The Man Turned a Monster, Part 3

"Life rarely turns out exactly the way we want it to. For most, navigating the unexpected is simply a part of life. Though it is easier for some, than others. The man who's heart was once full of joy, and cheer, was crushed by the departure of his close cousin. Though he tried his best to live a happy life without her presence, it had become far more difficult. As time went on, his remaining friends were pulled away from him. Some by choice, others by circumstances. All the things that once brought him joy in life were ripped away from him, and soon, he found himself alone, with a job he despised, and memories of better times. The man became cold, and bitter. Where joy, and optimism once flourished, now there was only depression, and spite. With no network of support, the man fell deeper, and deeper into the recesses of his mind. In turn, he concluded that the world had no place for him anymore, and he turned to the one place where he felt some semblance of control. The man retreated into the endless, twisting highways of Subspace, and was forgotten by the world. There, the man honed his knowledge of the plane, and the arcane. He became a powerful mage, and begun to learn to manipulate the highways of Subspace to suit his own desires. In turn, it corrupted his mind, and shattered what little morality he'd still had. In time, he found the truth behind his cousin's departure all those years before. She had claimed she was going to help people on a mountain, but now his eyes were opened. She had been deceived by a Fae to serve some sort of grand plan. He vowed to utterly destroy the Fae that stole his cousin from him, and free her from it's grasp, but knew he did not have the power needed to do so. The man continued to hone his craft, but found he would never be able to achieve the power he sought on his own. Instead, the man turned to creating weapons to be used against the Fae. Those unfortunate enough to find themselves lost in Subspace were captured by the man, and subjected to excruciating experiments. The man aimed to turn them into weapons, capable of damaging the Fae. However, no matter what he tried, the man simply was not able to create the weapon he needed. In his frustration, the man sought to bring himself comfort, by re-creating the city he once lived in inside Subspace. However, the man failed to realize the power needed for such a feat. Instead of re-creating the city, it was forcibly removed from the material plane, and shifted to Subspace, along with all of it's inhabitants. Though, this did not deter the man from his goals. Instead, it provided him with far more test subjects than he could have ever hoped for. Many of the city's residents suffered horribly at the hands of the man. Those who were fortunate enough to avoid him, were slowly twisted by Subspace, until they became creatures, completely unrecognizable from whom they once were. Some still roam the streets of the city, doomed to wander in their twisted, tormented forms for eternity. In the end, the man found the solution to his lifelong goal, and because of that, you are now here." Asuka remains silent as Deena places a finger on her chest. It was all starting to make sense now. Though she wasn't entirely sure who the man from the stories was, she knew why he'd kidnapped her now. He was trying to get revenge on some sort of Fae for 'seducing' his cousin, and Asuka was the only person capable of harming it somehow. Now she's VERY glad she escaped her old apartment when she first got here. She doesn't want to become a living weapon. A tool for revenge in someone else's miserable scheme. She needs to get out of here, but judging by the stories Deena has told her, this guy could easily find her if she left the city. She couldn't go alone, that's for sure. "Deena." Asuka begins. "Do you ever think about leaving this place?" Deena gives a small shake of her head. "The world outside has no place for me. My curse is reviled by those I once knew, and he is keen on keeping me within the city, as to avoid any interference with his plans." The two share a moment of silence, but it's quickly broken by Asuka. "Then, why don't you come with me? If he comes back, and finds out you've helped me, he'll probably try to kill you, and people where I'm from are very understanding, and accepting. You could start a new life, in a new place." Deena opens her mouth to object, but she quickly realizes that Asuka is right. The man will just kill her if he returns to the city to find his subject missing, and he could certainly trace it back to her. Not to mention, she's been having strange visions as of late, and they tell her that they aren't alone in Subspace at the moment. Someone else... no, multiple people are somewhere in Subspace, looking for something, or someone. Perhaps, this Asuka's cousin is still the optimistic, determined, stubborn protector that Deena used to know. Perhaps he's looking for his cousin, and Deena could help them. "Very well Asuka. You have convinced me. Once your wounds have fully healed, we shall gather supplies, and set out. I have a good feeling that we will not be alone on our journey for very long."