Eurynome's POV

I try to solidify the swirled floor, tensing my hand to concentrate the remnants of my power into closing it off. It's here, I know it is. I felt it in those last moments. I plant my hands into the floor, if I can't seal it then I can at least cover it. Out there I have no chance of defending myself, in here...I have something, even if it's just a slither of a chance.

"Out of them all I knew it was you who wanted me dead the most." I continue walking around, looking at every corner of the room for signs of movement. "Out of all of them, you were the only one who was never given a true shape. Something that was left to be crafted by the world you resided in, the bodies that you were encased by." A deep grumble resonates with the surroundings, erupting items off the shelves and causing them to lose their colour.

"You've taken someone recently, haven't you?" I continue to circle the pillar. "There's no way you'd risk coming here without knowing you could win, but you've been trapped in that mirror for so long. So who could you of possibly taken!?".

"Choo..." A distorted vocal whispers from behind the pillar, the footsteps in sync with my own, circling at the exact same pacing as me.

"Choo?" I question. Causing a loud thud to explode against the pillar, making me flinch back a bit and away from it. The footsteps however, continuing their advancement as it makes another loop around.

"Restrain" It grumbles.

I've never understood what this being truly was, nor do I even remember making it. So I can firmly say right now...I'm scared of this thing. "Res-" I silence myself, hearing the tiny whispers of many closing in from my surroundings. Throwing myself away from a glittering chain crafted by the moisture in the air.

I tuck my hair away from my eyesight as I focus on the chain, gradually dissipating back into the air. Looking back towards the pillar I notice a not-so-obvious change...the footsteps stopped.

"-ury-" The distorted voice croaks out from behind me. A cold chill runs through my spine as it grabs the back of my neck. Bringing its lips closer to my ear and digging its claws into my back. "-eak" It attempts to laugh, only releasing a tiny puff of air from its chest.

Feeling a warm liquid drip from my back I become familiar with the new sensation of pain, "LEAVE! I shriek out through pain. Reshaping one of my false hands into a blade, slicing against the fingers that wrap around my throat. Dropping myself to the ink filled floor, kicking some up and reforming it into needles, aiming behind me with a rushed arm gesture. Turning my head to the direction only to pierce the walls and text books.

Standing back up I watch as the fingers twist and bend on the floor like parasites without a host. Bending down I take note of their appearance, noticeably sharp and elongated nails that stick out of fur covered rotten flesh. "Slash" It calls out. Once again the whispers increasing in volume, barely catching sight of glimmers through the air, ducking and allowing it to claw up the environment around me.

"What's allowing you to do that!?" I scream towards it, still not understanding.

"Restrain!" It yells this time, echoing throughout my head. The whispers filling the floor this time, shaking the ink and erupting chains from them.

Clicking my fingers I remove the ink from below me, revealing the pure white tile that I stand on in hopes the ink stops advancing. But the chains swing around me, reforming the ends into hooks that aim into each of my limbs. "YOU CAN'T!" I feel myself shake as one drives itself through my ankle, wrapping itself along my body. Ignoring the pain I manage to shift out of the way of the other three, watching as they shatter into glimmers of light after colliding with the environment.

"You're...not taking me." I cut off the sealed leg, reforming a makeshift drawn to life one, similarly to my hands. Watching as my real one gets dragged back into the ink.

The voice stops, replacing itself with an insatiable munching and groaning. "You're sick." I spit out, knowing it just wants to eat me. Hearing a more audible laugh this time.

"You're possessing something dead, aren't you? Something done out of desperation, if you leave now then none of us have to get hurt." I bluff, knowing that I'm well past my time...I have been for a while.

The slippery munches stop for a moment, giving an audio cue that it has some line of thought. "Come out, we can talk." I try to reason with it, stepping out into the centre and allowing it to freely see me. "What do you actually get out of killing me?" I shout into the open space.

I wait for a response, eerily waiting for any sort of sound to come into my ear. But nothing, nothing at all. "Tha-" I turn to walk back, bumping into its chest. My nose becomes invaded by the smell of rot and smoke. Tilting my head up to meet its spiraling white eyes. A bone between its torn open mouth, spitting it back at me and leaving a trail of blood against my face.

Wiping it off I hurriedly glance back at it, already filled with fear from having to close my eyes for that small moment. "Mend" It whispers.

"You-want me to heal you?" I shakily reach out my hand but it grabs it. The same whispers filling the air around us as its jaw begins to regenerate, reconstructing itself but stopping at the face. Leaving the rest of the body as a half-eaten carcass. "Watch" It jolts my entire body to shove my hand into its chest, forcing me to wrap my hand around its cold inanimate heart. Holding his other hand across my eyes to cover my vision.

"Dream" It dissipates from my vision, placing me in a pure black room.

"Where have you been all this time!?" A group of faceless children run up to me, all different sizes with minimal facial features. But I recognize them all, as a mother does.

"We-missed you-so much" One sobs out against my leg, hugging tighter and tighter.

"I missed you too" I whimper out.

"Why did you leave us..." A little girl cries out, rubbing her tear filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to." I try to reason with her, cupping her face with sympathy.

"We were so h- without you here" A boy hums against my chest.

"What did you say?" I smile towards him, waiting for his response.

Their overwhelming pressure stacks on my body a bit too much, "Wai-" I trip to the floor after the little girl tightens around my leg a little too hard. "Please, slo-" I feel a piercing pain course through me, gazing down to catch sight of her blooded teeth smiling back up at me. "What are you doing!?" I try to kick her off but she plants her teeth deeper in me.

"We've been alone...for so long. So Cold, so lost...so hungry." The boy bites my stomach as the others hold me down.

A gentle tapping against the floor bring the sobbing girl into view as she looks down to me, her eyes rubbed out into blood that pours into my own, blinding me for the rest of the experience. I thrash and turn, opening my mouth to scream but someone grabs my tongue with their teeth, ripping it out and audibly slurping it into their own mouth. "Thank you!" A girl cheers out.

"I-" I try to speak but a pool of blood runs its way down my throat, choking and gagging me.

"Mother!" Another one calls out, the footsteps getting closer and closer until another piercing pain runs through me as his teeth sink into me.

"Mother!", "Mother!", "Mother!" more of them stampede towards me, taking chunks of me apart piece by piece, clawing their way into my flesh through blunt fingers...why...can't I just...die.

"KIL- M-" I gurgle through the blood, swallowing more and filling up my stomach.

"Wake" A booming voice commands me, forcibly opening my eyes to his wolfish grin.

"I'm so glad we got to meet you again, mummy" A child's voice echoes from inside as it tilts my head to face my bod-...my torso. Snickers like a child before placing my head back down and against a book, giving me a view of my half-eaten limbs strung up above me like a meat plant. Allowing drops of blood to smack against my head and run down my face as it stares at me as if looking for something more.

"Good?" It asks for approval.

"Pl-e" I try to speak, my tongue still removed. It sticks a finger in the air as if coming to an idea, tearing out its own rotten maggot covered tongue and sticking it into my mouth with its oversized paws. "Ki- m-" I begin to uncontrollably sob.

Watching as it gently lifts me into the air, approving of my look before opening its mouth inch by inch. Gradually lifting my head between its jaws.

One final thought runs through my mind as the beast's teeth clamp against my skull, 'So this is the Shade that shaped the gifts of us gods...boiled down and scattered between all of us. The Spirit.'

Although you may not remember me, I existed and I wish you children the best.