtle layer of humility laced in.
Hubris’ eyes widened in shock. “No, it can’t be…”
“Oh, yes it can,” The Keymaster retorted with his trademark smug grin. In a blur, he rushed towards Hubris again and rapidly smashed a flurry of fists into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and rendering him briefly incapacitated.
The Crimson Wanderer, the King of Normality and Mortis Abelson all entered their true forms, instantly healing themselves of their injuries. The Eclipser painfully contorted his bones back into their proper alignment. The Dark Sovereign rose up, dislodging his sword from his shoulder.
The Crimson Wanderer speed-blitzed towards The Keymaster, stopping mere inches from his face with a trail of flames behind his heels. “You, sir, have much explaining to do,” he hissed.
The Keymaster sighed. “Yes, I know. I was reckless and selfish, blinded by delusions of grandeur. I lost sight of my purpose. But my eyes have been opened to the truth. I’m here now, and I shall set things right however I can.”
The sword which Hubris grasped began violently trembling with power. Almost involuntarily, he proceeded to drive the sword into his chest, crying out as an explosion of energy lashed out from his body. He erupted into orange fire, submerged entirely by it as he violently twitched and convulsed on the ground. The six beings could only watch in horror as the Usurper began mutating. Temporarily left vulnerable during his transformation, Hubris called forth a squadron of Paragons to keep everyone occupied.
First setting their sights upon The Keymaster, the paragons opened fire, blasting a white-blue energy from their guns. The Keymaster dodged each and every projectile, no-clipping all throughout the throne room at speeds so great, it was almost as if he were teleporting. He became a blur, blinking in and out of sight as he weaved around the energy blasts. The Keymaster reappeared directly before a paragon and disarmed it, bashing the end of the gun into its jaw and knocking it down. He repeated a similar pattern for the rest of the paragons, eventually incapacitating them all.
Mortis then stepped in and drew a runic symbol on the floor, complex yet elegant. Mortis then proceeded to chant a phrase in a deep distorted voice. “O animabus condemnabitur, et nutritus meus vocationem! Effundam meum in nigrum ichor, et submersi sunt in tenebris mare!”
Suddenly, a rain cloud formed within the area, dimming the room to the point of near-total darkness. Lightning struck with a roar, yet couldn’t be seen. It began to rain black liquid over the place, covering most of the Paragons all over. They wriggled in pain as the black raindrops seeped into their very bodies, corroding everything from the inside out. Mortis then laughed. “Quite the interesting spell, don’t you think? Came up with it by myself.”
With the paragons dispatched, the six beings regrouped to form a battle strategy against their final remaining opponent. The Keymaster looked towards the orange fire surrounding Hubris. “We must be smart about this. Most of his power comes from the Crown. Without it, we can take him down easily.”
“So then, we must knock it off his head,” The Crimson Wanderer murmured.
“Exactly,” The Keymaster replied. “We must all corner him and keep him busy, while one of us snatches the Crown. Are we in agreement?”
Everyone looked around at each other, before nodding to The Keymaster.
Suddenly, the orange fire flared out yet again, and an imposing monstrous figure emerged. Hubris had grown considerably larger, nearly as large as the Dark Sovereign. The exterior of his body became hardened like wooden bark. He possessed an extra set of arms, not to mention the several tree branch-like appendages jutting out from his back, and the ivy vines blooming from his horns. The crown itself seemed to have transformed as well. In place of the centerpiece jewel was instead a monstrous beady orange eyeball, whilst Hubris' own eyes were now covered by a layer of tree bark over the top half of his face. The eye within the crown twitched sporadically, before fixating its gaze on the warriors. Hubris wasted no time as he unsheathed two blades from his back, connecting them together to form a double-edged sword. He broke into a sprint, charging towards the warriors and swiping at them with the dual blade. Some of them successfully dodged it, while others were swatted away.
The Keymaster ducked down beneath the blade and bashed his fist into Hubris’ knee. “You know, if you had quit your flamboyant peacocking, you could have been able to kill us by now!” he taunted as he dodged another attack.
The Crimson Wanderer absorbed a punch from Hubris across his gauntleted forearms and batted his fist away, before reaching for his sword and driving it through Hubris' top right arm. Golden light spilled from the gash and Hubris roared in pain and anger. Turning his full attention on the Crimson Wanderer, he swung both left arms in a wide arc that smashed the knight off his feet. The king of Normality dug the tip of his spear between the flagstones, running and pole-vaulting towards the stricken Hubris before sending his heels into Hubris' jaw. Off-balance and wounded but managing to stand, Hubris lashed out with his own foot, sending the King tumbling head over heels. Behind Hubris, Mortis swung his hooked scythe over his head, catching Hubris' arm at the wrist and pulling it back until his elbow locked outwards. Before Hubris could pull away, the Dark Sovereign swung a mighty fist, smashing into Hubris' elbow and shattering it. Howling in agony, the Usurper stumbled away from the two gods, keeping them at arm's length with his sword and remaining limbs.
A dark shape dropped onto Hubris' back and scrambled upwards. The Keymaster locked his legs around the thrashing Hubris’ neck, holding on for dear life as if in a rodeo. He took hold of the crown, and with all the strength and might he could muster, heaved as hard as he could. A flash of blinding brilliance shone from the crown as it was torn from the Usurper's head and was flung away. When everyone's eyes swam back into focus, the ruined hall seemed a lot bigger. Hubris had returned to his normal form and his arms hung limply at his sides as he collapsed to his knees. The crown rested at the foot of the throne, having also returned to its previous state.
When Hubris looked up, he found himself surrounded by all of the beings, their weapons trained on him in unison. “You are cornered, Hubris. There are no more tricks you can pull. Surrender at once,” The Keymaster commanded.
Hubris chuckled, a mischievous sneer revealing itself on his face. “You think this is the end of this story? It is only the first act, my friends.” Suddenly, Hubris sunk into the floor as shadow tendrils wrapped around him, pulling him away from the Throne Room before he could be apprehended. Even after he disappeared, his laughter still echoed throughout the hall.
Chapter 5: Aftermath
With the battle having concluded, everyone returned to their baseline forms. Now, all that remained to be resolved was the Crown. As The Eclipser stared at it from afar, he seemed to take a liking towards the gleaming golden object, and slowly began approaching it.
The Crimson Wanderer looked towards the Eclipser. “What do you think you are doing?” he questioned.
A smile tore through The Eclipser’s face. “Hubris was weak. Even by right of blood, he was not worthy to wear the crown. I, on the other hand…”
“Enough of this lunacy, Eclipser. Stand down,” The Dark Sovereign commanded in his gravelly voice.
The Eclipser's head slowly tilted to the side. He almost seemed to hesitate, before suddenly making a mad dash for the crown.
Mortis drew a sigh, shaking his head in disapproval. “I believe that is quite enough,” he said, suddenly opening a portal beneath The Eclipser which instantly banished him to Level 82 once again. “That takes care of that,” he said while dusting off his hands, deaf to the screams of The Eclipser as the portal closed. “Well, it was quite nice to catch up with you all after all this time. But I have other business to attend to now. Hopefully we may meet again under more favorable circumstances…” He faintly grinned as he opened another portal. As he stepped through it, he left everyone with parting words. “In the end, everything is reduced to nothingness, with nothing to view. And so, everything that I did all this time was nothing but for all of you.”
With Mortis now gone, The King of Normality looked back towards the crown lying on the ground, before looking back up at the others. "We must secure this crown, and keep it out of reach from the wrong hands.”
“-As you were always supposed to have," came a voice. A group of paragons emerged from the shadows, now free from the influence of Hubris. One of them took the Crown into his hands. “Had you all not abandoned your stations, we would not have had to rely on a Jester to guard the most prized possession of His Majesty.” It judgingly gazed upon the gods for a moment, before the paragons retreated into the shadows with the Crown to store it away.
Chapter 6: The Rebirth of The Court
Later, The Keymaster sat in a meeting hall within the Hallowed Gate -- accompanied by the Crimson Wanderer, the King of Normality, and the Dark Sovereign.
There was a temporary period of silence, as everyone reflected on the adventure they had all just shared. Eventually, however, the silence would be broken.
“This is only the beginning. There will only be more threats, more conflicts,” The Keymaster suddenly spoke. The tone of his voice did not indicate fear, but rather acceptance. “...and we must be ready for them,” he continued, standing up. “We were wrong to have neglected our duties. We must reunify our royal court.”
The other gods looked amongst themselves, seeming to internally weigh their options. However, they all knew that the call of duty was ultimately unavoidable, and so the variety of bare and helmeted heads nodded in assent.
“Ah, so the band is finally getting back together? How delightful,” said a familiar voice. The Jester was sitting cross-legged nearby, his mask grinning smugly at the group.
“And what makes you think we want you?” asked the King of Normality, a look of annoyance crawling across his features.
“You need me,” answered The Jester simply.
“We don't need the likes of-” began the Dark Sovereign, before the Crimson Wanderer broke in.
“Unfortunately, I believe The Keymaster was referring to everyone.”
The Keymaster nodded in affirmation. “Indeed. With the caliber of foes we may battle, we cannot afford to turn away any potential allies.”
“Well, it's about time…” came another voice, almost as if on cue. The Clocksmith now sat amongst the group, his face wrinkled into a smile.
“Oh, the stories that could be written of our exploits,” came the voice of The Storyteller, whose apparition had just manifested into the room.
The Keymaster grinned upon the sight of all the gods he held an audience with, nodding in approval. “We may have had differences in the past, but they must be set aside for the preservation of what we all value…” He began to pace back and forth. “We may have been a royal court, but the age of our kingdom is long past. Even so, we must lead these mortals with the very same resolve we once did. For it is only through unity that we may find strength.” He declared.
