We were led to a door made of dark iron. When it opened, my group stepped inside. There were ten of us—ten children, all trembling with fear... myself included. But I took a deep breath and forced my mind to stay sharp. I can't lose it now… if I lose control… I'll end up like them.
The moment we crossed the threshold, the smell hit me like a punch. Blood. Flesh. Rot.
The room was a living nightmare. The stone walls dripped with moisture, covered in pulsating moss and mold filaments that seemed to breathe. On the ceiling, black, twisted branches grew straight from the rock, forming almost-human shapes that vanished into the gloom.
The room was lit by lanterns fixed into blackened bronze sconces. In the dim light, I saw the scientists—or whatever they were—moving between stone worktables, wearing long robes embroidered with runes and necklaces made of bone, leather, and moss. Their clothing was a mix of ceremonial garb and alchemist rags, dyed in fungal green and earthy brown. Some wore masks made of rusted metal or carved wood with distorted faces. The stench was blood, mold, and something that reminded me of burnt meat.
Glass jars filled the shelves. Inside—horror: embryos made of veins and roots, mouths moving silently, eyes floating in dark fluids, body parts preserved in brine—heads, arms, legs hanging like butchered meat. The constant dripping was joined by organic sounds, as if the room itself was alive.
Most of them wore simple cloth-and-iron masks, but one figure stood out: a tall man with messy blond hair and a pointed beard. His mask was made of polished bone, carved with intricate markings that seemed to pulse under the faint light.
He descended a metal staircase with theatrical steps. When he removed the mask, he revealed a thin face—too beautiful to seem natural. His eyes… were as clear as polished glass, deep as abysses.
"Ah~ wonderful! The final group has arrived!" he exclaimed with a radiant smile.
He opened his arms as if welcoming us to a macabre theater.
"Welcome, little ones. I'm Alan, the head of this lovely facility." He gave a slight bow. "And you… you're the guests of honor for our special night. I do hope you've been fasting. Perfection demands… sacrifice."
Some children started crying. Others just trembled. I stayed silent, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach, the crushing weight on my chest. What the hell are they going to do to us?
Alan walked among us like someone picking fruit at a market. His eyes danced across our faces, analyzing, judging.
"Since you're the final group… I'll give you a special knot treatment." He chuckled at his own joke, then snapped his fingers. "Follow me. The show is about to begin."
We were guided through a narrow, damp hallway where the air itself seemed to breathe. Lanterns hung from iron hooks, casting dancing shadows on moss-covered walls. Drops fell from the ceiling. The smell grew thicker—not just of rot, but something else… something ancient. What the hell is this place?
At the end of the corridor was a circular chamber, like the inside of a profane temple. And in the center... a living thing.
A pulsating mass, larger than a human body. Made of black roots intertwined with mold veins and mossy filaments. Its surface breathed and writhed. Thick, dark ooze leaked from within, evaporating in greenish wisps—like magical smoke.
It was like staring at a monstrous heart... or the womb of a distorted god.
"This, my children, is the original Node," Alan whispered with devout reverence. "The flesh of the fallen god... the beginning of perfection."
The scientists surrounded us. Firm hands. Soulless claws. They strapped us to stone chairs arranged in a circle around the Node. Ropes and chains. Muffled screams. One boy bit his tongue from trembling so hard.
"Let's see… who is worthy." Alan clapped twice.
One of the scientists brought a pulsing crystal and pressed it against the Node's surface.
The creature woke up.
The roots began to move. Slowly. Like arms stretching in the dark. The ooze bubbled.
"Ah… look at it waking up so hungry. What a delightful creature, don't you think?" Alan whispered, enchanted.
Then… it attacked.
Three children to my left were pierced before they could scream. The roots wrapped around them, sucked them in like ripe fruit. Bones cracked. Blood sprayed in grotesque lines. One girl tried to scream, but only foam and bits of lung came out.
A child to my right vomited and fainted.
Alan only muttered, "Failures. Rotten meat."
The Node recoiled… and attacked three more.
One boy tried to escape, but it was useless. The roots coiled around his head—and squeezed. The sound of his skull breaking echoed through the chamber, muffled by the others' screams.
Another had his chest ripped open from within, as if something sprouted from his heart.
The third child… her eyes were devoured by a sprout that grew from her forehead and exploded into thorns.
My mind began to crumble.
Fuck. Fuck. What the hell is this?! Why the hell did I reincarnate into this cursed nightmare? Was it for my sins in my past life? Haha… yeah, that must be it. Must be…
The Node recoiled again. Only four of us remained.
Sweat dripped from my face, my back, my chest. My fingers tingled. I couldn't even pray.
The roots lunged. One child died the moment he was touched. Another… resisted. For seconds. Maybe minutes.
The roots didn't tear him apart right away. They wrapped around him, forcing their way into his mouth, nose, eyes. The boy screamed, foamed, thrashed. Then… stopped.
He survived...?
But he moved again.
Only… it wasn't him anymore.
He stood up with jerky movements. Cracked skin. Black eyes. Slime dripping from his mouth. His arms covered in a shiny black crust, like petrified bark.
He tried to say something—but only roots came out, writhing like snakes.
Alan sighed, disappointed. Made a gesture. Snapped his fingers.
The boy exploded.
Roots and black flesh flew across the room. A hot piece hit my cheek. I couldn't react.
Only I remained.
The Node approached, slowly. As if savoring the moment.
And then it touched me.
The pain was… inhuman, like hell itself trying to wear my body from the inside.
The roots invaded my eyes, ears, nose, mouth. I felt my bones break and rebuild. My skin tore and regenerated at once. My flesh was shredded from within, as if thorns and needles burst from every cell.
My head felt like it would explode. I wanted to claw my skin off. To die.
Make it stop. Please, someone...
Maybe, if I scream loud enough, I'll wake up. Maybe this is a dream… maybe—
Minutes. Hours. Ages.
Until the Node settled in three places: my abdomen, my heart… and my brain.
And then… it slept.
My body healed. Completely. And changed.
My skin turned pale—but in a strangely healthy way. My already black hair darkened further, like a moonless sky. It grew slightly. And my eyes… my eyes shone for a moment with a deep, vibrant green, before sinking into pure black. An abyss.
For a moment, I saw… something. A gray field, roots covering the sky, eyes watching me from nowhere. As if the Node was showing me its world. Its home.
Alan screamed. Jumped. Laughed like a madman.
"Finally! Someone accepted our gift! Our blessing!"
My mind was fogged. I barely understood what was happening. Arms lifted me up.
"We'll take very good care of you, my lord. You are… perfect."
The last thing I saw was Alan smiling, tears in his eyes, carrying me like a saint.
After that… the darkness swallowed me.