Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The chaotic symphony of destruction between Eve and the Drowned Revenant reverberated around us, the very fabric of the fragment rupturing under the sheer magnitude of their battle.

My ears rang with each collision, the air thick with the metallic tang of energy being ripped apart and rebuilt in an endless cycle, all while Viviane and I were trying our best to fight against the unnatural tide that appeared to be rejecting Viviane despite her constitution as a water nymph.

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Viviane's barrier shimmered weakly, struggling to withstand the aftershocks and the constant harassment of the dense oily sea. "We really need to find the passage rift as soon as possible," she urged, her voice cutting through the cacophony. "This fragment won't hold under their wrath."

"I'm sorry that I'm practically useless in this situation," I uttered.

"I'm glad that you're self-conscious, at the least."

Though I could try somashift my vessel into Lambda, I felt that I was being watched.

Before I could respond back, a voice—eerily similar to Viviane's—whispered through the chaotic din. "Hold still."

The world tilted.

I felt a wrenching pull, like an invisible hook yanking me upward. The white void warped, twisting and stretching into impossible shapes as the voice repeated itself, firmer this time: "Hold still."

And then, we were gone.

When reality reformed around me, the oppressive weight of the fragment's instability had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming stillness. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of lavender and aged wood. My boots clicked softly against polished marble as I staggered, trying to reorient myself.

I found myself in an opulent foyer, the grandeur of the space leaving me momentarily speechless. Gothic arches stretched high above, their black and gold tracery forming intricate patterns that seemed to shift subtly when I wasn't looking. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, each crystal shard pulsating faintly with an internal light that seemed far too alive for mere decoration.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Viviane, still visibly tense from the events of the fragment, gestured to the expansive room. "One of Kuzunoha's private realms. She has several of these... sanctuaries, or mansions, at least twenty of them, if her bragging was anything but credible. They exist outside of Carcosa, detached from its chaos. Even the time of Nihil cannot reach us here."

"Of course she does," I muttered. Leave it to Kuzunoha to have not just one but twenty private mansions across dimensions.

The sound of footsteps interrupted our conversation.

From the shadows of an adjacent hallway emerged another Viviane. She was younger, her orange hair styled in a short bob that framed her sharp features, her eyes filled with a quiet determination that belied her youthful appearance.

"Well met," the alternate Viviane said, her tone clipped yet polite. She turned to my Viviane and gave a slight nod. "You took your time."

"I was rather occupied," my Viviane replied coolly, though there was a flicker of relief in her tone. "I trust you've secured your target of rescue?"

The younger Viviane gestured toward the grand staircase that spiraled upward in elegant curves. "The others are here. You'll see for yourself."

I turned to my Viviane, my curiosity outweighing my disorientation. "Are they safe?"

"We'll see," she echoed, her lips twitching into the faintest of worry before she started toward the stairs.

It seemed like she even had a trust issue with another version of herself.

We entered a sprawling parlor filled with an almost suffocating sense of class and luxury. The space was both cozy and intimidating, with towering bookshelves filled with ancient tomes, plush armchairs arranged in conversational clusters, and a massive hearth crackling with a fire that burned in shifting hues of blue and green.

Ten more Vivianes were gathered here.

Each one was distinct. A stately, mature Viviane with long flowing hair exuded an aura of quiet authority as she examined a map spread across a table. A battle-scarred Viviane lounged against a pillar, her short hair and visible scars a sharp contrast to her cocky smirk. A child-like Viviane perched on the arm of a chair, swinging her legs idly as she hummed a soft tune.

"Is this... a Viviane convention?" I muttered under my breath.

"It's not the first time," my Viviane replied dryly.

The child-like Viviane giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "She's funny. Can we keep her?"

The scarred Viviane snorted, twirling a dagger between her fingers. "Careful, kid. This one's got enough trouble attached to her already."

Before I could respond, a pair of familiar voices called out my name.

"Lady Narcissus!"

I turned sharply, my breath catching as I saw them.

My precious bastioneers.

Yora, Kara, Erika, Sera, Amelia, Naosi, Lydia, and Callista stood together near the hearth, their expressions ranging from relief to barely restrained joy. Erika, in particular, looked as though she might collapse from sheer emotion as she broke away from the group and rushed toward me.

"Lady Narcissus!" she cried again, her amber eyes glistening with unshed tears. She dropped to her knees before me, clutching the hem of my cloak as if it were a lifeline. "You're safe... You're really safe… I can't believe that this is happening… huwaaaa!"

The weight of her words struck me. "Of course I am," I replied, keeping my tone even despite the lump forming in my throat. "You sound like I have been gone for twenty years.

Erika shook her head fervently, her tears spilling over as she looked up at me with an expression of pure, unfiltered devotion. "It felt like more than twenty years!!"

The others approached more hesitantly, their reverence tempered by a mix of exhaustion and relief. "It's good to see you again, my Lady," Amelia said, bowing slightly. "We feared the worst."

"As if she'd let something like the Nihil take her down," Lydia added with a smirk, though the tension in her shoulders betrayed the depth of her concern. "I think that underestimating our golden leader is quite arrogant on our part."

Sera adjusted her meek persona, but her sharp gaze lingering on me. "Still... we're glad to see you in one piece!"

I nodded, my composure intact despite the surge of emotion threatening to break through. "I'm glad to see all of you as well," I said, my voice steady. "You've all done well to make it back here."

"Not without her," Naosi said, jerking her thumb toward Erika. "When we reunited along the way, she saved us more times than I can count. Somehow, she always knew when and where to move, like she could see what was coming."

"I-I thought that we agreed to not report this to our glorious leader!" Erika embarrassingly complained.

"Hey, that is part of the leader's order right after you went cuckoo with the amount of idol statues that you created," Naosi shrugged.

"Uuuuh!"

My eyes narrowed slightly as I glanced at Erika, who flushed under my scrutiny. I filed the observation away for later. There would be time to pry into that mystery. For now, I turned to the two figures standing slightly apart from the group.

Verina and Lupina.

"Verina," I said, my voice softening slightly. "Lupina."

Verina inclined her head, her expression unreadable save for the faintest glimmer of relief in her eyes. "I see you've managed to keep yourself intact. I'd expect nothing less of my beloved fiance."

Ahahaha, I hope that she won't ever know that there was just another person who had also proclaimed me as their fiance.

Lupina, cradled in Verina's arms as usual, grinned lazily. "Told you she'd be fine. Our Lady's too stubborn to let some cosmic nonsense take her out."

"What kind of impression do you have of me?"

"Another living nonsense," Lupina replied dryly. "The good kind, obviously."

"Because my existence is benefitting all of you."

"Correct~!"

"Haa," I sighed out an air of relief. "I regret worrying all of you."

Our casual yet warm acknowledgment brought a sense of normalcy back to the surreal reunion. I was about to respond when Viviane—my Viviane—interjected.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"She cried," she announced, her tone far too neutral to be innocent.

I froze, my carefully crafted composure threatening to shatter. "What?"

Viviane continued, ignoring the mortified glare I shot her way. "When we were trapped in the fragment, she cried a river worrying about all of you."

A stunned silence followed.

Then, to my utter dismay, Erika burst into tears again, this time from sheer joy. "Her holiness," she sobbed, clutching my hands tightly. "You... you care so much..."

Even Verina's lips twitched into a faint smile that was nearly bursting into something else, and Lupina let out a low chuckle. "Well, well. Looks like someone does have a heart after all."

"I do not cry," I said firmly, though my voice lacked its usual authority. "Viviane is exaggerating. Also, since when did I mention that I don't have a heart?"

"She isn't," the child-like Viviane chimed in cheerfully. "You were a mess."

I buried my face in my hand, muttering a string of curses under my breath. "I am surrounded by traitors."