- 5 hours ago
Desperation, primal and pathetic, took over the High Inquisitor. The Son of Light began to crawl on his belly. He clawed at the pile of gray ash that used to be his brother. With shaking, withered hands, he scooped up the dust and shoved it into his mouth.
He choked. He gagged on the dry grit. But he kept eating, frantically trying to swallow the remains, hoping to digest even a spark of the life he had extinguished.
"Help me... Brother... help me..."
The plea was swallowed by the dark. His movements slowed. His heart, old and tired, gave a final, erratic flutter.
The dungeon fell silent, save for the mechanical pumps in the wall, hissing as they drew on nothing but air. The wind howled through the cracks in the stone, mocking the false god who had devoured his own kin, and in the end, died with a mouth full of dust.
He choked. He gagged on the dry grit. But he kept eating, frantically trying to swallow the remains, hoping to digest even a spark of the life he had extinguished.
"Help me... Brother... help me..."
The plea was swallowed by the dark. His movements slowed. His heart, old and tired, gave a final, erratic flutter.
The dungeon fell silent, save for the mechanical pumps in the wall, hissing as they drew on nothing but air. The wind howled through the cracks in the stone, mocking the false god who had devoured his own kin, and in the end, died with a mouth full of dust.
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LearningTranscript
00:00the cathedral of light did not merely sit upon the hill it dominated it a marble fang piercing
00:05the heavens inside the air was thick with the scent of frankincense and the heavier
00:10copper tang of devotion dante the high inquisitor and the celebrated son of light stood before the
00:17massive golden baptismal basin he was a creature of impossible beauty his hair was a cascade of
00:23spun gold his skin passed below the dais a sea of faces looked up at him nobles peasants and clergy
00:30alike their expressions a uniform mask of adoration they worshipped him not just as a priest but as a
00:37living vessel of go dante dipped a ladle of cut crystal into the basin the liquid inside was not
00:43water it was a clear viscous fluid that shimmered with a faint hypnotic crimson hue like a heartbeat
00:50trapped in glass the sacrament is potent today dante murmured his voice was a perfectly tuned
00:56instrument projecting to the back of the nave without effort the grace of the lord flows through
01:01me to cleanse the the bishop a man whose skin was spotted with age and whose back was bent by
01:07the
01:07weight of time approached with trembling hands he held out a filigreed vial your power is a miracle lord
01:14dante the old man whispered his eyes wet with tears the pope waits for this final vial tomorrow's
01:21coronation it cannot proceed without your blessing dante smiled tell his holiness that the light never
01:27fails i shall retrieve the final essence from the uh source i must pray alone the bishop bowed so low
01:35his forehead touched the cold stone bless you saint dante dante turned his cape swirling dramatically
01:42and glided toward the sacristy he pressed a hidden mechanism behind the altar of street jude
01:47and a section of the marble wall ground open revealing a dark spiraling maw as he stepped into
01:53the darkness the angelic choir faded replaced by a sound that the public never heard a low rhythmic
02:00thrumming thump hiss thump hiss it was the sound of industrial bellows the mechanical heartbeat of the
02:07church the pristine marble gave way to weeping limestone slick with black algae dante pulled a
02:13scented silk handkerchief from his sleeve pressing it firmly against his nose the deeper he went the
02:19stronger the stench became a vile cocktail of ozone rust and the sickly sweet odor of charred flesh
02:25he hated this place he hated the filth
02:31but beauty required sacrifice
02:35the dungeon was a cavernous void of iron and shadow in the center illuminated by a single flickering
02:42alchemical torch hung the prisoner caspian surgically embedded into caspian's chest neck inner thighs
02:49and arms were dozens of transparent tubes dante stepped into the room his white boots hovering
02:55inches above the grime wake up dante commanded his voice devoid of its earlier warmth caspian did not
03:02move at first then with agonizing slowness his head lifted his long matted gray hair fell away to
03:09reveal a face that was a skeletal mirror of dante's own it is finished monster dante said smoothing the
03:16wrinkles of his gloves the pope has ordered your execution the reserves are full for tomorrow's
03:22coronation i require only the last potent drop of your heart's blood your very existence is a blasphemy
03:29to the lord caspian stared at the golden figure blasphemy caspian wheezed the tubes in his neck
03:38vibrated with his speech oh dante my beautiful ignorant keeper
03:45he raises a handkerchief the vile smell stinging his nostrils dante stiffened silence you should
03:53thank me i am ending your misery shadows dance obscuring the path ahead hinting at unseen horrors
04:00do you truly believe caspian whispered his voice gaining strength that your so-called healing power
04:07that golden light you wield comes i am the son of light i am the chosen one dante snapped his
04:14composure
04:15cracking i have healed lepers i have extended the lives of kings you are nothing but a filthy blood
04:21bank a parasite i have kept alive for the good of the church caspian coughed a wet violent spasm
04:29black viscous blood splattered across the floor spotting the pristine white leather of dante's boots
04:36dante recoiled as if burned wiping the spot frantically the chosen one caspian mocked softly
04:44look at you 25 years have passed since we were born you haven't aged a single day since we turned
04:5018
04:51you never sicken you never bleed you stand in the sun like a god because i am blessed
05:00because you are feeding caspian roared the sudden volume echoing off the damp stone he strained against
05:06his chains the metal biting into his wrists 25 years ago in this very dungeon a woman branded a
05:13witch gave birth to twins i have no kin i was found on the altar steps
05:21lies caspian hissed one child was born without a heartbeat a stillborn the other was so frail he
05:29wouldn't survive the night i was the stillborn dante and you were the dying runt dante froze the hum of
05:36the blood pumps seemed to grow louder filling his ears to save you caspian continued his eyes locking
05:43onto dante's mother used forbidden dark magic she resurrected me as a vampire a creature of eternal
05:50endurance and forged a cursed pact my vitality would be eternally shared with you liar dante screamed the
05:58denial tearing from his throat you are a parasite brother caspian said his voice soft with pity you are
06:05the shadow that thinks it casts the sun shut up blind rage took hold dante lunged forward gripping the
06:12silver dagger with both hands he plunged the blade violently into caspian's chest piercing the withered
06:18heart shattering the sternum caspian did not scream he did not thrash instead he let out a long
06:25shuddering sigh as if setting down a burden he had carried since birth with his remaining strength
06:31caspian gently lifted his skeletal hand kill me and the pact breaks caspian whispered blood bubbling at the
06:39corners of his lips brother take my blood take it all it is the last thing i can give you
06:46caspian's body
06:47went rigid then the magic holding him together unraveled starting from the wound his flesh turned
06:54to gray dust his bones collapsed into powder in seconds the vampire was gone only a pile of coarse ash
07:01remained beneath the silver blade the heavy iron shackles clattered against the wall empty the tubes fell
07:07to the wet floor hissing as they sucked in air dante stood panting his chest heaving a rush of
07:14adrenaline triumphant and electric surged through him he stared at the ash liar he spat the devil's lies
07:22i am i am the saint then the agony struck dante clutched his chest and opened his mouth to scream
07:30but the sound that emerged changed midway transforming from he fell to his knees
07:39he looked at his hands in horror the skin once plump and fair began to wither like a rotting apple
07:46liver spots bloomed across his knuckles in seconds no no my power my face he reached up to touch his
07:54cheek
07:59his scalp burned as it went patchy and bald
08:04his straight proud back snapped forward hunching into a painful calcified arc his teeth loosened in
08:11his gums rattling like dice in a cup without the source the false time had caught up 25 years of
08:19stolen
08:20life postponed by blood magic were being collected in a matter of seconds the sun of light began to
08:26crawl on his belly
08:30he clawed at the pile of gray ash that used to be his brother
08:35with shaking withered hands he scooped up the dust and shoved it into his mouth
08:39help me brother help me his movements slowed his heart old and tired gave a final erratic flutter
08:47the dungeon fell silent save for the mechanical pumps in the wall hissing as they drew on nothing but air
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