You look at Roary, who's clearly still wounded, and see him shake his head in denial of what Uphedis just said. Then you immediately take a deep breath as you get up defensively to protect him and Amy. Without looking at you, Uphedis immediately senses that you're now standing and holds your body completely still with Tom's telekinesis while he continues walking towards them. You try your best to move, but you feel like you're encapsulated by immovable bonds that restrain you as you stand there before Uphedis, who's now right in front of Amy looking down at her.
" Tom?! What's happening!? "
Amy cries desperately in a confused manner as she looks up at Uphedis. You try to tell her that that isn't the Tom she knows anymore, but you're unable to because Uphedis is holding your jaw shut with his telekinetic power as well.
Without responding, Uphedis telekinetically pulls her up into the air and stares at her with an apathetic expression as he slowly suffocates her. Tears run down Amy's face while she looks down at him with confusion.
" T-Tom- w-why- "
Uphedis remains silent while he uses Tom's telekinesis to mutilate her, twisting her limbs into a spiral that shatters all of the bones inside her arms and legs, causing her eyes to open wide in pain as she whimpers faintly, trying to scream but unable to because she can't breathe. Uphedis then pulls her legs backwards, folding her spine in half as he ties her arms and legs into a knot behind her back. Her eyes remain open in a traumatized stare as she's forced to silently endure this pain while being suffocated, then Uphedis slowly spins her head around 360 degrees which tears the skin around her neck and causes her head to dangle loosely off of her body before he drops her twisted and mangled corpse onto the ground.
You try to scream as you watch Amy die, thinking that Tom is the one who's mutilating her in her final moments, but the telekinetic bonds that are holding your mouth are too strong. Roary watches Amy's broken and mangled corpse that's tied into a knot disappear from existence next to him with a look of pure terror as Uphedis turns his attention back towards you, speaking indifferently with an emotionless gaze.
" ๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. "
(( "How many deaths can you bear to witness before you break, Abbadon? All of this torment can end if the Gods of this universe simply allow traversal out of this realm, where I may occupy your vessel in The Null and use the Absolute Power within you to reclaim what was once mine." ))
Uphedis then begins suffocating Roary next, lifting him into the air and looking around as he speaks apathetically to the Gods who could be potentially watching these events unfold.
" ๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. "
(( "If portals remain closed, then I will break Abbadon here, forcing him to use his power. The consequence of which could very well be the end of the Omniverse itself." ))
It feels like your heart is beating out of your chest as you stare hatefully at Uphedis, who then begins slowly peeling Roary's skin off of his body as he holds him in the air. The ring on your finger continues to absorb your power, vibrating intensely and glowing even brighter while you listen to Roary's whimpers of agony from being skinned alive. The voice within your mind continues trying to take control of you while you watch Uphedis slowly kill Roary.
Wฬตฬฬhฬตออyฬถอฬ ฬธฬฝอaฬถฬฟอrฬทอฬฅeฬดออnฬทฬฬณ'ฬดฬฬtฬธฬฬญ ฬตฬฬงyฬตอฬนoฬธฬฬผuฬถฬอ ฬธฬอdฬตอฬoฬถอฬญiฬถฬฬฎnฬถอฬฆgฬตฬฬ ฬดอฬงaฬดอฬฏnฬดฬฬฏyฬถออtฬทอฬบhฬถอฬiฬธฬฬ nฬธฬฬกgฬทอฬฑ?ฬธฬอ
(( "Why aren't you doing anything?" ))
Yฬตออoฬถฬอuฬตออ ฬธฬฬcฬถฬพฬฅaฬถฬฟฬคnฬทฬ ฬ ฬดอฬบsฬทฬฬคtฬถอฬiฬตอฬปlฬดฬฬฉlฬถฬฬฒ ฬดฬฬงsฬธฬฟฬนaฬตฬอvฬดฬฟฬฉeฬดอ ฬฏ ฬธฬฬญhฬตอฬiฬธฬอmฬทออ!ฬทฬฬฏ
(( "You can still save him!" ))
Dฬถฬฬฃoฬธออ ฬธฬฟฬบsฬตฬฬoฬดฬฬ mฬธออeฬดฬฬtฬตฬฬซhฬถฬอiฬดอฬงnฬถฬอgฬทอฬบ!ฬถอฬญ
(( "Do something!" ))
Fฬตฬฬซiฬธฬอgฬดฬฬฌhฬดออtฬตอฬฑ ฬดอฬUฬทฬฬฏpฬดฬอhฬธอฬ eฬถฬ อdฬทฬอiฬธออsฬธฬฬ!ฬตออ
(( "Fight Uphedis!" ))
Fฬดออiฬทอฬซgฬดฬอhฬตออtฬดฬฬค ฬทอฬกtฬธฬฬoฬธออ ฬทฬฬsฬทอฬeฬถฬฬกtฬธอฬฏ ฬทออTฬตฬฬฒoฬตอฬกmฬตฬฬฑ ฬธฬอfฬดฬฬคrฬธอ ฬจeฬธฬฬeฬทฬอ!ฬธฬอ
(( "Fight to set Tom free!" ))
The ring begins to make a loud humming sound from its vibrations intensifying and your forearm begins to cramp from the strain of it siphoning your power. You flex your arm, fighting the cramp from the ring as the skin on Roary's face slowly starts to peel off next. Then suddenly, you hear a voice speak up from a distance.
" That's enough! "
You and Uphedis both immediately turn your attention to where the voice came from, and to your surprise, you see Tom standing on top of a rock inside the crater looking down at you. You look up at him in disbelief, questioning if what you're seeing is actually real, and the Valghuli Exemplars all stand up before looking at Tom as well.
Uphedis scoffs, speaking to his Exemplars as he continues skinning and suffocating Roary.
" ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. "
(( "Valanyah. Eliminate this distraction." ))
" Yes, My Lord. It would be my pleasure. "
Valanyah says humbly before slowly walking towards Tom, who then jumps down onto even ground with her. Valanyah picks up the pace, running directly at him before materializing her dagger and swinging a flurry of slashes at him. Tom evades her strikes, bobbing and weaving around her dagger until he has an opening where he cracks her in the jaw, knocking her backwards. Valanyah does a handspring to catch her fall before she slides on her feet and Tom moves in to pursue, throwing several more strikes at her and she evades by walking backwards until Tom catches her in the face with a question mark kick.
The two other Valghuli Exemplars watch their duel in anticipation along with you and Uphedis, and as you watch Tom fight, you realize that his movements aren't the same as before. When you saw him fight the last time, all of his movements were aided by his telekinesis which allowed him to move faster and fly through the air. This time, it appears that he's relying only on his body to fight and maneuver as he takes on Valanyah one-on-one. You can tell that Valanyah is also holding back this time, clearly savoring this fight and enjoying it while it lasts; and as you watch them go back and forth, you finally realize what's actually happening.
That's not Tom who's fighting Valanyahโฆ It's Reylesh who's taken Tom's form.
As they continue their duel, Valanyah slowly gives more effort, pushing Tom to his limit by moving faster and striking harder until Tom can't keep up, which gives Valanyah an opening. Without missing a beat, Valanyah hits Tom in the temple with a nasty elbow, which staggers Reylesh, knocking her out of Tom's form and Valanyah kicks her feet out from under her. Reylesh hits the ground hard and immediately rolls over onto her back to defend while Valanyah brings her dagger down on top of her. Reylesh catches the dagger directly over her face, exerting all of her strength to push up on Valanyah's arms to hold the blade away from her.
" Is that really all you've got, Goddess? "
Valanyah teases as she slowly pushes the dagger down harder towards Reylesh's face. The blade inches closer and closer until Reylesh is forced to turn her head to the side, looking at you and giving her a bit more room from the blade above her.
" Pathetic. "
Valanyah remarks as she watches Reylesh struggle to stay alive with all her strength.
You're screaming on the inside as you look over at Roary who's passed out and missing half of his skin in the air while Uphedis continues to hold your body still, and Reylesh moans in exertion, fighting for her life as the dagger slowly inches closer and closer to her cheek.
Fฬดฬฬฏiฬทฬฬบgฬดออhฬถฬอtฬธอฬ!ฬทออ
(( "Fight!" ))
Hฬถฬอeฬทฬฝฬlฬตฬฬขpฬทฬอ ฬดอฬฃtฬตฬฬฌhฬตฬฬeฬถอฬmฬดอฬณ!ฬดอฬฏ
(( "Help them!" ))
Sฬทฬฬhฬถฬฬฆeฬดอฬ'ฬดออsฬดฬอ ฬดอฬgฬดฬฝฬปoฬถฬอiฬดฬ ฬจnฬทฬฬฆgฬตฬฬ ฬดฬอtฬตฬฬฌoฬถอฬฉ ฬทฬฬdฬธฬอiฬธออeฬตฬฬบ!ฬตอฬฐ!ฬตฬฬฎ
(( "She's going to die!!" ))
The voice inside your head screams at you as the ring on your finger continues to glow brighter and absorb your power, straining your arm painfully. It feels like the bones in your arm are going to break from the muscles around them contracting uncontrollably, and you let out an excruciating scream as you push against your telekinetic bonds, slowly moving through them despite them trying to hold you still. You lean forward, holding your cramping arm by the wrist in front of you, and Uphedis stares at you with wide eyes after seeing you move against his powers.
" ๐๐๐๐? "
(( "What?" ))
He says in disbelief before you let out an ear-piercing cry in pain, causing the other two Valghuli Exemplars to notice and stare at you in awe while the muscles on your arm continue to contract. Reylesh shouts out to you in desperation, continuing to fight against Valanyah who's on top of her.
" Abbadon!! This is the moment! Think about what Aatu said! "
Your mind immediately begins to race as several voices all echo within your mind one after another. You put the pieces together one by one as you think back over everything that's happened thus far.
First, you recall what Reylesh said when you were in The Barren District.
" When you caught me out as an imposter and I saw that ring for the first time, it felt like Aatu was right there with us. I promise that I really don't know much about the ring, I just know my brotherโฆ Everything Aatu ever did was because he had some sort of greater plan that he was serving. He never once gave a gift out of kindness, not even to Izael, and they were the closest. "
The images of Izael looking down at the ring on your finger right after Aatu had given it to you and Nahzgor staring at the ring enviously while you showed it to them flashes in your head; then you look at the ring on your finger that's continuing to absorb your power as the second voice echoes within your mind. This time, it's what Tom said on the rooftop before you guys went back to The Devil's Den.
" โฆI believe that we've already met who's going to open the book, they just don't have their Omniversal power yet. "
Then images of the Valghul back in the cafe in Moriarch staring precariously at the ring on your finger begin to flash in your head and you remember the Valghul using Aatu's powers in the cafe to freeze time. The ring slowly begins to crack from the amount of power that it's consuming to keep your physical form intact and you squint your eyes, watching the ring slowly become overloaded with your power as you once again recall what Aatu told you when he first gave it to you.
" I must give this to you because this is the only way. In the coming storm, you will face many tribulations. You will make many friends, you will meet many foes and death will follow in your wake. Your mind, your heart and your soul will all be mangled and torn as you endure what is to come. As you weather this storm, hold onto this ring as if you're holding my hand through it all; and when the time where all hope seems lost and you're on the verge of being broken comes, remember my gift. Then, you will break. "
Then I will breakโฆ breakโฆ the ringโฆ
The ring! That's what Aatu was talking about! I need to break the ring!!