(POV – Nekra)
Inside the facility, Nekra watched in silence as several dolls moved around the room. Her gaze remained impassive, but inside, she found the scene amusing.
The small figures wandered clumsily from one side to the other, tripping over their own feet and falling into the corners of the room.
What amused her even more was watching other dolls rush to help one that had fallen, only to end up on the floor with it, creating a comical and chaotic effect.
A subtle smile bloomed at the corner of Nekra's lips, quiet and almost imperceptible, so discreet that even she didn't notice. Sitting on the bed, her small feet swung gently in the air, following a peaceful rhythm.
Her straight hair cascaded like a delicate waterfall, gently undulating with every soft movement of her head, which swayed from side to side, enveloped in a moment of serene carefreeness.
Nekra interrupted her thoughts momentarily when her golden eyes, identical to the White One's, but with a striking purple pupil, suddenly turned toward the door.
For a moment, she tilted her head slightly, expressing confusion, before she smoothly slid off the bed. With silent steps, she moved toward the door, her posture attentive and curious.
As always, the door was locked. Nekra stared at it for a few seconds, a purplish gleam subtly crossing her eyes before returning her attention to the same spot.
But there was no door anymore. It was as if it had never existed – no trace, no mark on the wall, just an empty space where a barrier once stood.
However, Nekra showed no specific reaction to the strange scene. There was no surprise, hesitation, or even curiosity. And the reason for this was simple: she was the one who made the door disappear.
Nekra completely erased the existence of the being that had created the door. In the end, it was no longer human. As long as it wasn't human, she could use her powers freely – after all, that was the purpose for which she was made.
Although she couldn't directly interfere with the living, her restriction didn't apply to those who weren't truly alive. For her, this wasn't a dilemma.
With soft and deliberate steps, Nekra crossed through the door, finding herself in a long corridor extending both to the right and to the left. Her gaze swept the environment calmly, but the only thing she found were unconscious human bodies scattered across the floor.
Without exception, all of them had irregular cracks in their bodies, from which an intense, pulsating golden light emanated. Observing closely, Nekra noticed the glow not only persisted but seemed to intensify with each passing moment.
Nekra raised an eyebrow as she observed the scene. Although she had felt the presence of one of her sisters before, it was the first time she had seen one of their powers in action. Or rather, she had always known she had sisters – that knowledge had been imprinted in her mind from the moment she was born. She had never stopped to reflect on it because, to her, it was as natural as existing.
However, in the end, Nekra never had the opportunity to meet her sisters. The reason for this? According to "Her" Nekra and her sisters were unique creations, extremely delicate, but at the same time, special, perfect, and impossible to be recreated. Each of them had something called Order.
If one of these Orders came into contact with another, an irreversible collapse would occur. Nekra never fully understood the meaning of this explanation, but she knew since then that under no circumstances could she meet her sisters. However, Nekra never worried about it. She had something that filled all her gaps: the White One. And with that, there was no need for anything else.
However, to be honest, even Nekra didn't know much about the White One, only enough to realize that she was the only one capable of staying close to her and her sisters without their Orders conflicting.
Whenever Nekra asked "Her" what made the White One different, the only answer she received was that the White One was special, even among Nekra and her sisters.
Nekra never fully understood what the White One possessed that made her so unique, setting her apart from herself and her sisters, but in reality, she never bothered to understand this more deeply.
(But White gets sad... when humans die... especially... the two humans who always visit us) Nekra thought, as her finger softly slid toward her mouth, as if trying to comfort herself amid the dark thoughts.
Of course, to be honest, the [Angel of Death] never deeply cared about human lives. Obviously, if a human died before her, and she had the ability to prevent it, it would cause her some discomfort, a bitter taste she couldn't ignore. But, in the end, that was all it was: a passing feeling.
It wasn't like the [Angel of Death] was some celestial being dedicated to the well-being of humanity, or something like that. Of course, this kind of thought was so far removed from Nekra's reality that she could never understand or even imagine it.
Anyway, while Nekra remained immersed in her own thoughts, one of the humans, who appeared to be dead, made a subtle yet strange movement. Slowly, he began to rise, as if something was pulling him upward.
Nekra, noticing this, kept her gaze impassive, her eyes observing without emotion, but her focus was on that movement. However, it wasn't just that human who stood up.
One by one, the bodies of humans in the vast corridor began to rise, like puppets controlled by invisible strings, creating an increasingly disturbing scene.
Nekra watched the scene with almost unshakable attention. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by several humans, whose skin cracked in an unsettling way, releasing a golden and vibrant light that illuminated the surroundings.
The humans stared at her silently before starting to move toward her, their bodies now glowing with an increasing intensity, as if being consumed by radiant energy.
However, all of this seemed distant and irrelevant to Nekra. Her gaze didn't waver, but her interest was directed toward something far beyond that scene, something she felt was more important.
The fact that all the humans present, without exception, had lost their essence made Nekra question the true meaning of her own words.
Her reasoning seemed a bit off. Rather than saying they had lost their essences, it would be more accurate to say that their essences were now repressed deep within their beings.
A golden light, almost ethereal, seemed to be shaping what were once their human essences. In other words, although their appearances remained human, there was no doubt that deep down, they were no longer human.
***
(POV – Protagonist)
Although the sensation of having my body crushed and then rebuilt was undoubtedly something extremely strange, I couldn't help but think that, as incredible as it might seem, this wasn't the most bizarre experience I've ever had.
Of course, it's not like thinking that way made the feeling any less uncomfortable — still, the undeniable fact was: I didn't feel any pain. What stayed with me was a much more peculiar impression, a lingering sensation that all of this was just... too, too strange.
Anyway, with my body fully reconstructed, I opened two portals again, through which Victor and Arthur were thrown out. They both hit the ground and rolled, but honestly, I think this was actually better than smashing into the hard concrete.
I had a recent experience with that, so I can confirm. Although I didn't feel any pain, I'm fully aware that for a human, it would've been a traumatizing experience — and probably the last one they'd have.
I turned my gaze to Arthur and Victor and walked over to them. Arthur seemed relatively composed, maintaining a certain serenity, while Victor, on the other hand, was clearly agitated, almost as if he was repeatedly touching his body in every possible spot, probably trying to confirm if anything was missing.
"Am I alive? My God! I've never been closer to death than I am right now. I really hope I never go through something like this again!" Victor said, his voice trembling, sweat running down his temples, and a deep sigh escaping his lips.
His body was exhausted, muscles as tight as ropes, and despite his relief, the exhaustion was evident in his distant gaze.
Anyway, both of them seemed fine. With that thought, I turned my gaze upward. My Alter Ego, now transformed into a colossal Wyvern, was still locked in a fierce battle against the magma wolf. However, to be honest, it didn't seem like he was gaining any ground.
The fight was becoming increasingly uneven. To make matters worse, in a sudden move, another giant wolf made of magma emerged from deep within the earth, joining forces with the first one to relentlessly attack my Alter Ego.
He was clearly in trouble, and what had been a battle of strength now seemed more like a massacre. Honestly, I wouldn't dare imagine how he must be feeling... good thing I'm not him.
That's a pretty mean thought, I know. But so what? I am the real body. If I die, we both die. It wouldn't be fair to think like that, right? After all, even if they destroy my Alter Ego, he'll stay alive... or will he? I don't know if it was just my imagination, but I felt a chill run down my spine when that thought crossed my mind, as if someone were watching me with a cold, cutting gaze. Well, it must have just been my mind playing tricks on me.
Anyway, considering that my Wyvern was facing the giant wolves, the only remaining step was probably to return to the building where the giant flower was. Not that I had any better idea of what to do at the moment.
Also, when I activated my eyes, I could still see bright, vibrant light flakes gathering towards the building. In other words, it was highly likely that the flower was still intact, which gave me some hope that there was still something that could be done.
As I reflected on that, a strange feeling washed over me. Suddenly, the environment seemed to darken abruptly, as if the light itself was pulling away. I blinked, confused, and looked around.
Although the darkness hadn't touched Victor and Arthur, something was wrong. It was as if a dense, immense shadow was casting only over me, swallowing the space around me, making the air thicker and heavier.
The silence, which had once seemed natural, now felt oppressive. But the most unsettling part was the way Arthur and Victor were staring at me. Their eyes, fixed, were not directed at me, but at something behind me.
In the next moment, I slowly turned my gaze behind me, as if something invisible was pulling me. My head moved naturally, but with an unsettling slowness, as if the air around me was thickening.
The movement of tilting my head back was almost painful, as if every muscle was resisting the action. My eyes rose, as if being pulled by some malevolent force, and then, behind me, appeared the monstrous silhouette of a colossal lizard.
Its presence was overwhelming, more immense than an elephant, and its body, completely made of molten magma, writhed with an infernal glow, releasing vapors that dissipated in the hot air. Its eyes were completely bulging, the iris dilated to the point of seeming unfocused, but something inside me knew it was watching me.
Moreover, its mouth exhaled a constant, wet sound, drooling at regular intervals, as if its saliva was a viscous, dense substance. The liquid dripping from its lips spread across the ground, causing the asphalt to corrode instantly, melting away like wax.
The metallic, acrid smell of what seemed to be a toxic substance mixed with the air, burning my nostrils. Although I didn't know exactly what that repulsive saliva was made of, something told me it wasn't just water.
(Well, this is definitely a mess)
After that thought, a few minutes later, I found myself running with all the strength I could muster. My arms were stretched out in front of me, as if they wanted to cut through the wind, while my legs hit the ground, each step faster than the last. Behind me, Victor and Arthur followed the same pace, their expressions determined and panting, each of them pushing their own limits.
But the most terrifying thing wasn't our run, but the monster chasing us: a gigantic lizard made of magma, its scales glowing in shades of orange and red, releasing flames with each step. The heat emanating from it seemed to ripple the air around us, and the creature's furious roar echoed, urging us to run even faster.