(pov : Asmara)
I had distanced myself quite a bit from those things that claimed to be "my comrades"
-demon, demon, demon, demon
I'm moving forward
Silence.
Again.
The same silence persists.
And yet… I hear their voices.
« Asmara … »
It comes from over there.
I freeze.
My heart is beating so fast that I feel nauseous.
I know it's impossible.
I know they are…
No.
No. They are not dead.
No one died.
OK, nobody
I grip my weapon tightly, my gaze fixed on the trees.
The wind is blowing through the forest, it's always chasing me.
The earth is still warm, marked by footsteps, traces of struggle, blood…blood, theirs?
No. Not theirs.
It is the realm of shadows.
I breathe.
Once.
Twice.
Then I leave.
My feet sink into the black mud.
I had even forgotten that I only had one boot left on my foot.
The air is heavy.
Every thought burns my brain.
But the deeper I go, the more I hear them.
I'm in pain, my head hurts so much, it's unbearable.
Whispers. Laughter.
Names.
Joy.
Angry shall
STOP
Shall…
- is that you?!
NOOOOOOOOO
I scream, but my voice echoes back to me, distorted.
-AHHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA HAHA HAHA HA AH
A sneer.
I chuckle
HA AHA
Ma main tremble.
The floor is rotating
Hahaha
My weapon too.
The trees are dancing
A figure moves between the tree trunks.
I'm running.
- Wait for me!
Aie!
I trip on a root, fall into the ground.
Lying down on a hard body, breathless.
In front of me, a shape.
A body.
Anger ? .
-Wake up, HA AHA, WE MUST CONTINUE THE MISSION HA HA AHAHA HAAA
I seized it.
-Get up, GET UP
And shoots
Clack!
-hein?
I step back, frozen.
His face was frozen in an expression of absolute fear.
Her eyes are still fixed on the arm, the… The arm torn off in her hand.
-.... a.. ah…. aaah
I put my hand to my mouth.
I can't breathe anymore.
No. No, that's not true.
Someone.
I... I... I released the arm, walking away in fear.
- …this isn't real…The mission… The mission… I… I have to complete the mission, we can't fail, ever
The wind whistles, almost like an answer.
And in the whistling, I hear their voices again.
Clearer, closer.
They call me.
I no longer know where from.
From everywhere.
I'm still running.
My legs no longer obey my head.
I run until my lungs burn, until I taste blood in my mouth.
Then… I found them again.
I will never let myself be defeated.
Not by that witch.
Witch
Hahaha
Roum.
Joy.
It's pointless.
They are there, standing motionless, at the edge of a ravine.
A ravine?
Hahaha
They have their backs to me.
I restrain my anger and stride forward.
- Roum? Joy?
They are not moving.
I'm getting closer.
My fingers are freezing.
- Hey… Can you hear me? What are you doing here? Useless. I thought you wanted to be "boss."
Silence.
Then a noise.
A sharp cracking sound, like a joint being twisted too hard.
Roum slowly turns his head.
And I see his face.
Not his face.
Something else entirely.
A twisted, monstrous smile.
Her eyes… black.
Environmental.
Infinite.
I scream.
And I back away.
-HAAAA
A COLLAPSE.
The recoil makes me fall.
the space behind me was collapsing
I was stuck with them on that piece of land.
- Back off... BACK OFF! I yelled.
They are moving forward.
The floor creaks.
A hand emerged from the ground, then another.
They grab my legs.
I get shot at, I hit, I shoot again.
Not only.
ASMARA , ASMARA , ASMARA
Someone is shouting my name.
A human voice.
I turn my head.
Everything was blurry
With a bright light that burned my eyes
Roum .
Her face was close to mine; I could see in her eyes a fire and a weariness.
He held me in his arms, with a torch in his hand, and held me tightly against him.
I scream, step back, terrified.
"DEMON!" I yelled, without thinking.
He stops abruptly.
Look at me.
His breathing is heavy and hoarse.
"Asmara, it's me. Roum. I was so scared, I thought you were going to die, you just collapsed," he murmured, almost in tears.
I shake my head.
No.
No, what is this nonsense?
Where am I?
I saw him die.
I saw it… .
I step back again, aiming a branch at his head.
- Don't come near.
Calm down. Listen to me. You're hurt.
- BACK UP!
I'm launching.
He dodges,
His hand grabs my arm, pulling me towards him
I scream, I hit, I scratch.
He pins me against the ground.
He ties my limbs and puts me over his shoulder
"Do we have to go back to the capsule?" he whispers.
I freeze.
Wedged on his shoulder, head hanging off the edge
And I don't understand anything anymore.
I hold my breath.
"It's over," I said softly. "I've lost everything."
A figure appears behind him.
Joy.
She's bleeding, but walking straight.
She smiled at me.
"We have to leave," she said simply.
My heart aches.
Something wrong.
I can feel it.
But Roum kept moving forward.
He turns towards me.
- Asmara, are you in pain? I didn't squeeze too hard, but if you're in pain, tell me.
I remain motionless.
Their shadows lengthen behind them, gliding across the ground
- You… you are not…
My voice breaks.
"DEMONS!" I screamed.
- STOP, STOP, HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE, A DEMON, WHAT IS A DEMON, WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED TOGETHER FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU, YOU ASMARA AND ARE THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS BUT WE ARE THE DEMONS, WE ARE THE ONE YOU CALL DEMONS.
Yelled Roum
-I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING EITHER, BUT I NEVER DOUBT YOU. I MAY BE A DEMON LIKE YOU SAY, BUT YOU'RE WORSE, SO SHUT YOUR MOUTH OR I'LL THROW YOU INTO THE MIDDLE OF THIS FOREST AND DISAPPEAR, LIKE YOU DID TO US, WITHOUT ANYTHING OR ANYONE. WE WERE A TEAM, BUT TO YOU WE COUNTED LIKE CAKE. WE HAVE TO WIN, WIN, But WHAT? WON WHAT? DID YOU ASK US FOR OUR OPINION? WE COULD HAVE CHOSEN A SIMULATION, BUT NO, NO... YOU WERE JUST THINKING OF YOURSELF