I'll do my hardest poll, so judge me Queen of Polls @lychee and Master of Polls @girisuherman! Spoiler: Unclean Version Your name in this nightmare is Victim. Victim had woken up in a dreamy castle made of the finest workings of craftsmen of Victim's era. Victim didn't know who Victim was before, but all Victim could remember was Victim's purpose being sent here. Indeed, Victim originally belonged outside this castle's walls, further deep inside its halls, was a throne room. This throne room didn't exactly look like one as it lacked furniture, flags or ornaments symbolizing its sovereign power. Though, it didn't matter to Victim, because Victim knew the owner of that throne hall and the beings who ruled over this floating castle in the abyss. Victim's purpose was precisely why Victim was named after a victim. Victim was already considered dead in the outside world, though Victim couldn't even remember how the outside world was before Victim was sent here. All Victim could do was delay the inevitable by avoiding that throne room or finally decide to answer the rulers of Chaste Castle. Why called Chaste Castle? The castle afloat in the terrible colors mixing together in the void, was the famed impregnable and eternally pure stronghold against the evil forces in the void. The Abyss was a realm where human logic didn't reason out with the creatures residing in the Abyss's deepest layers. Naturally, someone like Victim who was a human sacrifice could continue to live nearly a century here unharmed from the nightmarish things outside Chaste Castle's walls, was because of the castle's own special properties. As the name provided, it would never be tainted by anything outside its walls, and like the meaning of its name; it would forever remain untouched by the temporal flow of time. Reality had no influence over Chaste Castle, especially when the castle's current location was in the Abyss's middle-layers. A realm deeper than most any soul or being could dare fall into, as the Abyss was not exactly considered a place or realm; it was more of chaos unfolding in waves after waves with each wave crushing everything its trajectory. Such waves held the weight of countless temporal laws that could easily annihilate foreign elements in the Abyss. Victim could only sigh in lamentation with small unwillingness left inside Victim's heart. Victim had truly Victim's time here for nearly a century, as Chaste Castle prohibited change inside its walls too. No one could die inside these walls. No one would hunger or thirst no matter how years go by. Except by leaving the castle's only entrance and exist, the throne room, but Victim knew should Victim go inside the throne room, all these years of delaying would truly come to an end. Victim had spend near a century touring Chaste Castle's rooms and floors, except the throne room and having expected something to help lessen the lonesomeness within Victim. The result was another deep sigh with an immense loss of expectations for this strange castle in the abyss. Going up the spiraling stairs by the corner of the hallways, only made Victim return to where Victim had left just a moment ago. Victim had repeated many different attempts in reaching the upper floors, but to no avail. Something was forcefully trapping Victim on the base floor, and for the rooms on this floor, they were all empty. Same with the throne room, nothing but an empty wide space for rooms. Strangely, why was it called a castle, when it resembled a doll house more. No furniture, ornaments, or even things to grasp in this castle. If so, how did Victim know this was a castle? It's because the ruler of Chaste Castle declared so, on their first meeting on that fateful day. You are now viewing a flashback. Victim had woke up on the red crystal ground in great discomfort with darkness surrounding Victim. Naked without clothing or any memory of how such an indecent situation could happen. Trying to get up, Victim felt a sudden loss of strength as Victim went crashing down on the red crystal ground with Victim's cheeks meeting the somewhat smooth cold floor? Odd, the whole area was filled with darkness covering the everything except the glowing red floor. Now looking closer on the red floor's interiors, something moved. A chill invaded Victim's body as Victim drew back up in fear. Something was inside the floor. No, something disgusting and alive beyond what Victim's mind could comprehend was beneath the smooth red crystal floor. How did Victim not notice it? It was likely, because of waking up in such strange circumstances and more so, with the glowing light covering what was seen inside the ground. Large and small chunks of pink fleshly substances were twisting and moving around. They resembled human intestines crawling and slithering silently, but there was no blood on them. It was as if these large and small intestines were already cleaned so thoroughly, not even the smell of flesh or blood permeated throughout the air. Just a smooth icy floor with a little bit of warmth around Victim's sweating body. It took a few minutes for Victim's breathing to calm as now Victim continued to stare on the grotesqueness of the floor. "Thou shalt stop gawking at mine secrets, filthy vermin." A cold voice uttered in the darkness. It was close to that of a woman's tone, but the pressure released by the voice made Victim stopped all action. Froze on spot while still naked, the darkness surrounding Victim dispersed into nothingness. A scarlet swirl of evil energy had shattered the darkness around Victim, while the remnant darkness was swiftly sliced into nothingness before Victim could register what happened. Still naked, long before in a distance from Victim, were steps climbing up on what could be seen as a wide stage. On the wide stage was a throne. Now clearer than before, Victim finally could see where Victim was currently standing. It was a throne room filled with nothing but glowing red crystals with flesh inside them coursing throughout the throne room. On the wide stage was a scarlet throne larger than the pillars supporting the throne room. On the scarlet throne was seated a monstrous figure with feminine qualities. Like a nightmarish dragon covered with soot all over her, the monstrous figure was a giant compared to Victim's minuscule size. A dress made of darker shades of dragon scales from the colorful twilight to midnight with crimson hues at the end of its edges. Sitting with its flexible and strong legs over another and possibly its chin supported by its claw-like hands. Victim could only stop at its waist, because any further above the waist warned Victim something terrible would ensue. Stopping only by looking the waist, the frozen Victim could finally breathe in exaggeration. "Thou art satisfied? Very well, mine self shall explain briefly only once about thine self's circumstances and a little about mine castle." The ruler on the scarlet throne explained in a concise manner with arrogance spewing out each word towards Victim about what was happening here and why it was happening. Each word pounded Victim's brain with unreasonableness Victim would never have imagined in a lifetime, much less experience in them. Victim still felt everything was a nightmare Victim would wake up from, but the ruler on the scarlet throne sensed Victim's inner feelings. "Toss thine vain hopes for solace, for thou art a caged worm in mine realm." The ruler's arrogant words crushed Victim's hopes for release from such a nightmare. Finally realizing what was happening is real, Victim could only hopelessly drop to the ground naked while holding Victim's own knees. As if to cover Victim from the insanity of it all, Victim's body trembled like a shaking leaf and continued to hug Victim's own body by tightening Victim's hold. Believing in by doing so, perhaps Victim would feel warmer and safe. Seeing the reaction of Victim closing Victim's heart and mind, the ruler on the scarlet throne simply didn't care. It only appeared to remind Victim of Victim's destiny here. Nothing could be done to undo what already has transpired. The ruler continued to watch this farce until it got bored. Blowing a hot whirlwind strong enough to burn and raze down even the sturdiest of fortresses, Victim was hurled out the throne room into the castle's halls with Victim's body destroyed in the process. Victim didn't see such a death coming and screamed in Victim's unwillingness to die by such a turnabout of events. As Victim was blown away by the small blow of hot air by the monstrous being above, Victim's body reached its destination as the skin vaporized alongside the crushing of muscles and bones. The bloody entrails and flesh flying about were also vaporized by the heat as only Victim's half-melted skull tumbled down the hallway. Victim died too fast before Victim could experience the overall sensation of death. Darkness immediately consumed Victim's sights and consciousness as Victim's body was sent away at the moment it came contact with the hot whirlwind. Looking at the distant Victim's remains left in the dark hallways, the ruler on the scarlet throne remained indifferent. Resting on its throne with its sharp eyes closing, it only by a mere second, sympathized with Victim, because it knew all too well about the envy in humans. Enough, it stopped thinking about Victim, because such sentimentality didn't befit her, the Ruler of Chaste Castle; she who took over this era's Royal Selection for the cult. Victim had sooner revived from such a death back then. Remembering Victim's own death had made Victim terrified whether if everything was real or not for months. It took few years to process what happened, as Victim had already closed Victim's own self from the world. No normal human could withstand death multiple times as death came only once after all. More so, trapped in what could be considered a castle somewhere in the void of nowhere. Taking time to remember what the Ruler of Chaste Castle told Victim about her reason being here and why it happened, made Victim despair enough to warrant suicide. Victim did attempt countless suicides, but it was all useless. Remembering what was said only once in the throne room finally made her accept what was before is gone and what is now is forever. Deciding it was no good staying in the hallways naked, Victim went around the castle to look for something to wear. It was not freezing nor was it warmth either, but the mood was awfully somber. Looking around the castle except the throne room, everything was made in intricate designs completely different from the throne room where only that grotesque sight made her feel like vomiting. Memories of her death started flowing back in, so in order to avoid suffering from such a memory, Victim held the mouth and breathed in and out slowly. Rested after a few minutes, strangely, there was no sign of strength draining or Victim's throat drying. Victim didn't even feel sleepy or tired after spending a week around the same routine in Chaste Castle. Weeks became months and months to years. Along the years, Victim already found a room as Victim's only sanctuary while still naked. Weirdly so, Victim didn't feel cold or bad anymore as the sense of shame had disappeared throughout Victim's years in Chaste Castle. As for furniture, ornaments or things found normally in castles, there were nothing like that. Completely different shaped rooms with wide empty spaces and overly expanding hallways. Everything seem to be turning or moving in different locations in Chaste Castle as if the whole castle was alive and conscious of Victim's actions. Victim felt the the castle was doing this to break Victim's vain resistance in entering the throne room. As for the room Victim settled in, nothing of the like changed, so it became Victim's sanctuary ironically. Choosing an empty room with a window showing the outside of the castle. A colorful chaos with myriad energies coiling in endless waves. Sometimes there were creatures of abnormal shapes and sizes, and some with forms enough to break the mind by just gazing at them. Fortunately or not, Victim was safe from such effects inside the castle's walls. It didn't allow any change to happen to Chaste Castle, because the Ruler of the Scarlet Throne inside it opposed any change. Victim didn't easily forget about the details concerning this castle and Victim, because after spend years in isolation and few outbursts of madness, everything became easy to process except for the fact it was all happening to Victim. Victim was originally a resident of some country on a small star-level world in the upper layers of the Abyss. Victim had garnered the attention of some bigwigs including Victim's own peers, causing them to banish Victim here due to their envy. Indeed, their envy towards Victim had sent Victim to Chaste Castle. Though, such a destination was unintentional for them, because Victim was supposed to have died on the outskirts of the country. Victim couldn't recall exactly what made them envy Victim or who those people were in Victim's memories. Everything felt vague and information was obscured in the running years spent in Chaste Castle. Even the emotions inside Victim were gradually fading in time except for the abnormal hope in defying the Ruler of Chaste Castle. Another information given by the Ruler of Chaste Castle was that of the strange powers bestowed upon Chaste Castle. Indeed, calling the castle chaste, because it would never succumb to change of any sort. Eternally pure and without taint, ageless and empty of its contents. Victim didn't know why, but Victim had a faint notice that the Chaste Castle resembled a woman's womb. Maybe it was the lonesomeness getting into Victim's mind. Lastly, why Victim was sent here. In truth, Victim wasn't even suppose to be here, but Chaste Castle had drawn Victim body and soul here. Not even the Ruler of Chaste Castle could fully understand the intentions of this floating castle in the abyss. Still, the castle meant no harm to the castle's owner and that was the reason why Victim was allowed to stay here forever, should Victim decide not to follow the Ruler of Chaste Castle's command. The command was absurd, because it meant abandoning Victim's current self both physically and spiritually. The Ruler of Chaste Castle speculated that Chaste Castle had summoned Victim here in hopes of becoming the next Ruler of Chaste Castle. An insane leap of logic coming from the castle's owner. Becoming something like the Ruler of Chaste Castle, like that monstrous being in that nightmarish scarlet throne room? That was definitely a no for Victim, so Victim could only choose to spend Victim's days here forever until either Victim became truly insane or decided to enter the throne room again to discuss with the Ruler of Chaste Castle. Back to present time. Victim stopped reminiscing about Victim's circumstances, as almost a century had passed in Victim's time here. How was Victim able to gauge time here when time could not taint the castle? It was a miracle to be precised, because the room chosen by Victim didn't erased the marks on the walls inside the room. How many bloody marks forming large counts on the walls to remind how many days or years had passed. Each bloody line from the intense grinding of Victim's fingers outright rupturing and bleeding, using Victim's mangle hands to write down how many days went by as after a few moments, the wounds would disappear. It was a torturous endeavor which Victim went through daily, because knowing how much time pass kept at least a resemblance of sanity left in Victim's crumbling mind. The heart was already numbed, like the castle itself: stagnant. Nothing could move Victim easily anymore, except for the prolonging agony of dying or the terrible visions appearing when approaching the throne room. Clean Version | You are Victim Victim was suppose to die in their original world, because they were schemed against by the envious influential people in the upper stratum and also betrayed by their trusted companions and family. Assassinated and to be left alone dying in the outskirts of their country, Victim was summoned to the Abyss. In the Abyss was the drifting Chaste Castle which remained untouched by the elements or the forces within the Abyss's middle-layers and upper-layers. After their summoning, they awoke in a strange room of darkness filled with nothing but stale air and a coldness invading them. Left in confusion as to what happen, their mind is struggling to comprehend what happen back then, because they indeed did die in their original world. The summoning had forced the dead Victim to return alive in their chaste state, so the Victim now is before any damage was done and when they were still or are a virgin. A forceful revival would leave gaps in their memory, especially the transmutation of a human's soul within the Abyss safely. On point, the Royal Seat of Envy who was the current ruler of this realm, as inside the castle was an entirely separate dimension from the Abyss. The Royal Seat of Envy, she simply told Victim about what happened to her and also informed her about her only choices in this matter. It was to either waste away in her castle or take over her as the next Royal Seat of Envy, the current owner of Chaste Castle. They obviously at first didn't easily accept the sudden change of events, and were still processing their death back at their original world. Unwilling and losing hope in utter confusion, they were killed soon after being told by the Royal Seat of Envy with her mere blow of hot wind. Vaporizing them until only small remains left as their skull went rolling down the hallway, away from the throne room; soon later their scorched remains reverted back to their naked state unharmed. Instantly, they collapsed on the hallways believing everything was a dream, but it was reality. In their futile attempts to die, they killed themselves brutally within the hallways, but they would revert back to their initial state. Cursed and cursing their fate, they spend nearly a century in the floating castle in the void. Soon they grew numb of everything, except their immense fear from going near or entering the throne room. Left traumatize, they only continued to stay in the corner of the castle inside a room with an open window to the Abyss. Inside the slightly dark room illuminated by the colorful chaos outside, there over thousands of bloody lines covering the whole room. These ghastly marks were them physically grinding their bodies on the walls to remind them how many days passed. It was a torturous process, since the castle would never allow any damage to their body or within the castle itself. The blood smeared on the walls did not damage the walls, so they were left untouched by the castle's eerie phenomenon. Victim has the possibility of finally dying should they escape through the window in the bloody room. They can also stay like this forever while their sanity finally disappears as they stare the colorful chaos outside. They still have the choice of entering the throne room made of living flesh moving inside the throne room's crystallized pillars, grounds, walls, and even the scarlet throne with screaming souls inside them boiling in deep red. What would you do in such a situation? Would you be able to retain your sanity in this situation? Would you accept your destiny? Would you venture outside through the window? Would you be willing to become with her?
I would probably try to open a window the moment i see one, thinking that it's probably not openable or there is an invisible wall. Other than that, i would just look around the castle a bit to sate my curiosity and then go talk with the owner, ask some questions and then decide what to do depending on the exact circumstances.
Yeah. It's so long that I gave up reading after 2-3 sentences. Also, the repetitive word 'Victim' makes it hard for me to immerse myself into the story.
I still don't know how you guys, bunch bookworms can give up so easily after a few lines. We are supposed to be the best of the best!
There are about 148 words that are "victim" in that text. At least replace some of those with a pronoun or something, it hurts my eyes to see this much repetition.
*Insert ain't nobody got time for dat meme* Not gonna lie, I was expecting lorem ipsum halfway through.
It was like reading textbooks!! I wanted to continue reading but I couldn't go further... Wow, you actually counted!! Thanks for the stats. I'll take your word for it.
I've seen webnovel chapters of 3k+ and this only clocks in at 2,661 words. 1. What should you as the victim do in this situation? I'm not a victim. I'm a survivor. I'll definitely be planning revenge on the people responsible for putting me in there as well as how to deal with the queen/tower in the future. 2. Would you be able to retain your sanity in this situation? Most of it. Not all of it. I'd surrender enough of my sanity to keep my mind from breaking under the strain of my experiences and survive it. 3. Would you accept your destiny as the victim? Again, I'm not the victim. My destiny is mine to create with my own strength and ability. 4. Would you venture outside through the window? Sure. I've doubt countless times in agonizing ways. If I wasn't afraid of death before I ended up at the tower I definitely wouldn't fear it now. I'm just mad enough to survive, remember? 5. Would you be willing to trade places with her? Only if it means I can destroy her on the spot. Also, I'll be working to bend the tower to my will and break it if I have to. You'd have to give me an extremely compelling reason to halt my objectives and after being so thoroughly abused torture and murder won't deter me anymore.
I’m kind of half asleep so I’m unsure of what I read! Could someone tell me exactly why the situation is so horrific? The owner doesn’t seem all that bad! Except for the random killing of course, but I mean, you’re immortal right?
I was suppose to make this quite short in comparison to what I actually typed in. It was suppose... to be a poll about a royal selection of seats about my cult. But, I got too into the setting, I accidentally went full writing a story instead without minding the grammar. It just came to me and before I realize, shit happened and we got this mess of a text. I'm thinking of making another thread and hopefully will not turn into something like by accident. I mean, look at this mess! This will obviously deter others from properly answering the poll. It's not even clean! Hell, I wasn't thinking straight when I was writing this. What the fuck is wrong with me? Sighs. Anyway, I'm going to edit the entire text to a readable degree by the very least. Back to your question, yes? I made a clean version back in the first post, and here's my reply to your question. "Victim has the possibility of finally dying should they escape through the window in the bloody room. They can also stay like this forever while their sanity finally disappears as they stare the colorful chaos outside. They still have the choice of entering the throne room made of living flesh moving inside the throne room's crystallized pillars, grounds, walls, and even the scarlet throne with screaming souls inside them boiling in deep red." - #1 Revised
Yes but what is so bad about the throne room? sure it sounds creepy but you’d get over it at some point, right?