Lord Shadow



Alexei has something to think about even in his days of seclusion. And now meeting with the Rat, he now has new things to think about and even many more question

Like who is this new person beside the Magician? The Magician and the Crime Alliance has cooperated with each other but those who knows about this cooperation should know that this cooperation between them is done grudgingly

The Magician never like the Crime Alliance. And there were many times that the Magician killed the members of the Crime Alliance. 

And the Crime Alliance also did not like the Magician that much. The only reason they cooperate is because sometimes their interest aligned. 

And because of that, the Criem Alliance had done some research on the Magician. Alexei of course has access to these files and so he knows something about the Magician.

He knows that this person does not trust anyone. And he had little allies. He is an outsider. He does not bow to the world powers but neither did he identify himself with the rebels and he abhors the Crime Alliance and what it stood for. 

All in all, this is a person who fight against the world…. alone. So, hearing that he now have an ally, set some alarms in Alexei heart. 

At least at this moment, their interest still aligns with each other. 

Because he does not know why is this person helping the Magician? 

Any sane person would not help him. 

In the past when his people began contacting the Magician, he already did an extensive review of the magician and what he concluded is that the Magician is a crazy person.

What he wanted to accomplish is not sane at all. So, he wonders, who is the person that would aid such insane person?

He looks again at John and he frowned. 

He did not believe that John came here simply to remind him of this thing. There are other ways of contacting him that does not requires him to come here

To come here to Moscow, so close to the Senate, so close to Jean quarters and the Ice palace. This is a very dangerous place to be right now. Especially for the Rat. 

Alexei has got some winds that there are people that are searching for him. He heard from a guy that he knew that heard from another guy he knew that the Speedster is sniffing around for the Rat

And that is not good. That is not good at all. 

"Out with it. I don't think you came all the way here just to tell me this inconsequential thing. You have to jump through hoops of security scrambling but if this is all you need to talk about, you could call me through some secret back door line. There is no need for you to come to Moscow at such a…" Alexei tries to find the word before settling into "sensitive time"

John's smirk, his eyes gleaming with an enigmatic glint. 

He savoured the moment, seemingly basking in the wintry atmosphere that surrounded them, as if drawing strength from its icy embrace.

"You're right. I do not come here simply to tell you all of this" 

Alexei waited for him to spit it out 

"I came here because I need your help with something"

And Alexei nodded. 

He might not like the Rat but he still depends on this person. Right now, Alexei knows that the Crime Alliance needs all the ally they could get

"What do you want?"

John did not answer immediately. Instead, he looks toward the distance. He closes his eyes for a few second like he is savoring the coldness that is now enveloping Moscow. 

Then he opens his eyes and spoke 

"Smuggle me into Tartarus"

Hearing this Alexei frowned. For a moment, he did not say anything. There is silence and this silence is pressuring. 

"That's not an easy ask" Alexei said and he paused for a second before saying

"I require something of equal value to make this worth it. If I do this, the world forces would be convinced that there is a mole among them. This is a high-risk task. Unless you have some great treasure or some worthy information that could make this trade equal, I have to decline"

For a moment there is silence between them

In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. 

Tartarus is the place where souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment. 

Originally Tartarus was used only to confine dangers to the gods of Olympus.

  In later mythologies, Tartarus became a space dedicated to the imprisonment and torment of mortals who had sinned against the gods, and each punishment was unique to the condemned. 

In Roman mythology, sinners (as defined by the Roman societal and cultural mores of their time) are sent to Tartarus for punishment after death. 

Virgil describes Tartarus in great detail in the Aeneid, Book VI. 

He described it as expansive. It is surrounded by three perimeter walls, beyond which flows a flaming river named "the Phlegethon.

  To further prevent escape, a hydra with fifty black, gaping jaws, sits atop a gate that screeches when opened. 

They are flanked by adamantine columns, a substance that, like diamond, is so hard, nothing can cut through it.

Inside the walls of Tartarus sits a wide-walled castle with a tall, iron turret. 

Tisiphone, one of the Erinyes who represents vengeance, stands sleepless guard at the top of the turret lashing her whip. 

Roman mythology describes a pit inside extending down into the earth twice as far as the distance from the lands of the living to Olympus. 

The twin sons of the Titan Aloeus were said to be imprisoned at the bottom of this pit.

But in The Republic, there is also a prison. 

A secret prison known only to a few. And this prison is called Tartarus

This Tartarus is a prison of the highest kind, filled with all kinds of horrors that the world could offer. 

Not many people know how the prison looks like. But Alexei knows

Tartarus is a prison veiled in secrecy and known only to a select few within The Republic, existed as a place of unimaginable horrors. 

It is the abyss of torment, where the malevolent souls and the wicked were confined, enduring divine punishment for their transgressions. 

That is basically political talk for political enemies, enemies of the state and enemies of the world

Within its dreaded walls, the very essence of fear and despair permeated the air. The red dark aura permeates the entire prison. 

The prison's construction itself is an enigma, designed to be labyrinthine and disorienting. 

Its twisted corridors and shifting walls could bewilder even the most astute navigators, leading them to wander aimlessly amidst the oppressive darkness.

At this, the Republic took some inspiration from one of the World Government Labyrinthian prison design where one need to have a certain item to successful walk inside this labyrinthine structure

The World Government has something that is called the Lantern of Direction 

Those who hold it could go wherever his heart desire. The description of this particular magical artefact is not really understood by many people. 

Oreki the Thunder Monarch had uses it to save Raymond and Sofia during Pandikar coup. 

It is a place called the Maze and that is where the Republic got the idea. Not only it fits with the whole concept of Tartarus nit also could make full play of vairtaiosn in array formation and could eaiusly be superimposed on top of energy lode. 

Lantern of Direction showing him where he need to go even though he is inside the most 

For those who are not versed in the methods of array formation, illusion, curses and dark magic, Tartarus is a place of no escape, and for many, the agony of eternal confinement awaited.

The first layer of horrors lay in the forms of grotesque and monstrous beings, from colossal titans to sinister entities that defied mortal comprehension. 

Chthonian-like monsters. 

The Dark Seekers has a name for them. 

Anomalous Entities. 

The Dark Seekers of the Republic caught these entities and then imprisoned them and those that they could tame they would throw it into Tartarus making it even more of a horror than it is supposed to be

These abominations lurked in the shadows, ever watchful for any signs of weakness among the prisoners. 

The condemned faced their deepest fears embodied in these monstrosities, each a reflection of their darkest sins and past wrongdoings.

Moreover, dark and malevolent magic permeated every inch of the prison, twisted and intertwined with the very fabric of Tartarus. 

Incantations of suffering and forbidden rituals were etched into the prison walls, amplifying the torment of the captives. 

The very air pulsed with arcane energies, each whisper carrying the promise of excruciating pain.

One of the most dreaded chambers within Tartarus was the Chamber of Nightmares, where the prisoners were subjected to the most potent illusions designed to exploit their deepest traumas and fears. 

Each captive is forced to confront their darkest memories and relive the moments of their worst mistakes, tormenting their minds until their sanity hung by a thread.

The infamous Hydra Gate stood as the last barrier between the prisoners and the outside world. 

Its fifty black, gaping jaws seemed to mock any hope of escape, while its blood-curdling screeches struck fear into even the bravest souls. 

Only those with indomitable wills could pass through this nightmarish gate, and even they faced the risk of being torn asunder by its ravenous maw.

Deep within Tartarus lay the heart of the prison—a dark, foreboding castle with a towering iron turret. 

At its pinnacle stood Tisiphone, one of the Erinyes, mercilessly lashing her whip as she kept vigil over the damned. 

Of course, this is not the real Tisiphone. 

But an illusion of her.

  But an illusion added with some magic make it real. 

And the fear and the despair added to the power of the prison, creating its own rules and laws when you enter Tartarus. 

But perhaps the most insidious aspect of Tartarus was the despair that gripped the prisoners' hearts. 

Hope is an elusive illusion, forever out of reach, leaving them in a perpetual state of hopelessness. 

The chilling echoes of tormented souls resonated within the prison walls, a constant reminder of their unending suffering.

In this realm of perpetual darkness and anguish, time itself seemed to lose meaning. 

Centuries could pass like fleeting moments, and every day felt like an eternity. 

For those confined within Tartarus, the concept of redemption was but a distant memory, and the idea of freedom seemed as unattainable as the stars in the night sky.

the realm of Tartarus—a living nightmare, where every breath was agony and every moment a struggle against the void of despair. 

It is a place designed by the Republic to break the spirit and punish the wicked, a reminder of the consequences that awaited those who dared to defy divine order. 

And the divine order is the order of the strong. 

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