The gentle morning light filtered through the dense foliage, casting picturesque patterns on the ground. The sparse forest, like a living fairy tale, was bathed in sunlight that danced on the velvet leaves and gilded the slender blades of grass.

The branches of the trees intertwined, forming green arches through which the clear blue sky could occasionally be seen. In that sky hung the sun, smiling with cheerful eyes, as if it had been drawn in a children's cartoon. Its rays were warm and tender, gently heating the earth and giving everything around a cozy, charming appearance.

But the idyllic scene of the forest was interrupted by the furious chomping and crunching.

"It’s not working," the man muttered irritably, tossing aside pieces of a creature that resembled something out of a Lovecraftian nightmare.

This creature had numerous tentacles covered in tiny teeth and eyes that seemed to look in different directions simultaneously. Its body was coated in slime, with broken bones jutting out. The ground around the man was littered with the remains of similar vile beasts that inhabited this place, creating a sinister contrast with the forest's beauty.

Alexei angrily flung the creature's remains aside and massaged his temples, contemplating his situation.

He had ended up in the Depths again.

Now, thinking it over, he realized that it wasn’t surprising. Sombra, of course, hadn’t shared his plans with him, but Alexei had figured out many things on his own. Sombra and Discord were gathering creatures from other worlds, and judging by the number of bones around the tree, these creatures had been fed to it. Earlier, Sombra had shown Alexei an image of alicorns sitting in a cage, and their conversation. Alexei knew what the cage was made of—some creatures from the Depths known as Imperfections.

From all this, Alexei easily concluded that Sombra had likely fed many such creatures to the tree. The tree already had some connection to the Depths, so it wasn’t surprising that he ended up here. That surge of energy had wiped out all the remaining mental energy from his body, but by some miracle, he hadn’t died and was instead pulled into the Depths.

Even while in the Depths, he could still feel his body on Equus. The first thing he did was what he had done before—devoured a few local creatures, absorbed their mental energy, and tried to eject himself from the Depths. However, this attempt ended in failure, and Alexei fully understood why, though he had hoped it wouldn’t happen: his body was still connected to those threads pumping energy into him.

His body was still alive—the spell he had previously used continued to restore his body. Right now, his body was being roasted to a crisp by the raging energy, only to be restored by the spell. The problem was that due to this raging energy, which repelled all his attempts, he couldn’t return to his body on Equus.

There was another problem: the spell only lasted five minutes, and after that, the threads would destroy his body in a couple of seconds, and he would truly die.

Time in the Depths flowed differently than on Equus. Five minutes here could stretch into hours, but that didn’t change much. Alexei had no solution to his problem. Even if he managed to return to his body on Equus, what then? His attempt to turn into a nightmare had failed, and in five minutes, his body would die anyway. The alicorns were still trapped in the cage and clearly wouldn’t be free anytime soon. Alexei couldn’t rely on Luna’s help, and honestly, he didn’t want to.

The real question was whether he would even live to see his body die. Over time, he began to feel the Depths starting to assimilate his spiritual form. Alexei didn’t know how much time he had left, but he was absolutely sure of one thing: this assimilation wouldn’t end well. Most likely, he would turn into one of those mindless creatures running around the area.

Moreover, he was now nothing more than a spirit, a cluster of mental energy. However, his appearance remained the same, and despite his spiritual nature, his body seemed solid and tangible. Alexei felt every step, every breath, as if he were in his regular physical body. If he were a spirit on Equus, he would have already started disintegrating under the influence of magical energy, but here he felt quite comfortable.

He suspected this was either an illusion or the result of local laws imposed on him by the very space he was in. Even if it was an illusion, it was so convincing that he couldn’t simply change his form. He had already tried to transform into a cloud or some gaseous form—it would have allowed him to move faster here—but nothing worked.

Biting his lip, Alexei pondered possible options. However, he had nothing. His spell repertoire was sparse and mostly offensive—completely useless in this situation. He couldn’t use blood magic, which required flesh as fuel. Besides, he knew almost nothing about the Depths.

The entire situation reeked of hopelessness.

Suddenly, Alexei felt something strange. It wasn’t related to sensing energy. He simply felt that someone was watching him, and a deep unease set in. Fearing he might provoke a dangerous creature into attacking, he cautiously scanned the surroundings with his eyes, but there was no one around. Suddenly, the sense of danger intensified, and simultaneously, Alexei realized where the gaze was coming from—above.

When he looked up at the sky, his sense of danger peaked—a freaking sun was watching him.

The sun's smile had vanished, and it now glared at him with a stern, piercing gaze. Its light had dimmed, and its surface had dulled, turning what was once a bright disk into something frightening and ominous. The smile and eyes, which previously looked as though they were drawn, had now transformed into craters filled with darkness. Instead of a sun, something resembling a moon was staring down at him, and it was clearly displeased with his presence in this world.

Suddenly, everything within a few meters around Alexei was bathed in a pale green light. In the same instant, he felt his mind beginning to crack, and the process of assimilation rapidly accelerated. Alexei reacted instantly, darting to the side, but the light, like a relentless spotlight, followed him closely.

“Fuck!” Alexei growled, his eyes darting around the surroundings in search of cover.

All around was just the damn forest. By some miracle, he caught a glimpse of a shape behind the trees, and before he even realized what he had seen, he was already sprinting in that direction.

He tore through the sparse forest like a madman. Branches lashed at his face, but he didn’t feel the pain. The forest seemed endless, each step echoing loudly in his ears, but Alexei didn’t stop.

Suddenly, after a minute of running, a modest yet large wooden cabin with glass windows appeared before him.

Alexei didn’t even try to find the door. Without hesitation, he dove headfirst straight through the window.

He tumbled across the wooden floor of the cabin and slammed into the wall. Being a spirit, Alexei didn’t feel any pain, so he immediately jumped to his feet. Mentally sighing in relief, he noticed that the damned green light had disappeared. His mind had already been on the brink from just a minute of its exposure.

Alexei didn’t have time to ponder the nature of that light or the strange shit that had happened with the sun. Right now, he was more concerned about the cabin he had found himself in. Inside, it was much more spacious than it looked from the outside, but that didn’t bother him. He had already seen too much weird crap, and the Depths were the embodiment of all things bizarre and unimaginable. What really worried him was who—or rather, what kind of creature—lived in this cabin?

Licking his lips, Alexei stood still, listening to his surroundings. But aside from the frequent creaking of the wood, he heard nothing. All his other senses were silent as well.

Seconds turned into minutes, but nothing happened.

Alexei stood motionless, straining to catch any sound. He wasn’t sure of his next move. Should he try to find out who lived here, or should he run? But what about that green light? Would he find another shelter? And even if he did, he couldn’t stay hidden forever. He still had no clue how to solve his main problem, but he certainly wouldn’t find any answers by just hiding. He needed to keep moving and try to learn as much as possible about the Depths. Maybe he’d find some kind of solution.

Suddenly, he heard a sharp sound, and right before his eyes, the shards of glass flew back to the window, reassembling into a whole pane.

“Are you just going to stand there?” a soft female voice called from deeper within the cabin. “Come on in, it’s been a while since I’ve had guests.”

Alexei tensed, ready to run, but relaxed a moment later—it was too late, he’d been noticed. He sighed and, straightening up, headed towards the hallway to his right, which seemed to lead further into the cabin.

His face was like a stone mask, his eyes expressing complete indifference. Mentally, he had already prepared himself for the possibility of being devoured. He had, in fact, considered the chance that the Depths would become his grave, but there was only one way to die without regret—by doing everything he could.

With this thought, he proceeded down the corridor, preparing for the first encounter.

As he walked, Alexei felt the oppressive atmosphere, which paradoxically contrasted with the ordinary surroundings. The walls were made of roughly hewn wood, covered in dust and cobwebs, but their sheer normalcy only intensified the sense of unease. The floor creaked under his footsteps, each sound amplified as if the emptiness of the cabin eagerly swallowed any signs of life. Only dim light filtered through occasional gaps in the walls, casting long, sinister shadows that seemed to watch him.

Ahead of him, a room suddenly emerged from the darkness, enveloped in the same oppressive atmosphere. Heavy curtains obscured the windows, allowing only faint rays of light to penetrate, barely illuminating the worn wooden floorboards. Near the window, sitting in a rocking chair with her back to him, was the figure of a woman with black hair tied up in a bun. This was the last thing Alexei expected to see in the Depths, filled with monsters. But the thought quickly left his mind, and he became even more cautious—he was more inclined to believe that this creature had already gotten into his head than to believe in the presence of another person.

He couldn’t sense any energy from this being. According to his senses, there was no one in the chair at all, which only made him more uneasy.

“Sorry for the intrusion and the broken glass,” Alexei said with an apologetic smile, making a quick bow. “I was just looking for shelter…”

“Oh, don’t worry about such trifles,” the woman laughed brightly. “There’s no need to mention it, I understand completely. You can stay here as long as you like.”

The whole time, Alexei had been talking to the back of her head, and it seemed she had no intention of turning around. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to. All he really wanted was to ask a few questions and then tactfully leave.

Although, perhaps he could stay a little longer…

“Your hospitality is matched only by your wisdom,” Alexei bowed again, adding a touch of flattery. “Actually, I’d like to leave this layer, but I seem to have gotten lost. Do you happen to know where the passage to another layer might be?”

He knew about the layers from a book that had accidentally come into his possession during his training with Luna. But it contained more philosophy and metaphysics than clear instructions. And then Luna had taken the book away and refused to answer his questions. Thinking about it, Alexei wouldn’t have been surprised if that book had been written by Sombra.

“You’re not from here, are you?” the woman giggled, tilting her head as if in thought. “Sometimes there are passages, and sometimes there aren’t. They appear and disappear quite randomly.”

Alexei sighed slightly—yes, he had suspected that this entity had already gotten into his head, but he still tried to be cautious. Nevertheless, she had immediately seen through him.

Well, it didn’t matter. Even if she had gotten into his head, she seemed like a rather decent and kind woman. He was really lucky to have met her.

“If you’re not from here, then it’s all the more reason for you to stay,” the woman said in a gentle tone. “Take a seat. I have many stories, and they’ll all be useful to you.”

Smiling gratefully, Alexei found a chair and settled in comfortably, ready to listen.

“Equus, right?” the woman mused before continuing. “Long ago, two entities existed in the world: Gro-Sabodh — Destruction, and Faust — Creation. You’re probably confused right now, aren’t you? They are concepts, absolutes. They are Destruction and Creation in their purest forms. Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend saying Their names too often. Even though They don’t care, you wouldn’t want to attract Their attention…”

Alexei listened with interest, occasionally asking clarifying questions. With each passing second, he felt more and more at ease.

One story ended, and the woman began telling another. This time, it was a tale about…

As Alexei listened, his hand absentmindedly reached up to scratch his nose. Huh? Had his hand always been so transparent? No matter… he would figure it out later.

He shifted his gaze back to the woman, intending to continue listening, when suddenly his eyes widened in shock as he remembered something. What the hell was he doing? He was supposed to be finding a way to escape the Depths, not listening to this woman’s stories.

The woman… what woman? This was a creature from the Depths! When did he stop suspecting her?

Alexei’s eyes flickered as the realization hit him: from the very beginning. Why the hell did he even start exploring this cabin?

Panic surged like dark shadows creeping into every corner of his mind. A sense of danger began screaming inside him like a siren, warning of imminent peril.

“It seems you’re distracted,” the woman’s voice came with a slight hint of displeasure. “Are you scared? Why?”

Alexei flinched at the creak as the chair began to turn. His instincts roared at him to run that very second, but the rational part of him tore those instincts apart. He needed to wait for the right moment, or he was dead.

The chair swiveled, revealing a woman with slender, pale hands, dressed in something resembling a black Victorian gown adorned with lace patterns. All these details registered in Alexei’s subconscious, but he was far from concerned with the fashion sense of creatures from the Depths. He stood frozen, staring at the woman’s face—or rather, the absence of it.

Where her face should have been, everything was twisted into a spiral. Each coil of the spiral was made up of endless folds of skin, as if all the facial features had been sucked inward, forming a terrifying vortex. The spiral’s twisted folds were taut and grotesquely distorted, as if someone had mercilessly wrung it to its limits.

The sense of danger in Alexei screamed, and everything before his eyes began to spiral out of control.

Growling, Alexei activated a spell he had already prepared in his mind. Behind him, a translucent figure of a slender girl appeared, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes seemed to shine with warmth and tenderness, but in the next moment, her face twisted with rage and disgust, and she let out a piercing scream.

Waves rippled through the room, shattering the effect created by the creature. In that same instant, Alexei leaped out of the chair and dashed into the dark corridor, not forgetting to kick the chair toward the woman as he went.

Alexei sprinted through the dark corridor, which at some point began to twist around him. The walls writhed like living creatures, and the floor became unstable, like quicksand.

Earlier, it had taken him less than a minute to reach the room, but now he had been running for several minutes, and there was still no end to the corridor.

A light appeared ahead, signaling the corridor's end. However, the closer he got, the more the light twisted into a spiral. Gritting his teeth, Alexei pushed himself to the limit and leaped through a small opening that remained untouched by the distortions.

Rolling across the floor, he immediately sprang up and dashed toward the same window he had entered through, smashing through it headfirst and escaping the damned cabin.

After running a few dozen meters, he glanced back to see if he was being pursued.

He saw the window, whole once again, behind which the woman with the spiral face stood, leaning on the windowsill. Her chin rested on her hand, and her thin fingers tapped the spot where her cheek should have been.

Though Alexei couldn't see her lips or eyes, given their absence, he was certain that the woman was looking at him with a mix of mockery and contempt.

It seemed she had no intention of following him.

Alexei didn’t know if she was bound to the cabin, afraid of the green light, or if she was one of those Imperfections whose rules he had narrowly escaped. At this point, he didn't care about the details.

Shifting his gaze forward, Alexei continued running when suddenly the green light surrounded him once again.

Alexei had no energy left for frustration—he simply surged forward, pushing himself to his maximum speed.

A mare was crawling along the cobblestone street, leaving a wet trail of fluids and blood behind her. Her flanks trembled with exertion, and her filthy coat was drenched in sticky sweat. She had just given birth, and the placenta dragged behind her, thumping against the stones with every movement.

The mare's gaze was fixed on the silhouette of a white tree, glowing in the sky. The closer she got to it, the stronger the pressure became. Blood began to drip from her nostrils, and it became increasingly difficult to move. But she stubbornly crawled toward the tree, like a moth drawn to the sun.

The mare was under no influence—she simply wanted to become part of something greater, striving toward the light as if it were her final refuge. Her eyes, filled with pain and hope, shone with an unusual light, reflecting her inner drive.

Suddenly, a wild crack rang out, and the white silhouette of the tree exploded, scattering into countless glowing points. The mare froze, her mouth agape, staring blankly at the white specks swirling in the sky.

Her sun had just vanished.

In Sombra's eyes, standing in the sky, there was a flash of confusion. He had done everything perfectly, but at the very last moment, something went wrong, and the ritual failed. He didn’t have time to contemplate this thought—the backlash from the failed spell struck his body, tearing it apart.

For a brief moment, Sombra's soul could be seen amid the dispersing flesh, but in the next second, cracks spread across it, and the soul shattered—spells of such magnitude were not to be trifled with.

The unicorn's entrails and blood began to fall to the ground, forming a crimson rain that soaked everything around. The shimmering pieces of flesh, like scarlet stars, settled on the bone-strewn earth, creating a gruesome scene of destruction and death. The dripping blood mixed with the soil, leaving dark stains on its surface.

Nearby, shadows began to ripple on the ground, forming into tentacles. With each passing second, the shadows became more material, and soon they rose from the ground, forming a circle. The tentacles writhed violently, as if in sync with an unknown rhythm, emanating a sinister energy. Their movements were chaotic, yet filled with latent power and tension.

Suddenly, in the center of the circle, Sombra reappeared out of nowhere, completely unharmed. The tentacles, as if drained of all life force, collapsed into a black sludge on the ground, leaving behind thick, oily stains.

A dark aura still emanated from Sombra, but something about it had changed. His power had significantly diminished, like a dimmed star, but considering that even his soul had just been destroyed, it was a small price to pay for his return.

Sombra thoughtfully surveyed the scattered pieces of his innards lying on the ground and focused on the black tree before him.

The once mighty tree now looked somewhat battered. A giant crack snaked up its trunk, like a wound tearing through its heart. The branches were broken, some hanging on by mere shreds of bark. The leaves, which once sparkled with energy, were now dull and mottled.

Although the tree had sustained damage, it wasn't as critical as it might have seemed at first glance. With some care and proper nourishment, the tree would quickly recover, once again flourishing with its former power.

However, a raging storm brewed in Sombra's mind. The mental anchor that had previously lain dormant in his consciousness had gone berserk after the failure of what he considered the work of his life. At that moment, Sombra could only think about the reason for his failure, with all other thoughts pushed out of his mind.

He replayed the ritual over and over in his head, trying to understand what exactly had gone wrong.

Of course, Sombra was aware of the recent manipulations of the human, but that had nothing to do with the failure. The human had connected to the tree’s network, siphoned off a drop of energy, and died a pathetic death from a random energy surge during the merge. To have influenced the ritual in any way, the human would have needed to be on Sombra's level, to reach the tree against the flow of the raging energy. This wasn't something that could be overcome by sheer determination.

Sombra had already guessed that the human had hidden the tree's sap by altering his memories. He was also aware of the seventh spell of blood magic—though he had quickly scanned the human’s memories, he had remembered all the important details.

Sombra wasn’t particularly interested in the human's fate. He could clearly sense that the human’s body was still connected to the threads, continuing to sizzle in the remnants of energy while he remained in a coma. Even if he woke up, he would still die from the consequences of his own spell.

Currently, there were three beings in the Crystal Empire capable of restoring his internal organs. Two of them were locked in a cage and wouldn't be free anytime soon, and the third was Sombra himself. At another time, he might have healed the human out of sheer curiosity, just to see what he had been trying to accomplish. But now, all his thoughts were consumed by the failed ritual.

"The spells are fine," Sombra muttered confidently to himself. "The problem is either in the ingredients or..."

Neither of these options pleased him.

If the problem lay in the ingredients, it could only mean one thing—Discord had betrayed him.

The other possibility was even worse.

The Tree of Harmony was tightly connected to the source of fate and magic in this world, and Sombra was essentially battling his own destiny using power borrowed from that very fate. Of course, he had accounted for this long ago and had tried to loosen the noose around his neck as much as possible, but what if that wasn’t enough?

Sombra's face twisted in a mixture of rage and contempt. His jaws clenched, and his eyes flashed with anger, but a moment later, under the influence of the mental anchor, his psychological state returned to normal. He took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxed, and his gaze became cold and focused once again. It didn’t matter how many times he failed—as long as he lived, he would keep trying, over and over, until he destroyed the Tree of Harmony along with that damned creature. His eyes reflected an unshakable determination, and his body radiated a cold but potent energy.

The investigation into the exact reasons for the ritual's failure could be postponed. The priority now was to take the Tree, the Crystal Heart, and other valuable items, and then leave the Crystal Empire as quickly as possible. Soon, the miasma would dissipate, and the Ancient One might detect his presence—that would be truly bad. Besides, Sombra had no interest in fighting the alicorns. He could force them to flee, but it would be a waste of time. He still had a few hours, so there was no need to rush. Sombra knew he had enough time to collect all the necessary samples for his research.

Lost in thought, Sombra didn't notice a small patch of space wavering behind him. A moment later, a rainbow beam appeared out of nowhere, piercing the back of his head.

"Fuck you, you bastard!" a victorious shout rang out from somewhere in the sky. "Swallow that!"

Looking up, Sombra saw a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane hovering high above him. The next second, with a flash of teleportation, the rest of the mares appeared—after the miasma had been blown to the borders, it became much easier to move around the Crystal Empire.

Sombra glanced absently at his body, which was beginning to crack with glowing fissures. They ran across his skin, emitting a bright light as if his body was about to shatter into tiny fragments.

The Elements of Harmony couldn't be used in conjunction with other spells, which was one of the weaknesses of these artifacts. Nonetheless, these mares had somehow managed to strike him from afar, using the pegasus as a guide.

This reminded him of the time when they had mysteriously teleported right out from under his nose.

"One of them has a space attribute," Sombra thought, nodding mentally as he ignited his horn.

The spell activated, and Sombra's body split into two copies—one black and one white. Cracks continued to appear on both bodies, indicating that the effects of the Elements of Harmony had not disappeared.

Sombra waved his horn, and all the cracks from the white copy transferred to the black one. A moment later, it burst like a soap bubble. Distortions rippled across the white copy, transforming it into Sombra’s usual appearance.

This spell wasn’t some pitiful resurrection—it was useless against the Elements of Harmony. Instead, it could slightly alter the fate of the user. This was the spell that had started it all long ago. There were side effects too—Sombra’s power had plummeted to an all-time low, making him even weaker than any of these mares.

For the Elements, shocked by the failure of their attack, this offered a glimmer of hope.

But that hope was soon crushed—Sombra took a deep breath, and all the shadows in the area seemed to go wild, dancing around him in a primal rhythm.

At that moment, Twilight felt Sombra’s power rapidly increasing.

Sombra narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, igniting his horn—they had a chance to leave, but they had chosen their fate.

In the next instant, he suddenly staggered and vomited blood.

"This isn’t from the Elements of Harmony," the shocked Sombra realized, as countless shadows wrapped around his body, stabilizing his condition. "How is this possible? I’m still suffering from the backlash of the ritual!"

Alexei blinked and opened his eyes, gazing up at the azure sky dotted with sparse clouds stretching above him. He sighed in relief—finally, he had left that dreadful layer behind. Sinking into the soft green grass, Alexei allowed himself a moment of rest. His thoughts were still in chaos after the madness he had endured on the previous level.

Right after his encounter with the spiral-faced woman, he found another cabin, and that’s when everything went haywire.

Inside, he came face to face with an anthropomorphic, two-meter-tall crow with three arms, each ending in sharp claws. Compared to the woman, this crow was far more motivated—it chased Alexei all over the layer. At first, Alexei thought he was some kind of delicacy in its eyes, but he soon realized that the crow attacked anyone it saw without discrimination.

The crow was fast, but not so fast that Alexei couldn’t react to its attacks, and it was incredibly strong. But its most remarkable feature was an incredible ability to resurrect—dozens of times Alexei saw the crow torn to pieces and turned into mush, but within seconds it would reappear nearby, completely unharmed.

Neither of them wanted it, but they became quite the team: Alexei, like a crazed animal, darting from one cabin to another, and the crow trailing him, leaving a trail of carnage everywhere. At first, Alexei didn’t enjoy its company, but over time he began to appreciate the time spent together: he collected a ton of useful items from the corpses of creatures and from their cabins.

Fortunately or unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Alexei found a dark pit in the ground, which turned out to be a passage to another level, and now here he was.

Holding onto a bloodstained bag made from a piece of cloth hanging around his neck, Alexei rose from the ground and finally took in his surroundings. A vast plain covered in greenery stretched out before him, with occasional hills and crystal-clear lakes.

“Fucking hell,” Alexei whispered, feeling a headache and a ringing in his ears starting to build.

This level could very well be his grave.

Massive monsters the size of skyscrapers roamed the area—masses of writhing tentacles with countless eyes and mouths. Their bodies resembled nightmarish combinations of carnivorous plants and grotesque sea creatures. The tentacles, covered in slime, twisted in the air, sometimes brushing the ground and leaving blackened trails behind them, as if the earth burned under their touch. Eyes scattered chaotically across their bodies gleamed with a sinister light, watching everything around them. Mouths, located in the most unexpected places, constantly opened and closed, emitting strange, almost musical sounds that sent chills down Alexei’s spine.

Below, like ants, other creatures swarmed around. Their bodies resembled the worst abominations from the underworld: covered in scales, with dozens of legs, they moved in endless chaos, emitting rasps and squeaks. Some had skull-like heads with empty eye sockets from which a thick, dark liquid dripped. Others, with long proboscises and multiple limbs covered in growths and spikes, dragged the corpses of their fallen kin toward the giant beings as if offering them gifts.

Alexei had seen similar giants when he first entered the Depths, but now he could make them out much more clearly.

He finally understood what "indescribable horror" meant—it wasn’t about the tentacles, eyes, or other monstrosities; it was the very existence of these creatures. The way they moved, it was as if they were slipping through the very fabric of reality. Watching them, Alexei couldn’t tell if they were moving forward, backward, or standing still—they seemed to be doing all of that simultaneously. Just trying to comprehend it made his head ache. If he hadn’t already encountered so many bizarre things, he might have actually started to lose his mind.

Right now, he stood in the middle of a plain, surrounded by these creatures. They hadn’t noticed him yet, but it was only a matter of time. No matter where he looked, they were everywhere. Alexei wasn’t sure if he had any chance of escaping this encirclement. He wasn’t confident he could outrun the smaller creatures, but if one of those giants noticed him...

“What are you doing here?” a young girl’s voice suddenly spoke directly into his ear.

Alexei’s hair stood on end, and his gaze darted to his left shoulder, where a small humanoid creature, about the size of his hand, was now perched.

Bones jutted out from its emaciated body, and transparent wings resembling those of an insect protruded from its back. Around its waist was some sort of growth that looked like twisted and tangled intestines. Its sickly pale face had only pitch-black eyes, staring at Alexei with curiosity, and a jagged line where a mouth should be, barely moving as it spoke those words.

Alexei felt nothing from the creature on his shoulder, and that was always a very bad sign.

“I’m just looking for a way home, kind fairy,” Alexei replied, carefully smiling with just his lips, trying not to make any sudden movements.

If he weren’t currently a spirit, his brain would have already overloaded and shut down. He was rapidly calculating every possible option and way to avoid becoming a meal for this thing. He had no idea what might provoke it—was he already doomed, or would he live as long as it found him somewhat interesting? Had he made the right choice by addressing it as female? The creature had no apparent gender, but the voice was distinctly feminine.

“Kind? Fairy?” the creature asked, tilting its head in confusion. “What’s that?”

Alexei quickly began crafting an explanation. This thing did somewhat resemble a creepy fairy, so that’s the first thing that came to mind. Now he needed to explain it well enough to avoid being eaten by a bored monster.

He had just opened his mouth, gathering all the fairy tales, fantasy, and mythology he could remember, when a shriek pierced the air.

The sound was so horrifying it sent chills down to his bones. It was like the screech of metal claws against glass, growing louder and filling the air with sinister vibrations. Alexei glanced over and saw that one of the giants was moving toward them and was already dangerously close.

“Could we move somewhere else?” Alexei asked politely, glancing nervously at the gigantic creature.

He had no idea how powerful the being on his shoulder was, but he hoped it could at least transport him to a safer place.

The tiny creature looked at Alexei in confusion, then shifted its gaze to the giant. A moment later, its eyes lit up as if something had clicked.

It stretched its thin arms toward the giant, spread its fingers as if grasping something invisible, and suddenly clapped its hands. In an instant, a blood-red cloud exploded before Alexei—the giant creature wasn’t just torn to pieces; it was pulverized into a gaseous state.

Alexei's ear twitched at the whistling sound, and when he looked back, he saw the tiny creature had opened its mouth, creating a powerful suction. The blood-red cloud stretched into a thin stream and was instantly sucked into her mouth.

Alexei silently thanked the universe that this thing had the tact to shield that energy from him—otherwise, he would have been torn to shreds.

Out of the corner of his ear, he could hear all the smaller creatures shrieking and scattering in all directions, but that was the least of his concerns now—there was a much bigger problem contentedly licking its lips on his shoulder.

“Is that better?” the creature asked casually, expectantly looking at Alexei.

“Couldn’t be better,” Alexei replied with a soft smile, gathering his thoughts.

Now he understood why this thing hadn’t just crawled into his head and taken whatever it wanted—it was afraid of accidentally disintegrating him with one wrong move.

Actually… he could work with that.

Alexei began telling the creepy creature on his shoulder everything he knew about fairies, recalling all the stories and myths he had ever read.

Fairies are small magical beings that live in forests and gardens, capable of performing magic, helping good people, and cursing the wicked. They are invisible to ordinary humans and only appear before those they deem worthy. Alexei spoke of fairies with shimmering wings that light up the night, kind fairies who help lost children, and those who punish the cruel.

“Fairy…” the creature muttered thoughtfully, as if tasting the word. “I like it. From now on, I will be a Fairy!”

Alexei mentally sighed with relief—let it think of itself as a fairy or even a minotaur, as long as it was satisfied.

The newly self-proclaimed fairy, meanwhile, seemed to be getting ready to attend to its "fairy" duties. It spread its wings, preparing to take off.

Alexei bit his lip as he rapidly analyzed the situation. It didn’t seem like it was planning to eat him, which was great, but the area was still swarming with monsters, and he hadn’t made any progress with his main problem. Should he take the risk?

“Wait, kind fairy,” his voice finally broke the silence. “Can you help me?”

“Why would I help you?” the fairy asked, tilting its head in confusion.

“Aren’t you a kind fairy?” Alexei replied with feigned surprise, giving the creature a disbelieving look. “Kind fairies help people.”

Pleading, begging, and logical arguments—all of that could be thrown out the window when dealing with such beings. The only thing Alexei could hope for was that this creature had become interested enough in his stories to continue playing the role of a fairy.

“I am a Fairy!” the creature said confidently, fluttering its wings. “But what is this ‘kindness’ you keep talking about?”

Alexei stumbled a bit at that question. What was he supposed to say? He was hardly the right person to define something like that. Kindness—was it when you sacrificed your own interests for the sake of others? When the strong helped the weak because it was the right thing to do?

Alexei didn’t even believe in that nonsense himself. How was he supposed to convince a creature that had no concept of all these human values?

“Kindness…” Alexei took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “It’s when you do something that helps others, even if it doesn’t benefit you. Imagine someone lost in the dark, and you give them light so they can find their way. You don’t gain anything from that light, but the person you helped can move forward, and maybe, one day, they’ll help someone else. Kindness is a sort of energy. When you do something good, that energy spreads and might return to you in the most unexpected moment.”

“What a bunch of nonsense,” the fairy laughed, its wings fluttering so fast they created rainbow-like glimmers around it. “You want to leave this place? Why? You must be absolutely insane—this is the perfect place for you.”

“So that I can come back later,” Alexei replied confidently, unfazed by the fairy’s amusement.

He really did intend to return here, assuming he survived. His response made the creature think, but it didn’t seem fully convinced, so Alexei decided to press on.

“That’s called karma,” he said, catching the creature’s attention. “You didn’t harm me, and in return, you got something interesting. Every time you do something good, you… emit positive energy that’s connected to you. One day it will come back to you and fully compensate your efforts. But when and how exactly—it’s always a surprise. So you’ll never be bored.”

A glimmer of interest flashed in the creature’s eyes. She hated boredom, and Alexei knew it. She liked this role of being a fairy and was just about to fly off and play a prank on someone when this human distracted her with his insane ramblings about some sort of kindness.

The fairy's eyes gleamed as an idea struck her—why not combine business with pleasure?

“Alright, I’ll help you,” the fairy giggled and let out a sharp whistle. “You’re on your own now. Bye-bye.”

The next moment, she disappeared into thin air.

Alexei blinked in confusion, staring at the spot where the newly minted fairy had just been—what had even changed?

Oh well, at least he was still alive.

Suddenly, he felt the ground tremble beneath him.

Focusing his gaze, Alexei saw a wave of creatures rushing toward him. His eyes darted around, and he swallowed hard—hordes of monsters were converging on him from all sides.

His gaze settled on one of the giant beasts towering above the others, and he felt a suffocating dread. All of the creature's eyes were fixed on him. Those eyes, filled with ancient and incomprehensible intelligence, seemed to burn right through him, making his heart race wildly.

Alexei froze in place, paralyzed before the oncoming wave of monsters. Running was pointless—he was completely surrounded. Any movement in any direction spelled death, but he wasn’t about to give up. His heart pounded in his chest, but instead of panic, something else began to awaken within him—something fierce and defiant. No, he had come too far to stop now.

Closing his eyes, Alexei tilted his head back and took a deep breath. The cool air burned his lungs, but it only fueled his resolve.

Slowly, very slowly, a wide grin began to spread across his face. Wasn’t this the very reason he had ventured into this world? Hadn’t he been seeking the kind of adventure that makes your heart race and your blood boil? Here it was, the adventure!

It wasn’t about the events around him, but how he responded to them. Right here and now, on this plain, surrounded by monsters, even as a spirit, he felt more alive than ever.

Alexei opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the approaching creatures, a mocking grin playing on his lips.

He quickly singled out the largest and most intimidating beast among them. Its writhing mass of tentacles, coated in foul slime, extended toward him as if trying to feel its prey from a distance.

The monster advanced faster than the others, oblivious to the smaller creatures that were mercilessly crushed into bloody pulp beneath its heavy movements. Alexei cast a fleeting glance at the other creatures swarming across the plain and instantly calculated his next move.

Time seemed to slow down, allowing him to pinpoint the exact moment. When it came, he sprang into action, sprinting directly toward the giant creature.

The massive beast, as tall as a skyscraper, charged toward Alexei, cutting a path through the hordes of smaller creatures that were instantly turned to mush under its tentacles. Its body, a nightmarish blend of a carnivorous plant and a terrifying sea monster, moved with immense power. The tentacles, covered in thick slime, writhed in the air like searching antennae, touching the ground and leaving behind charred, blackened trails.

With each movement, the ground shook, the air thickened, heavy with the scent of blood and decay. The tentacles, coated in black slime, ripped through the flesh of smaller creatures, grinding their bodies and sucking the remains into countless maws.

The giant beast opened its monstrous maw, intending to swallow the human whole. The foul-smelling mouth, like a living abyss, lunged toward Alexei, consuming everything in its path. Rows of countless scythe-like teeth glinted in the dim light, warping the space around them. The creature devoured everything in its path like a vacuum, charging into the heart of the battlefield where other monsters crowded. Its insatiable hunger drove it forward—toward the lone human who dared to run toward it.

A wild grin spread across Alexei's face—everything was going exactly as he had planned.

He sprinted toward the monster, nimbly leaping over broken trees, the remains of small creatures, and gaping holes in the ground. He felt the tension in his muscles, but his heart beat steadily and confidently.

Finally, the enormous mouth filled his vision. The monstrous maw was covered in vile slime, and countless razor-sharp teeth glinted in the darkness. The black void of its throat reeked of death, as if from the depths of hell itself. Huge fangs, curving in various directions, were ready to tear his body apart.

The air around him seemed to compress as a powerful suction force began to pull him in. His feet lifted off the ground, and he felt his body being drawn inside. In that moment, as the world around him seemed to disappear, Alexei felt himself being pulled into the creature’s mouth. Its slimy walls closed around him, enveloping him in darkness and horror.

The monster continued to move, swallowing and digesting everything in its path. But its advance suddenly halted when it collided with another giant beast with tremendous force.

The impact was devastating—the ground quaked, and the air was filled with the sounds of tearing flesh. The collision caused the bodies of both beasts to crack and break apart. Tentacles flew in all directions, spewing streams of black blood. The massive teeth of one creature sank into the body of the other, piercing its hide and shredding its innards to pieces. The grinding of rupturing flesh and the roars of the monsters filled the surroundings, making the earth tremble.

By this time, the rest of the creatures, hungry for a taste of Alexei, had arrived. With roars and growls, clanking and gurgling, they rushed from all sides to the spot where the human had been just moments ago.

But when they reached their target, Alexei had already been devoured by one of them.

Deprived of their expected prey, the monsters paused for just a moment, before rage and hunger consumed them. Sensing the scent of blood, they turned on each other, turning the battlefield into a blood-soaked arena.

Each creature in this nightmarish dance of madness had unique forms and deadly abilities. Huge tentacles whipped through the air, wrapping around and tearing apart their enemies, while giant maws filled with hundreds of sharp teeth ripped flesh to shreds. The monsters clashed like titans, crashing into each other with such force that the ground beneath them shook as if from an earthquake.

One of the creatures, resembling a giant crab with spiked claws, clamped onto the neck of another—its claws dug in deeper and deeper until it broke through the thick hide, and black blood gushed from the wound. The monster in the crab’s grip didn’t go down without a fight—its body, covered in growths, suddenly exploded, spewing acid that began to corrode the crab’s claws. The giant crab roared and retreated, but didn’t make it far—another creature, resembling a many-headed snake, coiled around it and squeezed so tightly that the shell cracked with a deafening crunch.

Blood and guts poured out, staining the ground a thick, black hue.

Meanwhile, two other monsters, each looking like a cross between a spider and an octopus, were locked in a fierce battle. Their tentacles entwined like snakes, and one of the monsters began devouring the other’s tentacles, biting them off one by one. The enraged creature let out a horrific screech as its limbs were completely destroyed, and then its maddened opponent, with a single motion, bit it in half, leaving only twisted chunks of flesh.

The air was filled with the sounds of tearing flesh and snapping bones.

Another monster with giant claws, as tall as trees, lunged at a spiked opponent. It tore off the spiked head along with part of the torso and, before it could celebrate its victory, was torn apart by several other creatures that descended on the fresh remains like vultures.

The brutal carnage lasted only minutes but felt like an eternity. In the end, the battlefield was littered with mangled bodies and rivers of black blood.

Only one giant beast remained alive. It swayed from exhaustion and wounds, its body covered in deep gashes from which dark, sticky blood oozed. Its tentacles weakly writhed in the air as if it were still trying to maintain balance.

Gathering its last bit of strength, it moved toward the remains of the other monsters, intending to devour them to regain its strength. But suddenly, its body jerked. The giant beast began thrashing violently, its tentacles spasming in agony, and from its many mouths came piercing, ear-splitting screams.

It twisted as if it were being torn apart from the inside. Its monstrous body convulsed, its numerous eyes bulged, and instead of cries, streams of blood poured from its maws.

Suddenly, it collapsed to the ground, as if all its remaining life force had been drained in an instant.

For a moment, the battlefield fell into dead silence. Only the screeches of the few surviving small creatures broke the eerie calm.

On the body of the dead giant beast, one massive yellow eye, the size of a house, stood out. It stared blankly into the void as if it didn’t comprehend what had just happened.

And then, as if something had exploded inside, the eye shuddered and began to burst, tearing apart from within. With a squelching sound, a hand burst out from the eye socket, ripping the flesh apart as it struggled to break free.

Suddenly, a heavily breathing Alexei, with a wild look in his eyes, emerged from the ruptured eye of the giant beast. His entire body was drenched in black blood mixed with slime and chunks of flesh, as if the abyss itself had spat him back out onto the surface. A caustic steam rose from his body—the remnants of the creature’s stomach acid were eating away at his flesh, creating a strange smoky halo around him.

Alexei looked like a demon emerging from the underworld: his skin was covered in burns that were instantly healing, leaving behind only scars that quickly disappeared under the relentless force of his regeneration.

Taking a few steps, he collapsed onto the remains of the beast, unable to move any further. He had just literally chewed his way to freedom.

Reflecting on how he had managed to avoid death in the monster’s maw, Alexei could hardly believe he had pulled it off. He had contorted his body in an almost impossible way to avoid the creature’s sharp teeth and successfully ended up in its esophagus. There, clinging to the tentacles hanging from the walls, he miraculously avoided a deadly fall into the acidic stomach juices. From there, he began his hellish ascent, gnawing through the giant creature’s flesh, making his way to its brain.

Outside, the bloody battle raged on, and every jolt from the monsters' collisions nearly turned him into minced meat, but Alexei continued to gnaw through the monster's flesh, his body repeatedly healing itself thanks to his self-regeneration.

He lay there for a while, unable to move, his chest rising and falling as the only sign that he was still alive. The remnants of stomach acid continued to eat away at his flesh, but it regenerated just as quickly. Alexei couldn’t recall how many pounds of the creature’s flesh he had devoured while clawing his way to its brain, but it was clearly too much—his head spun, and his body groaned under the overload of energy. He had more than enough energy for regeneration, but this only proved that increasing the amount or quality of energy didn’t mean he could escape the Depths.

With a groan, Alexei pushed himself up, leaning on the sticky, decaying flesh of the creature. Even if he was dead tired, he had no right to rest. The prank of that “fairy” had cost him a lot of time, and if he still hoped to get out of here, he needed to keep moving. Fortunately, almost all the creatures in the area were dead; only the small fry remained.

He might be able to find a passage to the next level, but what was the point? He didn’t even know what he was searching for. Each level brought the same endless slaughter. Even if he found a way to the next level, the story would repeat itself.

With a sigh, Alexei unsteadily got to his feet. Maybe he wouldn’t find anything on the next level either, but if he stayed here, he wouldn’t even have that tiny chance. Out of habit, his hand reached for his half-eaten bag, now just a simple pouch, tattered and smeared with blood. The flesh of this creature was incredibly valuable in itself, and he could search through the remains for something useful. He wasn’t about to leave empty-handed.

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity seemed to run through Alexei’s body, and he froze, his eyes wide as he stared at one point. He hadn’t thought about it before, too focused on survival, but his subconscious already knew the answer and was desperately trying to tell him, pushing him to gather ingredients.

Alexei thought he had nothing, but he had something after all. Alchemy!

How was he supposed to practice alchemy without a cauldron or fire? All those things were purely optional. A cauldron was just a container, and fire was a means of creating the right environment for fusing ingredients. A reasonably skilled alchemist with a couple of elemental spells could brew potions right in the air. Alexei’s skills allowed him to do the same, but he didn’t have the necessary spells and could only dream of it.

He had fallen victim to stereotypical thinking, and only now did it dawn on him that things were different in the Depths. Everything around him, including himself, was infused with mental energy. On Equus, he would have needed fire or elemental spells to process and fuse ingredients, but here… here, he could interact directly with the mental energy within them, making it possible to create something without all that.

One last problem remained—the ingredients.

As he pondered this, Alexei suddenly caught himself wondering: why limit himself to just a potion? In his mind were the memories of Saada, who had dedicated her life to experimenting with chimerization. These images and knowledge surfaced in his consciousness, intertwining with his own thoughts and desires.

Licking his lips, Alexei thoughtfully scanned the battlefield, covered in black blood, the remains of creatures, and scattered entrails.

Ingredients? There were plenty of them here.

"Stop, he's dead," Celestia said quietly but firmly, gently placing her wing on her sister's withers.

The words broke the silence that had settled over the hall like a thunderclap.

Luna blinked, emerging from her heavy thoughts as her gaze gradually focused on the horrifying scene before her. Just a few meters away lay the body of a man, his chest torn open, twisted unnaturally like a broken doll. The threads that had once woven around his body now hung lifeless, their light gradually fading.

The regeneration spell had ended, replaced by the acrid smell of burning. It filled the hall, searing the lungs and filling the space with ominous black smoke emanating from the charred body.

Luna sighed and averted her eyes. It was truly over now.

She hadn't felt any romantic feelings for the man, and their friendship had developed too quickly, like a rapid current in the river of time, driven by circumstances.

She had just returned to a world that had become unfamiliar to her after a thousand years of exile, broken and confused. And then, suddenly, a being appeared, affected by her past actions, but instead of the hatred she deserved, she found… understanding.

Luna felt that Alexei might have truly understood her. Though she hadn’t told him everything, she shared much, and he never judged her. She used to think he was just pretending. But after watching his actions following their escape from the dungeon, she began to wonder if pretense wasn’t necessary—perhaps he had been sincere.

Her thoughts returned once again to his final words. She hadn’t been angry with him for a long time. Yes, he had outwitted her, but it wasn't a betrayal. Most likely, he had been honest with her in all their conversations.

He ended up in this world because of her actions, and she had tried to make amends. For a time, they had been together, and now their paths had diverged. All the slaughter he had caused didn’t directly concern Luna, and he had never harmed her. Honestly, she didn’t care how many caravaners he had killed in that forest—she herself had killed thousands more.

She had pursued him not for revenge, but for catharsis, to talk to him and put all the cards on the table.

Now that was impossible.

Luna slowly turned away from the man’s body, suppressing a surge of emotion, and returned to Celestia.

They continued discussing possible ways to escape the cage they were trapped in. But, as Sombra had predicted, getting out before the appointed time was nearly impossible. Their discussion was dull, as if drained of all hope. Luna spoke automatically, as if her mind were far away, still anchored to what remained of Alexei.

Suddenly, a barely perceptible crackling sound cut through the air, making the alicorns’ ears twitch.

Both sisters looked around in confusion, at first thinking it was just the lingering sounds of still-dissipating energy flowing through the threads. They were about to return to their conversation when a chill ran down their spines.

Both of them simultaneously lifted their heads, staring at the ceiling above the man’s body. Where there had once been solid stone, a crack now gaped, oozing thick darkness that emitted a pale white glow.

Though nothing was visible, the alicorns could swear something was watching them from that crack.

Luna and Celestia froze, stunned by the strange sensation.

From the crack, a slime began to ooze, hissing as it touched the floor, as if the very fabric of space refused to accept it.

Suddenly, the crystal cage that held the man’s body began to shake strangely. Thin cracks spread across its surface, and as if being corroded by an invisible acid, it started to decay from within. The smooth, gleaming crystals dimmed before their eyes, dark spots forming on them, and then slowly crumbled to the floor in black dust. The cage disintegrated, losing its shape, and inexorably fell apart into myriad tiny fragments until nothing remained but ash and a rancid stench.

In the next moment, a flood of black, viscous blood gushed from the crack, spreading across the floor and filling the hall with the stench of death and decay. Along with the blood, writhing organs of unknown creatures and chunks of flesh from countless torn-apart beings spilled out.

The hall quickly filled with this horrific mess, and soon the entire floor resembled the aftermath of a gruesome slaughter, where the victors and the vanquished had merged into a single, filthy sea of blood.

The last thing to fall from the gaping crack was a crystal-clear, glass-like drop. It floated gently through the air and touched the sinister sea of black blood.

In that instant, the blood began to churn, like boiling tar, and then it frothed, rising in thick steam, filling the space with an even more suffocating stench. The writhing organs scattered on the floor began to twitch and, slowly but inexorably, crawled toward the lifeless man’s body. As if driven by an invisible force, they reached out to his torn chest, hungrily burrowing into it like parasites that had found a new host.

The black blood, churning and boiling, swirled in vortices like a raging sea in a storm, then in one swift motion, it surged upward and then abruptly flowed back into the man’s body.

Everything happened so quickly that Luna and Celestia didn't even have time to react. But what followed made them shudder in horror.

Something slipped out of the crack, flashing through the air like lightning, and darted into the man's body, disappearing into its depths. The spatial crack immediately sealed, and a moment later, a dead silence filled the hall.

The alicorn sisters stared intensely at the body that had seemed so completely dead just moments before.

Because of the damned bars, they couldn't interact with anything outside their cage. They could only watch, unable to intervene or understand what was happening.

Time dragged on unbearably; it felt like each heartbeat stretched into centuries, and in that moment, all they could do was watch the man's body lie motionless, like a lifeless doll.

Seconds turned into minutes, but nothing happened.

Finally, the threads wrapped around the man seemed to rot away and disintegrate into dust, scattered across the hall.

"Was it absorbing energy all this time?" Luna's sudden realization struck her.

Bubbling blisters began to appear on the man's skin, as if the surface of his flesh was preparing to explode. Soon, his entire body started to swell, resembling a balloon, relentlessly expanding under internal pressure.

Luna instinctively stepped back as the grotesquely stretched face of the dead man seemed to stare at her, as if his features were drawn on skin stretched to the breaking point.

Inside this grotesque balloon, something gurgled and churned, but nothing happened aside from the terrifying buildup of tension. Suddenly, waves rippled across the balloon's surface like water, and in the next instant, it exploded, spraying blood, pus, and unidentifiable remains everywhere.

The cage protected the alicorns from the spray, but it couldn't shield them from the horrific stench. The air filled with the rancid odor of decay, so thick and revolting that it seemed to invade every corner of the hall, making their throats burn.

Celestia couldn't hold it back and vomited.

She had spent the last thousand years in the comfort of the royal palace, surrounded by luxury and cleanliness. This was more than she could bear. After spitting out the last of the bile, Celestia quickly wove a golden barrier around her body, trying to shield herself from the smell.

But then her attention was drawn to a new scene.

Luna kept her eyes fixed on the center of the hall, where, on a completely clean section of the floor, lay a pale, thin infant, showing no signs of life. Celestia blinked, trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

And right before her eyes, the infant began to grow rapidly.

Within just a minute, it had transformed into a teenager. Hair and nails grew wildly on its body, but they quickly fell off, seemingly reabsorbed back into the flesh.

Another minute passed, and the floor now held the body of a young man, still motionless and lifeless.

Celestia was about to turn to Luna when a dreadful cracking sound filled the hall, the sickening noise of flesh tearing. Both sisters flinched, their hearts frozen in fear of the unknown.

From the belly and sides of the lifeless body, tentacles, slick with blood, emerged.

They slapped onto the floor, lying still for a moment as if unsure of what to do, and then pushed against the ground, slowly lifting the limp body.

Thump.

The sound of a heartbeat echoed through the hall, making the alicorns flinch again. It was faint, but it struck them right to the core.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

The furious heartbeat echoed through the hall, growing louder with each passing second.

Suddenly, the hanging body gasped for air with a raspy, desperate breath, like a newborn taking its first breath, and opened its eyes.

In the next moment, the blood-soaked tentacles quivered like snakes and set the body on its feet.

The creature that stood on its feet blinked, as if coming back to reality after a long sleep. Its head slowly turned, surveying the hall like a predator studying its surroundings.

Its lips twisted into a strange, unnatural smile, and a moment later, the space was filled with wild laughter—insane, raspy, echoing off the walls of the hall. This laughter, full of strange joy and madness, seeped into every corner like poison, infecting the atmosphere with a lingering dread.

"As long as I want to walk, there will always be a path before me," Alexei muttered after his laughter subsided, and his eyes glinted with a mad fire. "And I will laugh like crazy until the very end!"

There was a strange, eerie glee in his voice, which only intensified when his gaze landed on the tentacle protruding from his side. A smirk crossed his lips—everything had truly spiraled out of control.

He only wanted to escape the Depths and heal his body, but instead, this horrifying metamorphosis occurred. The tentacle growing from his stomach was just the tip of the iceberg.

All of his internal organs in the abdominal cavity had been replaced with organs from creatures of the Depths. But it wasn’t just a transplant—they had become a part of him. Alexei felt this with a terrifying certainty: if he lost a kidney, for example, it would regrow, but no longer a human one.

But it wasn't just about the organs. He himself was no longer human.

His flesh had fused with that of the creatures from the Depths, and his body had been recreated into something new, something terrifyingly different. Barely a fifth of him remained human. He could now be loosely described as a mutated human with internal organs of unknown alien origin.

But Alexei didn’t care. Back on Earth, he had read many stories about characters turning into monsters and whining like little bitches about their lost humanity, wistfully sighing over who they used to be. But for Alexei, none of that mattered.

Human? Just a species. European? Russian? Male? Alexei? All these things influenced who he had become to some extent, but nothing more. They were just words, labels that no longer held any meaning for who he was now.

If someone were to ask him who he was, he would have answered...

"Who are you?" Celestia's cold, piercing voice interrupted his thoughts.

She narrowed her eyes, drilling her gaze into the creature before her, trying to understand what kind of beast had crawled out of nowhere and taken over the human’s body. She didn’t even consider that this thing could be the very same person they once knew.

"What a stupid question," Alexei scoffed, his voice sounding mocking and a bit annoyed at being interrupted. "I am who I am!"

Alexei mentally chuckled, hiding his amusement from the stunned faces of the sisters.

He focused on his new body and had to admit, it was simply magnificent! Outwardly, he had barely changed—he looked a bit younger, his skin had paled, and his moles had disappeared, but the internal changes were far more drastic.

First of all, his entire body felt completely different. If before, he had felt trapped in a cage of flesh and bone, now his mind and spirit had merged with his body. Every cell of his being was infused with mental energy, and Alexei could feel even the lightest breeze against his skin. His physical abilities had improved several times over, and that was something to be pleased about.

Secondly, he now had a core. In the beings of Equus, the mental core was located within the soul, but Alexei still didn’t have a soul. His core was deep within his mind. It was only of the first rank, but that was hardly something he could complain about. The lack of meditation techniques meant that the core would soon start showing signs of instability and might even explode, but he still had plenty of time to deal with that problem.

And thirdly… he now had a mental attribute.

"Deceit?" the thought flashed through Alexei's mind as he summoned a bit of gray smoke from his fingertip.

This attribute embodied everything related to deceit: illusions, lies, theft, and much more. The attribute suited him perfectly, but its full potential was yet to be discovered.

Suddenly, Alexei felt a surge of familiar energy and turned his gaze in that direction. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"The Elements are still alive?" he mused, and then felt another familiar energy. "What? When did Sombra become so weakened?"

Surprise began to turn into confusion. What had happened during his absence? Right now, Sombra was barely stronger than he was.

The alicorns, who had been watching the muttering creature intently, flinched when a bloodthirsty grin suddenly spread across its face.

Author's Note

Alexei