There were a lot of unanswered questions, and Ellis couldn't shake the feeling that some unseen force was toying with him… already sealing his fate, as if even he somehow managed to come out of this gate alive, he would still need to worry about his life under the looming shadow of the Twilight Codex System.
Still, he knew he didn't have a choice for now, and all he could do was continue walking, struggling with every step.
So, instead of dwelling on things he couldn't change, Ellis focused on what mattered most now: survival.
All he could do was hope that the gray light at the end of this path would offer some sort of solution, if it was really as he thought and the Twilight Codex was truly after him.
He could only hope that there would be a way out for himself. With this in mind, Ellis continued walking.
He walked and walked, not caring about the time, sleep, or anything else. Yet, even as the gray light drew closer, it still felt maddeningly out of reach.
He looked down at his palm, at the remnants of the magic stones. The one from the mutated zombie was gone, likely disintegrated entirely, leaving only the one from the cat. Then, he glanced at his skin, now marked with black spots, the surface dry and lifeless, as though it were dying.
He felt thankful that he had at least thought to raise his vitality; otherwise, his body would not have been able to withstand... this.
With his tired and pained body, Ellis let out a self-deprecating smile and continued forward.
It was after what felt like an eternity, with him unable to grasp the exact time, that Ellis began to feel an unbearable strain. It wasn't just the pain from his peeling, cracking skin, or his body, which seemed to be reaching its limit, on the verge of disintegrating.
It was the thirst… the unbearable dryness in his throat that made him cough uncontrollably, and even breathing was difficult. His eyelids too felt unbearably heavy, as though they were on the verge of closing for good.
Had it not been for the searing pain, making it hard for him to rest, Ellis was certain he would have already collapsed, sprawled helplessly on the ground.
It was during this time of torment that the negative thoughts he had been desperately pushing away began to creep in, threatening to consume him entirely.
'Should I just lay down and close my eyes?'
'Haven't I struggled enough already?'
'Is there really a solution out there when I reach the light?'
Questions like these… doubts about the possibility of making it back to his family, gnawed at him. They flooded his mind, and his thoughts spiraled, teetering on the edge of breaking.
No… perhaps his mind had already broken, as he felt himself slipping further into the madness that clawed at him.
Was it the work of the gray gate that was warping his mind? Or was he just that fickle?
Was he truly someone who would break the moment he was confronted with all kinds of odds?
Along with the doubt came frustration… frustration at himself for even entertaining these thoughts. And so, Ellis clenched onto that frustration, forcing it into something sharper, something stronger—his resolve. He made it his drive, pressing forward with renewed determination.
No, instead of walking, it was more accurate to say he was dragging his legs, each step a battle against his failing body.
… But after some time, when he truly felt on the verge of collapsing, when even thinking had become a struggle for Ellis, the gray light finally seemed within his reach. The journey was truly, at last, coming to an end.
Ellis glanced at his right hand, clutching the golden crystal, which had also started to disintegrate. Yet, in its disintegration, it emitted a cool, soothing sensation, helping him push through the oppressive pressure emanating from the gray light ahead.
In that moment, he felt a flicker of gratitude… gratitude for the coincidence that had led him to find that monster cat.
And so, with the golden crystal, the only thing retaining color in this now-gray world, clutched tightly in his hand, Ellis pressed on. He challenged everything: his body, his will, and this oppressive gray world that seemed determined to stop him.
Then, as the remaining distance dwindled to no more than a hundred meters, it became almost impossible to keep moving. Ellis felt his body, now without any skin, just rotting flesh barely clinging to him. His only relief came from the cold, soothing touch of the golden crystal once again, which allowed him to endure the overwhelming pain and labored breathing.
Still, he forced himself to take one step after another, refusing to yield.
He continued walking, struggling to endure the pain and everything else weighing him down… but, when he finally was just a dozen or so steps away, his body gave out. Standing was no longer possible, and he collapsed to the ground.
Blood poured from his mouth as he coughed heavily, each breath a battle. Even opening his eyes had become an impossible task, as he had been walking on sheer instinct alone.
With no other option, Ellis turned his focus to the golden crystal in his hand, the only thing that had offered him any relief throughout this agonizing journey.
He summoned his courage, and finding no other way, brought the golden crystal to his blistered lips. Then, without hesitation, he swallowed it.
Almost instantly, he felt a surge of energy welling up in his stomach, spreading rapidly through his battered body. So, ignoring the sharp pain and the unknown risks, Ellis hurriedly tried to stand, desperate to move forward before any complications could arise.
With the sudden surge of energy, Ellis finally arrived at the gray light. Mustering great effort to open his eyes, he was surprised to find the identity of the light was simply a gray shard, possibly part of a crystal or some kind of stone. He couldn't be sure. However, as he began to feel immense pain coursing through his body… likely from the crystal he had swallowed, he hurriedly extended his hand, now little more than bone with some flesh clinging to it, toward the shard.
As his hand touched it, the already unbearable gray light intensified, growing brighter and more blinding. Then, an instant later, the gray shard began to dissolve in his hand, its radiant light streaming into his body.
Ellis first found his mind going blank, then he felt himself being transported to another space… somewhere dark, completely devoid of light.
He tried to feel his body but couldn't. He was unable to sense anything.
In this quiet and dark place, where he couldn't tell if he could hear or see anything, and with his sense of touch no longer present, he tried to speak, but even that seemed impossible. And so, he soon realized that all his senses had vanished.
Ellis felt a deep fear as he questioned whether he even had a physical body anymore. It seemed to him as though he was dying, with his very sense of self slipping away, becoming nothingness. Trying to force his mind to think, to grasp at something, proved useless, and only made the feeling more intense.
He felt himself dissolving into the surroundings, his thoughts growing still, until, in the end… there remained nothing.