OP Absorption
Chapter 89: Well Needed Rest

Chapter 89: Well Needed Rest

Meg blinked, taking in the throne room. It wasn’t exactly what she’d expected from whatever shadowy dimension Fin pulled out of thin air. It was... big. Really big. High ceilings, dark stone walls, but softened somehow.

Not the scary, jagged obsidian nightmare she might have pictured. More like... gothically grand? And hang on, were those velvet drapes? Since when was Fin a velvet kind of guy?

’This place is kinda weird,’ she thought, still holding Fin’s hand, feeling the solid warmth grounding her amidst the strangeness. ’But... less terrifying than I thought?’ It felt vast and powerful, sure, but not actively hostile. Almost... welcoming? She squinted at a large tapestry hanging on the far wall.

The swirling patterns looked vaguely familiar. Like something she might have doodled once. Huh. Weird.

Beside her, Scarlet let out a low whistle, her earlier bravado momentarily forgotten. She scanned the room, not with Meg’s bewildered curiosity, but with the sharp, assessing gaze of someone evaluating power.

’Definitely not a dungeon,’ her mind raced. The energy signature was immense, controlled, woven into the very fabric of the space. This wasn’t just raw power; it was dominion. ’He made this? Or claimed it? Is he really a King? Varn underestimated him. Badly.’ The sheer scale of it, the stability... this was way beyond anything she’d encountered outside of established high-tier entities.

Just as Meg was about to ask Fin exactly what this place was (and maybe comment on the suspicious resemblance to her pictures), light footsteps echoed from an archway off to the side.

A young woman emerged, walking quickly towards them. Dark hair, pale skin, simple dark clothes.

Scarlet instinctively tensed, her hand drifting towards where her daggers would be if she hadn’t dropped them. Another occupant? Hostile? But the woman didn’t radiate threat, just... presence. And she looked human. Mostly. Her gaze, however, held a sharpness that prickled Scarlet’s danger sense.

One glare from Arachne sent chills down her spine; this was no normal woman.

Meg moved slightly behind Fin as the woman approached. She stopped a few feet away and bowed her head respectfully towards Fin. "Welcome back, my Lord."

’Lord?’ Meg mouthed silently, looking up at Fin with wide, confused eyes.

What was going on? Since when was he anybody’s ’Lord’? Scarlet’s eyebrows shot up, her expression mirroring Meg’s confusion. This was getting weirder by the second.

Arachne straightened, her dark eyes flicking over Meg assessing her injuries. "Is this... Meg?" she asked, her voice quiet, polite.

"Yeah," he confirmed simply.

Arachne then turned her attention to Scarlet, her gaze instantly hardening, losing its earlier deference. The assessment was cold, sharp, predatory. "And who is this?" The question held an edge, a clear implication that Scarlet’s presence was unexpected and likely unwelcome.

Scarlet bristled. After everything she’d just been through, she wasn’t in the mood to be questioned by some... servant girl, human-looking or not.

"None of your damn business, housekeeper," she retorted rudely, crossing her arms despite the lingering pain.

Big mistake.

One moment Arachne stood several feet away. The next, she was directly in front of Scarlet, a blur of motion too fast to properly track. Her hand was raised, fingers curled slightly into claws, radiating killing intent. Scarlet barely had time to register the threat, her eyes widening in shock at the impossible speed—

"Arachne. Stop."

Fin’s voice was quiet, flat, but held absolute command.

She froze instantly, her hand hovering inches from Scarlet’s face. The killing intent vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by perfect obedience. She lowered her hand slowly, stepping back, though her glare towards Scarlet remained frosty.

"How’s Juliana?" He asked, turning his attention back to Arachne, seemingly unfazed by the near-attack.

Arachne composed herself immediately. "No change, my Lord. Her body remains perfectly preserved in the chamber you designated." She hesitated, a flicker of confusion crossing her now-human features. "Though... forgive my asking, my Lord, but why maintain a deceased vessel?"

Scarlet blinked, processing. Juliana? The name sparked a memory. That fight with Fin in the zombie dungeon weeks ago. That girl, the one with the strange energy, the one who was supposed to be sacrificed for the ancient one.

’Wait,’ she thought, sudden realization dawning. ’Juliana? That girl? The one from the dungeon? She’s dead? Here? What the hell is happening?’ The sheer strangeness of Fin keeping the corpse in his weird, personal dimension sent a fresh wave of unease through her. This ’King’ was stranger, and potentially far more dangerous, than she’d first assumed.

---

Fin looked down at Juliana’s form, serene on the bier within the designated chamber, then back at Arachne. Her question about why he kept the body still hung in the air.

’Why did I keep her?’ He didn’t have a logical answer. Just... a feeling. A deep, instinctual certainty that she was important, that her sacrifice shouldn’t be forgotten, that her presence here mattered somehow. Like a key he hadn’t found the lock for yet.

"She’s important," he said finally, the words simple but firm, leaving no room for argument. He met Arachne’s gaze. "I don’t know why yet. Just... make sure this room stays secure. No one enters. Understand?"

she bowed her head again, accepting the command without further question. "Yes, my Lord." ’Important how? More important than the living girl he brought?’ Her curiosity remained, but she knew better than to voice it now. His tone was final.

"Okay," he turned, rubbing his temples. The adrenaline crash was hitting hard now, leaving him feeling drained, frayed at the edges. "It’s been... a week." Understatement of the century. "These two," he gestured back towards the throne room where Meg and Scarlet waited, "they need somewhere to rest. Clean up. Whatever."

"Of course, my Lord," she replied smoothly. "I will see them settled."

"Good." He needed sleep. Badly. Just a few hours to shut down, process everything. Or maybe just not process anything at all. "Where’s my room?"

"This way, my Lord." She led him back towards the main hall, then indicated another archway, grander than the one leading to Juliana’s chamber. "The Master Suite is prepared."

He nodded curtly. "Take care of them," he added, glancing back towards Meg and Scarlet, who were watching their approach with wary expressions. Meg looked utterly exhausted, leaning slightly against a pillar, while Scarlet stood stiffly, trying to appear nonchalant despite her obvious injuries and the strangeness of the situation.

Arachne turned towards the two women, her polite demeanor firmly in place, though her gaze lingered on Scarlet with a touch of cold assessment. "If you will follow me, please."

Meg looked at Fin, a silent question in her eyes. He gave her a small, reassuring nod. ’Go rest. We’ll figure this out later.’ She seemed to understand, pushing off the pillar and starting hesitantly after Arachne.

Scarlet watched them go for a beat, then shrugged, a flicker of her old bravado returning. ’Might as well see the accommodations. Better than bleeding out in an alley.’ She limped slightly as she followed, casting one last curious glance at Fin before disappearing down the corridor with the others.

Fin didn’t wait. He turned and walked towards the archway Arachne had indicated, eager for solitude and silence.

The room was huge. Way bigger than his entire apartment back home. Dark wood, rich fabrics, a massive bed that looked like it could sleep ten. A fireplace crackled merrily in one corner, even though the air wasn’t particularly cold. Definitely fit for a ruler, or at least someone who thought they were. ’Ridiculous,’ he thought, but damn, it looked comfortable.

He stripped off his worn, blood-and-grime-stained jacket and shirt, tossing them carelessly onto a plush armchair. He kicked off his boots and padded across the soft rug towards the bed. The mattress sighed under his weight as he flopped down onto his back, staring up at the high, shadowed ceiling.

’Gods, admins, demons, Kings. Domains. Association. Varn. Meg hurt. Scarlet... free? Arachne is human now? Juliana...’ His brain felt overloaded, fizzing with too many inputs, too many dangers, too many unknowns. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the thoughts away.

Just for a little while. Sleep. He needed sleep. Let the power hum quietly, let the rage settle, let the cold logic take a break. Just... quiet.

He took a deep breath, letting the tension slowly drain from his limbs, sinking into the welcoming softness of the bed. Peace. Finally. Just for a moment...

But somewhere in his domain, intruders were entering.

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