Warning: This story contains dark themes such as, but not limited to, painful draining, death, and fatal vore. If this is not your thing, stop reading now. You have been warned!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ori and the Blind Forest. Ori and the Blind Forest is property of Moon Studios, Microsoft Studios, and Nordic Games.

The Cycle of Decay

A single spore drifting through the air. Who would ever suspect that such a seemingly innocuous thing could spell doom for an entire land. It was tiny, fragile, and completely without thought. Furthermore, it was at the total mercy of the wind, not even guaranteed to find a suitable place to take root. But by some stroke of luck, or perhaps more accurately a cruel twist of fate, the spore settled down in the middle of a vibrant thriving forest, the perfect environment to fuel its foul germination. It was a very slow process at first, taking weeks to infest the nearby flora and absorb the nutrients necessary to drive its growth. But this alone was not enough to sate the parasite. For it to truly flourish, it would need something more, something much much more...

Light Spirits were curious creatures by nature. When they weren't eating, sleeping, or spending time with one another, most of their free time was spent exploring the wonder of their surroundings. It was one such intrepid Spirit, known to the others as Nara, who had unwittingly wandered into the Decay's domain. She had stopped for only a moment to catch her breath and take in her surroundings, but was compelled to stay when something of interest caught her eye. A large flower, unlike any she had ever seen, its sickly purple hue standing in stark contrast to the verdant greenery around it. Curiosity demanded that she get a closer look. Despite her excitement, Nara took it one hoofstep at a time, cautiously approaching the unknown flora. Its petals appeared to be withered and sharp thorns jutted out around its base. It truly looked alien to this part of the forest, and somehow just staring at it was starting to make Nara feel uneasy. Not wanting to push her luck, the Spirit decided it would be best to leave the strange flower alone.

But just as she was about to return to her exploration, an unexpectedly alluring odor wafted across her nose. The effect was almost instantaneous. The extreme unease she had been feeling moments ago simply melted away and was replaced by a nearly irresistible desire to pursue the wonderful scent. Nara fixed her gaze back upon the alien flora, seeming to find a beauty in it she hadn't seen previously. Letting her instincts take control, the Spirit ambled forward in a trance-like state. Each step saw her arousal grew stronger, liquid desire oozing down her inner thighs and dripping to the ground below. Her breaths came out in hot heavy pants, while her complexion became ever redder under her white fur. By the time she actually reached the flower, the needy Spirit was so flustered that she could hardly stand on her quivering legs.

The Decay could sense that something was drawing close, subtle tremors in the soil giving away the newcomer's location. Whoever this stranger was, they were housing an incredible amount of energy, far more than the surrounding flora had been able to provide it. At this stage, attempting to subdue such powerful prey through brute force would be a death sentence. The Decay was young and had no means to defend itself from direct attack. But fortunately, evolution had afforded it another means to secure its prey. Already it could sense the creature growing sluggish, the constant cocktail of pheromones it emitted working their magic. The quarry approached willingly and with no hostile intent. The Decay could not have hoped for a more ideal outcome. With its prey's guard lowered, soon it would be able to make its move...

Nara leaned in, poised to take a deep whiff of the wondrous scent straight from the source. But she was suddenly interrupted as several vine-like tendrils rose up from the center of the flower. For the briefest of moments her survival instincts managed to surface, causing her to stumble back a few steps at the shocking sight. However the tendrils made no attempts to snatch the hesitant Spirit. On the contrary, their movements were slow and gentle, reaching out as if to offer Nara a hand. With her initial fears allayed, lust returned to the forefront of her mind. Her nethers burned with desire, and these vines seemed willing to help with her problem. Accepting the flower's invitation, the horny Spirit stepped forward into the tendrils' embrace.

The vines slithered around Nara's limbs, tenderly lifting her into the air. More tendrils joined in to explore her body, still incredibly gentle, like the touch of a lover. The Spirit let out a lusty moan as the probing rubs heightened her arousal even further. But with her arms entwined, she couldn't reach down to scratch that ever growing itch. She whimpered pitifully, practically begging the flower to take her. As if it understood, one of the vines finally slid between her thighs, rubbing along her swollen lower lips. The sudden jolt of pleasure elicited a squeal of delight from the needy Spirit. The tendril continued to rock between her legs, coating itself thoroughly in her copious love juices before plunging into her soaking sex.

Nara arched her back and shivered at the sudden, yet welcome intrusion. The tendril settled deep within her, its impressive girth filling her like nothing she had ever felt before. Her vaginal walls immediately clamped down around the invading length, attempting to milk the vine as it would a lover's cock. As if reacting to her body's signals, the tendril started to pull back, almost exiting her completely, before thrusting back into her depths. From there the vine worked up a steady rhythm, repeatedly driving its length deep into the enthralled Spirit, sending sparks of pleasure all throughout her love tunnel.

For several minutes the grove was filled with the sounds of squelching pussy juice and rapturous moans as the tendril relentlessly rutted its catch. Nara could feel that she was reaching her limit, the wondrously thick vine managing to strike all of her sweet spots with each thrust. But even then, it proved to only be enough to bring her to the precipice. She needed a little something extra to send her over the edge. And it came in a rather unexpected form as the unwary Spirit was assaulted by dozens of tiny pricks along her arms and legs. The small sparks of pain mixed with the constant stream of pleasure, pushing her off the cliff and into the most powerful orgasm of her life. Nara shouted her ecstasy to the heavens as waves of euphoria crashed over her body. Juices gushed from her love tunnel, drenching the flower below. All the while, the tendril continued to hammer her pussy, helping her to ride her climax for as long as possible.

But nothing could last forever, and after several seconds of absolute bliss, Nara finally started to descend from her peak. The Spirit panted heavily, letting the warmth of afterglow wash over her. But she wasn't given much of a rest as the vine in her sex was still pounding away. The pleasure was dulled for the moment, but it still wasn't something she could simply ignore. Furthermore, there was the dull ache in her limbs from whatever had triggered her orgasm. Curious as to what had caused the sudden pain, Nara craned her neck to look at her arms, and what she found shocked her. From the vines entangling her arms, even smaller vines had emerged and embedded themselves in her skin, like a plant taking root in fertile soil. Even more surprising though, was how little this concerned her. She should have been panicking; She should have been struggling to escape. And yet any alarm she would have felt was lost among the haze of lust clouding her mind.

This was excellent. The prey was not fighting back. The initial ingraining was the most dangerous step; The point at which the victim could first realize the malicious intent of the Decay. If the prey chose to break free now, there was little the Decay could do to stop them. But fortunately the traits it had evolved for subduing its victims seemed to be working. As long as the pain did not exceed the pleasure, its prey would remain willingly within its grasp. To that end, the Decay increased its ministrations, intent on keeping its catch under control until it could reach the prize it was truly seeking.

Nara was just beginning to regain her breath when she felt something slither under her tail. She let out a squeak of alarm, having never had anyone play with her back there before. But her worry was quickly buried under the rising tide of lust overtaking her once again. It wasn't long before she relaxed, allowing the probing tendril to gradually work its way into her tailhole. The sensation was completely alien to the inexperienced Spirit. There was a bit of pain as it was the first time her rectum was invaded in such a manner. But there was also a strange pleasure to it, something she would have never expected. And combined with the vine ramming her pussy, she was filled with a feeling of satisfaction like nothing she ever had before.

Again Nara was plunged into the realm of depravity as both tendrils worked in tandem to push her ecstasy to new heights. She moaned and squealed in the most obscene ways, not giving a care about who might hear. All she wanted was to continue climbing, to reach that peak once again, and after several minutes of constant pounding, she was nearly there. But just as she was about to crest the top, another vine dove into her squealing maw and down the back of her throat. There was a moment of panic as Nara's airway was suddenly blocked, triggering her gag reflex. But just like the other tendrils, this one began to pull back and thrust, slithering up and down her throat in rhythm. It was too much; Nara howled out around the tentacle in her mouth, once again overcome with the rapturous bliss of orgasm.

What was happening to her? Having all three of her holes violated in such a manner. It should have horrified her; It should have disgusted her; But then... why did it feel so right? It was like a fog was lifted from her mind, revealing a whole range of mountains with valleys and peaks even greater than this one. She wanted nothing more than to stay here and explore every single one of those mountains. And with these vines as her climbing equipment, nothing would stop her from scaling them all.

The days to follow were the greatest of Nara's life, filled with endless waves of unfathomable pleasure. But little did she know, that she was playing right into the Decay's tendrils. Little by little, day by day, the roots that had taken hold of her had worked their way deeper into the Spirit's body, slowly siphoning off energy and nutrients to feed its growth. The effects on Nara were plain for all to see. Her glow had diminished greatly and a sickly purple hue ran through her veins. But in her lust drunken stupor, she neither noticed nor cared what happened to her body. As long as she was allowed to live in this paradise, she was happy.

Unfortunately this forced apathy would inevitably lead to Nara's ultimate demise. Though the Decay had received quite a bit of nourishment leeching off the poor Spirit's body, it still paled in comparison to the true prize that it sought. The core... the true essence at the center of every Spirit. Everything a Spirit was, was contained within this hardened sphere of light. This was what the Decay craved, and after days of slowly creeping deeper into its victim's body, it had finally reached its goal.

But penetrating the core would be a trial of its own. The outer shell was tough to crack, preventing the roots from simply digging in. But the Decay would not be deterred when it was so close to its prize. The roots continued to grow, slowly encompassing the stubborn sphere. And as they circled, their grip tightened, steadily increasing in pressure over the coming days. Nara could feel the tightness growing in her chest as if her very soul was being smothered. It was a different kind of pain, one alien from the masochistic pleasure she had come to love. She slowly became aware of her own mortality, and with it old feelings began to well up inside of her. Worry, fear, regret; Like unwanted guests they came to ruin her good time. She wasn't ready to die. She didn't want this bliss to end.

But sadly, the Decay cared nothing for her desires. From the beginning, its goal had always been to consume her. The pleasure it offered was merely a means to an end; A way to keep her pacified, even as it robbed her of everything. And now its prize was within reach as her core buckled under the heavy pressure placed upon it. Cracks formed in the surface of the sphere, bright rays of light escaping through the breaches. These fissures quickly expanded until finally it proved to be too much. Days of patiently whittling away at the Spirit's defenses had all culminated in this moment. In an instant, the core shattered like glass and the roots descended like a pack of ravenous wolves eager to devour their defenseless prey. Not a single ray of light escaped the massacre as every bit of Nara's soul was absorbed, her entire being reduced to nothing more than food for the gluttonous Decay.

As Nara's body fell limp and her light faded completely, the vines that had been relentlessly rutting her for days on end finally came to a stop. The ones that had simply been penetrating and molesting her were retracted back into the murderous flower, but the ones that had ingrained themselves into her flesh remained, leaving the poor Spirit's desiccated corpse suspended in the air. A haunting visage for any unfortunate enough to see it.

But she was only to be the first of many. Absorbing the Spirit's soul caused an unprecedented growth in the Decay. What was once a single infected plant quickly spread into an entire grove of festering corruption. And with an increase in size came an increase in influence. The Decay's pheromones spread over a larger area, allowing it to lure even more unsuspecting Spirits into its clutches.

However it was only a matter of time before the other Spirits started to realize that something was amiss. It wasn't entirely uncommon for Spirits to go missing. After all, the forest was full of dangers. Vicious predators, hazardous terrain, and aggressive flora were just a few of the things that could do a hapless Spirit in. Still, the recent rise in absences was a cause for great concern. So a small team of the most renowned Spirits in the forest was assembled to investigate the source of these sudden disappearances.

Led by Altus, a well known warrior, the party made their way to the part of the forest where most of the Spirits had vanished. Immediately upon arrival, their noses were struck by the powerful pheromones permeating the air. The intense arousal that they stirred threatened to overwhelm Altus and his team, but they had stronger wills than most and were able to stave off the effects of the intoxicating aroma. The band of Spirits moved cautiously into the corrupted grove, keeping an eye out for danger as well as any traces of their missing kin. As they advanced, the Decay's influence steadily became more apparent. The once rich soil they trod upon took on a sickly purple hue. Large festering pustules dotted the land, infecting much of the local vegetation. And then there was the silence. Not a single sound could be heard, as if the area had been purged of every living soul. The atmosphere left the group of Spirits on edge. It felt like danger was all around them, and yet they couldn't detect any tangible threats.

This whole thing didn't sit right with Altus. Whatever this blight was, it was extremely dangerous. They needed to retreat and think of a way to eradicate this threat. But just as he was about to give the command to pull back, a scout at the front of the squad called out and pointed forward, signaling that he had spotted something important. The group rushed forward to see what had caught the scout's attention, but were soon stopped in their tracks by the grisly sight awaiting them. Corpses... Dozens of dead Spirits entwined in wicked looking vines, their bodies diseased and desiccated. Altus noticed one more important detail, something that would have easily slipped by less observant eyes. There were differences in the way some of the vines handled their prey. Some Spirits were thoroughly entangled, with the vines growing into them like roots, while others had far fewer restraints, with the vines directly piercing their flesh, and a few Spirits were in states somewhere in between.

What in the name of the Great Spirit Tree was happening here?! The group of warriors found themselves stunned by the sheer horror before them. They were used to facing vicious predators, not deathly plagues. To see their brethren in such a miserable state was enough to shake even their stoic hearts.

Prey was close, the Decay could sense it. But what was this sensation? Dozens of hooves clattering across the ground... It seemed multiple prey had made their way to its lair. This had never happened before. But there was something different about these ones. They still emanated an aura of caution and hostility, somehow having resisted the effects of its pheromones. They would prove a greater challenge to subdue than any of its previous meals. But this no longer mattered. The Decay was not the helpless sproutling it used to be. It had grown; It had evolved; And now it was the hunter...

The band of Spirits were snapped from their stupor by a sudden yelp from the back of their ranks. They quickly turned to find their rear guard frantically struggling against an onslaught of insidious tendrils. In the blink of an eye they had ensnared his limbs and hoisted him into the air. Much like the surrounding corpses, the vines pierced his flesh, ripping a cry of pain from the unfortunate Spirit. But as they all would soon learn, it wasn't this violent treatment alone that had killed their kin. The entangled Spirit felt a painful pull within him, like something was tugging at his very life force. And what he felt, the others could plainly see. The invading tendrils began to pulse, ripples of light flowing through them as they leeched the energy from their victim.

Horrified as they were, the others were not going to sit idly by while their friend was sucked dry. Forming their weapons, the party prepared to rescue their captured comrade. However the Decay was also not about to simply stand by and let its hard-earned meal be taken away. Before the party could leap to their friend's aid, they were onset by a hoard of hungry tentacles, forcing them into a battle for their own survival. The scene quickly erupted into chaos. Lights flashed and weapons slashed as each Spirit fought for their lives against the overwhelming mass of vines. Even Altus was struggling to hold back the tide of tendrils. With exceptional skill, he used his great sword to cut down swaths of the encroaching parasites. But the enemies seemed endless, and could strike from anywhere. It was becoming a battle of attrition, one he was not certain they could win.

All the while, the poor captured Spirit was violently drained of his life force. His body had already become gaunt and frail, mirroring the multitude of corpses around him. He felt weak, weaker than he had ever been in his life. Death would soon be upon him, but not before experiencing one final horror. A vine hovered before him, different from the rest. He stared at the mysterious tendril with wide eyed terror. Though it had no eyes of its own, he could sense it, staring back with ravenous hunger. The tip opened ever so slightly, revealing the terrible maw within. And then, without warning, it plunged forward into the helpless Spirit's chest. He gagged violently, blood spilling from his mouth as excruciating pain lanced through his torso. But even worse was the agony gripping at his core. It felt as though it was being torn straight from his body. Unfortunately for him, that was exactly what was happening. His back arched and body trembled in anguish as the great orb of light was steadily extracted through the vine in his chest. He threw his head back, wailing pitifully in the throes of death. His struggles came to an abrupt end as the core finally popped free, slithering down the tendril like a freshly swallowed morsel. With its prize claimed, the vine quickly retreated into the earth where it could digest its meal in peace, leaving behind the lifeless Spirit's body to add to its macabre collection.

One by one the remaining Spirits were dealt the same cruel fate. The enemy was too numerous for them to hold back, let alone assist their captured teammates. Escape had also proved to be impossible as turning their back on the mass of tendrils for even a moment was shown to be a fatal move. So they fought to the bitter end, until their life force was leeched and their souls swallowed. All the while, Altus continued his own valiant struggle against the relentless Decay. But fatigue was starting to take its toll on the warrior. The brave Spirit stood panting and wounded, much of his strength already sapped away. Despite this, he remained defiant as the tendrils slowly closed in around him. It almost felt like they were mocking him, as if they knew they had already won.

That was when he noticed it; the cacophony of battle was gone, filling the grove with terrifying silence once again. The chilling realization clutched at his heart. His comrades, his friends, evey single one of them... was dead. Despair overtook the stricken Spirit. He let out a cry of rage and sorrow, recklessly charging the mass of tentacles before him. If it was the last thing he did, he would make this monster pay! But alas, he had only hastened his own demise. With his guard lowered, it was easy for the tendrils to strike from behind, ensnaring the distraught Spirit before he could deliver a single blow. As with the others, the vines were quick to pierce his flesh and begin their feeding. Altus could feel the life being sucked out of him, his dissolving great sword a reflection of his dwindling strength. Fresh tears flowed down his cheeks, both from the excruciating pain and the shame of failing to avenge his fallen brethren. And as the hungry maw vine swayed menacingly in front of him, all he could do was pray to the Great Spirit Tree that the rest of his kind would not suffer such horrific fate...

The Decay felt no remorse as it finished off its final prey. In fact, if it could truly feel anything at all, it would be excitement. The sheer amount of energy it had absorbed from its latest victims was astonishing. Not only had there been more of them this time, but these Spirits had also been much stronger than any it had caught previously. With power like this, it could spread across the land like never before. No longer would it be forced to wait for unwitting meals to stumble into its territory. Now it would be able to seek out its prey. It didn't matter where they were hidden, the Decay would find them... and it would consume them.

The days that followed were a whirlwind of turmoil for the Spirits of the island. The explosive growth of the Decay allowed it to invade the surrounding villages, forcing Spirits from their homes and snatching up those that failed to escape the carnage. These unfortunate souls were either drained on the spot or devoured whole, condemning them to an unknown fate. Those displaced by the tragedy fled to other villages, seeking refuge and warning of the impending calamity. But there was little they could do at this point to stop the monstrosity. Any warriors sent to combat the growing horror were killed like the rest. And with each Spirit the Decay consumed, its power only grew that much greater.

In the end, those that remained had fled to the shelter of the Great Spirit Tree. But even it, the greatest source of light in the land, was hard pressed to repel the encroaching darkness. The Spirits huddled together, watching in terror as the surrounding forest withered and decayed. Never had they dreamed that they would witness the destruction of their home on such a grand scale. Some Spirits simply stared in silent disbelief, while others broke down and wept in despair. Others still, turned to prayer, clinging to the faint hope that the Great Spirit Tree would still be able to save them.

One such couple were pair of Spirits named Romi and Aelu. Having always lived close to the Great Spirit Tree, they had not witnessed the horrors at the other villages. Yet the fear of those around them was enough to make them fret for their lives. They hoped against hope that a miracle would happen; that a savior would come to their aid, or that they would wake up to find it was all just a terrible nightmare. But sadly these outcomes seemed less and less likely as the corruption closed in around them.

The anxiety mounted with each passing moment as invisible barrier separating life and death crept ever closer. The cowering Spirits had no way of knowing when that threshold would reach them, until it was already too late. The tension was broken in an instant as a vine shot from the withered soil, ensnaring a lone Spirit by the ankle and yanking him quickly back into the forest. The others were thrown into a panic, scrambling in what little space they had in a feeble attempt to avoid capture. But their efforts were all in vain as there was nowhere for them to run, and unlike Altus's group, these Spirits were not fighters. With no means of defending themselves, the Decay easily snatched up the helpless Spirits one by one, dragging them kicking and screaming into its nefarious clutches.

Romi and Aelu were among the last still evading capture, their desperation to avoid such a fate pushed to the limit by the haunting cries of their already taken brethren. But as the number of survivors dwindled, the tentacles could turn more attention on those that remained, and it was only a matter of time before Aelu found herself in their wicked sights. She let out a panicked yelp as she felt one of the vile appendages wrap around her ankle. The tendril swiftly pulled her hooves out from under her, sending her down on her stomach. She reached out to Romi, desperate for his aid. Seeing his mate in death's grasp, Romi's survival instincts were momentarily overshadowed by his desire to save her. He dove forward, attempting to grab her paw, but a second vine slithered around her torso, and third around her outstretched arm, pulling the doomed Spirit out of her lover's reach and into the tainted forest beyond.

Romi let out a cry of despair as he watched his mate being dragged off to an unimaginable death. However they wouldn't be apart for long as an opportunistic vine shot from the woods and grabbed his own outstretched paw. He yelped and tried furiously to shake the disgusting tendril free. But despite his best efforts, the vine held strong, and soon the poor Spirit found himself being dragged across the ground, rapidly approaching the dreaded forest. He was callously pulled through leaves, twigs, bushes, and worst of all, bramble that raked at his tender flesh. But the rough trip was nothing compared to the hellish scene awaiting him at his destination. Hosts of Spirits ingrained with vines, the parasites painfully leeching the life from their bodies. Many were already lightless husks, and more still were having their cores extracted.

But the horrors didn't stop there. Other Spirits could be seen being devoured whole by a larger set of vines. Though their fate was not yet known, Romi felt an intense instinctual terror upon witnessing the predatory tentacles. He frantically looked around for Aelu, his heart growing tight as he feared the worst. So he felt a tremendous relief when he spotted her on the ground not that far away. Though she was a bit roughed up, he was thankful to see that she had not been impaled by the vines restraining her. But that comfort was short-lived as Romi realized what that likely meant, and his fears were quickly confirmed by the large tendril rising above Aelu.

Aelu was frozen in wide eyed horror, staring up the monstrosity she had seen devour so many of her friends. Its maw yawned open, saliva-like sap drooling down onto the petrified Spirit. Even when the other vines released her, she remained transfixed on the gaping maw looming over her. Romi cried out, trying to snap her from her trance. He rose to his hooves, attempting to rush to her rescue but more tendrils moved in to restrain him. He was powerless to save her, doomed to simply stand and watch while the ravenous tentacle devoured his mate whole.

His heart sank, despair taking hold as he saw his love vanish for the second time. He almost wished that the vines would just dig into his flesh and end this cruel game. He didn't even react when one of the larger vines positioned itself above him, poised to strike. As the other vines released him, he simply slumped to his knees, making him an easy target for the gluttonous tendril. One moment he was staring at the spot where Aelu had been consumed, and the next... darkness.

It was a surreal feeling, sliding through the monster's throat. Without the sights and sounds of the massacre happening outside, Romi would almost describe it as peaceful. However the space was uncomfortably cramped, a sensation only made worse by the walls constantly squeezing around him, forcing him down the esophagus. There was also the returning fear of what awaited him at the end of his journey. Would he be reunited with Aelu? And if so, was he prepared to face whatever state he found her in? Images of those miserable husks pushed to the forefront of his mind. He didn't even want to think about her suffering such an unspeakable fate and tried to banish these thoughts from his mind. But despite his best efforts these worries continued to bubble up throughout his trip.

Romi had no way of knowing how long his journey took. Time had lost all meaning inside the tight confines of the tendril's throat. But it felt like all to soon he found himself plunged back into reality. His claustrophobic prison suddenly opened wide and he found himself falling briefly through the air. Before he could fully process what was going on, he splashed down into an unknown liquid. The sudden lack of air sent him into a panic and he scrambled frantically to swim back to the top. Romi took a deep breath of relief as he breached the liquid's surface, a decision he immediately regretted. The air that filled his lungs was stale and acrid, sending the hapless Spirit into a violent coughing fit. He splashed about wildly, nose and eyes burning from the noxious fumes. For a moment it seemed that he might sink below the surface again... until something wrapped around his waist, keeping the panicking Spirit afloat.

With the threat of drowning abated, Romi slowly came down from his hysteria and finally had a chance to observe his surroundings. Surprisingly there was enough light for him to see, but he quickly wished that wasn't the case as he took in the new incarnation of hell around him. The area appeared to be some kind of giant gastric chamber; Foul fluids held in by walls of translucent membrane that taunted him with glimpses of the outside world. As terrifying as it was on its own, the true horror came from the fact that he was not alone. The digestive juices were littered with extracted cores and dozens of other Spirits crying out in a mixture of despair and pain. Many of them were already suffering the early effects of digestion, driving them to claw pitifully at the semitransparent walls in a desperate attempt to escape. A few were in even worse shape; likely the first ones to arrive, their fur was already starting to fall out, and their skin was ravaged by horrible rashes.

Once again Romi frantically scanned the ghastly scene for any sign of his lost love, but quickly realized she had already found him. The familiar embrace that had saved him from drowning; he looked down to find Aelu hugging him tightly. He fervently returned the gesture, thankful to finally be reunited with her. Though they had only been separated for a short time, it had felt like an eternity within this hellish nightmare. But it was a bitter sweet reunion. Soon tears of joy turned to those of sorrow as they came to grips with the fact that they were going to die here. They could already feel the vile acid slowly eating away at their flesh, stinging the various cuts and scrapes they had received. They hugged each other tighter, gritting their teeth as they endured the steadily growing pain. They tried to be strong for each other, not wanting to burden the other with just how much they were suffering. But it was a losing battle, and as their fur fell from their blistering flesh, they could hold back their anguish no longer. They threw their heads back and wailed in unison, their tortured screams joining the symphony of agony around them. It burned! Oh Great Spirit Tree, it hurt so much! Why was this awful monstrosity doing this to them?! Was it trying to cause them pain?! Did it enjoy making them suffer?!

The sad truth was that the Decay felt no such sadistic pleasure. It was merely following its instincts. Growing took energy and Spirits were an abundant source of it, making them the ideal prey. The gastric chamber, as cruel as it seemed, was simply an efficient method for processing the mass quantities of prey the Decay could now consume. The one mercy that Romi and Aelu would receive is that their suffering would not be prolonged for more than was necessary. Though this was of little consolation to the digesting Spirits, who were already experiencing more pain than they could bear. The pair continued their screams of untold agony as the acid and digestive enzymes worked in tandem to break their bodies apart. Under such a brutal assault, it wasn't long before Romi and Aelu's limbs were too damaged to keep them afloat. With their muscles rapidly deteriorating, the couple lost the strength to swim, their cries turning to gargling bubbles as the doomed Spirits sank below the unholy slurry of chyme. They were too deep in the throes of death to even attempt to hold their breaths, allowing the foul gastric juices to flood their systems and burn the poor Spirits from within.

But whether it was their rapidly disintegrating bodies, lack of breathable air, or the sheer unrelenting pain, it wasn't much longer until the light faded from the couple's eyes, leaving their lifeless corpses to join the dozens of others already stewing away in the monstrous makeshift stomach. However this was still not the true end for the deceased Spirits. Just as with all the others, what the Decay actually sought was their cores and the great stores of energy they contained. The gastric chamber continued to break down the cadavers, melting flesh and bone in order to get at the precious prize waiting in the center. And once the cores were finally exposed, they fared no better against the caustic fluids, which had been specially adapted to eat away their tough outer shells. Small bursts of light filled the chamber as the Spirits' souls dispersed and were absorbed by the surrounding walls, ending their existence once and for all.

A terrible silence fell over the entire island. Though the screams of terror had finally come to an end, it was hardly a peaceful quiet. The land was also devoid of laughter and joy, anticipation and excitement, love and passion. It was like the land itself had died, and now, true to its killer's name, it would begin to decay. But there was still one final conquest to be had, the source of all light on the island and home to its greatest store of energy. Swarms of corrupted vines twisted their way up the trunk of the Great Spirit Tree. Like weeds choking the life out of a helpless sapling, they spread across every inch of the mighty tree until they finally reached the core nestled at the top. Even at this close of range, the Great Spirit Tree no longer had the power to defend itself. Its light could not repel the darkness closing in around it. With nothing left to fear, the tendrils encompassed the core. Things had come full circle. It had started with the breaching of the first Spirit's core, and now it would end in the same way, but on a far grander scale. The vines tightened their grip on the core, steadily crushing the sturdy exterior until it literally cracked under the pressure. Rays of light squeezed between the seems as if desperate to escape their fate. But any such leaks were quickly plugged, snuffing out the final traces of light visible to the outside world. And what remained on the inside was rapidly absorbed by the gluttonous Decay until the flames of life were extinguished forever more.

Though its conquest was complete, one task still remained for the Decay. Absorbing the Great Spirit Tree's core had imbued it with enough energy to undergo its final and most important evolution. At the peak of the arboreal husk a cluster of peculiar boils began to form. Over the following days, these pustules gradually grew in number and size until the head of the tree looked like a piece of rotten purple broccoli. Each pod looked fit to burst, filled with a sickly substance that swirled within. It wasn't until a particularly windy day that these mysterious pustules made their true purpose known. Without warning, the boils burst in unison, spilling their vile contents into the air around them. Thousands upon thousands of reproductive spores were scattered to the winds, the tiny germs swept up in their currents and carried away from the island in every direction. Across the oceans they flew, off in search of new lands to consume.

A single spore drifting through the air...