So Different

The pungent smell of the Arachnid Quarter made Nathos dizzy and weak, so he desperately wanted to leave this place, or even Naxxramas. A path stretched towards the center of the floating fortress, its surface covered in spider silk, giving it an ominous feel. On the smooth walls of the path, polished from bluish-black stone, flowed a yellow liquid that resembled both tree sap and the saliva of some kind of animal.

Nathos rarely came to this place. He had always thought that the Arachnid Quarter, as the name suggested, was only home to spiders, but like the Military District, it was teeming with fanatical believers. They were drawn here by fervor; Farina, like a will-o'-the-wisp in a swamp, attracted ignorant souls.

Deep within the Arachnid Quarter, rustling sounds emanated from unseen creatures lurking in the shadows. Perhaps the largest spider there was feeding. Nathos didn't see Maexxna; he only occasionally heard the faint clicking of its teeth. One thought lingered in his mind: if Maexxna was hungry, would Farina feed him to that monster over five meters long?

No! The Plaguebringer shook his head. Farina would not do that; his fate would be decided by Kel'Thuzad.

The air in Naxxramas was salty and heavy, and his exquisite robes and boots were damp with moisture. Nathos was very particular about the smell when concocting potions; he would go to great lengths to make them smell as pleasant as possible. His work environment also smelled very good, so when he was brought to the Arachnid Quarter, he almost vomited from the pervasive stench. What bothered him most was that every time the wind blew, it brought this smell, as if it were a punishment.

"This place can have an owner?" Nathos wondered, but another voice inside him told him, "Of course it can!" She was right here, walking towards him. Nathos heard her soft footsteps.

He looked ahead, hoping to catch a glimpse of her alluring figure. It was this woman who had brought him to this point. He caught a glimpse of orange silk and a seductive waist, then a spider lurking there spun its silk, obscuring his view. He had listened with excitement as she spoke of her master; he had been ecstatic to have her, to have her hand in his manor. They had once made love under the cover of midnight, it all seemed like a thrilling adventure, but the past was so distant, his passion long since faded.

Nathos looked up at the road. The members of the Cult of the Damned, who were so devoted to her, stared at her graceful figure with fanatical eyes, like a herd of empty-eyed livestock, mindlessly following a butcher. What was wrong with them? Nathos suddenly felt a sharp fear grip his chest and tried to get as far away as possible from the figure that was getting closer to him.

A pair of graceful feet stopped in front of Nathos, and he, for some unknown reason, found himself raising his head to face her.

"Farina," he said, feeling his body spiral out of control. His instinct was to tell her to get lost, to get far away, but her captivating, dark allure overcame all resistance. His disgust vanished so quickly he wasn't even sure he'd felt any disgust at all.

"Nathos ..." the Black Witch said, and hearing his name uttered from her lips sent a surge of joy down his spine. Even though everything had changed, Nathos would never forget her face. Just like before...

... just like when they met.

Her allure captivated him, and he savored every inch of her perfect body. Her figure was sharply defined, her wine-red hair glossy and silky—he recognized this noble lady. Her jade-like lips and bright, dark eyes drew him into a trance. A cloak of purple, black, and scarlet draped over her shoulders. The cloak rippled, but no wind stirred.

"Is something the matter, Nathos?" she asked. Her voice carried a sweet, cloying fragrance, like essential oils that soothed him. "You've been standing here for five minutes, and staring at me for five minutes. Are you... alright?"

"Yes, Farina," he said. "I'm just... a little tired."

"Tired? If you're not happy when I'm this close, I'll be unhappy."

The thought of upsetting her filled Nathos with panic. He almost knelt down, wanting to grab her legs. Her limbs were slender and long, white as jade, smooth and alluring to the touch.

"Of course not, ma'am, I mean... I'm honored," he said.

She looked at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. She hooked his chin with her nails, the same color as her hair, teasing him relentlessly. A rush of blood surged up his neck to his brain, but he ignored it all, letting her do whatever she wanted to him.

He stood before her willingly, all other thoughts vanishing, leaving only the desire to make her happy and content. Others who saw them were pointing and whispering, but Nathos didn't care; they were just jealous of him.

Things progressed so quickly and warmly it was almost suffocating. He had only casually mentioned that his estate was missing a mistress, but she took the initiative and said, "I also lack a partner to spend the rest of my life with."

Spending the rest of my life together? That's a wonderful dream. Nathos felt he was the happiest person in the world.

She was truly a perfect woman; all the wedding arrangements, including sending out invitations, were completed in just two days, and the wedding took place. Nathos had a secret rendezvous with her the night before; he had only been away from her for two days, but he couldn't wait any longer. As he expected, Farina warmly "entered" him.

That night was one that Nathos would never forget.

He nervously scanned the base of the pillar. Was it wise to break into his fiancée's house so late at night?

But when Nathos saw her beautiful figure, his doubts vanished instantly. Her adornments accentuated her typical aristocratic features—a testament to her wealthy lifestyle. A layer of gauze wrapped around her slender fingers, barely concealing her silky skin, only amplified the allure of her elegant form. Nathos relaxed slightly, wiping the sweat that trickled down his brow.

She seemed oblivious to his presence, walking straight to the only window in the room and looking down at the villa. Before her lay a scene of utter devastation. Six hours earlier, the place had echoed with the boisterous sounds of a banquet; now, only a sweet silence remained.

A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, playfully brushing against her face. Nathos suddenly realized he had leaned out in a daze. He immediately ducked back behind a pillar, afraid of being seen by Farina. She did see him—but he had no reason to be afraid.

"Nathos," she said, "I've been waiting for you, and I guessed you were getting impatient." The noblewoman glanced shyly at her right shoulder, causing the shroud she was wearing to slip down a little.

She promised him the ecstasy he was about to experience. When Farina stood naked before him, Nathos's heart nearly leaped out of his chest...

...After the beautiful memories faded, pain and depravity followed. As Nathos became entangled with Farina in a daze, he was completely unaware that the noblewoman had cast a death curse upon him. Her whispers intoxicated him; she said she served a god who could grant her wishes. She hoped Nathos would also worship this god as she did, so he too could have everything, including her.

Nathos did indeed hear the voice, a voice that promised him power, authority, and anything he desired.

When he woke up, his hair had turned white...

"He said he would give me everything I wanted, as long as I paid the price. I got... power, I got... immortality, I got..." Nathos wanted to continue saying that he got Farina, but she was no longer alluring, no longer even human. Her aura burned with an insatiable, intense hunger, like those spiders.

The Arachnid Quarter still reeked of acrid odors, but it was much quieter than before. What had happened while he was lost in thought? Had those members of the Cult of the Damned slacked off? Nathos didn't look up. He knew Farina well; she would surely punish those lazybones. Come to think of it, Farina seemed to have come to see him while Nathos was lost in thought, but the faint echo of that woman's laughter in his mind suggested she had come to mock him. And now, the Black Witch was gone.

"Power, authority, anything I want..."

Nathos was unsmiling. Farina's lies were like a well-woven spiderweb, entangling him completely. It was true that the Lich King had given him these things, but these were not what Nathos truly sought. His dreams and ideals were all built upon his love for Lordaeron, but when the kingdom was destroyed, when the Scourge slaughtered so many lives, he realized he had embarked on a path of no return.

He won't give you anything!

Someone responded to him, Nathos frowned. The person said the opposite of what Farina had said. Just as he was wondering about this, he was surprised to find that the stench he had been smelling had turned into the smell of blood.

"He will give you nothing but death!"

Nathos finally looked up, and in the place where Farina should have been standing, another figure appeared. He was also an Undead, but Nathos sensed many differences between them...

After feeding Maexxna, Farina returned to the place where Nathos was imprisoned. What she saw shocked her. There were corpses of the Cult of the Damned and spiders everywhere, and the person who should have been imprisoned was nowhere to be seen.