Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

433  Torture and sea of Styx

"You can torture me all you want. But we both know you don't have the guts to kill me." Amy spoke, her calm words among the tears surprising even Apate.

"Have you ever thought that you're not even worth the effort of mine to kill you?" Apate joked with a teasing smile, and then added, "You didn't realize a single thing from all my previous illusions, did you? You're nothing. Not even an ant in my eyes."

"Then why don't you let me go? And we'll see about that." Amy spoke arrogantly, her body slowly getting used to the pressure under Gauri's passive primordial aura. "I would." Apate spoke and chuckled, but then shook her head, "But you see, my men outside are quite busy creating an art piece. And I don't want you to ruin it."

"You're delaying me?"

"Don't act so surprised. I'm the goddess of deceit, remember." Apate said, sneering at her pitiful acting skill, and fake realization look. Knowing a villain dies by talking too much, Apate stopped talking and started her torture again. .. Amy didn't know how long she had been trapped here. She didn't even know if the concept of time was something that even existed here.

Her realm of illusion started from the simple guilt trip, mainly focused on attacking her psychological defenses _ but just when she saw the truth and was about to break out of it, Apate appeared and changed the game. Amy's constant disregard and over the limit threats seem to upset the pride of Pandora's top spirit, and she appeared in the open and started torturing her herself. It began with suppressing her space element, shattering her cells, burning her body, and hearing the screams echo in the sky. _ to painful methods of torture inspired from the various legends of her era. One time Amy watched the red sky turn into a yellow lake, the land turning into lava, and then every piece of sand morph together to form serpents. Apate called it a trip down underworld, and laughed as the snakes rolled over her body and bit her endlessly. Poisoning her with those sharp fangs and double slitted tongue. Just when Amy felt like she couldn't resist the burning sensation and cold poison, and that her body couldn't take it anymore, Apate waved her hand and pulled her back. Amy felt everything around her disappear and found herself standing face to face with the goddess again. Her body had no marks of burns or snake bites, making one doubt if everything she suffered from was real or not. If not for the soul protection bell, and the God level earrings which passively had a calming and healing effect, Amy was sure she wouldn't be able to hold on. (These two were her soul bound artifacts so even Apate couldn't strip them away, not unless she completely wiped out her soul.) But even though these artifacts helped Amy share the burden, the illusive pain still felt too real. "Was that enough, or do you need more?" Apate spoke mischievously, her face showing no remorse for her actions, only ecstasy. "The moment I step out of this shitty illusion realm, you better count your days." Amy spoke in between rugged breath, not giving in to the pressure or pain. "I'm going to enjoy killing your minions."

The goddess was prideful, and stubborn. And Amy was even more crazy. Her body begged for the sweet release from pain, yet like a masochist, who was taking pleasure in punishments, she seemed psychotic too. Make no mistake, Amy was in no way enjoying it. She was literally hanging on her last thread of sanity here. But as her brother once said, that when pain reaches a certain threshold, your body becomes numb, and then everything else just fuels your anger. If before today Amy just hated Gyandel, then today all that hatred, and more, were transferred on Apate's head. She may have spoken many threats before, but only now, did she really feel the resolve to fulfill them. After the initial torture, Amy's brain simply became numb. Now the more Apate laughed at her screams and suffering, the more she swore she'll enjoy killing her people. A double, a dozen, _no, a hundred times.. She'll make sure Apate and all her army feels a thousand times worse than what she went through just now. Just like how Gauri was always kind and gentle until someone touched her bottom line. Cause then, her calming nature disappears and chaos takes reigns in the form of Kali. Same was the case with her chosen avatar. And be it the wish of fate, or foolishness of a goddess newborn, Apate was forcing her luck. "I don't like the look in your eyes." Apate said, staring at the eyes of Amy and not seeing any fear, only anger. Apate flicked her palm and waved her hand again. This time Amy found herself nailed on a large cross and as she looked up, she saw the red sun turning into a crow which poked her eyes and blinded her. "I call it the Prometheus treatment." Apate spoke watching as Amy's eyes got healed and then the bird ate them again. For the next dozen, hundred, or maybe thousands of time every time Amy healed, and had her vision restored, the crow would come and prick them useless. As the value of anger and hatred rose in Amy's heart, the seal of Apate which sealed her chaos began to loosen. Though she still couldn't channel chaos yet, but the world all around Amy had already turned red. Only unlike the corrosion of red sun, this time it was more bloody, more pure. But Apate in her streak of torture, busy being thoughtful about which myth or legend she should pick her next punishment from, didn't sense these changes.

Apate herself didn't know, but at this time, the gears of her destiny and strings of her fate, had turned in a different direction. A direction spelling doom. .. "For someone so small, your resilience is remarkable, mortal." Apate said with a genuine appreciation in her voice. "But it's useless. You think numbing your brain and enduring pain can make you strong, but it'll only make your end even more miserable."

"I've been around since the dawn of mankind, for over an eternity I've watched your kind from mount Olympus. And that's why, you should trust me when I say, I will break you." Apate finished her words and waved her hand to start another illusion. This time the clouds in the sky fell down to the ground. The red mist and fog mixing with the dry sand and turning into a thick muddy mixture. Amy felt herself being sunk into the swamp, she raised her hand, trying to grab onto something and climb back up. But the sand in her hand got squeezed and turned into water, slipping right through. The sand and the swamp instantly turned into the styx river, and she felt herself being drowned bit by bit. It felt like countless hands crawled from the abyss and started pulling her in. Before she was pulled fully underwater, she raised her head and took a deep breath so she doesn't die from lack of air. Just in time to see the smirking expression of Apate, and hear her final words. "This is my masterpiece. It took me a lot of time, research, and favors to get all the details and mojo right. But let's see if you can survive this?" Apate said as she watched Amy getting drowned and finally named her punishment. "I call it the Swim in Styx. Simple right?"

Amy couldn't hear the title, but watching that sneer and smirk on Apate's face, she was sure this won't just be another painful torment she can bear with gritted teeth. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As Apate said, this was her masterpiece. and that's why she needed to avoid it. Apate was right. No matter how many passive blessings of protections she had been equipped with, or how high her own endurance or mental stability was, somehow soon, this vengeful goddess would find a way to break past her defenses, _ and that's why she needed to break this illusion and get back to reality. She didn't know how Apate appeared to torture her, or why Gauri didn't interfere to protect her. Now wasn't the time to think or compare notes. She just needed to figure out a way to get out. With the world system in check and the realm barrier limitations, Apate wouldn't dare act openly outside, and as for those minions _heh.

As Amy thought upto that point, mad rage filled her heart and her pupils turned dark red fuming in the chaos burning within. (In reality, Rhodes, who was watching and recording the video of Amy struggling under his illusion magic, feeling proud for his achievements and hopeful for the future, suddenly froze and had shivers run down his spine for some reason. He didn't know if it was an illusion or not, but he suddenly had a death premonition.) On the other hand, Amy was trying hard to feel the measure of chaos in her body, that feeling was like seeing something in the clear reflection and trying to touch it. Something which seems so close to the touch, yet so far apart, you could never reach it. She just needed one push, one sign, _ one amber of anger, and then she could break this mirror and merge with her chaos. Finally putting an end to this trial. But this 'wall' was like a limit which binded her abilities. Blocking her freedom. "Give up little girl, struggle is useless in this domain. The sea of Styx will wash over your sins and cleanse your soul inside out. You'll be a clean slate,...and my new slave" Apate's voice echoed in Amy's mind. She started all serious, but then seeing her struggle, ended up making jokes and mocking her with playful teases. But Amy wasn't focusing on her words. She was staring at the black river water and the bunch of corpses floating freely in it. This wasn't the surprising part as she had already seen the pyramid skeletons and ghost hands pulling at her feet. But the real surprise happened when one of these corpses got turned over by a wave and came face to face with her. It was her. The same face, the same body, just a little older, and dressed in different clothes. That's why despite the situation she was stuck in, Amy couldn't help but raise her hand to touch the gaping wound on her 'doppleganger's corpse forehead. It all felt… … familiar. ####

Styx River — Is the black river in Greek mythos which is like the pathway between the land of living and the land of dead. One can also say this river is what separates both realms. This river comes under the territory of the underworld, which is ruled by Hades.

According to legends, the water of Styx has properties of forgetfulness, curses, bindings, acid, poison, potion, and death. It's one of the few things which is considered both divine and demonic at the same time. Hence it's revered and feared all together.

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Author note - Sorry lols, I was planning to keep it short yesterday but when I started writing and explaining stuff, I got too into detailing the torture methods that this chapter became lengthy. So I guess Amy and Apate face off will have to wait for the next chapter. .. Also tell me what do you think about the punishments. I plan to do this more often. You know, use torture ways from myths, legends, and rumors(new and old) to preach the impact. Suggest me some cruel ways, if u know them? And which character do u want them to go through?